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Episodes from Walk-In Talk Podcast
Inside Food Safety Ep. 2: The Most Dangerous Words in Hospitality, "We've Always Done It This Way"
In Episode 2 of Inside Food Safety, Eric Moore of Testo North America returns to discuss one of the biggest threats facing restaurants today, not a single catastrophic mistake, but the slow erosion of standards through complacency. From leadership and food safety culture to burnout, staffing challenges, and operational blind spots, Eric and Carl explore how small shortcuts can become dangerous habits when accountability begins to slip. The conversation also examines why the phrase "We've always done it this way" may be one of the most harmful mindsets in hospitality, and how strong leadership, employee empowerment...
Inside the NRA Show 2026: Chicago, Royal Cup Coffee, and the Energy Behind Hospitality with Ashley Peeples
Episode 198 – NRA Show Chicago Recap The National Restaurant Association Show always brings the food industry together at the highest level, and this year in Chicago was no exception. From nonstop movement on the show floor, to conversations with operators, chefs, manufacturers, and hospitality leaders from across the country, Episode 198 captures the energy, relationships, and momentum that continue to shape the future of foodservice. A huge thank you to Royal Cup Coffee & Tea for partnering with Walk-In Talk Media throughout the week and helping fuel the production from start to finish. What began as Po...
From New Orleans to Con Amor: Chef Taylor Dillon on Mexican Food, Identity, and Building with Purpose
Chef Taylor Dillon's path into Mexican cuisine wasn't traditional, and that's exactly what makes this conversation interesting. Born and raised in New Orleans, trained in some of New York's most demanding kitchens including Daniel and Jean-Georges, Taylor eventually found himself completely immersed in the craft, history, and technique behind Mexican food. What started as curiosity turned into obsession, studying nixtamalization, grinding corn from scratch, and building a deeper understanding of a cuisine rooted in generations of tradition. Now, alongside his wife Kayla, he's built Con Amor, a restaurant shaped by passion, discipline, and a genuine...
Inside Food Safety Ep. 1: What Kitchens Get Wrong
Inside Food Safety is a recurring monthly segment on the Walk-In Talk Podcast. This is the first one. The inaugural episode of our Inside Food Safety segment, and it starts with a conversation every kitchen needs to hear. Eric Moore joins us, food safety expert with Testo North America, bringing real-world insight into what food safety actually looks like in practice. Not theory, not checklists, but the daily decisions that protect your team, your product, and the people you serve. Because food safety isn't something you turn on when it's convenient...
Living with Endometriosis in Hospitality | Ciji Castro on Pain, Advocacy, and Showing Up
What does it look like to keep showing up when your body is working against you? In Episode 195, Ciji Castro returns to the show for one of the most personal conversations we've had. Ciji is currently battling stage four endometriosis, a disease that affects millions of women, yet remains widely misunderstood, especially in high-pressure industries like hospitality. And still, she shows up. Still cooking. Still creating. Still pushing forward. This episode goes beyond the plate. We talk about what endometriosis actually feels like on a daily basis...
Shooting Wasn't Enough | John Hernandez on Food Styling, RAK, and Owning the Plate
What happens when the person behind the camera starts understanding the plate better than ever before? Episode 194 is a different kind of conversation. No guest rotation. No outside voice. Just Carl Fiadini and John Hernandez, the creative force behind the lens at Walk-In Talk Media. Over the last year, John's role has evolved in a way most people wouldn't expect. He's still behind the camera. But through Walk-In Talk Media's relationship with RAK Porcelain USA, the expectations changed. The opportunity to shoot for a product...
Mike Lombardi & Chef Stephen Hicks on Seafood, Trust, and Building Real Vendor Relationships
What does a real vendor relationship actually look like? In Episode 193, Mike Lombardi, third-generation seafood distributor behind a 65-year family business, joins Chef Stephen Hicks in studio for a conversation that goes far beyond product and price. This episode dives into what really drives long-term success in the restaurant industry, trust, accountability, and understanding the pressure on both sides of the line. From early mornings on the docks to high-pressure moments in the kitchen, Mike shares what it means to stay close to the source, build relationships...
John Marino (RAK Porcelain USA) & Chef Thomas Mandzik — Leadership, Trust, and the Long Game in Hospitality
Most people see the finished plate. Very few understand everything that had to go right before it got there. Episode 192 pulls that curtain back. John Marino, President of RAK Porcelain USA, joins the show for a conversation rooted in experience — from operations and manufacturing to leading a growing organization built on long-term thinking and real partnerships. This isn't theory. It's pressure-tested. From solving problems at the ground level to reshaping how a company scales, John breaks down what it actually takes to build something that lasts in an industry tha...
Cameras, Kitchens, and What Drives Attention in Restaurants: Chef Nelly Buleje & Leigh Wilson
There's a shift happening in the restaurant industry. It's not just about what's on the plate anymore. That part is expected. The real question now is what actually gets seen, what connects, and what ultimately brings people through the door. In Episode 191, we bring two perspectives together to unpack that. Chef Nelly Buleje of Timpano joins us in the studio. With a career rooted in large-scale hotel operations and shaped by a wide range of culinary influences, he now leads inside a focused, high-volume restaurant environment. His perspective is...
Precision in the Kitchen: Chef Thomas Mandzik & Aaron Sharpe with Testo, and the Systems Behind Food Safety and Consistency
Episode 190 — Description Precision isn't a luxury in the kitchen. It's the standard. Episode 190 brings that into focus with Chef Thomas Mandzik of The Tampa Club and Aaron Sharpe of Testo North America. This conversation moves beyond the plate and into the systems behind it. Temperature, consistency, accountability. The details that don't always get seen, but dictate everything. Chef Mandzik breaks down how structure and discipline shape execution in a professional kitchen, while Aaron Sharpe introduces the role of measurement and food safety as part of the workflow, not an afterthought. This ep...
Food, Media, and the Modern Chef, Alexandria Ebron, Chef Jason F. Lynn
Food doesn't just live on the plate anymore. It lives in media. Episode 189 brings together two sides of that reality, how food is created, and how it's seen. Featured guest Alexandria Ebron, Brand Manager for The Zest and Classical WSMR, part of the NPR ecosystem at WUSF and the University of South Florida, shares her path from blogging and Creative Loafing to helping shape food stories across the state. Her perspective lives in the day-to-day of content creation, covering restaurants, building narratives, and understanding what actually connects with an audience. In studio, Chef...
Food Media vs. The Kitchen: NPR's Dalia Colon & Michelin Chef Michael Collantes
Who decides which food stories get told? In Episode 188 of the Walk-In Talk Podcast, Host, Carl welcomes Dalia Colon, Executive Producer and Host of The Zest, the NPR-affiliated food podcast produced by WUSF on the University of South Florida campus. With more than 300 episodes produced, Dalia has helped shape how Florida's food culture is documented through public media. Her work blends journalism, food history, and storytelling, highlighting the chefs, farmers, traditions, and communities that define the state's culinary identity. In the studio kitchen, Chef Michael Collantes, Michelin-starred chef and owner of Soseki Modern...