Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to Food for Thought with Billy and Jenny,
brought to you by the Box Center. For more than
fifteen years, this dining duo has been eating their way
through New England, mixing it up with top chefs, jumping
behind the line of the hottest restaurants, and giving you
the inside scoop on where to whine, dine and spend
your time. So get ready, it's Food for Thought giving
you something to chew on.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hi, everybody, welcome into Food for Thought. Billy Costa here,
and I think we've got an awesome show this week.
First of all, a little bit later in the show,
we're going to be talking with the guys from the
rock band shine Down for the record Shine Down did
our Kiss concert back in June. I didn't realize this.
I know they're great, but they have more number one
(00:44):
rock songs on the Billboard charts than any other rock band.
Come on, I was kind of surprised for that. Anyway,
They've also got a line of barbecue sauces. Get it,
Food for Thought, a line of barbecue sauces. And they're
going to check in. I think they're calling from the
recording studio and we'll talk about their barbecue sauces and
a little bit later in the show we're going to
be talking with the folks from Good Night Johnnies. It's
(01:06):
a place in downtown Burlington, not near them all. This
is downtown that have live music and food every single night.
But right now we have chef Jason Karen in studio.
Good to see a chef. How are you?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Thanks for having me?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Jason Karen is from Post nineteen seventeen Steakhouse. First and foremost,
thank you very much. You dropped by the Billy and
least the morning show the other day and you brought
tons of food. We didn't need anything. All we needed
was your presence and God, you're a generous guy, so
thank you for that.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Well you're welcome. Well and when I come to see you,
I gotta come and make sure I come loaded. Billy.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
I mean, so Post nineteen seventeen Steakhouse. I know it's
in Reading and is it downtown Reading.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
It's right off the main drag in the old historic
post office building.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Which leads me to my first question. And by the way,
is it Karen or Kerol?
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Well, the proper ray is Corone, but you know here
we are, is Karen.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Okay, you're just Jason Karen. See Jason Caron. That sounds
like you just flew in from France.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Very fancy, very fancy.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
But we'll take Jason Karen too. I think people love
that over there and read it.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
I got to ask you though, what happened to the
post office?
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Well, they closed in twenty nineteen, and then they made
condos right behind it, and it was empty for quite
some years, and then we walked into it and fell
in love with it, and boom, here we are. Now.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Have you always been a chef?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Always? This is all I've done. I was at Flemings
for ten years. Flemings, we had a good run there,
and then I bounced around. I was at Del Frisco's
in the Seaport, and then I've been consulting at Avery
Restaurant consulting for the last eight years.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Didn't I meet you while you were consulting?
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Yes? Actually I met you when I was at Flemings.
I was on one of your original TV shows.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
TV Diner, Yes, or maybe Phantom Goamet. We're going way back.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yeah, So we had some fun for.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Flemax must have been a great experience. That was one
of the most well known family restaurants.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Right, it was great. People would come in. We were
you know, four ground music not background. Had fun. We
had a good run. It was fun.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
And then from Flemings to Del Frisco.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Yeah, bounced around and then Del Frisco is in the seaport.
That was that was crazy. We we did a lot
of business there and it was fun. I met some
of my lifelong friends there that are still with me today.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
And when I met you consulting, if I'm not mistaken,
you were consulting for my buddy Joe Farrell.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
He's one of the best. I loved working with them,
Chef Joe and Amy and the Mesh. It was fun
to Jeff Mesh. Yeah, he's a great guy, great palette.
So that was fun. We had some fun down there.
I was able to help. I think I was able
to bring some some insight and create such a great building.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
So you went from Cheffing to consulting and then felt
the need to go back to Cheffing. And now it's
every chef's dream to have their own place.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Is it a dream?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well, based on the level of work it takes, I
wouldn't think it's a dream. But for you, I'm sure
it is because there you are in Burlington, in Reading.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
So yeah, it's amazing. I get to go to work
in this beautiful location every day. The town of Reading
has been amazing. I mean Redding Love's Reading, It truly is.
So it's really it has been a great summer. We're
very anxious and happy for the fall to be here.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Now, a post office sounds like a very large space.
Is it a large restaurant?
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Jeff, it's a good size. We got about one hundred
and forty inside and fifty outside on our deck.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
And are you doing lunch and dinner or.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Just dinner Tuesday through Sunday? Now we just open Sundays
twelve to nine, and it's been a great turnout. People
get in at five o'clock to sit at a beautiful bar.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Now I'm guessing I was just going to say, hey,
where'd the name come from? Because naming a restaurant, you know,
I happen to be a boat owner. Just to name
a boat is a nightmare. It takes weeks and weeks.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
To come up the name.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
How do you name a restaurant?
Speaker 3 (05:03):
So we walked up and the wife and I kind
of looked up and you see United States Post Office
and then this big plaque of when it was created,
and we just sat there for a couple of minutes
to look back and forth, and we threw a couple
iterations and then boom post nineteen seventeen and it was
ten minutes and I was like, oh, okay, that was
(05:24):
one of the hardest but easiest things done like that.
So everything just started a click right after.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
And it's always great to be in an historic building.
But I got to ask, was there anything going on
in the building between the time the post office closed
and the time you took over the building?
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Some other folks tried to get in there and create something,
and for whatever reason, it didn't work out. But I'll
go for you. Yeah, well I appreciate that. So you know,
we got in there and we j Richard Builders built
that thing in three months by hand.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
And a lot of times when you take over a
historical building, because a lot of restaurants have taken over
old banks, you tend to find things that you didn't know,
like during the course of the renovations, so to speak,
Like you'll tear down the inner wall and you'll find
another wall behind that wall, and did you find anything
interesting in the building.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
We had all the po boxes that were left over,
but for the most part, those structures were pretty solid.
It's all brick, so we didn't want to take the
brick down. So we didn't find anything crazy. We were
hoping for it, but so.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
There are no little things people can look for that
are kind.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Of leftover from the We didn't find Jimmy Hoffa.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
And you didn't find any mail with some valuables in
it or something like that.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
No, none of that.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
The menu. How would you describe at chef in a
couple of words before we take a.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Break, classic with modern iterations.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Well, I know when you came into the building at
least the Morning show and kiss I mean you brought
everything from by the way, a delicious glazed bacon, you
had crab cakes that you had steak and lobster, and
I have a funny story connected to your steak, which
when I tell you, I reluctantly share this story with
(07:09):
our listeners only because it involves Winnie for the Billy
and Lisa in the Morning Show. But you know what
I'm talking about, and I feel the need to share
it with our listeners. So we're going to take a
break We've got chef Jason Karen or Caro on if
you're overseas, and we'll talk more about Post nineteen seventeen Steakhouse.
And we'll do that right after the break.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Hang in, you're listening to Food for Thought, brought to
you by the Box Center and Salem Waterfront Hotel and Speeds.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Hey, everybody, welcome back to Food for Thought. Billy Costa here,
and I've got chef Jason Karen here from Post nineteen
seventeen Steakhouse in the beautiful town of Reading. I've actually
spent a lot of time in Reading. All three of
my boys were big hockey players, so we spent a
lot of time at Burbank Arena in Reading. I'm surprised
I hadn't run into you ever.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Well, I've only been there twelve years. I'm sure you've
and to my wife and her family. And so you
are a Redding resident. I am a Reading residence.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
So you can basically walk to work, that's all I can't.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
It's two blocks away.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
To Post nineteen seventeen Steakhouse, beautiful restaurant. And Okay, I
want to get this story in and then we'll just
move past it. Okay, Jason. So, Jason came by the
Billion Lisa Morning Show and Kiss the other morning and
brought all kinds of food I think I mentioned a
couple of minutes ago, everything from bacon to steak, to
lobster to crab cakes. I mean, it was a beautiful spread.
(08:29):
Out comes Winnie from the Billion Lisa Morning Show, and Aj,
you weren't there at the time, you were working down
the lof I forget. I did bring beautiful steak knives,
very important to this start mentioned good point, Jess, lovely
steak knives, like I wanted to take them home.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Winnie walks over and looks at the food opens up
one of the containers with a steak, a beautiful steak,
right yeah. And I happened to look over and she
had your steak in her hands and was tearing pieces
on off of it. I have never seen that in
my life. But and I'm gonna say this as a
(09:06):
chef and restauranteur, Jason, in some weird way, was that
a compliment?
Speaker 3 (09:13):
It is because it is some of the finest cuts
of beef that you can get, and you don't even
you could cut it with a spoon that fill.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Yeah, Well, no, Winny didn't even use her thumbs. She
used her thumbs and AJ, I'm not making the AJA
of the producers standing there and like saying no. But
then again, you know winning and it was a compliment
so much so, Jason, Okay, I'm gonna throw this at you.
I think you should use it in your commercials. Are
steak is so tender, so juicy, you don't even need silverware,
(09:45):
not even a spoon, You just pick it up and
enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Would have We'll think about that. Yeah, yeah, we'll put
it on the thing that.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
We may have a video you can use as commercial.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
I think we might.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
But your meats and your steaks are ridiculously good. And
I read somewhere they come from your family ranch. Now
you own a ranch.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
No it's not my family Okay, No, a family ranch
in California, Brandt Farms. I've been using their meat forever.
I think it's some of the best out there. And
when it's prepared with the broiler, salt and pepper, cooked
to perfection, it I think it's some of the best
steaks you'll ever have.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Now, when you open a restaurant that has the word
steak right in it, I'm guessing you have to feel
the need that your steaks really do have to be special.
And if so, did you have a secret seasoning or
something that you always cooked around the house with or.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
It's you know, we call it the can't mix. But
it's salt, kosher salt, and coarse black pepper, and you
got to coat it. We called it at Del Frisco's
feeding the chickens because you wouldn't have to really season
it to get that crust on it. And when the
broiler is eighteen hundred degrees, it sears the outside, so
it traps that juice inside flavor, so when you cut
(11:01):
into it.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
So before you do anything with the steak, you get
the salt and pepper and just douse it.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Yeah, you just got to run to mix. No, you
got to make sure the salt and pepper is mixed.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
Right.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
It's like three to one ratio, so it's not one
three salt, one okay, pepper. And then you season the
steak heavily, not too much, not too little, but enough
to coat it and put it on the broiler and
then let it sit a lot of people put stuff
on the grill or sautee pan. Yeah, and automatically start
moving things. You got to leave it alone. Leave it alone,
bring it back to temperature. Let it cook.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Now, at what point I'm always I'm always stressed out
when I'm doing a barbecue with the family. Right, at
what point do you know it's time to flip?
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Uh, you'll see kind of a little bit of smoke.
You got to give it a couple of minutes, you know,
at least five minutes, because that broiler comes. Yeah, it's
got to come back up.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
The temperature, okay, and then nothing after that.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
No, you just kind of turn it, flip it three.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
To one, salt and pepper. That's that's it.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Simple, Keep it simple.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
How many different steaks do you serve?
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Oh jeez, we have We have flay New York, a
couple of rabbis with or without bones. Bone in New York.
We have a forty ounce tomahawk. Oh, here we go.
That is is my chef, Victor Valencia is and he's
been with me from the Flemings days. We've been on
and off together. He's he is an extension of me.
(12:19):
So he puts this beautiful thing on a bone all
the way up, he slices it, he puts all the
sauces on it. And when you walk through the dining
room with this big tray, people stop and you can see.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
So this is to be carved off the giant bone.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
But the bone is coming up like this.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
Oh yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
So now, as a steak expert, I have to ask
you the question, is there a difference between a tomahawk
and a cowboy steak?
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Well? Yes, and no, I mean the cowboy we would
call the cowboy the twenty two ounce bone e ribby.
The tomahawk is the thirty two to forty ounce So,
oh boy.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
But I'm guessing this is never for a single person, right.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Well, sometimes it is really yeah, oh boy, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
That's could eat right Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Steak eaters like to eat steak.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, I'm guessing steakhouse steak is the biggest seller steak is.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Well, it's funny. It's the flag, the eight ounce fil a,
the espresso martini, the crab cakes and that order.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Did you say espresso martini?
Speaker 5 (13:23):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Try this really.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
My bar manager, Ben Spinning, is a genius when it
comes to cocktails. Now I don't drink a lot of
fruity cocktails, but when I said to him, I said,
the one thing we can't really be bad on is
a espresso martini?
Speaker 2 (13:40):
I would have to guess. I know there's a study
or survey recently a few weeks ago they said the
apparol whatever is the number one drink in the country. No,
I'm gonna have to disagree. Over the last six or
seven months, it seems like everybody's talking espresso martinis everybody,
and lame Sabrina Carpenter for that, Like, who do I
know she has?
Speaker 3 (13:58):
You come out of the North End? You come. You know,
there's a lot of heavy hitters that make espresso martini
so well, what makes sure it's so special? So Ben
uses a special blend that he puts together, and you know,
it's it's the mix of what he puts together and
the way he shakes it and it comes in and
the foam is perfect on top it. It's picturesque every
(14:20):
time it comes out, and it's it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Okay, And what else do we have to attack at
the menu there? Because I know you brought crab. I'm
telling you something. Crab crab cake delicious.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
So the secret ingredient is crab's crazy, you know, because
a lot of places they have crab and filler. Ours
are super lump, jumble, lump, crab, a little bit of filler,
put it together and it is delicious.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Now I'm going to say something and you're not going
to agree with me, but I have to say, oh boy,
when you serve your crab cake. Nope, I'm not doing it. No.
I know you have a chef. I know you have
a beautiful sauce with your crab cake. Right, I just
have a thing. When I hear the word, I think
cocktail sauce. They call it a crab cocktail.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I can give you a crab cocktail.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Would you then give me cocktail sauce to ask for it?
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Right? I would give you a crab cocktail with cocktail sauce. Okay,
I don't know if I need a cocktail sauce my
crab cake.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Your weight staff says, here's your crab cake. By the way,
would you like crab would you like cocktail sauce to
I'm just throwing that out there. I'm not an expert.
I'll ask, I'll ask the staff. I don't know if
they're gonna let it happen. But how about sides? What
are your favorite sides there?
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Well, I'm a French fried guy. So we handcut our fries.
We have a delicious streak corn that's off the cob.
It's literally you won't stop eating it. People I walk by,
you know, check on people, and I have I have
people reach out to grab me and they go, what
is in this? This is unbelievable. Well, you've got a
(15:48):
great dirty rice, you know, some staples, the mashed potatoes
and such. We're changing over a menu. We're gonna have
some all grotten potatoes. Oh yeah, some some miso glazed care.
It's and what the best part about this is all
the food I brought and on the menu was gluten free.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Oh my god, Michelle, are you listening? My wife Michelle
is gluten free.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Yeah. So my son has celia 's disease, okay, and
growing up he didn't want to go out because he
was singled out. So I said, ef Itt, we're gonna
we're gonna make everything gluten free. And it was. It's
been great. Everywhere I've gone consulting wise, I've been able
to do that and you can't tell the difference. You
wouldn't even know that it was like that.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
So all of your menu can be gluten free or
a lot of the men.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
When we switch over, one hundred percent of the main
menu will be gluten free.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
God, that's such good news. It's easier news.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
It's easier. It's just people want to come out and enjoy.
You don't have to worry about china. Piece things together here.
It is about chowder.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Everything Your chowder is gluten free. Correct, did you say, Jeff? Pastas?
Speaker 3 (16:55):
We have pastas from Maria's Pasta and she makes four
or gluten free passas for us.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
I can't wait to go home and tell my wife.
She's gonna be so excited. So right up the street
she could have mac and cheese, gluten free mac and cheese.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Wow, desserts, very dessertorts. We have to go to break Yep.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
I have an amazing patire chef, Kate Halichek, who's come
in and has taken our desserts to the next level.
She's got one or two the gluten free, but everything
she makes I'd love her and hate her at the
same time.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Mmmm.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Okay, give me the dates on this now. So we
got post nineteen seventeen steakhouse. It's in redding Wood Street.
What's the one.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Thirty six Haven Street?
Speaker 2 (17:35):
How far in advanced Do we make reservations?
Speaker 3 (17:37):
You know a couple of days. You can always call
if you can't find in an open table where they
go for the reservation open table dot com or website
post nineteen say.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Great to see you. I can't wait to come into
your restaurant.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
I appreciate your time. Thanks Billy Always to take your
break and we'll.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Be right back.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
You're listening to Food for Thought brought to you by
the Box Center and Sailing Waterfront Hotel in sweets.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Hey, guys, welcome back to Food for Thought. Billy Costa
here and again, I want to thank you Chef Jason
Karen from State nineteen seventeen steakhouns. That was pretty interesting.
And now we shift gears. And I've got John Tebow
here from good Night Johnny's in downtown Burlington, right, John.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Yes, downtown Burlington.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Now, John, you have an interesting story. You started in
tech sales right like a high tech sales environment.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
I'm a software engineer by education, and I had a
wonderful career in a thirty year career in the technology
sector in Massachusetts, and I had a bucketless goal to
retire at fifty. I did, and then about a year
after retirement, I had some severe health problems. It's really
(18:46):
put a blanket over my retirement.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
By that kind of puts a stop to everything. Oh,
you work so many years, you have a successful business,
and just like that, and people talk about that all
the time. You know what, you got to live life.
You got to live life, and you are now because
you have a restaurant and we're good night Johnny's.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Now what made your switch like that and go to
a restaurant?
Speaker 4 (19:10):
You know, it's funny. I had been in the hospital
for a long period of time and I the day
I came home, I sat down with my wife and
I said, you know what I like to do after
being in the hospital. I like to go someplace, have
a nice meal, listen to some live music. And so
we couldn't find a place.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
To do that.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
There aren't many.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
There are not many even in the city.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
There are most of the time. You got to go
up north or something.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
But the live music content just isn't there. So, being
an entrepreneur, I said, hey, you know, I always wanted
to have a family business. So a fan of business
with my wife and I, so I said, why don't
we start a restaurant that has a live music content,
And after about two weeks of her thinking I'm completely crazy,
I convinced her to do it. And good Night but
(19:54):
Johnny's was born.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
When when did you actually open?
Speaker 4 (19:57):
We opened in February of last year.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
And how's a going so far?
Speaker 4 (20:01):
It is exceeding my expectations on a wild basis.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
And why Burlington.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Two reasons, Because the restaurant community in Burlington is very
aggressive and very active, and I found the space I
wanted in the Burlington in Burlington Common.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
All right, So now we just open the doors to
good Night Johnni's in Burlington. Right, we set the stage.
We're gonna take a break when we come back. Want
to walk through the doors, and you're gonna have to
walk us through. You're gonna have to take us by
the hand, all right and tell us what's going on there.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
I think I can try and do that.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
All right, Well, take a break. It's food for thought
with Billy cost and don't forget Shine Down, one of
the hottest rock bands in the country gonna join us
in a few minutes too, because well they've got a
line of barbecue sauces out. Why not talk to a
rock band with barbecue sauces. I'm just saying we'll take
a break. We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
You're listening to Food for Thought, brought to you by
the Box Center and Sailing Waterfront Hotel in Sweets.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Hey, guys, welcome back to Food for Thought. Billy Costa here,
and we've got John Tebo here from good Night Johnny's
in Burlington. And you're not near the Mall right, John
you're you're like in downtown Burlington.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
We are in We are in downtown Burlington. For those
people who know Burlington, if you remember where Building nineteen
used to be, we are exactly where Building nineteen used
to be.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Wow, how big a space is it?
Speaker 4 (21:18):
It's about five thousand squire feet.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
And you mentioned you've got live band. You have live
band every.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Night except Mondays. We'll close on Mondays. Other than that,
we have a live band every night.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
And you said your dream in life after your illness,
you said to your wife, I want to have a
place where we can go for a nice dinner and
have live and enjoy live music. So what's on the
menu there at good Night Johnny's.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
Well again, we're all right. We specialize in what I
call American comfort field food. So we're not Italian, we're
not Greek, we're not we're not Thie. And so the
number one, the number one meal at Johnny's right now
is chicken pot pie.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Oh yeah, who doesn't love a good chicken pot pie?
Are you kidding me if that doesn't say America?
Speaker 4 (22:01):
And then we have meat loaf. And the second most
popular entre we have and my personal favorite is the
Johnny Dog.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
And what to describe the Johnny Dogs?
Speaker 4 (22:12):
An eight inch Kobe beef hot dog. And if you
like hot dogs, this one's calling you a name because
Kobe Beef hot dogs are a very special treat.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
So you're telling me John that my wife and I
can commend a good night Johnny's. We can split a
chicken pot pie and a Kobe dog and listen to
live music every night. Why wouldn't we go every night?
Speaker 4 (22:38):
I haven't seen the O there yet, Billy.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Well, I'm on my way. I'm gonna beat you there. Okay,
how big a space is that you said?
Speaker 4 (22:44):
We see two hundred and five inside and forty people outside.
We have an outside patio seasonal.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Now are you doing lunch and dinner or is it.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
We started out doing lunch and dinner. We had to
cut that back because people just don't go out to
lunch anymore. So now we're doing lunch on Thursday's, Friday
and Saturday, and then Sunday we have a Sunday jazz brunch.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Oh you know, can I get the chicken pot pie
at the brunch?
Speaker 4 (23:10):
You want chicken pot pie at the brunch. I'll make
sure that happens.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
You know what's fun? John, you said it a couple
of seconds ago that people don't go out for lunch anymore.
They don't go to work anymore. No, I'm just kidding.
I'm just sitting well have you seen I'm just saying
live music now. Gary Levitt is an old friend of
mine and he's sitting in studio with us, and Gary,
you need to step up to the mic. Sure your
daughter has performed there, right, she has. It's a great stage.
Speaker 6 (23:36):
He's had some terrific musicians play there, country rock, soft rock,
as he said, jazz. It's a good sample of all
kinds of music. And my daughter and A has played there,
and I guess we could say it here.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Yeah, you've been talking to me about your daughter, and
I've met her for a long time now, and I
guess she's about to get a really big honor, a
major award. The major award is she's going to be
inductor into the New England Music Hall of Fame as
the artist, the inaugural Artist of the Year. This is
the first time they've done Artist of the Year and
she's getting it. You know what's funny, I happen to
(24:10):
be in the New England Broadcasters Hall of Fame. So
me and your daughter should like do something together. You
know what, We should go to Good Night Johnny some night.
I think that'd be great and strike up the band.
As they say you'll be You're going to have to
sing with her though, well I don't know if I
could do that, but if you got a band, I'll
jump in.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
With the drums. We'll do that.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
And Wednesdays we have live karaoke band, So if you
want to do karaoke, come on out and sing.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
So instead of doing it with the goofy screen, you
can get up on stage and actually sing with a
live band.
Speaker 4 (24:37):
With a live band.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
That's kind of like the old name that tune right,
you know, like the band has to know all these
songs right, or they just kind of wing it. Wow,
this sounds like a fun place. So when did you
open the doors there?
Speaker 4 (24:47):
John, January thirtieth of this year.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Now, I know you going in, you must have had expectations.
How are you doing with your expectations?
Speaker 4 (24:57):
We are widely exceeding my expectations. We've we've quickly become
the place where the residents of Burlington have embraced as
they go to place. You know, my goal always was
to be a local, a local restaurant, and to steal
from cheers. We're a place where everybody knows your name.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
There you go. It doesn't have to be Burlington. We
could say Burlington and beyond.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Oh we serve bill Ricca, we serve Wolburn, we serve Lexington.
All of the surrounding communities have been very supportive of
the restaurant.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Okay, before we go to break, John, I got to
ask you. Let's say my wife and I are coming
into good Night Johnny's for the very first time. Set
us up. What's the meal? We automatically have to go
to well plit'sful, give me two meals? Well split, We
always split.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
We have a great salmon and a great swordfish, but
our number one selling meal is a short ribbed dinner
with mashed potatoes, and that is just a tmmendous that
you can get to.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Wait, when you said American comfort food, you weren't kidding.
This is like short mashed potatoes. Yeah, boy, you know
what I'm talking about. You combine that with the chicken
pot pie, you've got yourself a dinner.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
Eating at Good Night John is like eating at your
grandmother's house. You have desserts, tremendous desserts. We have a
tremendous dessert chef and they are to die for.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
So you sit there, you have your dinner, you have
your dessert, and then you get up and dance. Right,
you can dance a little bit. You have a dance
floor there, a small one. So you get up and dance,
and you've got yourself a night and you mix and
mingle and you meet people.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Yes, it's a very social environment.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Now, is there a website everybody should go to Who's
listening right now where they can see pictures and get
an idea of exactly what we're talking about.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
Www. Goodnight Johnny's dot com.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
That's cute that you still use the www. I like that, John,
You know I'm going back to the www. I'm just saying, John,
good to see you, and you look fabulous and I
hope you're doing well. Thank you, Billy, I appreciate this opportunity.
All Right, we got to take a break. It's Food
for Thought. I'm Billy Costa. We'll be back and we'll
have Barry from the band Shine Down on to talk
(27:12):
about his line of barbecue sauces and one of them
will set your hair on fire. Anyway, we'll take a break,
we'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
You're listening to Food for Thought, brought to you by
the Box Center and Sale and Waterfront Hotel in Swedes.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Hey, guys, and welcome back to Food for Thought. Billy
Costa here, and we have a special guest on the phone.
We've got Barry from the band Shine Down. Barry you there,
Good morning.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
How are we boy?
Speaker 2 (27:41):
You're loud and clear. You've got some good technology there,
Agat Where are you checking in from?
Speaker 5 (27:46):
I happy to be at home right now in Jacksonville, Florida.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Jacksonville, Florida, Jaguars. Baby, let's go.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
That's it. That's it. Let's hope for a decent year.
We're not we've had a struggles.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Wait a minute, you've got Mac Jones there now, right. Yeah,
he's the backup to Trevor Lawrence over there in Jacksonville. Okay, Barry,
you and I met a Kiss concert back in June.
I'm sure you don't remember me, but I remember you.
I remember you, and we got to talking backstage about
your line of barbecue sauces. And I think it was
(28:20):
about two or three weeks ago. I got your final sauce.
Attention Attention is the new one, right, and if I'm
not mistaken, Barry, Attention Attention Mango Habanaro sauce was inspired
by your song Attention Attention.
Speaker 5 (28:40):
Well, it was named after the song Attention Attention, but
it's the hottest ones. So it was kind of one
of those things where I wanted to employ.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
I'm sorry, Barry, I was listening to Shindown, you know
what I'm talking about. Once shine down from going, I
gotta listen. Maybe let's go anyway, I got it.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
Anytime you want to play us, I'm happy.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Oh you know what, Let's play Symptom of being Human?
Why not? We played that all over again, smelt into
oh yeah, crowd went wild. And when you did that
at Kiss concert, So what made you get into barbecue sauce, berry.
Speaker 5 (29:26):
Well, I like barbarino sauces. These are hot sauces. These
are a little bit more than you know barbecue sauce.
But I've been a hot sauce kid my whole life.
I've always loved spicy foods. Half my fridge even to
this day it's full of different hot sauces. It's it's
just kind of been a passion project to month.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
You know.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
I got to tell you, Barry, I do a couple
of food television shows, and we had the cameras in
a place in Cambridge not too long ago, and they
had a night like once a month they had what
they call Devil's Night, and there would be a line
out the door. It was called East Coast Grill and
in mid Square, Cambridge, and there would be a line
(30:01):
out the door anytime they had their Devil's Night. And
every piece of food in the restaurant that night was
extremely hot, and some of it was over the top hot. Now,
just how hot is attention? Attention?
Speaker 5 (30:16):
This isn't one that's going to take your head off.
I wanted to make sure all three of our sauces
were ready for the masses. In fact, The first two
were actually a little mild. This one's got hobinniero, so
it's a little bit of heat and it hits it
on the top of your tongue. But I didn't want
to do any of these crazy sauces. I didn't want
it to feel like you're drinking mace and you wanted
to hate yourself. I just wanted a good flavor and
some heat.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
So Barry, what's the process. I'm always interested in the process.
So you decide at one point that you want to
come out with some hot sauces, and there are a
lot of hot sauces out there, so you want to
make sure yours is standing out among all the rest.
So walk us through the process. How does it go
from you wanting hot sauces to having hot sauces.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
This is one of those lucky happenstances. It's something I've
always wanted but wasn't sure. I wanted to take a leap,
and then the company we partnered with, Torch Bearer, happened
to approach the label and said, hey, any of your
artists want to work with us on a collaboration. I
raised my hand and next thing you know, we're doing it.
But it was one of those things where Vid and
I from the Hot Sauce Company. He and I threw
(31:21):
ideas back and forth flavor profiles, and then for about
five months, he would create some different ones, send them
to me. I'd taste them, I'd give tasting your notes,
and we'd change it, and we went back and forth,
back and forth, because the last thing I wanted to
do was put Shinedown's name on just a bottle of
sauce that isn't truly a representation of us, or you know,
it's just kind of a gimmick. These aren't a gimmick.
(31:42):
These are real sauces. And it was fun to do.
And I'm lucky enough to have the name Shinedown and
shine Down, so that definitely helps in the marketing campaign.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Now, I was told you grow your own peppers.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
I do.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
I absolutely do. That's something you can do in Florida
relatively easy.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
I was going to say, are you living in Florida.
Speaker 5 (32:03):
Yeah, I live in Jacksonville, Florida. I've been here for
twenty two years. I grew up in Florida. I grew
up in Panama City.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Oh okay, So how big a pepper garden do you
need to actually launch national hot sauces.
Speaker 5 (32:16):
I am not using my personal peppers for this because
I do not have enough.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
I would think a.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
Full farm, and I consider my peppers the test kitchen.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Okay, And how do people find your sauces? Are you
in supermarkets? Where can we go to get them? I've
got some in my office and I've got some at home,
but where does everybody else go to get the sauces?
Speaker 5 (32:39):
We're working on getting into retail right now, but the
best way is go to shine down dot com Slashed
Taste of Madness. You can get them right there. And
there's also a bunch of recipes that I wrote around
these sauces. I love to cook as well, so there's
a bunch of recipes that I curated with these sauce profiles.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
So this was the third in what I'm seeing in
my notes, or the third and finals. So no other
sauces coming down the line. There will be three in all.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
Not anything anytime soon, but I'll never say never. It
kind of you know. After I visited the factory and
was hanging out with the guys over there, we joked
about it, like, oh, this was a lot of fun.
Maybe we have to do another, so maybe, but nothing
anytime soon.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
So what you're saying, Barry is there's a chance on
a fourth.
Speaker 5 (33:24):
There's always a chance.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
There's always Now. Are all the other guys in on
it in any way?
Speaker 3 (33:30):
No?
Speaker 5 (33:30):
They don't even like hot stuff.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
So it's all on you, buddy, It's all on me.
You know.
Speaker 5 (33:37):
I've always been the spicy guy. I'm the guy that
carries around hot sauce with me and hot spices and whatnot,
and they always make fun of me. You know, Brent
doesn't like anything spicy or singer, just because she doesn't
want anything on his vocal cords. He's very bland wise.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (33:52):
Yeah, I'm the only hot sauce guy. You know.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
It's funny, Barry, you're not lying because when you did
our Kiss concert back in June, I was handed some
of your hot sauces, and I don't mind telling you
I've been enjoying them all summer. What's the band been
up to? What's going on with Shine down right now?
Speaker 4 (34:10):
Currently?
Speaker 5 (34:10):
We're writing whatever the next record is going to be.
I'd say we're about halfway through. I've recorded about six
or seven songs so far, so we're hoping to have
new music out this fall slash winter, and then a
new record sometimes spring of next year, and then we
have I believe one more show this year in Huntsville
at the end of the month. And really it's just
(34:31):
focusing on the next music. And I'm touring all over
to Hot Sauce expos and a little pop up of
food expos and throwing around hot sauce at everybody.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
I got to tell you, Barry, it's such an impressive resume,
so to speak, because I saw that, you guys, the
band shine Down has more number one rock songs on
the Billboard charts than any other band. Is that true?
Speaker 5 (34:59):
That's the Yeah, I finished myself every day. That's very
much true.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
No, like think about that as a rocker, okay, Barry,
I mean there have been a lot of bands. I mean,
just to mention a few, I don't know, Rolling Stones
more than them?
Speaker 5 (35:14):
Yeah, more than them?
Speaker 2 (35:16):
Wow? That is such a bragging right.
Speaker 5 (35:19):
Yeah, I cannot. I'm a very humble person. I think
my mother would. I can feel her wanting to slap
me if I don't stay humble. But it's definitely a
badge of pride for sure.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
You know what, Barry, you can be humble all you want,
I'll do all the bragging for you, because that is
an incredible resume item right there. Okay, so you've got
one more show, and good luck with the Jaguars this year.
I hope you guys do well. I don't thank you.
I don't think the Patriots are going to do all
that well. I'm just saying it's I think.
Speaker 5 (35:49):
It's well, you've had a good run there for a minute.
I think it's time for a tough time.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
We had a dynasty, and what do they say about dynasties, right, Barry,
Dynasties come to a point where they have to rebuild,
and I think we're in a rebuilding period.
Speaker 5 (36:03):
And that's okay. Again, you guys have a history that
is pretty impressive.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
One more time, Barry. Everybody listening, I want them to
check out your sauces, your hot sauces. Where do they go?
Speaker 5 (36:14):
Shine dot com of.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
Madness, shinedown dot com? Do that again, shined.
Speaker 5 (36:22):
Down dot com, slash Taste of Madness.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
All right, Barry, good to talk to you. Say hello
to the rest of the guys.
Speaker 5 (36:29):
Will do you? Thank you so much for taking the time.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
All right, It's Barry from Shineedown. Yeah, I was telling Justin,
the executive producer of the Billion Lias the Morning Show.
I got the guys from Shineedown on the phone. He said,
no way, can you replay some of the interview? And
we probably will on the Billion lise of Morning Show
and maybe we'll do it sometime this coming week. But
I wanted to share something else with you. I know,
(36:51):
we had a couple of steak houses in here, so
to speak on the show this week. This past week,
I took the dining playble cameras. There's a fairly new
Smith and Malensky in Burlington, right across from the Burlington Mall,
and I was blown away. It's a total renovation. They've
(37:12):
got an upstairs barbecue overlooking everything, and it's got a
big a nut of barbecue and upstairs patio with a
giant bar upstairs, and they've got a huge restaurant downstairs.
And the food was blow your mind. So we had
a great experience there, and I just wanted to throw
a shout out to Smith and Malensky. And you know what,
we'll take a break when we come back. I'll share
(37:33):
a few of the other thoughts I have about new
places you may want to check out.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
I mean, why not.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
It is food for Thought. We'll take a break and
we'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
You're listening to Food for Thought, brought to you by
the Box Center and sail In Waterfront Hotel in sweets.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Hey, folks, So welcome back to Food for Thought. We
only have a few minutes left. I do want to
thank chef Jason for coming in from Post nineteen seventeen
steakout in Reading. Definitely want to check that out. Also
want to thank John Tebow for coming in from good
Night Johnny's that's in downtown Burlington, and I always like
(38:11):
to share a few of the good experiences I've had
over the recent weeks. I mean, it is food for thought.
Why don't I give you guys some chips? Maybe you'll go,
maybe you won't, but I will say Smith and Malenski
a fairly new one. I think it opened back in
twenty twenty three, late twenty twenty three. Beautiful renovation there.
I think years ago it was Del Frisco Cafe or something,
but you may want to check that out. It's right
(38:32):
across the street from the Burlington Mall. My wife Michelle
and I did part of our vacation at Hingham Shipyard.
In Hingham, by the way, you can take a ferry
right out of Boston. It's only a one hour ferry
and they run every not even a one hour ferry,
but they run every hour too and from Hingham aj
you may want to try that out. It's a beautiful experience.
But while at Hingham Shipyard, we went to Almanova, which
(38:54):
is owned and chefed by Paul Wahlberg, brother to Mark
and Donnie and the rest of the Wag's Beautiful restaurant.
Also had a dinner at the Beth at Hingham Shipyard.
Great experience there. And we went to Peetown midsummer on
a vacation. And while in Peetown we went to a
really really cool place called Sal's Place in Peetown. I
(39:17):
can't recommend enough that you try that. And while I
was there, I also did nine Rider, which is right
at the mouth of the Provincetown Marina and they do
a great job. And I don't mind telling you one
of the best cosmos I think I have ever had.
So don't forget. It's still early. Even though unofficially it's
(39:37):
the end of summer, we still have September in October.
Take a ferry to Peetown, take a ferry to Hangham Shipyard.
Or check out Boston Harbor. I know, I talk about
it all the time. I could go on and on
about the so many restaurants in and around Boston Harbor.
There's Woods Hill, Pier four, Woods Hill Pier four. I
(39:58):
want to say hello to kristin Canty, and you also
want to try out Pier six. They've got a great
view of the harbor, a great menu. Right across the harbor.
They have another place called Reelhouse. In fact, they also
have a Reel House at Marina Bay. We were in
Marina Bay a couple of times this summer, and you
not only want to check out Reel House there, but
(40:20):
you also want to check out my friend Donato Frattoli,
who owns a Victory Point right there at Marina Bay.
You can sit outside, have a beautiful dinner. And I
don't think I talk enough about this during the Food
for Thought show, But Jenny Johnson and I are partners
on this radio show, but we are also partners on television.
(40:41):
We've got Dining Playbook, which airs Saturday mornings at nine
and Sunday nights at nine on Nessen, by the way,
the same station you get your Bruins and your Celtics.
And we also have another show we added kind of recently.
We call it Meat Boston and you may want to
check it. We do a lot on social media with
(41:01):
Meet Boston because the show, even though Jenny and I
are hosting, it's driven primarily by what we call content
creators influencers.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
If you will.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
And it's not just about food. We have influencers that
specialize in everything from interior design to architecture, to history
to lifestyle and fitness and wellness. So that's Meet Boston
on Nessen and that's on at nine to thirty Saturday
mornings and nine thirty Sunday nights. And I thank you
for joining us on any of that. And that includes
(41:33):
the billion Lisa Morning Show every weekday from six till ten,
every weekday morning. So that's it. We're out of time.
I hope you enjoyed the show, and again, thank you
to all of my guests, and thank you to my
executive producer, AJ who sits here and bears with me
every single week. So we'll see on the Billy and
(41:54):
Lisa's Show first thing Monday morning, In the meantime, have
a great rest of whatever you're doing, and we'll see
you bye bye