Amy Brandwein on Leadership, Kitchen Culture & Running Restaurants Today

Loew Vineyards: Holocaust Survivor Legacy, Maryland Wine & Historic Meadmaking with Rachel Loew Lipman

A fifth-generation mead maker carries a Holocaust survivor's legacy forward, one bottle at a time. Some stories start in a vineyard. This one starts in 19th-century Poland, survives a concentration camp and a death march, and lands in a tasting room in Mount Airy, Maryland. Rachel Loew Lipman didn't just inherit a winery. She inherited a reason. And if you've ever wondered whether a bottle of wine can hold memory, grief, and joy all at once, this episode of Industry Night, the DC food and hospitality podcast, is your answer. Maryland wine gets overlooked. It shouldn't. Winemaking here dates to the 1600s, and today more than 100 wineries are producing everything from cab francs to Vidal Blancs. But what Rachel is doing at Loew Vineyards goes beyond the glass. She's a DC food and hospitality insider's dream guest: a young head winemaker running Maryland's fourth oldest existing winery, its first kosher winery and meadery, and one of the longest continuous mead-making traditions in the world. This is the DC dining guide and hospitality podcast conversation you didn't know you needed. Rachel Loew Lipman is a fifth-generation mead maker, granddaughter of Holocaust survivor William Loew, and the force behind Loew Vineyards in Frederick County, Maryland. Her family's mead-making roots trace to 1800s Poland. She holds degrees in plant science and communications from the University of Maryland, a winemaking certification from Washington State, and experience in France. In 2025, she launched Maryland's first Star K certified mead. Key Takeaways Mead nearly disappeared from history. Jews were the majority of Polish mead producers before World War II. When 90% of Poland's Jewish population was murdered in the Holocaust, mead essentially vanished from the market. Rachel is bringing it back. The 2025 frost devastated the Mid-Atlantic harvest. On April 20, stagnant air dropped to 23.5 degrees across the region, wiping out primary fruit on over 600 of Maryland's roughly 1,000 grape-growing acres. Loew Vineyards is not making wine this vintage year. Going kosher brought unexpected balance. Loew Vineyards is now Maryland's first and only kosher winery, operating under both a conservative Hechsher for grape wines and a Star K Orthodox certification for meads. The Shabbat restriction forced Rachel, a lifelong seven-day-a-week worker, to finally take a day off. Covid accelerated the Maryland wine boom. When travelers couldn't get to Napa or France, they explored their own backyards. Local wine club memberships surged. Rachel credits that shift, combined with generational farming knowledge, for the best Maryland wines she's ever seen coming out right now. The Wolf Cabernet Sauvignon is the family's most personal bottle. Named for her grandfather's birth name, the wine arrived by kismet. A grower called Rachel with extra Cabernet Sauvignon one month after her grandfather passed. She had never asked for it. She made it for him. "We want to turn wine into memory and connection, and that to me is more the juice being worth the squeeze than anything the market does." - Rachel Loew Lipman "What I love is that you respect the past while looking towards the future, and I just think that's beautiful." - Nycci Nellis, Industry Night Timestamps 00:00 Welcome to Industry Night at The Wharf, DC. 00:20 Introducing Maryland wine and why it matters. 01:21 Meet Rachel Loew Lipman, fifth-generation mead maker. 02:55 The family's mead-making roots in 19th-century Poland. 04:37 Civil rights, the Habsburg Empire, and the first licensed meadery. 05:17 What is mead, really? Polish mead vs. Viking mead. 06:02 How the Holocaust erased Polish mead from the market. 07:28 William Loew: Holocaust survivor, translator, electrical engineer, winemaker. 09:40 The haunting smell of fermenting mead and why he started a vineyard. 10:48 Tasting the Savi: a chenin blanc mead named for family memory. 13:44 Loew Vineyards founded in 1982 on 37 acres in Mount Airy, Maryland. 15:41 Rachel's path into winemaking, from the Bonanza Building to Washington State. 18:33 Joining the family business full time in 2018 and navigating Covid. 22:27 The April 2025 frost and what 23.5 degrees means for a harvest. 25:21 Can you cover the vines? The limits of frost protection. 28:15 What's planted now and the vineyard's revitalization. 30:34 The Mazal sparkling red: dry Lambrusco on steroids, made with carbonic Barbera. 33:31 Carbonic fermentation explained, and why almost no one on the East Coast does it. 35:50 Going kosher: the Agricultural Innovation Grant and the steam generator. 36:52 Why the demand for kosher products was impossible to ignore. 37:13 Two certifications: conservative Hechsher for wines, Star K Orthodox for meads. 41:12 First kosher harvest and the unexpected gift of Shabbat. 44:36 Is the juice worth the squeeze? Being Maryland's first and only kosher winery. 45:33 Where Maryland wine stands today and why this generation is pushing boundaries. 47:25 How Covid drove local wine discovery and tasting room culture. 50:38 3GDC and speaking as a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor. 53:34 Generational trauma, resilience, and what William Loew chose to share. Connect with Rachel Loew Lipman Website [https://www.loewvineyards.net/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/loewvineyards] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/loewvineyards] 3GDC Living Links [https://www.livinglinks3g.org/]

From 45,000 Miles on the Road to a Michelin Star: The Catbird Seat’s Tiffani Ortiz & Andy Doubrava

From the Road to the Restaurant: The Catbird Seat's Next Chapter Intro / About the Episode Host Nycci Nellis sits down with Chefs Tiffani Ortiz and Andy Doubrava — the husband-and-wife duo leading the newest era of Nashville's acclaimed tasting-menu restaurant, The Catbird Seat — to talk about life on the road, zero-waste cooking, regenerative agriculture, and what it really means to build a restaurant around your values. About the Guests Chefs Tiffani Ortiz and Andy Doubrava met at the French Culinary Institute in New York before eventually reconnecting on a Malibu farm — literally living in a teepee among wild parrots — where their shared passion for agriculture and sustainability took root. After years cooking in restaurants across Los Angeles, they left brick-and-mortar life behind to launch Slow Burn, a nomadic culinary project that took them through 42 states and more than 45,000 miles with two dogs, a Subaru, a cargo trailer, and a traveling larder. They now lead The Catbird Seat in Nashville, where their road-forged philosophy of fermentation, preservation, and zero-waste cooking shapes one of the country's most talked-about tasting-menu experiences. "We refuse to commit to one style. And I think that's kind of the beauty of Catbird Seat — the chefs are always rotating, just like our ideas and the produce and ingredients we use are always rotating." — Chef Tiffani Ortiz "It's leadership with high standards, but also a lot of empathy." — Chef Andy Doubrava "What fascinates me most is how personal this all is — the preservation, the use of every part of the ingredient, the way they balance high-level with playfulness." — Nycci Nellis The Catbird Seat: A Culinary Institution Reimagined Since opening in 2011, The Catbird Seat has operated as a kind of culinary incubator — a place known for rule-breaking, intimacy, and creative freedom, built around an iconic U-shaped counter. Under Ortiz and Doubrava, the restaurant has relocated to a striking new home in Nashville's Paseo South Gulch and entered a bold new chapter. The result: a Michelin star, a James Beard nomination for Outstanding Restaurant, a New York Times nod, and a reputation as one of the most exciting dining experiences in the country. The new space retains the signature counter (now with a few more seats) and adds a wine lounge that's unlocked new possibilities for larger celebrations and future programming. Slow Burn: 45,000 Miles and a Traveling Larder Before Nashville, there was the road. Ortiz and Doubrava spent years conceptualizing, then executing, a nomadic zero-waste restaurant they called Slow Burn — a pop-up project that brought them through 42 states, into farm kitchens, foraged forests, and restaurant residencies across North America and beyond. They drove with two dogs, preserved as they went, and cooked their way into some of the continent's best kitchens. The project was equal parts case study in sustainability and creative liberation — a way to study how food systems, waste challenges, and culinary cultures differed from region to region. Everything they learned is now embedded in the walls (and jars) of The Catbird Seat. Falling in Love on a Malibu Farm Their origin story sounds like a movie: two culinary school acquaintances who reconnected years later while volunteering on a Meyer lemon orchard tucked into the canyon off PCH — overlooking the ocean, sleeping in a teepee, surrounded by wild parrots. It was their first real hands-on agricultural experience, and it changed how both of them thought about food, sourcing, and responsibility. From there, they embarked on a two-month farm tour through the South and back to California, cooking for farmers, learning from homesteaders, and laying the philosophical groundwork that would eventually become Slow Burn — and then The Catbird Seat. The Tasting Menu: Comfort Food with a Twist Catbird's current menu runs 15 to 18 courses and changes constantly, rooted in Southeast ingredients — sassafras, spice bush, Tennessee-grown produce — with proteins sourced from trusted regional partners like Bear Creek Farms. The vibe, as Tiffani describes it, is comfort food on the palate with something distinctly weirder underneath: loud music, punky energy, and a menu that might feature a fancy chicken wing one night and mountains of caviar the next. A wall of preserved jars greets guests at the entrance — a living, breathing larder that traces back to Slow Burn days. Neither chef came from a tasting-menu background, and they consider that an asset. Running a Kitchen Together Working as life and creative partners in a high-pressure environment isn't always easy — and Ortiz and Doubrava are honest about it. They've learned to read each other's signals mid-service, pass Post-it notes around the kitchen ("extra spiel for position 33"), and step off the line when they need to realign. Andy's philosophy — just because it's urgent doesn't mean it's an emergency — has become a kind of operating principle for their team. Pre-shift rituals, collaborative Spotify queues, and a standing commitment to empathy alongside high standards have built a culture their cooks genuinely want to be part of. Quick Takes Music fueling prep right now: A collaborative Spotify queue — whoever gets in first starts a jam, and the whole team adds to it. It could go from emo to hip hop to metal in twenty minutes. Food trend they're completely over: Truffles as an afterthought — shaved on top of something already perfect, used as a VIP shortcut rather than as a real ingredient with intention. (Ironic note: there's currently a truffle dish on the menu.) How they communicate sustainability without being preachy: They drop 60-second dish spiels that naturally name the farm, describe the technique, and let guests fill in the gaps. If someone wants to go deeper, they're right there. If not, the food speaks for itself. On accolades: The Michelin star and James Beard nomination matter most for what they do for the team — giving cooks the résumé and freedom to choose their own next steps. Where to Find Tiffani Ortiz & Andy Doubrava Follow the restaurant at @the_catbirdseat [https://www.instagram.com/the_catbirdseat/] and Andy at @andydoubrava [https://www.instagram.com/andydoubrava/]. Learn more and make reservations at thecatbirdseatrestaurant.com [https://www.thecatbirdseatrestaurant.com/]. Follow, subscribe, and share Industry Night with Nycci Nellis — and find Nycci on all platforms at @nyccinelis. For DMV dining, events, and more, visit thelistareyouonit.com [https://www.thelistareyouonit.com/].

DAVID NAYFELD HAS THE ANSWER TO, DAD? WHAT’S FOR DINNER?

Host Nycci Nellis talks with Chef David Nayfield — James Beard semifinalist, founder of Che Fico, and author of Dad, What's for Dinner? — about fatherhood, kitchen intensity, Jewish-Italian cuisine, and the family meals that turn dinner into a team effort. About the Guest Chef David Nayfield trained at Aqua, Joel Robuchon, and Eleven Madison Park before returning to San Francisco to build Back Home Hospitality — home to Che Fico, Bubola, and Via Aurelia. "Don't be a martyr. Don't be the one dying at the stove washing everything, cooking everything yourself. Get everyone involved. Make it a team sport — and you'll connect with the people you love the most."Chef David Nayfield "What I love about David is that he can talk about Michelin-level precision and a weeknight chicken nugget with the same seriousness. That tells you everything about who he is." - Nycci Nellis The Book: Dad, What's for Dinner? Dad, What's for Dinner? is built around real parenting moments — meltdowns, weeknights, celebrations — with a simple philosophy: cook with your kids, not just for them. Nayfield wrote much of it during a custody dispute, turning limited time with his daughter into intentional kitchen rituals. The book argues that a meal does not have to be perfect to matter. Hand a child a spoon, share a task, and dinner becomes something you make together. From Picky Eater to World-Class Chef Nayfield was born in the United States to Jewish refugees from Belarus who traveled through Rome before settling in California. As a kid, he rejected the heavy dishes of his heritage and gravitated toward the food in his friends' homes. The turning point came when a relative's American boyfriend made fried chicken from scratch. Nayfield realized great food could happen at home, in ordinary life, and still feel revelatory. "I thought you had to go to a restaurant to eat food that you liked. And then someone made it at home — and I was like, this is incredible. How did that happen?" - Chef David Nayfield That early curiosity became a career defined by rigor, curiosity, and the search for his own voice. The Year in Europe After leaving Eleven Madison Park, Nayfield staged across Europe at Mirazur, with a chocolatier in Paris, in Barcelona, and in Swiss Michelin kitchens. By the end, he realized the food he was making still looked too much like someone else’s. The breakthrough came when he admitted how consistently he was drawn back to Italian food — and a trip to Rome’s Jewish ghetto clarified why. Jewish-Italian Cuisine and Che Fico In Rome’s Jewish ghetto, Nayfield encountered cucina ebraica — artichokes fried in olive oil, dishes shaped by necessity, and flavors woven into everyday Italian cooking. At Che Fico, he marked dishes with Jewish stars to honor those roots, from carciofi alla giudia to ribollita and suppli al telefono. For him, the point is honesty: show the lineage clearly and respectfully. On Kitchen Intensity Nayfield has lived through the worst of kitchen culture, and he separates discipline from abuse. Intensity, urgency, and focus can build excellence; humiliation and harm cannot be excused as part of the job. "If your ambition is a Michelin star, it is going to take grit that only comes from years in environments where people put the product in front of comfort." - Chef David Nayfield His argument is simple: ambition and environment have to match, and the choice to enter that world should be conscious. Via Aurelia: Fine Dining on His Own Terms Nayfield's newest restaurant, Via Aurelia, is modern Tuscan by design — a framework rooted in Tuscany’s history, coastline, Jewish communities, and ingredient evolution. It offers tasting menu and à la carte service, with hand-painted plateware, ceramic lighting, and art from local artists. It is fine dining, but on his own terms: beautiful, technical, and collaborative rather than precious. "We are participating as one of the artists. The goal is to take something and turn it into something beautiful — not just to procure incredible product and step back." - Chef David Nayfield Quick Takes Most underrated pantry ingredient: Oil-cured anchovies. Put them in anything. They dissolve into a dish and add a depth most people can't quite identify but always want more of. Ideal Sunday supper: Ribeye on the grill, Jimmy Nardello peppers and summer squash alongside, maybe a baked sweet potato. Simple, seasonal, no agenda. What home cooks overcomplicate: Measuring everything that isn't baking. Stop worrying if your onion is large or medium. Cut it up and throw it in. Taste as you go. Don't fear salt. Don't fear acid. That's what makes restaurant food taste like restaurant food. Where to Find Chef Nayfield Follow Chef Nayfield at @davidnayfield and the restaurants at @chefico, @viaaurelia, and @bubola. Dad, What's for Dinner? is available wherever books are sold. It makes a thoughtful gift for Father's Day, high school graduates, college move-ins, or anyone cooking for themselves for the first time. Follow, subscribe, and share Industry Night with Nycci Nellis — and find Nycci on all platforms at @nyccinelis.

Whiskey, Wellness & the Future of Drinking With Ari Sussman on Industry Night

On this episode of Industry Night, host Nycci Nellis sits down with Ari Sussman — 2024 Whiskey Maker of the Year — for a wide-ranging conversation about the science, culture, and future of distilled spirits. From winemaking in France to founding Michigan State's artisan distilling program, Ari brings a rare blend of academic rigor and bartender instincts to one of the most fascinating conversations in the drinks world right now. The result is a show notes episode that moves from grain to glass, from tradition to experimentation, and from old assumptions to a very different future for whiskey. "I've interviewed a lot of people in the drinks world, but Ari Sussman is genuinely one of the most fascinating minds I've ever sat across from. He doesn't just make whiskey — he rethinks it from the ground up." — Nycci Nellis, Host of Industry Night Ari's path into spirits is anything but conventional. He began as a policy analyst, took a one-way ticket to France, and found himself immersed in winemaking before eventually building distilleries across the United States. That winding trajectory gives him a perspective that feels both deeply technical and refreshingly practical. In this conversation, he explains how those early experiences shaped the way he thinks about flavor, process, and what makes a spirit truly memorable. Much of the episode turns on the science behind grain and flavor. Ari talks about how American whiskey has long leaned wood-forward, and why more expressive grain varietals can open the door to a more layered, nuanced drinking experience. He also discusses how Prohibition disrupted grain diversity and how distillers today are working to bring those flavors back into the conversation. It is part history lesson, part sensory deep dive, and part argument for why the category still has room to evolve. The episode also gets at one of the most interesting tensions in spirits: the transparency gap between producer and consumer. Ari argues that the usual questions wine drinkers ask do not always translate to whiskey, because the industry has historically placed a marketing curtain between the maker and the drinker. That idea runs through the whole conversation, especially as the hosts consider how younger consumers are discovering spirits today — often on their phones, through influencers, and with different expectations about access and authenticity. That broader shift raises bigger questions about the future of American whiskey. Ari makes the case that longevity in the category depends on more than just technical quality; it also depends on whether a brand connects with people and stands for something meaningful. He shares how he approaches that balance through his work with Whiskey Gypsy, including the Explorer expression and the importance of Appalachian oak in shaping the final product. The conversation makes clear that innovation in whiskey is not just about novelty — it is about building something that can last. "If you apply normal wine enthusiast questions to the spirits industry, it doesn't really lead you anywhere. There's a big curtain between the consumer and the producer, and marketing is supposed to fill that gap — but it wasn't." — Ari Sussman What's Inside This Episode * How Ari went from policy analyst to buying a one-way ticket to France — and ended up building distilleries across America * Why vodka is actually harder to make than bourbon * The "flying monkeys" of Michigan State's pioneering distilling program * How grain varietals got lost to Prohibition and are finally making a comeback * The wood-as-teabag technique Ari stole from winemakers * Why price and quality have zero correlation in blind tastings * What's inside Whiskey Gypsy's Explorer expression — and why Appalachian oak matters About the Guests Ari Sussman is a winemaker-turned-master-distiller whose career spans French vineyards, Michigan State University's pioneering Artisan Distilling Program, and distillery builds across the country. Named 2024 Whiskey Maker of the Year, he is currently the lead whiskey developer behind Whiskey Gypsy — a brand co-founded by country star Eric Church and entrepreneur Raj Elva that's quietly rewriting the rules of American bourbon. Nycci Nellis is the host of Industry Night and co-host of Foodie and the Beast. A longtime fixture in food and beverage media, she brings sharp questions and genuine curiosity to every conversation — whether the topic is Michelin-starred kitchens or the grain science behind a six-year bourbon. Find Ari Sussman's work and the Whiskey Gypsy Explorer expression at whiskeygypsy.com (spelled W-H-I-S-K-E-Y-G-Y-P-S-I). For more of Ari's published research and grain varietal studies, follow him on LinkedIn. Follow Nycci Nellis across platforms @nyccinellis for more Industry Night episodes and food and drink adventures.

Cocktails, Caviar & the Perfect Martini at RPM Italian

When Ben Lieppman, Beverage Director at RPM Italian, is in town from Chicago, you sit down, grab a cocktail, and start asking questions. That's exactly what host Nycci Nellis did — pulling up a stool at one of DC's most buzzed-about bars to talk aperitivo culture, the martini renaissance, and what truly great hospitality looks like from behind the stick. "How you want to drink it is how I'm going to serve it. If you want a really expensive American whiskey with Coke — I'm going to give it to you. However you want to enjoy it is how we'd like to serve it." — Ben Lieppman About the Guest Ben Lieppman is a 16-year industry veteran who went from dishwasher to culinary school graduate to craft cocktail bars in Chicago — and now runs one of DC's most respected bar programs at RPM Italian. Follow him on Instagram at @benlieppman and on LinkedIn. Find RPM Italian DC at rpmrestaurants.com. About Your Host Nycci Nellis is the force behind Industry Night and The List — DC's go-to voice for food, drink, and hospitality culture. Find her everywhere @nyccinellis. "Money is money. Whether they're male, female, or non-binary — someone wants a drink, you make it for them." — Nycci Nellis What's Inside This Episode The RPM Ethos Quality ingredients, no shortcuts, and classic Italian spirit translated behind the bar — fresh pasta philosophy meets craft cocktail culture. Aperitivo Hour Monday through Friday, 4–6 PM. $8 cocktails and $8 bites from a curated menu — intentionally approachable in a city of $25 pours. The Martini Renaissance From the iconic RPM Dirty Martini — served with chips and caviar instead of olives — to the resurgent Cosmo, martini culture is back and unapologetic. Single Barrels & Spirit Picks Ben breaks down his favorite bottles: Weller bourbon, Sazerac rye, and agave gems like Fortaleza and G4 — and why great spirits work both neat and in cocktails. Cocktails Ben Made On Camera The Paparazzi Hendrick's gin, Cocchi Americano, house-made berry and bergamot cordial, fresh lemon juice, topped with Fever-Tree cucumber soda and crushed ice. Light, effervescent, and built for a long aperitivo hour. The Seasonal Old Fashioned Sazerac rye, demerara syrup, Angostura bitters, and Miletti Amaro — an Italian-leaning riff on a classic, served table-side with a hand-stamped RPM ice cube and an orange rosette pour. What People Are Drinking Right Now Ben sees a clear shift in how guests approach drinking — driven by cost, wellness awareness, and a broader cultural moment. Low-ABV and non-alcoholic options now require the same intention and craft as any spirit-forward cocktail. The aperitivo category is growing fast, and it fits naturally into RPM's Italian DNA. Low-ABV Spritzes, Negronis, and aperitivo-style cocktails that hit sweet, bitter, and effervescent notes without the heavy pour. Mocktails Crafted with the same intention as their spirit-forward counterparts — balance and flavor come first, ABV is secondary. Martinis A full resurgence — from classic gin martinis with Cocchi Americano to the upscale RPM Dirty Martini with chips and caviar. Cosmos & Throwbacks Once dismissed, now celebrated. Crushable, fun, and beautiful — the nostalgia wave is real and RPM is here for it. Find Ben Lieppman & RPM Italian Instagram - @benlieppman LinkedIn - Ben Lieppman RPM Italian DC - rpmrestaurants.com