Flavorphiles

Why is everything so expensive? This week on Flavorphiles, we’re talking about the money behind the meal.First, food professor Sylvain Charlebois joins us to explain what’s really driving food prices, why grocery bills and menu prices keep climbing, and whether things are likely to get better or worse from here.Then, Tanner pulls back the curtain on restaurant profit math. A packed dining room on a Saturday night might look like a gold mine, but once you factor in labor, rent, prep time, food costs, broken equipment, and all the invisible expenses, the real...

How do you actually get started in the restaurant business? This week, we’re going behind the scenes of the jobs that make restaurants work — from the first kitchen shift to the first night behind the bar, and all the chaos in between.We start in the kitchen with the big question: is culinary school worth it? Tanner breaks down the pros and cons, how professional kitchens are organized, and what those jobs are really like once service starts. Then we move to the front of house to talk servers, bartenders, barbacks, hosts, and why some of the leas...

This week on Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry are making The Ick List — the restaurant habits that instantly make someone less attractive.A dinner date is not just about dinner. It is a test of manners, taste, generosity, patience, curiosity, and whether you can treat a server like a human being. From filming every dish to saying “I know the owner,” we’re breaking down the food behaviors that ruin the vibe.Then relationship expert and sexologist Shan Boodram joins the show to talk about dating performance, spicy food, and why people pretend to like things they don’t. Af...

This week on Flavorphiles, we’re giving hot dogs the serious culinary examination they obviously deserve.Tanner and Jerry start with a Hot Dog Martini — made with “dirty hot dog water” gin, mustard oil, pickle oil, and a poppy seed/celery salt rim — before breaking down what actually makes a great dog: the meat, the snap, the bun, the toppings, and why ketchup may be the enemy.Then Eric Mittenthal, President of the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, joins the show to walk us through the official hot dog etiquette guide. After that, competitive eater Katie Prettyman...

A great night out does not happen by accident. This week on Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry break down how to get the most out of every restaurant experience—from choosing the right place to ordering like someone who knows what they’re doing.We start with the Amuse Booze: amaro, the bittersweet Italian liqueur you should probably be drinking at the end of dinner. Then, Tanner shares how to spot a great restaurant before you book, including what menus can tell you, why some reviews are useless, and the social media trick that helps reveal what a place is r...

Before it’s plated, paired, or priced—luxury starts in the dirt.In this episode, we follow the path from soil to status. Tanner and Jerry begin by unpacking the reality of “farm to table,” where menus are shaped by weather, relationships, and a level of unpredictability most diners never see.Then, we hear from the people who live that reality every day. The owner of Altima Caviar shares the decades-long process behind producing world-class caviar, while Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery offers a reminder that winemaking is still farming—no matter how refined the final prod...

Spring is here, and we’re taking things outside. This week on Flavorphiles, we’re throwing the ultimate Garden Party—from what to grow, to what to drink, to what actually belongs on your table.We kick things off with our Amuse Booze: a classic sour cocktail, a smash, and a highball that unlock the perfect ratios you can use to create nearly endless drinks. Once you understand the balance, you don’t need recipes—just fresh ingredients, ideally pulled straight from your garden or a local farmers market.Next, we’re joined by gardening icon Mark Cullen...

This week on Flavorphiles, we’re skipping the theme and letting curiosity run the show.We kick things off with a homemade absinthe for Amuse Booze—because if you’re going to go off-script, you might as well start with something a little dangerous.From there, it’s a rapid-fire mix of questions and hot takes: what farm-to-table actually means (and when it’s just marketing), how to make non-alcoholic cocktails feel like a real experience instead of an afterthought, and whether vegetarian tasting menus should really cost less.Then we look at what’s old becomi...

TikTok has a food hack for everything—drink more water, eat more protein, save money, cook faster. But how much of it actually holds up?This episode, we react to some of the biggest trends taking over your feed. We start with the viral “buy half a cow” craze and why it’s not quite the deal it looks like. Then, with the help of a nutritionist and a fitness expert, we dig into hydration trends, “healthy” swaps, protein obsession, man kibble, and meal prep extremes. Finally Tanner responds to cooking hacks and we crown a winner of Martini Madn...

Easter might be the strangest food holiday we celebrate.A rabbit delivers eggs. We hide them in the yard. And somehow, all of it ends with a pile of candy that only exists for a few weeks a year.In this episode of Flavorphiles, we unpack how it all came together. We start with the question no one really asks: why eggs? From ancient symbols of rebirth to medieval fasting rules, eggs became the center of Easter almost by accident. Along the way, we figure out how a German folklore hare ended up delivering them.<...

This week on Flavorphiles, we explore the strange line between food traditions that are centuries old and the ones we invented last Tuesday.We begin with a game of Authentic… or Not?, where Jerry tries to determine whether famous dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala, Caesar Salad, and sushi rolls are actually traditional to the cuisines they’re associated with—or clever culinary imposters.Then we’re joined by Indigenous chef Sarah Mierau, founder of Tradish, a café and food brand dedicated to sharing Indigenous ingredients and cooking with a modern audience. She explains how Indigenous cuisine continues...

The future of food and hospitality is changing fast—and in some cases, unraveling in real time.This week’s episode starts with one of the biggest stories in the industry: the allegations surrounding René Redzepi and his departure from Noma. As one of the most influential chefs of this era steps away, we unpack what happened—and what it says about the culture that defined modern fine dining.From there, we zoom out. Are the foundations of fine dining—unpaid stages, marathon tasting menus, and all-consuming kitchen culture—still viable? Or is the industry heading toward some...

Amuse Booze: Frozen irish CoffeeThis week on Flavorphiles, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day the way it was meant to be celebrated: by questioning almost everything about it.In Segment 1, we look at how St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is very different from the green-beer spectacle it’s become in North America. Tanner explains why owning a bar on St. Patrick’s Day isn’t quite the party people think it is, and we introduce our Martini Madness competition.In Segment 2, we tackle the humble potato. If potatoes didn’t originate in Ireland, how...

Amuse Booze: 20% MartiniIn Episode 20 of Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry explore the power dynamics shaping modern hospitality — from tipping culture to food journalism to the way television has redefined what we think kitchens look like. We begin with a listener question that sparked a bigger debate: if someone tips $40 on a $500 bill, and the server balks, who’s in the wrong? That conversation opens the door to the economics of service, why 20% has become the standard, whether tipping should disappear altogether, and why even industry leaders like Danny Meyer ultimately returned to the system they tried to re...

Amuse Booze: The Gin & Tonic — The Original Location-Driven CocktailIn the first segment, Tanner and Jerry break down the psychology of space—why rooftop restaurants feel expensive, basements feel exclusive, strip malls hide greatness, and beach restaurants often get a pass. From airport dining to vacation mode, they examine how context changes perception and why the bar is often the best seat in the house.Next, they bring in a commercial broker to discuss the real-world side of restaurant location. What makes a space work? Why do some addresses feel cursed? Is visibility everything? It’s a cand...

Amuse Booze: Tepache — Fermented & Safe, despite what the Dallas Health Department SaysTanner and Jerry explore the darker side of dining in an episode dedicated to foods that kills. They begin with cautionary tales from history, including embalmed milk, a 2008 CEO who went to prison, and arsenic-laced candy—reminders that food safety hasn’t always been a given. In the second segment, they sit down with one of the scientists responsible for removing salmonella from modern turkey production to understand how it’s done—and what you should know when cooking your own bird. From there, Tanner shar...

Amuse Booze: The Spicy Pickle MartiniTanner and Jerry take on the science—and the suffering—behind the hangover. They start by breaking down what a hangover actually is, how it happens, and whether certain spirits are truly better or worse when it comes to next-day consequences.In the second segment, they sort fact from fiction on hangover cures: what works, what doesn’t, and the surprising global remedies people swear by—including ox blood soup. Then they pivot to a thoughtful listener question: how do you cook flavorful food if you can’t rely on salt for h...

Amuse Booze: The Orange Julep (Montréal)Tanner and Jerry celebrate Valentine’s Day with an episode dedicated to romance, food, and the realities of making it all work. The conversation begins with nutritionist Lianne Phillipson, as they unpack the idea of aphrodisiacs—Tanner shares his favorite “romance foods,” while Lianne breaks down whether there’s any real science behind the magic.Next, they tackle the nightmare scenario: you forgot to make the perfect reservation. From last-minute saves to progressive dinners and thoughtful meals at home, Tanner offers practical solutions—including his infamous Cast Iron Pan Test, how a p...

Amuse Booze: The Batanga BarTanner and Jerry kick off Super Bowl Sunday with a guest who truly understands excess. Taylor Rause, Tanner’s business partner and the architect of what may be the most over-the-top Super Bowl party on record, joins the show to explain how and why he goes all in—from a massive food spread to 27 TVs so you never miss a play, even in the bathroom.In the second segment, Tanner brings things back to earth with practical tips for hosting if you don’t want to go that hard—or for being th...

With Dry January in full swing, Tanner and Jerry start the episode with a spirit-free Tea Old Fashioned that proves you don’t need alcohol to make a serious drink. Jerry shares a few kitchen woes, which leads Tanner to tackle one of the most common questions home cooks ask: what knives do you actually need—and which ones can wait. Next, they look ahead to the coming year with a breakdown of emerging trends in cocktail bars and how drinking culture continues to evolve. Short Order Cooking returns with a rapid-fire round on kitchen myths we’re officia...