Jared Rouben

When a brewery stops acting like a brewery and starts thinking like a culinary institution, the entire industry shifts. This week, Culinary Confidential is proud to spotlight Moody Tongue Brewing Company - the Chicago original rewriting the rules of flavor, technique, and hospitality. Founded by J…

Culinary Confidential's Mother's Day Spotlight with Jody & Richard Kreush

This Mother’s Day on Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates steps inside a story built on warmth, grit, and the kind of family chemistry you can taste. Joining the show is Jody Kreush and her son Richard Kreush, the duo behind Columbia, South Carolina’s beloved Cinnamon Roll Deli for a conversation…

Brandon Manly & Casey Cooley

While some restaurant groups add locations, The Foundry Group builds engines. This week, Christina Cates welcomes Brandon Manly, CEO of The Foundry Group, and Casey Cooley, Chief Development Officer of Foundry Development - two great operators who treat growth like a discipline, not a gamble. The…

Steve Lombardo III and the Lombardo Legacy

Some restaurant families build businesses. The Lombardos built a city’s identity. This week on Culinary Confidential, Steven Lombardo III of Gibsons Restaurant Group joins the show! It all started in 1989, when Steve Lombardo Jr. and Hugo Ralli opened Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse on Rush Street. What …

The Power of Latin Cuisine with Joe Cordero

Some cuisines don't just feed the body, they carry entire cultures, stories of migration, resilience, and innovation that are reshaping how the world eats. On this week's Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates sits down with Joe Cordero of Rosa: Agave & Wine Lounge in Tribeca to explore the vibrant…

Jennifer Oz LeRoy

Legacies can anchor cities, yes, but rare ones go much further - they shape people who grow up inside their glow. And few legacies have left a deeper imprint on American culture than the LeRoy dynasty, whose influence stretches from the soundstages of Hollywood to the shimmering lights of Tavern On…

Culinary Confidential's Spotlight on Passover

Passover isn't just another date on the calendar. It's a ritual that carries memory forward - a night where symbols turn into stories and the journey from slavery to freedom is retold so each generation can feel it anew. On this week's Culinary Confidential, we gather at the Seder table with voice…

Maria C. Palmer

Dining Rooms. Some of them become neighborhood favorites. A few of them become institutions. Then you have the rare ones that turn into something larger than life. One of them was situated just outside of Pittsburgh, PA in McKees Rocks - The Primadonna. Opening in 1986, The Primadonna reshaped Pitt…

Tony Mangia

Some places don't just feed you; they shape you. The old-school red sauce joints of North Jersey and New York are more than just restaurants, they're cultural landmarks where Sunday gravy simmers for hours, families gather in dining rooms, and entire communities find their identity one plate at a t…

Sean Daly

For the St. Patrick's Day 2026 edition of Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates looks into an art that refuses to disappear.  It's an art that has survived not just because it's easy, but because of a select few people that still believe it is worth protecting. Meet Sean Daly, one of the last mas…