Turn and Burn: Restaurant War Stories

Three Peruvian food carts, two juice bars, and a donut shop... and she's still growing! Fabiola (aka "Tita") came at food cart and restaurant ownership with the drive, passion, and enthusiasm of a true super entrepreneur. Inspired by her love of family, her father's legacy, and her Peruvian roots—and ably supported by her sister Fabiana, her mother, and a robust staff with a similar background—Tita is building a mini food empire in the Portland, Oregon area. Follow Tita on Instagram @fabiolachipoco. Check out Tita's Kitchen @titaskitchenpdx, Lil Funky Donuts @lil.funky.donuts, and Tita's Juice Bar @titasjuicebar. Restaurant sound effect from Pixabay. Intro clip: The power of food in community | Shelina Permalloo | TEDxSouthamptonUniversity. There are some audio quality issues with parts of this episode due to unforeseen problems with the studio platform. We apologize if the production is not quite what you would expect it to be!

The Vagabond Chef enters the studio: culinary anthropologist, West Virginia prodigal son, and all about stories and real f*cking food made with intention. This self-described "more vigilante than superhero" is reimagining the way small communities look at food culture—through the lens of Appalachian history and his travels. The true embodiment of artist and adventurer—inflected perhaps with a bit of stoic Memento mori—this dairy farm kid turned entrepreneur has bootstrapped his way to becoming a farm-to-table restaurant owner, executive chef of West Virginia State Parks, and Value Added Product Coordinator for the WV Food and Farm Coalition. Follow the Vagabond Chef's journey on the Vagabond Kitchen website, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram @thevagabondchef. Restaurant sound effect from Pixabay. Intro clip: Anthony Bourdain, as interviewed by Fast Company.

Is there room for more empathy in fine dining kitchens? Our interview with Chef Camila Rinaldi explores the topic in an honest, heartfelt discussion of the roles that fear and respect play in the restaurant industry. We chat about balancing vulnerability and toughness in some of the most intense restaurant kitchens in New York City, as well as the patience and survival skills that many upward-moving female chefs employ every day to be taken seriously. Restaurant sound effect from Pixabay. Intro clip: Dominique Crenn, World’s Best Female Chef 2016, as interviewed by The Upcoming.

Get to know podcast cohosts Fred and Sarah, including how they work with the restaurant industry, how to improve restaurant systems, and how Turn & Burn came to be. Also hear some of Sarah's funniest and goriest restaurant war stories: building a Dunkin' Donuts doughnut tank and surviving as a young garde manger without cutting your thumbs off. Score some Turn & Burn merch and become a monthly supporter at turnburn.co/shop/ Learn more about Fred's restaurant consulting at grc365.biz and Sarah's brand + business advisory services at 816newyork.com.

On Valentine's Day, we share Chef Tajahi Cooke, the Gatherer, and his wife Danielle, the Handler. Listen in to a celebration of love, music, food, and community—a journey of diversity, acceptance, and connection. They inspire us never to forget our origin stories or ignore how interwoven we are. Out of many, we truly are one... Chef Taj and Danielle are affiliated with Chef José Andres's World Central Kitchen and many Colorado food and restaurant associations, as well as deeply embedded in their beloved Denver community. A huge shout out to Zeppelin Station for connecting us to Chef Tajahi (@tajah_i) and Danielle (@rubee_leo) and for supporting all their incredible work with Ms Betty's Cooking (@msbettysgrandson)! Throughout the interview, the couple generously praised so many who have enriched their journey. We have compiled as many as we could find—music, food, and community groups—and listed their Instagram accounts on our website, or follow us on Instagram @turnburnshow to get links there. Restaurant sound effect from Pixabay. Intro clip: Bob Marley.

Part entertainer, part pizza dough fanatic, Dave embodies New York City ambition, humor, and gratitude through and through. Larger-than-life storytelling meets charm as Dave regales us with tales of his Italian ancestors' perilous journey to New York, gifting Rihanna (of all things) an um-bur-rella at legendary hotspot Da Silvano, training under pizza royalty Paulie Gee, and his plans for worldwide pizza domination. Hear how this Queens restaurant owner once envisioned his future around a pizza oven and how he has created viral videos of New York City's baked-in craziness to attract visitors from around the world. Follow Philomena's Artisan Pizza on Instagram @philomenasqueens and follow Dave on TikTok @daincrediblepizzaguy! Philomena's is on 41-16 Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside, Queens, New York. Restaurant sound effect from Pixabay. Intro clip: Anthony Bourdain with 92nd Street Y.

When art meets love, you get Chef Dylan. We explore the world of a hotel restaurant pastry chef—including manning the kitchen solo (and a little drunk) when hundreds of hotel guests, stranded during a massive power outage, appear in the dining room for morning coffee. Hear how a leader can arise at the darkest hour and why this chef will never watch The Bear. Follow Dylan and see his beautiful pastry art on Instagram @_thegaychef! Intro: Rick Rubin

Meet the steward of the culture. Brandon is a gently powerful yet empowering leader, training staff to own their “restaurant within a restaurant.” He discusses the mysterious corporate restaurant world—the ups and downs—as well as the restaurant ecosystem during and since the COVID surge. Turn & Burn podcast co-host Fred also shares his insights and stories from his many years as a general manager. Intro : Simon Sinek

Food festival chaos, debauchery and excess, Avenger entitlement, and a dash of family—all delivered with the infectious, wry sense of humor you’d expect from a Chicago chef who never meant to end up in the restaurant industry. Matt is a solid-gold first guest and sets the perfect tone for the Turn & Burn podcast. We also discuss his soon-to-launch food truck concept, including booting up social media for a new business when you’re “not that guy.” It’s not perfect, but we’re pretty proud of our first episode. Restaurant sound effect from Pixabay. Bourdain clip from “Anthony Bourdain, Leadership Lessons From the Kitchen, 2006” from StarChefs.