When Passion Becomes A Pizzeria

When Passion Becomes A Pizzeria

Chicago, we are so back. This week, Culinary Confidential heads back to the Windy City for a conversation with Robert Garvey and Dana Hokin, the founders of Robert's Pizza & Dough Company [https://robertspizzacompany.com/], the acclaimed riverfront pizzeria that’s redefined what artisan thin‑crust can be. The husband‑and‑wife team behind one of Chicago's most celebrated pizzerias, has overseen what began as a home‑kitchen experiment into a chef‑driven restaurant that's now recognized among the Top 50 Pizzas in the USA and Top 100 in the World. Their signature “Za Dough,” a meticulously engineered sourdough‑based crust, is the product of relentless testing, fermentation discipline, and a belief that a proper slice should crack, not break. Garvey, a New York native and certified pizzaiolo, spent decades deconstructing pizzas, turning their home into a test lab before opening their first small shop in 2016. By 2019, they expanded into their now‑iconic Streeterville location along the Ogden Slip — a neighborhood spot built for locals, regulars, and anyone who believes pizza can be both craft and culture. Today, Robert’s Pizza & Dough Co [https://robertspizzacompany.com/]. is known for its riverfront patio, brick‑oven artistry, bold flavor profiles, and a community‑driven mission that includes partnerships with Slice Out Hunger and local nonprofits. It’s Chicago hospitality at its most intentional — and most delicious. Yes, Chicago keeps pulling us back, and for good reason! It’s a city where tradition meets reinvention, where chefs push boundaries without losing their roots, and where a single slice can tell a whole story. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Beyond Sushi: The Real Story of Japanese Cuisine with Massud Ghaussy aka TokyoManhattan

This week on Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates travels from the ramen alleys of Tokyo to the hidden izakayas of Manhattan with Massud Ghaussy, the creator of the fast-growing TokyoManhattan platform. Ghaussy has become a trusted bridge between Tokyo's culinary traditions and a global audience hungry to understand them. Not as trends but as living cultural practices rooted in discipline, precision, and history. His work blends travel, anthropology, and culinary storytelling, offering a rare insight into ramen culture, omakase philosophy, and the quiet rituals that define Japanese dining. From omotenashi hospitality to the worldwide rise of Japanese food culture, this conversation goes way beyond sushi. It's one of craftsmanship, restraint, storytelling, and the deep respect that shapes every plate. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Sam Bakhshandehpour

On this week's Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates sits down with Sam Bakhshandehpour, President of Merchants at Bilt, and one of the rare executives who has shaped hospitality from every angle: luxury, lifestyle, loyalty, and the evolving business of belonging. Sam's path cuts across the modern hospitality map, helping steer the Jose Andrés Group's global rise as CEO, and leading SBE Entertainment as President & CEO in a defining era of lifestyle, dining, and nightlife. But well before that, Sam got his start in the engine room of JPMorgan's real estate and lodging investment banking division, working at the intersection of strategy, scale, culture, and community. This conversation looks forward. How loyalty shifts from transactions to identity, how technology rewrites the guest journey, how brands build communities that feel lived-in as opposed to manufactured, and why the next era of hospitality will reward connection, trust, and emotional intelligence as much as design and service. Sam brings clarity, candor, and a sharp read on where the industry goes from here! See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Hamptons' Most Charming Boutique Stay

Sun-drenched mornings, linen curtains drifting in the breeze, hydrangea-lined lanes that feel like they were pulled from a film reel - that's the world Lucy Swift Lemonides has created at A Room At The Beach [https://www.iwantaroomatthebeach.com/], the Bridgehampton hideaway redefining the concept of boutique luxury. Lemonides has built more than a hotel. She's crafted a unique atmosphere - one that's intimate and quietly indulgent, one where every detail feels intentional, and every moment feels personal. No pretense or overproduction - just serenity, style, and that unmistakable East End ease. Lucy breaks down why travelers are moving away from mega resorts and towards curated, human scaled escapes, and how the Hamptons have become the blueprint for this new era of elevated travel. Sunlight, Style, and Serenity. Now that's the Hamptons: redefined. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

American Spirits, American Stories with Noah Rothbaum

This week on Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates sits down with Noah Rothbaum, one of the sharpest minds in whiskey and the cultural history behind it. As the author of The Whiskey Bible and Spirits Editor at Men's Journal, Rothbaum has spent years tracing how America's native spirit became a global force. This conversation goes far beyond the glass. Rothbaum unpacks the people, regions, traditions, and reinventions shaping American whiskey, and why, as the nation approaches its 250th birthday, the story of our spirits is one on identity, craft, and the people that built both. From bourbon country to the rebirth of classic cocktails, from heritage distillers to the new guard rewriting the rules, this episode explores how whiskey became its own cultural language. In other words, rich, layered, and unmistakably American. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.