About this podcast
This is a raw and unfiltered look into the state of the restaurant industry as a whole, powered by longtime friends Chef/Owner Antonio Caruana and former bartender turned News Anchor/TV Host Kristen Crowley.
Representing all aspects of the industry from the front to the back of the house we will dig into the juiciest stories and pull from decades of experience in one of the sexiest and most exciting industries in the world...the food and beverage industry.
From international chefs, sommeliers, industry pros, and so much more, this show will cover all of it without a filter. You turn up the volume; we'll turn up the heat.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 89 episodes
- Why Chain Restaurants Are Collapsing · 45 min · Season 6 Episode 74Send us Fan Mail We dig into why the chain restaurant model is collapsing and why the causes run deeper than inflation or a few bad quarters. We argue that authenticity, craft…
- Entitlement Or Evolution - How restaurant culture has changed and why it matters · 32 min · Season 6 Episode 73Send us Fan Mail We dig into whether the “entitled generation” narrative actually fits restaurant life or if we’re watching the industry evolve in real time. We break down what…
- Female Chef Worked the Line Until She Went Into LABOR - What It Takes To Own a Restaurant As A Mom · 48 min · Season 6 Episode 72Send us Fan Mail 🔥 INSPIRING & BRUTAL! Meet Courtney McQuiery - chef/owner of Restaurant Blanca who literally worked the line until she went into labor! Courtney's INCREDIBLE…
- Chef Owner BURNOUT: The Brutal Truth About Restaurant Dreams vs Reality and Work-Life Balance · 28 min · Season 6 Episode 71Send us Fan Mail 🔥 BRUTAL REALITY CHECK! Chef Antonio Caruana opens up about the harsh truth of chef owner burnout after 14 years of running restaurants! What We Cover: ✅ The…
- From Backstage Meals To Major Artists, Food Shaped Norfolk’s Music Scene at the Norva + BTS tour · 59 min · Season 6 Episode 70Send us Fan Mail 🎵 LEGENDARY Interview! Meet Rick Mersel- owner of Norfolk's iconic music venue The Norva and new author who's connecting music and food in ways you've never…
- The BRUTAL Truth About The State of the Restuarant Industry - Old School vs New School! · 31 min · Season 6 Episode 69Send us Fan Mail 🔥 UNFILTERED INDUSTRY RANT! Chef Antonio Caruana and KC deliver the BRUTAL truth about modern restaurant culture! What's WRONG with the Industry: ✅ The…
- 5 Things You NEED to Know About Espresso in Italy (Don't Embarrass Yourself!) · 24 minSend us Fan Mail ☕ ESPRESSO MASTERCLASS! Chef Antonio Caruana breaks down the 5 ESSENTIAL rules for ordering and drinking espresso like a true Italian! 5 CRUCIAL Rules: ✅ #1…
- 5 Things You NEED to Know Before Dating a Chef (Don't Say We Didn't Warn You!) · 30 min · Season 6 Episode 68Send us Fan Mail 🔥 BRUTAL RELATIONSHIP TRUTHS! Chef Antonio Caruana and KC break down the REAL challenges of dating someone in the restaurant industry! 5 ESSENTIAL Things to…
- 5 Things You NEED to Know Before Your Chef Interview (Don't Embarrass Yourself!) · 27 min · Season 6 Episode 67Send us Fan Mail 🔥 GAME-CHANGING Interview Advice! Chef Antonio Caruana drops TRUTH BOMBS about what it REALLY takes to get hired in a professional kitchen! 5 ESSENTIAL Tips: ✅…
- 5 Things You NEED to Know About Italian American Food (Don't Order These in Italy!) · 40 min · Season 6 Episode 66Send us Fan Mail 🇮🇹 Food History Time Boys and Girls! Episode 66 is LIVE! Chef Antonio Caruana + KC break down the REAL story behind Italian American cuisine! 5 Things You NEED…
- Burnt Hands, Real Talk. Taking it back to episode 1 - The Origin Story! Season 6 starts February 2026 · 31 min · Season 1Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ SEASON 6 IS COMING IN 2026! 🎙️ While we're gearing up for an EPIC new season of Burnt Hands Perspective, we wanted to take you back to where it all began…
- From Comedian to 17 MILLION Followers - How the WEEWOO Guy, Jacoby Ray, Built a $75M Spice Empire · 17 min · Season 6 Episode 65Send us Fan Mail 🔥 Ready to laugh and learn all in one episode? Meet Jacoby Ray - the "WEEWOO Guy" who turned MILLIONS of TikTok followers into a $75 MILLION spice empire!…
- Food Judge Exposes the TRUTH About Restaurant Influencers and Growing Organic Followers · 24 min · Season 5 Episode 64Send us Fan Mail 🔥 GAME-CHANGING Interview! Meet Anthony Martorina - Food Dude - the food blogger who cracked the code on authentic influence! What You'll Learn: ✅ How to build…
- This Grandmother's EPIC Comeback: Opera Singer → Shocking Gordon Ramsay → Food Network Star! · 21 min · Season 5 Episode 63Send us Fan Mail 🔥 LEGENDARY Interview! Meet Rebecka Evans - the 65-year-old POWERHOUSE who's redefining what's possible! From starting a blog in her 50's to Food Network and…
- Food Network Star Exposes The Truth About American Cheese, TV Fame, and a 1.8 Billion Dollar Burger Empire... · 16 min · Season 5 Episode 62Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Chef Eric Greenspan, who rebuilt American cheese with real dairy and zero fillers, then chose craft over cameras to grow a product, launch…
- Hot Sauce On A Banana, What REALLY Happens on Man Vs. Food, and Casey Webb's latest venture! · 19 min · Season 5Send us Fan Mail 🔥 HOLY MOLY! We just sat down with Casey Webb from Man vs Food, and things got SPICY! In this EXCLUSIVE interview, Casey reveals: ✅ Behind-the-scenes secrets…
- A Self-Taught Cook Explains How Food Became The Path To Mental Health And Purpose · 18 minSend us Fan Mail World Food Chats....We sat down with Max (who helped get his team to World Food Champ status), a self-taught cook who moved from corporate banking to a…
- From Line Cook To Food Rep: How a chef's disipline built a better sales career · 45 min · Season 5 Episode 60Send us Fan Mail We trace Jimmy’s leap from teenage line cook to respected food rep and unpack how servant leadership, speed, and accuracy keep restaurants running when the…
- From Foster Homes to Top-Rated Chef: Integrity, Hustle, and Heart at World Food Championships · 19 minSend us Fan Mail A bad fish shows up two hours into the final. Cameras are rolling, adrenaline is high, and the plan is crumbling. Chef James tosses the Opa in the trash, pivots…
- How The Hells Angels Move 100,000 Pounds Of Food And Why It Matters · 37 minSend us Fan Mail Watch a city rally behind one simple promise: everyone deserves to eat. We sit down with the Foodbank’s president and CEO to unpack how a 54-hour push called The…
