The Banter
The Guys discuss changes in how vintage port is aging and then (somehow) pivot to mezcal. Like wine, agave spirits are tied to the land and the magicians who create it.
The Conversation
The Restaurant Guys host the founders of Southern Smoke Foundation Chris Shepherd and Lindsey Brown to share the origins of the foundation and how it operates today. Southern Smoke supports hospitality workers and beyond by facilitating services for those in need. They host a festival with dozens of talented chefs, great music and even fly fishing.
The Inside Track
The Guys get the inside track on the Southern Smoke Festival.
“It’s five hours of Heck, Yes!” Chris Shepherd on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025
Bios
Lindsey Brown
Lindsey Brown spent a decade as Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In 2015, she co-founded the Southern Smoke Foundation. The following year, she launched her own firm, Lindsey Brown Public Relations, which she led until she became Executive Director of the foundation in 2023.
Chris Shepherd
After nearly a decade working in the city’s high-end culinary scene, Chris Shepherd launched Underbelly, a restaurant concept designed to celebrate Houston’s uncelebrated cultures. He published his first cookbook Cook Like a Local in 2019, to highlight Houston’s food scene and the people behind it.
Through his work, Chris has been honored with a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest, two James Beard nominations for Underbelly, and several “Best Of” list appearances in national publications.
Info
Southern Smoke Foundation
Eat Like a Local on YouTube
We will have a Halloween pop-up bar in Stage Left Steak Oct 27-Nov 1.
We're hosting Pam Starr to showcase her wines at a Crocker & Starr wine dinner on Oct 16. https://www.stageleft.com/event/101625-winemaker-dinner-with-crocker-starr/
The Restaurant Guys will be at Southern Smoke Festival on Oct 4 in Houston https://southernsmoke.org/festival/ssf-2025/
And the Food & Wine Classic in Charleston Nov 14-16 https://foodandwineclassicincharleston.com/
Our Sponsors
The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
https://www.theheldrich.com/
Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/
Withum Accounting
https://www.withum.com/
Our Places
Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/
Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/
Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/
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