Shows
Burnt Hands PerspectiveRestaurant Reality Check for Vegans, Vegetarians, and Gluten-Free Diners: A Chef's PerspectiveSend us a textWe woke up and chose violence today with this episode, BHP Fam! Let's get real...Ever wonder why your server grimaces slightly when you mention you're gluten-free or vegan? In this candid, no-holds-barred episode, we pull back the curtain on one of the restaurant industry's most challenging topics: accommodating specialized diets like veganism, vegetarianism, and gluten-free requirements.The numbers tell a fascinating story. True vegans represent just 1% of the population. Celiac disease affects another 1%. Yet somehow, these small percentages drive massive menu changes and kitchen accommodations across the restaurant...
2025-09-0526 minBurnt Hands PerspectiveAMA [Ask Me Anything] - Uncensored Kitchen Talk: From Culinary Fails to Dating AdviceSend us a textWe dive into our first-ever Ask Me Anything episode, tackling questions from our audience that range from serious industry insights to hilarious personal preferences. This is UNCENSORED, so be ready to hear it all. LOL• Early career challenges, including difficulty advancing in the kitchen • The most overused ingredient in modern cooking• Chef Tony's approach to difficult customers• Death row meal choices revealed• Best advice for industry newcomers• Maintaining menu innovations• The challenges of bartender-customer interaction in the age of smartphones• Chef Tony admits to his meltdown mome...
2025-08-3040 minBurnt Hands PerspectiveUncorking 37 years of Wine Knowledge w/ Sommelier Marc Sauter: Myths, Facts, and TestingSend us a textMarc Sauter, sommelier at Zoe's Steak and Seafood Restaurant in Virginia Beach, shares his 37-year journey in the wine industry and offers insights into wine certifications, tasting techniques, and creating exceptional dining experiences through thoughtful wine service.• Marc has been a sommelier since age 22 and now oversees Zoe's award-winning wine program with 1,600 selections• Wine certifications through the Court of Master Sommeliers include four progressively difficult levels • Only 311 people worldwide have achieved Master Sommelier status in the organization's 58-year history• The best sommeliers focus on building customer trust by respectin...
2025-08-1551 minBurnt Hands PerspectiveThe Burnt Kitchen: Rebuilding After Disaster and What Insurance Companies Don't Tell YouSend us a textChef Eric shares his harrowing journey of rebuilding after a devastating fire destroyed his restaurant Crudo Nudo. His experience reveals critical lessons about insurance coverage, documentation, and community relationships that every restaurant owner needs to know.• Chef Eric built Crudo Nudo from a struggling concept to a successful Spanish-influenced tapas restaurant before disaster struck• Most restaurant owners never read their 460+ page insurance policies thoroughly, which can lead to claim disputes• Business interruption insurance is crucial, but understand how your business structure affects coverage• Documentation is essential – keep meticulous records of...
2025-08-0839 minBurnt Hands PerspectiveDesign Secrets: The Art of Designing Restaurant Spaces with an Interior DesignerSend us a textChef Tony, KC, and designer Heather Robinson get into the crucial elements of successful restaurant design, from balancing aesthetics with profitability to creating memorable spaces that enhance customer experiences. Heather shares her practical insights on space planning, lighting, seating variety, and often-overlooked design opportunities from decades of experience.Some great takeaways you will get in this episode:• Restaurant design success hinges on positive customer experience and profitability• Efficient kitchen design allows for more revenue-generating dining space • "Functional decor" maximizes impact while minimizing costs• Warm ligh...
2025-08-0138 minBurnt Hands PerspectiveEdibles Are Safer Than Oreos? Behind the Scenes of Cannabis TestingSend us a textWhat makes cannabis edibles safer than Oreos? (Yes, sadly, this exposes the dirty side of the FDA and our food that we eat every day, so even if you are not a "weed" person, this is an eye-opening episode on food testing!) This question launches our eye-opening journey through the scientific wonderland of DigiPath Labs in Las Vegas, where we discover the insane testing and regulations behind legal cannabis products.Chef Dee (AKA: The Happy Chef) and Todd Denkin (DigiPath Labs CEO) talk about their decade-long partnership that helped launch Nevada's...
2025-07-2537 min
Burnt Hands PerspectiveThe Reality of Opening a Restaurant from YouTube Fame: Mr. Make It Happen is back!Send us a textEver wondered what happens when social media stardom collides with the gritty reality of restaurant ownership? This episode pulls back the curtain on that journey as we welcome back Mr. Make It Happen, Matt Price, who shares the raw, unfiltered truth about opening his hot new DC restaurant, FRAICHE.After building a 4 million+ following online Mr. Make It Happen really did make it happen by opening a brick and mortar restaurant in DC. We talked about this in our first episode with Matt in season one of the show (go back...
2025-07-0444 min
Burnt Hands PerspectiveBreaking Rules in the Kitchen: Chef Stephen Coe's Uncensored Ride from Food Trucks To Beat Bobby FlaySend us a textChef Stephen Coe is a nationally recognized and award-winning chef, best known for his victory against celebrity chef Bobby Flay in “Chopped: Beat Bobby Flay” on the Food Network. Whether in the kitchen or one of his many food trucks, Chef Coe is known for his culinary creativity and ability to compete at any stage against any competition.Chef Coe’s other notable accomplishments include his “Chopped: Ultimate Redemption” win in 2019, winning the Grand Prize in the Food Network’s “Tyler Florence Recipe Contest” and the American Culinary Foundation’s “Boston Junior Chef of the Y...
2025-07-0119 min
Burnt Hands PerspectiveEp 43: Greek Roots and Restaurant Realities - From Souvlaki to Restaurant OwnershipSend us a textRestaurant owners unite! We are going Greek! We sat down with the owners of Brick House Diner to explore the deep connection between food, heritage, and the challenges of preserving authentic Greek cuisine in America. The episode brings together our longtime friends with Greek restaurant backgrounds to discuss how their cultural food traditions have shaped their lives and businesses.We touched on so many topics in this episode:• Greek cuisine offers flavors similar yet distinct from Italian, with regional variations throughout Greece• Authentic Greek ingredients create drama...
2025-06-2733 min
Burnt Hands PerspectiveBONUS: Behind the Bar: Mastering the Art of Flair Bartending with 22-Year VeteranSend us a textStep behind the bar and into the captivating world of flair bartending with veteran mixologist Vache in this special edition "shift drink" episode recorded live at the World Food Championship with KC. While culinary competitions often steal the spotlight, we turn our attention to the equally impressive art of performance bartending. Vache, a 22-year veteran who works at Circa Las Vegas, shares his journey from bartending novice to flair expert. What began with a fortuitous meeting with Francesco, one of the World Mixology Championships organizers, blossomed into decades of bottle-flipping expertise.
2025-06-2410 minBurnt Hands PerspectiveEp 42: From Farm to Table: The Truth About Quality Meat, Pricing, Labels, and Sustainable PracticesSend us a text"The quality of your meat matters more than you think," declares host Chef Tony as he welcomes his longtime friend and meat expert, John, to the Burnt Hands Perspective. Their passionate conversation cuts through marketing hype to reveal uncomfortable truths about what's really on your plate.John brings decades of culinary and industry expertise to this meaty discussion. Having started as a dishwasher at 13, he worked his way through kitchens before transitioning to the sales side, where he now represents premium Australian and New Zealand lamb and beef. This unique perspective—co...
2025-06-2033 min
Burnt Hands PerspectiveBONUS EP: The Humane Side of Pork Production: From Farm to Fork with Indiana FarmersSend us a textHave you ever wondered what single animal would be your desert island food choice for survival? For our host, Chef Antonio, it's the pig—hands down. The remarkable versatility of pork and its countless preparation methods make it the ultimate survival protein, and this episode dives deep into why.We're joined by the President of the Indiana Pork Producers, who offers a fascinating glimpse into modern pig farming. With 3,000 family farms across Indiana, the state plays a significant role in America's pork industry, even sending one in every four US-raised pigs to...
2025-06-1608 min
Burnt Hands PerspectiveEp 41: The Birth of Luce Norfolk: How a Lawyer and a Hells Angel built an amazing restaurantSend us a textWhat happens when a Hells Angel chef teams up with a lawyer who loves food? In this captivating conversation, Chef Tony and Mike Imprevento reveal the remarkable origin story of Luce Norfolk and how an unexpected partnership created a culinary landmark.Their journey begins with "Fat Fuck Sundays" at the Hells Angels clubhouse, where Tony's cooking talents caught Mike's attention. Despite the challenges of opening a restaurant - especially with a Hells Angel as a chef - Mike recognized Tony's extraordinary culinary skills and unwavering determination. "Failure is not an option,"...
2025-06-1345 min
Burnt Hands PerspectiveBONUS EP: Inside the ACF - Kitchen Credentials Matter and How to Become a Ceritfied ChefSend us a textWhat does it truly mean to be a professional chef in today's culinary landscape? Beyond the kitchen heroics and artistic plating lies a world of standardization, certification, and continuous education that many working chefs never explore.In this revealing conversation with representatives from the American Culinary Federation (ACF), we dive deep into the often-overlooked realm of professional culinary certification. Since 1929, the ACF has worked to elevate cooking from a trade to a respected profession, creating pathways for recognition that honor both formal education and hard-earned experience in the trenches of professional...
2025-06-0931 min
Burnt Hands PerspectiveEp 40: From Navy SEAL to Ice Cream Entrepreneur - How to build a food brand that sellsSend us a textWhen Navy SEAL Chris Fettes packed an ice cream maker into his cruise box and churned frozen desserts with camel's milk in the deserts of Iraq, little did he know he was laying the foundation for his post-military career. This extraordinary journey from special operations warrior to gourmet ice cream craftsman reveals the unexpected ways passion can transform into purpose.Chris shares with raw honesty how he navigated the challenging transition from military service to entrepreneurship, addressing the psychological shift from team-based validation to self-validation required for business success. "If you're...
2025-06-0655 minBurnt Hands PerspectiveEP 39: Money Talks: The Hard Truth About Restaurant Pay - Are you worth what you're asking for?Send us a textSo what should you expect going into the kitchen? Chef Tony and KC get real on what the current pay scale is and how that has changed over the decades in the business. If you are a new chef, line cook, dishwasher...listen up! The harsh realities of restaurant economics create a ceiling on staff compensation, described as "squeezing water from a rock," with limits on what businesses can reasonably pay. Regional variations, experience levels, position types, and restaurant categories all significantly impact earning potential in the industry. Plus, the current m...
2025-05-3020 minBurnt Hands PerspectiveWhat Makes A Chef: The Business Behind the Kitchen w/ Chef Brian Duffy - Restaurant Consulting and SuccessSend us a textWhat truly separates a cook from a chef? According to industry veteran and acclaimed Chef Brian Duffy, it's far more than culinary skill—it's understanding the business of restaurants from the ground up.Chef Duffy took time to talk with us in Las Vegas about his remarkable journey from culinary school graduate to opening restaurants and building a diverse empire of food-related businesses. With ownership stakes in everything from a German spice company to a multimedia firm with over 100 billion content views, Duffy represents the real grit of the multifaceted modern cu...
2025-05-2312 minBurnt Hands PerspectiveEp 37 - Finding Creative Ideas: From Chef's Motorcycle Life to Travel, and being inspired in the shower...Send us a textCreativity is the lifeblood of any culinary or industry professional, but where does that spark come from when you've been in the game for decades? This episode goes into the creative process that drives exceptional cooking and creative ideas. Chef Tony reveals that his best culinary inspiration comes from two unexpected places: the shower and motorcycle rides. While the shower provides calm and clarity, motorcycle riding engages all senses simultaneously—the smell of everything from ocean breezes to cornfields, the visual stimulation of changing landscapes, and the heightened awareness that comes fro...
2025-05-1625 minBurnt Hands PerspectiveEP 36 - From Bobby Flay and James Beard to Aloha Snacks: Chef Jesse's Culinary Journey in Virginia BeachSend us a textWhat happens when a classically trained fine dining chef decides to trade white tablecloths for paper plates and still serve some of the best food in Virginia Beach? Meet Chef Jesse Wykle, the culinary mastermind behind Aloha Snacks and a true Hampton Roads legend who once took down Bobby Flay on national television with his signature lumpia.We got the real dirt about food television competitions, where Jesse shares the surreal experience of competing against Bobby at 4 AM after a night of drinking with his wife in New York City. This...
2025-05-1040 min
Burnt Hands PerspectiveBONUS SERIES: WFC - Meat So Horny: How a FinTech Exec Created BBQ's "Spiciest" Brand and Built a BusinessSend us a textBobby, founder of Meat So Horny (MSH), shares his journey from running a fintech company to creating a provocative barbecue seasoning brand that's known for both its bold marketing and quality products.• Started the company after persistent encouragement from a friend, choosing the name "Meat So Horny" after listening to Two Live Crew in the car• Initially wore a mask to hide his identity since he was running a multi-billion dollar fintech company• Faced opposition from the barbecue community at first but won people over with product quality• Creative...
2025-05-0524 minBurnt Hands PerspectiveEp 35 - The Hidden Costs of Chef Life - Fame, Fantasy, and Reality: What it take to make it in the kitchenSend us a textIn this episode Chef Tony and KC candidly discuss the harsh realities of becoming a chef and the misconceptions many have about achieving culinary "stardom."• The dilution of the title "chef" – from certified professional to anyone who cooks commercially• Celebrity chef culture has created unrealistic expectations about culinary careers and success• Social media presence doesn't translate to actual restaurant success – "butts in seats" is what matters• Most chefs will never achieve Michelin recognition but can still be excellent at their craft• Local recognition systems and customer loyalty are undervalue...
2025-05-0219 min
Burnt Hands PerspectiveBONUS SERIES - WFC - Little Gringa, Big Flavor: Meet 13-year-old MasterChef Champion who is smoking the competitionSend us a textAnother special guest from World Food Champtionships in Indianapolis joins the show! Meet 13-year-old Raelyn Barker, the champion of MasterChef Junior Hope forthe Holidays and holder of the only Snow Globe MasterChef trophy in existence. This young culinary prodigy shares her journey from cooking at home at age five to sweeping barbecue competitions and starring alongside Gordon Ramsay on television.• Started cooking at age five and began competing at six years old• Won MasterChef Junior Hope for the Holidays working with Gordon Ramsay• Recently became Grand Champion at World Junior...
2025-04-2822 min
Burnt Hands PerspectiveEp 34 - A Culinary Critic's Journey Through 30 Years of Food Writing - The evolution of food writersSend us a textEver wondered what it's really like to be a professional food critic? Lifting the veil on three decades of culinary journalism, this episode features an awesome conversation with Jolene Ketzenberger, Indianapolis's preeminent food writer whose career spans the transformation from traditional print reviews to today's digital landscape.Ketzenberger takes us behind the scenes of old-school restaurant criticism—where critics visited establishments multiple times under pseudonyms, tested restroom cleanliness with strategically placed paperclips, and scrutinized every aspect of the dining experience. Her stories reveal how thoroughly critics once evaluated restaurants before social me...
2025-04-2524 min
Burnt Hands PerspectiveEp 33 - Your Hobby Is Not A Business: Hard Truths About Serving The Food Industry - The Reality of VendorsSend us a textThe brutal reality of restaurant industry demands and the challenges faced by small artisan vendors trying to break into the market create a perfect storm of failed businesses and frustrated chefs.• Micro vendors like microgreen farmers, artisan bakers, and hot sauce makers often start with passion but lack business acumen• Small food businesses frequently underestimate the relentless schedule and consistency demanded by restaurants• Chefs operate in an "I need it now" mentality because their business demands immediate solutions• Most small artisan vendors don't survive beyond 1-2 years due to burno...
2025-04-1826 minBurnt Hands PerspectiveEp 32 - From London to Virginia Beach: Chef Alvin's Culinary Journey and Owning A RestaurantSend us a textChef Alvin Williams shares his journey from classically-trained chef in England to celebrating 25 years at Cobalt Grille in Virginia Beach. We explore the evolution of restaurants, kitchen culture, and the fundamental differences between European and American culinary traditions.• Training under elite French, Danish, German, and Belgian chefs in London where 18-hour workdays were standard• Working in kitchens with fully-equipped showers because chefs lived so far from the restaurants• Transitioning from formal French cooking to a more accessible menu that Virginia Beach diners embraced• Creating menu staples like scallops Rockefel...
2025-04-1148 min
Burnt Hands PerspectiveEp 31 - From Steakhouses to James Beard: Chef Thomas Melvin's Restaurant Evolution in IndySend us a textChef Thomas Melvin's culinary evolution represents the transformative power of rediscovering creativity after years of corporate style restaurant management. Chef Melvin shares how his journey through high-end steakhouses both built his technical foundation and temporarily dampened his creative spirit.We go behind the scenes of managing a 12-foot open flame grill during peak service, where two chefs might prepare 200+ steaks with precision across four temperature zones. Melvin's meticulous approach to quality control extended beyond cooking to sourcing, aging protocols, and maintaining consistency across multiple restaurant locations. This high-pressure environment taught him...
2025-04-0429 min