Our next guest is on a mission to support restaurants and reclaim market share in a sector her company helped revolutionize 26 years ago. Debby Soo, CEO of OpenTable, the pioneering platform for restaurant reservations, founded in 1998 in San Francisco. Today, OpenTable remains the leader in online reservations as part of Booking Holdings Inc., but being the first and largest doesn’t automatically mean it’s the best.   Debby took the helm in 2020 during an extraordinarily challenging time...

Chef Mauro Colagreco has famously said, “We aren’t a restaurant with a garden, we are a garden with a restaurant.” He and his team are deeply committed to safeguarding the world’s culinary heritage, particularly through the preservation of biodiversity in both flora and fauna. This dedication has extended his role far beyond the kitchen and his numerous restaurants, positioning him as a global leader in sustainable gastronomy.   An Argentine-born chef, Mauro has embraced a philosophy of...

On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Chef Jon Yao and Sommelier Ryan Bailey, co-owners of Kato, an Asian American restaurant that artfully explores the intersection of Los Angeles culture and the Asian diaspora.   Kato originally opened in a small Westside strip mall, operating in a space just one-quarter the size of its current location in Downtown LA. At that time, Jon was just 25 years old. Despite its modest beginnings, the team’s innovative approach...

In January 2023, Gabriel traveled to the southern Pacific Coast of Mexico, in the state of Guerrero, to experience Playa Viva, an eco-luxury and regenerative boutique hotel founded by our next guest, David Leventhal, and his then-wife shortly after purchasing the land in 2006.   Playa Viva is situated at the base of the Sierra Madre Mountains, just forty minutes from Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa International Airport (ZIH). This unique hotel embodies the concept "where your vacation meets your...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Clay Williams, Brooklyn-based James Beard Award-winning photographer.   Clay has been capturing and helping tell stories about food, hospitality, and the people and places that define our culture for more than 15 years. His work has appeared in the pages of Food & Wine, The New York Times, Bloomberg, and Travel + Leisure, as well as in cookbooks by Chef Kwame Onwuachi and Atlanta chef Todd Richards.    In this...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Adam Teeter, New York-based Co-founder and CEO of VinePair.   Adam and Josh Malin Co-founded VinePair ten years ago and together they’ve grown the platform into the largest multi-media publication about wine, beer and spirits in America, reaching almost 40 million people a month.   In this episode, we discuss: ☑️Remake the industry in a new image ☑️Journalism through the lens of the glass ☑️Educating the next...

Our next guests are Ian Burrell and Aaisha Dadral, Co-founders of The Equiano Rum Company, creators of the world’s first African and Caribbean rums. This pioneering venture not only celebrates the rich heritage of rum but also champions the values of freedom and equality, inspired by the legendary figure Olaudah Equiano.   Ian, known globally as the Rum Ambassador, has spent decades entertaining and educating audiences about the diverse and exhilarating world of rum. He is the visionary...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Matthew Kaner, Los Angeles-based sommelier, wine educator, correspondent and consultant.   Matthew is the wine correspondent for Men's Journal which garners 12,000,000 unique monthly views. He’s also the Owner of “Will Travel For Wine Consulting” and literally will travel anywhere and everywhere on the globe for wine and food experiences. Matthew was named one of the Sommeliers of the Year by Food & Wine Magazine and...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Rita Jammet, New York-based restaurateur, hospitality advisor and Founder of La Caravelle Champagne.   Rita and her husband André owned and operated the iconic New York French restaurant, La Caravelle. The New York Times described La Caravelle as a “French Legend and a Paris in Manhattan experience to food enthusiasts and the A-list of American society.”    After closing La Caravelle restaurant in 2004, Rita started to...

Our next guest bathes throughout the year in an energy of potential and is constantly on a journey of exploration and discovery.   Meet Jhonatan Cano, restaurateur, travel enthusiast, and global citizen. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Jhonatan always had a deep yearning to discover the world. He began his career in award-winning hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, and Conrad Hotel. Later, he joined José Andrés and the ThinkFoodGroup as an integral team member of the flagship...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Bill Esparza, Los Angeles-based James Beard Award winning writer and author of LA Mexicano.   Bill is a leading authority on Latin American cuisine as a freelance writer for publications such as New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Eater; he’s also appeared on several food television programs.   In this episode, we discuss: ☑️Travel always inspires him to discover more ☑️Afro-Mexican cuisine of Oaxaca  ☑️”The...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Esther Tseng, Los Angeles-based food, drinks and culture writer.   Esther is an Academy Chair of the USA West region for The World’s 50 Best Bars and has served as judge for the James Beard Foundation. She has contributed to numerous publications like The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Eater, Civil Eats, Saveur, Resy, VICE, Time Out and many more.   In this episode, we discuss: ...

Daniel Johnnes, truly needs no introduction. He is a luminary in the wine industry, renowned for his leadership and community-building efforts. As one of America’s pioneering sommeliers—one of our forefathers in the field, if you will—Daniel has dedicated decades to mentoring and educating the next generation of wine professionals.   Daniel is the visionary founder of several prestigious wine events and initiatives. He established La Paulée, an annual celebration inspired by the traditional...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Mike Jordan, Atlanta-based journalist and Senior Editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.   As Senior Editor, Mike leads the media brand “UATL,” which focuses on Black culture. Just last week, Mike won the James Beard Foundation’s 2024 Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award for coverage of Atlanta. He’s also an executive board member for the Atlanta Press Club. His work has been featured in National Geographic, Rolling...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Xanthe Clay, UK-based chef and food writer with 25 years of experience as a Telegraph columnist.   For the past 11 years Xanthe’s been The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy Chair for UK and Ireland. At the Telegraph she provides guidance on everything from roasting a Christmas turkey to baking the perfect loaf of bread. She’s also focused on taking a deep-dive into topical issues such as ultra processed foods, ethical...

As the Beatles sang in their 1967 hit, “All You Need is Love,” they weren't just referring to the love of another but also the love of oneself. Our next Hot Spot guest, Chef Jordan Kahn, is writing a new chapter in his career, focused on redefining success and joy through love.   Jordan honed his skills under culinary icons like Thomas Keller, Grant Achatz, and Michael Mina. He has been at the forefront of LA’s culinary scene with his restaurants—Destroyer, an informal daytime spot serving...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Cláudia de Brito, Dubai-based journalist, host, moderator and content creator.   Born to Portuguese-Cape Verdean parents in Singapore, raised in Dubai and educated in London, Cláudia’s depth of experience and global perspective has helped her cover hospitality and travel for over a decade. She’s was the Editor of several publications including Caterer Middle East and Hotelier Middle East. In 2021, she was appointed Gulf...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Kayla Stewart, Houston-and-NY-based food and travel journalist, cookbook author and Editor of Eater Houston.   Kayla’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Eater, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, and others. Her piece, “The Sweetest Harvest,” won the 2023 James Beard Foundation Profile Award, and her story, “Teach a Man to Fish,” will be anthologized in the 2023 edition of Best American...

When was the last time you ate Korean food at your local Koreatown, enjoyed a K-drama on your favorite streaming service, or flipped open TikTok to a viral sensation soundtracked by a famous K-pop band? Have you noticed the impact of Korean cuisine and culture on our world? Maybe you're noticing it now, or perhaps you're already a citizen of Koreaworld, deeply connected to the culture.   Our next two guests, Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard, are true citizens of Koreaworld—global ambassadors...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Prairie Rose, Los Angeles-based journalist, trained sommelier, cocktail book author, and wine and spirits educator.    Prairie is Food & Wine's senior drinks editor and also the senior editor of Liquor.com. In addition to Food & Wine, her work has been featured in The Whiskey Wash, Forbes, Men's Health, Self Magazine, and Design Sponge, among others. She is the author of the book Mixology for Beginners:...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with June Kim, Los Angeles-based food media executive and Head of Video for Bon Appétit and Epicurious.   As Head of Video, June oversees numerous shows and series highlighting compelling chefs and restaurants, delicious recipes from their test kitchen, and other food and beverage culture formats that help bring Bon Appétit and Epicurious to life on screen. June and her team were recently nominated for two James Beard Awards,...

This is an episode rerelease from our On The Pass archives. We hope you enjoy!   Can chefs step up and takeover our broken food system? Chef Dan Barber thinks they can and should. Dan is the Co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, author of The New York Times Bestseller "The Third Plate", and Co-Founder of Row 7 Seeds, a company developing and exploring new varieties of vegetables and grains.   We dissect today’s broken food system and take a deeper look at the current state...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Kat Odell, Brooklyn-based food and travel journalist.   Kat is the author of Unicorn Food and Day Drinking and is a TasteHunter for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and 50 Best Bars. She’s been published in Vogue, New York Times’, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Bloomberg and Michelin Guide to name a few. As a creative consultant, she also advises numerous companies on their culinary strategy.    In this episode,...

On this episode of the High Tea series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Devin Reed, Los Angeles-based Sommelier, wine consultant and creator of Wine and Culture LA.   As producer and host of Wine & Culture LA, a content series and moment he created for the culture and enjoyment of wine, Dev sits down with notable guests like Cedric the Entertainer, Maverick Carter who’s (LeBron James’ business partner) and Neil brown Jr, who you’ll know from Issa Rae’s HBO series, Insecure, and many...