A long-awaited episode features Rising Star chef Fernay McPherson of Minnie Bell's Soul Food. Listen to the episode and subscribe to the Menu Stories series on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Menu Stories celebrates this 50th episode with a very special guest: executive chef/owner Suzette Gresham of Acquerello, a beloved Italian restaurant in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood that boasts two Michelin stars. Listen to the episode and subscribe to the Menu Stories series on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Episode 49 features a live recording from a panel Menu Stories hosted last summer with Yelp at their beautiful headquarters in downtown San Francisco. The panel discussed the theme “Surviving and Thriving as Bay Area Restaurateurs” and included veteran chefs like Suzette Gresham (who you'll meet in episode 50), of the two Michelin starred Acquerello and newcomers like Fernay McPherson of Minnie Bell’s, who was named a Rising Star Chef by the San Francisco Chronicle last year. Listen to the...

In Episode 48, we meet Matthew Dolan, executive chef and partner of Twenty Five Lusk. The upscale restaurant-lounge has taken sustainability seriously over recent years, taking steps to become a certified green business and focusing on sustainable seafood, which Dolan writes about in his new book, Simply Fish. Listen to the episode and subscribe to the Menu Stories series on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Episode 47 features chef/owner Jordan Keao and chef de cuisine Chris Yang of ‘āina, a refined Hawaiian enclave in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood. Listen to the episode and subscribe to the Menu Stories series on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Episode 46 introduces us to Wise Sons Deli co-founder Evan Bloom and chef Eduardo Hernández. We learn why Jewish food is so comforting, explore San Francisco's lack of Jewish delis, and hear about what's next for this blossoming enterprise. Listen to the episode and subscribe to the Menu Stories series on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

In Episode 45, we meet chef Sung Anh of Mosu, a Michelin-starred restaurant in San Francisco’s Fillmore District that offers a blend of refined Asian cuisine, with a focus on Korean menu elements. Listen to the episode and subscribe to the Menu Stories series on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Episode 44 introduces us to chef Jöne Pan of Jöne's Gelato. Chef Jöne figured out how to create delicious flavor in a gelato that's gluten free, cane sugar free, dairy free, and top-eight-allergen free. Listen to the episode and subscribe to the Menu Stories series on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Popson's Burgers owners, Alvin Garcia and chef Adam Rosenblum share their adventures in launching this fast-casual favorite in San Francisco's Tenderloin, which serves its famous version of the quintessential American comfort meal. Listen to the episode and subscribe to the Menu Stories series on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Episode 42 of Menu Stories is our last of the year! Since this story is coming out just days before Christmas and Hannukah, we’re naturally talking all about chocolate. Michael and Jacky Recchiuti, who hail from West Philadelphia and Hawaii, respectively, met in San Francisco in the 80s and have now been making chocolates for 20 years. The result is local favorite Recchiuti Confections. Listen to the episode and subscribe to the Menu Stories series on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben...

On the 41st episode of Menu Stories, we meet Larry Mindel and Executive Chef Benjamin Balesteri of Poggio in Sausalito, California. Listen to the episode and subscribe to the Menu Stories series on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

In the 40th episode of Menu Stories, we get ready for Thanksgiving with the 140 year old apple trees of Gowan Orchards. The family farm has long produced a variety of native California apples and has recently begun offering award-winning hard cider. Listen to the episode and subscribe to the Menu Stories series on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Episode 39 shares the story of long-time San Francisco heavyweight chef, Bruce Hill. Chef Bruce reveals how Mario Batali inspired his love for Italian food, why he loves the art of Japanese cooking, and what he finds most rewarding in his career. Subscribe to the Menu Stories series on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

In Episode 38, Menu Stories visits the renowned Dr. Andrew Weil at the newly opened Walnut Creek True Food Kitchen, his health-and-flavor-conscious restaurant concept. We got a rare interview with Dr. Weil about his upbringing, his inspiration for dedicating a lifetime to health and nutrition, and we learned why he decided to venture into the restaurant world. Subscribe to the Menu Stories series on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Episode 37 takes us to Cassava, a small Asian-inspired restaurant in San Francisco's Richmond District that puts community and a unique operational style at the forefront. Subscribe to the Menu Stories podcast on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Episode 36 tells the story behind Head Brewer Chris Dunstan and Drake's Brewing Company, the first commercial craft brewery featured on the Menu Stories series. Subscribe to the Menu Stories podcast on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

In Episode 35, we visit past (and a couple future!) Menu Stories guests at the Golden Gate Restaurant Association's annual Eat Drink SF festival. Subscribe to the Menu Stories podcast on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Episode 34 features executive chef Wilson Chan of Tsubasa Sushi, Hayes Valley's newest sushi restaurant. Subscribe to the Menu Stories podcast on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

In part two of our special two-part feature with AQ and Mercer Restaurant Group, Menu Stories heads to the farm in Cloverdale, California. Subscribe to the Menu Stories podcast on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Episode 32 kicks off a special two-part feature, where we meet the team behind San Francisco's farm-to-table Mercer Restaurant Group and their flagship restaurant, AQ. Listen to the episode to hear the full story. Subscribe to the Menu Stories podcast on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack has been a Mission/Bernal local favorite for over 15 years, which is a feat in the tumultuous San Francisco restaurant scene. But something even more impressive is the fact that Emmy Kaplan opened the restaurant at just twenty-four years old. Listen to our interview with Emmy to hear the full story. Subscribe to the Menu Stories podcast on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Today's episode (E30) features Jay Bordeleau, Tim Hagney, and Chef Isaac Miller of Maven. The trio meet with Menu Stories host Rebecca Goberstein to discuss what music has to do with food, what wine has to do with cocktails, and why the Lower Haight was the perfect neighborhood for this polished restaurant-bar. Subscribe to the Menu Stories podcast on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Episode 29 features the story behind the southwest-inspired West of Pecos restaurant on San Francisco's bustling Valencia Street. Subscribe to the Menu Stories podcast on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

In Episode 28, we meet local legend and modern renaissance man, Angelo Garro, of Omnivore Salt. Garro and his right-hand woman, Veronica Ronchi, share the story behind this small-batch seasoning company and reveal the stories of the whimsical kitchen table at the Renaissance Forge, which has served food to Hollywood royalty and world renowned chefs. Subscribe to the Menu Stories podcast on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.