In Part 2 of the "Hot Off the Press" GTMO episode, Chef Pete continues to bring all the action from the most recent Mess Lords “Fork Full of Freedom” trip to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Featured on the Food Network program “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” hosted by Guy Fieri, Mess Lords is a group of celebrity chefs that have teamed up to help boost the morale of those in the United States Armed Services. As a founding member of the organization, Chef Pete and his team of Mess Lords offer cooking demos, culinary shows, entertainment, and of course good eats to the men and women who selflessly serve our country.
On this most recent tour, Pete caught up with pro BMX dirt rider Mike "Hucker" Clark and professional skateboarder Omar Hassan who were also part of the tour to entertain sailors through Navy Entertainment's MWR program. The three talked the evolution of their respective sports, their thoughts on success, and even a little food.
Mountaineer Roasting. Located on the 5th floor of Evansdale Crossing at West Virginia University, Mountaineer Roasting Company is the proud coffee partner of WVU. Expertly roasted in small batches right on campus, every cup enjoyed supports WVU student scholarships and international learning experiences. Enter code PANINI15 when ordering to receive a 15% discount!
On this episode of “Hot Off the Press” Pete sits down with fellow Mess Lords and celebrity chefs Celina Tio and Nick Liberato on their recent “Fork Full of Freedom” trip to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Featured on the Food Network program “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” hosted by Guy Fieri, Mess Lords is a group of celebrity chefs that have teamed up to help boost the morale of those in the United States Armed Services. As a founding member of the organization, Chef Pete and his team of Mess Lords offer cooking demos, culinary shows, entertainment, and of course good eats to the men and women who selflessly serve our country.
After earning a degree in hotel and restaurant management from Drexel University, Celina Tio started cooking at Philadelphia’s Ritz-Carlton hotel. By age 23 she had become the chef of the hotel’s Grill Room. Celina moved to Orlando, Fla., to work for Walt Disney World. There she helped open two specialty restaurants: Spoodles, which features Mediterranean cuisine, and Citricos, specializing in Southern French dishes. Celina became known during the following seven years heading the kitchen at Kansas City’s renowned American Restaurant. There she garnered local and national accolades, including 2005 “Chef of the Year” by Chef magazine and the James Beard Foundation’s 2007 “Best Chef: Midwest.” She subsequently left to open her own restaurant, Julian, in Brookside, Kansas City, in 2009. While at Julian, Tio appeared on several television cooking series such as Top Chef Masters, Iron Chef America and The Next Iron Chef. She opened a second restaurant, called Collection, in 2013, and The Belfry the following year. Follow Celina on Twitter.
Nick Liberato has been cooking professionally for 18 years, and now calls the Southern California coast his home. Nick is a personal chef to the stars and a revered cocktail mixologist. Nick has participated in include multiple stints at The James Beard House in New York (2005-2010), Bogota Food and Wine Festival in Colombia (2011-2012) as well as various events spanning locations from Sydney to Tokyo. In October of 2012, Nick traveled to Italy to and cooked his way through the whole country, region by region for two months. Nick has appeared on Top Chef Masters on Bravo TV and has appeared as a chef multiple times on Spike TVs hit show Bar Rescue. Nick currently owns/operates his Catering business Calidelphia and is executive chef/partner of The Venice Whaler in Venice Beach California. After years of honing his craft with various chef positions at LA hotspots, Nick landed a position at Sona, where he became the protege to chef David Meyers; he was heavily influenced by modern French and Japanese cuisine. After having the opportunity to work and study cocktails with the famous Milk & Honey in New York City, Nick went on to consult and create a variety of cocktails at The stylish French brasserie Comme Ca in West Hollywood, West Los Angeles’s Toscana, and David Meyer’s new Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa, CA. Having studied various techniques with an eye for detail and a vision for food service, a short list of Nick’s celebrity clients include Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand, Anthony Kiedis, The Beastie Boys, Hank Azaria and Cher. Connect with Nick on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Special “shout-out” to this episode’s sponsor, Mountaineer Roasting. Located on the 5th floor of Evansdale Crossing at West Virginia University, Mountaineer Roasting Company is the proud coffee partner of WVU. Expertly roasted in small batches right on campus, every cup enjoyed supports WVU student scholarships and international learning experiences. Enter code PANINI15 when ordering to receive a 15% discount!
On the latest episode of "Hot Off the Press" Chef Pete catches up with Bill Walton, aka "Dr. Oyster," the oyster aquaculture extension specialist with Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. He is an associate professor in Auburn University’s School of Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences and a marine Extension specialist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Working along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico at Auburn University’s Shellfish Lab in Dauphin Island, Ala., he conducts applied research with local shellfish farmers, shellfishermen (commercial and recreational), and national and local organizations. Before moving to the Gulf, he did similar work along the coast of Massachusetts. In particular, Bill focuses on development of oyster mariculture in the southern U.S. as a sustainable, environmentally friendly industry that creates jobs, increases incomes, and preserves a traditional way of life.
In addition, Bill and his wife, Beth, along with their partner Troy Parnell and his wife, Camellah, started the Fairhope-based catering service "The Wandering Oyster," that specializes in catering oyster raw bars, featuring world-class oysters from across the country.
For more information, visit www.thewanderingoyster.com.
On this episode of “Hot Off the Press” Chef Pete road trips to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi to visit The Shed BBQ and Blues Joint in Ocean Springs. A family-owned restaurant, Brett Orrison, Brooke Lewis and Brad Orrison began their BBQ and Blues journey in 2001. This wild ride has taken them on quite a successful trip.
The Shed has been featured on national TV shows and has landed a number of world championship awards for their famous barbecue and for their secret rub. Most recently, The Shed was named the best BBQ in the state of Mississippi by the Food Network, and Southern Living Magazine ranked the Shed number one on their Great American Bucket List. Winning over 20 awards for their sauces at the National BBQ Association Convention, as well as the Grand World Championship in the Whole Hog Division at the Memphis in May World Championship, are only a few notches in the belts of The Shed’s BBQ competition team. Most every item on The Shed’s menu has won prestigious awards. From all of the meats, the sauces, to Daddy O’s coleslaw.
The Original Shed is located in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. There are now 3 Shed BBQ locations along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The Shed also offers online ordering and catering.
After a little bit of a holiday hiatus, "Hot Off the Press" podcast is back in full swing this spring kicking off 2018 from Orange Beach, Ala, with one of our favorite HotP guests and longtime friend Johnny Fisher. It's been more than two years since Chef Pete caught up with Johnny on location from his most recent restaurant opening, Fisher's at Orange Beach Marina. Fisher's Upstairs and Fisher's Dockside are two restaurants housed under the same roof—one offering a more upscale, timeless dining experience and the other a more casual dining option. Both with incredible food, first-class service and an atmosphere arguably unmatched along the Gulf Coast.
Johnny's passion for the industry has also landed him opportunities to lend what his team calls the "Fisher's Factor," to some of the most iconic places along the Gulf Coast, including New Orleans’ House of Blues, Lulu’s at Homeport Marina in Gulf Shores and The Gulf at Perdido Pass in Orange Beach.
His most recent venture will bring Caribibean-inspired cuisine to the coastal dining scene. Playa—Spanish for "beach"— will open later this year at Sportsman Marina on Canal Road in Orange Beach. The restaurant will feature three-time James Beard semi-finalist Chef Bill Briand’s menu of Caribbean and seafood flavors served in a care-free and beautifully designed casual atmosphere with Gulf views on the marina. Last year, when Shipp's Harbor Grill closed its doors and went up for sale, Johnny's creative culinary wheels started to spin and he decided to purchase the building. He and partners Earl and Bennett Long, Executive Chef Bill Briand, and Director of Operations and Wine Buyer Sara Kavanaugh are preparing to open the restaurant in April.
For more information visit www.playaoba.com or www.fishersobm.com. Also, follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.