White Dog Cafe's Dining Out for the Dogs, Customize Your Next Bowl at Farina Pasta Bar, and Enjoy the Sweet Life of Mead from Revolution Bees on Food Farms And Chefs Radio Show, Episode 332!

Fearless Restaurant Group's "Dining Out for the Dogs"

Jamie Blackburn, who is the Director of Public Relations for Fearless Restaurants discussed the upcoming 8th annual "Dining Out for the Dogs" event at White Dog Cafe on August 4th. The event benefits Alpha Bravo Canine, a nonprofit organization which provides service dogs to veterans. The event will be held at suburban locations and will feature special menu items, including a popular hot dog flight, puppy kissing booths, and Tito's cocktail offerings. Blackburn emphasized the importance of reservations, especially for the VIP dog-friendly tables, and highlighted the opportunity for community members to volunteer as puppy raisers for the service dog program.

Farina Pasta Bar 

Our host next sat down with husband and wife team Dan and Taylor Lee who own Farina Pasta Bar, located in Philadelphia.  Dan shared his journey in the culinary industry to starting his business, eventually meeting his wife and business partner. The couple now runs both a food truck and a brick-and-mortar restaurant, balancing their busy schedules while inspiring others with their delicious dishes.

Dan and Amaris discussed the concept of a pasta restaurant, where customers can build their own pasta dishes by choosing sauces and shapes. Dan explained that they make fresh pasta in-store, offering four main shapes, and plan to expand to include flavored pastas in the future. They discussed the differences between American and Italian dining portions, with Dan noting that their restaurant aims for a casual, lunch-focused concept with reasonable portion sizes. Dan also discussed Farina's customizable menu options for private events, including pasta, sauces, and gelato, as well as their unique pasta salads. He explained that their Rittenhouse location at 132 South 17th Street offers both in-store dining and takeout, and they can be found online at farinaphl.com and on Instagram @farina.phl.

Revolution Bees

Lastly, Steve Occiolini and Walter Talunas discussed their journey into creating Revolution Bees. Steve and Walt are both beekeepers, with Steve starting his process of beekeeping to enhance his garden's productivity, while Walt was drawn to the hobby after reading a blog about beekeeping. They both emphasized the importance of bees in pollinating crops, with Walt noting that honeybees are responsible for 30-60% of all crops. They have been successful beekeepers for over 20 years, with Walt now maintaining over 40 hives.

Mead Production and Flavor Experimentation
Amaris and Walt discussed the process of creating mead, a honey-based alcoholic beverage along with a number of other products that their company creates.  After chatting about the process of what the honey goes through for the various products, Steve and Walt shared the history and process on mead-making, ending with where you can purchase their products and find them in person, including farmers markets, Renaissance fairs, and wine festivals. For more information and where to find them, please visit revolutionbees.com.