Shawn Townsend: From the Night Mayor to DC's Restaurant Boss
Spike sits down with Shawn Townsend, President and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington — aka the guy making sure the DMV’s food scene doesn’t burn out under pressure. Shawn has seen DC from every side of the line — behind the bar, behind the badge, and now behind the movement keeping restaurants alive. From his early days crushing grapes in Sicily to becoming DC’s first “Night Mayor,” Shawn breaks down what it really takes to keep a city eating — through politics, policy, and pandemic fallout. They dig into everything from third-party delivery fees and minimum wage battles to ICE raids, nightlife culture, and what “Together We Dine” really means for the future of dining out in DC.This one’s for anyone who’s ever fought to keep the lights on, the kitchen running, and the city’s flavor alive.What You'll Hear In This Episode:How a military kid from Charleston ended up shaping DC’s restaurant policyLessons from working nightlife enforcement to advocating for restaurantsThe evolution of DC’s food scene — from Obama-era renaissance to post-COVID recoveryWhy third-party delivery apps became both a lifeline and a liabilityHow ICE presence and federal optics are scaring off both workers and dinersThe reality of doing business across DC, Maryland, and Virginia“Together We Dine” — RAMW’s new campaign to bring people back into restaurantsWhat local owners can do to adapt, innovate, and survive the new era of hospitalityWhy DC’s food scene is still on fire — in the best and worst ways
Listen & Connect With Us Here: https://linktr.ee/intheweeds.pod 🎙️🎙️ In The Weeds Podcast is proudly sponsored by: Events DC is the official convention and sports authority for the District and a key player in making some of DC’s most exciting events and experiences happen. From world-class sports to cultural festivals and everything in between, they help power the energy of the city. Visit eventsdc.com to see what they are cooking up!DC Central Kitchen is an iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. The organization provides hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while creating living wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed. To learn more, please visit dccentralkitchen.org
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Chef David Guas: Let The Good Times Roll (All the Way to DC)
Chef David Guas brings the soul of New Orleans wherever he goes—and in this episode, he brings it straight into the In The Weeds studio. From washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant to leading one of D.C.’s most beloved kitchens (Bayou Bakery), Chef David Guas’ journey is as rich and layered as a bowl of gumbo. In this episode, Spike Mendelsohn sits down with his longtime friend to talk about what it really means to build a life in food—from New Orleans roots steeped in family, flavor, and fried dough, to shaping D.C.’s early restaurant scene at the legendary DC Coast.It’s a story about hustle, heritage, and the kind of “instant gratification” only the kitchen can give. Expect tales of Cuban-Creole mashups, mentorship from a German pastry tyrant, the unlikely path from pastry to po’ boys, and how a dishwasher’s humility can take you all the way to chef-owner.Pull up a chair, pour a café au lait, and let the good times roll.Some highlights from this episode with Chef David Guas include:-Growing up in New Orleans East with Cuban roots and family meals that sparked a lifelong love of food.-Washing dishes, flipping cheesesteaks, and learning the instant-gratification joy of feeding people.-The call to Justin Wilson that convinced him to chase the craft.-Getting schooled by Master Pastry Chef Kurt Ebert at Windsor Court—meringue, roux, and reality checks included.-Moving to D.C. with Jeff Tunks and the crew to open DC Coast, one of the restaurants that helped define a generation of chefs.-Building Bayou Bakery, finding community through food, and keeping that New Orleans heart beating strong in the nation’s capital.
Listen & Connect With Us Here: https://linktr.ee/intheweeds.pod 🎙️🎙️ In The Weeds Podcast is proudly sponsored by: Events DC is the official convention and sports authority for the District and a key player in making some of DC’s most exciting events and experiences happen. From world-class sports to cultural festivals and everything in between, they help power the energy of the city. Visit eventsdc.com to see what they are cooking up!DC Central Kitchen is an iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. The organization provides hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while creating living wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed. To learn more, please visit dccentralkitchen.org
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Chef Marcus Samuelsson: A Life Seasoned With Grit & Grace
In this episode of In The Weeds Podcast, Spike goes deep with Chef Marcus Samuelsson — James Beard Award winner, author, activist, and the force behind Red Rooster, Hav & Mar, Streetbird, and Marcus DC.What you’ll hear in this episode:Marcus on walking into DC Central Kitchen and why programs like this are the future of food justice.His journey from being born in Ethiopia and adopted into a Swedish family — and the goosebump story of the nurse who changed his life.Experiencing snow for the first time as a kid and adjusting to life in Sweden.Learning flavor from his grandmother’s Swedish meatballs and how food became his language.The brutal but brilliant lessons of French kitchens — from scallop mishaps to finding mentors.Taking over Aquavit at just 23 years old after the tragic death of its chef, and the fear that fueled his rise.Why the future of fine dining isn’t only in France anymore — it’s global, from Peru to Colombia.Marcus’s story is about more than cooking. It’s about resilience, second chances, and shaping the soul of American food while staying rooted in community.👉 Don’t miss more conversations like this — follow In The Weeds Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
Listen & Connect With Us Here: https://linktr.ee/intheweeds.pod 🎙️🎙️ In The Weeds Podcast is proudly sponsored by: Events DC is the official convention and sports authority for the District and a key player in making some of DC’s most exciting events and experiences happen. From world-class sports to cultural festivals and everything in between, they help power the energy of the city. Visit eventsdc.com to see what they are cooking up!DC Central Kitchen is an iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. The organization provides hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while creating living wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed. To learn more, please visit dccentralkitchen.org
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Chef Kat Petonito: Take Your Ego Off The Plate
This week on In The Weeds Podcast, Spike sits down with Chef Katarina Petonito—the force behind The Duck & The Peach, La Collina, and The Wells. Kat gets real about:Growing up in Germantown, Maryland with a Filipino mom and Italian dad, and how food was always part of the family hustle.The path from CIA to Nantucket summers, DC kitchens, and finally running her own teams.Why she believes in taking ego off the plate and leading with collaboration.Renovating a fixer-upper while raising a toddler (yes, she admits to plenty of McDonald’s runs).Her journey from industry burnout to finding balance with a women-led collective.Along the way, Spike and Kat swap war stories about first jobs, pepperoni sauce, school lunches, dolphin trainer dreams, and why Southern hospitality really is that nice.Pull up a chair—this episode is a reminder that behind every menu is a chef who fought hard to rewrite the rules.🎧 Subscribe, rate, and review In The Weeds Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Join us on our other channels: https://linktr.ee/intheweeds.pod
Listen & Connect With Us Here: https://linktr.ee/intheweeds.pod 🎙️🎙️ In The Weeds Podcast is proudly sponsored by: Events DC is the official convention and sports authority for the District and a key player in making some of DC’s most exciting events and experiences happen. From world-class sports to cultural festivals and everything in between, they help power the energy of the city. Visit eventsdc.com to see what they are cooking up!DC Central Kitchen is an iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. The organization provides hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while creating living wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed. To learn more, please visit dccentralkitchen.org
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1:31:46
Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos: Humility, Hustle & Healing Through Food
Spike sits down with Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos–better known as Juanma—to trace his wild rise from running a hot dog cart kitchen to leading Elcielo, the first Colombian restaurant to earn a Michelin star. Juanma opens up about hustling through failures and all-night shifts, the lessons in humility he picked up scrubbing kitchens in Argentina, and how that grind shaped his global culinary empire. But the story goes deeper: through his foundation (the El Cielo Foundation), he’s training former guerrilla fighters, paramilitaries, and victims of Colombia’s conflict to cook, rebuild, and feed their families. Food here isn’t just art—it’s second chances, peacebuilding, and proof that the kitchen can heal as much as it inspires.
Listen & Connect With Us Here: https://linktr.ee/intheweeds.pod 🎙️🎙️ In The Weeds Podcast is proudly sponsored by: Events DC is the official convention and sports authority for the District and a key player in making some of DC’s most exciting events and experiences happen. From world-class sports to cultural festivals and everything in between, they help power the energy of the city. Visit eventsdc.com to see what they are cooking up!DC Central Kitchen is an iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. The organization provides hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while creating living wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed. To learn more, please visit dccentralkitchen.org
About In the Weeds Podcast with Chef Spike Mendelsohn
New Episodes Drop Each Tuesday! Step into the high-pressure world of culinary chaos with Chef Spike Mendelsohn, the relentless renegade of the kitchen, as he serves up a no-holds-barred exploration of the restaurant industry. In this gripping podcast, Spike sits down with fellow chefs, restaurateurs, and industry insiders to dish out the raw chaos and brutal challenges of the industry. From the relentless rush of a dinner service to the intense moments of being "in the weeds," each episode explores the triumphs, challenges, and downright madness of life in the kitchen. With candid conversations and captivating stories, listeners are invited to pull up a seat and savor the flavors of this exhilarating journey through the heart of the culinary world. Get ready to indulge in the ultimate behind-the-line experience as Spike serves up insight, inspiration, and plenty of food for thought. Welcome to the In The Weeds Podcast, where the heat is always on and the conversation is always piping hot.
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