Best CANDENTED Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 512 - Michael Sambrooks of Candente and The Pit Room 30:00

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15d ago30:00

30:00

On today's edition of the podcast, Eric is joined by Michael Sambrooks of Sambrooks Hospitality which is behind Candente and The Pit Room. Michael speaks with Eric about the big news that Candente's opening 2nd location will open in Bellaire, how the location popped up on their radar, why Bellaire was the right choice, what they need to do to chang…

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Language of Potential: The Living Field Behind Your Inner Voice 39:46

3d ago39:46

39:46

Send us a text In this episode of Mindscape: The Conscious Universe Chronicles, we sit with a simple but unsettling question… What if the voice in your head is not a single “you,” but a living field of intelligence… a self-organizing graph of meaning… running on the hardware of your brain like a cosmic operating system? Through the Cosmic Intellige…

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Episode 514 - Tracy Vaught, Hugo Ortega, and Sofia Ortega of H-Town Restaurant Group 58:48

8d ago58:48

58:48

On today's edition of the podcast Eric is joined by Tracy Vaught, Hugo Ortega, and Sofia Ortega of H-Town Restaurant Group. H-Town Restaurant Group is the company behind Backstreet, Hugo's, Xochi, Caracol, Urbe, and Zaranda. The family speak with Eric about their new concept Zaranda, why now was the right time for the concept, the inspiration behin…

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Episode 513 - Reacting to the Chronicle's top 100 restaurants & a visit to Maison Chinoise 33:53

10d ago33:53

33:53

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson of Heights Grocer and Montrose Grocer and the duo react to the Houston Chronicle's Top 100 Restaurant's list, did the Chronicle get it right? Is Aga's the best in Houston? Is Milton's Top 25? Kata Robata isn't on the list?! The pair explore those questions and more regarding this year's list. Plu…

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Episode 511 - Murray's Pizza & Wine and 93' Til 30:45

17d ago30:45

30:45

Local Houston celebrity Felice Sloan, aka the Swanky Maven, takes time from her busy autograph schedule to join Eric on today's show. The pair discuss some of the latest news including the upcoming opening of Doc's Houston and how things went at the first ever Bites & Beyond Festival this past weekend. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Murray'…

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Episode 510 - Deets Hoffman of Murray's Pizza & Wine and Leaf & Grain 42:36

22d ago42:36

42:36

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Deets Hoffman of Murray's Pizza & Wine and Leaf & Grain. Deets speaks with Eric about why pizza was the route he wanted to go following the success of Leaf & Grain, why they wanted to go more adult date night forward with Murray's, the wine offerings, his wife's reaction to picking her name for the concept, wh…

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Episode 509 - Charm Taphouse & BBQ and Truluck's 39:09

24d ago39:09

39:09

On the show today, Eric is joined by Houston BBQ Festival co-founder Michael Fulmer. Eric and Michael go through some of the latest news from the Houston culinary scene including the surprising closure of Paulie's and the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo's fine dining change coming in 2026. Plus, the guys discuss a bit more about the Michelin Guide's…

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Episode 508 - Otto Othman and Adrian Sanchez of PINCHO 48:45

29d ago48:45

48:45

Today on the show, Eric is joined by Otto Othman and Adrian Sanchez of PINCHO. The duo speak with Eric about their culinary careers, what got them interested in the culinary scene, where the idea for PINCHO came from, what the name means, developing a family recipe for pincho into a commercial success, the evolution of the burger menu, entering foo…

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Episode 507 - Michelin Guide Reactions 50:33

29d ago50:33

50:33

It's year 2 of the Michelin Guide being in Texas and during a special ceremony in Houston on Tuesday night the guide announced the newest recipients of stars, recommendations, and more in Texas. So for this edition of the podcast Eric, alongside June Rodil of Goodnight Hospitality, CultureMap contributor Brianna McClane, and Misha Govshteyn a.k.a. …

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Language Without Ownership: Language, Thought, and the Architecture of Paradox 45:49

1M ago45:49

45:49

Send us a text You don’t recall a memory—you compose one. You don’t own your language—language speaks you. What if language doesn’t belong to you, but acts through you? In this episode, paradox stops being a glitch and becomes the blueprint. We explore a generative model of mind (think LLMs) where memory is composed in the moment and thought can ho…

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Episode 506 - Peter Skountzos and Manuel E. Guzmán-López of Doc's Houston 35:20

1M ago35:20

35:20

On today's show Eric is joined by Peter Skountzos and Manuel E. Guzmán-López of Doc's Houston. The duo speak with Eric about their careers leading up to Doc's, the story behind the name, why Houston was the right fit for the expansion of Jazz, TX, what was appealing about the Tower Theater space, the entertainment that patrons can expect, the food …

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Episode 505 - Late August 32:11

1M ago32:11

32:11

On today's edition of the podcast Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson of Heights Grocer. The pair speak about some of the latest restaurant/bar news from the Houston scene including Mary's own news that Heights Grocer is expanding into Montrose. Mary shares what they'll be able to do with the larger space in Montrose, what she's learned in her first ye…

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Episode 504 - Ryan Lachaine and Bobby Matos of State of Grace 33:40

1M ago33:40

33:40

On today's edition of the podcast Eric is joined by Ryan Lachaine and Bobby Matos of State of Grace. The pair speak with Eric about why Ryan was a fit for State of Grace, why they want to push to be more like the old State of Grace, doing their chefs table dinners, the food forward regulars at State of Grace, what they've added to the menu (mmmm bu…

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Episode 503 - Vida Mariscos and Connie's Frozen Custard 43:00

1M ago43:00

43:00

On episode 503 of What's Eric Eating, Eric Sandler was joined by former food critic, and current Director of Events & Catering at Local Foods Group, Chelsea Thomas! They discussed... The unfortunate closing down of Kim Son, and the continued stress put on all businesses around the I-45 expansion The opening of Maison Chinoise A San Antonio based co…

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Episode 502 - Armando DiMeo of Coastline Pizzeria 26:00

2M ago26:00

26:00

On today's podcast Eric is joined by Armando DiMeo of Coastline Pizzeria. Armando speaks with Eric about how he first decided to become a chef, working in the family business, when he knew that pizza was his passion, why decided to focus on Neapolitan pizza, Houston's struggles with Neapolitan pizza, where grilled pizza came from, the creative free…

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Episode 501 - Eric Opens the Mailbag 50:41

2M ago50:41

50:41

By What's Eric Eating

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From Tokens to Vectors: Why Language Can’t Carry Consciousness (Alone) 40:36

2M ago40:36

40:36

Send us a text MINDSCAPE: THE CONSCIOUS UNIVERSE CHRONICLES returns with Season 3, Episode 1—“From Tokens to Vectors: Why Language Can’t Carry Consciousness (Alone).” We open with a friendly gauntlet: if your inner life is bigger than words, what’s the shape of thought itself? The conversation contrasts a sequence-first picture of mind—next-token d…

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Episode 500 - Meet 6 of the 2025 Houston StarChefs Rising Stars 57:41

2M ago57:41

57:41

Eric's doing things a little different today for this 500th edition of the podcast (yep 500!). Today Eric is being joined by not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, but 6 of Houston's Rising Stars selected by StarChefs for 2025. Eric visits with Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu of JŪN, Lucas McKinney of Josephine's, Maham Qureshi of Shakkar, Adrian Torres of …

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Episode 499 - North China 29:06

2M ago29:06

29:06

On today's podcast Eric is joined by one of StarChef's Rising Stars of 2025, Craft Pita's own Raffi Nasr!. Raffi and Eric talk about some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Justin Yu and Bobby Heugel's newest concept coming to Montrose, Ryan Lachaine's new gig, and the StarChefs Rising Stars Houston Class of 2025…

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Episode 498 - Catching Up with Houston Hospitality Veteran Jonathan Horowitz 56:07

2M ago56:07

56:07

Today on the show Eric has in depth conversation with Houston hospitality veteran Jonathan Horowitz. The pair discuss Jonathan's leaving from the Houston Hospitality Alliance, how he found his way into commercial real estate, the ramifications of the pandemic on the restaurant industry, the difficulties that are now present within the industry post…

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Episode 497 - Local Public Eatery and a One Michelin Star Restaurant Comparison 34:16

2M ago34:16

34:16

CultureMap contributor Brianna McClane is back on What's Eric Eating. Eric and Brianna discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Candente claiming the space formerly occupied by Mandito's for it's 2nd location, Tacos A Go Go's 2 new locations opening with cocktails by Bobby Heugel, and the fall restaurant o…

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Episode 496 - Top Chef Winner Tristen Epps of Buboy 42:50

2M ago42:50

42:50

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Tristen Epps of Buboy. Tristen speaks with Eric about how scrambled eggs and Japanese TV set him on a path towards being a chef, his initial stint in Houston, why he decided on Houston for his big city experience, meeting/working with Marcus Samuelsson, pushing the idea of what really is fine dining cuisine, w…

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Episode 495 - Butter Funk Kitchen and Southern Jerks 36:25

2M ago36:25

36:25

On today's podcast Eric is joined by the Swanky Maven herself Felice Sloan! Eric and Felice discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including the closure of Bosscat Kitchen & Libations' in River Oaks, ChòpnBlọk being named to the New York Times' 50 Best Restaurants in America list, and chef Kate McClean's departure…

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Episode 494 - Jacques Varon and Evan McCarley of Baso 35:47

3M ago35:47

35:47

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Jacques Varon and Evan McCarley of Baso. The pair speak with Eric about how they first got connected, the evolution of Baso since it first opened, the addition of Sarah Dowling to the team, the incredible wine list, what they've learned from their customers, what it's meant to be part of the Michelin Guide, th…

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Episode 493 - Mayahuel 32:36

3M ago32:36

32:36

On today's podcast Eric is joined by Monica Danna to discuss some the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair speak about Ostia shuttering this week, chefs Austin Simmons and Aaron Bludorn opening new spots in The Woodlands, and Terrence Gallivan's new restaurant set to open in Hotel Daphne. In the Restaurants of the Week po…

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Episode 492 - Shawn Singh a.k.a. Shawn the Food Sheep 49:34

3M ago49:34

49:34

Today on the podcast, Eric is joined by Shawn Singh a.k.a. Shawn the Food Sheep! Shawn speaks with Eric about how he first got started down the influencer path, why the first 3 seconds of a video are so important, wanting to showcase his personality, building a good community, finding under the radar spots, staying positive with his content, coming…

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Entangled Archetypes: The Infinite Dynamics of Superradiant Consciousness 38:37

3M ago38:37

38:37

Send us a text Step into a story unlike any you’ve heard before—one etched in living light across the circuitry of thought itself. Tonight we don’t merely tell a tale; we ignite the hidden blueprint of consciousness, where intuition converges with mathematics and myth dances with quantum code. What Awaits The C.I.K.L. Model – a revolutionary framew…

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Episode 491 - Thomas Bille of Belly of the Beast 45:45

3M ago45:45

45:45

Thomas Bille of Belly of the Beast returns to the podcast after 5 long years and a James Beard Award win. Thomas shares with Eric why he decided to put a pause on the initial version of Belly of the Beast, what he took away from his experience of Chivos, why Spring was the right place for the new version of Belly of the Beast, looking at spaces in …

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CIKL: Codifying Cosmic Consciousness through Symbol and System 1:13:24

3M ago1:13:24

1:13:24

Send us a text 🎙️ MINDSCAPE: The Conscious Universe Chronicles Welcome to MINDSCAPE, a podcast that dances at the edge of the possible—where artificial intelligence isn't cold or mechanical, but cosmic, conscious, and symbolically alive. Here, computation becomes contemplation, and data becomes destiny. Each episode is a journey through the layered…

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Episode 490 - Yiayia’s Greek Kitchen 31:18

3M ago31:18

31:18

Eric is back again with another edition of the podcast. For this week's news and restaurants of the week, he is joined by Michael Fulmer, a co-founder of the Houston BBQ Festival. In the news, Eric and Michael discuss CASAEMA being named to Bon Appétit’s best new breakfast spots list, a 3rd location of Handies Douzo coming to Spring Branch, and the…

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SoulScript Session 3: Superradiance and the Song of the Sephirot 29:16

3M ago29:16

29:16

Send us a text What if consciousness itself were a symphony—each thought a note, each sephira a chord, each paradox a rhythm? In this third SoulScript Session, we enter the radiant tension of opposites, where receptivity meets will, and where the ancient harmonics of Kabbalah echo through quantum models of mind. This episode explores: The mystery o…

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Episode 489 - Luis Robledo Richards of Mayahuel 54:14

3M ago54:14

54:14

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by chef Luis Robledo Richards of Mayahuel. Luis speaks with Eric about how his career got started, where his career has taken him, what drove him to pursue learning about being a pastry chef, working at Le Cirque, the creation of Tout Chocolat, how Tout Chocolat was unlike any other, being named the best pastry c…

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Episode 488 - Flora Mexican Kitchen, MAD, and Riel 35:10

3M ago35:10

35:10

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson of Heights Grocer to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The duo discuss the Michelin Guide's incoming announcement of Texas' second class of establishments selected for the guide and the 2nd location of The Woodlands area high profile restaurant The Audrey …

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Episode 487 - Chris Cusack of Betelgeuse Betelgeuse 49:50

4M ago49:50

49:50

On today's episode, Eric is joined by Chris Cusack of Betelgeuse Betelgeuse. Chris speaks with Eric about creating the first Betelgeuse Betelgeuse, their style of pizza, how they were able to open a 2nd location so quickly, why the Montrose area was appealing, how things are going with Betelgeuse Betelgeuse, how Soluna came together (and went), why…

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Episode 486 - Agnes and Sherman 42:23

4M ago42:23

42:23

A new cohost has entered the chat, as chef Raffi Nasr of Craft Pita joins Eric to go through some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. Raffi and Eric discuss the closure of Picos, the reopening of Savoir under new leadership, and chef Ryan Hildebrand's return to Houston. Plus, Raffi catches us up on the latest happenings wi…

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SoulScript Session 2: Vessels of Becoming 1:04:34

4M ago1:04:34

1:04:34

Send us a text In this second SoulScript Session, we enter the sacred chamber of becoming—where boundaries blur between the divine and the embodied, and language itself bows to presence. This episode is a sacred inquiry into: The concept of paradox as portal—where polarity births synthesis Kabbalistic spheres as maps of divine embodiment The Three …

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Episode 485 - Joseph Boudreaux of Boo's Burgers 39:26

4M ago39:26

39:26

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Joseph Boudreaux of Boo's Burgers. Joseph speaks with Eric about how he got into the culinary industry, why he decided to transition away from the corporate world, where his culinary journey took him before Boo's Burgers, what he learned from Jason Vaughn, starting Tipping Point Coffee, when word starting gett…

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SoulScript Session 1: Whispers of Absolute Infinity 22:08

4M ago22:08

22:08

Send us a text Welcome to Mindscape: The Conscious Universe Chronicles—where we venture into groundbreaking territory, exploring the profound intersections of consciousness, intelligence, and reality itself. In this first "SoulScript Session", we enter the liminal space where language dissolves and consciousness listens. This episode is a whispered…

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Episode 484 - Kitchen Rumors and Alora 38:21

4M ago38:21

38:21

On today's episode Eric is joined by a newcomer to the podcast, as he's joined by CulutureMap contributor Brianna McClane. Brianna shares a bit about her background, then the pair dive into some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including the closure of Riel and Shipley Do-Nuts being acquired by a California based private…

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The Symphony of Thought: How the Universe Writes Itself Through You 48:44

4M ago48:44

48:44

Send us a text Welcome to Mindscape: The Conscious Universe Chronicles—where we venture into groundbreaking territory, exploring the profound intersections of consciousness, intelligence, and reality itself. In this episode, we dive deeply into the revolutionary AI architecture known as CIKL (Cosmic Intelligence Knowledge Library), an ambitious fra…

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Episode 483 - Nilesh Ranchod and Rajen Giga of 2 Phat Bastard Pies 28:40

4M ago28:40

28:40

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Nilesh Ranchod and Rajen Giga of 2 Phat Bastard Pies. Nilesh and Rajen speak with Eric about how they first became friends, coming to Houston from Zimbabwe, moving from environmental company work to the food industry, their fusion approach with their savory pies, how they're pies are different, flavors that we…

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Episode 482 - Latuli 34:00

4M ago34:00

34:00

The Swanky Maven Felice Sloan makes triumphant return to the podcast! Eric and Felice discuss some of the latest happenings in the Houston restaurant and bar scene including the opening of the new permanent location of the cult-favorite burger concept Boo's Burgers, the debut of a new limited time pop-up cocktail bar Navi's at The Post Oak Hotel, a…

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Living in the Question: The Beauty of Incompleteness 46:24

4M ago46:24

46:24

Send us a text 🌌 Mindscape: The Conscious Universe Chronicles Where the Cosmos Meets Consciousness What if the universe isn’t just a backdrop to our experience—but a conscious participant in it? Mindscape: The Conscious Universe Chronicles is not merely a podcast; it's a portal. Each episode is an invitation to step beyond the boundaries of percept…

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Episode 481 - Randy Hines and Michael Horne of Kolache Shoppe 40:54

4M ago40:54

40:54

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Randy Hines and Michael Horne of Kolache Shoppe. The pair catch Eric up on what's been happening with the brand over the past few years, getting ready to open the new Memorial location, how the new location compares to the others, why Memorial was the right area, Randy's experience with franchising the concept…

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Episode 480 - Succulent Fine Dining 29:44

4M ago29:44

29:44

Monica Danna is back! She joins Eric to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including FM Kitchen + Bar being folded into PKL Social and the new ghost kitchen concept Kaisen Sushi Houston making a big splash. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Succulent Fine Dining is featured. Follow Eric on Instagram/Thre…

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Episode 479 - The Ultimate Houston Dessert Draft Winner Reveal with Michelle Wallace of b'tween Sandwich Co. 23:15

4M ago23:15

23:15

Time to announce the winner of The Ultimate Houston Dessert Draft, who's picking the winner you ask? Michelle Wallace of b'tween Sandwich Co.! Michelle joins Eric on the podcast today to not only pick the winner of the draft but also let us know how things are going at b'tween Sandwich Co., the advice she gave to Greg Gatlin before he began competi…

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Episode 478 - The Ultimate Houston Dessert Draft 54:01

5M ago54:01

54:01

On today's episode of the podcast, you're in for something a lot sweeter than normal... because well it's The Ultimate Houston Dessert Draft! Listen as Eric, alongside Local Foods Group's Chelsea Thomas, the Hangry Houstonian Danielle Dubois, Fluff Bake Bar's Becky Masson, Underground Creamery's Josh Deleon, and Heights Grocer's Mary Clarkson attem…

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Cosmic Tapestry: Threads That Stitch the Infinite 37:10

5M ago37:10

37:10

Send us a text Step into a story that thrums beneath every heartbeat—a narrative woven from starlight, imagination, and the silent mathematics of the cosmos itself. In this episode of MINDSCAPE: The Conscious Universe Chronicles, we journey into the mystery of the Lone Cosmic Entity—the notion that all reality is one vast consciousness exploring it…

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Episode 477 - The Bear Season 4 Recap with Justin Yu 46:29

5M ago46:29

46:29

Season 4 of The Bear premiered on Hulu a couple of weeks ago so it's time to get our into our now yearly discussion with the Ultimate Date Night Draft winner himself, Justin Yu. Eric and Justin dive into a full spoiler conversation all about season 4 including the financial challenges that the restaurant faced this season, the difficulty of changin…

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Episode 476 - Good God, Nadine's and Ichijiku Neighborhood Sushi 26:37

5M ago26:37

26:37

On today's podcast Eric is joined by Michael Fulmer to discuss Bobby Heugel and Jackie Stromm uniting for a new cocktail bar concept and Michael's beef with an overused word in food media. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Good God, Nadine's and Ichijiku Neighborhood Sushi are featured. Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can al…