Founder Sarah Elizabeth shares the story behind AGC’s mission to reimagine education and build a campus rooted in global citizenship, environmental sustainability, and whole-child wellness. From learning villages and classroom kitchens to a fresh food marketplace, community love fridge, apiary, gardens, and a working farm, AGC is more than a school — it is a living wellness ecosystem.

The episode also features conversations with Health & Wellness Teacher Bryan Soto, Culinary Director Stacey Whitney, and Cultivate Collective Managing Director Kris De la Torre, each offering a deeper look at how students connect with food, nature, gratitude, and community every day.

Featured Guests

Sarah Elizabeth
Founder, Academy for Global Citizenship
Sarah shares the origin story of AGC, the years-long journey to get the school approved, and the vision behind building a 6.5-acre sustainable campus designed to serve students, families, and the broader community.

Bryan Soto
Health & Wellness Teacher
Bryan talks about teaching wellness, kitchen skills, gratitude, and food curiosity to students as young as three. He also shares the story of AGC’s now-famous Mushroom Club, which grew from a classroom lesson into a school-wide movement.

Stacey Whitney
Culinary Director
Stacey explains why food is fundamental to learning and how her team feeds hundreds of students each day with a scratch-made, mostly plant-based menu rooted in care, nutrition, and joy.

Kris De la Torre
Managing Director, Cultivate Collective
Kris walks through the farm program, food access work, community gardens, and the importance of helping students build a lasting relationship with the natural world.

Key Themes
Reimagining Education
AGC is built on the belief that education should prepare students not only academically, but socially, emotionally, physically, and environmentally.

Food as a Foundation for Learning
The school’s culinary program shows that well-fed students are better prepared to learn, connect, and thrive.
Farm-to-School in Real Time
Students see where their food comes from, help grow it, learn from it, and then eat it in their daily meals.

Wellness as Culture
From gratitude rituals before lunch to wellness lessons and classroom kitchens, AGC makes health and well-being part of the daily rhythm of school life.

Community Beyond the Classroom
With Little Leaf Market, a solar-powered community love fridge, community gardens, wellness spaces, and food access programs, AGC serves as a hub for families and neighbors.

Sustainability Students Can Feel
AGC is home to Illinois’ first net-positive energy and net-positive water campus, making sustainability something students experience firsthand.

Episode Takeaway
At its heart, this episode is about what happens when a school chooses to care for the whole child. AGC shows that food, wellness, sustainability, and community are not extras — they are essential parts of education. When students understand where their food comes from, feel connected to nature, and experience care in their daily meals, those lessons ripple far beyond the classroom.

#education 
#publicschoolsystem 
#schoollunch 
#urbanfarming 
#foodeducation 
#sustainability y
#chicago 
#teaching  
#healthykids 

Future of Education
Innovative Schools
Public School Innovation
Healthy School Lunch
School Garden
Farm to School
Sustainable Schools
School Food Program
Urban Farming
Alternative Education
Teaching Kids About Food
Whole Child Education
Education Documentary
Chicago Public Schools
Healthy Eating for Kids

From premium non-alcoholic beverages to changing bourbon marketing strategies, this conversation looks at what today's guests actually want—and why authentic experiences matter more than ever.

Whether you're a restaurant owner, bartender, beverage professional, hospitality student, marketer, or simply interested in where the food and beverage industry is headed, this episode offers valuable insight into one of hospitality's biggest cultural shifts.

Host: Aidan Descourouez

Guests: 

Abby Kritzler (CCO & Executive Director at Boka Restaurant Group) 

Website: https://www.bokagrp.com/

Jake Ireland (CEO & Founder of Off Hours Bourbon) 

Website: https://drinkoffhours.com/

Samantha Catalina ( Fractional CMO - specializing in beverage)

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samcatalina/

James Feeley ||| (Director of Sales, Wine & Spirits at Lakeshore Beverage)

Website:https://www.handfamilycompanies.com/lakeshore-beverage

Time Stamps / Chapters:

00:00 Introduction & The Changing Face of Hospitality

00:01:18 Meet the Panel

00:04:49 How Restaurants Are Adapting to Changing Drinking Habits

00:06:32 Are Restaurants Losing Beverage Revenue?

00:07:34 Younger Generations Are Reshaping Hospitality

00:10:28 Building a Bourbon Brand in a Changing Market

00:11:33 Why Younger Consumers Want Different Alcohol Brands

00:13:55 Should Bourbon Companies Make Non-Alcoholic Products?

00:17:16 Marketing Alcohol in a Wellness-Focused World

00:18:53 Are Non-Alcoholic Drinks Here to Stay?

00:20:53 Are People Drinking Less or Just Drinking Differently?

00:23:37 Beverage Trends Shaping the Future of Hospitality

00:26:05 The Metrics Every Hospitality Leader Should Watch

00:27:09 Final Thoughts

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:

hospitality leadership

bar general manager

North Americas 50 Best Bars

cocktail bar management

hospitality career journey

restaurant leadership

bartender to general manager

hospitality mentorship

Chicago cocktail bars

hospitality podcast

guest experience leadership

restaurant operations management

hospitality industry insights

building a bar brand

service excellence

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?”

In this episode, hospitality leader Michelle Herndon shares how culture, inclusion, and leadership show up long before the food ever hits the table.

With more than 30 years across restaurants, hotels, events, and people operations, Michelle reflects on her journey from waiting tables to working with world-class chefs, Hollywood power lunches, and Michael Jordan’s restaurants—and how those experiences shaped her belief that real hospitality starts with people.

This conversation is for hospitality leaders, operators, and anyone responsible for building teams who want to move beyond surface-level inclusion toward real belonging that lasts.

Time Stamps

00:00 – The hospitality muscle of “I’ll figure it out”

01:35 – Welcome to All in Good Taste with Michelle Herndon

02:03 – What belonging feels like when you enter a restaurant

02:41 – Inclusion vs. belonging: what’s the difference?

03:37 – Why leadership is the starting point for culture

05:00 – Hospitality as a daily practice, not a perfect formula

06:20 – Michelle’s early life, Europe, and family roots

09:11 – Red Lobster, early lessons, and instant gratification

11:33 – Jumping from casual dining to fine dining hotels

15:22 – Education, wine, and falling in love with hospitality

17:14 – Los Angeles, power lunches, and celebrity guests

23:14 – Returning to Chicago and redefining purpose

29:44 – Michael Jordan, events, and career acceleration

34:51 – Recognizing burnout and shifting toward people-first work

36:19 – COVID, coaching, and the belonging gap in hospitality

42:08 – Leading with listening and modeling hospitality internally

48:26 – Mentorship, representation, and creating space to belong

49:28 – The tasting menu: lessons, leadership, and good taste

54:24 – Final lesson: authenticity and micro-steps forward

Host Aidan Desourouez sits down with Katie to unpack her journey from software developer to bartender, competitor, educator, and now owner. You’ll hear what Speed Rack is (and why it matters), what the World Class speed round really tests, and how the best bartenders think about guests, teams, and staying calm when you’re “in the weeds.”

If you’re a bartender, bar manager, hospitality pro, or cocktail nerd, or you’re building a career where service and leadership matter, this conversation is packed with practical insight and real stories from behind the bar.

Time Stamps / Chapters:

00:01:33 Hard-hat tour: “We are in the weeds” + sprinting toward opening
00:02:21 From software developer to bartending in Chicago’s cocktail renaissance
00:03:48 Early identity + finding community in chaotic service
00:05:12 What Speed Rack is + why it matters
00:07:10 First menu moment + creating a drink you’re proud of
00:10:19 “Great drink maker, not a great bartender” + shifting priorities to hospitality
00:11:56 Why World Class + the “Olympics of bartending” mindset
00:15:29 First-year World Class speed round disaster + the Band-Aid moment
00:18:19 Coming back to win + advice for new competitors
00:20:16 Judging competitions + spotting next-gen technique and talent
00:21:20 Reading a room + leading a team when it’s slammed
00:26:54 The “hibiscus syrup bloodbath” service story
00:28:40 Chicago cocktail community + owner-operators after Covid
00:33:11 First cocktail in the new space: blender piña colada specs
00:36:22 Bambi’s concept: whimsy, warmth, and molecular techniques in prep
00:39:49 Why it’s named “Bambi” + learning to walk again as an owner
00:41:07 Tasting Menu Qs: tiny hospitality gestures, inspiration, spontaneity

She also opens up about the bold question that pushed her to take the biggest leap of her career… and how it might change the way you think about risk, regret, and going after what you want.

From redefining hospitality to uncovering the mindset behind fearless decisions, this conversation is equal parts inspiring, warm, and unexpectedly funny. If you’ve ever felt the pull to do something bigger—but hesitated—this is the interview that will light a fire under you.

Time Stamps

[00:00] Audrey Sullivan introduction, how a melted Margarita sparked the birth of Quarry Ice

[7:02] Audrey Sullivan shares how she got started in the world of ice

[9:17] Japan, Ritual, and Learning Ice From the Masters

[15:12] What Makes Craft Ice Different: The Three-Day Freeze & Hand-Cut Precision

[16:35] Inside the Factory: Heavy Lifting, Precision, and the Reality of Ice Making

[22:49] Audrey discusses her relationships and programs

[25:35] — Second-Chance Employment, COVID Survival & Community Impact

They discuss the power of reading a guest before they speak, why dining out restores the spirit, how martial arts cultivates emotional diplomacy, the beauty of handmade family recipes, and the small gestures that transform hospitality into something unforgettable.

In the debut of the show’s new “Tasting Menu” rapid-fire segment, Jason offers reflections on spontaneity, humility with confidence, and one life lesson that stands above all: be kind to everyone—but don’t take any shit from anyone.

This episode is a reminder that hospitality isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence, intention, and the tiny moments that make a life worth savoring.

Time Stamps:

[00:00] Jason describes sharing about opening his restaurant and shares about the emotional connection food can bring.

[8:35] How Jason has handled his paper bookings and organizing 

[14:52] Jason shares a story of a time when things did go “wrong” and how he works on keeping his customers pleased

[22:56] Jason has said his cancer battle was the “worst best thing,” now he explains why

[29:20] How martial arts has helped Jason

[35:01] A small gesture that has gone a long way

[38:06] Jason shares the hardest part of being a restaurant owner.