Now in its second year with Michelin-Starred restaurants, Miami’s fine dining scene is well into maturity, participating fully on the global restaurant stage. Miami food media, on the other hand, has some catching up to do.Among those doing the work of filling the void is Brenda Popritkin, whose blog, The Whet Palette and podcast by the same name — along with her serious approach to restaurant reviews that are written for diners rather than publicists — have made her Miami’s premier food blogger, respected by chefs and trusted by her audience.In this episode of Pan Con Podcast, Mike talks with Brenda about how being the parent of a special-needs child led her and her husband Larry (who has a recurring role on their podcast, contributing most heavily on the subject of restaurants’ wine programs) to the fine dining date night hobby that became a year-round media project, what it was like seeing a restaurant industry she’d championed for so long recognized at Florida’s first ever Michelin Guide ceremony, and her plans to go on a burger expedition with past Pan Con Podcast guest Sef González (better known as Burger Beast).The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of FoodFancy Bread Miami podcastCork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for TasteGodlessInvincible[Some of the above are Amazon affiliate links. While nobody was paid or prompted to recommend these items on the podcast, we do get a small kickback if you use these links to make purchases.]Support Pan Con Podcast and the rest of DADEmag.com on Patreon for exclusive content and other perks:Follow Pan Con Podcast:InstagramTwitterFacebookFollow Mike Beltran:InstagramTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Friedman’s “big break” came in 1997, when he collaborated with chef Alfred Portale on the “Gotham Bar and Grille Cookbook. It won the IACP/Julia Child Cookbook Award for “Best Chef or Restaurant Cookbook,” and got a James Beard Award nomination for “Best General Cookbook.” Though he’s worked on loads of cookbooks since, it’s been a while since Andrew last wrote a recipe. Instead, his attention has been focused on his work as a chef writer (a phrase he thinks more aptly describes the subject matter he deals with than “food writer”). He’s the author of “Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll” and “Knives at Dawn: America's Quest for Culinary Glory at the Bocuse d'Or, the World's Most Prestigious Cooking Competition” to name just two titles.In his latest book, “The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food,” Andrew Friedman takes you on a ride to follow all the work that goes into just one restaurant menu item at a Chicago restaurant.Andrew met Mike Beltrán at Chug’s Diner in Coconut Grove for a conversation about the restaurant industry, how Andrew ended up in his unexpected career around chefs and restaurants, changes in the culture of professional kitchens, and Andrew’s experiences growing up in Miami.In the Patreon-only extended cut, Mike asks Andrew about burgers, breakfast, PB&Js, and other important stuff.Our parting recommendations and other stuff mentioned in this episode:The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll: How Food Lovers, Free Spirits, Misfits and Wanderers Created a New American ProfessionKnives at Dawn: America's Quest for Culinary Glory at the Bocuse d'Or, the World's Most Prestigious Cooking CompetitionDon't Try This At Home: Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest ChefsAlfred Portale's Gotham Bar and Grill CookbookDinner RushAthletic Brewing non-alcoholic beer[The above are Amazon affiliate links. While nobody was paid or prompted to recommend these items on the podcast, we do get a small kickback if you use these links to make purchases.]Support Pan Con Podcast and the rest of DADEmag.com on Patreon for exclusive content and other perks:www.patreon.com/DADEmagFollow Pan Con Podcast:www.instagram.com/panconpodcast/www.twitter.com/panconpodcastwww.facebook.com/panconpodcastFollow Mike Beltran:www.instagram.com/pigincwww.twitter.com/piginc Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kush Hospitality founder Matt Kuscher joined Mike Beltrán at El Vecino Cigars & Cocktails in downtown Miami for a smoke and a discussion about his restaurant business, burger toppings, urinal ice, and his work with the Pace Center for Girls.02:35: Matt Kuscher on the Washington Commanders07:40: Sebastian Strong Foundation (children's cancer research)11:52: Abre Camino Collective working with Kush Hospitality on a theater project about Hialeah13:57: Miami's summer slow season18:00: Summer seasonal slowdown as an opportunity for development30:00: Supporting local business. Matt wants to talk about fighting with Nick at a kid's party38:12: Restaurant branding. Is Chug's Diner really a diner?41:24: Burger Beast burger pop up45:14: Workout music and motivation50:36: Urinal ice52:28: Kush Hospitality's roadmap, future plans56:54: All things sandwich01:01:28: Cereal01:03:25: Hash browns01:07:19: American cheese01:13:20: Pace Center for Girls01:17:12: Parting recommendationsMentioned in this episode:Fans First: Change the Game, Break the Rules & Create an Unforgettable ExperienceUnreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect Every Day is Christmas (album by Sia) on vinyl"LA MADERA & EL CASTOR" - by Rxnde Akozta (YouTube)Watch Nobody on Amazon Prime Video.Watch Jury Duty on Amazon Prime Video.Killy Tony on YouTube.Maty’s by chef Val Chang.Val & Nando Chang in Food & Wine (Best New Chefs 2023)This episode was sponsored by Per'La Specialty Roasters.Support Pan Con Podcast and the rest of DADEmag.com on Patreon for exclusive content and other perks.Watch this episode on YouTube (link coming soon).Follow Pan Con Podcast:InstagramTwitterFacebookFollow Mike Beltran:InstagramTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike and Nick got together to catch up on what's new at Ariete Hospitality Group.02:00: Mike has a new dog.03:30: Eva, Ariete Hospitality Group's new Mediterranean restaurant, is set to open soon.10:55: El Vecino Cigars & Cocktails is now open.22:33: The Miami restaurant industry is going through the first real summer slowdown in years.28:45: Let's talk sports (and Sinead O'Connor).28:00: Parting recommendationsThis episode was sponsored by Per'La Specialty Roasters.Support Pan Con Podcast and the rest of DADEmag.com on Patreon for exclusive content and other perks.Watch this episode on YouTube (link coming soon).Follow Pan Con Podcast:InstagramTwitterFacebookFollow Mike Beltran:InstagramTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Nolte is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Per’La Specialty Roasters. He specializes in developing, branding and marketing of the company in order to aid in its growth. In this conversation with Michael Beltran, Chris talks about the origins of the brand, the coffee industry, struggles in starting a small business in places like farmer’s markets, and adjusting to Miami Latin culture. Plus, a special appearance from Brittany Rothwell (who also teases her new podcast, A Tale of Two Muffs) in a conversation about the community’s love for the local business.Follow Per'La Coffee:YouTubeInstagramFacebookWebsiteSupport Pan Con Podcast and the rest of DADEmag.com on Patreon for exclusive content and other perks.Watch this episode on YouTube (link coming soon).Follow Pan Con Podcast:InstagramTwitterFacebookFollow Mike Beltran:InstagramTwitterEditing by: Christopher Cotte and Daniel Diez Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first time Robby Ramos was on Pan Con Podcast, he told us about a play he’d written. The script (his first) took its inspiration from stories about Cuba that he’d been told by people like his grandfather, who did time as a political prisoner in three different Cuban prisons before going into exile in the United States.That play, titled “The Walls Have Ears,” is now gearing up for its April 7 premiere at the Westchester Cultural Arts Center in Miami (in English for three weeks, then another three in Spanish, with the title “Las Paredes Oyen”). In our fifth installment of Pan Con Podcast Live (presented by Front Of The House), we hosted a four course dinner for guests who took in a reading of the script by the play’s cast, followed by a conversation with our host Michael Beltrán, playwright Robby Ramos, and director Gabriel José Bonilla.The dinner was held at The Gibson Room (executive chef Kris Huseby), with four courses plated on dinnerware by Front Of The House and cocktail pairings (by Ariete Hospitality beverage director Tom Lasher-Walker) made with Slane Irish Whiskey and The Glengdronach Scotch Whisky. This event was also sponsored by San Pellegrino, Acqua Panna and Petrossian Caviar.“The Walls Have Ears” is an intense reflection on totalitarian takeovers like the Cuban revolution and the impact they have on nations and families. It was an honor to have this reading — and the discussion in this episode — at the core of one of our live recordings. To get your own tickets to “The Walls Have Ears,” (or “Las Paredes Oyen”), follow this link.Support Pan Con Podcast and the rest of DADEmag.com on Patreon for exclusive content and other perks.Follow Pan Con Podcast:InstagramTwitterFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Mike Beltrán saw his high school friend Jon Jay on the cover of Sports Illustrated, his reaction, as he notes in this episode, was something like, “That’s my fuckin’ dog.” Jon Jay played 12 seasons of baseball in the majors and won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011. Now he’s back in his hometown as the Miami Marlins’ first base coach.In this conversation, Mike and Jon talk through the whole baseball journey — from little league to coaching pros — stopping along the way to reflect on success, failure, leadership, motivation, culture, family and friendship.Also, we get a call-in from past guest Mario Obregón and Nick is finally getting the hang of the airhorn button.In the Patreon-exclusive lightning round, Mike grills Jon on coffee, pastelitos, doughnuts and other breakfast items.Support Pan Con Podcast and the rest of DADEmag.com on Patreon for exclusive content and other perks.Watch this episode on YouTube (link coming soon).Follow Pan Con Podcast:InstagramTwitterFacebookFollow Mike Beltran:InstagramTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike and Nick set up for a podcast at the Pig Pen,  which is what Mike calls the warehouse where he and his car club keep their vintage cars, ATVs, golf carts and electric scooters. We get caught up on a variety of things, from a cancer research benefit car show happening behind Chug's Diner to the coming-sometime-soon opening of El Vecino Cigars & Cocktails to Ed Reed's butting heads with the administration at Bethune Cookman University.We also get stealthy moonshine service from the president of Mike’s car club.Get more information on the Cars & Croquetas fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at this Instagram post.Get information on Cars & Croquetas (Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023) here.Support Pan Con Podcast and the rest of DADEmag.com on Patreon for exclusive content and other perks.Watch this episode on YouTube (link coming soon).Follow Pan Con Podcast:InstagramTwitterFacebookFollow Mike Beltran:InstagramTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On January 15, we hosted a screening of the documentary “Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter.” Guests saw the film while they enjoyed a Charlie Trotter-inspired meal and cocktail pairings created by the culinary team at Ariete Hospitality Group. After the film, we had a discussion with chef Norman Van Aken, who was one of Charlie Trotter’s best friends and who was interviewed at length for the film about his friend’s life. That Q&A is what you’ll hear in this episode of the podcast.If you want to watch the film before going any further with this episode, you can rent it on Amazon here. Use this link for the rental purchase and we’ll get a small kickback from Amazon.Many thanks to this event’s sponsors: Sipsmith London Gin, Steelite, Event Factor, San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. Thanks also to Norman Van Aken for taking time to join us for this event and to all of the guests who made the night as great as it was.Support Pan Con Podcast and the rest of DADEmag.com on Patreon for exclusive content and other perks.Watch this episode on YouTube.Follow Pan Con Podcast:InstagramTwitterFacebookFollow Mike Beltran:InstagramTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chef Andrés Kaifer recently took over Charlotte, North Carolina's Customshop. The restaurant had been around for about 15 years — a feat, to be sure. But Andrés has helped make it one of the best — if not the best — restaurants in Charlotte. In this conversation with Mike Beltrán, Andrés talks about what it's been like to adapt to North Carolina's food culture as a Miami native, how North Carolina's cities are distinct from one another, and the challenges he's faced while implementing major changes at a longstanding restaurant.In addition, Andrés and Mike talk about their experiences executing a collaboration dinner at Customshop and prepping for one at The Gibson Room (this episode was recorded the night before that Gibson Room dinner in Miami).Support Pan Con Podcast and the rest of DADEmag.com on Patreon for exclusive content and other perks:Watch this episode on YouTube.Follow Pan Con Podcast:InstagramTwitterFacebookFollow Mike Beltran:InstagramTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.