Shows
Best Story WinsEp. 51 Elie Ayrouth of FoodbeastSocial media is flooded with short-lived food trends and recipes, but a few brands know how to keep their edge.In this episode, Elie Ayrouth, the brains behind Foodbeast, dishes out a spread of insights, breaking down how Foodbeast reels in over 100 million people each month. He also gives us a sneak peek into his plans for expanding into consumer packaged goods and why live events are a game-changer for building a tight-knit community.Join us as we discuss:The invaluable impact of in-person events, in building a unique, engaged community that online interactions simply...2024-11-1447 min
Foodbeast Katchup#118: Dunkin’ & Del Taco Serving Boba?!Boba goes mainstream in the U.S. as fast-food chains like Dunkin’ Donuts and Del Taco begin serving bubble tea & popping boba pearls.
On today’s episode of The Foodbeast Katchup podcast, we discuss the Boba wave going on in America. Del Taco’s new poppin’ boba in the form of “Sprite Poppers,” allows customers to put cherry or mango boba pearls on top of their Sprite. Meanwhile, Dunkin’ is testing Bubble Iced Tea and Bubble Iced Coffee through mid-August at a few locations in Upstate New York and Massachusetts. We sat down with our dear friend Tai Tra...2020-07-2156 minFoodbeast Katchup#117: Will Artificial Intelligence Save Restaurants?The global pandemic and the resulting restrictions and limitations brought on the restaurant industry — from prohibited dine-in to a forced pivot to delivery and pick-up only service — has brought on unique challenges to small business owners throughout the country. With restaurants worried about how to keep their heads above water, this necessity has brought about alternative solutions — namely technology that provides answers to keeping revenue streams steady and consistent.
A particular service, named Numa, has helped restaurants explore unique solutions by being an AI-powered virtual assistant and concierge. What’s great about Numa is that it makes a restau...2020-07-0848 minFoodbeast Katchup#116: REST IN PEACE SOUPLANTATIONIn the latest episode of Foodbeast's The Katchup Podcast, hosts Elie Ayrouth and Geoff Kutnick, along with managing editor Reach Guinto, wax poetic, and eulogize just how much Souplantation meant to them, while also exploring the immediately unfortunate prospects buffets have post-pandemic.
Thank you all so much for listening! Please review this podcast on Apple Podcasts, follow @foodbeastkatchup on Instagram, and connect with our hosts below:
Elie Ayrouth: @bookofelie on IG & Twitter
Geoff Kutnick: @geoffkutnick on IG & Twitter
Reach Guinto: @reachhard_ on IG and Twitter
FOODBEAST: @foodbeast on Facebook, IG...2020-05-2258 minFoodbeast Katchup#115: José Andrés is Re-activating Restaurants To Feed At-Risk SeniorsFamed Chef & Restaurateur José Andrés has positively affected millions through his non-profit World Central Kitchen (WCK). In addition to feeding entire communities devastated by natural or economic disaster in Puerto Rico, Tijuana, Venezuela and beyond, WCK had to pivot its model yet again for COVID-19.
FOODBEAST Co-Founder Geoff Kutnick and Managing Editor Reach Guinto talk to Tank Gonzales, the project lead for a pilot program in Southern California that re-activates closed restaurants and feeds at-risk seniors. Within days Gonzales cold-called restaurants, UPS, senior centers and city officials leading to an operation feeding thousands of people....2020-05-071h 09Foodbeast Katchup#114: $7 Billion & 1.4 Million CA Restaurant Jobs At-RiskRestaurants are one of the strongest backbones of our community because of how many roles they serve beyond providing sustenance to patrons. They act as a third space for gathering & connecting, they employ tens of millions in the US, they provide tax revenue for our states & local communities, and beyond.
FOODBEAST Co-Founder Geoff Kutnick talks to the President & CEO of the California Restaurant Association, an advocacy group for the restaurant industry with access to many of the forefront politicians reacting to the new economic environment like Governor Gavin Newsom, and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti.2020-04-161h 06Foodbeast Katchup#113: Coronavirus Is Worse Than 9/11 For Restaurants"If 9/11 and the credit crisis were wrapped up into one, this would still be worse."
The Coronavirus has created a crisis in the restaurant industry, and while they’re fighting to stay open, others have already shuttered as they are not built for any other format other than sit-down, dine-in.
In this week’s episode, we are joined by Jonathan Maze, Editor In Chief at Restaurant Business Magazine. Maze breaks down what restaurants are currently going through, and what it would take for them to survive not only now, but in the future.
Also...2020-03-231h 07Foodbeast Katchup#112: Building Theme Parks Inside Pizza Parlors w/ John’s Incredible PizzaJohn Parlet dared to turn his pizza parlor into an indoor amusement park, and it is still one of the most unique pizza party experiences you’ll ever see.
With 50,000 square foot restaurants occupying malls across California, John’s Incredible Pizza houses full-fledged carnival rides, arcade games, a pizza buffet and different dining rooms with different experiences in each.
Parlet joined the Foodbeast Katchup podcast and talked about how he made all the magic happen, as he built a Chuck E Cheese’s on steroids.
Parlet also talks about the sneaky innovative tech w...2020-03-0651 minFoodbeast Katchup#111: Hip Hop's French Fry Dealer w/ Mr. Fries ManCraig Batiste went from dealing fries in parking lots, to opening his own brick and mortar restaurant in Gardena, California. "Mr. Fries Man," as he calls himself, joined the Katchup podcast and talked about how people thought he was dealing drugs, when it was just fries, making custom fries for hip hop legends like Nipsey Hussle and The Game, and creating a strong community of black-owned businesses.
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Thank you all so much for listening! All the Tweets and Instagram tags of you listening mean the world. Reviews you leave on iTunes are...2020-02-2057 minFoodbeast Katchup#110: WTF Is A Zero-Proof Bar?Alcohol-free bars are starting to pop up around Southern California and the Katchup crew discusses the new phenomena.
These bars create high-quality, well thought-out "mocktails," and give them the same love a cocktail with alcohol would.
Joining us is Voice of OC’s Anne Marie Panoringan, who has been following the zero-proof trend, and helps give us perspective of its goals.
Through the experience of an Orange County, California pop up called “Temperance” and even trying some alcohol-free spirits on air, we try to get to the bottom of figuring out what the heck z...2020-01-301h 29Foodbeast KatchupWeed Sriracha -- Mr. Peanut's Super Bowl Funeral -- Protein From Thin Air [LITE]It's been a busy week in food news, and we're hereto Katchup with all of it.
First, some pretty big news from Planters, as they decided to kill off their lovable Mr. Peanut mascot after 100+ years. With conspiracy theories, and a scheduled funeral on Super Bowl Sunday, we break down why Planters might have made this move.
We also jump into some vegan news, as JUST egg released a "foldable egg" similar to the ones you see on your Egg McMuffins or McGriddles.
We dig into the news that researchers are...2020-01-2332 minFoodbeast Katchup#109: What Is Whole Animal Butchery?When you go to a grocery store, you’re usually presented with pre-selected cuts of meats that are popular, and sold in bulk. Because of that, the art of going to a butcher who utilizes the entire animal to its full potential, has been lost.
We Katchup with Michael Puglisi of Electric City Butcher Shop in Santa Ana, California, and learn the ins and outs of whole-animal butchery.
From getting a better quality cut of meat, to learning how to properly cook it, Puglisi and his shop pride themselves on providing a more personal experience th...2020-01-171h 43Foodbeast Katchup#108: Becoming a Major Foodie Influencer At Age 50While taking photos of your food has become a bit of a Millennial's game, 50-year-old Connie Aboubakare has taken advantage of the trend, and made it her career.
Through a more mature lens, Connie has not let her age keep her from producing engaging content and crushing the social media food game.
We Katchup with her and learn how she found her passion at 50, and how she keeps up with social trends.
We also discuss the struggles of covering restaurants who might not be too keen on letting cameras in...2020-01-091h 24Foodbeast KatchupSneaking Tortillas Into AYCE Korean BBQ [Lite]Korean BBQ is a unique experience where you get to be the grillmaster while still sitting at a table and conversing with loved ones. It's a fairly perfect dinner that you wouldn't think needs an upgrade, but we found a way to make the eating experience a tad better.
On today's Katchup Lite episode, the guys talk about Producer Izzy's recent KBBQ journey where he sneaked in tortillas and made burritos with fellow Foodbeast legend Peter Pham.
Izzy details his experience and talks about how tortillas should be the new standard for Korean BBQ...2020-01-0319 minFoodbeast Katchup#107: Holiday Edition: NBA's Secret Eating Habits w/ ESPN's Baxter HolmesHappy Holidays, Katchup Crew! Hope you're enjoying the last few days of the year, eating as much as possible, and as much basketball as possible. As it is NBA season, we wanted to reshare our favorite episode of the year, which happens to be with ESPN Senior Writer Baxter Holmes.
NBA players are often seen as larger than life personas, and inaccessible, Holmes has found a way to unify them with the common fan, through food. Holmes has covered the NBA for nearly a decade, and has uncovered some of the league's biggest eating quirks; from...2019-12-261h 21Foodbeast KatchupTaco Bell Unveils Their Own Vegan Meat [Lite]Welcome to Katchup Lite! This new shorter format allows us to talk about more timely news and immediately get it out to your lovely little ears.
Taco Bell finally revealed that they had been working on a secret, oat-based meat.
Their ingredients have always been pretty vegetarian-friendly, but at a time where it seems that everyone in fast food is trying to incorporate plant-based meats, Taco Bell, for the most part, stayed away from that conversation. But this changes everything.
Instead of going with Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods, the...2019-12-1915 minFoodbeast Katchup#106: How Cheesecake Factory Feeds 100M People A YearThe Cheesecake Factory is a go-to restaurant for millions across the globe, and we spoke to the man in charge of making sure they all go home happy with their meal.
Chief Culinary Officer Donald Moore has been with Cheesecake Facotry for over 18 years, and if there's a dish you love in their 21-page menu, he's personally had a hand in it.
Every single one of their 200+ menu items go through him, whether they are a brand new dish, an old dish that needs a new makeover, or one that just needs a...2019-12-121h 05Foodbeast Katchup#105: The Future of Drive-Thru is VeganThe plant-based revolution is starting to make its way to the drive-thru, and Plant Power is one of the leaders in that movement. The San Diego-based restaurant already has two drive-thrus operating, with more on the way.
Co-founder Jeffrey Harris joined the Foodbeast Katchup podcast and talked about the next step in plant-based restaurants, which is affordable fast food alternatives that can provide the same experience you get from more traditional quick service restaurants.
From trying to make vegan drive-thrus the norm, and striving to be the first 100-store plant-based restaurant, Plant Power could...2019-12-051h 11Foodbeast Katchup#104: Origin Story: Salt & Straw Ice Cream [w/ Co-Founder Tyler Malek]Salt & Straw Ice Cream co-owner and flavor master, Tyler Malek, joins the Foodbeast Katchup podcast to tell the iconic ice cream shop's origin story.
Malek takes us through an 8 year journey of what it took to make Salt & Straw what it is today. We also dig into his creative mind to get a glimpse of how he comes up with such wild flavors, including their current Thanksgiving feast-themed ice cream.
From starting as a humble push cart with co-founder and cousin Kim Malek, to just opening its 20th location in Pasadena, California, we...2019-11-271h 00Foodbeast Katchup#103: Booty O's, Pancakes & Wrestling w/WWE Superstar Xavier WoodsWe've all had dreams of becoming a professional wrestler at some point in our lives, and Austin Watson, AKA Austin Creed, AKA Xavier Woods, is actually living out that wild dream.
Austin joined The Foodbeast Katchup to talk how food has shaped his on-screen persona. From he and his tag-team partners, "The New Day," launching an official cereal called "Booty O's," to throwing pancakes at audience members, nighty, food has become an integral part of his identity.
Austin also discussed his personal diet, his road back from an Achilles injury, and growing up as video...2019-11-211h 19Foodbeast Katchup#102: Camel Meat Or Popeyes, We're All HypocritesPopeyes chicken sandwich fever hit yet again, and it was just as insane this time around. People have been shot at, gotten in fights, waited in long lines and created absolute madness for this little fast food sandwich.
Just as crazy were the reactions to a Turkish restaurant’s viral video of a whole camel being smoked. The outrage over that video sparked not only a conversation over the lack of knowledge over other cultures' foods, but also questions over people being OK with one meat, but upset over another.
Uproxx Life editor, Steve Bramucci, jo...2019-11-141h 23Foodbeast Katchup#101: High At David CopperfieldThe Katchup Crew invades Vegas, and with a handful of new edibles, courtesy of Blum Dispensary, they embarked on a magic-filled adventure.
Trying to get that full Vegas experience, Elie, Geoff and Izzy made their way to see the great David Copperfield live.
Once the edibles kicked in, it was a whole other experience for the guys, and they documented it all from the good, bad and ugly.
The night was filled with magic, a weird Uber ride, and was capped off with a glorious taco experience.
If...2019-11-071h 42Foodbeast Katchup#100: 2019's Top 10 Fast Food Game Changers Pt. 2PART 2: It's been a wild 2019, and the innovation coming out of fast food has been game changing. The Foodbeast editorial team came together to discuss the most shocking moves that the likes of Starbucks, Carl's Jr. and even Pieology have made this year.
Joined by Foodbeast's resident food scientist, Costa Spyrou, the Katchup crew unfurls these innovations in a two-part episode. Part 2 will consist of our arguments for No. 5 through 1, and if you haven't already, check out Part 1 of the podcast where the guys argue over Panda Express, Starbucks and Subway's placements on this list.
2019-11-011h 14Foodbeast Katchup#100: 2019's Top 10 Fast Food Game Changers Pt. 1It's been a wild 2019, and the innovation coming out of fast food has been game changing. The Foodbeast editorial team came together to discuss the most shocking moves that the likes of Starbucks, Carl's Jr. and even Pieology have made this year.
Joined by Foodbeast's resident food scientist, Costa Spyrou, the Katchup crew unfurls these innovations in a two-part episode. Part 1 will consist of our arguments for No. 10 through 6, while Part Two will consist of the top 5. Every single restaurant on this list could be moved up or down, but we argue and feature what we...2019-10-311h 07Foodbeast Katchup#99: The Legend of The Coney DogIt's often hard to pinpoint the origins of common foods around us, but perhaps the strongest case for the chili cheese dog comes from American Coney Island.
This week, Chris Sotiropoulos, co-owner of American Coney Island, tells the story of how his grandfather started pouring his Greek-style chili on hot dogs, and started a chili dog wave from small food cart in the heart of Detroit.
They've been serving up the classic Coney Island-style dogs for over 100 years, and Chris explains the secret to that longevity, the obstacles of being open 24/7, 365 days a...2019-10-241h 04Foodbeast Katchup#98: Oaxacan Me Crazy: The Mezcal EpisodeMezcal could very well be the next tequila, and Bricia Lopez is leading the charge in that revolution. The "Oaxacan Princess" joined the Katchup Podcast to talk about Mezcal's growth in Los Angeles, and what it means to have a Mezcal-focused bar opening on the Vegas Strip, as "Mama Rabbit" just opened at Park MGM.
Bricia also gets into Oaxacan culture, the intricacies of Oaxacan food, and why the Mexican state needs to be a travel destination.
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Thank you all so much for listening! All the Tweets and Instagram tags of...2019-10-181h 28Foodbeast Katchup#97: Unlocking The Vegas Food SceneLas Vegas is a wild, fast, and irreverent city. No one embodies all those traits quite like Drew Belcher, founder of UNLOKT Las Vegas, one of the go-to food sources for locals and visitors alike.
In this episode, Belcher penetrates through the ins and outs of Vegas food, nightlife, and even what it's like to work at the world famous clubs.
A Las Vegas native through and through, Drew has spent the last six years searching for and featuring the best eats in the city, and not just on the strip. The food...2019-10-101h 16Foodbeast Katchup#96: Meth, Addiction and The Vegas Foodstagram SceneYou never know what someone had to go through to get to where they are, and no story embodies that better than Paul Ryu's AKA @ryusauce. After leaving South Korea on his own at 13, Ryu's life hit a tailspin filled with partying, addiction, run-ins with the law, and almost losing everyone close to him.
In an inspiring story of redemption, Ryu has been all over the Las Vegas food scene and even co-founded his own agency that is helping build that scene off the Vegas strip.
Listen in to his wild story and...2019-10-031h 46Foodbeast Katchup#95: Origin Story: Wolfgang PuckWolfgang Puck is arguably the most recognizable name in the food world, as things we take for granted such as TV cooking demonstrations, open kitchen restaurants, and even California-style fusions, can all be linked back to Puck. He is a household name with over 100 restaurants around the world, and is now a proud graduate of the Foodbeast Katchup podcast.
Wolfgang and son Byron Puck joined us, as we took a time machine into Wolfgang's life, learning exactly what he had to fight through to get to where he is, how he became THE most recognizable name...2019-09-261h 23Foodbeast Katchup#94: Boba Guys Is For The Culture Pt. 2 [w/ co-founder Andrew Chau]"I just want to stop explaining boba to white people." That is the tongue-and-cheek goal of Andrew Chau, co-founder of Boba Guys as they strive to make boba drinks commonplace in the U.S.
Chau and his fellow co-founder Bin Chen have been more than just restaurateurs, as they are often looked to for statements on cultural moments, and always looking to bridge cultures. Chau was very open and honest about a lot of cultural subjects in his Katchup appearance and goes even deeper in Pt. 2, as Chau gives no-holds-barred commentary throughout.
Make sure to...2019-09-201h 21Foodbeast Katchup#94: Boba Guys Is For The Culture Pt. 1 [w/ co-founder Andrew Chau]Boba Guys is pushing to make bubble tea as common as sushi, and in a very rare podcast appearance, co-founder Andrew Chau joined us to share just how they're going to do that. In "episode one" of a two-part series we learn the origins of the Bay Area-based boba shop, how they started changing the perception of boba in the U.S., and why they pushed so hard for single-use plastic bans in California.
Chau and his fellow co-founder Bin Chen have been more than just restaurateurs, as they are often looked to for statements on cultural...2019-09-191h 18Foodbeast Katchup#93: The Most LA of LA Coffee Shops Is Now International [w/ @Alfred]Alfred Inc. has become a staple in Los Angeles with Instagram-worthy drinks and a coffee/tea shop experience like no other. Founder Josh Zad jumped on the Foodbeast Katchup podcast, shared how it all came to be, and how he transitioned Alfred's success into a successful international brand, opening Alfred Tea in the heart of Japan.
Zad also shared how the success of his shops have opened the door to a new Mexican style called "Calidad," that is already being sold in over 600 U.S. locations.
For the first time since the incident, Zad...2019-09-131h 22Foodbeast Katchup#92: Breaking All The Sushi RulesSushi is a very traditional Japanese dish, and we've all known it to look a certain way, taste a certain way, and feel a certain way.
Wave Asian Bistro in Mount Dora, Florida, however, is breaking all the sushi rules, taking the base elements and creating 16-pound sushi doughnuts, sushi pizza, sushi fries, and much more.
Under the tutelage of his father, who also ran a Japanese restaurant, Jonathan McKinney opened Wave and in a few short years has made "breaking the internet" a habit.
We talked with McKinney and partner Kelly Leech, as they showed us what the process...2019-09-051h 10Foodbeast Katchup#91: Prison Food Culture w/ An Ex-ConIf you've ever wondered what it's actually like inside a prison's walls; author, entrepreneur and ex-con Andrew Medal jumped on The Foodbeast Katchup podcast to give us an unflitered look.
Fully embracing his checkered past, Medal's new book, "Don't Drop the Soap," details prison culture, slang, and tons of recipes that he had to learn on the fly.
From sneaking food into his cell to hand-make alcohol, to using trash bags to make ice cream, Medal had to MacGyver his way to a decent meal. He also compares prison food experiences compared to media interpretations.
Medal shared the story of h...2019-08-291h 20Foodbeast Katchup#90: From Iconic Streetwear To Food Fests w/ Ben HundredsThe Hundreds is a pioneer in the Los Angeles streetwear game, and co-founder Ben Shenassafar, AKA Ben Hundreds, joins the Katchup to talk about their new Family Style Food Festival, the stories behind The Hundreds past iconic food collabs, and he also helps us settle the war between Popeyes and Chick-Fil-A’s chicken sandwiches.
Ben gets into the nitty gritty of putting together the Hundreds Family Style Festival, getting L.A.’s best restaurants such as Howlin’ Rays, Jon & Vinny’s and Felix Trattoria to mix it up with cultural icons such as Chinatown Market, Mr. Cartoon and Joshua Vides.
Ben also g...2019-08-221h 11Foodbeast Katchup#89: High At: An Underground Cannabis Swap MeetWhen Elie got invited to a secretive event by a friend, he was under the impression that it was going to be a dinner. The closer the day came, he had his suspicions, and eventually realized he had just committed to an underground cannabis swap meet.
The guys popped in some edibles, went to check it out, and had quite an eventful experience.
Geoff and Elie recap their night and talk about how these type of sesh's are still part of cannabis culture, despite weed being legal in California.
Also, if we get 40 reviews on the Podcast app about Elie eat...2019-08-151h 16Foodbeast Katchup#88: The Indian American Love For Taco BellVirali Dave recently discovered that her family's affinity with Taco Bell was shared throughout several pockets of the Indian American community.Dave explains her experience growing up as an American Indian immigrant, and how Taco Bell has evolved into a cultural phenomenon.
Several factors come into play, including affordability and Taco Bell's dietary flexibility make it the ideal fast food.
The Katchup crew, with Food beast's Reach Guinto filling in for Elie, also talk about Subway's fight for relevance, this time announcing a partnership with Beyond Meat. They also get hit with a bit of nostalgia, trying out the all...2019-08-091h 12Foodbeast Katchup#87: Snoop Dogg Headlining A Noodle FestivalWith "Foodbeast Presents: Nood Beach" less than a month away, the guys detail what to expect at the Southern California food and music festival. From Snoop Dogg headlining the music side of things, to unique food experiences such as VIP Lobster Bottle Service, and even competitive eating competitions, the beachside festival is sure to be one for the record books. Conversation starts at (01:34).
The next bit of news comes in the form of food delivery services proving to be increasingly troublesome. From recent stories of Door Dash screwing its drivers out of their tips, to GrubHub faking mom & pop websites, th...2019-08-011h 14Foodbeast Katchup#86: LA's All-You-Can-Eat Wing FestivalIt's summer festival season, and we talk through the only two So-Cal festivals that matter; Wing Fest, and Nood Beach.
Lawrence Longo, founder of the Off The Menu App, eater of 365 Burgers in 2018, and the man behind LA's upcoming Wing Fest, joins the Foodbeast Katchup podcast to talk about what it takes to actually put together a festival of this magnitude.
The crew also tries Panda Express' new Sichuan spicy chicken live, giving their first thoughts, along with talking about the grocery store ice cream licking trend that unfortunately has become a thing.
Off the Menu Presents: Wing Fest, will tak...2019-07-251h 07Foodbeast Katchup#85: Origin Story: Coolhaus Ice CreamIt all started with an engineless postal service truck that was bought off Craigslist in 2008, and has led to an ice cream brand that now is being distributed in over 7,500 grocery stores.
Coolhaus ice cream co-founder and CEO Natasha Case joins the podcast and talks about the company's humble beginnings, the bumpy roads, all the way up to its current successes.
From tricking Triple-A into towing their broken down truck to Coachella, to dazzling foodies with odd flavor combinations, to what it takes to get a spot in a grocery store, Case gave a full inside look at evolution of th...2019-07-181h 19Foodbeast Katchup#84: Charging Influencers DoubleHaving a ton of followers can get you a lot of free stuff if you know how to work it, but one ice cream truck is fighting back against these free handouts.
Joe Nicchi, owner of L.A.'s CVT ice cream truck made waves this week when he announced he would not only reject any requests for free ice cream in exchange for an Instagram photo, but would actually make "influencers" pay double.
On today's Katchup episode we're joined by Stephanie Breijo, the Time Out LA editor who interviewed Nicchi, as we talk about influencer culture, and if it...2019-07-111h 05Foodbeast Katchup#83: The Hug Life Chose MeWhile plant-based ice cream is not necessarily a new concept, there's a southern California ice cream shop that's destined to be the plant-based Baskin Robbins.
Hug Life Anti-Dairy Ice Cream is changing the way you look at vegan ice cream, and co-founder Johny Tran joined thee Foodbeast Katchup to tell us how it all started.
Tran is changing minds and trying to reverse prior bad plant-based ice cream experiences you might have had.
With amazing flavors, and zero tummy aches, Hug Life could prove to lead the way in the future of ice cream.
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Thank you all so much fo...2019-07-0552 minFoodbeast Katchup#81: From Dropout To Serial Restaurateur w/ Andy 'Cool' NguyenAfters Ice Cream is arguably one of the hottest ice cream chains in the world, and was actually Andy Nguyen's first foray into the food and restaurant world.
Before Nguyen changed the ice cream game and became a serial entrepreneur, he was a less-than-impressive student just trying to find his way in this world.
Nguyen hopped on The Foodbeast Katchup podcast in a very raw interview, talking about his troubles as a high school student, being talked into real estate despite having no knowledge, and eventually discovering that he has a knack for helping build restaurant concepts.
With over 15 different re...2019-06-201h 38Foodbeast Katchup#80: Star Wars Galaxy's Edge: A BREAKdownDisneyland's much anticipated Star Wars land, a Galaxy's Edge, has finally opened to the public.
After visiting twice since opening, The Katchup's Elie Ayrouth, a resident Disneyland Annual Passholder has some very specific feedback on the dedicated Star Wars experience. To add fuel to the fire, friend of the podcast Bobby Navarro, another Disney fanatic who's been THREE times, joins in on the fun.
Along with Geoff's inquisitive nature, the three breakdown the good, the bad, and the confusedly ridiculous elements of Disneyland's newest land, Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. No food, droid or boba-filled cocktail is left un-sipped on this e...2019-06-171h 12Foodbeast Katchup#79: Origin Story: House of BluesAnother great week in the world of KATCHING UP with the coolest people in the food game.
This week's guest is Michael Grozier, House of Blues employee #1. House of Blues is a rock & blues-themed music chain with Southern food that was founded back in 1992! Under the tutelage of Hard Rock Cafe and House of Blues founder Isaac Tigrett, we talk about what it was like on opening day 1992, what it was like having your company bought out by Live Nation, and becoming the country's largest music venue chain spanning almost 3 decades!
From a 180-sq foot venue in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1992, t...2019-06-071h 15Foodbeast KatchupFrom Jail To Fusion Powerhouse, The Story Of Fatima's GrillThe Katchup episode we spent with Ali Elreda of Fatima's Grill was one of our personal favorites, and one of the most listened to episodes in the catalog. With Fatima's Grill's continued growth, we figured this week would be a good time to bring this episode back up for new listeners who may not have heard this incredible story.
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We dive into prison food through the eyes of a man who worked the kitchen, only to open his own 'Insta-famous' restaurant years later. Self-made entrepreneur, Ali Elreda of Fatima's Grill, joins The Katchup podcast and touches on his troubled pas...2019-05-311h 10Foodbeast Katchup#78: NBA's Secret Eating Habits w/ ESPN's Baxter HolmesNBA players are often seen as larger than life personas, and inaccessible, but ESPN Senior Writer Baxter Holmes has found a way to unify them with the common fan, through food.
Holmes has covered the NBA for nearly a decade, and has uncovered some of the league's biggest eating quirks; from a league-wide obsession with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, to the Portland Trailblazer's almost necessary caffeine addictions.
The legendary Holmes joins the Foodbeast Katchup Podcast and shares these peculiar moments with us, what led to him pursuing these stories, and how they carry a humanizing effect toward people who ar...2019-05-231h 20Foodbeast Katchup#77: World's Best Pizza Lands In HollywoodItaly is the birthplace of pizza, and while many try to replicate the classic Neapolitan style, there's nothing quite like the real thing. Well, now one of the oldest pizza shops in Italy has touched down on U.S. soil for the first time, as L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele just opened in Los Angeles, California.
Considered by many, including the whole Foodbeast office, the best pizza in the world, da Michele has been the go-to pizzeria in Naples for almost 150 years.
With imported ingredients, a classic two pizza menu, and a one-of-a-kind atmosphere, Da Michele is now bringing a taste of...2019-05-161h 15Foodbeast Katchup#76: Lao Chef Calls Out FoodbeastAfter Foodbeast posted a video highlighting a restaurant and a special menu they called the "Lao Table Feast," a Lao chef spoke up for the underrepresented community and called out the content within the video. Saying that there was not a single Lao dish on the menu, chef Saeng Douangdara accused Foodbeast of misrepresenting the culture.
In a tense conversation about culture, the Katchup crew strived to learn more bout Lao cuisine, how its history connects to Thai-American food, and how lesser known cuisines can be better highlighted in media.
In this episode, we learn about the how Lao people c...2019-05-101h 12Foodbeast Katchup#69: Inside The Selfie-Powered Vending MachineA pair of Instagram-powered vending machines have appeared in Los Angeles and California. The concept is simple: The Dream Machine gives you a specific hashtag, you take a selfie, post it, and receive a randomly chosen prize within the vending machine, including Nissin Cup Noodles, videogames and gift cards.
The vending machines definitely gives off Black Mirror vibes, providing a sneak peek into a world where social media is used as currency, which may or may not scare you.
Admittedly, Foodbeast is behind these insane machines, and we talked to the two geniuses who built them, essentially from scratch.
Developers R...2019-03-211h 21Foodbeast Katchup#67: The Trial of Foodbeast vs. The Magical Burger (w/ Bear D'Egidio)Foodbeast has made its fair share of enemies in the past, but its not often those foes shows up Foodbeast HQ and hash things out in real time.
Entrepreneur Bear D'Egidio has seen success in multiple avenues, from paintball parks, to clothing lines. In his first foray into the food world, he has already created a major buzz with his marshmallow-smothered, flashy Magical Burger. Celebrities across the country traveled to Irvine, California just to try this burger and support D'Egidio.
Foodbeast was not impressed, and had no interest in covering the colorful burger.
D'Egidio felt personally attacked and made his way...2019-03-071h 25Foodbeast Katchup#66: Cooking With FaZe Clan, Esports' Most Notorious TeamThe FaZe Clan is esports' most popular video gaming group in the world, and we spoke to their chef to get an inside look at that extravagant culture.
Being a gamer himself, Jose Delossantos, AKA FaZe Cheo, essentially grew up with several of the original FaZe members, as the members typically live together in $10 million mansions.
Cheo's cooking ability afforded him the title of the clan's official chef, and as a fly on the wall, gives us insight on what it's like to live in a house that doubles as a business, being a father figure, albeit a young father...2019-02-281h 30Foodbeast Katchup#63: Let's Talk About Body ImagePersonal trainer and wellness coach Anne Phung joins the podcast, and takes us through her own struggles with her body image. A former Miss Vietnam winner, societal norms would tell us her pageant body is the goal, but that wasn't the case for her.
Phung takes us through the unhealthy route she took to maintain that type of body, how it affected her mentally and emotionally, and even leading to a period of unhealthy weight gain.
After years of fighting with her body and its image, she found a physical and mental balance, learned to love the process of finding...2019-02-071h 28Foodbeast Katchup#58: Behind The Scenes of Netflix's 'Final Table'Chef Timothy Hollingsworth was already considered one of the best chefs in the U.S., his victory in Netflix's The Final Table competition put him in rarefied air.
Hollingsworth joined The Katchup, and talked about his victory for the very first time since the Netflix series launched in November.
While every cooking competition has notable chefs throwing down head-to-head, Netflix threw its weight into a show with the absolute best of the best, quite literally around the world, and asking them to cook dishes from around the world.
With insane stage setups, a pressure-building premise, and a room full of c...2019-01-031h 44Foodbeast Katchup#57: Holiday Edition: How Afters Made Ice Cream Cool AgainHey, Katchup Gang! As we get ready to say hello to 2019, we wanted to gracefully close with our most popular episode of the year! Thank you all for tuning this year, as we've explored some of the most fascinating food happenings, with some of the most fascinating people in the food industry. We're grateful for every ear that hears, and all the feedback as we try to tell the best stories that the culinary would has to offer.
Happy Holidays from the Katchup and Foodbeast Crew!
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Back in September, Afters Ice Cream co-founder, Scott Nghiem, stopped by and talked a...2018-12-271h 17
FilmDrunk Frotcast398: Live From Foodbeast! (But Not Live)
If the Frotcast sounds mad profesh this week it’s because we were down in Santa Ana recording in a real studio — well, a real business, anyway — at Foodbeast HQ. Sitting in with Matt and Vince were Geoff Kutnick (second from right) and Elie Ayrouth (left) from Foodbeast and Uproxx Life editor and author of Danger Gang and the Pirates of Borneo Steve Bramucci (next to Vince). We talked about how Foodbeast came to be, the boys’ favorite Taco Bell orders (shout out to Mountain Dew Baja Blast), and of course plenty of movie topics. Those include who’s goin...2018-12-121h 24Foodbeast Katchup#51: Streetwear Is The Blueprint For Today's RestaurateursFrom 2 hour lines for sandwiches, to trendy merch collabs, today's food world has been heavily influenced by "streetwear" culture.
This week we bring in Miles Canares, who curated the food installation for ComplexCon, and Foodbeast managing editor Reach Guinto, both who cut their teeth in the streetwear world.
Restaurateurs have created hype using similar tactics that The Hundreds, Supreme, and other popular street brands, as the two cultures collide more than you'd expect.
We discuss the cultural successes of street-inspired food hubs such as Kogi BBQ, After's Ice Cream, and Howlin' Rays. Even Foodbeast itself was inspired by streetwear culture.
A...2018-11-151h 18Foodbeast Katchup#49: Should Lettuce Be Banished From The Earth?Our resident food scientist, Constantine Spyrou, joined The Katchup to explore his controversial article questioning lettuce's importance in the food world.
From its susceptibility to bacteria, negative effects on the environment, and lack of nutritional value, Spyrou makes his case on why lettuce should be "eradicated from the face of the earth." More importantly, he has drawn the ire of Foodbeast founder Elie Ayrouth, in the process.
Lettuce has become a key fabric to American cooking, and the thought of its usefulness has never really been questioned, until now.
Elie and Constantine had a heated back and forth in this e...2018-11-011h 22Foodbeast Katchup#48: A Foodbeast Survival Guide To ChinaThe Foodbeast crew made a trip to Suzhou, and quickly found out that it's not like any other travel destination. Our own Elie Ayrouth and Reach Guinto discuss the struggles of exchanging currency, internet censorship, and obvious language barrier, as our slightly ill-prepared staff had to learn how to make things work on the fly.
While shooting episodes of Foodbeast's "Taste the Details" series, the team experienced the intricacies of Suzhou cuisine, from jumping live shrimp, to the best pork belly they've ever tasted.
Elie and Reach explain how they found places to eat that locals didn't even know about, w...2018-10-251h 17Foodbeast Katchup#41: The 'Deep Frying King' Who Changed Fair Food ForeverFried foods have become synonymous with fairs, but it all started 20 years ago when this man decided to deep fry an OREO in pancake batter. Since then, the famous "Chicken Charlie" has fried everything from Kool-Aid, to Slim Fast bars, and even customer shoes.
Charlie Boghosian joins the Katchup and explains how all the deep-fried madness started, creating and keeping media hype, and how he has evolved his businesses over the last 20-plus years, to the tune of over $10 million in annual revenue.
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3:40- Deep frying medicine with the Foodbeast crew
7:21- Cooking origins and influences
8:39- First stand...2018-09-061h 11Foodbeast Katchup#40: Husband & Wife Created First Publicly Traded US Company That Sells MarijuanaAmy and Derek, the co-founders of the publicly traded Terra Tech Corp. and Blüm dispensaries swung by the Foodbeast office to talk about creating what High Times refers to as "the closest thing to a Starbucks in the dispensary world."
In just under a decade's time, Amy and Derek have built a publicly traded cannabis company with a market cap of $125 million as of August 30th, 2018. We chat with them about the early days of their relationship, founding a company that sells a product that the federal government doesn't deem legal and ultimately, what innovations we can expect in America's...2018-08-301h 20
Foodbeast Katchup#39: How 'Afters' Made Ice Cream Cool AgainCo-founder of Afters Ice Cream, Scott Nghiem stops by and talks about building one of the nation's fastest growing ice cream companies, what it took to bring ice cream back to social relevance, and taking advantage of the internet before it became the norm.
In less than five years, Afters Ice Cream has built 26 locations around California, generate over $10 million in annual revenue, and pushed the culture of seeking out food to post on social media, starting with their famous Milky Bun ice cream donut sandwich.
Nghiem tells how it all went down in this incredible story of endless hard wo...2018-08-231h 15Foodbeast Katchup#38: From Jail To Instagram Restaurant FameWe dive into prison food through the eyes of a man who worked the kitchen, only to open his own 'Insta-famous' restaurant years later. Self-made entrepreneur, Ali Elreda of Fatima's Grill, joins The Katchup podcast and touches on his troubled past, using Instagram as a tool to launch a restaurant, and why everyone is obsessed with Hot Cheeto menu items.
Follow us on Instagram:
instagram.com/foodbeastinstagram.com/thefoodbeastkatchup
Your Hosts:
Elie Ayrouth (@bookofelie)Geoffrey Kutnick (@geoffreykutnick)
Your Guest:
Ali Elreda (@faasgrill)
Produced by:
Isai Rocha (@izzy_serious)
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Email us any questions or thoughts: thekatchup@foodbeast.com2018-08-171h 10Foodbeast Katchup#37: Getting Face to Face With PETAOn this week's episode of THE KATCHUP, we invite PETA Media Director Ben Williamson to get an honest inside look at how the organization operates, why they have such aggressive guerrilla campaigns, and ask about the myths often associated with PETA. The Plant-Based God Wally Vu also joins the podcast to discuss what caused his drastic change in lifestyle, why he has some issues with PETA, and how going vegan has changed his everyday life.
Follow us on Instagram:
@Foodbeast, @thefoodbeastkatchup
Your hosts:
Elie Ayrouth (@bookofelie) Geoffrey Kutnick (@geoffreykutnick)
Your guests:
Wally Vu (@whatsupwally) Ben Williamson (@Peta / @TofuHomeboy)
Produced by:
Is...2018-08-101h 27Foodbeast Katchup#36: Sneaking Into Disneyland Headquarters [w/ Chef Christina Orejel]On this week's KATCHUP podcast, Elie convinces Geoff to sneak into Disneyland's headquarters. They lock Disney Chef Christina Orejel into a broom closet so they can get all the secrets about trendy, Instagram viral foods that have been permeating around Disneyland. Everything from Rose Gold Macarons to secret fried Twinkies, here's everything they found out.
Chef Christina Orejel went from being a dishwasher to running Disneyland's Central Bakery, the operation that feeds a majority of Disneyland and Disneyland Resort Hotels' baked good and pastry needs. Her incredible story is no joke, despite her jovial disposition.
Hope y'all enjoyed this episode...2018-04-1349 minFoodbeast Katchup#35: From Diabetes to Ice Cream Mogul [/w Michael Shoretz, CEO & Founder, Enlightened Ice Cream]This week, as part of our Founder’s Series, we sit down with Michael Shoretz, CEO & Founder of Enlightened Ice Cream. Thanks to a strong line up of unique flavors, Enlightened is becoming one of the fastest growing low calorie ice cream brands on the market. With product in more than 10,000 stores across the US, Enlightened Ice Cream is becoming a household name. Listen in as FOODBEAST Co-Founder Elie Ayrouth and FOODBEAST managing editor Reach “Tito” Guinto discuss the emotional connection to ice cream and find out what fueled the initial concept of this now well-known, better-for-you ice cream giant.2018-03-1657 minFoodbeast Katchup#34: The Great Grocery Store DinosaursThe grocery industry is now 100 years old. Has anything changed in 100 years? Do you know how to shop for groceries? With new technology, like Amazon GO, Prime & Fresh — it seems like it would be easier, but does technology only complicate things? Is there such a thing as too many options when it comes to the grocery industry? Listen in as Foodbeast co-founders Elie Ayrouth & Geoff Kutnick are joined by Nick Quintero, Director of Social Media at Melissa’s Produce, which is currently the largest distributor of specialty produce in the United States, to discuss how the changes within the grocery indu...2018-02-171h 17Foodbeast Katchup#33: The Most Important Food Instagrammers of 2018Elie is preparing for an upcoming editorial piece on the year's most influential food instagram accounts. Join along as FOODBEAST's Geoff Kutnick, and 100Eats' Bobby Navarro (@bobbybeenthere)delve into the Instagram food community to discuss which accounts have what it takes to be considered the most important of 2018.2018-02-021h 20Foodbeast Katchup#32: A Very Vegan New YearDenim Richards (@DenimRichards), childhood friend of Elie and actor in the TV series Yellowstone, joins The Katchup this week to discuss Elie’s journey to Veganism. After losing a dare, Elie had to go vegan for the entire month of December, and decided to chronicle the experience and how it affected him.
Hosts:
Elie Ayrouth: @bookofelie
Geoffrey Kutnick: @geoffreykutnick
Guests:
Denim Richards: @denimrichards (everywhere)
FOLLOW FOODBEAST EVERYWHERE:
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FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/foodbeast2018-01-191h 26Foodbeast Katchup#31: The White Privileged FruteríaNovelist and Uproxx.com journalist Steve Bramucci joins The Katchup this week as we discuss a Kickstarter project that went viral for all the wrong reasons. A travel Instagrammer took to Kickstarter to open a "Mexican Frutería" in San Diego's Barrio Logan. The Kickstarter immediately faced backlash, was taken down...and now it's time to talk about it.
Full story: https://www.foodbeast.com/news/la-gracia-kickstarter/
Hosts:
Elie Ayrouth: @bookofelie
Geoffrey Kutnick: @geoffreykutnick
Guests:
Steve Bramucci: @stevebram (everywhere)
FOLLOW FOODBEAST EVERYWHERE:
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http://foodbeast.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/foodbeast
Twitter: http://twitter.com/foodbeast
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/f...2017-11-091h 14Foodbeast Katchup#30: Why are women "ruining" food?!Author Jaya Saxena wrote a thought-provoking article with the title "How Men Elevate, and Women Ruin, the Foods They Love" and it broke our food worldview.
Clickbait aside, we discuss the incredibly complex, deeply rooted gender issues in food. Rosé, pizza, grilling, unicorn frappuccinos, dieting, frozen yogurt, we talk about it all. On the mics this week are Elie Ayrouth (@bookofelie), Annie Trimber (@thebaconprincessblog) and Rudy Chaney (@rudeluv).
Jaya's original article can be read here: https://www.tastecooking.com/women-arent-ruining-food/
Please follow us everywhere and if you enjoyed the episode (or hated it, disagreed, agreed) please do leave us comments o...2017-11-0456 minFoodbeast Katchup#29: We Need To Talk About Filipino Food In AmericaA recent, major LA-based Filipino food festival struck a cord with Foodbeast's Filipino Managing Editor Reach Hard. Along for the ride is the co-founder of America's first Filpino food truck and sweets Instagrammer Nastassia Johnson(@letmeeatcake).
Hosts:
Elie Ayrouth: @bookofelie
Geoffrey Kutnick: @geoffreykutnick
Guests:
Richard Guinto: @cozy.bryant
Nastassia Johnson: @letmeeatcake
FOLLOW FOODBEAST EVERYWHERE:
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FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/foodbeast2017-10-2848 minFoodbeast Katchup#28: Popeyes Chicken Resold For $13, A True American ScandalThe most unsuspecting story of the week, a restaurant in Long Beach, CA was caught selling Popeyes fried chicken as their own, and then provided bizarre explanation after bizarre explanation. We went undercover at the restaurant to learn more, and brought on long-time Long Beach resident and fellow Foodbeast, Rudy Chaney as a guest. This is The Katchup, and this is the hottest food story of the week.
Thank you to the awesome #foodbeasts out there for the tip on this story. Keep sending them in on Twitter (@foodbeast) or email (elie@foodbeast.com).
Hosts:
Elie Ayrouth: @bookofelie
Geoffrey Kutnick...2017-10-211h 00Foodbeast Katchup#27: Cheese-wasted On Szechuan SauceWe speed-rate 25 of the craziest cheese creations we've seen online this month. Also talk about the mass confusion going on with McDonald's Szechuan Sauce, Rick & Morty as well as Fatburger implementing the Impossible Burger, and what it means to have a chain of that magnitude embrace a vegan burger.
This is The Katchup. Thanks for listening!
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Elie Ayrouth: @bookofelie
Geoffrey Kutnick: @geoffreykutnick
Reach Guinto: @cozy.braynt
Costa Spyrou: @outhereflourishing
FOLLOW FOODBEAST EVERYWHERE:
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FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/foodbeast2017-10-141h 00Foodbeast Katchup#26: The 12.5 Restaurant Commandments10 things never to do as a waiter? Don't touch the water glass when pouring water? Don't wear perfume to work when serving food?
Author Jen Agg wrote 10 commandments for restaurant service in her book "I Hear She's A Real Bitch," so Foodbeast's Elie and Geoff discuss the validity of these commandments, and with the help of fancy restaurant-crawling guestBobby Navarro (the man behind Foodbeast's food festivals, we add our OWN commandments for restaurant service.
Also, for those coming for a DEEP discount code to our annual ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT-AND-DRINK festival, OOZEFEST, we give you a preview of the items you'll be munching...2017-10-061h 43Foodbeast Katchup#25: WAFFLES WAFFLES WAFFLES25 episodes into The Katchup podcast and we've yet to let our vocal chords celebrate the greatness of WAFFLES! Hot on the news of Pillsbury launching a breakfast-stuffed waffle at 7-Elevens nationwide, Elie, Geoff and resident Foodbeast Historian Costa Spyrou go down the wormhole of everything waffles. Oh yeah, we also talk about the 10-pound donut you can get delivered to your room, as well as trying the world's NEW hottest pepper, PEPPER X.
This is the KATCHUP:
foodbeast.com
@foodbeast
@bookofelie - Elie Ayrouth
@geoffreykutnick - Geoffrey Kutnick
@outhereflourishing - Constantine Spyrou2017-09-301h 01Foodbeast Katchup#24: The Golden Age Of Middle Eastern Food In AmericaJust in this past week, two ex-Google employees got DRAGGED by the Internet over their "Bodega killing startup," "insensitively" named "Bodega." We also talk Kooks Burrito from Portland, and our special guest, Vietnamese wonderman, restaurateur, agency owner, and close friend of the Foodbeast family, Thomas Pham, talks about Halal Guys' expansion into the West Coast, climate for Middle Eastern food and everything in between.
Hosted by:
Elie Ayrouth (@bookofelie)
Geoffrey Kutnick (@geoffreykutnick)
GUEST: Thomas Pham (@tpham & @thehalalguyssocal & @eatersanonymous)
FOLLOW FOODBEAST EVERYWHERE:
foodbeast.com
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FACEBOOK: facebook.com/foodbeast2017-09-221h 01Foodbeast Katchup#23: How Money Flows In RestaurantsSorry about the scratchiness at the very beginning of the podcast, we were rubbing mics!
Foodbeasts Elie Ayrouth (@bookofelie) and Geoffrey Kutnick (@geoffreykutnick) invite Chef Cody Storts (@chefcodystorts) and interrogate him on everything back-of-house and front-of-house related. Tipping, waiters that make $100K+ a year, chefs that make $30K, and Elie institutes a swear jar on himself...but doesn't have a jar, so he uses a terrible bottle of Moscato.
***SHOUT OUT OF THE WEEK****
Thank you to @phillyfoodforeal for listening and commenting on last week's Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/BYyqkt2F-Rz/?taken-by=foodbeast). If you want to be...2017-09-151h 03Foodbeast Katchup#22: Food Industry Swagger Jackers [w/ @TheJoshElkin]No holds barred this week. People stealing recipes, branding, Instagram photos, restaurant concepts and food content online -- and Elie Ayrouth, Geoff Kutnick and TV Host & Chef Josh Elkin (@TheJoshElkin) uncover the thievery in all its rawness.
In the heat of this episode, we talk about a place called "Hiccups Tea House," but we're specifically talking about their concept "Churroholic." Enjoy!
We really appreciate you all listening in every week. Agree or disagree, please do Tweet and Instagram at us what you thought about the topics in this week's episode.
Elie Ayrouth: @bookofelie
Geoffrey Kutnick: @geoffreykutnick
Josh Elkin: @TheJoshElkin
FOLLOW...2017-09-091h 10Foodbeast Katchup#21: CHEF ANDREW GRUEL: Slapfish Restaurant Group, TV Personality"I swear to God that's not cocaine you just touched on the table!"
Switching this up on the podcast this week. I've been hearing from the PR, Marketing, Media, Foodie and Hustlers listening and commenting, so decided to do a couple Founder Series episodes with some amazing stories within the food industry.
As a co-founder of Foodbeast (@bookofelie, catch me on Instagram eyyyy!), I'm fascinated by the come-up stories of successful food entrepreneurs. One of the stories I've been dying to unfurl involves Chef Andrew Gruel, a champion of sustainable seafood and the founder of Slapfish restaurants, what Forbes magazine...2017-08-041h 14Foodbeast Katchup#20: WHY ORANGE COUNTY IS NOT A "FOODIE" TOWN(w/ Jason Quinn of Playground)Does Orange County belong on a list of the nation's Top 10 foodie cities?
Foodbeast Editor-In-Chief Elie Ayrouth and acclaimed Orange County chef Jason Quinn (Playground) argue over whether Orange County should be counted amongst top foodie towns in the country. Who makes the cut?
Follow us:
@foodbeast
http://foodbeast.com
Elie: @bookofelie
Jason Quinn: @playgrounddtsa
Costa Spyrou: @outhereflourishing2017-07-221h 05Foodbeast Katchup#19: IF NBA PLAYERS WERE FAST FOOD CHAINS [STARTING 5!!!]Thank you all so much for listening last week! We're reading every review on the iTunes store, good or bad, we take it to heart and try to get better and more relevant with the stories.
This week we're showing you the guts behind how we write major features on Foodbeast.com. We do a live brainstorm for Evan's upcoming "IF NBA PLAYERS WERE FAST FOOD CHAINS" editorial feature. Is Kobe more Shake Shack or In-N-Out? Is Michael Jordan more Subway or McDonald's?
Also in news this week, Costco launched a Cheeseburger that seems to be confusing a LOT of...2017-07-1451 minFoodbeast Katchup#18: Snortable Chocolate is a Thing?!We dive into the nitty gritty of a chocolate powder meant to be snorted, how Breyer's new healthy ice cream stacks up to Halo Top, and some behind-the-scenes reality of what it's like to be a food influencer.
Featuring Foodbeast Editor-in-Chief Elie Ayrouth, Foodbeast's own food-science expert Constantine Spyrou, and Foodbeast Writer Evan Lancaster.
This is the KATCHUP!
foodbeast.com
@foodbeast
@bookofelie -- Elie
@thatsthatfuego - Evan
@outhereflourishing -- Constantine2017-07-0750 minFoodbeast Katchup#17: Fried Chicken, Purple Foods, and Halo Top [2017 TRENDS]2017 is almost halfway over, so we take a moment to harp on the trends that have rocked our food world this year, to-date. We talk Halo Top ice cream, Fried Chicken, Purple Foods, plant-based foods, rolled ice cream and the future of grocery stores.
Featuring Foodbeast Editor-in-Chief Elie Ayrouth, Foodbeast's own food-science expert Constantine Spyrou, and Foodbeast Writer Evan Lancaster.
This is the KATCHUP!
http://foodbeast.com
@foodbeast
@bookofelie -- Elie
@thatsthatfuego - Evan
@brokecollegecook -- Constantine2017-06-301h 05Foodbeast Katchup#16: AMAZON BOUGHT WHOLE FOODS, WHO’S NEXT?Last week online juggernaut Amazon purchased Whole Foods for $13 billion, a burrito made of cotton candy and ice cream took the Internet by storm, and a revolutionary new documentary about fake news and food is being released.
Featuring Foodbeast Editor-in-Chief Elie Ayrouth, Foodbeast's own food-science expert Constantine Spyrou, and VP of Advertising Solutions at Foodbeast Rudy Chaney.
This is the KATCHUP!
http://foodbeast.com
@foodbeast
@bookofelie -- Elie
@rudeluv -- Rudy
@brokecollegecook -- Constantine2017-06-2253 minFoodbeast Katchup#15: FOOD NETWORK GETS SUED OVER A CUPCAKEPopular food blogger "SugarHero" is suing Food Network for stealing one of her recipe videos without credit. As a result, we talk the difference between BuzzFeed's Tasty, Tastemade, Foodbeast and Food Network and recipe theft in the Facebook era.
Featuring Foodbeast Editor-in-Chief Elie Ayrouth, restaurateur Armen Martirosyan (@EatBearded) and food writer Josh Scherer (@CulinaryBrodown).
This is the KATCHUP!
http://foodbeast.com
@foodbeast
@bookofelie -- Elie
@culinarybrodown -- Josh
@EatBearded -- Armen2017-06-1646 minFoodbeast Katchup#14: This Chef HATES Foodbeast!Elie and Reach of Foodbeast go ham on a popular LA chef who was insulted when Foodbeast showed up at his restaurant to film a news video. Foodbeast friend Wally Vu joins the conversation to talk about the adverse affect Foodbeast may have on the world of food.
This is the KATCHUP!
http://foodbeast.com
@foodbeast
@bookofelie -- Elie
@cozy.bryant -- Reach
@whatsupwally -- Wally (check out: @wattzuppower)2017-06-1049 minFoodbeast Katchup#13: Getting High at Chuck E. Cheese'sElie and Evan decided to get high off some edibles and eat pizza at Chuck E. Cheese's "for a story." On this week's Katchup, they're here to talk about that experience and what was going on in their mind's over the course of the day.
Featuring Foodbeast Editor-in-Chief Elie Ayrouth, and Foodbeast Writer Evan Lancaster.
This is the KATCHUP!
http://foodbeast.com
@foodbeast
@bookofelie -- Elie
@thatsthatfuego -- Evan2017-06-0252 minFoodbeast Katchup#12: In-N-Out vs. Five Guys Debate[This episode was recorded live on Facebook on Tuesday, May 23, 2017.]
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After years of debate, it's finally time for Foodbeast to weigh in on the battle between In-N-Out and Five Guys.
Featuring Foodbeast Editor-in-Chief Elie Ayrouth, and Founder of BroBible Brandon Wenerd.
This is the KATCHUP!
http://foodbeast.com
@foodbeast
@bookofelie -- Elie
@brobible -- Brandon2017-05-2647 minFoodbeast Katchup#11: Barack Obama And Guy Fieri Are Saving American FoodThe Foodbeast squad talks about ancient bacteria waking up in melted ice, climate change's effect on food, and a speech from former President Brack Obama on the future of food. We then delve into Guy Fieri's Kitchen & Bar located in Cancun, Mexico to ask the question, how he and Obama are saving American Food.2017-05-1149 minFoodbeast Katchup#10: Why Food Is Taking Over Your LifeThe Foodbeast squad is diving into modern foodie culture this week.
We talk about how food is taking over our lives both on and off the internet and how the streamlining of food on social media has positively and negatively affected society. No stone gets left unturned, food delivery systems like Blue Apron, growing up poor, growing up rich, let's go!
We also touch on some of the week's hottest stories, including Mcdonald's taking Hi-C off the menu and a 1,000 pack of beer you can buy in Finland.
Featuring Foodbeast Editor-in-Chief Elie Ayrouth, Managing Editor Reach Guinto, and Contributing Writer...2017-05-0440 minFoodbeast Katchup#9: Starbucks Baristas Hate a Foodbeast WriterThe Foodbeast crew is back to talk about the hottest stories in food news. This week we're talking about baristas' backlash to all of the new gimmick drinks from Starbucks, and how Heineken's new ad accomplished what Pepsi tried and failed.
Featuring Elie Ayrouth, the Editor-in-Chief at Foodbeast, and Costa Spyrou, Resident Food Scientist at Foodbeast
This is the KATCHUP!
http://foodbeast.com
@foodbeast
@bookofelie -- Elie (Foodbeast)
@brokecollegecook -- Costa (Foodbeast)2017-04-2838 minFoodbeast Katchup#8: Unicorn Frappuccinos and A Drunk G-Eazy Interview At CoachellaThe Foodbeast crew is back to talk about the hottest stories in food news. This week we're covering the new Unicorn Frap from Starbucks, how a McDonald's employee helped catch a wanted murderer, our funny experiences at Coachella this year, and our crazy Meat Festival called Meat Street!
Featuring Elie Ayrouth, the Editor-in-Chief at Foodbeast, and Reach Guinto, Managing Editor at Foodbeast.
This is the KATCHUP!
http://foodbeast.com
@foodbeast
@bookofelie -- Elie (Foodbeast)
@cozy.bryant -- Reach (Foodbeast)2017-04-2032 minFoodbeast Katchup#7: The GOURDAIN TheoryThe Foodbeast crew is back to talk about the hottest stories in food news. This week we're covering the restaurant that banned children, our dope new Halo Top videos, and how people will eat anything Gordon Ramsay and Anthony Bourdain tell them to.
Featuring Elie Ayrouth, the Editor-in-Chief at Foodbeast, and Reach Guinto, Managing Editor at Foodbeast.
This is the KATCHUP!
http://foodbeast.com
@foodbeast
@bookofelie -- Elie (Foodbeast)
@cozy.bryant -- Reach (Foodbeast)2017-04-1445 minFoodbeast Katchup#6: Pepsi Can Learn From Taco Bell On How To Stay RelevantSo that Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad was a thing that happened...
This week we're here to discuss what exactly went wrong with Pepsi's latest ad that set the internet on fire, and comparing them to everything Taco Bell does right to see if there's some things they can improve on.
Featuring Rudy Chaney, the VP of Advertising Solutions at Foodbeast, and Reach Guinto, Managing Editor at Foodbeast.
This is the KATCHUP!
http://foodbeast.com
@foodbeast
@bookofelie -- Elie (Foodbeast)
@rudeluv -- Rudy (Foodbeast)
@cozy.bryant -- Reach (Foodbeast)2017-04-0855 minFoodbeast Katchup#5: Can This "Fried Chicken" Save the World?Meat...grown in a lab?? Memphis Meats created a REAL fried chicken dish without killing a single animal this past week, so you bet we're intrigued.
This episode of the Katchup confronts the ethics and future of lab-grown meats, the state of our country's farming industry, and finding alternative protein sources for humans to eat.
Featuring Evan Marks, the Founder and Director of the Ecology Center, and returning guest Steve Bramucchi of Uproxx.
This is the KATCHUP!
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@bookofelie2017-03-301h 11Foodbeast Katchup#4: Redesigning Theme Park FoodsDisneyland. Knott's Berry Farm. Universal Studios. This week's episode is all about the great and not-so-great foods at all of our favorite theme parks. Foodbeast's Elie Ayrouth is joined by Foodbeast writers Reach Guinto, Raphael Madrid and Foodbeast video producer Michael Priestley. They discuss their favorite theme park foods, the worst theme park foods, and even do a live ideation session to make Six Flags' food options SO much better.
This is the KATCHUP!2017-03-2338 minFoodbeast Katchup#3: Orange Chicken is the new BurritoThis week we brought on Armen Martirosyan, owner of @EatBearded and Co-owner/Chef at Mini Kabob, and Evan Lancaster, Foodbeast Writer and Breakfast Burrito Aficionado. Led by Foodbeast Editor-in-Chief Elie Ayrouth, we discuss Panda Express's new Orange Chicken burritos, our favorite breakfast burritos, and how Burritos are the new culture delivery vessel.2017-03-1646 minFoodbeast Katchup#2: Subway’s “Fake Chicken” Is Good For Fast FoodJoined by Nancy Luna, aka The Fast Food Maven, of the Orange County Register and Steve Bramucci, Managing Editor of Uproxx Life...Foodbeast Editor-in-Chief Elie Ayrouth, along with Food Science Expert, Costa Spyrou tackle the massive controversy regarding Subway's "fake chicken" studies that rocked the Internet the past week.2017-03-0947 minFoodbeast Katchup#1: Is The Viral Sushi Donut Killing The Food Industry?This week, Foodbeast Editor-In-Chief Elie Ayrouth brings in Andy Nguyen, the “creator” of the Sushi Donut and Jason Quinn, chef/owner of The Playground DTSA to discuss how social media virality is affecting customer eating habits at restaurants. In under a week since launch, videos of the Sushi Donut have amassed over 80 million video views...which begs the question, are viral food items like the Sushi Donut ruining it for all other chefs out there?!
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Foodbeast Editor-In-Chief: @bookofelie
Guest: Andy Nguyen @AndyTheNguyen Project Poke Co)
Guest: Chef Jason Quinn (@PlaygroundDTSA)
http://food...2017-03-0258 min