Food Court with Richard Blais

Happy Holidays to our Food Court fans! And what better way to celebrate Hanukkah (or Christmas or Tuesday or whatever you're doing this week) than this very special episode featuring Seth Rogen (The Fablemans) and Lauren Miller Rogen (Like Father) discussing the world of mayonnaise based salads. The salads that make a deli a deli. Seth hates them, Lauren loves them, and that's how a Food Court is made.  In addition to salads Lauren and Seth are super passionate about their non-profit Hilarity for Charity. HFC is a national non-profit on a mission to care for families impacted by Alzheimer's disease, activate the next generation of Alzheimer's advocates, and be a leader in brain health research and education. They talk about what makes smash burgers so darn tasty, the McDonalds double cheeseburger, jello based salads, French dressing, mayonnaise in all its glory, ranch dressing, cel-ray soda and so much more. Happy 50th episode to us!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 3 is winding down but we're going out with a bang and not a whimper. This week friends and podcast co-hosts Busy Philipps (Girls 5Eva, Busy Philipps is Doing Her Best, Cougar Town) and Caissie St. Onge (Busy Philipps is Doing Her Best, Busy Tonight, Watch What Happens) had a hard time coming up with something argue about but then came up with this: butter pecan vs. mint chocolate chip ice cream. Which one of these ice creams is the best of the worst? Full disclosure, my kid loves both and was devastated to learn these two flavors are unpopular but to be fair my kid hasn't found an ice cream flavor she doesn't like yet.   This episode covers a lot of fun topics including manufactured olives, David Letterman pushing caviar, Martha Stewart judging the craft services table, deviled eggs and what they're all doing their best at this week.  Richard's Instagram  Ember & Rye a Richard Blais steakhouse Four Flamingos a Richard Blais Florida Kitchen See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we first started recording in early 2020, a guest was lined up who was excited to dig into the chicken sandwich wars but then covid shutdown came and the war on chicken sandwiches ended and the episode never happened. Cut to almost three years later and the topic is back! Chef Pyet DeSpain (Next Level Chef) is here to defend the Chic-fil-A chicken sandwich while Chef Nekia Allen is arguing in favor of Popeye's. Pickle brine, 11 herbs and spices, can something be TOO crispy? A lot of things are covered and our honorable judge Richard is put the test yet again.  *After this episode the guests were so sweet they went to Popeye's and got us all lunch. Gems! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every season someone brings an "I love this" vs an "I hate this" take. Season 1 brought us loving cilantro vs. hating cilantro and then season 2 brought us the infamous loving butter vs. hating butter and now here we are in season 3 with another spicy (or not spicy depending on your taste) take. Does spicy food have a place? Chef and author Wylie Dufresne is unashamed to say that he thinks spicy food is bad and overrated no matter how many people disagree with him. His friend Chris Ying (The Dave Chang Show, Recipe Club) is here to say spicy food rules. These two came to court with buckets of evidence and it all adds up to one of the best Food Court debates of all time.  The most iconic exchange of season 3 is in this episode and is about how difficult it is to make Pirate Booty, you don't want to miss this!  Richard Blais Instagram Food Court Podcast instagramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wow wow wow, as we approach the holiday season Chef Carla Hall is here to throw down for savory cornbread against her friend, fellow cook and writer, Chadwick Boyd, who is totally okay with a little extra sugar in the mix. Carla does NOT add extra sugar in her recipe and she has the evidence to prove it. This is a Food Court to remember with Carla going into a trance that cannot be broken by any mere bell,  Chadwick overcoming a duck confit injury and a final winner's scream that woke my dog from a deep sleep. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!  Richard Blais instagram Carla's book- Carla and the Christmas Cornbread Chadwick Boyd LifestyleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week in the Food Court we have two podcasters, lovers of the art of arguing and friends: Matt Frederick (Stuff They Don't Want You to Know) and Alex Williams (Ephemeral) take on the topic of dark beer vs. light beer. Which one is tastiest? Which one attracts the most snobs? Which one has notes of peanut butter? Which one did your grandpa drink? We have something called a tongue drum (seriously), learn that something called Heineken Zero exists (seriously) and that Miller Beer is comprised of soft bubbles (also true?).    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today in the Food Court with Richard Blais we have a case of two cereals. Comedian and writer, Ashley Ray, is truly passionate about hot cereals of all kinds while her friend and fellow comedian/writer, Babs Gray, is equally passionate about a simple bowl of cold cereal.  It's instant oats vs marshmallow stars, it's congee vs corn flakes and it's all going down TODAY in the Food Court.  Hopefully Ashley drops some recipes because I am dying for some carrot cake oatmeal now that I know it exists. Now I'm off to eat my yearly bowl of Count Chocula - Happy Halloween y'all!  *Rated Explicit because of mentions of weed*See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today in the Food Court we have comedian and writer, Marcy Jarreau (Brooklyn 99), here all the way from the Bayou to defend her beloved popcorn shrimp. Her friend, Michael McMillian (True Blood / My Crazy Ex-Girlfeiend), is from the midwest and here to tell us all that popcorn chicken is actually the best popcorned food. It gets verrrry personal and Richard also takes this opportunity to talk to actors about the auditioning process and his favorite topic of all - the crafty table. For Food Court devotees you'll also finally find out Richard's feelings on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when he drops some real secrets.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a family food feud in the Food Court this week! Cousins Manolo and Sandra Vergara are in the studio (our first fully in-studio episode since March 2020!) to argue soft vs crunchy tacos. Many great side topics come up in this one including the Taco Bell menu, Julia Child, international chips, the best red carpet snacks, Oreos and even Abercrombie and Fitch of all things in the year 2022 somehow. In the end I think we can all agree that tacos are delicious and, boy, are we hungry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard was having so much fun with Ophira and Josh that they did this fun bit of bonus content. Listen to find out snap opinions on several food topics in a quick game we are calling Snack Attack!  Josh, I see that you've added "year round ice coffee drinker" to your twitter bio. Or has a it always been there?!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week in the Food Court we have two incredible comedians and coffee connoisseurs here to fight the battle between hot and iced coffee. Ophira Eisenberg veteran of NPR's Ask Me Another, the Moth and the new podcast Parenting is a Joke, is taking the position of hot coffee with a side of "is iced coffee even coffee?!?" while comedian and writer Josh Gondelman (Desus and Mero, Last Week Tonight and more) is here to say that iced coffee is the only coffee, even in the dead of winter. You'll laugh, you'll laugh some more but most of all you'll hear them both keep talking through the gavel.  NOTE throughout the recording there was the sound of ice clinking on Josh's audio track. Was he drinking an iced coffee the whole time we were recording?! Truly devoted to his argument.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jordan Runtagh and Alex Heigl from the Too Much Information podcast are here to argue the virtues of dark and milk chocolate. It's a very good episode all the way through but the rebuttals in this one are a thing of beauty. <chef's kiss> literally. Enjoy this epic throwdown! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're back! So sorry about the delay. What even is time anymore?  Do not fret though because we are back with a BANG! On this episode of Food Court with Richard Blais our judge is faced with a doozy of a debate. What's better- crispy or chewy cookies? And two people who are as good at talking as they are at cooking are here to lay it all out. John Kanell of the Preppy Kitchen is defending the honor of crispy cookies while Chef Maneet Chauhan is throwing down for chewy.  John's cookbook hit stores this week and there are a bunch of great fall recipes perfect for right now! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever wondered how our whole song goes? Please enjoy the full Food Court theme song in all its glory. Arranged and preformed by Jason NeSmith with lyrics by Christopher Hassiotis wayyyy back in 2020 but most of its debate predictions have come true.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the season two finale of Food Court with Richard Blais Richard is faced with two old friends with a score to settle. Food writers, critics and podcast hosts Jennifer Zyman (The Food that Binds) and Mara Davis (Sounds Delicious) are here to argue which is better? The old standby; buffalo wings or the scrappy upstart; lemon pepper wings. Two cities enter, but only one will leave victorious.... which one will it be??**NOTE** Apologies for the audio issues this week but mostly I'd like to thank Spectrum for the most unstable internet connection in all the land Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Food Court with Richard Blais our judge will have to decide a very regional debate. In NY/NJ delis and bodegas egg and cheese sandwiches are a way of life; but what defines these popular sandwiches? Chris Gethard (Beautiful/Anonymous, The Chris Gethard Show) is here to argue that the parameters are very specific while Hallie Bulleit (Punk News podcast) thinks it's more loosey goosey, and she can do what she wants. Who is right? Who is wrong? Richard, a native New Yorker, will have to think long and hard about this one but either way there mayyyyy be some hate mail in his future. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Food Court with Richard Blais two longtime friends and co-hosts of The Kitchen, Geoffrey Zakarian and Jeff Mauro, break it down and get into the meat of this debate- what's the best? White meat or dark meat? Richard has his work cut out for him while he fights to get a word in. Do these two even hear the gavel? Tune in to find out!Please check out Geoffrey's new podcast Four Courses where he interviews high performers and how they achieved their success right here on the iHeart network. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Food Court with Richard Blais two friends? Enemies? Frenemies? And co-stars on the hot Netflix series Cobra Kai, Dan Ahdoot and Bret Ernst, are here to argue about peanut butter but they could really argue about anything (and have a great time doing it!). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this installment of Food Court with Richard Blais Caroline and Cristen, hosts of Unladylike Podcast, are here to say that when you have to choose between soup and salad, there is only one true choice. They just can't agree on which one is the right one so Richard will have to decide.And the "you may remember me from" line was a reference to Lionel Hutz from the Simpsons, for the record. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today in the Food Court with Richard Blais two incredible chefs debate the merits of a condiment that kids love to put on chicken nuggets. Amanda Freitag is a chef who is willing to go to bat for her favorite condiment, ketchup, while Marc Murphy is here to say absolutely not, mustard all the way. One guest even pulls out props*.... despite podcasting not being a visual medium. This episode is serious business.*Amanda pulled out a giant bottle of ketchup during Marc's rebuttal and walked through her entire apartment with it which made me sad we weren't making a video. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.