
On The Pass
On The Pass serves up inspiring conversations with dynamic figures in the food + beverage, hospitality and travel space. Hosted by Gabriel Ornelas.
Latest episodes

Jun 5, 2024 • 1h 5min
101. Hot Spot: Jordan Kahn of VESPERTINE
As the Beatles sang in their 1967 hit, “All You Need is Love,” they weren't just referring to the love of another but also the love of oneself. Our next Hot Spot guest, Chef Jordan Kahn, is writing a new chapter in his career, focused on redefining success and joy through love. Jordan honed his skills under culinary icons like Thomas Keller, Grant Achatz, and Michael Mina. He has been at the forefront of LA’s culinary scene with his restaurants—Destroyer, an informal daytime spot serving sophisticated, wholesome fare; Meteora, a transporting, holistic restaurant focusing on live-fire cooking that opened in 2022; and the recently reopened Vespertine, his extravagant experiment in fine dining that closed for the greater part of three years. Vespertine’s previous accolades include two Michelin stars from 2019 to 2021, recognition as one of the Most Beautiful Restaurants by Condé Nast, and a spot on Time Magazine’s prestigious list of the World’s 100 Greatest Places. Despite the awards, accolades, and so-called success, Jordan felt depleted and undernourished by his work. The pandemic, although devastating to the industry, also allowed him to slow down, find balance and meet the love of his life. His wife Zara has had a tremendous influence on him, helping him move "from the head to the heart" in both his creative culinary pursuits and in life in general. Learn more about VESPERTINE: https://bit.ly/3xek3UZ Follow VESPERTINE on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3VqpRUG Learn more about Meteora: https://bit.ly/3yQ6JXy Follow Jordan Kahn on Instagram: https://bit.ly/4bN0UIL Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Learn more about On The Pass: https://bit.ly/3J2PPXP Read Gabriel's Articles: http://bit.ly/3SnOsGG Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.studioornelas.com www.gabrielornelas.com

Jun 3, 2024 • 22min
100. High Tea: Cláudia de Brito
On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Cláudia de Brito, Dubai-based journalist, host, moderator and content creator. Born to Portuguese-Cape Verdean parents in Singapore, raised in Dubai and educated in London, Cláudia’s depth of experience and global perspective has helped her cover hospitality and travel for over a decade. She’s was the Editor of several publications including Caterer Middle East and Hotelier Middle East. In 2021, she was appointed Gulf Academy chair for MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants and is now also a Middle East Academy Chair for World’s 50 Best Restaurants. In this episode, we discuss: ☑️The Worlds 50 Best Restaurant 2024, Las Vegas ☑️MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy Chair ☑️Champions of Change Award 2023 | Nora Fitzgerald Belahcen of Amal in Marrakech, Morocco ☑️Dubai’s current culinary scene ☑️What defines Middle Eastern hospitality? ☑️Where her chef friends are eating in Dubai ☑️Dubai as a culinary destination! Follow Cláudia de Brito on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3RcrJ0G Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Connect with Gabriel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Oxa2I3 On The Pass Website: https://bit.ly/3J2PPXP Read Gabriel's Articles: http://bit.ly/3SnOsGG Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.studioornelas.com www.gabrielornelas.com

May 27, 2024 • 22min
99. High Tea: Kayla Stewart
On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Kayla Stewart, Houston-and-NY-based food and travel journalist, cookbook author and Editor of Eater Houston. Kayla’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Eater, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, and others. Her piece, “The Sweetest Harvest,” won the 2023 James Beard Foundation Profile Award, and her story, “Teach a Man to Fish,” will be anthologized in the 2023 edition of Best American Food Writing. She’s currently working on a cookbook with Chef Christopher Williams about Black cuisine in Texas for Ten Speed Press. In this episode, we discuss: ☑️Cultural applications to timeless American classics ☑️Cultural convergence in the dining scene ☑️Food and dining is changing. Tastes are changing ☑️American food has always been impacted by immigrants ☑️Generation of diners who want to know where their food is from ☑️Eater Houston working on coverage with Latino and Asian communities ☑️Cookbook about w/ Chef Christopher Williams ☑️Thoughts on future of storytelling in food Follow Kayla Stewart on Instagram: https://bit.ly/44ZhFOm Learn more about Kayla Stewart: https://bit.ly/4bRAhSK Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Connect with Gabriel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Oxa2I3 On The Pass Website: https://bit.ly/3J2PPXP Read Gabriel's Articles: http://bit.ly/3SnOsGG Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.studioornelas.com www.gabrielornelas.com

May 22, 2024 • 40min
98. Deuki Hong + Matt Rodbard: Koreaworld
When was the last time you ate Korean food at your local Koreatown, enjoyed a K-drama on your favorite streaming service, or flipped open TikTok to a viral sensation soundtracked by a famous K-pop band? Have you noticed the impact of Korean cuisine and culture on our world? Maybe you're noticing it now, or perhaps you're already a citizen of Koreaworld, deeply connected to the culture. Our next two guests, Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard, are true citizens of Koreaworld—global ambassadors with a deep love, passion, and appreciation for Korean food and culture. Their recent book, titled Koreaworld: A Cookbook, encapsulates this passion with over two years of travel specifically for this book and close to a decade of exploration. Deuki is a Korean-American executive chef and owner of The Sunday Family Hospitality Group in San Francisco. Matt is a writer, editor, and author of food and culture books with more than two decades of experience. He's also the co-host of This Is Taste podcast. Together, 10 years ago, Deuki and Matt co-authored the New York Times Bestseller Koreatown: A Cookbook. As they both witnessed the continued influence and impact of Korean culture worldwide, they were compelled to follow up their first book with Koreaworld: a story about vibrant people, community, and brilliant recipes. You're about to listen to the story of a culinary revolution. Learn more about Koreaworld: A Cookbook: https://bit.ly/3WQUcgv Follow Deuki Hong on Instagram: https://bit.ly/4bQHz99 Follow Matt Rodbard on Instagram: https://bit.ly/4atjzbb Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Learn more about On The Pass: https://bit.ly/3J2PPXP Read Gabriel's Articles: http://bit.ly/3SnOsGG Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.studioornelas.com www.gabrielornelas.com

May 20, 2024 • 30min
97. High Tea: Prairie Rose
On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Prairie Rose, Los Angeles-based journalist, trained sommelier, cocktail book author, and wine and spirits educator. Prairie is Food & Wine's senior drinks editor and also the senior editor of Liquor.com. In addition to Food & Wine, her work has been featured in The Whiskey Wash, Forbes, Men's Health, Self Magazine, and Design Sponge, among others. She is the author of the book Mixology for Beginners: Innovative Craft Cocktails for the Home Bartender. In this episode, we discuss: ☑️New move to Senior Drinks Editor, Food & Wine ☑️Ability to reach a broader audience, more culinary focused audience ☑️Exploration of non-alcoholic, teas, kombuchas, etc. ☑️Celebrity booze brands..finally some transparency ☑️The experts behind these “Celeb brands” ☑️How do we stay excited about beverage storytelling? ☑️What are we drinking summer 2024? Follow Prairie Rose on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3yrFVg9 Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Connect with Gabriel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Oxa2I3 On The Pass Website: https://bit.ly/3J2PPXP Read Gabriel's Articles: http://bit.ly/3SnOsGG Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.studioornelas.com www.gabrielornelas.com

May 13, 2024 • 26min
96. High Tea: June Kim
On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with June Kim, Los Angeles-based food media executive and Head of Video for Bon Appétit and Epicurious. As Head of Video, June oversees numerous shows and series highlighting compelling chefs and restaurants, delicious recipes from their test kitchen, and other food and beverage culture formats that help bring Bon Appétit and Epicurious to life on screen. June and her team were recently nominated for two James Beard Awards, for their shows, On The Line and Street Eats, which are available on the BA website and YouTube. In this episode, we discuss: ☑️Video and the world of storytelling ☑️Reinventing or redifining American cuisine ☑️Bringing BA to a more international audience ☑️Finding the talents in these international markets ☑️Street Eats with Lucas Sin ☑️Exploration of India and Mexico ☑️June loves the show, “The Bear” ☑️Pulling inspiration from Tik Tok ☑️Two James Beard Noiminations Follow June Kim on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3QH4OdT Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Connect with Gabriel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Oxa2I3 On The Pass Website: https://bit.ly/3J2PPXP Read Gabriel's Articles: http://bit.ly/3SnOsGG Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.studioornelas.com www.gabrielornelas.com

May 8, 2024 • 50min
95. Dan Barber: Chefs Can Save Our Planet
This is an episode rerelease from our On The Pass archives. We hope you enjoy! Can chefs step up and takeover our broken food system? Chef Dan Barber thinks they can and should. Dan is the Co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, author of The New York Times Bestseller "The Third Plate", and Co-Founder of Row 7 Seeds, a company developing and exploring new varieties of vegetables and grains. We dissect today’s broken food system and take a deeper look at the current state of our farms, how the seeds today have been modified for high yield rather than grown for nutrition, and how his company Row 7 Seeds is looking to combat that by breeding organic seeds that result in maximum nutrition and flavor. Dan is someone who is deeply committed to the concept that better ingredients means better health for ourselves and for our lands. He also is adamant that chefs can be the vehicle to help change our world. Honest, open, and quite the conversationalist, this episode is not to be missed. Learn more about Dan Barber and Blue Hill Farm: https://bit.ly/3UPgL3v Follow Dan Barber on Instagram: https://bit.ly/4baR8Qw Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Learn more about On The Pass: https://bit.ly/3J2PPXP Read Gabriel's Articles: http://bit.ly/3SnOsGG Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.studioornelas.com www.gabrielornelas.com

May 6, 2024 • 27min
94. High Tea: Kat Odell
On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Kat Odell, Brooklyn-based food and travel journalist. Kat is the author of Unicorn Food and Day Drinking and is a TasteHunter for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and 50 Best Bars. She’s been published in Vogue, New York Times’, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Bloomberg and Michelin Guide to name a few. As a creative consultant, she also advises numerous companies on their culinary strategy. In this episode, we discuss: ☑️New Openings — César Ramirez ☑️10 seat sushi counter called Sendo — Sushi Namba ☑️Omakase 5 Day Pop-up ☑️Mike + Kat looking at next concept to create ☑️Kat's love and passion for Japanese food and culture ☑️Sip&Guzzle (West Village NYC) ☑️The power of hospitality and human capital ☑️New York is the gold standard for high end sushi experiences Follow Kat on Instagram: https://bit.ly/44t0wfV Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Connect with Gabriel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Oxa2I3 On The Pass Website: https://bit.ly/3J2PPXP Read Gabriel's Articles: http://bit.ly/3SnOsGG Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.studioornelas.com www.gabrielornelas.com

Apr 29, 2024 • 26min
93. High Tea: Dev Reed
On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Devin Reed, Los Angeles-based Sommelier, wine consultant and creator of Wine and Culture LA. As producer and host of Wine & Culture LA, a content series and moment he created for the culture and enjoyment of wine, Dev sits down with notable guests like Cedric the Entertainer, Maverick Carter who’s (LeBron James’ business partner) and Neil brown Jr, who you’ll know from Issa Rae’s HBO series, Insecure, and many others. Dev also works with La Fête Rose, which is the only minority-owned Rosé in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez in the South of France. He’s been featured in Wine Spectator, Shoutout LA, Entertainment Weekly, Decanter, and others. In this episode, we discuss: ☑️Wine is having its moment ☑️Just jump into the wine space. Get involved ☑️Dev’s show, Wine and Culture LA ☑️Season 3 of Wine and Culture LA…Tune in! ☑️His goal is to introduce everyone to the secret society of wine ☑️Wine Wine Wine by Dev The Somm ☑️There is always more to learn in wine. Dev goes to Robert Vardanian when he has tough questions! Learn more about Dev Reed and Wine and Culture LA: https://bit.ly/3UElVOP Follow Dev on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3xXmawv Listen to his song "Wine Wine Wine" by Dev The Somm: https://bit.ly/3WiQDPE Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Connect with Gabriel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Oxa2I3 On The Pass Website: https://bit.ly/3J2PPXP Read Gabriel's Articles: http://bit.ly/3SnOsGG Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.studioornelas.com www.gabrielornelas.com

Apr 24, 2024 • 58min
92. Edoardo Tonolli: The Art of Gelato
What could be better than enjoying gelato with friends on a warm evening? It's a simple pleasure that captures life's essence. But what sets apart a truly great gelato? Meet Edoardo Tonolli, the Co-founder and CEO of Bacio di Latte, a Gelateria dedicated to crafting the world's finest gelato and spreading joy to every customer. "Bacio di latte" translates to "kiss of milk" in English, embodying their belief that while any ingredient can make a gelato, it takes something special to create a Bacio di Latte experience. Once you taste it, you'll understand the truth in this statement. Edoardo's journey began in Milan, where his love for gelato blossomed during frequent gatherings with family and friends. After completing his degree, he ventured across the Atlantic and volunteered at a hospital in northern Brazil. Along the way, he noticed a scarcity of gelato shops in Sao Paulo. His passion for gelato collided with the opportunity to make his mark in Brazil. In 2011, Edoardo realized his vision by establishing a premium Gelateria in Sao Paulo. Today, Bacio di Latte boasts nearly 180 locations in Brazil and four stores in Southern California, with plans for expansion in the coming months. This is a story inspired by Italy, perfected in Brazil, and now leaving its mark on Southern California. Learn more about Bacio di Latte: https://bit.ly/3wh6mUN Follow Bacio di Latte on Instagram: https://bit.ly/4deVIyv https://bit.ly/4b4iRBU Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Learn more about On The Pass: https://bit.ly/3J2PPXP Read Gabriel's Articles: http://bit.ly/3SnOsGG Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.studioornelas.com www.gabrielornelas.com