Radio Days
Late in 2004, a producer approached the restaurateurs with the idea of parlaying their knowledge and experience into a radio show. First, could they come up with 31 ideas for 31 shows? In no time, they dreamed up 90. The two men insisted, however, on a format that would allow them to develop meaningful content. For seven years now, they have been the hosts of The Restaurant Guys: Food, Wine, and the Finer Things in Life, a weekly half-hour show now broadcast nationally on Wednesdays through the Heritage Radio Network (an archive of podcasts is available through restaurantguysradio.com). After an opening segment of banter between themselves, the two men interview an authority in the culinary and wine and spirits world, be it Ruth Reichl, formerly of Gourmet magazine and the New York Times, or John Mariani, of Esquire magazine. “In the early years, it was always amusing,” says Pascal, who says the Restaurant Guys reaches 100,000 listeners a month. “At the beginning of the program, a guest who hadn’t heard of the show would come on the air, believing it was just another interview. By the time of the break, we had made a friend. The guest really had a fun time with us.”
And that’s what Pascal and Schott have always strived for: having fun while presenting seriously good food, wine, and service. It has worked for 20 years, with no signs of abating as they continue to expand the frontier of fine food. “My favorite part of the job is greeting people,” says Pascal. “I like being on the floor when the engine is running smoothly: everybody is getting what they need; you are making 120 people in each restaurant happy; your staff is making good money; and people are spending money because they want to. It’s just a nice way to make a living. It really is.” •
View the original article at Rutgers Magazine online
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