

Chefs Without Restaurants
The Chefs Without Restaurants Network
Join Chris Spear as he interviews food and beverage entrepreneurs who have built successful careers outside of traditional restaurant kitchens.From personal chefs, caterers, and food truck operators to cookbook authors, research chefs, and farmers, each guest has paved their own way in the culinary world. Through candid conversations, they share the challenges, lessons, and successes of creating a business on their own terms.With over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry—including running his own personal chef business, Perfect Little Bites—Chris is dedicated to helping chefs and food entrepreneurs navigate their own unconventional paths in the industry.If you're looking for inspiration, business insights, and real stories from those who have stepped beyond the restaurant world, this podcast is for you.🎧 New episodes available—subscribe now and start exploring the road less traveled in the culinary industry!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 13, 2021 • 55min
Comedian and Actor Dan Ahdoot on Restaurants, Persian Cooking, His Food Podcast and Cobra Kai
For Episode 100 of the podcast, my guest is Dan Ahdoot. He’s a standup comic, actor, writer, producer, and podcast host. He’s a national headliner who’s a frequent guest on The Tonight Show, and is currently acting on Netflix’s Cobra Kai. He's garnered fans as a character actor on the shows Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Shameless, Workaholics, and Disney Channel’s Kickin’ It. On his podcast Green Eggs and Dan, he takes a new look at “you are what you eat,” and brings listeners in on conversations about food, life, and more, with some of his most entertaining friends. Not your typical food show, Green Eggs and Dan is the type of food podcast you’d make with your friends around the table, roasting more than just food.Dan’s show has hit #1 on the podcast charts, and his guests have included Jacques Pepin, Ruth Reichl, Padma Lakshmi, Henry Winkler, Paul F Tompkins, and Iliza Schlesinger. Starting in August, you can see him in a brand new Food Network cooking competition show called Raid the Fridge, and he’ll have a food memoir coming out soon called Lost Sole.On the show, we talk about Persian food and cooking, luxury food ingredients, and the dining scene in general. You’ll hear how he went from pre-med to stand-up and acting, and now podcasting. And as a fan of Cobra Kai, I had to know if he was Team Daniel or Team Johnny. Looking to hire employees for your restaurant? This week's sponsor is Savory Jobs, a job site only for restaurants. For just $50, get unlimited job postings for an entire year. Use discount code SAVORY10 to save 10%.===========Dan Ahdoot===========Dan's Instagram Dan's TwitterDan's WebsiteListen to Green Eggs and Dan================CONNECT WITH US================SUPPORT US ON PATREONGet the Chefs Without Restaurants NewsletterVisit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff)Connect on ClubhouseCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Like our Facebook pageJoin the private Facebook groupJoin the conversation on TwitterCheck our Instagram picsFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/Watch on YouTubeIf you want to support the show, our Venmo name is ChefWoRestos and can be found at https://venmo.com/ChefWoRestos. If you enjoy the show, hGet in touchSupport the show

Jul 6, 2021 • 58min
The Joy Premium and How it Relates to Charging for Your Work - with Cook and Storyteller Jonathan Bardzik
This week my guest is Jonathan Bardzik. He’s a storyteller, cook, and author. He’s a performer, speaking and cooking for private and corporate audiences, creating customized experiences that build connection. He’s appeared with more than 900 audiences, been on the TedX stage, written 4 books, and his new television series, Jonathan's Kitchen: Seasons to Taste recently debuted on Revry. His work has been covered by USAToday, The Washington Post, and Food Network Magazine. Overcoming hurdles, including once setting the Christmas dinner table on fire, Jonathan celebrates 10 years in business this month.On the show, we talk about how he started his cooking and speaking career, and he shares his advice on how you can start too. We discuss why he wanted to write cookbooks, and some tips for those listeners who might want to do the same. We talk about his new TV show, and improvisation while speaking and cooking. Jonathan also explains what the joy premium is, and how it’s related to charging for your work. How much joy does a dinner bring you? If you’re excited about an event, maybe you’d be ok with charging less. If it seems like the client might be challenging, and this is just a transactional event, you’d better get that money. What are your thought’s? Feel free to comment on Facebook, Instagram or shoot me a DM or email.And next week is episode 100. I think this is quite the milestone. The episode will still be about food, but my guest is an actor whose resume includes the TV show Cobra Kai. Intrigued? Come back next week.===============================Jonathan Bardzik===============================Jonathan's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jonathanbardzik/Watch Seasons to Taste https://watch.revry.tv/details/35368Jonathan's Website https://www.jonathanbardzik.com/================CONNECT WITH US================SUPPORT US ON PATREONGet the Chefs Without Restaurants NewsletterVisit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff)Connect on ClubhouseCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Like our Facebook pageJoin the private Facebook groupJoin the conversation on TwitterCheck our Instagram picsFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/Watch on YouTubeIf you want to support the show, our Venmo name is ChefWoRestos and can be found at https://venmo.com/ChefWoRestos. If you enjoy the show, haveGet in touchSupport the show

Jun 29, 2021 • 19min
Keys to Running a Successful Personal Chef Business - Earl Arnette III of Steez Catering
This week I speak with Earl Arnette III. He is the chef and owner of Steez Catering, a personal chef and catering business based out of Baltimore, Maryland. This is one of our “Meet a Member” episodes. You’ll learn about his business, and we discuss topics like going to culinary school, what he wished he knew before starting a business, and mentors. This week’s show sponsor is Olive & Basket. For a wide variety of olive oils, vinegar, spices, sauces, and gourmet food items, visit their website Oliveandbasket.com to have their products shipped to your door. Use discount code CHEF20 for 20% off your order.===============================Earl Arnette III - Steez Catering===============================Steez Catering Instagram https://www.instagram.com/steezcatering/Steez Caterng Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Steezcatering/================CONNECT WITH US================SUPPORT US ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsThe Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter https://bit.ly/35ctsL3Visit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff) https://amzn.to/3vgcc2fClubhouse https://joinclubhouse.com/@chefsworestosCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefswithoutrestaurantsTwitter https://bit.ly/2TVWdt7Instagram https://instagram.com/chefswithourestaurantsFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/YouTube https://bit.ly/3xhnDYVGet in touchSupport the show

Jun 22, 2021 • 47min
Scaling Recipes, Romesco Sauce, and Old Bay in Crab Cakes - Daniel Gritzer, Culinary Director of Serious Eats part 2
This week, I have part two of my conversation with Daniel Gritzer, Culinary Director at SeriousEats.com. I’ve been a big fan of both Serious Eats and The Food Lab for a while, and was really excited to talk to Daniel about his work there. We had a long discussion, so I broke our conversation into two parts. Part one aired last week, and it’s linked here (https://www.podpage.com/chefs-without-restaurants/a-conversation-with-daniel-gritzer-culinary-director-of-serious-eats-part-1)On this episode we discuss, scaling recipes, cooking on a boat, the original pepper used in Romesco sauce, atole, and being thoughtful when developing recipes. We also tackle the controversial topic of Maryland crab cakes and Old Bay. Where do you stand on the topic?This week’s show sponsor is Olive & Basket. For a wide variety of olive oils, vinegar, spices, sauces, and gourmet food items, visit their website Oliveandbasket.com to have their products shipped to your door. Use discount code CHEF20 for 20% off your order.===============================DANIEL GRITZER===============================Serious Eats Website https://www.seriouseats.comDaniel's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dgritzerDaniel's Twitter https://twitter.com/dgritzer================CONNECT WITH US================SUPPORT US ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsThe Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter https://bit.ly/35ctsL3Visit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff) https://amzn.to/3vgcc2fClubhouse https://joinclubhouse.com/@chefsworestosCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefswithoutrestaurantsTwitter https://bit.ly/2TVWdt7Instagram https://instagram.com/chefswithourestaurantsFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/YouTube https://bit.ly/3xhnDYVGet in touchSupport the show

Jun 15, 2021 • 1h 3min
A Conversation with Daniel Gritzer, Culinary Director of Serious Eats - Part 1
On this week's podcast, I have part one of my conversation with Daniel Gritzer, Culinary Director at SeriousEats.com. I’ve big a big fan of Serious Eats and The Food Lab for a while, and love the work that Daniel, Kenji, Stella Parks, and crew have been doing there. This episode went long. Daniel and I spoke for 3 hours on a Sunday night, and I have about 2 hours of finished audio. I was trying to decide how much to leave in. Because this episode is for the cooking nerds, I wanted to leave almost everything in, so this is part one of two.We talk a lot about the process of recipe development and testing. We discuss cooking equipment, oven calibration, and the subjectivity of taste. You’ll hear about the ins and outs of Serious Eats, and you’ll learn about olive oil, polyphenols, and perceived bitterness. Ever wonder if you should or shouldn’t blend olive oil in a blender? We get into that.This week’s show sponsor is Olive & Basket. For a wide variety of olive oils, vinegar, spices, sauces, and gourmet food items, visit their website Oliveandbasket.com to have their products shipped to your door. Use discount code CHEF20 for 20% off your order.===============================DANIEL GRITZER===============================Serious Eats Website https://www.seriouseats.comDaniel's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dgritzerDaniel's Twitter https://twitter.com/dgritzer================CONNECT WITH US================SUPPORT US ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsThe Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter https://bit.ly/35ctsL3Visit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff) https://amzn.to/3vgcc2fClubhouse https://joinclubhouse.com/@chefsworestosCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefswithoutrestaurantsTwitter https://bit.ly/2TVWdt7Instagram https://instagram.com/chefswithourestaurantsFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/YouTube https://bit.ly/3xhnDYVGet in touchSupport the show

Jun 8, 2021 • 16min
A Conversation with Personal Chef Jillian Fae
Jillian Fae believes her passion for cooking stems from the fact that she was born and raised in Southern California. The best climate conditions for growing the finest produce all year round and the diverse mix of cuisines have always been an inspiration to her. Her love for and ability to make people happy by way of good food began at an early age and still grows today.She pursued her passion and further sharpened her skills by enrolling in the culinary program at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California. During her time there, she volunteered for multiple extracurricular activities and charity events, excelled in her class, and was chosen to be a part of the ACF competing student team. After she and her teammates won the state and regional competitions, they went on to the National Competition to win a gold medal.It was after these accomplishments that Jillian established Jillian Fae Chef Services, a personal chef business offering private on-site events as well as weekly in-home meal preparation. The business currently serves most of Southern California and is based out of the city of Temecula. She's dedicated to providing people with the best quality food and best service possible and specializes in creating seasonal menus customized to each individual client’s needs and desires.This is one of our “Meet a Member” episodes. You’ll learn about her personal chef business. We talk about what she wished she knew before starting a business, and I ask her some fun, rapid-fire questions about food and cooking.This week’s show sponsor is Olive & Basket. For a wide variety of olive oils, vinegar, spices, sauces, and gourmet food items, visit their website Oliveandbasket.com to have their products shipped to your door. Use discount code CHEF20 for 20% off your order.===============================Jillian Fae===============================Jillian Fae’s WebsiteJillian’s InstagramJillian’s TwitterJillian’s Facebook================CONNECT WITH US================SUPPORT US ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/chefswithoutrestaurants The Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter https://bit.ly/35ctsL3 Visit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff) https://amzn.to/3vgcc2f Clubhouse https://joinclubhouse.com/@chefsworestos Check out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefswithoutrestaurantsTwitter https://bit.ly/2TVWdt7Instagram https://instagram.com/chefswithourestaurantsFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/YouTubeGet in touchSupport the show

Jun 1, 2021 • 35min
Connecting Chefs and Corporate Clients - Learn About the HUNGRY Platform From Founder Eman Pahlavani
On this week's podcast, I have Eman Pahlavani. He’s the founder and COO of HUNGRY, a digital platform that connects businesses with catering services provided by local chefs. The platform’s notable investors include Jay-Z, Kevin Hart, and a number of NFL stars. This past year they had to pivot, and began offering chef-made meals direct to consumers at their homes, as well as adding a virtual chef experience.Over the past few years a lot of platforms like this have been popping up, so I wanted to get more details directly from Eman. Honestly, I’ve found that a lot of these platforms don’t actually seem to be beneficial to the chefs, which is why I’ve been skeptical about having an organization like this on the podcast. But, having done my research, it seems like hungry is a good option for chefs looking to expand their corporate catering business. That being said, I am not a user of their service, so do your own research. This was not a sponsored episode. I’m just hoping to provide value and information to the audience. We also talk about business basics, and Eman explains why he thinks successful entrepreneurs should have a co-founder. This week’s show sponsor is Olive & Basket. For a wide variety of olive oils, vinegar, spices, sauces, and gourmet food items, visit their website Oliveandbasket.com to have their products shipped to your door. Use discount code CHEF20 for 20% off your order.===============================Eman Pahlavani and HUNGRY===============================HUNGRY's WebsiteHUNGRY's InstagramHUNGRY's TwitterJay-Z Teams with NFL Stars and Kevin Hart to Invest in Hungry's $20 Million Series B - Forbes================CONNECT WITH US================SUPPORT US ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsThe Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter https://bit.ly/35ctsL3Visit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff) https://amzn.to/3vgcc2fClubhouse https://joinclubhouse.com/@chefsworestosCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefswithoutrestaurantsTwitter https://bit.ly/2TVWdt7Instagram https://instagram.com/chefswithourestaurantsFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/YouTube https://bit.ly/3xhnDYVGet in touchSupport the show

May 25, 2021 • 49min
A Discussion with Chef Thomas O'Gara - Vice President of Culinary at Tessemae's
On this week’s podcast, I have chef Thomas O’Gara. With more than 25 years of food and beverage experience, he’s spent most of his professional career working for Marriott. Last year Thomas started a new adventure as the vice president of culinary for Tessemae’s, an all-natural dressing and condiment producer based outside of Baltimore, Maryland.On the show we discuss his experience with Marriott, implementing culinary programs across many of their properties. We talk about his new position at Tessemae’s, culinary trends and vegetable offal.This week’s show sponsor is Olive & Basket. For a wide variety of olive oils, vinegar, spices, sauces, and gourmet food items, visit their website Oliveandbasket.com to have their products shipped to your door. Use discount code CHEF20 for 20% off your order.===============================Thomas O'Gara===============================Thomas's InstagramTessemae's Instagram================CONNECT WITH US================SUPPORT US ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsThe Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter https://bit.ly/35ctsL3Visit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff) https://amzn.to/3vgcc2fClubhouse https://joinclubhouse.com/@chefsworestosCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefswithoutrestaurantsTwitter https://bit.ly/2TVWdt7Instagram https://instagram.com/chefswithourestaurantsFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/YouTube https://bit.ly/3xhnDYVGet in touchSupport the show

May 18, 2021 • 49min
Mike Lang - Food Photography for Weber Grills
On this week’s podcast, I have Mike Lang. Mike is not a chef, but he started a food blog called Another Pint Please. And while the name sounds like it would be focused on beer, it’s primarily focused on grilling. An amateur photographer, Mike started shooting the food he was cooking on his Weber Grill. His photos caught the attention of Weber’s marketing team, and this eventually led to Mike doing photography for Weber. Besides their website and social media, his photos have been used by Smithsonian, BuzzFeed, and even in Sports Illustrated magazine. Mike just released his first cookbook titled One-Beer Grilling. You can purchase it through his website, and the link is in the show notes.On the show, we discuss why he started the blog, and how he connected with Weber. We talk grilling and beer, and he gives us some of his favorite resources. This week’s show sponsor is Olive & Basket. For a wide variety of olive oils, vinegar, spices, sauces, and gourmet food items, visit their website Oliveandbasket.com to have their products shipped to your door. Use discount code CHEF20 for 20% off your order.===============================Mike Lang===============================Mike’s InstagramWeber’s InstagramMike’s TwitterMike’s WebsiteBuy Mike’s Cookbook “One-Beer Grilling”================CONNECT WITH US================SUPPORT US ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsThe Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter https://bit.ly/35ctsL3Visit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff) https://amzn.to/3vgcc2fClubhouse https://joinclubhouse.com/@chefsworestosCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefswithoutrestaurantsTwitter https://bit.ly/2TVWdt7Instagram https://instagram.com/chefswithourestaurantsFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/YouTube https://bit.ly/3xhnDYVGet in touchSupport the show

May 11, 2021 • 1h 19min
Learn About the Personal Chef Business with Chef Matt Collins
On this week's podcast, we have Matt Collins. Born in Freehold, NJ, Matt has been cooking since he was a child. As a student of the culinary arts program at Freehold High School, he excelled and ran the cafe at 16 years old. After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America, he took his career to NYC, becoming a sous chef at 21 years old, working for The Smith, Keens Steakhouse, Rouge Tomate, Wolfgang Puck, Freemans, Dream Hotels, and Smith & Wollensky. He continued his education in Europe at Chateau de Lignon and Institute Paul Bocuse, leading to becoming the chef de cuisine at Kilo Food & Wine in Hell’s Kitchen, and earning #21 on Wine & Spirits Top 50 NYC List in 2018. After a decade of working in New York City, he decided to take what he learned back to his hometown where he started Chef Collins Events, a personal chef business that specializes in customized dinners and pop-up events We talk a lot about the personal chef business including client acquisition, marketing, customer demographics, what to charge, and being able to satisfy yourself creatively. We also discuss sourcing products, managing your time, and menu creation. Hear about his recent photoshoot, and learn who really created McGriddles. Thanks to this week’s newest Patreon sponsor Scott Thompson. We appreciate the support. This week’s show sponsor is Olive & Basket. For a wide variety of olive oils, vinegars, spices, sauces, and gourmet food items, visit their website Oliveandbasket.com to have their products shipped to your door.===============================Matt Collins===============================Matt’s InstagramMatt’s Website================CONNECT WITH US================SUPPORT US ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsThe Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter https://bit.ly/35ctsL3Visit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff) https://amzn.to/3vgcc2fClubhouse https://joinclubhouse.com/@chefsworestosCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefswithoutrestaurantsTwitter https://bit.ly/2TVWdt7Instagram https://instagram.com/chefswithourestaurantsFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/YouTube https://bit.ly/3xhnDYVGet in touchSupport the show


