The Dine One Six

Billy Ngo of Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine got his start at an old-school Japanese restaurant on Broadway in Sacramento, spending hours washing dishes and painstakingly preparing shrimp for the week’s service. After a stint at Mikuni he understood how sushi could become something that mixed his passion for creativity and attention to detail.  Billy headed to culinary school in San Francisco and came back to work at The Kitchen for a year, where he learned the importance of good ingredients and good relationships with purveyors of fish and produce.  Then, at just 23 years old, Billy opened Kru on J street, which quickly became recognized as one of the best and most creative sushi spots in town. A decade later Billy moved Kru into its current, much larger home on Folsom Blvd. and it remains one of the hottest restaurant reservations in town.  Billy fills us in on sushi eating etiquette, talks about his early attempts at a Michelin star, why he loves cooking japanese and french cuisine, how he seeks to let the ingredients speak for themselves and how a burger permanently ended up on the menu at one of Sacramento’s most acclaimed sushi restaurants.  Recently, his high level of skill and execution, matched with his creativity and drive to please his guests has garnered Billy a finalist nomination for the James Beard Awards “Best Chef in California.” Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com

WARNING: Make sure you’re not hungry before listening to this episode This week we are back with an episode all about the Sac Hot Chicken battle that took place earlier this summer. We interviewed all the chefs, tried all the sandwiches and got reactions from people on site as about 1000 people came out and enjoyed spicy chicken sandwiches and beer and cider.  We also talked to the event organizer Misty Alafranji as well as one of the judges Benjy Egel from the Sacramento Bee. So kick back and listen to each chef explain their sandwiches, imagine eating them yourself and get ready to run out and try a sandwich from one of the winners as we give you the final results at the end of the episode!   Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com   Links:  Beers in Sac Natomas Oktoberfest City of Refuge Sacramento   Competitors: Mumpy’s food truck Naija Boys Tacos Jets  Tiger Bar Skips Fish & Chicken Hawks Sac City Brews Alaro Brewing Co. Device Brewing Co.  Pangea Bier Cafe Bawk Nash and Tender

Tamra Ruxin is a roaster for the local land park roastery Two Seeds Coffee. She knows her coffee and has the credentials to prove it. In fact, Tamra is a certified Q Arabica coffee grader, a certification that is held by only a few hundred people in the U.S. and it means she can taste a cup of coffee and tell you almost anything about it.    We get into the difference between dark, medium and light roasts. How different brewing methods affect your cup of coffee, why you should always grind your beans fresh each morning and what the differences are in the flavors of coffees from different regions.   If you’ve ever stood in a Temple Coffee and felt confused and overwhelmed this is the episode for you. Listen as Tamra demystifies the sometimes pretentious world of coffee and gives you tips on how to up your personal coffee game and discover what types of roasts you might enjoy.   What Is the Q Grader Coffee System, and What Does It Mean For Your Morning Cup? -KQED   To order some Two Seeds coffee visit their website    Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com   Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com

It all started when a disastrous failed potato crop led Jody Bogle’s grandfather, Warren Bogle to try planting wine grapes on the acreage he purchased on Merritt Island. In 1968 he planted 10 acres of Petite Syrah and 10 acres of Chenin Blanc. He got the Chenin Blanc clippings from a guy named Skinny in Lodi! Today, Bogle has grown to become the Bogle Family Wine Collection, a brand that stretches worldwide, which includes several different labels, styles and price points of wine. We talk to Jody about how the unexpected death of her father led her to leave her job as an English teacher to come back home to Sacramento and take on a new role with the family business, how she and her two brothers have grown the business into the massive and respected brand it is today, and how family values, small lot wine making and sustainable growing practices are the fuel that still power Bogle’s business today.  So grab a glass of one of Bogle’s award winning wines and listen to the history of one of Sacramento’s great business success stories. Visit the Bogle website Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com  

Greg Gearhart and Victor Mihalchuk were sipping coffee and having lunch with their colleague Cameron Tyler of Moonracer films when they thought, “the food scene in Sacramento is so amazing…what if we filmed it.” That nugget of an idea launched what is now one of the most beautiful celebrations of Sacramento and its food you will ever see called Breaking Bread.  On Tuesday September 5 there was a very special premiere of the amazing limited series and the next day we sat down with Greg and Victor to talk about how the project came together, their experiences filming it and the amazing food they got to eat.  Breaking Bread gives you wonderful, open conversations with some of Sacramento’s best chefs and takes you behind the scenes of what makes the culinary scene in Sacramento so special.  You will laugh, cry, get goosebumps and get that warm feeling of awe and appreciation when you watch this series. It is absolutely stunning, and we are proud to bring you a conversation with two of the gentlemen who made it happen.    The first episode aired last night.   You can watch Breaking Bread on KCRA 3 the next two episodes air:   Sunday September 10, at 9 p.m.  Sunday September 17, at 9 p.m.   You can also watch on the Very Local app. Download it for free on your phone or streaming device.   Visit Moonracer films website and Instagram    Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com   Follow The Dine One Six on Instagram   Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com

Before Robert Masullo became a Sacramento pizza icon, he was the son of a Sac Bee journalist and a stay at-home mom. His mom was a major influence on his life as she taught him the values in hard work and making recipes from scratch.  His Sacramento food orgin story is epic, with him riding a Vespa to Biba to wash dishes when he was 16. His love of food took him to the CIA in New York and then a little over a decade stop in Minnesota. He worked as a baker, learning the art and craft dough and how to perfect it.  With dough still on his mind, he found his way back home to family and Sacramento, met his future wife and luckily for us, opened up Masullo Pizzeria. With many awards and much recognition, Robert has crafted his place in Sacramento history. Take a listen to hear this masterclass on pizza.  Visit Masullo's website   Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com   Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com

Ben Roberts grew up in Grass Valley where he loved skateboarding and punk rock. He dreamed of getting out of the small town but had no real plan, but after he met his future wife at a record shop, he followed her to Sacramento as she went to UC Davis and he looked to take any job he could find. That is the perfect recipe (pun intended) for a young kid to make his way into a kitchen.  He got his start at R15 and then Shady Lady where a mentor showed him the right books to buy and Ben dove in head first. He soon realized that he wanted to cook beautiful, amazing food, and he knew that The Sellands group was a great place to do that. He made his way to Ella, where he worked for several years and became a jack of all trades, including making woodfired pizza for family meals. Eventually, he left to start his own mobile pizza business with a trailer and woodfire oven. He grinded in the heat of Sacramento for more than 4 years before he got an opportunity to open the storefront he occupies today. His pizza manages to be both classic and unique at the same time, but it’s without a doubt one of the best slices you’ll find anywhere in Sacramento.  Visit Pizza Supreme Being's website and Instagram   Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com 

Chloe Booth got a taste for interesting food at a young age when her mom went to culinary school. But it was years later as a teenager when her grandmother bulldozed a job path for Chloe at Del’s Pizza in Fair Oaks. There she learned the ins and outs of the pizza business, from interacting with the regulars to managing 20 pizzas at a time in the ovens.  After a break from restaurants Chloe saw a Facebook post about a new pizza place opening in Midtown. She went in for a stage shift and has never left. Today she is responsible for making most of the dough on a daily basis, sometimes for up to 170 pizzas in a single day.  Listen to this episode to hear Chloe talk about the unique style of Pizza at Pizzasaurus Rex, the famed “dino sauce” and her hopes that one day there could be a horror themed bakery in Sacramento. Links: Pizzasaurus Rex website Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram

Alison Clevenger moved from Arizona to Oregon to go to culinary school without ever checking out the campus, her mom just signed her up, drove her up there and dropped her off. That move set her life on a course where she would land in Sacramento and ultimately help build one of the premiere sweet treat destinations in the city, Ginger Elizabeth’s.  Alison talks about taking naps on giant bags of flour, the growth of Ginger Elizabeth, perfecting the perfect ice cream sandwich (in Max’s opinion,) what it was like to leave her best friend and venture out into the more male dominated culinary world, making pastries for Ella, Sellands and The Kitchen and ultimately how she helped to relaunch a Sacramento culinary cult icon Doughbot donuts.  Alison has since moved on to her next culinary adventure and we can’t wait to see what she does next but rest assured wherever she lands the creations will be stellar and we will drop whatever we are doing to try them.    Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com   Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com

Matt Brown loves to cook. That may seem obvious given he’s spent the last 20 years as a chef. But many chefs don’t cook between shifts…not Matt. He loves nothing more than cracking open a cookbook, a bottle of wine and spending a day off grilling in the summer or roasting in the winter.    Matt got his start at pizzeria as a teenager and spent time at several other spots in Sacramento that are no longer in existence (Matt swore their closing wasn’t his fault.) After moving to Idaho for five years to work as a chef and a stint in Napa he returned to Sacramento to work at 58 Holding Co. and then The Golden Bear where he made a name for himself cooking some of the best food in town at the unassuming Sacramento favorite.    Today Matt is a part owner and head chef at Bodega Kitchen and Cocktails where he has dived deep into research and cookbooks to find all sorts of Puerto Rican and Caribbean inspired recipes that he and his team could put their own spin on. They have termed it “California Pan Caribbean” cuisine, and it’s delicious.    Check out Boega’s website and Instagram   Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com   Follow us on Instagram   Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com    

Taylor Lovelace is the head chef at J.J. Pfister Distilling Company but her love affair with cooking started when she interned at The Kitchen while in culinary school. It was actually years before when she would chauffeur her parents to the famed restaurant that she got to try the food when the staff would feed her the menu in the back of the restaurant while her parents dined.    Taylor went on to hit Sacramento hot-spots like Localis, Echo and Rig and Camden Spit and Larder before landing at J.J. Pfister as the head chef. Now she spends her time elevating sandwiches and salads into saucy flavor bombs.    We answer many important questions in the episode from which is better: waffles or pancakes? What does M.C.B. stand for? And what makes a good sandwich?   Check out JJ Pfister’s website and Instagram   Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com   Follow us on Instagram   Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com 

In place of a usual episode, Max and Neill take turns asking each other food questions to give you insight into the minds of your favorite local food podcasters! What food are you embarrassed to say they don't like? What's the one meal you would make to impress someone? If you could only eat one cuisine for the rest of your life what would it be? And more!! This episode is in place of an episode that was supposed to be with Polo Adamo of Adamo's Kitchen but the audio was lost during a computer crash. Please go and try Adamo's for some of the best Italian food Sacramento has to offer! Adamo's kitchen Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com

Eddie Torres learned the power of food connecting families at an early age when he would have Sunday dinners with more than 20 members of his extended family, most of whom lived in the same apartment complex. But it wasn’t until the great recession, which buckled the car industry where he was working, that he decided to go to culinary school.  After school he bounced around town until making his way to Ella pretty quickly, starting at the bottom and working his way up to the line. Then, he heard from his boss that Kelly McCown was taking over at The Kitchen and looking to build his team. Eddie tried out and ended up working at The Kitchen for 6 years, working his way up to sous chef. Eddie talks about the intensity, the craft, the precision and the joy that it took to work at one of Sacramento’s most prestigious restaurants.  Today he  is back working with his good friend Ben Roberts who owns Pizza Supreme Being helping put out some of the best pizza in Sacramento, while he works on his own concept of a Puerto Rican inspired restaurant.  Photo courtesy of @jamiecardenasphotographer Eddie’s instagram   Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com   Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com

Dennis Sydnor first fell in love with cooking in his family home, smelling bbq and parker house rolls that his dad made. Then when he got his first kitchen job back in Cleveland at 17 he realized that his ability to cook impressed the girls and gave him some juice as the new kid in town.  Soon he moved to the front of the house and fell in love with hospitality and being front and center watching people experience what he knew would become lifelong memories. Eventually, he longed to get back into the kitchen and moved back to Sacramento and went to culinary school to prove he was serious about getting behind the line.  He has worked all over town including Grange, Red Rabbit, JB’s Lounge, Smokey Oaks, 1022 and even Golden One Center before setting out on his own during COVID doing pop ups and catering under the name Renegade Dining while also serving the students at a beauty school in Natomas.  We get into his whole past and his hope for the future, as well as his amazing experience as the winner of an episode of Cutthroat Kitchen on Food Network which you’ll have to see to believe. And now you can on the Discovery+ app! Follow Dennis on Instagram @dennissydnorjr and Renegade Dining @renegade_dining  Dennis’ episode of Cutthroat Kitchen is on Discovery Plus in season 13 titled “Mission Impastable”   Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com

Max and Neill sit down with Rebecca Campbell, owner and chef of Sac City Brews in Tahoe Park.  They talk about Rebecca’s unconventional and even accidental move to running a kitchen. It’s not often you find someone with two Masters degrees running a kitchen, but she has taken her background in community development to create an amazing spot for the neighborhood of Tahoe Park and frankly for all of Sacramento.  She talks about how growing up on a small farm in the foothills gave her an appreciation for the small farmers she works with today and how it took her years to realize that she is actually not just analytically minded but also a very creative person and it shows in her food.  And we talk a lot about the creative twists on classics like: tater tots, nachos, wings, paninis and more.   Visit Sac City Brews website and Instagram  Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com

Greg Desmangles got his start as so many do, in the dish pit of a family owned restaurant. But from his first weekend working on his feet all day bussing tables and washing dishes during beer week, Greg knew he wanted to be in a kitchen.  Greg went on to stage at Taylor's kitchen soaking up all he could before going back to his uncle's restaurant Pangaea Beir Cafe and working prep. Today Greg has helped the family business grow to four restaurants, including Pangaea, Urban Roots Brewing and Smokehouse, Bawk! and  Cerveceria at The Shack. Greg oversees all four operations and he tells Max and Neill how he got deep into the world of BBQ and hopes to plant a flag as nationally recognized BBQ spot right here in Sacramento.   Resources from episode: Greg's Instagram Bawk Pangaea Beir Cafe Urban Roots Cerveceria at The Shack   Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com Listen to Bondolio episode about olive oil

Today we talk about the wild world of cheese! How does blue mold bloom? Does what the animal eats change the taste of cheese? Strange food combinations to eat with cheese, headless spiders that create a rind on cheese. All these questions and odd facts are answered and discussed with our guest Julie Cassotta.    Julie is a Certified Cheese Professional and one of only eight people with that certification in Sacramento. That means she knows her stuff when it comes to cheese.    Julie creates gorgeous cheese and charcuterie boards year round under the name Cellar Door Platters and built her small business through social media to where she is a full-time cheesemonger.    We also talk about stops she had at Block Butcher Bar, Whole Foods and Franquet.   Check out The Dine One Six on Instagram and our website   Episode resources:    Check out her website to order your holiday cheese board!    Julie’s Instagram Here are all the cheeses we talked about!   -Smokey Blue from Rogue River Creamery   -Vacherin Mont d'Or    -Jasper Hill Creamery in Vermont- Harbison   -Bailey Hazen Blue Jasper Hill creamery with dark chocolate   -Langres (cheese you pour champagne on)   -Mimollete (Halloween cheese) -Coro foods salami

Chris Sinclair fell in love with cocktails when a salty San Francisco bartender schooled him on what a real martini was. Since that moment Chris has dedicated his life to teaching other aspiring bartenders and guests, wherever he has worked, the art of the craft cocktail.  Chris is from New York but has made Sacramento his home having spent the last decade working at the likes of Red Rabbit, La Cosecha, Kasbah, Sail Inn, Jungle Bird and more. He is also the founding president of the Sacramento chapter of the U.S. Bartenders Guild.  Chris loves good food, good drinks and a good time and he has a reverence for the feeling and emotions a good cocktail can create. Yet as you’ll hear, there is zero pretense to his love of booze and bartending.    Note: This episode does contains some strong language and one NSFW story.   Bodega’s website   Good Bottle website   Good Bottle podcast   Sources discussed:   Camper English’s blog   Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com   Follow us on Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email us at max@dineonesix.com or neill@dineonesix.com

Jonathan Kerksieck has been working in restaurants in Sacramento for 30 years. He got his start making pizza at original Pete’s out of high school. He considered culinary school but a conversation with Rick Mahan when he was working at Paragary's and set his course on learning to cook by working long hours in kitchens all over Sacramento.  After all that training, head chef jobs, running hotel food programs and even doing food research and development, Jonathan met an old colleague who helped him open Cacio in the Pocket/Greenhaven neighborhood.  Jonathan said it’s “like the Cheers” of the neighborhood, only Cheers wasn’t serving delicious Italian cuisine.  Cacio website, Instagram, Facebook Sac Bee top 50 restaurants   Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow me on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com

Scott McCumber has not had the traditional path to becoming a head chef here in Sacramento. Most chefs start young, finding the discipline and camaraderie in the kitchen intoxicating. Scott loves that about the kitchen too, but for him it was consecutive layoffs in his corporate sales career that led him to completely shift his life’s course.  Scott took six months of severance pay and with his wife’s blessing went to work in a kitchen as a volunteer prep cook, and less than eight years later found himself heading up the well established Taylor’s Kitchen.  Today Scott has taken over another Sacramento favorite, Pangaea Beir Cafe in Curtis Park.  We talk to Scott about Pangaea’s famous burger, what he is bringing to the menu as they rebuild it post COVID and how he worked his way through some of Sacramento’s best known Restaurants including Hook and Ladder, Hawks Public House, The Grange and Camden Spit & Larder.    Pangaea website and Instagram   Visit the podcast website at dineonesix.com Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at max@dineonesix.com