Snacky Tunes

On this episode of Snacky Tunes, Darin Bresnitz heads to the Lone Star State for a conversation with Alba Huerta, the award-winning bartender and owner of Julep in Houston. Alba shares how her childhood backyard parties shaped her hospitality style, her journey to mastering the craft of cocktails, and what it meant to win a James Beard Award while giving back to her local community through mentorship.

Then it’s a trip into ...

This week on Snacky Tunes, Darin brings listeners an all-new, all-live episode straight from the heart. First up is a powerful conversation with Chef Heena Patel of San Francisco’s Besharam. She reflects on her journey from India to the United States and how cooking her youth's bold, beautiful food has become a tribute to her family and heritage. It's an emotional and inspiring story of reinvention, culture, and courage.

Th...

On this episode of Snacky Tunes, Darin sits down with Buddha Lo, executive chef and co-owner of Huso in NYC, and the two-time winner of Top Chef. Buddha shares how he started cooking in his family’s Chinese restaurant in Australia, his journey through London’s top kitchens, what drew him to New York, and how music plays a key role in shaping the vibe at his fine dining spot.

Then we dig into the archives with a visit from 2...

This week on Snacky Tunes, Darin sits down with Marc Rose and Med Abrous of the iconic LA restaurant Genghis Cohen. In a heartfelt and candid conversation, they reflect on the emotional journey of deciding to close their original, legendary location and the hope and excitement of starting fresh in a new space. They discuss what it means to be woven into the cultural fabric of Los Angeles and the resilience it takes to keep...

This week on Snacky Tunes, Darin sits down with chef Jesús “Chuy” Cervantes, the force behind Damian and Ditroit Taquería in Los Angeles. From growing up in El Paso to cooking alongside Enrique Olvera, he shares his journey through kitchens, cities, and flavors—including the big moves that brought him from Brooklyn to DTLA. Plus, we talk about this week’s can’t-miss Pujol pop-up at Damian (pro tip: try the bar).

Later, Dari...

This week on Snacky Tunes, host Darin Bresnitz heads back to his hometown of Philadelphia for a delicious convo with chef and restauranteur Kelsey Bush. From growing up in Hershey to culinary school to working on a farm, Kelsey shares the journey that led her to feed none other than the reigning Super Bowl champs—the Philadelphia Eagles—serving up Pop-Tarts and pastries from her new restaurant, Loretta’s, at every home gam...

This week on Snacky Tunes, host Darin Bresnitz welcomes back Leah Ferrazzani, founder of Semolina Artisanal Pasta and now the heart behind Ferrazzani’s, her new café in Altadena. Leah shares what it’s been like shifting from the world of CPG to running a neighborhood spot, how she's been nourishing her community in the wake of the Eaton Canyon fire, and the sounds that set the tone inside her café. 

Then, we head into the a...

On this week’s episode of Snacky Tunes, host Darin Bresnitz sits down with the ever-talented Peter Som to celebrate the release of his new book, Family Style: Elegant Everyday Recipes. They chat about Peter’s early career in fashion, his roots in the kitchen cooking alongside his mother and grandmother, and how those formative family dinners sparked a lifelong love of food—even while working in couture.

Then, we dip into th...

On this episode of Snacky Tunes, host Darin Bresnitz sits down with two of his favorite voices in the LA restaurant scene—Ari Kolender and Joe Laraja of Found Oyster and Queen Street. They dive into the inspiration behind Queen Street, the Charleston-influenced seafood spot that’s quickly become a local favorite, and what it’s like running two standout restaurants at the same time.

Ari also shares insights from his new cook...

On this episode of Snacky Tunes, we welcome back our good friend Mike Traud to talk about the Chef Conference happening in Philadelphia from April 4th-7th. It’s a hometown hero kind of event, bringing some of the biggest culinary names and local legends to the City of Brotherly Love for a few days of food, conversation, and community.

Mike gives us the inside scoop on the Noma Project joining the conference this year, the t...

This week on Snacky Tunes, we sit down with Randy Clement of Good Neighbor Bar and West Altadena Wine & Spirits—part of the Everson Royce family of neighborhood spots—to talk about the Altadena area and how it was impacted by the Eaton Canyon fire. Randy shares what it was like being on the ground with his son, looking up houses as the flames still burned, the emotional weight of reopening for the community, and the lo...

This week on Snacky Tunes, Darin’s back in Bed-Stuy, chopping it up with Chef Jilbert El-Zmetr about his brand-new restaurant, Laziza. From growing up in the family business to globe-trotting his way to Williamsburg, Jilbert shares the journey that led him to open a spot that blends killer mezze, vintage vibes, and a soundtrack straight from his personal vinyl collection.

Then, we keep the Brooklyn love going, digging into ...

On this episode of Snacky Tunes, Darin heads down to San Diego to catch up with Chef Tara Monsod of ANIMAE and Le Coq. She shares her journey from growing up in LA to shaping a new kind of restaurant experience that blends her Filipino heritage with modern flavors. We talk about her culinary philosophy, the energy of her kitchens, and what makes a Saturday night at her spots something special.

Then, we take a trip into the ...

In this special installment of Snacky Tunes, Darin continues the conversation on how the Los Angeles culinary community is responding to the devastating L.A. fires. First, we welcome back Brad Metzger and Jacqui Leanza, who are behind one of the most incredible fundraising dinners—Chefs Love LA. The event features an all-star lineup including Ruth Reichl, Daniel Boulud, Nyesha Arrington, Billy Harris, Phil Rosenthal, Jerem...

In this episode of Snacky Tunes, Darin continues the conversation about the ongoing challenges faced by the Los Angeles restaurant community in the wake of the devastating fires. Over two weeks in, the fires continue to impact the city with little clarity on the road ahead.

First, Darin welcomes back Charles Namba and Courtney Kaplan of Tsubaki, Ototo, and Camélia, who share their experiences navigating the crisis. The duo ...

In this heartfelt and timely episode of Snacky Tunes, host Darin Bresnitz delves into the early recovery efforts following the devastating wildfires that swept through Los Angeles, including the Palisades and Eaton Canyon areas. The culinary community, as always, is at the forefront of healing, offering food, love, and support to those in need.

This week’s lineup features three incredible guests:

• Mary Sue Milliken: The ...

We recorded this episode on Tuesday, January 7th at 12:30pm.  A few hours later, Travis Hayden, chef of Bar Etoile, would lose his house to the Palisades Fire and my family would lose our house to the Eaton Canyon Fire. Our communities have been devastated, but also beyond supportive and full of so much love. We wanted to share the episode we had put together for the start of the year to have something normal and regular.

O...

This episode of Snacky Tunes features host Darin Bresnitz wrapping up the year with a heartfelt thank-you to all the guests, engineers, and PR teams who made the show possible. He also shares exciting news about the return of new episodes and newsletter content in the new year. In this episode, he sits down with two key figures in the LA food scene, Bill Addison and Jenn Harris, for a deep dive into the annual L.A. Times 1...

Darin sits down with Xander Soren, the founder and Chief Wine Operator of Xander Soren Wines.  They chat about his time at Apple, working on game-changing programs like GarageBand, his deep affinity for Japanese culture, and he shares some of his playlists that pair perfectly with his pinot.  Then we dip into the archives when singer-songwriter Sarah Jaffe swung by to share stories and songs from the latest EP, SMUT.

As the...