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Walk-In Talk Podcast

Walk-In Talk Podcast

Written by: Carl Fiadini
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About this listen

 Walk-In Talk Podcast Where the food industry comes to life! Hosted by Carl Fiadini, founder of Walk-In Talk Media, the Walk-In Talk Podcast is the #1 ranked food podcast on Apple Charts—bringing raw, unfiltered conversations from chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, bartenders, and all the hands that feed us. We go beyond the pass, capturing the pulse of the hospitality world with exclusive trade show coverage, compelling mini-documentaries, and intimate interviews with culinary leaders shaping food culture. Whether we're behind the line, on the docks, or in the studio, every episode is a salute to the passion and grit driving the industry. Walk-In Talk Podcast is the Official Podcast Partner for: NY, CA & FL Restaurant Shows, Pizza Tomorrow Summit, and U.S. Culinary Open. Proudly partnered with: RAK Porcelain USA Metro Foodservice SupraCut Systems Aussie Select Crab Island Seafood Pass the Honey The Burnt Chef Project Citrus America Walk-In Talk Media proudly serves as the North American media partner for The Burnt Chef Project, supporting mental health in hospitality. 🎧 Tune in, get inspired, and remember—this industry runs on more than just food… it runs on heart. 📬 Want to pitch a guest, collaborate, or become a brand partner? Contact us at: Info@thewalkintalk.com© 2025 Walk-In Talk Podcast Art Cooking Food & Wine
Episodes
  • James Beard, Michelin, and the Soul of King Cake

    James Beard, Michelin, and the Soul of King Cake
    Jan 16 2026

    🎭 EPISODE SUMMARY

    Mardi Gras at the Table: King Cake, Culture, and Culinary Legacy

    This special Mardi Gras edition of Walk-In Talk steps away from the stove and into tradition.

    Rather than a typical cooking session, this episode centers on king cake as cultural ritual, bringing together James Beard winners, Michelin-starred perspective, and one of the most respected food writers covering New Orleans today.

    Mr. Johnny Clutch, Pooch Rivera personally drove multiple king cakes from New Orleans to the studio, honoring the idea that some foods deserve to be carried, not shipped. At the table are king cakes from Brennan's Restaurant, gifted by the Brennan family, a James Beard Award–winning king cake from Dong Phuong Bakery, and a collaborative cake from James Beard recipient Neal Bodenheimer, owner of Cure and board chair of Tales of the Cocktail, created with Ayu Bakehouse and baked by Kelly Jacques, Food & Wine's Best New Chef of 2025.

    Joining the conversation is writer and author Matt Haines, making his third Mardi Gras-time appearance on the show, helping unpack what Mardi Gras and king cake truly represent beyond spectacle.

    Also in studio is one-Michelin-star chef Michael Collantes, who brings a Michelin-level lens to tradition and helps bring a cocktail recipe from Bodenheimer to life.

    This episode connects James Beard and Michelin worlds, chefs and writers, ritual and evolution, showing how food culture endures when it's treated with respect.

    This isn't about recipes.
    It's about meaning.

    🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • King cake is ritual, not novelty
      Timing, intention, and origin matter more than trend or distribution.

    • Tradition doesn't conflict with excellence
      James Beard and Michelin recognition can coexist with deep cultural respect.

    • The journey is part of the story
      Physically transporting food reinforces its value and cultural weight.

    • Food, drink, and storytelling are inseparable
      Cocktails, baked goods, and conversation together preserve memory and meaning.

    • Writers and chefs protect culture in different but complementary ways
      Both are essential to keeping culinary traditions alive.

    🤝 BRAND & CAUSE PARTNERS

    Brand Partners

    • Metro Foodservice Solutions
      https://www.metro.com

    • RAK Porcelain USA
      https://www.rakporcelain.com

    • Crab Island Seafood Dip
      https://www.crabislandseafooddip.com

    • Citrus America
      https://www.citrusamerica.com

    Cause Partners

    • The Burnt Chef Project (North America)
      https://www.theburntchefproject.com

    • Operation BBQ Relief
      https://operationbbqrelief.org

    • Hogs for the Cause
      https://hogsforthecause.org
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • Chef Michael Collantes on Earning and Keeping a Michelin Star in Orlando, FL

    Chef Michael Collantes on Earning and Keeping a Michelin Star in Orlando, FL
    Jan 9 2026
    Walk-In Talk Media kicks off 2026 in-studio with Chef Michael Collantes, chef-owner of Soseki Orlando, a one-Michelin-star restaurant that has earned and retained its star. This conversation goes past accolades and into what it takes to sustain excellence, build teams across multiple concepts, and keep your life intact while doing it. We also introduce a new recurring chapter, Chef Mike officially joins the Walk-In Talk Media family as a recurring collaborator. Later in the episode, you will hear from Frederic Casagrande with The Live Fire Report, expanding WITM coverage of international barbecue and live fire culture. In-studio cook Japanese fluke (hirame) breakdown and two mirrored dishes Kombu-jime cure, crispy potato technique, and a truffle-forward direction "Mottainai" mindset, using bones and trim instead of wasting Key topics What consistency really means when you are being judged in silence Leadership when you scale from one room to multiple restaurants Burnout, rebuilding, and the role of faith, family, and identity Art vs business in hospitality, and why community and storytelling matter Why pressure can build greatness, but cannot destroy the person Notable moments Chef Mike's path from early jobs to Wolfgang Puck to Michelin-level kitchens Soseki as "foundation", and how standards get set and protected Why storytelling and community building are now essential for restaurants Featured segment Frederic Casagrande introduces The Live Fire Report, a WITM segment focused on global live fire, competition culture, and the people shaping it. Connect with Chef Mike Website: MikeCollantes.com Instagram: @ChefMikeCollantes TikTok: @ChefFlipMike Episode takeaways Consistency is a system, not a mood. Great once is easy, great every night is leadership and process. Scaling demands trust. The bigger the operation, the less "hands-on control" matters, and the more people and standards matter. Burnout is real, and rebuilding is possible. The conversation highlights how identity, faith, and family can reframe success. Storytelling is a competitive advantage. Food can be incredible, but community and meaning are what keep people coming back. Pressure can build diamonds, but health is non-negotiable. Excellence is the goal, self-destruction is not. Walk-In Talk Media Brand Partners Metro Foodservice Solutions https://www.metro.com RAK Porcelain USA https://www.rakporcelain.com Aussie Select https://aussieselect.com Crab Island Seafood Company https://crabislandseafooddip.com Pass the Honey https://freshhoneycomb.com Citrus America https://citrusamerica.com Walk-In Talk Media Cause & Nonprofit Partners The Burnt Chef Project https://www.theburntchefproject.com Operation BBQ Relief https://operationbbqrelief.org Hogs for the Cause https://hogsforthecause.org Sustainable Supperclub https://www.sustainablesupperclub.org Walk-In Talk Media Industry & Event Partners Restaurant Events LLC https://www.restaurantevents.com U.S. Culinary Open https://www.usculinaryopen.com
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
  • The Quiet Work of Belonging in Hospitality with Marina Baronas and Chef Carl Riding

    The Quiet Work of Belonging in Hospitality with Marina Baronas and Chef Carl Riding
    Dec 19 2025

    Belonging is not something you arrive at. It is something you build.

    In this episode of Walk-In Talk Media, Carl Fiadini sits down in studio with Marina Baronas, hospitality leader and author of A New Life, A New Menu: An Almanac of Belonging. Raised across Lithuania, Russia, and Azerbaijan, Marina came to the United States at nineteen without speaking English and built a life through the unseen work of hospitality. Her journey moves through kitchens, dining rooms, leadership, motherhood, burnout, and reinvention, offering an honest look at service as lived experience, not performance.

    Joining the conversation is Chef Carl Riding, who came up through hotels and kitchens before stepping away from the line to build Crab Island Seafood, a small, independent, chef-driven company producing elevated crab dips. Together, they explore dignity in invisible labor, identity beyond titles, redefining success without leaving hospitality, and why this industry continues to feel like home even after it takes its toll.

    This episode is for anyone who has carried their roots across borders, worked until they were unseen, or searched for belonging inside the hospitality industry.

    What to Expect From This Episode

    • Immigration, identity, and finding belonging through hospitality

    • The emotional cost of invisible labor and long-term burnout

    • Front of house and back of house perspectives shaped by hotels and kitchens

    • Redefining success without walking away from the industry

    • Why hospitality continues to feel like home, even after reinvention

    Brand Partners

    Crab Island Seafood
    https://www.crabislandseafooddip.com

    Metro Foodservice Solutions
    https://www.metro.com

    RAK Porcelain USA
    https://www.rakporcelain.com/usa

    Pass the Honey
    https://www.passthehoney.com

    Trade Show & Event Partners

    New York Restaurant Show
    https://www.nyrestaurantshow.com

    California Restaurant Show
    https://www.californiarestaurantshow.com

    Florida Restaurant Show
    https://www.flrestaurantshow.com

    Pizza Tomorrow Summit
    https://www.pizzatomorrow.com

    U.S. Culinary Open (NAFEM Show)
    https://www.usculinaryopen.com

    Cause Partners We Support

    The Burnt Chef Project
    https://www.theburntchefproject.com

    Operation BBQ Relief
    https://operationbbqrelief.org

    Hogs for the Cause
    https://hogsforthecause.org

    Sustainable Supperclub
    https://www.sustainablesupperclub.org
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
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