On The Pass
The Art of Plating
- 1 hour 20 minutes135. Hot Spot: Travis Swikard of Callie + Fleurette
Chef Travis Swikard has become one of the most influential voices shaping the future of West Coast dining. After years cooking at the highest levels in New York, Travis returned home to San Diego to create Callie, a restaurant that has redefined Southern California cuisine and captured national attention. Now, he's preparing to open Fleurette, his most intimate and personal restaurant yet — a project rooted in craft, memory, and a deep sense of place.
In this conversation, Travis opens up about the moments that shaped him: the early lessons that forged his discipline, the risk of walking away from a dream job, the grief and setbacks that humbled him, and the clarity that came from rebuilding with purpose. We explore how he leads, how he cultivates culture inside the kitchen, how he thinks about flavor and storytelling, and why he believes San Diego is entering its most exciting culinary chapter yet.
In this episode, we discuss: • The rise of Callie and Travis' return to San Diego • Why Fleurette represents a new creative frontier • Leadership, culture-building, and empowering young cooks • Turning loss into fuel and rebuilding with intention • What defines San Diego's food identity — and where it's going • The responsibility chefs carry in shaping community
Whether you're a chef, entrepreneur, hospitality leader, or someone who simply loves food and meaningful storytelling, this episode offers a rare look into the heart and mind of a chef leading with vision.
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10 December 2025, 9:45 am - 1 hour 9 minutes134. Or Amsalam: 10 Years of Bread & Belonging
What does it take to build a bakery that becomes the soul of a neighborhood? In this episode of On The Pass, host Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Or Amsalam, chef and co-founder of Lodge Bread Co., one of Los Angeles' most influential and beloved artisan bakeries.
For nearly a decade, Lodge Bread Co. has been more than a place for great bread — it has become a cultural pillar, a symbol of craft, care, and community. Or shares how his Israeli–Moroccan heritage shaped his palate, how failure became a teacher, and how the bakery's recent Culver City expansion is a way of giving back to the neighborhood that believed in them from day one.
Together, they dive into: • The discipline and philosophy behind naturally leavened sourdough • How heritage, memory, and flavor inform Or's cooking • The power of community-driven hospitality • What creativity looks like after 10 years of growth • Why every neighborhood needs a bakery and a baker • The dish Or wishes he had created • What the next decade of Lodge Bread Co. might hold
This is a thoughtful, warm, fun conversation with a chef who understands that bread isn't just food — it's connection.
Watch the full video episode on YouTube and subscribe to On The Pass for more conversations with chefs, winemakers, and creative leaders shaping food and culture.
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26 November 2025, 2:33 pm - 58 minutes 8 seconds133. Eduard Xatruch: Inside the World's #1 Restaurant
In this special in-depth conversation, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Chef Eduard Xatruch, one of the three creative forces behind Disfrutar — the #1 restaurant in the world (World's 50 Best 2024) and a three-Michelin-stardestination redefining modern gastronomy.
From the legacy of El Bulli to the philosophy of "creative cooking," Eduard reflects on his lifelong pursuit of innovation, collaboration, and meaning. He opens up about the power of partnership with fellow chefs Oriol Castro and Mateu Casañas, the discipline required to harness creativity ("creativity is a beast, and you must control it"), and the relentless curiosity that drives Disfrutar to keep reimagining what's possible in fine dining.
Recorded live in Miami during the Estrella Damm Gastronomy Congress, this conversation offers a rare glimpse into the mind of one of the world's most visionary chefs — an exploration of passion, precision, and purpose that defines the next era of culinary creativity.
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12 November 2025, 9:30 am - 3 minutes 22 secondsA New Era of Culinary Greatness | In Partnership with S.Pellegrino
A New Course is a special three-part video series presented by On The Pass, in partnership with S.Pellegrino and the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy — a celebration of mentorship, creativity, and the future of gastronomy. Featuring culinary icons like Nancy Silverton, Aisha Ibrahim, and Brad Kilgore, alongside emerging voices such as Charlie Mitchell and Garrett Brower, each episode explores the deeper meaning of competition, leadership, and community in shaping the next generation of chefs. It offers a rare glimpse into the minds and hearts of chefs across generations who are redefining excellence in the kitchen — and reminds us that every great culinary journey begins with a love for being in service to others.
🎥 Watch the full series now on YouTube — link below.
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20 October 2025, 8:30 am - 53 minutes 13 seconds132. Curtis Stone: Leading With Vision
In this episode of On The Pass, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with world-renowned chef, restaurateur, and creative force Curtis Stone — a figure who has spent nearly two decades evolving from fine dining in Beverly Hills, to live fire at Gwen, to his latest chapter with Woodend at Maroma, A Belmond Hotel in Mexico.
Curtis has worn many hats: Michelin-starred chef, butcher, farmer, TV personality, cookbook author, Emmy-nominated producer, and entrepreneur. But beneath the accolades lies a deeper story — one about vision, leadership, reinvention, and the pursuit of meaning in both work and life.
In this conversation, Curtis opens up about:
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How he gets others to believe in and buy into his vision across restaurants, media, products, and farms
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Why vulnerability is just as essential to leadership as grit and discipline
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His perspective on the future of culinary storytelling — from network TV to TikTok to long-form depth
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What Mexico has taught him about humility, culture, and honoring place through food
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How he decides where to focus his energy, what he's ready to leave behind, and what success means now as a leader, father, and builder of community
This is Curtis Stone like you've never heard him before, not just as a celebrity chef, but as a creative visionary building an ecosystem that stretches far beyond the kitchen.
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17 September 2025, 2:45 pm -
- 58 minutes 7 seconds131. Hot Spot: Bolun & Linette Yao of NYC's YINGTAO
What does it mean to "dare to imagine new possibilities for Chinese cuisine"? For Bolun and Linette Yao, the husband-and-wife duo behind Yingtao in Hell's Kitchen, it means rewriting the story of what Chinese fine dining can be and doing it on their own terms.
In this episode, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with the Yaos to talk about the vision, the challenges, and the triumphs of building New York City's only contemporary Chinese Michelin-starred restaurant. Named after Bolun's grandmother, Yingtao is as much about family and memory as it is about innovation and modernity.
Highlights include: • The grandmother who inspired Yingtao and continues to shape its spirit • Why the Yaos see Yingtao as more than a restaurant, but a brand and a movement • How their backgrounds across China, New Zealand, Singapore, California, and New York influence their approach to food and hospitality • What it takes to build a Michelin-starred restaurant as a young couple in New York City • Why they believe Chinese cuisine is entering a new era, alongside global innovators like Chef Andrew Wong in London
This is a conversation about legacy, ambition, and cultural storytelling. It is about honoring tradition while reimagining what is possible.
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27 August 2025, 8:47 am - 59 minutes 38 seconds130. Hot Spot: Tara Monsod of Animae + Le Coq
There's a certain kind of magic that happens at the intersection of memory and ambition, and Chef Tara Monsod is living proof of that.
In this episode, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Tara, the Executive Chef of Animae and Le Coq in San Diego and a two-time James Beard Award finalist, to explore the story behind her meteoric rise — and the deeper mission fueling her work.
Born and raised in LA, Tara has become one of San Diego's fiercest culinary champions. We discuss how she's reshaping perceptions of the city's food scene, why Filipino cuisine is both humble and powerful, and how she uses her platform to mentor the next generation of Asian American and Pacific Islander chefs.
This is a conversation about culture, creativity, and community — from building joyful, inclusive kitchen culture to infusing fine dining with soul and heritage.
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6 August 2025, 9:30 am - 58 minutes 18 seconds129. Dave Beran: The Courage To Reinvent
This week, we're joined by a chef who's made reinvention his signature — building, breaking, and reshaping what fine dining can be.
Chef Dave Beran joins us from Seline, his most personal project yet. A restaurant named after his daughter, rooted in emotion, intention, and the culmination of a lifetime in kitchens. We talk about what it means to truly start over, the evolving landscape of fine dining in Los Angeles, and how becoming a father has transformed the way he cooks, leads, and creates.
From cookbook walls to mood boards, from training actors for The Bear to chasing originality over comfort — Dave opens up about legacy, vulnerability, and why food should make you feel something.
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16 July 2025, 10:30 am - 49 minutes 23 seconds128. Hot Spot: Scott Linder of Matū + Matū Kai
In this episode of On The Pass, host Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Scott Linder — chef, creative collaborator, and co-founder of Matū and Matū Kai, two standout restaurants in Los Angeles that are quietly, and powerfully, reshaping the steakhouse as we know it.
Scott takes us behind the curtain of Matū's vertically integrated model — built in partnership with First Light Farms in New Zealand — and shares why owning the full story of the beef, from soil to service, was the only way forward. This isn't about indulgence — it's about responsibility, intention, and the pursuit of better: better farming, better flavor, better systems.
We explore:
- Scott's journey from private chef to purpose-driven restaurateur
- Why First Light Wagyu is considered the most sustainable red meat on the planet
- The philosophy behind vertical integration and how it impacts quality, ethics, and experience
- What Matū is not — and why dismantling steakhouse clichés matters
- Lessons for chefs and operators looking to build mission-aligned models
- Scott's vision for the future — of hospitality, of steak, of leadership
Whether you're a chef, a restaurateur, or just someone who cares about where your food comes from, this episode invites you to think more deeply about what's on your plate — and who's behind it.
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2 July 2025, 9:30 am - 1 hour 1 minute127. Aitor Zabala: Somni Reimagined
This week, Gabriel sits down with the deeply imaginative and visionary chef Aitor Zabala, the creative mind behind the newly reimagined Somni in Los Angeles.
In this expansive and intimate conversation, Aitor opens up about the last five years — from losing precious creative time when the original Somni closed, to rebuilding not just a restaurant, but a philosophy. He shares how failure became a tool for growth, how time has reshaped his approach to leadership and storytelling, and why fine dining must be about more than just impressing — it must be about meaning, memory, and human connection.
We explore his Spanish roots, the spirit of Los Angeles, and how his work aims to spark emotion through every course, every detail, and every interaction.
This episode is for anyone who believes in the artistry of hospitality — and that the future of fine dining is not louder, but deeper.
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11 June 2025, 9:30 am - 41 minutes 19 seconds126. Pablo Rivero: Powering Restaurants in a New Era
Pablo Rivero is CEO of Resy + Tock and SVP of American Express Global Dining, leading the charge in reshaping how diners connect with restaurants worldwide. With a deep background in both strategy and hospitality, Pablo brings a rare blend of tech-forward thinking and boots-on-the-ground understanding of the industry.
In this episode of On The Pass, Gabriel and Pablo dive into how he stays close to the heartbeat of restaurants even as his role becomes increasingly strategic. They discuss the evolution of Resy's mission, the current structural challenges facing independent restaurants, and what it truly means to build tools that serve the people behind the pass.
Be sure to follow and subscribe to On The Pass wherever you get your podcasts — and catch recent episodes featuring Kwame Onwuachi, Andrew Wong, and Fariyal Abdullahi for more inspiring conversations with the leaders shaping the future of hospitality.
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28 May 2025, 9:15 am - More Episodes? Get the App