The Dine One Six
The Dine One Six podcast is focused on the Sacramento food scene along with the people and culture that make it special. The show features interviews with chefs, farmers, journalists and anyone else with a great Sacramento food story to tell. Hosted by Max Connor, an award winning journalist and podcaster as well a long time restaurant worker and dedicated home cook. Max will take you behind the scenes of some of Sacramento’s best restaurants, dive into how your food gets from ”farm to fork” and follow trends and interesting stories of how food can connects us all. Everyone in Sac...
Fri, June 07, 2024
Ryan Ota of Mecha Mucho
Mecha Mucho roughly translates to “lots and lots.” For Chef and Owner Ryan Ota that means lots and lots of smiles, lots and lots of people saying, “Damn this is good!” and lots and lots of sandwiches sold. If you haven’t discovered it, Mecha Mucho is cranking out amazing egg salad sandwiches on Shokupan (Japanese milk bread) with additional protein options from chicken katsu, to spam to sometimes even wagyu beef, out of the little street side window at Osaka-Ya on 10th street. Ryan tells us about how he knew at a young age that his heart lied with food and after years of trying to work a corporate job he retreated to learning how to cook working at the famed Shack in east Sacramento, to cooking at Track 7 Brewery for several years to opening his own sandwich spot out of the window where he would line up as a kid in summer for a giant snow cone. Listen to hear how Ryan took Mecha Mucho from an idea to a reality in just a few short weeks and how their success has exploded in just over 6 months. Links: Mecha Mucho Instagram Visit the Dine One Six website Dine One Six Instagram
Thu, May 16, 2024
Oliver Ridgeway of Camden Spit & Larder
To say Oliver Ridgeway is well traveled is a gross understatement. After getting his start washing dishes in his dad’s restaurant, at 20 years old he got a job cooking on the Queen Elizabeth II cruise liner, which traveled from England to New York city. That ship took him all over the world over two years, and taught him how to cook and how to organize. That organization would be vital as he went on to cook for Athletes and VIP sponsors at the Olympic Games in Sydney Australia 2000 and the Winter Games in Utah in 2002. But his cooking travels didn’t stop there, New Orleans, the Caribbean, New York at one of it’s finest hotels, Santa Fe, Oliver honed his skills and his management cooking for the rich and famous in high pressure environments. Now he is the Chef/Owner of the upscale but welcoming to all Sacramento haberdashery, Camden Spit & Larder, which serves as a place where you can have a beautiful anniversary dinner just as easily as you can grab a burger and a salad before a Kings game. Listen to Oliver’s amazing journey across the globe and how he ended up settling down in Sacramento, making a name for himself as one of the most respected chefs in town. Visit Camden Spit & Larder's website and Instagram Follow Dine One Six on Instagram Email us: max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com Visit our website dineonesix.com
Fri, May 03, 2024
Amanda and Chris of Kau Kau
Amanda Bridger started cooking food at home during COVID as a way to pass the time and to comfort herself, her partner Chris and friends. Little did she know that in going back to the Hawaiian flavors of her childhood evenings visiting her grandmother, she would stumble upon a new found talent and passion for cooking Hawaiian cuisine. She and her partner Chris Tocchini moved to Sacramento and started a pop up with the recipes she developed and it was such a success that they ultimately opened Kau Kau in East Sacramento. Amanda runs the kitchen and Chris manages the front of the house. They tell us how they got their start in the industry, what it’s like working together as a couple and the trials and triumphs of owning and running a restaurant. Visit our website at www.dineonesix.com . Follow us on Instagram @dineonesix Email us max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com
S2 E33 · Thu, April 18, 2024
Billy Ngo of Kru
Billy Ngo of Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine got his start at an old-school Japanese restaurant on Broadway in Sacramento, spending hours washing dishes and painstakingly preparing shrimp for the week’s service. After a stint at Mikuni he understood how sushi could become something that mixed his passion for creativity and attention to detail. Billy headed to culinary school in San Francisco and came back to work at The Kitchen for a year, where he learned the importance of good ingredients and good relationships with purveyors of fish and produce. Then, at just 23 years old, Billy opened Kru on J street, which quickly became recognized as one of the best and most creative sushi spots in town. A decade later Billy moved Kru into its current, much larger home on Folsom Blvd. and it remains one of the hottest restaurant reservations in town. Billy fills us in on sushi eating etiquette, talks about his early attempts at a Michelin star, why he loves cooking japanese and french cuisine, how he seeks to let the ingredients speak for themselves and how a burger permanently ended up on the menu at one of Sacramento’s most acclaimed sushi restaurants. Recently, his high level of skill and execution, matched with his creativity and drive to please his guests has garnered Billy a finalist nomination for the James Beard Awards “Best Chef in California.” Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com
Tue, October 24, 2023
Jody Bogle on family history and producing award winning wine in Sacramento
It all started when a disastrous failed potato crop led Jody Bogle’s grandfather, Warren Bogle to try planting wine grapes on the acreage he purchased on Merritt Island. In 1968 he planted 10 acres of Petite Syrah and 10 acres of Chenin Blanc. He got the Chenin Blanc clippings from a guy named Skinny in Lodi! Today, Bogle has grown to become the Bogle Family Wine Collection, a brand that stretches worldwide, which includes several different labels, styles and price points of wine. We talk to Jody about how the unexpected death of her father led her to leave her job as an English teacher to come back home to Sacramento and take on a new role with the family business, how she and her two brothers have grown the business into the massive and respected brand it is today, and how family values, small lot wine making and sustainable growing practices are the fuel that still power Bogle’s business today. So grab a glass of one of Bogle’s award winning wines and listen to the history of one of Sacramento’s great business success stories. Visit the Bogle website Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com
Fri, September 08, 2023
Greg Gearhart and Victor Mihalchuk talk about the show Breaking Bread
Greg Gearhart and Victor Mihalchuk were sipping coffee and having lunch with their colleague Cameron Tyler of Moonracer films when they thought, “the food scene in Sacramento is so amazing…what if we filmed it.” That nugget of an idea launched what is now one of the most beautiful celebrations of Sacramento and its food you will ever see called Breaking Bread . On Tuesday September 5 there was a very special premiere of the amazing limited series and the next day we sat down with Greg and Victor to talk about how the project came together, their experiences filming it and the amazing food they got to eat. Breaking Bread gives you wonderful, open conversations with some of Sacramento’s best chefs and takes you behind the scenes of what makes the culinary scene in Sacramento so special. You will laugh, cry, get goosebumps and get that warm feeling of awe and appreciation when you watch this series. It is absolutely stunning, and we are proud to bring you a conversation with two of the gentlemen who made it happen. The first episode aired last night. You can watch Breaking Bread on KCRA 3 the next two episodes air: Sunday September 10, at 9 p.m. Sunday September 17, at 9 p.m. You can also watch on the Very Local app . Download it for free on your phone or streaming device. Visit Moonracer films website and Instagram Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow The Dine One Six on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com
Sat, September 02, 2023
Robert Masullo from Masullo’s Pizzeria
Before Robert Masullo became a Sacramento pizza icon, he was the son of a Sac Bee journalist and a stay at-home mom. His mom was a major influence on his life as she taught him the values in hard work and making recipes from scratch. His Sacramento food orgin story is epic, with him riding a Vespa to Biba to wash dishes when he was 16. His love of food took him to the CIA in New York and then a little over a decade stop in Minnesota. He worked as a baker, learning the art and craft dough and how to perfect it. With dough still on his mind, he found his way back home to family and Sacramento, met his future wife and luckily for us, opened up Masullo Pizzeria. With many awards and much recognition, Robert has crafted his place in Sacramento history. Take a listen to hear this masterclass on pizza. Visit Masullo's website Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com
Sat, August 26, 2023
Ben Roberts from Pizza Supreme Being
Ben Roberts grew up in Grass Valley where he loved skateboarding and punk rock. He dreamed of getting out of the small town but had no real plan, but after he met his future wife at a record shop, he followed her to Sacramento as she went to UC Davis and he looked to take any job he could find. That is the perfect recipe (pun intended) for a young kid to make his way into a kitchen. He got his start at R15 and then Shady Lady where a mentor showed him the right books to buy and Ben dove in head first. He soon realized that he wanted to cook beautiful, amazing food, and he knew that The Sellands group was a great place to do that. He made his way to Ella, where he worked for several years and became a jack of all trades, including making woodfired pizza for family meals. Eventually, he left to start his own mobile pizza business with a trailer and woodfire oven. He grinded in the heat of Sacramento for more than 4 years before he got an opportunity to open the storefront he occupies today. His pizza manages to be both classic and unique at the same time, but it’s without a doubt one of the best slices you’ll find anywhere in Sacramento. Visit Pizza Supreme Being's website and Instagram Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com
Fri, August 18, 2023
Chloe Booth - dough maven of Pizzasaurus Rex
Chloe Booth got a taste for interesting food at a young age when her mom went to culinary school. But it was years later as a teenager when her grandmother bulldozed a job path for Chloe at Del’s Pizza in Fair Oaks. There she learned the ins and outs of the pizza business, from interacting with the regulars to managing 20 pizzas at a time in the ovens. After a break from restaurants Chloe saw a Facebook post about a new pizza place opening in Midtown. She went in for a stage shift and has never left. Today she is responsible for making most of the dough on a daily basis, sometimes for up to 170 pizzas in a single day. Listen to this episode to hear Chloe talk about the unique style of Pizza at Pizzasaurus Rex, the famed “dino sauce” and her hopes that one day there could be a horror themed bakery in Sacramento. Links: Pizzasaurus Rex website Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram
Thu, July 20, 2023
Alison Clevenger talks Ginger Elizabeth, delectable pastries and Doughbot donuts
Alison Clevenger moved from Arizona to Oregon to go to culinary school without ever checking out the campus, her mom just signed her up, drove her up there and dropped her off. That move set her life on a course where she would land in Sacramento and ultimately help build one of the premiere sweet treat destinations in the city, Ginger Elizabeth’s. Alison talks about taking naps on giant bags of flour, the growth of Ginger Elizabeth, perfecting the perfect ice cream sandwich (in Max’s opinion,) what it was like to leave her best friend and venture out into the more male dominated culinary world, making pastries for Ella, Sellands and The Kitchen and ultimately how she helped to relaunch a Sacramento culinary cult icon Doughbot donuts. Alison has since moved on to her next culinary adventure and we can’t wait to see what she does next but rest assured wherever she lands the creations will be stellar and we will drop whatever we are doing to try them. Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
Thu, June 15, 2023
Matt Brown from Bodega
Matt Brown loves to cook. That may seem obvious given he’s spent the last 20 years as a chef. But many chefs don’t cook between shifts…not Matt. He loves nothing more than cracking open a cookbook, a bottle of wine and spending a day off grilling in the summer or roasting in the winter. Matt got his start at pizzeria as a teenager and spent time at several other spots in Sacramento that are no longer in existence (Matt swore their closing wasn’t his fault.) After moving to Idaho for five years to work as a chef and a stint in Napa he returned to Sacramento to work at 58 Holding Co. and then The Golden Bear where he made a name for himself cooking some of the best food in town at the unassuming Sacramento favorite. Today Matt is a part owner and head chef at Bodega Kitchen and Cocktails where he has dived deep into research and cookbooks to find all sorts of Puerto Rican and Caribbean inspired recipes that he and his team could put their own spin on. They have termed it “California Pan Caribbean” cuisine, and it’s delicious. Check out Boega’s website and Instagram Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com
Wed, May 10, 2023
Taylor Lovelace is ”saucy and bossy”
Taylor Lovelace is the head chef at J.J. Pfister Distilling Company but her love affair with cooking started when she interned at The Kitchen while in culinary school. It was actually years before when she would chauffeur her parents to the famed restaurant that she got to try the food when the staff would feed her the menu in the back of the restaurant while her parents dined. Taylor went on to hit Sacramento hot-spots like Localis, Echo and Rig and Camden Spit and Larder before landing at J.J. Pfister as the head chef. Now she spends her time elevating sandwiches and salads into saucy flavor bombs. We answer many important questions in the episode from which is better: waffles or pancakes? What does M.C.B. stand for? And what makes a good sandwich? Check out JJ Pfister’s website and Instagram Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com
Thu, March 30, 2023
BONUS EPISODE!! Get to know Max and Neill
In place of a usual episode, Max and Neill take turns asking each other food questions to give you insight into the minds of your favorite local food podcasters! What food are you embarrassed to say they don't like? What's the one meal you would make to impress someone? If you could only eat one cuisine for the rest of your life what would it be? And more!! This episode is in place of an episode that was supposed to be with Polo Adamo of Adamo's Kitchen but the audio was lost during a computer crash. Please go and try Adamo's for some of the best Italian food Sacramento has to offer! Adamo's kitchen Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com
Sun, March 12, 2023
Eddie Torres formerly of The Kitchen
Eddie Torres learned the power of food connecting families at an early age when he would have Sunday dinners with more than 20 members of his extended family, most of whom lived in the same apartment complex. But it wasn’t until the great recession, which buckled the car industry where he was working, that he decided to go to culinary school. After school he bounced around town until making his way to Ella pretty quickly, starting at the bottom and working his way up to the line. Then, he heard from his boss that Kelly McCown was taking over at The Kitchen and looking to build his team. Eddie tried out and ended up working at The Kitchen for 6 years, working his way up to sous chef. Eddie talks about the intensity, the craft, the precision and the joy that it took to work at one of Sacramento’s most prestigious restaurants. Today he is back working with his good friend Ben Roberts who owns Pizza Supreme Being helping put out some of the best pizza in Sacramento, while he works on his own concept of a Puerto Rican inspired restaurant. Photo courtesy of @jamiecardenasphotographer Eddie’s instagram Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com
Fri, February 24, 2023
Dennis Sydnor from Renegade Dining
Dennis Sydnor first fell in love with cooking in his family home, smelling bbq and parker house rolls that his dad made. Then when he got his first kitchen job back in Cleveland at 17 he realized that his ability to cook impressed the girls and gave him some juice as the new kid in town. Soon he moved to the front of the house and fell in love with hospitality and being front and center watching people experience what he knew would become lifelong memories. Eventually, he longed to get back into the kitchen and moved back to Sacramento and went to culinary school to prove he was serious about getting behind the line. He has worked all over town including Grange, Red Rabbit, JB’s Lounge, Smokey Oaks, 1022 and even Golden One Center before setting out on his own during COVID doing pop ups and catering under the name Renegade Dining while also serving the students at a beauty school in Natomas. We get into his whole past and his hope for the future, as well as his amazing experience as the winner of an episode of Cutthroat Kitchen on Food Network which you’ll have to see to believe. And now you can on the Discovery+ app ! Follow Dennis on Instagram @ dennissydnorjr and Renegade Dining @renegade_dining Dennis’ episode of Cutthroat Kitchen is on Discovery Plus in season 13 titled “Mission Impastable” Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com
Fri, February 10, 2023
Sac City Brews Chef/Owner Rebecca Campbell
Max and Neill sit down with Rebecca Campbell, owner and chef of Sac City Brews in Tahoe Park. They talk about Rebecca’s unconventional and even accidental move to running a kitchen. It’s not often you find someone with two Masters degrees running a kitchen, but she has taken her background in community development to create an amazing spot for the neighborhood of Tahoe Park and frankly for all of Sacramento. She talks about how growing up on a small farm in the foothills gave her an appreciation for the small farmers she works with today and how it took her years to realize that she is actually not just analytically minded but also a very creative person and it shows in her food. And we talk a lot about the creative twists on classics like: tater tots, nachos, wings, paninis and more. Visit Sac City Brews website and Instagram Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com
Tue, December 20, 2022
Greg Desmangles of Urban Roots
Greg Desmangles got his start as so many do, in the dish pit of a family owned restaurant. But from his first weekend working on his feet all day bussing tables and washing dishes during beer week, Greg knew he wanted to be in a kitchen. Greg went on to stage at Taylor's kitchen soaking up all he could before going back to his uncle's restaurant Pangaea Beir Cafe and working prep. Today Greg has helped the family business grow to four restaurants, including Pangaea, Urban Roots Brewing and Smokehouse, Bawk! and Cerveceria at The Shack. Greg oversees all four operations and he tells Max and Neill how he got deep into the world of BBQ and hopes to plant a flag as nationally recognized BBQ spot right here in Sacramento. Resources from episode: Greg's Instagram Bawk Pangaea Beir Cafe Urban Roots Cerveceria at The Shack Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com Listen to Bondolio episode about olive oil
Fri, December 02, 2022
Julie Cassotta - cheesemonger
Today we talk about the wild world of cheese! How does blue mold bloom? Does what the animal eats change the taste of cheese? Strange food combinations to eat with cheese, headless spiders that create a rind on cheese. All these questions and odd facts are answered and discussed with our guest Julie Cassotta. Julie is a Certified Cheese Professional and one of only eight people with that certification in Sacramento. That means she knows her stuff when it comes to cheese. Julie creates gorgeous cheese and charcuterie boards year round under the name Cellar Door Platters and built her small business through social media to where she is a full-time cheesemonger. We also talk about stops she had at Block Butcher Bar, Whole Foods and Franquet. Check out The Dine One Six on Instagram and our website Episode resources: Check out her website to order your holiday cheese board! Julie’s Instagram Here are all the cheeses we talked about! - Smokey Blue from Rogue River Creamery - Vacherin Mont d'Or - Jasper Hill Creamery in Vermont- Harbison - Bailey Hazen Blue Jasper Hill creamery with dark chocolate - Langres (cheese you pour champagne on) - Mimollete (Halloween cheese) - Coro foods salami
Wed, October 12, 2022
Chris Sinclair from Bodega
Chris Sinclair fell in love with cocktails when a salty San Francisco bartender schooled him on what a real martini was. Since that moment Chris has dedicated his life to teaching other aspiring bartenders and guests, wherever he has worked, the art of the craft cocktail. Chris is from New York but has made Sacramento his home having spent the last decade working at the likes of Red Rabbit, La Cosecha, Kasbah, Sail Inn, Jungle Bird and more. He is also the founding president of the Sacramento chapter of the U.S. Bartenders Guild. Chris loves good food, good drinks and a good time and he has a reverence for the feeling and emotions a good cocktail can create. Yet as you’ll hear, there is zero pretense to his love of booze and bartending. Note: This episode does contains some strong language and one NSFW story. Bodega’s website Good Bottle website Good Bottle podcast Sources discussed: Camper English’s blog Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com
Fri, September 16, 2022
Jonathan Kerksieck of Cacio
Jonathan Kerksieck has been working in restaurants in Sacramento for 30 years. He got his start making pizza at original Pete’s out of high school. He considered culinary school but a conversation with Rick Mahan when he was working at Paragary's and set his course on learning to cook by working long hours in kitchens all over Sacramento. After all that training, head chef jobs, running hotel food programs and even doing food research and development, Jonathan met an old colleague who helped him open Cacio in the Pocket/Greenhaven neighborhood. Jonathan said it’s “like the Cheers” of the neighborhood, only Cheers wasn’t serving delicious Italian cuisine. Cacio website , Instagram , Facebook Sac Bee top 50 restaurants Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
Thu, September 01, 2022
Scott McCumber of Pangaea Beir Cafe
Scott McCumber has not had the traditional path to becoming a head chef here in Sacramento. Most chefs start young, finding the discipline and camaraderie in the kitchen intoxicating. Scott loves that about the kitchen too, but for him it was consecutive layoffs in his corporate sales career that led him to completely shift his life’s course. Scott took six months of severance pay and with his wife’s blessing went to work in a kitchen as a volunteer prep cook, and less than eight years later found himself heading up the well established Taylor’s Kitchen. Today Scott has taken over another Sacramento favorite, Pangaea Beir Cafe in Curtis Park. We talk to Scott about Pangaea’s famous burger, what he is bringing to the menu as they rebuild it post COVID and how he worked his way through some of Sacramento’s best known Restaurants including Hook and Ladder , Hawks Public House , The Grange and Camden Spit & Larder . Pangaea website and Instagram Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
Fri, August 19, 2022
How to start a home vegetable garden
This week Max throws back to an episode of his college podcast where he talked to Nicole McDavid, the garden coordinator at the Capital Public Radio garden. McDavid tends to the large garden which produces roughly 2,000 pounds of produce per year to the Associated Students, Inc. food pantry and other food banks. McDavid does it all using organic gardening techniques and passes on her 10 years of experience with urban farming to listeners. Wondering what to plant this fall? When to water? How to have your garden be organic? What to do after your tomato plants have sucked all the nitrogen out of your soil? This is the episode for you! Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
S1 E14 · Thu, August 11, 2022
Sac Hot Chicken Battle
WARNING: Make sure you’re not hungry before listening to this episode This week we are back with an episode all about the Sac Hot Chicken battle that took place earlier this summer. We interviewed all the chefs, tried all the sandwiches and got reactions from people on site as about 1000 people came out and enjoyed spicy chicken sandwiches and beer and cider. We also talked to the event organizer Misty Alafranji as well as one of the judges Benjy Egel from the Sacramento Bee. So kick back and listen to each chef explain their sandwiches, imagine eating them yourself and get ready to run out and try a sandwich from one of the winners as we give you the final results at the end of the episode! Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com Links: Beers in Sac Natomas Oktoberfest City of Refuge Sacramento Competitors: Mumpy’s food truck Naija Boys Tacos Jets Tiger Bar Skips Fish & Chicken Hawks Sac City Brews Alaro Brewing Co. Device Brewing Co. Pangea Bier Cafe Bawk Nash and Tender
Mon, July 04, 2022
Masullo pizza chef Shannon McElroy
Shannon McElroy has one of the best restaurant jobs in town. He works 8 a.m. to 3 p.m everyday at one of the best, most respected pizzerias in town, making the pizza dough and the desserts. But Shannon’s career has spanned everything from high end restaurants in Napa, cooking pizzas in the redwood forests of Mendecino and serving surly customers in some of Sacramento’s “finest” dive bars. We talk about how Shannon went from culinary school, to bartending and then back to the kitchen at Masullo, one of Sacramento’s 50 best restaurants . We also talk about him opening The Federalist and why he chose to leave. Masullo website Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
Tue, June 21, 2022
Karen Bond and the story of Bondolio olive oil
In 1986 Karen Bond and her husband Malcolm bought a 10 acre almond orchard in Winters to fulfill a dream of living in the country. At the time they never would have guessed that they would be selling prized olive oil made from trees imported from Italy. After removing their almond trees, they were visiting Sicily where Karen tried freshly pressed olive oil for the first time and she fell in love. More than 15 years later Bondolio produces some of the most sought after and award winning olive oil in the region. It’s even used by two of the Bay Area’s most famous restaurants (listen to find out who!) Karen and Malcolm do all this while also running the medical technology company, Cedaron, in Davis which they founded in 1990. Listen to hear all about their fascinating journey to making super fresh Italian inspired olive oil. Links: Bondolio website Video: Olive harvest at Bondolio How olive oil is made (similar to Bondolio process) Angel flights charity Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
Bonus · Thu, June 16, 2022
Nash and Tender ”Hot chicken slider”
Jimmy and John Sierra of Nash and Tender out of Stockton and Folsom explain how they bring a special blend of spices from childhood into every aspect of their chicken sandwich.
Bonus · Thu, June 16, 2022
Alaro Craft Brewing
Chef David Santana of Alaro Brewing is adding a restaurant favorite onion dip to the “Alora Spicy Chicken” sandwich
Bonus · Thu, June 16, 2022
Sac City Brews
Chef Rebecca Campbell of Sac City Brews is bringing a sweet heat heat to the competitions with her “Sac City Brews” sandwich
Bonus · Thu, June 16, 2022
Mumpy’s ”Dirty Bird”
Chef Rudy Balch of Mumpy's food truck says the driving force behind his food truck is his sandwich, the “Dirty Bird”
Bonus · Thu, June 16, 2022
Skip’s fish and chicken
Chef Frankie Abboushi of Skips Fish and Chicken keeps is traditional with his chicken sandwich “Skips Nashville hot chicken sandwich”
Bonus · Thu, June 16, 2022
Pangea Bier Cafe ”Chicken Rick 137”
Chef Scott Macumber of Pangaea Bier Cafe throws a curveball into the competition with a Szechuan style chicken sandwich
Bonus · Thu, June 16, 2022
Black Cat Diner ”Hot chicken Milane$a $ando”
Chef Byron Hughes III of Tiger Bar explains how a trip to Argentina inspired his unique hot chicken sandwich.
Bonus · Thu, June 16, 2022
Bawk ”Bawk’n hot”
Executive Chef Greg Desmangles of Bawk explains his process to crafting his chicken sandwich
Bonus · Thu, June 16, 2022
Naija Boy Tacos ”Yoruba Demon”
Chef Rasheed Amedu of the soon to open Naija Boy Tacos explains his unique South American and Nigerian inspired fried chicken torta
Bonus · Thu, June 16, 2022
Device Brewing Co. ”Hot Mala Chicken”
Executive Chef Eddie Torres explains his sandwich from Device Brewing Company
Bonus · Thu, June 16, 2022
Jet’s ”Flamin’ Jet”
Chef Jet Bonanno, the founder of Jet’s Restaurant Group, describes his chicken sandwich
Bonus · Thu, June 16, 2022
Hawks Public House
Executive Chef Michael Fagnoni talks about his sandwich representing Hawks Restaurant of Granite Bay and East Sacramento.
Wed, June 01, 2022
Bobby Coyote and Mark Casale of Dos Coyotes
Today we welcome Bobby Coyote, owner of Dos Coyotes and his long-time executive chef Mark Casale. Dos Coyotes is unique in so many ways. It’s uniquely Sacramento, it blends Mexican, southwest and farm-to-fork California cuisine and it’s one of the original concepts to offer restaurant quality food that’s fresh, fast, ordered at a counter but “served on a cool plate.” Bobby tells the harrowing story of trying to open his first location. Everything went wrong, from his contractor having to stop work because he was in deep with the IRS, pipes bursting on the roof during the final inspection and the whole place almost burning down during an impromptu soft opening. Mark grew up making fresh bread and pasta with his Sicilian grandmother and ended up working in fine dining spots in Napa and Sacramento before taking the opportunity to work with Bobby to create fresh, seasonal specials and a menu that could be replicated across several locations. Links: Dos Coyotes website Dos Coyotes Instagram Dos Coyotes Facebook Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
Fri, May 27, 2022
What it’s like to be a server with Neill Little
Neill Little has a been a server and bartender since he was 21. He's spent over a decade working at places in Sacramento including DeVere's, Empress Tap Room and Camden Spit and Larder. Neill and I talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of working as a server. Mostly, we talk about the good and how being a server allows you to connect with people, have great conversations and make lifelong friends with co-workers and guests. We also talk about how apparently, the grocery store you were raised on, is the one you stay loyal to the rest of your life. This is a great conversation about restaurant work and a great introduction to Neill who will also be joining me on the podcast as a co-host in some upcoming episodes. Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
Tue, May 17, 2022
All about In-N-Out
In this episode Max throws back to an interview he did in the summer of 2020 with Shaun Holkko, a peer from Sac State who worked at In-N-Out burger for nearly three years. Max and Shaun get into all the In-N-Out lore including if you have to be religious to work there, what are all the secret menu items, how many patties can you put on one burger and of course...what's with the fries!? Links: Shaun and Von podcast Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
Tue, May 10, 2022
Ray Ballestero of Alaro Craft Brewery
Ray Ballestero is the co-owner of Alaro Craft Brewery along with his wife Annette. Alaro is located in the old Rubicon Brewing Co. location which was a Sacramento institution for almost 30 years. Alaro is a labor of love and combines decades of experience in home brewing paired with Ray’s upbringing eating food influenced from his Spanish background. Combine that with his wife’s background as a co-owner of River City Brewing Company, a master Head Brewer in Chris Keeton and great tapas by Chef David Santana and you’ve got a Midtown spot that is almost singular in Sacramento. Ray talks about his background in medicine, home brewing, running a fair trade business and the struggle to survive the pandemic after only being open for 18 months before it hit. Links: Alaro’s website Alaro’s Instagram Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
Wed, May 04, 2022
Food photographer Taylor Gillespie
Today I talk with professional food photographer Taylor Gillespie, who runs Food in Focus here in Sacramento. Taylor comes from a family of entrepreneurs and food people. Her mom was a chef when she was younger and her grandparents started Sunrise Natural Foods. I love Taylor’s story because it is a story of a business that could only be created in the last 10 years. She built her business on Instagram and now photographs for Style Magazine in Folsom and for restaurants all over Sacramento. We cover how she got into food photography, how she found her first clients, how to build a business through social media and how the food scene has changed in Sacramento over the last 20 years. Links: Taylor’s Instagram Taylor’s website Restaurants we mention Nix Tacos Q1227 Bambi’s Vegan Tacos Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
Thu, April 28, 2022
Chef Brad Cecchi part 2
In part two of Chef Brad Cecchi we cover why he made the move back to Sacramento to open Canon, how they managed to survive the pandemic after being open only three years by helping start Family Meal Sacramento which became Great Plates delivery in California . Cecchi owns and is the executive chef of Canon in East Sac, which holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand award and is widely considered one of the best restaurants in Sacramento. Chef Cecchi also tells us about his toughest critic, his 4-year-old daughter, what he sees for the future of Sacramento and the restaurant scene and he and his partner’s new cafe in West Sacramento, Franquette. Links: Canon Franquette Sac Bee 50 best restaurants in Sacramento Great Plates delivery in California Family Meal Sacramento Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
Fri, April 22, 2022
Chef Brad Cecchi Part 1
Brad Cecchi got his start in cooking by taking classes at American River College as a teenager, not because he loved cooking but because it seemed easy but he quickly found he had a knack for it. After placing second in a national cooking competition he found himself working in the kitchen at a five star resort in Colorado at age 18 and he never looked back. Today Cecchi co-owns and is the executive chef of Canon in East Sac, which holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand award and is widely considered one of the best restaurants in Sacramento. This is part one of a two part episode and we cover his early career from slinging pizzas, to working with Chef Bradley Ogden in San Francisco and then really building his skills and his reputation in Sacramento before leaving to open a hotel and ultimately being the head of a Michelin starred restaurant in Napa before returning to Sacramento to open Canon. Links: Canon Franquette Sac Bee 50 best restaurants in Sacramento Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
Fri, April 15, 2022
Episode 4: The Better Meat Co.
Nestled along a levee, in the back of a large business park in West Sacramento is a company that is developing new technology and striving to mitigate the devastating effects of factory farming and provide a new protein source for a population set to hit 10 billion people over the next few decades. The Better Meat Co. is using a proprietary microflora organism to create fermentation and quickly grow a product that can be dried into a shelf stable, protein rich and non-allergenic product, which can be added to meat products or created into plant protein products meant to mimic meat. I talked with Doni Curkendall, executive vice president of the Better Meat Co. and she gave me the full rundown of this new plant-based protein. Doni left an executive position at Goodwill Industries, where she helped people transform their lives, to work for a company that she hopes can transform the world. Listen as I talk with Doni and take a tour of the facility where I touch and smell their Rhiza microprotein, learn about the difference between fermented fungi based proteins versus other plant based proteins and try some bacon made from their product! Links and sources: https://www.bettermeat.co/ See a picture of the bacon here Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
Fri, April 08, 2022
Episode 3: Lee Pflugrath says frozen yogurt isn’t dead
Lee Pflugrath always dreamed of owning his own restaurant. He worked in kitchens his entire life starting at age 14. He worked his way up to being an executive chef at a high end restaurant in Napa in the 90’s. So how did he end up owning a humble yogurt shop in Davis? It’s a long, funny story and Lee lays out all the details for us in today’s episode. We talk about what it was like to be a chef in the 90’s, the fickle business of owning a restaurant and what has happened to the frozen yogurt boom? And how has Yolo Berry managed to survive when so many shops have failed and even continue to thrive during COVID? Listen to today’s show to hear Lee’s story of ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies. Visit the Yolo Berry website Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
S1 E2 · Fri, April 01, 2022
Episode 2: All about coffee with local roaster Tamra Ruxin
Tamra Ruxin is a roaster for the local land park roastery Two Seeds Coffee . She knows her coffee and has the credentials to prove it. In fact, Tamra is a certified Q Arabica coffee grader, a certification that is held by only a few hundred people in the U.S. and it means she can taste a cup of coffee and tell you almost anything about it. We get into the difference between dark, medium and light roasts. How different brewing methods affect your cup of coffee, why you should always grind your beans fresh each morning and what the differences are in the flavors of coffees from different regions. If you’ve ever stood in a Temple Coffee and felt confused and overwhelmed this is the episode for you. Listen as Tamra demystifies the sometimes pretentious world of coffee and gives you tips on how to up your personal coffee game and discover what types of roasts you might enjoy. What Is the Q Grader Coffee System, and What Does It Mean For Your Morning Cup? -KQED To order some Two Seeds coffee visit their website Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com
Fri, March 25, 2022
Episode 1: Andy Bakes Bread
Andy Baranoff bakes bread and sells it on Instagram. He sells so much of it that he converted his laundry room into a cottage bakery, pumping out the smell of fresh bread into his South Land park neighborhood. Like so many people who end up as chefs or bakers, Andy Barnoff got his start by helping his grandmother in the kitchen make all sorts of Russian pastries and dishes with enriched dough. As a young adult Andy dreamed of being a professional cyclist but a trip to culinary school in San Francisco changed his course and he found himself immediately surrounded by food nerds like himself. Andy went on to run the pastry and dessert program at The Sterling Hotel for 15 years and then worked as a head baker and recipe developer for Nugget Market, creating many of their breads that can still be enjoyed today. To order some of Andy’s bread for yourself visit his Instagram page @andy.bakes.bread To check out his recipe for focaccia visit the website: dineonesix.com
Trailer · Wed, March 16, 2022
Trailer: The Dine One Six
The Dine One Six podcast is focused on the Sacramento food scene along with the people and culture that make it special. The show features interviews with chefs, farmers, journalists and anyone else with a great Sacramento food story to tell. Hosted by Max Connor, an award winning journalist and podcaster as well a long time restaurant worker and dedicated home cook. Max will take you behind the scenes with people in the food industry.
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