What does it take to build one of North America's 50 Best Bars? In this conversation, General Manager, Jake Kelly shares his journey through hospitality, leadership, mentorship, and the realities of running an award-winning cocktail bar.

From washing dishes at 14 years old to serving in the Peace Corps, teaching on Chicago's South Side, and eventually leading one of the continent's most celebrated bars, Jake's path wasn't traditional, but it shaped the way he thinks about service, leadership, and hospitality.

Whether you're a bartender, restaurant owner, hospitality professional, or someone passionate about great service, this episode offers an inside look at what happens behind the scenes of a world-class bar.

Time Stamps / Chapters:

00:00 Introduction & North America's 50 Best Bars

01:05 Meet Jake Kelly of Bisous

01:50 Inside Bisous & Top 50 Recognition

02:33 First Hospitality Job at 14

04:54 Peace Corps & Lessons in Hospitality

07:08 Teaching, Burnout & Career Change

10:17 Re-Entering Hospitality Later in Life

12:58 Becoming a Bartender by Accident

16:28 Mentors Who Shaped Jake's Career

18:40 From Bartender to General Manager

20:09 Building Bisous from the Ground Up

24:44 Rebranding Two Weeks Before Opening

27:27 Opening Without PR & Organic Growth

30:22 North America's 50 Best Bars Experience

34:04 The Emotional Reality of Being a GM

35:51 Perfect Service, Recognition & Leadership

39:05 Hospitality Lessons & Rapid-Fire Questions

43:21 Final Thoughts on Resilience

Hashtags:

#HospitalityLeadership

#CocktailCulture

#RestaurantManagement

Keywords:

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Healthy fast casual restaurants are everywhere — but very few combine operational excellence, hospitality, and genuinely satisfying food the way Fare does.

In this episode, we sit down with the founder of Fare to talk about building a fast-growing restaurant brand rooted in hospitality, intentional food, and strong company culture. From working at a roller rink and Gibson’s Restaurant Group to scaling multiple locations, this conversation dives deep into what it actually takes to grow a restaurant business without losing the guest experience.

Whether you're a restaurant operator, entrepreneur, hospitality professional, or someone passionate about healthy food concepts, this episode is packed with lessons on leadership, scaling, culture, and creating memorable guest experiences.

Time Stamps / Chapters:

00:00 – Hospitality chose her

01:31 – Life before starting Fair

03:32 – Missing healthy food in college and restaurant life

04:49 – How meal prep became a business idea

07:08 – Gibson’s Restaurant Group lessons and hospitality standards

09:29 – The importance of details and restaurant culture

11:50 – The failed protein bar business

13:31 – Early pivots and building Fair in a food hall

16:14 – Letting go of control as a founder

20:29 – Scaling Fair and managing growth

24:08 – Hospitality in a fast casual restaurant

27:01 – The customer note that created loyalty

30:14 – Why Fair focuses on nourishment and satisfaction

35:02 – Rapid-fire hospitality questions

40:37 – Where to find Fair

What makes a brand feel real? In this episode of All in Good Taste, Alicia of Owen’s Famous shares her philosophy on branding, hospitality, creativity, and building spaces people emotionally connect with.

From rearranging her childhood bedroom like a storefront to opening a coffee shop during COVID, Alicia explains how authenticity—not aesthetics alone—is what creates lasting brands and memorable hospitality experiences.

This episode is for hospitality professionals, creatives, founders, designers, and anyone trying to build something that genuinely resonates with people.

Time Stamps / Chapters:

00:00 Intro Montage

00:00:56 Welcome to All in Good Taste

00:01:45 When Alicia First Realized She Had Taste

00:05:23 Becoming a Creative Professional

00:08:35 The Psychology Behind Branding

00:10:19 Building the Spilled Milk Bakery Brand

00:11:15 The First Questions Alicia Asks Every Brand

00:15:01 Pretty Brands vs Successful Brands

00:17:01 Misconceptions About Rebranding

00:20:15 Why Creative Work Needs Boundaries

00:24:53 Opening Bay Coffee Company During COVID

00:32:13 Lessons From Running Owen’s Famous

00:36:05 The Story Behind the Name Owen’s Famous

00:39:21 Building a Real Community Through Hospitality

00:46:01 What “Good Taste” Actually Means

What does “good taste” really mean—and how can food change communities?

In this episode, we go inside Chicago Chefs Cook, a powerful charity event where 30 of the city’s top chefs come together to support causes like pediatric cancer, immigration rights, and regenerative agriculture.

Through conversations with chefs, organizers, and guests, this episode explores the deeper meaning of hospitality, the stories behind unforgettable meals, and why food is about far more than what’s on the plate.

If you care about food, community, or the human side of hospitality—this one’s for you.

Time Stamps / Chapters:

00:00 Introduction & Chicago chefs spotlight

00:01 Inside the Chicago Chefs Cook gala

00:02 Meet the organizers & mission

00:02 Featured dishes & causes supported

00:03 Why chefs support philanthropy

00:04 Food, family, and first inspirations

00:05 Childhood food memories & influence

00:06 Stories that shaped culinary careers

00:08 Hospitality and human connection

00:10 Small moments that define great service

00:12 The meaning of true hospitality

00:16 The hardest part of restaurant life

00:18 What “good taste” really means

00:20 THC beverages & innovation in dining

00:22 Life lessons from chefs

00:24 Closing reflections on community

Luxury hospitality isn’t about marble, crystal, or expensive details—it’s about connection, discipline, and consistency.

In this episode, we explore what truly defines world-class hospitality through the journey of a leader shaped by French service standards and global experience. From growing up in a strict hospitality household to leading teams in luxury hotels, this conversation breaks down what separates service from true hospitality.

If you work in hospitality—or want to understand how great experiences are created—this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes.

Time Stamps / Chapters:

00:00:00 Champagne mistake & first big lesson

00:00:23 Hospitality is a team sport

00:00:56 What luxury really means

00:01:42 Growing up in French hospitality culture

00:04:24 From “shame of the family” to loving wine

00:06:39 The brigade system explained

00:08:47 Leadership: being part of the team

00:11:20 Arriving in the U.S. & chasing opportunity

00:15:38 Hilton training & career foundation

00:18:33 French vs American hospitality

00:28:35 What makes Waldorf Astoria different

00:31:22 Why recognition defines true luxury

00:35:03 What guests never see behind the scenes

00:44:34 Final advice: follow your dream

Irish whiskey has one of the most fascinating stories in spirits history. In this episode, we explore Irish whiskey history, Redbreast, Jameson, and the role Irish pub culture plays in hospitality, community, and connection.

Host Aidan Descoouroez sits down with Joe Nicol, national brand ambassador for Jameson and Redbreast, to talk about Joe’s path from washing dishes to leading whiskey education across the country. Along the way, they unpack what makes Irish whiskey different, why it nearly disappeared, and how it found its way back into bars, restaurants, and modern drinking culture.

This episode is for whiskey lovers, hospitality professionals, bartenders, and anyone interested in Irish culture, storytelling, and the power of great hospitality. It’s part spirit education, part industry conversation, and part reflection on what brings people together.

Time Stamps / Chapters:

00:00 Intro teaser: whiskey, flavor, and discovery

01:01 Irish whiskey’s rise, fall, and cultural legacy

01:52 Joe Nicol’s childhood and early hospitality roots

05:40 The first spirit that changed his palate: Chartreuse

12:08 The history of Irish whiskey and how it nearly vanished

18:11 What makes Irish whiskey different

22:00 Redbreast explained: grain, barrels, and flavor

27:26 Tasting Redbreast 27

33:38 Irish immigrants, Chicago, and pub culture

39:00 Modern drinking culture and changing hospitality habits

42:41 Sobriety, tasting, and working in spirits

46:14 What people are really looking for in hospitality

48:04 The guest menu: rapid-fire hospitality questions

52:14 Where to find Joe online

Restaurant leadership systems, hospitality culture, and scaling with integrity Gino Bartucci shares what it really takes to build a legacy in the restaurant world (and protect it when headlines hit).

In this episode of All In Good Taste, Aidan Descourouez sits down with Gino Bartucci behind the line to talk about family roots, fresh pasta, and the hard operational realities guests never see training teams, choosing partners, setting boundaries, and building checks and balances as you grow.

If you’re a restaurant owner, operator, chef, or hospitality leader trying to scale without losing your standards (or yourself), this conversation is a practical look at what “earning trust over time” actually requires.

Time Stamps / Chapters:

00:01:12 – Intro: Gino Bartucci’s roots + putting your name on the door

00:01:55 – Cooking: amatriciana vs carbonara (behind the line)

00:02:22 – Family story: Ellis Island, Harlem Ave, and earning pride

00:03:12 – “Pasta Fresh” and serving 150+ restaurants (B2B growth)

00:04:42 – First jobs at 10: fresh mozzarella, slicer, and confidence

00:06:11 – The bathroom-cleaning lesson: leadership by example

00:08:00 – Training, delegating, and why owners go “too hands-off”

00:09:27 – Legacy vs inheritance: consistency + fighting for return customers

00:20:40 – Timeline: Bartucci (2014) → growth → Gino & Marty’s after Covid

00:27:13 – Dubai expansion: “Mr. Chicago” + global recognition

00:30:26 – Pasta Villa concept: fast-casual, customizable, “no seed oils” claim

00:34:48 – Partnerships, ego, and how money changes culture downstream

00:38:43 – Public reporting, closure, reset, and rebuilding with systems

Chicago deep dish pizza is more than a style—it’s culture, identity, and (for this founder) representation.

Chef Brandon Bruner shares how he built Lynn’s Chicago pizza from the South Side, why he names signature pies after real streets like The Dorchester, and what it takes to keep going when the story is still being written. This episode also gets real about the restaurant grind, what guests “don’t see” behind the scenes, and how community support became the ultimate validation.

If you care about food entrepreneurship, Chicago pizza culture, or building a brand rooted in underserved communities—this one’s for you.

00:00 — Competing with “the big guys”

00:04 — Why pizzas are named after streets (The Dorchester)

00:20 — Building for underserved communities / food deserts

00:36 — Community vs investor value: validation

00:54 — Intro: building in real time with Chef Brandon Bruner

01:53 — Food growing up on Chicago’s South Side

04:50 — Work ethic: “figure it out” and less talk

06:06 — Why deep dish: no new faces, no new blood

07:27 — Deep dish as a celebratory pie in Chicago

08:30 — How Lynn’s started: learning dough + early sales

12:20 — The Dorchester breakdown: toppings + why it stays

18:22 — Pop-up grind + “what are you willing to do to be seen?”

19:54 — $300,000 in sales as proof of concept

21:09 — The turning point: opening with $100 (not enough for cheese)

29:05 — Final lesson: “How bad do you want it?”