October 2, 2025 • 39 mins
This podcast episode delves into the profound concept of purpose-driven food, as exemplified by our esteemed guests, Chef David Reyes and Jennifer Weinberg. We explore the intricate relationship between culinary artistry and sustainability, highlighting Jennifer's initiative, the Sustainable Supper Club, which aims to combat food waste through innovative dining experiences. Chef Reyes contributes his expertise by crafting two exceptional dishes that not only showcase his culinary creativity but also reflect his commitment to sustainable practices. Additionally, we engage in a discussion regarding the intersection of hospitality and intention, underscoring how food can serve as a catalyst for meaningful change within our communities. Join us as we illuminate the vital narratives that emerge when gastronomy is approached with a conscientious mindset.
Takeaways:
- In this episode, we explored the profound impact of food sustainability and its critical role in combating food waste and supporting local communities.
- Chef David Reyes elaborated on the significance of seasonality in culinary practices, emphasizing the need for responsible ingredient sourcing and usage.
- Jennifer Weinberg shared her journey in founding Sustainable Supper Club, highlighting the importance of raising awareness about food waste through unique dining experiences.
- The discussion underscored the necessity of collaboration between chefs and nonprofits to foster community engagement and promote sustainable practices in the culinary industry.
- Listeners were encouraged to reflect on their own food consumption habits and the importance of minimizing waste in their kitchens and dining experiences.
- The episode concluded with a focus on upcoming events that blend culinary artistry with environmental consciousness, inviting listeners to participate in meaningful change.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Sustainable Supper Club
- Neighborhood Farms USA
- Valdo
- Tank Brewing Company
- Sipsafe Solutions
- Hungry Harvest
- Rosemary's Miami
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
You've just stepped inside thewalk and Talk, podcast number one
in the nation for food lovers,chefs and storytellers.
I'm Carl Fiadini, your host,shining a light on the flavor, the
hustle, and the heart of the industry.
We're the official podcast forthe New York, California and Florida
restaurant shows, the PizzaTomorrow Summit, the US Culinary
Open at Napham, and the NorthAmerican media platform for the Burnt
(00:23):
Chef project, recorded at IbisImages Studios, where food photography
comes alive and I get thefirst bite.
Find out moreinfo@thewalkandtalk.com Today's episode
is all about purpose driven food.
We're joined by JenniferWeinberg, co founder and chair of
Sustainable Supper Club, aMiami based series of pop up dinners
designed to raise awarenessaround food waste and support nonprofit
(00:46):
organizations doing criticalcommunity work.
Her next event, happening onOctober 9th at Rosemary's Miami Fox,
features wines from Valdo andcraft beer from the Tank Brewing
Company, benefitingNeighborhood Farms usa.
Sitting in with us today ischef David Reyes, who's back in his
studio not only to join theconversation, but to cook up two
thoughtful dishes that reflecthis own culinary creativity and deep
(01:07):
connection to sustainability.
And because purpose takes onmany forms, we'll also be sharing
a clip from our time at theCalifornia restaurant show where
we caught up with ToyotaBuches, founder of Sipsafe Solutions,
a company tackling drinktampering and safety head on.
Different cause, same heart.
People looking out for people.
This is an episode about whathappens when hospitality meets intention
(01:28):
and how great food can sparkreal change.
Let's get into it.
Oh, yeah, Chef.
Good to be here, right?
Yeah.
How was today?
It was fun.
You know, we did a lot.
And we did it in pretty goodtiming as well for the workload,
right?
Exactly.
I came with a game plan executed.
(01:50):
We had fun.
We tasted some tasty food.
I mean, I'm not gonna lie.
That's.
That's the best part for me.
It's the eating.
Yeah.
I mean, you eat with your eyes first.
Right.
But it's fun tastingeverything afterwards.
And it all made sense.
You know, there's a reason Idon't involve the Mrs.
In any of this.
You know, I'm working on mycholesterol, I'm trying to lose some
(02:11):
weight, and then, you know,chefs like you come in here, you
know, with your tacos and, youknow, get out of here.
But I love it.
Let's get into the first dish.
What?
What'd you make up today?
So I was reminded of this dishwhen I was traveling through Mexico,
and it's a very seasonal dish.
It's not found all year round,nor should it, because the ingredients
should be used exactly whenthey're prime.
(02:33):
Chile Nogada, which is thenational dish.
It's a 200-year-old plus dishthat really encompasses the history
of Mexico, the colors ofMexico and the flavors of Mexico.
The photography with Johntoday, the colors, like you.
You called it, man.
Like, these things are brightand beautiful.
He certainly does a reallygood job capturing the essence of
(02:56):
the dish.
You know, the colors on thisdish pop, but it was surrounded by
just beauty.
It really was very impressiveto see those shots come out so fast.
You said something while wewere observing.
You know, we have this setuphere where the.
While John's shooting, theimagery pops up on screen on the
(03:17):
tv, and you're like, but whendid he.
He's shooting.
It's.
It looks like it's edited already.
So perfectly honest.
I.
It caught the corner of myeye, and I thought to myself, wow,
those are really nice images.
And then I look, and that'sthe dish we just finished.
And I was so impressed.
I mean, it looks like it'sbeen combed over and, you know, edited.
(03:40):
So it looked really good.
I'm very excited.
Yeah, me too, man.
And I was more excited toactually, you know, grab a fork and
dig in, which, you know, ofcourse I did.
So what was the second dish?
Second dish was a tacos, thecarne asada.
So steak tacos.
There's a very strong push inMexico City.
(04:01):
The next kind of hot thing inMexico City is.
Is tacos that are, you know,have grabbed the attention of the
Michelin guide.
And, you know, you havetaquerias getting one stars.
One star.
And I mean, it's.
It's unprecedented.
It's very new.
And what they're doing isusing primal cuts, marinating the
steak.
High quality steak.
(04:21):
Beautiful tortillas, which areso often looked over and are essential
part of a good taco.
Right.
It's the simplicity that'sbeing, you know, very much emphasized
and recognized right now.
So that's what we did.
We made it very simple.
A few elegant salsas with alot of flavor, as you found out,
(04:41):
and just execution.
You know, I won't eat a tacounless somebody says tortilla like
that.
Okay.
Because if you're not going tosay it right, I'm not.
I know it's not made, youknow, properly.
Right.
I'm just saying, you know, and it's.
When I get into makingtortillas and I'm Reminded.
I've been doing this since Iwas a kid, you know, and sitting
(05:03):
at the comal making tortillaswith my mom or for the family didn't
often happen, but you know,it's been happening for, for a long
time for me.
And so it's, it's second nature.
I always get into it, youknow, it's really easy.
And before you know it, yougot a couple dozen tortillas done
ready to go.
Where were you born?
I was born in Chicago.
Right, and then where your andyour family's heritage Mexican.
(05:26):
Where grando and did you.
You.
We're going to get into yourtrip and your journey.
Did you have a chance to passthrough there?
Oh God, I would spend summersthere, you know, I would.
My.
Both my families were fromcheese making families, you know,
in the same village.
I used to call them the Romeoand Juliet of Mexico.
Competing, you know, cheesemaking families and going back to
(05:49):
the.
Their hometown is a super,super small town in rural part of
Mexico in the mountains.
And they had cattle, you know,that's how they get the milk.
So one of the funnest partsfor me and one of my fondest memories
was cattling, you know, onhorseback for days at a time, you
know, moving cattle from onepasture to another and you know,
(06:11):
rounding up the calves anddoing whatever needed to get done.
So it's things like that,observing all the cheese making,
how it's made, all thetraditional forms of making masa,
masarina using, you know, the,the lye from, from coals to make
tamales, you know, to make themasa for the tamales.
(06:34):
All those things are fond memories.
I, I really didn't appreciateenough until I got much older and
deeper in this industry.
When you were here last time,I don't think we talked about that.
No, I think we, we focus moreon my upbringing in inner city Chicago
and you know, how that playedout in the military and how that's
affected my career.
(06:55):
But yeah, we didn't really getinto the nuances of, you know, growing
up in a Mexican household in avery Mexican part of Chicago.
Well, the whole cattle thing,that's pretty, that's pretty amazing.
It is.
You know, it's something thatI never thought back on until I got
much older.
But you know, how detachedlike most people who might be listening
to this probably, you know,they live suburbs, maybe in the city,
(07:17):
whatever.
Their family's probably beenhere for a very long time and they're
so detached from somethinglike herding cattle.
Right.
Or making your own cheese.
So the fact that that's inyour lifetime, that you witnessed
it and even, you know,participated with that.
Right.
That is so awesome.
And, and really it's atestament to, to where you are as
(07:40):
a chef because that's adirect, that's a, that's a direct
connection for sure.
I definitely have a deepappreciation for the nuances that
are involved in makingtraditional Mexican food.
So, you know, I look back onthat and I appreciate it.
I.
They're fond, fond memories.
You know, I've gone forhorseback riding a number of times
(08:01):
as an adult and it's likeriding a bike.
You know, I'm always asked,how would you measure a scale from
one to five, your ability toride a horse?
I'd say a two, but really it'sprobably a three or a four.
You know, just.
I have an appreciation forthese animals and spending a lot
of time with them growing upwas solid memories.
Yeah.
(08:22):
As a forensic nurse examinerperforming the sexual assault exams
on drug facilitated sexualassault, I have seen the ramifications.
60% of the cases that I workwith involve drug facilitated sexual
assault.
I created sipsafe Solutions tohelp these establishments create
the legal requirements fromthe state of California.
(08:46):
But more Importantly, Icreated SipSafe Solutions to provide
the tools and for the safetyand protection of their patrons.
My products are drug tests.
They test for GHB, Rohingoland Ketamine and they're 99% effective.
I also have these great lid covers.
They're reusable silicone,glow in the dark and those are used,
(09:10):
can be used multiple times.
And we also offer a one timeuse a foil lid cover that the bar
restaurant can offer theirpatrons one drink at a time.
People die from drugsfacilitated sexual assault.
So it's important for thesevenues to take a responsibility.
It is part of my mission, notonly to protect patients, but to
(09:34):
be the pioneer.
I never thought of it in thatway other than I'm trying to make
a difference.
If I could prevent any type ofsexual assault or even worse, people
are dying from drugfacilitated sexual assault.
I'm really trying to make itdifference in the community that
I live in, in the state that Ilive in and in the country that I
(09:56):
live in.
By giving the tools to thepeople, it should be part of a social
responsibility statement forevery venue to have to protect their
patrons, to protect their customers.
And having sip safe solutions,drink covers and drink testing devices
allows them to do that.
(10:21):
Let's welcome JenniferWeinberg to the program.
Jen, how are you?
Good, thanks.
I want to thank you so muchfor having me today.
It's really good to be here.
It's been so long since we'vehad a conversation.
We've known each other for amillion years, and I miss you.
I hope you're doing great.
Oh, I miss you too.
Everything's good.
And I hope everything's goodwith you too.
(10:42):
If it was any better, I don'tknow what I would do with myself.
Sustainable Supper Club.
All right, let's figure this out.
Talk to me.
Where did it come from, andhow did you end up holding these
events?
My co founder, Miela Lanza,and I were always really passionate
about the environment.
And growing up in Canada,there was always a recycling bin
(11:02):
in your classroom, always arecycling bin at home.
Food portions were justsmaller, and there was very little
waste.
So in 2017, Maela showed me avideo of an organization in San Francisco
where people were bringingawareness to food sustainability
and having these dinners indumpsters, dining on things like
(11:26):
pickled watermelon rind.
And we loved the idea ofbringing awareness to Miami, but
knew we had to adapt it toattract a Miami audience.
So that meant no dumpsters.
Yeah, well, there's dumpsterseverywhere, though.
Miami.
We should be accustomed to it, but.
We'Re not eating in them.
True story, right?
(11:46):
Well, we don't want that.
Nobody wants that.
What was the first dinnerlike, and what made you realize that
this could actually be aplatform for change?
So our first dinner was atVerde of the Perez Art Museum, Miami,
and we had top chefs JeanineBooth and Jeff McGinnis in the kitchen,
and they were creating areally unique vegetable forward dinner,
serving things like beet tartare.
(12:08):
And we worked with a companycalled Hungry Harvest to provide
salvaged produce which wouldhave otherwise gone to waste.
So at the end of the night,everyone was asking when the next
dinner would be, and wethought we knew what we were doing,
even though we didn't have anyprotocols or anything in place.
And then a couple of dayslater, the phone just started to
(12:29):
ring, and we've been doing itever since.
I know those two chefs.
They're good people.
We did an event for them attheir house down in Miami, and it
had something to do with theAustralian beef and lamb.
And really cool people.
They are.
Their family's beautiful.
They do wonderful work.
So 2018, you have your first dinner.
(12:51):
We're in 2025.
Obviously, this is somethingthat is growing.
How are you staying motivated,and how are you choosing your nonprofit
partners?
So Sustainable Supper Club hasreally remained an important passion
project to me.
Because it's very importantfor me as a person to give back and
volunteer my time in some wayor another.
(13:12):
And Sustainable Supper Club isjust something I really believe in.
Like, when you consider thatalmost 40% of food in the US goes
to waste, it's just mind boggling.
And like, it's not somethingpeople talk about that much, which
makes it even more importantto talk about.
And to that end, we likeworking with nonprofits that really
(13:33):
become true partners.
So we work with nonprofitsthat have a local presence and are
in line with our mission.
So either addressing foodwaste directly, supporting communities
challenged with foodinsecurity, or addressing other environmental
issues.
I think when you can reallymeet with that person or they know
(13:56):
the restaurant you're talkingabout or other partners involved,
the buy in and the enthusiasmis really just there.
This time we are actuallyworking with Neighborhood Farms USA
for the first time and theycreate access to community gardens
and nearby farms.
So the proof is in the puddingas well.
So you're putting on theseevents and you're actually incorporating
(14:20):
sustainable practices withinthe dinners.
Talk about that.
So one of my favorite ways toincorporate sustainability into the
dinners is to have salvagedproduce serve as the centerpieces.
So not only do they lookgorgeous and colorful, but they also
get our guests talking.
And by the end of the night,people are like helping themselves
and just dismantling the centerpieces.
(14:42):
So these fruits and vegetablesthat would have gone to waste, they're
then getting a second andthird life.
And I love seeing that.
And then at our October 9thevent at Rosemary's Miami, which
is actually an outpost of theRosemary's brand in New York City,
we'll be hosting tours of thegarden and providing people with
(15:04):
tips and tricks on how tostart their own garden.
So it's also really cool forpeople to see where their food that
they'll be eating later thatnight is coming from.
And they live by a garden totable philosophy.
And they work with LittleRiver Co Op, which is another company
Sustainable Supper Club hasworked with in the past in order
to support that on site garden.
(15:26):
Jennifer, you got a couple ofsponsors for your event.
You have Valdo Wines and thenyou have Tank Brewing Company.
Why don't you talk a littlebit about them?
Sure.
We've been really lucky tohave had Valdo support for years
and we really, reallyappreciate all they do.
They are actually reallypassionate about sustain sustainability.
And they even have their ownOperation Nature campaign, which
(15:50):
has recently been recognizedfor its tree planting initiative.
We're working with the TankBrewing company for the first time,
and they are a local craftbrewery, really involved in giving
back to the community as well.
So we're excited and thankfulto have them.
What's the impact that you'relooking for with this specific dinner?
(16:12):
Awareness, funding, storytelling.
What's the actual purpose?
So with this dinner, we'rehoping to keep raising awareness
by providing simple ideaspeople can take home.
So we're looking to raiseawareness regarding food waste and
to give people simple tips andtricks on how to do that.
(16:33):
So if the garden tour inspiresjust one person to start growing
their own herbs or plantitself, tomato, plant, like, I consider
that a win because they'vemade a change for the better.
And then obviously there's thecharitable aspect as well.
So raising funds forNeighborhood Farms USA is a really
important goal.
(16:54):
Food waste is a huge topic,and I think it spans from your own
home into professional kitchens.
I know how it is in my house.
You know, there's five peoplein my house, and I see what goes
in the trash can every week interms of fruits and veg.
Everybody, I think, can do abetter job when it comes to how you're
managing your purchasing andyour eating and your spending habits
(17:17):
and all that stuff.
Jennifer, what's onemisconception people have about food
waste?
I think when people see afruit or vegetable that's a little
funny looking or maybe alittle bit brown, they think it's
bad and they're not going toeat it.
But that's really not true.
I mean, of course there's thatpoint of no return.
But like, if a banana is goingbrown, for instance, you can mash
(17:40):
it up and throw it in someovernight oats and it improves the
flavor.
And something else that I'm areally big believer in is leftovers.
And for whatever reason,leftovers get this totally undeserved
bad rap when there's so manyfoods that are actually even better
the next day.
So, like I say, embrace your leftovers.
(18:01):
Bring them home from the restaurant.
If they're homemade, eat them.
Don't throw them out.
Oh, my gosh.
Yeah, I am all about that.
I eat everything whenever I can.
It's a problem that I have.
Don't look at me, John.
Stop staring at me.
Chef, from your perspectiveand from the kitchen's perspective,
(18:21):
how do you approach food waste creatively?
Whether it's designing a dishor just moving first in, first out?
Which are.
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, it's multifaceted, right?
It starts with ordering,responsible ordering, not only to
the bottom line, but to the food.
It's important to capture foodin its essence.
(18:42):
So keeping within the seasons,you know, expecting asparagus to
be off the menus at certainpoints of the year is okay.
You know, I think smartordering is the beginning utilization.
Cross utilization on menus isvery important.
You know, if you're going tobring in a lot of vegetables that
(19:03):
have some sort of trim thatyou can incorporate in a stock, and,
you know, a veg stock canboost a lot of sauces and be utilized
in other ways.
Being intelligent about theway you use ingredients is also very
important.
And then finally, your portion sizes.
(19:23):
You know, you want to costeverything appropriately first, and
then, you know, is it too much?
And a lot of times, you know,unfortunately in the United States,
we tend to load the plate onto get perceived value.
But is that the responsiblething to do?
I mean, everybody lovesleftovers as what, you know, was
just mentioned.
But sometimes it's great justleaving a table with an empty plate.
(19:46):
Again, there I am.
I'm there for that.
You've done your part.
I've done my part.
Exactly.
And then, you know, wasteduring prep, that's something that
I was lucky enough to go to avery focused culinary program in
Chicago that taught a lotabout cross utilization and acknowledging
(20:07):
waste for the use of thegardens on the grounds.
I've always been a big fan ofwhat the chef's garden is doing in
Ohio with their sustainableapproach on cultivating vegetables.
And then working in theirkitchen has been an amazing view
of what happens when you are100% efficient with how you use everything.
(20:34):
Nothing goes to waste there,which I love.
I mean, at the end of everyfestival, they'll pickle whatever
they can, they'll preservewhatever they can, and they use it
throughout the year.
It's brilliant.
What's the hardest thing?
Let's stick with fruits and Vegas.
What's the hardest product tomaintain and keep in your cooler?
(20:57):
Herbs are always verydelicate, you know, and they're better
when they're fresh.
And when they start to go bad,they go bad fast.
So preservation of herbs,fresh herbs, is super important to
me because that's a lot of money.
I mean, it's also responsible.
I mean, you know, it's.
It's something that's.
(21:17):
If you know what to do, it's easy.
But, you know, you can't juststock herbs in a box.
They come in and expect themto be okay, chef.
So you get a.
You get your produce order, right?
Tomatoes, avocados, whatever.
Are you ripening yourself?
Are you buying green well, no,and that goes back to responsible
(21:37):
buying.
You know, one of the thingsthat is susceptible to that is expectation
of being available all yearround is of avocados.
And there's two months out ofthe year where avocados are basically
shouldn't exist.
And if you're buying avocados,you're buying extremely green avocados,
and they're probably not goingto be good for another week or so.
And so, unfortunately, ifyou're forced to do that, you have
(21:59):
to kind of anticipate andforce ripen cases of avocados, sometimes
at a time, depending on thetype of restaurant.
But, you know, it's.
It's very difficult with theexpectation in this day and age for
everything to be available allyear round and to go to a table and
say, well, they're just notripe right now, or they're just not
available, or, you know, whenthey see them at their local grocery
(22:21):
stores, it's hard.
It's very difficult.
I think it's knowledge andknowing that you shouldn't put your
tomatoes in the refrigeratoror keep them in the cooler.
Right?
They shouldn't, because theyget mealy and they start turning
quicker.
Well, yeah.
And you know, the other thingis, we're also kind of held to however
things are coming.
Basically, you know, it's.
It's.
(22:41):
For some vendors, it'simpossible to sell you a few ounces
of coriander if that's all you need.
You have to buy a pound or twopounds, whatever it's going to come
in.
So I think for.
For chefs, you know, theresponsible thing to do is if, you
know you're going to have Xamount of herbs that you're not going
to get to while they're fresh,dry them out.
Dry them out.
They're still great.
You know, they're still usable.
So those are some of the otherthings that you can do is kind of
(23:02):
pre plan sometimes things.
If they go in the freezer,hey, listen, tomatoes, they're going
to turn, put them in thefreezer, use them as a sauce later
on when you're ready for it.
You know, it's something thatyou just got to stay on top of things,
and it always helps.
The bottom line, Jennifer,where do you.
See Sustainable Supper Clubgoing over the next few years?
And do you think you're goingto get it to scale outside of Miami?
(23:25):
So in 2020, we were actuallytalking about doing an event in New
York, which was then derailed.
And so.
So I think there is interest,but we're not looking to scale right
now.
In the future, I would love todo more with it and perhaps partner
with more restaurants to getthem thinking about having sustainable
(23:45):
menus year round and creatingtheir menus with sustainability in
mind.
Is that your dream?
Is that where you wish thisproject would end up?
Yes, I'd love to see that.
But what have you learned?
What have you learned aboutpeople, food, about yourself?
I mean, when you're doingstuff like this, something for a
(24:09):
cause, typically there's someself reflection that's happening
and you have to figure outlike, hey, what does this mean for
me?
So I've learned a lot andnumber one, I think I've learned
about myself that I can do it.
Like I can create a male totemplate, I can edit the back end
of a website, I can create asquare QR code.
(24:29):
But more importantly, I'velearned that there are partners and
people that value and careabout sustainability and are interested
in it.
And we've been really, reallyfortunate to have a great community
support, sustainable supperclub events and that initiative and
lifestyle.
So then if Sustainable SupperClub, I had to serve just one dish
(24:52):
that captured the mission inits entirety, what would it be?
Okay, that's a great question,but I have to give you two dishes.
So the first is actually achocolate chia custard dirt mason
jar which we served a coupleof years ago at our Earth Day dinner
at the One hotel.
And it was made using leftovercroissants from breakfast.
(25:14):
So just a perfect example of,of getting innovative and not letting
food go to waste.
And the second is actually oneof the special menu items from our
dinner at Rosemary's, which isa vegetarian Tuscan kale salad.
And it's made using seasonalingredients fresh from the on site
garden.
So the fact that it'svegetarian means that it has a lower
(25:37):
carbon footprint, it conserveswater and it reduces land use compared
to meat based options.
But it also reducestransportation emissions and minimizes
food waste.
So both of those dishes,completely different, but both great
and sustainable in their own way.
So then what advice are yougoing to give someone who wants to,
(25:58):
you know, combine food withpurpose but doesn't know where to
start?
I say you just have to go for it.
Like make a list of yourresources and connections and just
start reaching out.
Don't complicate things, keepit simple, do what you could do and
figure out how what you'redoing is going to make an impact.
Chef, what's one message thatyou hope your food is going to put
(26:19):
out there today?
Well, you know, it's this.
The initiative that we'retalking about is an important one
and it's something thatrestaurants can do if they take the
time to help educate their audience.
My food tells stories.
So what I hope is that theseasonal approach on our bar menu,
(26:39):
which is going to be changingall year round with the seasons,
tells that story of, you know,this is what's good right now and
this is what we should beeating right now.
And occasionally there'scertain ingredients that just aren't
going to be available, you know.
And on the taqueria side, Ijust, we're going to make tacos all
year round.
(27:00):
What people don't know is thatyou're going full on into restaurant
tour mode.
Yes.
So speaking of which, thesetwo projects, one is Uno Mastaqueria
and the other one is Hail Mary.
It's basically a higher endsports bar offering a very intelligent
menu that's going to be very seasonal.
(27:22):
So yeah, full restaurant modefor me is let's do some traveling,
let's find some great dishes,let's find some new ideas and all
with the purpose of bringingsomething fresh and new to the Tampa
area.
And I feel pretty confidentwith that.
You've done a lot of travelingover the last two months and Michelin
(27:43):
street food, you know, like.
Yes, it's a great point andit's one of the main purposes of
doing the amount of travelingI did.
Michelin is starting to payattention to street food.
You know, it started in Asiagiving one star Michelins to noodle
shops that were street side.
It's continued in the UnitedStates, it's continuing in Mexico
(28:04):
and South America.
I think it's great.
That's where a lot of greatideas come from.
You know, flavor is born in necessity.
And sometimes necessity isinexpensive food that you can have
on a daily basis.
And you know, seeing what thehype was around some of these taquerias
that are getting one starMichelins in Mexico was part of that
(28:25):
purpose and it was pretty eye opening.
I think I'm okay with it too.
They're going to dart aquestion mark at this.
It's going to be Michelin hasto do with, you know, the service
proposition as well.
Yeah.
How are they balancing that?
Yeah, it's multifaceted.
There isn't anything, anyrestaurant that has been recognized
that doesn't bring not onlythe food, the drinks, the service,
(28:46):
the ambiance, that's whatmatters, you know, and we use Michelin
as a guide to kind ofrecognize when something is worth
going out of the way for.
Right.
So it isn't the end all sale,but it certainly is a pretty trustworthy
guide.
I don't, you know, I don'tstart a project with the, with the
goal of getting a Michelinrecognition or being in their guide,
(29:09):
but, you know, if you doeverything right, you end up in their
guide.
So Chicago, Louisiana, SanDiego, Mexico City.
I mean, and then you come backto Tampa.
Little old Tampa.
Yeah.
What makes Tampa the place youwant to do this, huh?
Tampa and St. Petersburg aregoing through a food revolution.
Chefs not only native to thatarea of Florida are bringing new
(29:33):
ideas and great food, butchefs from outside the area like
myself are coming in and, youknow, unraveling these, these imaginative
menus and concepts that, youknow, bring, bring a little extra
to the area.
There was already, there wasalready a, A, an existing restaurant
culture there that was verywell founded and has a lot of history.
(29:57):
So adding to it has been a lotof fun.
Watching it grow in the lastfive years.
Having the Michelin guyfinally get there too, has been exciting
to see.
And it, you know, steelsharpensteel, right?
So, you know, you seeeverybody bringing, stepping up,
bringing their A game, and itjust inspires you more.
(30:18):
When we talk Michelin on thisshow, do you get the butterfly?
Is that something that youwant in your life?
No, I, you know, I've beenthrough Mission Star kitchens and
I don't want to overhype it.
You know, it's, it's not, likeI said, not the end all sale.
I do like what they constituteas a one star, two star and a three
star.
You know, basically it saysone star.
(30:41):
If you're in the area, go two star.
If you want to go outside ofyour area a little bit, travel away,
go three star is, make a tripto go to this, you know, because
it's exceptional.
So with that standard, justbeing in the guide and it means that
you are doing your craft welland you stand out, you know, because
the purpose of the guide is todo exactly that, recognize craft
(31:05):
in when it's going well.
There are a lot of chefs outthere who will die on two different
hills.
You know, one hill is yeah,Michelin, baby.
And then the other hill is,you know, oh, you know, we don't,
we don't want no stinkingMichelin here.
We don't need that.
Michelin stars are extremely,let's say expensive, you know, and
(31:29):
it comes at a cost, not onlymonetary, but you give up a lot to,
to stay at that echelon andyou have to be Extremely dedicated
to the idea that you're alwaysgoing to fire on every cylinder every
time, you know, and that'shard to do.
And that's the whole restaurant.
That's everybody.
(31:49):
Every.
Every aspect, Every restaurant.
Which is why, you know, peoplelike me, I recognize the guide, and,
you know, I do hold value init, but like I said, it's not something
that I would pursue.
I don't start a project withthat in mind.
Jennifer, when you hear Chefdescribe, you know, we're here talking
about Michelin and foodculture and travel.
(32:12):
In speaking of traveling,you're not a slouch, Jen.
Like, you've been everywhere.
What are the parallels betweenthis conversation and some of your
own travel or dining experiences?
I think that food is animportant part of any vacation, like
embracing, like, trying thesenew things.
Like, I went to Mexico Cityrecently and actually went to a Michelin
(32:36):
star restaurant to Pujol, andwhen they came back, was busy making
my own mole.
So I think a foodie vacationis amazing.
I think you learn aboutdifferent cultures through their
food, and also you're moreexposed to sustainability practices.
Like, you see that othercultures don't pile the plates, like
(32:57):
Chef was saying before, aboutclearing your plate and having those
portion sizes be small enoughthat you can finish them.
And I think when you're inother cultures and other countries,
you see.
See that because they don'thave the resources to waste that
we do partially well.
Chef David is shapingrestaurants with storytelling with
(33:19):
his menus.
So, Jennifer, when you're aguest, what kind of story do you
want to feel when you sit downto eat?
Authenticity and a warm welcome.
Like, even, you know, forexample, Rosemary's.
The first time I went there, Iwas on this streak of just, like,
having very expensive, badmeals, and I was leaving them, like,
(33:43):
questioning my taste buds.
And the meal at Rosemary'sreally had me restored my faith in
my taste buds and just hadthis, like, welcoming service and
beautiful ambiance.
And that's what I want.
And it's like this littleneighborhood, neighborhood oasis
in the middle of Wynwood.
So that's what I want.
(34:04):
Like this little gem of aplace where you can feel just warm
and welcomed and the foodspeaks for itself.
I don't need the Michelin star.
I just want the quality to be there.
I've eaten at Michelin starrestaurants that I haven't liked
at all.
So I think the authenticityand the commitment to the craft is
(34:28):
the most important.
Chef, how do you design thatfor this specific client, for this
guest, for this Customer.
What this customer is askingis to create something exceptional
that stands out.
There are a myriad of sportsbars in Tampa and St. Pete.
Not a lot of them focus on seasonality.
(34:51):
They or have the culinaryprowess that this one will have.
So storytelling is going to be.
A.
Major component to this.
And the seasonality is a mainpart of storytelling there.
So with the approach of wherecan I go watch a game and still find
(35:12):
something that is a littlemore culinary adventurous than maybe
some fried shrimp?
I think is an important aspectof what we're putting together here.
So, chef, you know, you're aregular here on the show at this
point, and we'd love to have you.
And you're doing some reallyamazing things.
Obviously, we want to supportyou in every way possible.
(35:32):
Why don't you talk a littlebit about what you got coming up
again and how they can helppeople, how the community can support
you and find you, et cetera.
Sure, yeah.
The next project I'm workingon is what used to be the hall on
Franklin.
It's a 20,000 square footbuilding, two stories.
It's a historic building.
(35:52):
We're taking it.
We're installing a Mexico Citystyle taqueria and a sort of high
end, very culinary adventuroussports bar called Hail Mary.
The taqueria is going to beuno mas, which is a sentiment that
you should get at.
A good taqueria is.
I'll have one more uno mas,and then we'll have a retro nightclub
(36:13):
on the second floor and aspeakeasy, which I'll touch on maybe
the next time I'm here.
But the key there is, youknow, a culinary prowess that focuses
on, like I said,sustainability, seasonality.
You know, it's a little bit ofan extra approach to.
(36:34):
To putting together a sports bar.
It's not just a sports bar.
It's very mysterious.
I like it.
I love it.
We're going to be located inthe heart of Downtown, 1701 North
Franklin, which is proximal toArmature Works.
If you're familiar with thatarea, it'll be a few blocks away,
very accessible.
(36:54):
Jennifer, let's talk aboutOctober 9th.
What you got?
So this is a really cool thingand I'm glad that.
I'm glad that we kind oflinked up to.
To help bring some awarenessand promotional support.
You could say, talk a littlebit more about that.
And.
And how do people find outabout it?
So our next dinner is going tobe Sustainable Supper Club presents
(37:16):
fall flavors at Rosemary'sMiami in the heart of wynwood on
Thursday.
October 9th.
It's going to include acocktail hour with garden tours,
a three course family stylemenu featuring items exclusively
created for us, Valdo winepairings and and craft beer from
(37:38):
the tank Brewery.
Guests will also each receivea reusable tote bag filled with goodies
to go.
And.
You'Ll be supportingNeighborhood Farms USA when you attend.
So please visitsustainablesupper.org to learn more
about it or Sustainable SupperClub on Instagram.
(38:03):
Yeah, everybody out therewho's listening?
I would check it out, see whatit's about.
Follow Sustainable Supper Cluband make sure that you participate
going forward, if not on the ninth.
All right, how do we find you guys?
Chef go at Chef David Reyes on Instagram.
Very easy.
Very easy.
It was almost too easy.
(38:23):
Oh, I like to keep things simple.
A second ago you were a man of mystery.
Now it's.
Now you're just giving it uplike that.
Okay, I get it.
Chef David Reyes.
All right.
All right.
Ms. Jennifer, Ms. JenniferWeinberg, how do we find you.
At Sustainable Supper Club on Instagram?
Excellent.
All right, maybe one of these.
(38:45):
We're going to.
Maybe we're gonna get outthere one day, Jen, you know that?
I feel like, great.
Yeah, we'll bring the, we'llbring the whole, you know, the whole
show and we'll do it.
We'll.
We'll do it live at theSustainable Supper Club.
All right, listen, first ofall, let me just say this.
I appreciate the fact that y'all both are here for the show.
(39:08):
Chef, thanks for coming out cooking.
Jen, love you as always.
John, you're a badass.
We are out.
You've just stepped inside thewalk and Talk, podcast number one
in the nation for food lovers,chefs and storytellers.
I'm Carl Fiadini, your host,shining a light on the flavor, the
hustle, and the heart of the industry.
We're the official podcast forthe New York, California and Florida
restaurant shows, the PizzaTomorrow Summit, the US Culinary
Open at Napham, and the NorthAmerican media platform for the Burnt
(00:23):
Chef project, recorded at IbisImages Studios, where food photography
comes alive and I get thefirst bite.
Find out moreinfo@thewalkandtalk.com Today's episode
is all about purpose driven food.
We're joined by JenniferWeinberg, co founder and chair of
Sustainable Supper Club, aMiami based series of pop up dinners
designed to raise awarenessaround food waste and support nonprofit
(00:46):
organizations doing criticalcommunity work.
Her next event, happening onOctober 9th at Rosemary's Miami Fox,
features wines from Valdo andcraft beer from the Tank Brewing
Company, benefitingNeighborhood Farms usa.
Sitting in with us today ischef David Reyes, who's back in his
studio not only to join theconversation, but to cook up two
thoughtful dishes that reflecthis own culinary creativity and deep
(01:07):
connection to sustainability.
And because purpose takes onmany forms, we'll also be sharing
a clip from our time at theCalifornia restaurant show where
we caught up with ToyotaBuches, founder of Sipsafe Solutions,
a company tackling drinktampering and safety head on.
Different cause, same heart.
People looking out for people.
This is an episode about whathappens when hospitality meets intention
(01:28):
and how great food can sparkreal change.
Let's get into it.
Oh, yeah, Chef.
Good to be here, right?
Yeah.
How was today?
It was fun.
You know, we did a lot.
And we did it in pretty goodtiming as well for the workload,
right?
Exactly.
I came with a game plan executed.
(01:50):
We had fun.
We tasted some tasty food.
I mean, I'm not gonna lie.
That's.
That's the best part for me.
It's the eating.
Yeah.
I mean, you eat with your eyes first.
Right.
But it's fun tastingeverything afterwards.
And it all made sense.
You know, there's a reason Idon't involve the Mrs.
In any of this.
You know, I'm working on mycholesterol, I'm trying to lose some
(02:11):
weight, and then, you know,chefs like you come in here, you
know, with your tacos and, youknow, get out of here.
But I love it.
Let's get into the first dish.
What?
What'd you make up today?
So I was reminded of this dishwhen I was traveling through Mexico,
and it's a very seasonal dish.
It's not found all year round,nor should it, because the ingredients
should be used exactly whenthey're prime.
(02:33):
Chile Nogada, which is thenational dish.
It's a 200-year-old plus dishthat really encompasses the history
of Mexico, the colors ofMexico and the flavors of Mexico.
The photography with Johntoday, the colors, like you.
You called it, man.
Like, these things are brightand beautiful.
He certainly does a reallygood job capturing the essence of
(02:56):
the dish.
You know, the colors on thisdish pop, but it was surrounded by
just beauty.
It really was very impressiveto see those shots come out so fast.
You said something while wewere observing.
You know, we have this setuphere where the.
While John's shooting, theimagery pops up on screen on the
(03:17):
tv, and you're like, but whendid he.
He's shooting.
It's.
It looks like it's edited already.
So perfectly honest.
I.
It caught the corner of myeye, and I thought to myself, wow,
those are really nice images.
And then I look, and that'sthe dish we just finished.
And I was so impressed.
I mean, it looks like it'sbeen combed over and, you know, edited.
(03:40):
So it looked really good.
I'm very excited.
Yeah, me too, man.
And I was more excited toactually, you know, grab a fork and
dig in, which, you know, ofcourse I did.
So what was the second dish?
Second dish was a tacos, thecarne asada.
So steak tacos.
There's a very strong push inMexico City.
(04:01):
The next kind of hot thing inMexico City is.
Is tacos that are, you know,have grabbed the attention of the
Michelin guide.
And, you know, you havetaquerias getting one stars.
One star.
And I mean, it's.
It's unprecedented.
It's very new.
And what they're doing isusing primal cuts, marinating the
steak.
High quality steak.
(04:21):
Beautiful tortillas, which areso often looked over and are essential
part of a good taco.
Right.
It's the simplicity that'sbeing, you know, very much emphasized
and recognized right now.
So that's what we did.
We made it very simple.
A few elegant salsas with alot of flavor, as you found out,
(04:41):
and just execution.
You know, I won't eat a tacounless somebody says tortilla like
that.
Okay.
Because if you're not going tosay it right, I'm not.
I know it's not made, youknow, properly.
Right.
I'm just saying, you know, and it's.
When I get into makingtortillas and I'm Reminded.
I've been doing this since Iwas a kid, you know, and sitting
(05:03):
at the comal making tortillaswith my mom or for the family didn't
often happen, but you know,it's been happening for, for a long
time for me.
And so it's, it's second nature.
I always get into it, youknow, it's really easy.
And before you know it, yougot a couple dozen tortillas done
ready to go.
Where were you born?
I was born in Chicago.
Right, and then where your andyour family's heritage Mexican.
(05:26):
Where grando and did you.
You.
We're going to get into yourtrip and your journey.
Did you have a chance to passthrough there?
Oh God, I would spend summersthere, you know, I would.
My.
Both my families were fromcheese making families, you know,
in the same village.
I used to call them the Romeoand Juliet of Mexico.
Competing, you know, cheesemaking families and going back to
(05:49):
the.
Their hometown is a super,super small town in rural part of
Mexico in the mountains.
And they had cattle, you know,that's how they get the milk.
So one of the funnest partsfor me and one of my fondest memories
was cattling, you know, onhorseback for days at a time, you
know, moving cattle from onepasture to another and you know,
(06:11):
rounding up the calves anddoing whatever needed to get done.
So it's things like that,observing all the cheese making,
how it's made, all thetraditional forms of making masa,
masarina using, you know, the,the lye from, from coals to make
tamales, you know, to make themasa for the tamales.
(06:34):
All those things are fond memories.
I, I really didn't appreciateenough until I got much older and
deeper in this industry.
When you were here last time,I don't think we talked about that.
No, I think we, we focus moreon my upbringing in inner city Chicago
and you know, how that playedout in the military and how that's
affected my career.
(06:55):
But yeah, we didn't really getinto the nuances of, you know, growing
up in a Mexican household in avery Mexican part of Chicago.
Well, the whole cattle thing,that's pretty, that's pretty amazing.
It is.
You know, it's something thatI never thought back on until I got
much older.
But you know, how detachedlike most people who might be listening
to this probably, you know,they live suburbs, maybe in the city,
(07:17):
whatever.
Their family's probably beenhere for a very long time and they're
so detached from somethinglike herding cattle.
Right.
Or making your own cheese.
So the fact that that's inyour lifetime, that you witnessed
it and even, you know,participated with that.
Right.
That is so awesome.
And, and really it's atestament to, to where you are as
(07:40):
a chef because that's adirect, that's a, that's a direct
connection for sure.
I definitely have a deepappreciation for the nuances that
are involved in makingtraditional Mexican food.
So, you know, I look back onthat and I appreciate it.
I.
They're fond, fond memories.
You know, I've gone forhorseback riding a number of times
(08:01):
as an adult and it's likeriding a bike.
You know, I'm always asked,how would you measure a scale from
one to five, your ability toride a horse?
I'd say a two, but really it'sprobably a three or a four.
You know, just.
I have an appreciation forthese animals and spending a lot
of time with them growing upwas solid memories.
Yeah.
(08:22):
As a forensic nurse examinerperforming the sexual assault exams
on drug facilitated sexualassault, I have seen the ramifications.
60% of the cases that I workwith involve drug facilitated sexual
assault.
I created sipsafe Solutions tohelp these establishments create
the legal requirements fromthe state of California.
(08:46):
But more Importantly, Icreated SipSafe Solutions to provide
the tools and for the safetyand protection of their patrons.
My products are drug tests.
They test for GHB, Rohingoland Ketamine and they're 99% effective.
I also have these great lid covers.
They're reusable silicone,glow in the dark and those are used,
(09:10):
can be used multiple times.
And we also offer a one timeuse a foil lid cover that the bar
restaurant can offer theirpatrons one drink at a time.
People die from drugsfacilitated sexual assault.
So it's important for thesevenues to take a responsibility.
It is part of my mission, notonly to protect patients, but to
(09:34):
be the pioneer.
I never thought of it in thatway other than I'm trying to make
a difference.
If I could prevent any type ofsexual assault or even worse, people
are dying from drugfacilitated sexual assault.
I'm really trying to make itdifference in the community that
I live in, in the state that Ilive in and in the country that I
(09:56):
live in.
By giving the tools to thepeople, it should be part of a social
responsibility statement forevery venue to have to protect their
patrons, to protect their customers.
And having sip safe solutions,drink covers and drink testing devices
allows them to do that.
(10:21):
Let's welcome JenniferWeinberg to the program.
Jen, how are you?
Good, thanks.
I want to thank you so muchfor having me today.
It's really good to be here.
It's been so long since we'vehad a conversation.
We've known each other for amillion years, and I miss you.
I hope you're doing great.
Oh, I miss you too.
Everything's good.
And I hope everything's goodwith you too.
(10:42):
If it was any better, I don'tknow what I would do with myself.
Sustainable Supper Club.
All right, let's figure this out.
Talk to me.
Where did it come from, andhow did you end up holding these
events?
My co founder, Miela Lanza,and I were always really passionate
about the environment.
And growing up in Canada,there was always a recycling bin
(11:02):
in your classroom, always arecycling bin at home.
Food portions were justsmaller, and there was very little
waste.
So in 2017, Maela showed me avideo of an organization in San Francisco
where people were bringingawareness to food sustainability
and having these dinners indumpsters, dining on things like
(11:26):
pickled watermelon rind.
And we loved the idea ofbringing awareness to Miami, but
knew we had to adapt it toattract a Miami audience.
So that meant no dumpsters.
Yeah, well, there's dumpsterseverywhere, though.
Miami.
We should be accustomed to it, but.
We'Re not eating in them.
True story, right?
(11:46):
Well, we don't want that.
Nobody wants that.
What was the first dinnerlike, and what made you realize that
this could actually be aplatform for change?
So our first dinner was atVerde of the Perez Art Museum, Miami,
and we had top chefs JeanineBooth and Jeff McGinnis in the kitchen,
and they were creating areally unique vegetable forward dinner,
serving things like beet tartare.
(12:08):
And we worked with a companycalled Hungry Harvest to provide
salvaged produce which wouldhave otherwise gone to waste.
So at the end of the night,everyone was asking when the next
dinner would be, and wethought we knew what we were doing,
even though we didn't have anyprotocols or anything in place.
And then a couple of dayslater, the phone just started to
(12:29):
ring, and we've been doing itever since.
I know those two chefs.
They're good people.
We did an event for them attheir house down in Miami, and it
had something to do with theAustralian beef and lamb.
And really cool people.
They are.
Their family's beautiful.
They do wonderful work.
So 2018, you have your first dinner.
(12:51):
We're in 2025.
Obviously, this is somethingthat is growing.
How are you staying motivated,and how are you choosing your nonprofit
partners?
So Sustainable Supper Club hasreally remained an important passion
project to me.
Because it's very importantfor me as a person to give back and
volunteer my time in some wayor another.
(13:12):
And Sustainable Supper Club isjust something I really believe in.
Like, when you consider thatalmost 40% of food in the US goes
to waste, it's just mind boggling.
And like, it's not somethingpeople talk about that much, which
makes it even more importantto talk about.
And to that end, we likeworking with nonprofits that really
(13:33):
become true partners.
So we work with nonprofitsthat have a local presence and are
in line with our mission.
So either addressing foodwaste directly, supporting communities
challenged with foodinsecurity, or addressing other environmental
issues.
I think when you can reallymeet with that person or they know
(13:56):
the restaurant you're talkingabout or other partners involved,
the buy in and the enthusiasmis really just there.
This time we are actuallyworking with Neighborhood Farms USA
for the first time and theycreate access to community gardens
and nearby farms.
So the proof is in the puddingas well.
So you're putting on theseevents and you're actually incorporating
(14:20):
sustainable practices withinthe dinners.
Talk about that.
So one of my favorite ways toincorporate sustainability into the
dinners is to have salvagedproduce serve as the centerpieces.
So not only do they lookgorgeous and colorful, but they also
get our guests talking.
And by the end of the night,people are like helping themselves
and just dismantling the centerpieces.
(14:42):
So these fruits and vegetablesthat would have gone to waste, they're
then getting a second andthird life.
And I love seeing that.
And then at our October 9thevent at Rosemary's Miami, which
is actually an outpost of theRosemary's brand in New York City,
we'll be hosting tours of thegarden and providing people with
(15:04):
tips and tricks on how tostart their own garden.
So it's also really cool forpeople to see where their food that
they'll be eating later thatnight is coming from.
And they live by a garden totable philosophy.
And they work with LittleRiver Co Op, which is another company
Sustainable Supper Club hasworked with in the past in order
to support that on site garden.
(15:26):
Jennifer, you got a couple ofsponsors for your event.
You have Valdo Wines and thenyou have Tank Brewing Company.
Why don't you talk a littlebit about them?
Sure.
We've been really lucky tohave had Valdo support for years
and we really, reallyappreciate all they do.
They are actually reallypassionate about sustain sustainability.
And they even have their ownOperation Nature campaign, which
(15:50):
has recently been recognizedfor its tree planting initiative.
We're working with the TankBrewing company for the first time,
and they are a local craftbrewery, really involved in giving
back to the community as well.
So we're excited and thankfulto have them.
What's the impact that you'relooking for with this specific dinner?
(16:12):
Awareness, funding, storytelling.
What's the actual purpose?
So with this dinner, we'rehoping to keep raising awareness
by providing simple ideaspeople can take home.
So we're looking to raiseawareness regarding food waste and
to give people simple tips andtricks on how to do that.
(16:33):
So if the garden tour inspiresjust one person to start growing
their own herbs or plantitself, tomato, plant, like, I consider
that a win because they'vemade a change for the better.
And then obviously there's thecharitable aspect as well.
So raising funds forNeighborhood Farms USA is a really
important goal.
(16:54):
Food waste is a huge topic,and I think it spans from your own
home into professional kitchens.
I know how it is in my house.
You know, there's five peoplein my house, and I see what goes
in the trash can every week interms of fruits and veg.
Everybody, I think, can do abetter job when it comes to how you're
managing your purchasing andyour eating and your spending habits
(17:17):
and all that stuff.
Jennifer, what's onemisconception people have about food
waste?
I think when people see afruit or vegetable that's a little
funny looking or maybe alittle bit brown, they think it's
bad and they're not going toeat it.
But that's really not true.
I mean, of course there's thatpoint of no return.
But like, if a banana is goingbrown, for instance, you can mash
(17:40):
it up and throw it in someovernight oats and it improves the
flavor.
And something else that I'm areally big believer in is leftovers.
And for whatever reason,leftovers get this totally undeserved
bad rap when there's so manyfoods that are actually even better
the next day.
So, like I say, embrace your leftovers.
(18:01):
Bring them home from the restaurant.
If they're homemade, eat them.
Don't throw them out.
Oh, my gosh.
Yeah, I am all about that.
I eat everything whenever I can.
It's a problem that I have.
Don't look at me, John.
Stop staring at me.
Chef, from your perspectiveand from the kitchen's perspective,
(18:21):
how do you approach food waste creatively?
Whether it's designing a dishor just moving first in, first out?
Which are.
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, it's multifaceted, right?
It starts with ordering,responsible ordering, not only to
the bottom line, but to the food.
It's important to capture foodin its essence.
(18:42):
So keeping within the seasons,you know, expecting asparagus to
be off the menus at certainpoints of the year is okay.
You know, I think smartordering is the beginning utilization.
Cross utilization on menus isvery important.
You know, if you're going tobring in a lot of vegetables that
(19:03):
have some sort of trim thatyou can incorporate in a stock, and,
you know, a veg stock canboost a lot of sauces and be utilized
in other ways.
Being intelligent about theway you use ingredients is also very
important.
And then finally, your portion sizes.
(19:23):
You know, you want to costeverything appropriately first, and
then, you know, is it too much?
And a lot of times, you know,unfortunately in the United States,
we tend to load the plate onto get perceived value.
But is that the responsiblething to do?
I mean, everybody lovesleftovers as what, you know, was
just mentioned.
But sometimes it's great justleaving a table with an empty plate.
(19:46):
Again, there I am.
I'm there for that.
You've done your part.
I've done my part.
Exactly.
And then, you know, wasteduring prep, that's something that
I was lucky enough to go to avery focused culinary program in
Chicago that taught a lotabout cross utilization and acknowledging
(20:07):
waste for the use of thegardens on the grounds.
I've always been a big fan ofwhat the chef's garden is doing in
Ohio with their sustainableapproach on cultivating vegetables.
And then working in theirkitchen has been an amazing view
of what happens when you are100% efficient with how you use everything.
(20:34):
Nothing goes to waste there,which I love.
I mean, at the end of everyfestival, they'll pickle whatever
they can, they'll preservewhatever they can, and they use it
throughout the year.
It's brilliant.
What's the hardest thing?
Let's stick with fruits and Vegas.
What's the hardest product tomaintain and keep in your cooler?
(20:57):
Herbs are always verydelicate, you know, and they're better
when they're fresh.
And when they start to go bad,they go bad fast.
So preservation of herbs,fresh herbs, is super important to
me because that's a lot of money.
I mean, it's also responsible.
I mean, you know, it's.
It's something that's.
(21:17):
If you know what to do, it's easy.
But, you know, you can't juststock herbs in a box.
They come in and expect themto be okay, chef.
So you get a.
You get your produce order, right?
Tomatoes, avocados, whatever.
Are you ripening yourself?
Are you buying green well, no,and that goes back to responsible
(21:37):
buying.
You know, one of the thingsthat is susceptible to that is expectation
of being available all yearround is of avocados.
And there's two months out ofthe year where avocados are basically
shouldn't exist.
And if you're buying avocados,you're buying extremely green avocados,
and they're probably not goingto be good for another week or so.
And so, unfortunately, ifyou're forced to do that, you have
(21:59):
to kind of anticipate andforce ripen cases of avocados, sometimes
at a time, depending on thetype of restaurant.
But, you know, it's.
It's very difficult with theexpectation in this day and age for
everything to be available allyear round and to go to a table and
say, well, they're just notripe right now, or they're just not
available, or, you know, whenthey see them at their local grocery
(22:21):
stores, it's hard.
It's very difficult.
I think it's knowledge andknowing that you shouldn't put your
tomatoes in the refrigeratoror keep them in the cooler.
Right?
They shouldn't, because theyget mealy and they start turning
quicker.
Well, yeah.
And you know, the other thingis, we're also kind of held to however
things are coming.
Basically, you know, it's.
It's.
(22:41):
For some vendors, it'simpossible to sell you a few ounces
of coriander if that's all you need.
You have to buy a pound or twopounds, whatever it's going to come
in.
So I think for.
For chefs, you know, theresponsible thing to do is if, you
know you're going to have Xamount of herbs that you're not going
to get to while they're fresh,dry them out.
Dry them out.
They're still great.
You know, they're still usable.
So those are some of the otherthings that you can do is kind of
(23:02):
pre plan sometimes things.
If they go in the freezer,hey, listen, tomatoes, they're going
to turn, put them in thefreezer, use them as a sauce later
on when you're ready for it.
You know, it's something thatyou just got to stay on top of things,
and it always helps.
The bottom line, Jennifer,where do you.
See Sustainable Supper Clubgoing over the next few years?
And do you think you're goingto get it to scale outside of Miami?
(23:25):
So in 2020, we were actuallytalking about doing an event in New
York, which was then derailed.
And so.
So I think there is interest,but we're not looking to scale right
now.
In the future, I would love todo more with it and perhaps partner
with more restaurants to getthem thinking about having sustainable
(23:45):
menus year round and creatingtheir menus with sustainability in
mind.
Is that your dream?
Is that where you wish thisproject would end up?
Yes, I'd love to see that.
But what have you learned?
What have you learned aboutpeople, food, about yourself?
I mean, when you're doingstuff like this, something for a
(24:09):
cause, typically there's someself reflection that's happening
and you have to figure outlike, hey, what does this mean for
me?
So I've learned a lot andnumber one, I think I've learned
about myself that I can do it.
Like I can create a male totemplate, I can edit the back end
of a website, I can create asquare QR code.
(24:29):
But more importantly, I'velearned that there are partners and
people that value and careabout sustainability and are interested
in it.
And we've been really, reallyfortunate to have a great community
support, sustainable supperclub events and that initiative and
lifestyle.
So then if Sustainable SupperClub, I had to serve just one dish
(24:52):
that captured the mission inits entirety, what would it be?
Okay, that's a great question,but I have to give you two dishes.
So the first is actually achocolate chia custard dirt mason
jar which we served a coupleof years ago at our Earth Day dinner
at the One hotel.
And it was made using leftovercroissants from breakfast.
(25:14):
So just a perfect example of,of getting innovative and not letting
food go to waste.
And the second is actually oneof the special menu items from our
dinner at Rosemary's, which isa vegetarian Tuscan kale salad.
And it's made using seasonalingredients fresh from the on site
garden.
So the fact that it'svegetarian means that it has a lower
(25:37):
carbon footprint, it conserveswater and it reduces land use compared
to meat based options.
But it also reducestransportation emissions and minimizes
food waste.
So both of those dishes,completely different, but both great
and sustainable in their own way.
So then what advice are yougoing to give someone who wants to,
(25:58):
you know, combine food withpurpose but doesn't know where to
start?
I say you just have to go for it.
Like make a list of yourresources and connections and just
start reaching out.
Don't complicate things, keepit simple, do what you could do and
figure out how what you'redoing is going to make an impact.
Chef, what's one message thatyou hope your food is going to put
(26:19):
out there today?
Well, you know, it's this.
The initiative that we'retalking about is an important one
and it's something thatrestaurants can do if they take the
time to help educate their audience.
My food tells stories.
So what I hope is that theseasonal approach on our bar menu,
(26:39):
which is going to be changingall year round with the seasons,
tells that story of, you know,this is what's good right now and
this is what we should beeating right now.
And occasionally there'scertain ingredients that just aren't
going to be available, you know.
And on the taqueria side, Ijust, we're going to make tacos all
year round.
(27:00):
What people don't know is thatyou're going full on into restaurant
tour mode.
Yes.
So speaking of which, thesetwo projects, one is Uno Mastaqueria
and the other one is Hail Mary.
It's basically a higher endsports bar offering a very intelligent
menu that's going to be very seasonal.
(27:22):
So yeah, full restaurant modefor me is let's do some traveling,
let's find some great dishes,let's find some new ideas and all
with the purpose of bringingsomething fresh and new to the Tampa
area.
And I feel pretty confidentwith that.
You've done a lot of travelingover the last two months and Michelin
(27:43):
street food, you know, like.
Yes, it's a great point andit's one of the main purposes of
doing the amount of travelingI did.
Michelin is starting to payattention to street food.
You know, it started in Asiagiving one star Michelins to noodle
shops that were street side.
It's continued in the UnitedStates, it's continuing in Mexico
(28:04):
and South America.
I think it's great.
That's where a lot of greatideas come from.
You know, flavor is born in necessity.
And sometimes necessity isinexpensive food that you can have
on a daily basis.
And you know, seeing what thehype was around some of these taquerias
that are getting one starMichelins in Mexico was part of that
(28:25):
purpose and it was pretty eye opening.
I think I'm okay with it too.
They're going to dart aquestion mark at this.
It's going to be Michelin hasto do with, you know, the service
proposition as well.
Yeah.
How are they balancing that?
Yeah, it's multifaceted.
There isn't anything, anyrestaurant that has been recognized
that doesn't bring not onlythe food, the drinks, the service,
(28:46):
the ambiance, that's whatmatters, you know, and we use Michelin
as a guide to kind ofrecognize when something is worth
going out of the way for.
Right.
So it isn't the end all sale,but it certainly is a pretty trustworthy
guide.
I don't, you know, I don'tstart a project with the, with the
goal of getting a Michelinrecognition or being in their guide,
(29:09):
but, you know, if you doeverything right, you end up in their
guide.
So Chicago, Louisiana, SanDiego, Mexico City.
I mean, and then you come backto Tampa.
Little old Tampa.
Yeah.
What makes Tampa the place youwant to do this, huh?
Tampa and St. Petersburg aregoing through a food revolution.
Chefs not only native to thatarea of Florida are bringing new
(29:33):
ideas and great food, butchefs from outside the area like
myself are coming in and, youknow, unraveling these, these imaginative
menus and concepts that, youknow, bring, bring a little extra
to the area.
There was already, there wasalready a, A, an existing restaurant
culture there that was verywell founded and has a lot of history.
(29:57):
So adding to it has been a lotof fun.
Watching it grow in the lastfive years.
Having the Michelin guyfinally get there too, has been exciting
to see.
And it, you know, steelsharpensteel, right?
So, you know, you seeeverybody bringing, stepping up,
bringing their A game, and itjust inspires you more.
(30:18):
When we talk Michelin on thisshow, do you get the butterfly?
Is that something that youwant in your life?
No, I, you know, I've beenthrough Mission Star kitchens and
I don't want to overhype it.
You know, it's, it's not, likeI said, not the end all sale.
I do like what they constituteas a one star, two star and a three
star.
You know, basically it saysone star.
(30:41):
If you're in the area, go two star.
If you want to go outside ofyour area a little bit, travel away,
go three star is, make a tripto go to this, you know, because
it's exceptional.
So with that standard, justbeing in the guide and it means that
you are doing your craft welland you stand out, you know, because
the purpose of the guide is todo exactly that, recognize craft
(31:05):
in when it's going well.
There are a lot of chefs outthere who will die on two different
hills.
You know, one hill is yeah,Michelin, baby.
And then the other hill is,you know, oh, you know, we don't,
we don't want no stinkingMichelin here.
We don't need that.
Michelin stars are extremely,let's say expensive, you know, and
(31:29):
it comes at a cost, not onlymonetary, but you give up a lot to,
to stay at that echelon andyou have to be Extremely dedicated
to the idea that you're alwaysgoing to fire on every cylinder every
time, you know, and that'shard to do.
And that's the whole restaurant.
That's everybody.
(31:49):
Every.
Every aspect, Every restaurant.
Which is why, you know, peoplelike me, I recognize the guide, and,
you know, I do hold value init, but like I said, it's not something
that I would pursue.
I don't start a project withthat in mind.
Jennifer, when you hear Chefdescribe, you know, we're here talking
about Michelin and foodculture and travel.
(32:12):
In speaking of traveling,you're not a slouch, Jen.
Like, you've been everywhere.
What are the parallels betweenthis conversation and some of your
own travel or dining experiences?
I think that food is animportant part of any vacation, like
embracing, like, trying thesenew things.
Like, I went to Mexico Cityrecently and actually went to a Michelin
(32:36):
star restaurant to Pujol, andwhen they came back, was busy making
my own mole.
So I think a foodie vacationis amazing.
I think you learn aboutdifferent cultures through their
food, and also you're moreexposed to sustainability practices.
Like, you see that othercultures don't pile the plates, like
(32:57):
Chef was saying before, aboutclearing your plate and having those
portion sizes be small enoughthat you can finish them.
And I think when you're inother cultures and other countries,
you see.
See that because they don'thave the resources to waste that
we do partially well.
Chef David is shapingrestaurants with storytelling with
(33:19):
his menus.
So, Jennifer, when you're aguest, what kind of story do you
want to feel when you sit downto eat?
Authenticity and a warm welcome.
Like, even, you know, forexample, Rosemary's.
The first time I went there, Iwas on this streak of just, like,
having very expensive, badmeals, and I was leaving them, like,
(33:43):
questioning my taste buds.
And the meal at Rosemary'sreally had me restored my faith in
my taste buds and just hadthis, like, welcoming service and
beautiful ambiance.
And that's what I want.
And it's like this littleneighborhood, neighborhood oasis
in the middle of Wynwood.
So that's what I want.
(34:04):
Like this little gem of aplace where you can feel just warm
and welcomed and the foodspeaks for itself.
I don't need the Michelin star.
I just want the quality to be there.
I've eaten at Michelin starrestaurants that I haven't liked
at all.
So I think the authenticityand the commitment to the craft is
(34:28):
the most important.
Chef, how do you design thatfor this specific client, for this
guest, for this Customer.
What this customer is askingis to create something exceptional
that stands out.
There are a myriad of sportsbars in Tampa and St. Pete.
Not a lot of them focus on seasonality.
(34:51):
They or have the culinaryprowess that this one will have.
So storytelling is going to be.
A.
Major component to this.
And the seasonality is a mainpart of storytelling there.
So with the approach of wherecan I go watch a game and still find
(35:12):
something that is a littlemore culinary adventurous than maybe
some fried shrimp?
I think is an important aspectof what we're putting together here.
So, chef, you know, you're aregular here on the show at this
point, and we'd love to have you.
And you're doing some reallyamazing things.
Obviously, we want to supportyou in every way possible.
(35:32):
Why don't you talk a littlebit about what you got coming up
again and how they can helppeople, how the community can support
you and find you, et cetera.
Sure, yeah.
The next project I'm workingon is what used to be the hall on
Franklin.
It's a 20,000 square footbuilding, two stories.
It's a historic building.
(35:52):
We're taking it.
We're installing a Mexico Citystyle taqueria and a sort of high
end, very culinary adventuroussports bar called Hail Mary.
The taqueria is going to beuno mas, which is a sentiment that
you should get at.
A good taqueria is.
I'll have one more uno mas,and then we'll have a retro nightclub
(36:13):
on the second floor and aspeakeasy, which I'll touch on maybe
the next time I'm here.
But the key there is, youknow, a culinary prowess that focuses
on, like I said,sustainability, seasonality.
You know, it's a little bit ofan extra approach to.
(36:34):
To putting together a sports bar.
It's not just a sports bar.
It's very mysterious.
I like it.
I love it.
We're going to be located inthe heart of Downtown, 1701 North
Franklin, which is proximal toArmature Works.
If you're familiar with thatarea, it'll be a few blocks away,
very accessible.
(36:54):
Jennifer, let's talk aboutOctober 9th.
What you got?
So this is a really cool thingand I'm glad that.
I'm glad that we kind oflinked up to.
To help bring some awarenessand promotional support.
You could say, talk a littlebit more about that.
And.
And how do people find outabout it?
So our next dinner is going tobe Sustainable Supper Club presents
(37:16):
fall flavors at Rosemary'sMiami in the heart of wynwood on
Thursday.
October 9th.
It's going to include acocktail hour with garden tours,
a three course family stylemenu featuring items exclusively
created for us, Valdo winepairings and and craft beer from
(37:38):
the tank Brewery.
Guests will also each receivea reusable tote bag filled with goodies
to go.
And.
You'Ll be supportingNeighborhood Farms USA when you attend.
So please visitsustainablesupper.org to learn more
about it or Sustainable SupperClub on Instagram.
(38:03):
Yeah, everybody out therewho's listening?
I would check it out, see whatit's about.
Follow Sustainable Supper Cluband make sure that you participate
going forward, if not on the ninth.
All right, how do we find you guys?
Chef go at Chef David Reyes on Instagram.
Very easy.
Very easy.
It was almost too easy.
(38:23):
Oh, I like to keep things simple.
A second ago you were a man of mystery.
Now it's.
Now you're just giving it uplike that.
Okay, I get it.
Chef David Reyes.
All right.
All right.
Ms. Jennifer, Ms. JenniferWeinberg, how do we find you.
At Sustainable Supper Club on Instagram?
Excellent.
All right, maybe one of these.
(38:45):
We're going to.
Maybe we're gonna get outthere one day, Jen, you know that?
I feel like, great.
Yeah, we'll bring the, we'llbring the whole, you know, the whole
show and we'll do it.
We'll.
We'll do it live at theSustainable Supper Club.
All right, listen, first ofall, let me just say this.
I appreciate the fact that y'all both are here for the show.
(39:08):
Chef, thanks for coming out cooking.
Jen, love you as always.
John, you're a badass.
We are out.
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