Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Key West Sidetracks. I'm Gwen Filosa digital editor
at Keys weekly newspapers down here in beautiful Key West Florida.
My guest on this episode is Paul Menta Paul.
What's going on? Tell me why you're here today. You're,
you're because
Speaker 2 (00:17):
you
called me and said, Paul, get in a damn studio.
It's Gwen. And then when Gwen speaks, Paul goes, something's
going
Speaker 1 (00:24):
on. I don't get enough of that.
So I appreciate,
Speaker 2 (00:26):
well, you know, we all like stalk you like without you,
we would never know what the hell is even.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
So it all works out. Um You many things. You're
a owner of a rum distillery uh in Key West,
the chef um event creator promoter.
But why are you here today
specifically?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Because this really weird blonde haired dude, I love that.
They're slender right now, but it's great. It makes it
so much more
dramatic,
Speaker 1 (00:55):
right? It's not a horror film with you. I'm OK.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yeah, if the lights go out, I have my knife,
we're good. Um Yeah, so uh this very interesting uh
blonde haired gentleman that was about, I didn't realize he's
like 62 or 63. So he like dwarfed me, um,
came in the town and, uh, Gus wanted to compete
against somebody in the Florida Keys that would, uh, he
(01:19):
felt that
could maybe best him. Uh, so, uh, you probably remember
a little while back. Everybody was like Gordon Ramsay's in town.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Gordon
Ramsay's. I don't know if I have to believe it,
but someone had a, a picture.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Well, what was going on was he was in town
and we filmed for um, a couple of weeks
and the funny thing was I wasn't allowed to say,
like I sent him to, hey, hey Paul, where should
I go? So I sent him the restaurants to go
and check out, which was super cool. But then on
the second end, um Disney and National Geographic and everybody
(01:55):
that for the show is like, hey, nobody can know
that he's here with you. So I'm on social media like, oh,
he's such a dick like, oh, gee, is he coming
down here to do something? Like, so I had to
type stuff and like kind of just be so every,
nobody had a clue that me and him were spending
most days together.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Oh, so how did you keep that quiet in Key West?
Do you know we all know what's going on in?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Um Well, I was uh signed paperwork. It was explained
to him. I had to what would happen to me.
But I mean, to be honest, um
the whole thing about look anything that gets done down here. I, it's,
I like to say, it's not about me. It's not
about you. It's about the island and we all benefit
(02:41):
from it. And after they scouted this show,
so it's Gordon Ramsey Uncharted. Um, that's National Geographic's highest
rated show they've ever had. And it was on hiatus
for about a year and a half, close to two
years now. So they wanted to bring it back. Disney
obviously came in the picture about National Geographic and a
bunch of stuff and they said we want to do it.
(03:04):
And so there was one place they're gonna do in
the United States. Every, every other episode takes place in
different countries
and they wanted to come to the Florida Keys. They
were scouting all Florida, but it had to be uncharted.
Uh, long story short, you know, they, somehow the producer
really liked me, uh, did some research and kind of
(03:25):
liked the whole, they wanted somebody, they were looking for
somebody that had the fine dining skills that had
uh accolades from different restaurants, own their own restaurants. World traveler,
kind of chef. Really super creative, very intelligent. A lot
to the table. Well, wait, so that guy wasn't available. So, um,
(03:45):
then they came to me and said, hey, well, dude,
what are you doing? That's you, it's, I mean, listen,
you've traveled, have you been to Paris? I've been to
53 countries. Yeah, that's, you know, no one
Speaker 1 (03:58):
likes,
Speaker 2 (03:59):
but they more looked at it. They wanted somebody that
was
the new local
Speaker 1 (04:04):
and that, that's in the, in the food industry.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I'm not stuck to just one kind of cuisine that,
like can embrace like all of it because I had
the fish market before. And, um, I, I'm real, I
wrote a book before on kind of the history of
the foods down here. And I'm just, I'm, I geek
out on that stuff. So they were like, ok, you're
that and then also what is all this kite boarding stuff?
And you're in the ocean? So they were like, Gordon's
(04:28):
very competitive. You seem competitive
and we think you guys are getting along really well,
like it'll be a good.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
So they approached you. That's so great. I didn't know
because I don't know. I don't know if people apply
or they have agents and they actually spotted you.
I mean, you're, you're easy to spot you, you do
a lot of stuff and it's not all just business. It's,
you have the mom and pop group on Facebook. You
look out for people you're available but
Speaker 2 (04:54):
it's,
it's more, it's just look, I mean, I'm lucky enough
my passion, I have a couple of different passions and
they've all intersect it and I get to do them all.
So like people are like, oh, you know,
you must be making a ton. I'm like, I'm actually not,
but I'm, I really enjoy my life I mean, me
and you know, my wife's sitting over there and we
get to travel and you can ask her, it's more
(05:16):
embarrassing to travel with me because I'm like, ok, who,
who makes this dish? Oh, aunt. So, and so I'm like,
and I barge my way into that lady's house and
get into her kitchen and get her to show me
and Crystal's like,
here we go again.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Well, you're reasonable and you're nonthreatening,
Speaker 2 (05:33):
like three words, like, you know, how to, you know, bathroom, uh,
very good. And
Speaker 1 (05:41):
no, but I mean, the people, people love to share their, uh, their,
their and their recipes. Let me so unchartered, Gordon Ramsay.
This is coming on soon.
Um, it's, it's a big premiere.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah, it's, uh, May 27th. So Memorial Day, Monday. So
apparently
after we get done Memorial Day, you know, we have
our barbecues and all that stuff at nine o'clock at
night is a huge ratings night people want to see
a new show and because this show was so popular, like,
I didn't realize,
like, I follow Gordon but, and I liked to be honest,
(06:15):
I liked Uncharted. The other shows. I was kinda like, oh, cool.
You know, I mean, more competitive and that kind of stuff.
But I was like, oh Uncharted, but it, it kind
of went away. So I was like, once I dug
into it, I'm like, oh,
shit. Like this is, this is no joke. And then
when they came down here, like, I mean, as you experience,
they are such pros, I mean, Missy, who was the,
(06:39):
was the producer, she was from minute one.
So, like, and there's no, you have to understand. There's
no script. This isn't a reality show. Like you say this,
you say this, you tell him he's a dick, he'll
call you, you know, nothing. It was, they were like,
you guys are gonna either laugh together, cry together or argue.
But we don't care and we need to see the
(07:00):
local cuisine and we feel like you can get us
there because remember one thing about locals
uh especially in the Florida Keys to get a recipe
or to get somebody to show you something. If you're
not family, you're not getting shit. Yeah, it's, it's super
like i it's taken me 30 years even to get
like the phone call like so and so this Friday
(07:24):
is making ceviche or conch fritters or making this fish
dish and you can get it
and everything. It's like there's like an underground food network.
And then hopefully after this, I've noticed a lot more
restaurants are starting to embrace our food culture again. So
there's more bohemian style coming back into play. Obviously, there's
Cuban style. We, we kind of got away from it.
(07:45):
We got a little, I think we got a little
snooty and, and we're, we're kind of getting checked because
it's like
the really good food that we have here
as, as anybody that cooks or restaurateur or business people
are finding out it actually isn't that expensive if you
make it yourself so you can make a good margin
on it. And people see the value in it. Um
(08:08):
There's a, there's a phrase that got coined during this, uh,
that came out during the show and then, uh, they
use it a lot.
Then I said to Gordon because, you know, you, you
sit down with me and him, we sit down to
talk and I'm like, listen to it. I, I mean, I,
I got it. You got the, the stars, the Michelin
stars and everything. But I'm like, you know, I've done
fine dining and I've done $5 and I'm like, I
(08:29):
gotta tell you $5 is way, way harder to satisfy
people to give them something of quality
at a good price that tastes really good. So it
means you gotta make it all from scratch and you
really gotta source locally to be able to pull all
that off. So like, I'll give you an example. Like
when I had Cuban Coffee Queen and I started that like,
(08:49):
I mean, I had plenty of stuff that was $5
and everything and when we had troubles down here, I
made sure I kept prices so the working force could
afford it and stuff like that, but
it still has a taste really good. So I had
like nine crock pots going on at night, you know, cooking,
cooking pork and all this stuff all night long and
(09:09):
doing all this kind of stuff. So, to do fine dining,
generally people have a little bit more money or it's
a special dinner and as long as, you know, it'll
taste good and I'm not anything against that, but, you know,
it's 10 ft off the plate and you're like, whoa.
And it looks, it's all drawn in art and I
signed name Paul and I came out in a really
cool chef jacket and
all that stuff versus it's like here, here's this dish
(09:33):
that my family's been making for over 100 years and
just here. And what's the taste? And you're like, oh
my God, you know, it's a food GSM, right? You're
just like, holy shit. And then you feel like you're
on an island, you're some, you're getting to have because
the biggest thing down here, right? WW. What, what do
I eat down here? What's local? And it's like, well
(09:54):
bohemian or Cuban and they're like, where do I get
that at?
You know? And so this kind of funny, he
starts to understand this throughout the whole filming process till
even towards the end. He, he just keeps repeating it.
But now he's like, I get it, it doesn't have
to be it, it, the $5 stuff is just as
(10:16):
important as the fine dining except you gotta make it
that great without having the stars and everything like that. So,
yeah, it's gonna be kind of funny because they had
me do a thing uh because I won't use Chef
Paul like that. It's like, hey, hey, hey, hey, Writer
Gwen or you know, hey, uh hey, plumber Bob or,
(10:38):
you know, blah, blah, blah. It's just, it's to me
it's when I did it in the beginning and I
went to culinary school. Uh I wanted to wear the
white jacket and wear the really big white hat
and everything. And then your head fills up with this
massive ego in that big white hat. And you think, yeah,
you think you're just like amazing. And I got schooled
in South America by like a little South American woman
(11:00):
who I made something and it was just like, and
then she cooked and it was like rock star and
like she, she just,
yeah, I put all my stuff away and was like,
I want to learn now.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Well, tell, tell me about the show Unchartered. Like, are,
are you out on the water with Gordon Ramsay? Are
you in the, are you guys tooling around in a Jeep?
What's going
on?
Speaker 2 (11:21):
So Uncharted. The basis for this was we never did
anything by land or vehicle or bicycle. We only used boats.
I love how the thunder just came in with
Speaker 1 (11:33):
it, but your wife is here so you're safe.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
But
I knew you were gonna say that
Speaker 1 (11:41):
I'm
not even gonna edit that out, but it is romantic
to start a fire for me.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
It's all the fire. Me and her. We only use,
he used a flat boat to get everywhere because he
had to get through like some of the places we
had to go were like super shallow or really hard
to navigate in or in between the mangroves. But everybody
that I sent him to go and meet, he went
by the ocean. So he had an experience
(12:09):
that hopefully people can start to come down here and
understand like, oh look at this small island, but look
at this massive body of water of the Atlantic Ocean
and the Gulf of Mexico, we get to have two
and all these things you can do on it and
how stunningly look, stunningly beautiful it is and to be
able to do all this and then also go learn
(12:30):
about different cultures and meet different people and meet foods
and meet some real.
I mean, look here, we are not short of characters.
Like we have a couple, I could have put, you know,
they asked me for a list and I was like,
here you go. Here's 100 people and they were like, no, no,
we need like really major blown out characters. I'm like
guys
Speaker 1 (12:49):
on the show, can you tell us hints, hints,
Speaker 2 (12:52):
um I mean, you know them all, you know, most
of them uh one will be kind of a surprise
and she was tough.
And Gordon, Gordon got very intimidated, which was kind of cool. And, uh,
and uh, she, she checked him in the place. Um,
(13:13):
other ones you will recognize, uh, either by key lime
pie or something like that. Even though we didn't, we
didn't have key lime pie. Uh We, uh, we looked
at it and everything,
even though it is a core staple of the island,
this was more about uh seafood, uh him harvesting it.
Um Seeing different aspects of it and seeing how it's
(13:36):
just not easy. It's not like, oh look, there's a
lobster or there's a fish right there. It just jumped
into the boat and stuff like that. So, um
you know, it, it, it's, it's definitely an experience um
that I think will open up the door for a
lot of businesses down here to take people out and
(13:57):
have the experience that Gordon had because I'm telling you
off camera we would be talking and he would kept
saying like, this is freaking amazing. I'm like, yeah, that's cool, dude.
I really appreciate, you know, and he's like, no, no,
I'm not. He's like, I travel all over the world
and he's like,
this is bad ass look. I he's a little bit
of an adrenaline junkie. So like he's driving around in
like a flat boat, like doing like 5060 miles an hour.
(14:20):
Oh yeah, like he's fully, you know,
Speaker 1 (14:22):
I think he's
he's ok at driving the boat. I
Speaker 2 (14:25):
mean, he didn't hit much, you know? No, he's, I'll
tell you what one of the things I, I always say, like,
so the number used to be sex. And I say
people say, oh, what do you know about cooking and this?
And I said, I, I know I've met six good
chefs in the world, but I've met thousands and thousands
of amazing cooks and that's where I've learned from. Well,
(14:47):
now I will say seven and I don't kiss anybody's ass.
And if Gordon sucked, I would tell you, he sucked.
This guy's got serious, serious skills on many different levels.
And you could see by the way he would handle
situations and what he would do
and like I said, we were doing everything off the
cuff and when you watch somebody naturally, just know how
(15:08):
to handle a situation and do it. You're like,
that's pretty, pretty bad ass. That's the only time that
I was kinda intimidated. I'm good at just being me
and that's what they wanted. I'm like, you know, you
don't want me because in the beginning there you're like,
here is one of the things I will give you the,
the director was like,
so just so, you know, we're gonna have to lose
(15:28):
the hat and I was like, well, then, then you
lose me. Yeah, like the red hat that like if,
when I take it off, that's how I can go
incognito on this aisle. Nobody knows who I am. And
I was like, dude, it's just I wear it, you know,
obviously in the kitchen you wear it, keep your hair
out of stuff. Uh Sunny out. It is it. And
you know, this hat came originally when I got here
(15:50):
in the eighties. I like the Philadelphia Phillies. So it
was a red hat
and I was explained very quickly from some people on
the baseball team that, like, you can wear a red
hat down here. Here you go. Here's a key US baseball.
And I've been a fan since the late eighties. I
just went, me and my wife just went to go
see them play in Cary, North Carolina in the USA tournament,
(16:10):
which was like incredible. So it's
Speaker 1 (16:13):
baseball is, it's, it's, it's professional baseball.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
I mean, if you want, you want to know any,
you want news,
baseball game, you'll find out exactly
what's going.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
I've only been a couple of times to the football
games and it is extraordinary. It's like being, it's, it's
like a whirlwind of local, local hometown and
Speaker 2 (16:32):
we
put Gordon in. So he didn't go to Conch baseball.
We were talking about it, but he got to be
around some of the locals and the experience and I
was like, it gets a little feisty at the baseball
games and if you start talking to people about their
food and their heritage down here,
it gets even feistier and, you know, trying to make
(16:52):
him understand like, you know, hey, you got any tips
for me when I go talk to these people, I'm like, yeah,
it's
not conch, it's conch and he's like, you know,
you're a cock and I'm like, uh, I'm a key western.
He's like, how do you spell that? I'm like, Kuiwst
and then capital R on its own. And I'm like,
(17:12):
that means I came, I'm like, means I came from
somewhere else and I live here and conch is, you
were born here and you have lineage. I said, but
we're all, we're all the same family. We eat the
same food. I just said, don't, don't screw it up,
dude because
Speaker 1 (17:28):
I guess people do
say we gotta
forgive him. But I was like, dude, it's
a,
Speaker 2 (17:34):
well, that's called automatic grat on your check if you're
in a restaurant.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
So you got to keep the hat on in the show.
So
Speaker 2 (17:42):
they let
me keep the hat. Uh didn't have to wear a
jacket could wear whatever I want. Uh They were really
cool about um just, you know, and this wasn't about rum.
Um This was the cooking side that um you know,
a lot of people I think maybe forgot that,
that I have a really deep passion for, you know,
when I got here,
Speaker 1 (18:02):
that's what you, you, you were uh you were really
deep into the cooking, the chef, the, the, I think
you made you had something going on, something fancy.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
I was the chef for probably about eight years over
at the Grand cafe. And I mean, we, I mean,
Maria just cut me loose was like, hey, do whatever
you want. And this was like, kind of doing that boom.
I mean, you know, $100 tasting plates. And we were,
we had a, I mean, and it was so much
fun and
it was cool to do, you know, it was, it was,
it was a lot of fun. And then I went into,
as that changed, that's where Cuban Coffee K Queen came from.
(18:35):
And I developed that because I'm like the island's changing.
I'm going back to soul food and I can make
a lot of money doing volume of soul food and,
and it, it worked out really
great
Speaker 1 (18:47):
and um was Gordon, did Gordon Ramsey hurt your feelings
at any time during filming,
Speaker 2 (18:53):
uh
you know, like something that's something that's not. Yeah, I'll
say like uh an ego, an ego check was um
Gordon's sitting there with me off camera and we're both
talking and he's like Paul man. We're both born in 1966.
We're the same age. He's like, look, you keep in shape.
I keep in shape like we're both, we're, we're like
brothers man. Like you're a good chef. I'm a good
(19:14):
chef and I'm like, oh wow, that's kind of cool.
And he's like,
yeah, there's no difference. And I said, well, I just
looked at my balance on my checking account and it
said like 60 maybe it said 67,000, I think, I
think yours said 67 million. And he's like, no, no,
don't be like that, bro. It's 69 million 0.5. And
I was like, oh, you're a dick. And I'm like,
are you guys still recording that? And I was like,
(19:36):
oh my God, I felt, I was like, and he's like, no, it, it,
it really actually is and everything I could buy you
10 times over and then he just started and I
was like,
I was like, I'm gonna start talking shit to the
other people you're gonna go meet if you don't stop it.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Well, but that's
actually, but were there because, I mean, I guess is
that just some theater when he loses it on shows?
I don't watch a lot of those shows because I
watch baking. Baking is exciting. You don't know what's gonna
go on in that oven. But I don't like when
they're just like,
you do not know what happens when you open that and, and,
and that baking is serious. But the cooking shows I like, oh,
(20:13):
I have a turn up and I made, I don't care,
but he's known for being
Speaker 2 (20:17):
well. I mean, he is but that, that's the way
the business is technically. I mean, you know, I, I've
watched
grown men sit there and break down on the line crying.
I like the adrenaline of it. So I'd be like, yeah,
we're getting a deer and it was just kind of a,
an adrenaline rush for me. And then remember I, instead
of going out and getting annihilated that night, I wanted
(20:37):
to get up early in the morning because it was
windy and I'd go out and take all my stuff
out on a kite boarding and on the water, go
spear fishing. So I had my own balance to it
and a lot of people do because, but chefs have
a tendency to, we have a tendency of stigma to,
you know, drink a lot. Um, and we enjoy a
little drink there and there
good. But, um, so his thing was really like that
hell's kitchen and all that stuff that just comes from
(20:58):
his experiences growing up. Look, I believe Gordon was a,
supposed to be a pro footballer. He's big enough to be,
he's a pretty big guy. I didn't know he was
that he really is like, he's a, he's a big
guy and the pictures you'll see of, of us. I'm
just kinda like, hey, you know, I like you and
I
Speaker 1 (21:14):
it's ok, you're taller, you're taller. But
Speaker 2 (21:17):
he, um,
but like I said, he came up the hard way
in the business. So then when they put him out there,
he enunciated on that. I mean, I, I mean, some
of the things I was like, dude, like he's because
we were talking, I'm like, dude, like that the poo
pieces of bread and with the girl's face and like whatever,
I'm an idiot sandwich and I'm like, that's super
Speaker 1 (21:38):
and
childish and I'm gonna steal that. Um But I guess
I just, you know, I have a thing where, you know,
I'm about humility and work and gratitude and victory. But
when I see other people, I'm like, if you can
back it up, let's,
Speaker 2 (21:52):
that's the big thing he can, he can throw
Speaker 1 (21:55):
down. You know, I'm not gonna try that because I'm
very superstitious. I've been down and I've been up, Paul,
I know what it's like to be down.
But to me when I, but I guess he's famous
for that. I just wondered if that's a lot of
theater or? Well, I've been watching the Bear. So I
think I know a lot about chefs. OK? I
Speaker 2 (22:12):
mean, listen, it's,
Speaker 1 (22:13):
it's stressful,
Speaker 2 (22:14):
but he also found his comfort zone. So discovered also that,
I mean, and people discovered
when they went up against him, I've seen him go up.
There's a lot of other chefs out there. I'm sorry, man,
they're just posers. They're just out there doing anything and
look at me and I got all the Instagram followers
and bla bla bla
Speaker 1 (22:30):
themselves. They proclaimed.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Exactly. But they've also never stepped the, the,
the most aggressive person in the kitchen are the line cooks.
They're the ones that are down and dirty and get
their ass kicked every night. I always like to say,
they're my brothers and sisters in arms. We're all ptsd
and war vets from, from the kitchen and then there's
a chef sitting on the other side that's perfectly clean,
screaming and shouting orders and yelling at everybody. And you're like, really?
(22:56):
So he's not that guy. But the other thing was
that people don't know is, you know, obviously he comes
and shows up, it's Gordon
and he's got his sous chefs with him. So he's
got a couple of sous chefs with him. I was
hysterically watching them trying to do something that I'm like
you guys. We don't do that down here in the Keys.
You're gonna be here for hours like laughing. But my
(23:17):
sous chef, my sous chef that was with me
at the time was my 12 year old niece. Who is,
Speaker 1 (23:23):
that is so awesome and sweet.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
But here's the thing. So she's diabetic also. Celiac very aggressively. Celiac.
So she's been cooking with me since she's six years
old and I've taught, she is a rock star of
a cook and her gluten free stuff. You would never
even know. And it's amazing food. So I wanted her
to have this experience. She was on the show. She
was on set. No sous chefs, nobody else. It's me
(23:48):
and Gordon on set.
She got to experience the whole thing. And I think
these are those things that kinda, I hope people did
some things for me. Brought me here to Key West
when I was like the worst bastard of a child.
At 16. I was in a lot of trouble and
they said, I think your life here,
Speaker 1 (24:04):
you must have just been a miscreant
Speaker 2 (24:06):
except when I was put in the ocean.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
Is that, is that what turned
Speaker 2 (24:11):
things? And they, and these Quaker nonviolent people who they
sent me to God knows why all I did was
fight Quakers are so cool. They sent me to these
people and they made me grow up, take responsibility and
also show me my passions and they were like, you know,
we know a place I think you would like and
brought me down here
and I was like, are you shitting me? And that
(24:32):
was it, man. I mean, I only was focused on
graduating and getting down here and it really did change
and save my life. So people do things for you
and I hope for her. She wants to be in
the restaurant business. She got to see a little bit
of the ugly side of it in the prep kitchens
a couple of times while we were shooting the shows and,
but I wanted her to see that because it's a reality.
So Gordon gave her very, he's so good with kids.
(24:57):
Just had his sixth one.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Well, he does have $69 million. He can have as
many
Speaker 2 (25:02):
as a million dollars or $10 million a kid. And
you're cool.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Those kids are fine
Speaker 2 (25:07):
but he interacts with them, like, very seriously and interacts
with kids a lot. And you could tell he was
just comfortable in that space.
She froze, which I've never seen anybody do before. And
I was like, oh, you know, and my wife was like,
can't you say something like he's talking to you? Like,
and then finally, but he gave her life advice like that.
I didn't, you know, he's like, learn another language of this.
(25:30):
You know, your uncles told you what the restaurant world's like.
If you're gonna do foods with your diabetes and your
celiac go out and get a master's in food science
and go make stuff taste great for people who have
these type of things and, you know, just do
and, you know, just kind of, uh, you know, make it,
(25:50):
make it, you know, make a positive effect for people.
You don't have to be different and, and I, and
you know, just to see her and the biggest thing
is now, imagine you're 12 years old. Her friends all
love Gordon Ramsay. She, they all do. Apparently the kids
all have memes of him
and they use them and send them to each other
for different expressions like Gordon's har, he's all freaking out,
(26:13):
you know, yelling or whatever. He's
Speaker 1 (26:14):
the
idiot sandwich thing is super hilarious, but it's, it's freaking me.
He's
Speaker 2 (26:20):
so he's obviously with the younger kids. He's a meme
so she's now not allowed to tell any. Oh, that
she's met him. Gordon's like, come on, Trinity. Let's do selfies.
And my wife's doing, he was so cool with them.
And so she can't see anything and
also she can't tell what happened, her friends and then
(26:42):
all of a sudden, like, you know, Gordon sends her
a book and wants her to write back and send
a recipe. And you got as a kid. Like I
give her credit, man. She has
Speaker 1 (26:51):
been, I don't know if I could have done it.
I would have had to really, really my friends would
have had to lock me up. You figured
Speaker 2 (26:57):
your
best friend, right? You would have told you
Speaker 1 (27:00):
just lock
me in a car. Here's a can, here's a can
of soup. And
Speaker 2 (27:05):
so I'm proud of her and you know what I
told her, I said, you can, you can tell your
friends now and show them the pictures and everything and yeah,
and I said, I said, she's like, I'm gonna wait
till the episode airs because she doesn't wanna, she's like,
I'm gonna blow it, like I'm gonna blow everything and,
and we're not supposed to. And I'm like, you know what,
it's really cool to see to have that experience with
somebody else in your, in your family and everything. So
(27:28):
he brought a lot to the table for me. Uh
I brought a lot to the table for him.
Uh at the end of the day, uh I can
tell you that as far as winning and losing Key
West won, I wasn't there to win. I didn't care
about winning, uh and everything. So I didn't care. I'm like,
I'm going up against the,
(27:49):
the best chef in the world. So like me and
my niece, we were like, we're just gonna look good
and make sure like, I don't think we got a
snowball's chance in hell. But, you know, whatever. But the
thing is, you know, it, it's, it's about the experience
and we had an experience and so did Gordon. Uh,
I'm still in contact with him. Uh, so that says
(28:10):
something in itself about how impressed he was and we,
and we actually,
you know, just kind of got along and apparently, you know, he's,
he's very quiet offset, which is a weird thing. Right.
But I think the guy's on, he
Speaker 1 (28:23):
saves it for and you'd never met him before,
Speaker 2 (28:25):
he never met him before. So, I mean, we, you know,
met pre show and, you know, and all through the
things and they have like code names that they call him.
So nobody knows he's around the code name.
I'm not allowed to change them every day. Gordon
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Ramsey's phone number right now.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
If I had that, that would
Speaker 1 (28:46):
be not, not, not landline. And, um, no, and, and
actually it's the, it's about the Florida keys. I mean,
I can't, it's gonna look amazing. It's on
Speaker 2 (28:55):
TV. I got to see it and I have to
tell you that I was, uh, the first time I,
I've done
TV. OK, I've done, I just got done doing moonshiners.
I just did my Master Masters that just aired. We
have another one coming out. I have a documentary coming
out that they, we spend a lot of time filming.
It'll come out, it'll premiere here in November. It's called
The Salt Cured Life about helping community. But using your
(29:18):
passions and how things intersect. It's a, it's a cool one.
But this, I was gobsmacked when I watch and they
told me to take notes so I'd know what to
talk about in these interviews. And then especially after the
show airs
and, and I was like, hey, I gotta talk to
Gwen first and you got, you know, it don't even lie, right?
You got stuff before anybody in the
(29:39):
world
Speaker 1 (29:40):
watched it because I'm, I have a lot going on.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
But, but I got it. I'm
Speaker 1 (29:46):
not organized. Executive dysfunction is
Speaker 2 (29:47):
real, but local was important to me. And they were
really understanding about that because you were like, holy shit,
dude. They like sent me like,
Speaker 1 (29:54):
I was very impressed uh Disney National G whatever it was,
this is huge for the Keys. I know we have
a lot of film shows come here and that's great.
But this is, this is big I mean, Gordon
Ramsay
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Big, but it's gonna affect, it's gonna be good for
the entire island and the keys because
you, if you watch this and don't buy a ticket
and come down here, you know, like you're just, you're,
we don't want you here.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Is it a moment? Whereas you've lived here, how long
you've been here a while? Like 30 years and before that? Jeez. And, um,
is it one of those moments where you're reminded of
just how insane it is that we live here?
Speaker 2 (30:32):
It, it really, the, the beauty of it is what
got me and I mean, obviously when you have a
crew like this down there filming and I mean, there was,
they, they have so many cameras and the things they
were doing and the way they were able to do
it and just watching the show, I was like, I
didn't take any notes. I mean, I was just like, and,
(30:52):
and me and Crystal were both like, oh my, oh
my God. And that's all I think we said, oh
my God. Oh, shit. Oh, we were into it like
we were there,
you know, when I was there the whole time, I mean,
I was doing all the filming and I'm like, watching it, like,
look at that and oh my God. And, and you know, I,
I got to see it from another view. I'm going, wow,
it's really
Speaker 1 (31:11):
cool here because I, I, and, and everyone's got their
own challenges. It, living here, I'm very, I'm very fortunate.
I'm grateful but it's, it's no easy, you know,
a lot of jobs, a lot of, a lot of hustling,
a lot of things. It's pouring rain. I mean, there's
a lot, I think it's an accomplishment. The last, uh,
at least four years here. Five, I'm going on 13.
(31:31):
But I, but I have those moments when I'm just gobsmacked.
That's the word used early. I've just, I get to
live
here
Speaker 2 (31:39):
people. Sometimes I think we forget we get a little,
we get a little bitchy and I get that, it's,
I get that it's become expensive and like these things
do rotate and these things do cycle around
Speaker 1 (31:50):
and it's happening all over the
country. Somebody goes, remember when we did this, I'm like,
remember in Fort Lauderdale 30 years ago it was probably,
but I mean, I'm just saying any anywhere
it's tough to, to, you know, life is hard but
here it's like, I just can't believe that I wear
shorts and flip flops
every day and I don't watch
my back when I'm walking.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
When the world shut down, we could still go in
the ocean. I'm like, I know people that would have
paid millions and millions of dollars just to go for
a dip in the ocean. So like
some of the things that we have, I think in
that seven
Speaker 1 (32:22):
mile bridge every time I go over, I am just,
oh my gosh. How did
this happen to me?
Speaker 2 (32:27):
I like, I mean, I like that Roadhouse and showed
Fred the Tree
Speaker 1 (32:31):
that was worth watching that. Just for
Speaker 2 (32:33):
that.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
It's not my cup of tea. Fred looked marvelous, marvelous.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
I had no expectations. So, I mean, going,
this movie's gonna suck so great. And then I was like,
it was like, all right, this is not bad. It's
not that,
Speaker 1 (32:48):
but that section, it, it, I think it's in the opening,
it shows the Seven Mile Bridges and Fred and I
think it's at the end too. But no, it just
if a woman shares her opinion about a movie, she's canceled.
So we're gonna, I'm gonna hold my,
but I think it's out there that, but seeing Fred
the tree, those are those moments when it's like, you
know what? It's so cool that they got him in there.
It's cool that they got you on Gordon Ramsay. It, it, it's,
(33:10):
it's great that he came down and I think it's
uh great for the Keys.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
It is. It will be and I, I hope,
I hope even though the result might not be what
everybody's hoping for. Um I hope everybody will be proud
and I hope we did Key West proud. You know
what that
Speaker 1 (33:26):
means? Something bad happens. No spoilers
Speaker 2 (33:28):
Paul. But I mean, it, it's at the end of
the day. Um
you know, Gordon got to experience the keys which is
really important because for him to be that excited about it,
the ear of the world, I mean, he's, he's been to,
I mean, so many different places. So for him to
be that excited about it, like, you know, he even
said you're, you're lucky to live here. You really are
(33:51):
lucky to live here. And this is a lot of
stuff that was just
off camera and you're just like, hey, dude, you don't
have to be saying that we're not even miked up
right now and he's been a
Speaker 1 (34:00):
long time. It sounds like he's super, super cool. I
have one last question.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
Can I just say something? I'd be super cool with
67 million
dollars
Speaker 1 (34:07):
as well. I think it's 69 million.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
But I would be, I would be so cool to you.
I'd be like, hey Gwen, what are you doing? Come over,
I'll send my,
my driver over to, you
Speaker 1 (34:15):
should
make people more nice. It doesn't always,
Speaker 2 (34:18):
money
Speaker 1 (34:18):
should make you go. Hey, I'm not
Speaker 2 (34:20):
complaining. I should give you some great examples, but we
won't go into
that.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
But my final question, Paul meant to exercise. Person active
does stuff. Do you ever just have a long day?
And you're like, I'm just gonna have to eat at
the Circle K
Speaker 2 (34:33):
oh, like Dion's
Speaker 1 (34:35):
not? Ok.
Well, like, I'm just have to go get a box
of nuts and, and never,
you know,
like a chicken salad sandwich from a gas station.
I have to, you know,
Speaker 2 (34:55):
but I bring my own, I bring my own little
condiments with me. Like,
Speaker 1 (34:59):
I'm just tired and I'm like, I think it's ok
for me to just grab a piece of string cheese.
And I'm obsessed with those little sandwiches that you put
the griddle cake. It's got to be terrible for you.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
But the problem is it, your brain freaks out and goes,
I got an excuse why we can eat this right now.
We'll totally take care of this.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
I mean, I can cook but I don't want to
and I just, I'm not gonna eat anything healthy at
2 a.m. What's the point?
Speaker 2 (35:24):
But nothing good goes on at 2 a.m. So, I mean,
we might as well just, but I mean, listen, there's some, there's,
I mean, like I said,
Speaker 1 (35:31):
do you ever just eat
chips for dinner? Come on, give me something good. What
do I do? Have you ever eaten a thing of
raw cookie dough? And just been like, I
Speaker 2 (35:39):
am
Speaker 1 (35:39):
sick.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
I do that
niece will make me oh God, it's, it's pineapple upside
down cake and she'll make a whole one and it's
like so sugary and all the stuff that you don't.
And I'll sit there and I'm like, I have, I
have the ends because I like that end and then
I'll start to have the center in the middle and
then I'm literally, I eat the whole thing and I,
and I'm like the whole, the whole cake. It's four
(36:02):
o'clock in the morning and I'm like,
having, like, the DT start to come down from it. Yeah.
And then I, and then I complained to my wife
how sick I am. Could she give you something? It's like,
Speaker 1 (36:11):
I'm
like, I do it in the office. They love me
when I drink Red Bull and, and, and I'll just
shake it out and some, they're like, this is great.
This is everything we've heard of you and I just
shake it out and then I feel ok, but it's
like I'm a 10 year old. Like, well, I don't,
I'm cranky Paul meant to,
uh, Gordon Ramsey, unchartered. You are co starring with him. Um,
congratulations on doing the show. I'm sure it was a
(36:32):
lot of work
too.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
It was. And, uh, you'll, the one cool thing you'll
see is I broke out the Key West secret weapons.
So there's some cool stuff in there that, uh, Gordon
was not expecting that. I dug into the history here and,
Speaker 1 (36:46):
oh,
you mean cooking? I was kind of like, oh, is
it a parking pass? No,
Speaker 2 (36:49):
not just cooking. What is the
Speaker 1 (36:52):
Key West Secret weapon parking pass from a city commissioner?
You
don't have one and then what is the secret weapon? Ok.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
You gotta
watch it and find out, but it's
Speaker 1 (37:03):
cool. You're the best. Thanks for coming on,
Speaker 2 (37:05):
man. Thank you
Speaker 1 (37:06):
all. And thank you for listening. To Key West Sidetracks.
I'm Gwen Felos at the Keys Weekly. Check us out online, Keys, weekly.com. Uh,
no paywalls. No, we don't force you to sign in
with an email. Um It's all free and for the
taken and thanks for supporting local journalism. Uh, talk to
you later.