Onthepass Podcasts

On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with chef and restaurateaur Sean MacDonald. Sean is the chef/owner of Bar Monette—one of LA’s newest and most talked about restaurant openings located in Santa Monica. Sean was named Canada’s best young chef in 2016 by San Pellegrino and through the years, he has since made his mark …

A little over 2 years ago, we released Season 2 episode 27 titled “The Future of Food and Tech,” featuring journalist and author of “Technically Food”, Larissa Zimberoff. So much has transpired in the last 2 years since the release of this episode and her book, “Technically Food”. Given the lightning-fast pace the food-tech space moves at, it only …

“Tea mind,” as referenced by Steve Schwartz, is the simple, celebratory act of serving tea and has well-documented, powerful health and wellness benefits on a physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional level. Over the years, researchers have discovered how the ingredients in a cup of tea can lift mood, improve focus, and perhaps even ward off depre…

On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with entrepreneur and sommelier Kristin Olszewski. Kristin is the Founder and CEO of Nomadica Wine—a premium, sustainably sourced canned wine brand that is looking to make waves in the industry, or as they say on the Nomadica website, they are sourcing universally gratifying wines wi…

"Everywhere in the world there are tensions – economic, political, religious. So we need chocolate,” says the great Alain Ducasse—iconic chef, creator, and artisan of living. We couldn’t agree more and believe life is so much better because of chocolate. Chocolate is one of the most beloved foods and ingredients around the world. Almost every cultu…

The journey of an entrepreneur is often layered with numerous challenges and setbacks. It requires a certain level of determination, sacrifice, willingness to learn, and getting used to hearing alot of no’s. Layering on the challenges Black women face in our society adds another element of difficulty. Our next guest speaks to her own entrepreneuria…

On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Chef Charlie Mitchell, chef and co-owner of Clover Hill, a restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. Charlie is no stranger to the kitchen. Over the past 9 years, the 30-year-old Detroit native has worked sous chef and executive sous chef positions at Eleven Madison Park, Jônt in DC, Br…

“Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.” - Unknown This quote really embodies how Luis Vargas lives his life and runs his business. Luis is one of the worlds premier experiential travel executives and thought leaders. He is Founder and CEO of Modern Adventure, a certified b-corp, climate neutral and awa…

Did you know, coffee consumption in the United States rose by 14% from January 2021 through January 2022, according to the National Coffee Association? And demand for top-quality coffee like organic and fair-trade is on a roll in every region of the world. Coffee was an important part of my early life for many years, but not for the reasons you may…

This epiosde was recorded in Jan 2020 and released in April 2020. Iconic award-winning Chef-Owner and Restaurateur Daniel Boulud discusses the early days in his career, why building a strong corporate culture is important, and how he’s maintained longevity with over 4 decades in the culinary industry. For more information on Daniel Boulud and his t…

On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Chef Pyet DeSpain, a rising culinary talent who hit national notoriety as the recent winner of Gordon Ramsey’s "Next Level Chef" Season 1 on Fox Network. Having grown up on a reservation and a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Pyet collides the cuisine of both her Na…

It all started in 1902 when Vittorio Fasano, an Italian from Milan arrived in São Paulo, Brazil with a dream to open a restaurant. Since then, the Fasano family — the biggest name in Brazilian hospitality for over a century — has built a legendary portfolio that expands over 26 restaurants and 9 hotels across South America and more recently North A…

Opening a successful restaurant in New York City is no easy feat, yet famed chef Daniel Boulud has managed to successfully open multiple restaurants in the city and around the world in places like Singapore, London, and Toronto. So how does one man do it all? The answer is The Dinex Group, chef Daniel Boulud's restaurant group — the machine that po…

Whether you're exploring the spirited streets of Rio de Janeiro, laid-back beaches of Bahia, or the ultra stylish neighborhoods of São Paulo, you will get to experience a beautiful range of food, culture, and people across its different regions. São Paulo, the home of today's guest, is an international blend of influences from places such as Japan,…

We hope you are all enjoying Season 3 thus far and have had the chance to listen to our last few episode with Fulani Chef Fatmata Binta, Chris Jackson & Hélène Seillan of VÉRITÉ wines, and Rafael Shin of Agua Mágica Mezcal. All incredible creative entrepreneurs with valuable wisdom and insight from their personal journeys. This is the last week of …

The addition of Mezcal to menus has been on a high rise the last few years, yet it still feels like it’s just the beginning for this complex and storied spirit. Rafael Shin, Founder of Agua Mágica Mezcal, is looking to change how people interact with the sprit by honoring the Oaxacan culture and its people, where almost 90% of all Mezcals' are made…

The story of our next guests starts with the late Jess Jackson, a monumental visionary and entrepreneur who built a wine empire around Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay — catapulting him into the category as one of northern California's most recognizable self-made billionaires. In the late 1990’s, Mr. Jackson asked Pierre Seillan, a Bord…

What is West African food? You probably didn’t think of traditional Fulani cooking or Fonio, millet, and dawadawa which are a few of the grains, seeds, and locust beans that make up the traditional Fulani diet. Our next guest, helping us kick off Season 3 of On The Pass is chef Fatmata Binta, the mastermind behind the international nomadic restaura…

As we wrap up Season 2 of On The Pass and close out for the year, Maria Nguyen, Founder of The Art of Plating, Co-Producer of On The Pass, and Creative Director at our creative agency FARE, joins us to help us reflect on the year. For those who don't know, Maria is a thoroughly passionate traveler who is constantly discovering the best people, plac…

Cultures around the world have been eating sea kelp for centuries, but in some places like America, the concept is quite new. Our next guest in the Hot Spot series is Courtney Boyd Myers, the co-founder and CEO of natural food startup Akua. Her company is known for making delicious and nutritious food products from kelp such as its fan favorite the…

There are only four ingredients needed to produce whiskey, and yet there are endless possibilities that can be expressed. Some put an emphasis on the water while others others focus on the wood with their own specific maturation philosophy, yet few really focus on the quality of whiskey's key ingredient: barley. Majority of whiskey today is produce…

In the last decade with the rise of social media and our abilities to document every detail of our lives, the word experience has become synonymous with our generation. It's been said that consumers today care more about experiences than possessions which is why brands have had to evolve the way they interact with their customers. From store pop-up…

For this addition of our Rising Talent series on On The Pass, Gabriel Ornelas chats with Andy Kadin, a Rising Talent 2019 Finalist. Andy is the owner and baker behind Bub and Grandma's, one of LA’s most beloved bread. What launched in 2014 as a small and humble business, after leaving behind an advertising career, has now evolved into a wholesale b…

Imagine walking into a bustling restaurant filled with intoxicating energy. The awards hanging on the walls, food is hitting the table, the wine is flowing, the music is setting the mood, and you even spot a celebrity face or two in the corner booth. When that picture is painted, it's not hard to see why restaurants get romanticized. Yet, what is u…

It's no surprise that being a chef is challenging — the commitment, hours, and lack of sleep that all strains relationships. Now add the layer of being a South American female in what has been a predominately white male environment which has made it even harder to get ahead. This has been chef Victoria Blamey’s experience over the past 17+ years. I…

On this latest edition of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas chats with Santiago Lastra, Chef and Co-Owner of Kol restaurant and Kol Mezcaleria in London. Santiago —who is originally from Mexico —was recently named GQ Food and Drink Award's Best Chef 2021. Santiago humbly talks to us about working on Rene Redzepi’s Noma Tulum pop-up, one of the m…

Launching today is our new series Rising Talent on On The Pass in conjunction with The Art of Plating Rising Talent 2021 program. This series highlights some of the emerging individuals on the list who are are all making an impact on our industry. To kick off our first episode of this series, Gabriel Ornelas chats with Jenny Dorsey, an On The Rise …

Beaches, caipirinhas, açaí, and the Amazon are probably just a few things that come to mind when Brazil is mentioned, but there is so much more to this diverse nation than our preconceptions. Being Latin America's largest country, it's layered with both international and indigenous influences, history, experiences and cuisine across its different r…

When you’re innovating in a category, there is no clear roadmap––you have to pave your own path. This week’s guest did just that and focused on creating a brand, building community and tapping into the deep social connection that we all so desperately crave. On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas chats with Jen Batchelor, Co-founde…

How do spirits brands create memorable experiences and build a loyal following? Veteran spirits executive Robert Furniss Roe believes it comes down to the few fundamental principles of authenticity, differentiation, flavor and building brands with a certain humanity behind them. Having been the former President and Regional CEO at Bacardi Limited, …

From the dense city life of CDMX to tranquil sands of Cabo, Mexico has become one of the top travel destinations in the world, yet so much of it has been undiscovered. In this conversation, legendary hotelier Carlos Couturier, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Grupo Habita, a boutique hotel group with destinations across Latin America, passionatel…

Having kids changes your life and for our next guest it was the catalyst to better understand food and nutrition, which - like a true entrepreneur - led him to the launch of a new venture. On this episode of the Hot Spot series, Gabriel Ornelas chats with Jacob Pechenik, Co-founder and CEO of Lettuce Grow, an outdoor and indoor hydroponic growing s…

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 brok…

Can healthy soil save our planet? The short answer is Yes. The long answer is we radically have to rethink how we cultivate and giveback to our farm lands. Our next guest, Anthony Myint, Co-Founder of Mission Chinese Food SF and Zero Foodprint (ZFP), a nonprofit organization building a renewable food system rooted in healthy soil, is taking action …

Breaking barriers and expectations while staying authentic to one’s vision despite the world's exterior pressures is a way of life for our next guests. On this episode of the “Hot Spot” series, Gabriel Ornelas chats with chef Jeremy Chan and Ire Hassan-Odukale, the creative and business minds behind Ikoyi, a London based restaurant in St James Mark…

Our guest this episode is Brian Canlis, someone who along with his family has had a reputation for setting the bar for hospitality through their 70 year old restaurant Canlis, a Seattle institution created by his grandfather Peter Canlis. Since the 1950’s, the restaurant has won multiple awards including their most recent James Beard award for Outs…

You don’t have to be in the food-tech space to know there is a lot going on. A simple google search will send you down an endless labyrinth of information overload. You’ve probably heard of companies like, Impossible foods and Beyond Meat, who have raised millions, grown significantly, and can now be found at many local grocery stores and mainstrea…

What is Ávila? There's more to the agave spirits category than just Tequila and Mezcal. On this episode of the “Hot Spot” series, Gabriel Ornelas chats with Micah McFarlane, CEO of Revel Spirits, an emerging agave spirits brand making Ávila, a regionally specific product with deep roots to Mexico's second smallest state Morelos. With big ambitions …

Who is Shep Gordon? You’ve probably heard the popular phrase "Chefs Are The New Rockstars" — you can thank Shep for that. He's the visionary who brought chefs like Roger Vergé, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Roy Yamaguchi and Daniel Boulud to the mainstream and coined the term “Celebrity Chefs.” Coming from a colorful life as a music manager to art…

If anyone knows what goes into making a great cocktail, it's Lynette Marrero, award-winning bartender, mixologist, and philanthropist who is often regarded as a pioneer in the cocktail space. To help us kick off Season 2 of On The Pass, Lynette joins us to talk about her formative years spending summers in Puerto Rico, to her transition from the mu…

We kicked off the 1st Episode of Season 1 with Maria Nguyen, Founder of The Art of Plating, so it was only right to bring her back for the season finale. We wax lyrical on all the things we've learned and loved this season, our biggest takeaways, and who we'd like to have on for Season 2. Thank you to all our listeners and we will see you in 2021. …

If you're not a rum drinker, this episode will surely turn you into one. On this Episode of the “Hot Spot” series, Gabriel Ornelas chats with Marc Farrell, Founder and CEO of Ten To One Rum, an emerging rum brand grounded in celebrating the Caribbean's diverse culture. Coming from a beyond impressive resume — one that includes studying at MIT at th…

One of today's most charismatic Chefs, Nyesha Arrington, award-winning Chef, TV personality, and travel enthusiast, graces our studio with a reflection of her journey — one that is laced with stories, wisdom, lessons, and her unconventional philosophy on why she’s a Chef. We talk about where Nyesha stands today as she contemplates her most authenti…

Marissa Hermer, Owner of The Draycott and Olivetta in Los Angeles, is one of LA's newest and most exciting restaurateurs. In a city with a relentless dining scene, she's carved a name for herself by creating neighborhood restaurants that feel like a home away from home. In this episode, Marissa shares the catalyst for her starting a restaurant grou…

On this episode of the "Hot Spot" series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Mélanie Masarin, Founder & CEO of Ghia, a non alcoholic aperitif recently launched this past summer 2020. Inspired by her own personal sober curious and wellness journey, Melanie gives us an in depth view of how she went about creating the product and enlightens us on the diff…

AgTech entrepreneur Christine Moseley, Founder + CEO of Full Harvest, the first B2B marketplace for imperfect and surplus produce, sheds light on the global food waste problem, how she's tackling it at the farm level, and ways consumers at home can incorporate good practices in theirs daily lives. This episode will inspire you to think differently …

Hotelier Amar Lalvani, CEO of Standard International (parent company of Standard Hotels, Bunkhouse Group and One Night) recounts unbelievable stories from his formative years. He talks about the very first moment that left a mark on his journey into hospitality, how he navigated the acquisition of The Standard brand from the iconic Andre Balazs, an…

On this episode of the "Hot Spot" series, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Beny Ashburn and Teo Hunter, co-founders of Crowns & Hops Brewing Co, a Black-Owned craft beer brand soon to be opening a brewery in Inglewood, California. Beny and Teo discuss what originally hooked them to craft beer, their evolution as a company and their bigger than beer m…

Award-winning food, travel and author of cookbooks like Claridges: The Cookbook and Joe Beef: Surviving the Apocalypse, Meredith Erickson chats with us about her early days and how Joe Beef served as a catalyst for her authoring career. We also dive into her solo project Alpine Cooking, a highly acclaimed cookbook meets travelogue where Meredith li…

Spirits veteran, Jeff Kozak, CEO of WhistlePig Rye Whiskey, the most awarded Rye Whiskey maker in the world, discusses his entry into the spirits space as a commodity trader, the craft spirits movement over the past 10-15 years and WhistlePig's role in it as well as how WhistlePig has shown up for the community during these challenging past months …