On this week's edition of Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates welcomes in popular social media personality The People's Somm. Known for his no-nonsense takes, deep-cellar knowledge, and uncanny ability to make wine feel fun again, The People's Somm has built a loyal following by breaking down barriers and busting snobbery one bottle at a time.

From natural wine debates to pairing hacks and industry secrets, this discussion with the wine world's most unfiltered voice promises to be as bold as a Barolo and as smooth as a Sonoma Pinot. Cheers!

On this week's edition of Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates welcomes in popular social media personality The People's Somm. Known for his no-nonsense takes, deep-cellar knowledge, and uncanny ability to make wine feel fun again, The People's Somm has built a loyal following by breaking down barriers and busting snobbery one bottle at a time.
From natural wine debates to pairing hacks and industry secrets, this discussion with the wine world's most unfiltered voice promises to be as bold as a Barolo and as smooth as a Sonoma Pinot. Cheers!

Each week, on CULINARY CONFIDENTIAL, Christina Cates - a seasoned foodie who has worked at some of the New York City's top restaurants, will share her passion for the culinary world. Whether you're a professional chef, a restaurant enthusiast, or a lover of good food, Christina dives into the heart of hospitality - exploring the trends, triumphs, and challenges facing the food service profession...And you won't want to miss her chats with some of the most interesting and influential industry voices. CULINARY CONFIDENTIAL, Sunday nights, at 9PM... exclusively on AM 970 The Answer.

Each week, on CULINARY CONFIDENTIAL, Christina Cates - a seasoned foodie who has worked at some of the New York City's top restaurants, will share her passion for the culinary world.&nbsp;Whether you're a professional chef, a restaurant enthusiast, or a lover of good food, Christina dives into the heart of hospitality - exploring the trends, triumphs, and challenges facing the food service profession...And you won't want to miss her chats with some of the most interesting and influential industry voices.&nbsp;CULINARY CONFIDENTIAL, Sunday nights, at 9PM... exclusively on AM 970 The Answer.

Culinary Confidential with Christina Cates

The People's Somm

This week, Christina Cates celebrates Women in Small Business Month by welcoming the three powerhouse founders of Hush Venues: PS Ives, Tiffany Skrela, and Sara Altobelli.

Hush Venues is a female-owned luxury real-estate company, specializing in sourcing and leasing extraordinary New York City spaces for high-profile fashion shows, brand activations, lavish galas, private celebrations, and corporate gatherings. In a market where real estate is everything and access is everything else, these three longtime friends and colleagues have carved out their own lane, connecting clients with some of Manhattan’s most desirable and hard-to-find properties.

But this conversation goes well beyond beautiful rooms.

Christina and the Hush founders dig into what it actually takes for three ambitious women to form a partnership, build a business in one of the world’s most competitive cities, and turn a shared vision into something tangible. They’ll talk about the hustle, the relationships, the calculated risks, the inevitable challenges, and the delicate balance of bringing different strengths to the same table — while each staying true to her own voice.

Because finding the right space is an art. It takes an eye for possibility, an understanding of what makes a property special, and the connections to bring the right people and places together. As someone who has spent her career in hospitality, Christina has always believed the setting matters: the right room can change the entire energy of an experience before the first guest walks through the door.

This week, Christina Cates celebrates Women in Small Business Month by welcoming the three powerhouse founders of <a href="https://www.husheventsnyc.com">Hush Venues</a>: PS Ives, Tiffany Skrela, and Sara Altobelli.
Hush Venues is a female-owned luxury real-estate company, specializing in sourcing and leasing extraordinary New York City spaces for high-profile fashion shows, brand activations, lavish galas, private celebrations, and corporate gatherings. In a market where real estate is everything and access is everything else, these three longtime friends and colleagues have carved out their own lane, connecting clients with some of Manhattan&rsquo;s most desirable and hard-to-find properties.
But this conversation goes well beyond beautiful rooms.
Christina and the Hush founders dig into what it actually takes for three ambitious women to form a partnership, build a business in one of the world&rsquo;s most competitive cities, and turn a shared vision into something tangible. They&rsquo;ll talk about the hustle, the relationships, the calculated risks, the inevitable challenges, and the delicate balance of bringing different strengths to the same table &mdash; while each staying true to her own voice.
Because finding the right space is an art. It takes an eye for possibility, an understanding of what makes a property special, and the connections to bring the right people and places together. As someone who has spent her career in hospitality, Christina has always believed the setting matters: the right room can change the entire energy of an experience before the first guest walks through the door.

Hush Venues: The Business of Extraordinary Event Spaces

An industry can deliver a meal, but consistent hospitality is built through daily decisions about service, ingredients, and how a room feels. For Antonio Rappazzo and Michele Trizzino, that work is rooted in years of operating New York restaurants and nightlife venues, now applied to a small coastal Maine bistro - Bistro Leluco.

Antonio and Michele met in Manhattan’s restaurant industry and later worked in operations for the Almond Restaurant Group. Antonio also partnered with friends of the show Eric Lemonides and Jason Weiner on L&W Oyster Co., a Flatiron seafood restaurant that shifted between daytime clam-shack service and evening oyster-bar dining. Michele’s experience includes operational and management roles at high-volume New York nightlife and hospitality venues, including The Box, Gilded Lily, and others.

They relocated to the South Portland area and opened Bistro Leluco in January 2023. The 36-seat restaurant is a Mediterranean-inspired neighborhood bistro focused on seasonal, local ingredients, a full bar program, and neighborhood hospitality. The name combines the first letters of their three children’s names: Leo, Lucca, and Coco. In July 2023, the Maine Sunday Telegram gave the restaurant a four-star review, noting its polished French- and Italian-influenced cooking with New England ingredients and the owners’ hands-on approach to the space.

This week’s episode looks at the practical transition from New York operators to independent restaurant owners in a smaller market, how they staff and run a tight 36-seat room, and the day-to-day work of maintaining high service standards in a coastal Maine setting.

Antonio Rappazzo and Michele Trizzino are living proof that true hospitality doesn't change with the zip code; it just finds a new home.

An industry can deliver a meal, but consistent hospitality is built through daily decisions about service, ingredients, and how a room feels. For Antonio Rappazzo and Michele Trizzino, that work is rooted in years of operating New York restaurants and nightlife venues, now applied to a small coastal Maine bistro - Bistro Leluco.
Antonio and Michele met in Manhattan&rsquo;s restaurant industry and later worked in operations for the Almond Restaurant Group. Antonio also partnered with friends of the show Eric Lemonides and Jason Weiner on L&amp;W Oyster Co., a Flatiron seafood restaurant that shifted between daytime clam-shack service and evening oyster-bar dining. Michele&rsquo;s experience includes operational and management roles at high-volume New York nightlife and hospitality venues, including The Box, Gilded Lily, and others.
They relocated to the South Portland area and opened Bistro Leluco in January 2023.&nbsp;The 36-seat restaurant is a Mediterranean-inspired neighborhood bistro focused on seasonal, local ingredients, a full bar program, and neighborhood hospitality. The name combines the first letters of their three children&rsquo;s names: Leo, Lucca, and Coco. In July 2023, the Maine Sunday Telegram gave the restaurant a four-star review, noting its polished French- and Italian-influenced cooking with New England ingredients and the owners&rsquo; hands-on approach to the space.
This week&rsquo;s episode looks at the practical transition from New York operators to independent restaurant owners in a smaller market, how they staff and run a tight 36-seat room, and the day-to-day work of maintaining high service standards in a coastal Maine setting.
Antonio Rappazzo and Michele Trizzino are living proof that true hospitality doesn't change with the zip code; it just finds a new home.

Bistro Leluco Captures Coastal Crown

Some people make baking look beautiful. John Kanell, creator of Preppy Kitchen, New York Times bestselling author, and one of the biggest personalities in digital food, makes you believe that YOU can actually do it.

He joins the show this week to discuss how he got to this point, and highlight his newest cookbook - Preppy Kitchen: Everyday Baking.

Before the cookbooks, millions of followers, and beautifully styled cakes, John was a middle school math and science teacher. What began as a creative outlet eventually became the Preppy Kitchen platform, where he amassed nearly 10 million followers across his social platforms. His followers turn to him for recipes that are beautiful, reliable, and most importantly, approachable.

John has a way of taking something that may feel intimidating - whether it’s baking a layer cake, making the perfect pastry, or simply getting into the kitchen - and make you think, “I can actually do this!” He brings this same philosophy to Preppy Kitchen: Everyday Baking.

 

Some people make baking look beautiful. John Kanell, creator of Preppy Kitchen, New York Times bestselling author, and one of the biggest personalities in digital food, makes you believe that YOU can actually do it.
He joins the show this week to discuss how he got to this point, and highlight his newest cookbook - Preppy Kitchen: Everyday Baking.
Before the cookbooks, millions of followers, and beautifully styled cakes, John was a middle school math and science teacher. What began as a creative outlet eventually became the Preppy Kitchen platform, where he amassed nearly 10 million followers across his social platforms. His followers turn to him for recipes that are beautiful, reliable, and most importantly, approachable.
John has a way of taking something that may feel intimidating - whether it&rsquo;s baking a layer cake, making the perfect pastry, or simply getting into the kitchen - and make you think, &ldquo;I can actually do this!&rdquo; He brings this same philosophy to Preppy Kitchen: Everyday Baking.
&nbsp;

The People's Somm

In 1 playlist(s)

Culinary Confidential with Christina Cates

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips