Walk-In Talk Podcast

Who decides which food stories get told?
In Episode 188 of the Walk-In Talk Podcast, Host, Carl welcomes Dalia Colon, Executive Producer and Host of The Zest, the NPR-affiliated food podcast produced by WUSF on the University of South Florida campus.
With more than 300 episodes produced, Dalia has helped shape how Florida's food culture is documented through public media. Her work blends journalism, food history, and storytelling, highlighting the chefs, farmers, traditions, and communities that define the state's culinary identity.
In the studio kitchen, Chef Michael Collantes, Michelin-starred chef and owner of Soseki Modern Omakase, prepares two dishes while joining the conversation about the relationship between chefs and media. Collantes previously appeared as a guest on The Zest in 2023, making this episode a full-circle moment as the discussion moves from public radio to the Walk-In Talk studio.
Together, the conversation explores editorial responsibility, the pace of modern food media, and the shared discipline between journalism and professional kitchens.
Because food isn't just content.
It's culture, craft, and the stories that shape the industry.
 
Be sure to follow our journey to the Ny Restaurant Show as we continue bridging the gap between Food Media in the Food Industry B2B space! We'll be at the Javits Center in NYC from 3/8 - 3/10 at booth 1653!
Episode Takeaways
Public media brings editorial discipline to food storytelling Platforms like NPR prioritize context, credibility, and cultural documentation over trends.
Food journalism helps preserve culinary history Coverage can shape how communities and traditions are remembered.
The relationship between chefs and media is evolving As visibility grows, chefs and storytellers must navigate responsibility and representation.
Standards matter in both kitchens and journalism Whether producing a Michelin-level dish or a public media story, trust is built through consistency and discipline.
Florida's food culture is deeper than headlines Regional voices, traditions, and history play a major role in shaping the state's culinary identity.
Brand Partners
Metro Foodservice Solutions Professional kitchen infrastructure trusted by chefs around the world. https://www.metro.com
RAK Porcelain USA Precision-crafted professional tableware designed for high-performance kitchens. https://www.rakporcelain.com
Citrus America Premium citrus products supporting chefs and foodservice professionals across the industry. https://www.citrusamerica.com
Crab Island Seafood Chef-driven seafood products bringing Gulf Coast flavors to restaurants nationwide. https://crabislandseafood.com
Testo North America Industry-leading food safety and measurement technology trusted in professional kitchens. https://www.testo.com/en-US
Cause Partners
The Burnt Chef Project Advancing mental health awareness and support within the hospitality industry. https://www.theburntchefproject.com
Operation BBQ Relief Providing hot meals and disaster relief to communities in need across the United States. https://operationbbqrelief.org
Sustainable Supperclub Community-driven dining events supporting food access and nonprofit initiatives. https://sustainablesupperclub.com
Trade Show & Industry Event Partners
Florida Restaurant Show https://www.therestaurantshows.com/florida/
New York Restaurant Show https://www.therestaurantshows.com/new-york/
California Restaurant Show https://www.therestaurantshows.com/california/
Pizza Tomorrow Summit https://www.pizzatomorrow.com/
U.S. Culinary Open at the NAFEM Show https://www.usculinaryopen.com/about
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay Food & Drink coverage and cultural journalism across the Tampa Bay region. https://www.cltampa.com
About Walk-In Talk Media
Walk-In Talk Media is an industry-recognized B2B food and hospitality media company focused on chef-driven storytelling and trade-facing impact.
Founded by Carl Fiadini, Walk-In Talk Media produces podcasts, studio video content, documentary-style storytelling, and live trade-show coverage across the United States. The platform serves chefs, operators, distributors, brands, and industry organizations by documenting the people and systems that shape the foodservice world.
The Walk-In Talk Podcast consistently holds the #1 Food Podcast position on Apple Charts in the U.S. market, has reached millions of downloads, and was a finalist at the People's Choice Podcast Awards. Walk-In Talk Media has also been recognized for its storytelling at the Central Florida Film Festival and Folkestone Film Festival, with projects listed on IMDb.
Walk-In Talk Media is the official podcast and media partner for the New York Restaurant Show, California Restaurant Show, Florida Restaurant Show, Pizza Tomorrow Summit, and the U.S. Culinary Open, and works alongside industry publications like Creative Loafing Tampa Bay to elevate chef voices and food culture.
The platform also supports cause-driven organizations including The Burnt Chef Project and Operation BBQ Relief, reinforcing its commitment to the health and sustainability of the hospitality industry.
📩 Partnership & Collaboration Inquiries [email protected]

Food is not content.
It's memory. It's identity. It's standards.
Leigh Wilson, Marketing Director of Creative Loafing in Tampa Bay, grew up in a small Cajun bayou town in South Louisiana where everything happened in the kitchen. The family hunted. They grew their own food. Decisions were made at the table. When you grow up ten minutes from the water, you understand that food is not a trend. It's survival. It's culture. It's truth.
Now she helps shape how an entire region talks about restaurants, chefs, and hospitality. What gets covered. What gets promoted. What earns attention.
In studio, Chef Michael Collantes, one Michelin star, brings a different level of accountability. Precision. Discipline. Standards that don't bend. When you cook at that level, hype doesn't matter. Execution does.
This conversation pulls back the curtain on:
• Cajun roots and kitchen culture • The responsibility of food media • The difference between hype and honesty • The turnover and volatility inside hospitality • What Tampa Bay is getting right • What needs to be better
It also marks the beginning of a deeper collaboration between Creative Loafing and Walk-In Talk Media, aligning editorial reach with documentary-driven storytelling to elevate the people who truly move the industry forward.
This isn't about influencers. It's about standards. It's about substance.
Welcome to the conversation.
Brand Partners
RAK Porcelain USA – Professional tableware partner https://www.rakporcelain.com
Metro Foodservice Solutions – Studio workflow and equipment partner https://www.metro.com
Crab Island Seafood https://crabislandseafood.com
Citrus America https://www.citrusamerica.com/
Testo North America https://www.testo.com
Cause & Industry Impact Partners
The Burnt Chef Project https://www.theburntchefproject.com/
Operation BBQ Relief https://operationbbqrelief.org/
Sustainable Supperclub https://sustainablesupper.org/
Operation Blessing https://www.ob.org/
Endometriosis Foundation of America https://www.endofound.org/
Official Trade Show & Culinary Competition Media Partnerships
New York Restaurant Show – Official Media Partner https://www.newyorkrestaurantshow.com
Florida Restaurant Show – Official Media Partner https://www.flrestaurantandlodgingshow.com
California Restaurant Show – Official Media Partner https://www.californiarestaurantshow.com
Pizza Tomorrow Summit – Official Media Partner https://www.pizzatomorrow.com
US Culinary Open – Official Media Partner Held in partnership with The NAFEM Show https://www.usculinaryopen.com
About Walk-In Talk Media
Walk-In Talk Media is an industry-recognized food and hospitality media company focused on chef-driven storytelling and B2B industry insight.
Founded by Carl Fiadini, Walk-In Talk Media produces podcasts, studio video content, documentary storytelling, and live trade show coverage across the United States.
The Walk-In Talk Podcast has reached millions of downloads, held the #1 spot in the U.S. Food Podcast category, was a finalist at the People's Choice Podcast Awards, and is officially recognized for its storytelling at the Central Florida Film event and the Folkestone Film Festival. Episodes and projects are also listed on IMDb, reinforcing Walk-In Talk Media's positioning as a broadcast-level media company.
Walk-In Talk Media operates deeply within the professional hospitality ecosystem — connecting chefs, distributors, manufacturers, operators, and trade show networks. The platform highlights not just the plate, but the infrastructure that makes the plate possible.
What sets Walk-In Talk Media apart is access and trust. Industry leaders come to the platform not to promote, but to speak candidly about sourcing, leadership, burnout, culture, distribution, innovation, and purpose.
Through strategic brand partnerships, official trade show media relationships, and cause-driven storytelling, Walk-In Talk Media continues to elevate the voices shaping the future of food.
Because the most powerful stories in food are still human ones.

Most people think the restaurant industry starts in the kitchen.
It doesn't.
It starts with sourcing. With buying decisions. With what shows up at the back door.
This week, Carl sits down with Tony Cuba, Buyer for Halpern's Steak and Seafood in Orlando, alongside Chef Cody Tiner, chef-owner of District South.
Tony brings nearly 21 years of distribution experience to the table. From packing product on the warehouse floor to working in outside sales and eventually stepping into buying, he understands sourcing from both sides of the equation.
Chef Cody Tiner brings 17 years of scratch-kitchen experience, classical training, Southern roots, and a deep commitment to community-driven hospitality. At District South, he leads a young team, breaks down whole fish and steaks in-house, and builds a neighborhood restaurant centered on quality without pretension.
Together, this conversation explores:
• How food actually moves from warehouse to dish • What buyers look for before product hits the floor • Why trust between distributor and chef is everything • How sourcing decisions shape menus more than people realize • What the next generation of chefs needs to understand about supply chain
This is an inside look at the invisible system that supports every great plate.
Because without distribution, there is no industry. And without trust, there is no distribution.
Key Takeaways
• Distribution is not transactional — it's relational • Great buyers understand kitchen pressure • Scratch kitchens depend heavily on sourcing consistency • Pricing, availability, and quality are constant tension points • Mentorship and next-gen leadership matter at every level of the industry • The supply chain shapes creativity more than most people realize
Featured Guests
Tony Cuba Buyer – Halpern's Steak and Seafood, Orlando
Chef Cody Tiner Chef-Owner – District South
Partner Mentions & Links
RAK Porcelain USA – Professional tableware used in studio https://www.rakporcelain.com
Metro Foodservice Solutions – Workflow and kitchen support partner https://www.metro.com
Crab Island Seafood https://crabislandseafood.com
Sustainable Supperclub https://sustainablesupper.org/
Operation BBQ Relief https://operationbbqrelief.org/
The Burnt Chef Project https://www.theburntchefproject.com/
Citrus America Citrus America: Perfect Juicers for Any Location
Official Trade Show & Competition Partners
🇺🇸 New York Restaurant Show
Official Media Partner https://www.newyorkrestaurantshow.com/
🌴 Florida Restaurant Show
Official Media Partner https://www.flrestaurantandlodgingshow.com/
🌉 California Restaurant Show
Official Media Partner https://www.californiarestaurantshow.com/
🍕 Pizza Tomorrow Summit
Official Media Partner https://www.pizzatomorrow.com/
🔥 US Culinary Open
Official Media Partner Held in partnership with The NAFEM Show https://www.usculinaryopen.com/
About Walk-In Talk Media
Walk-In Talk Media is an industry-recognized food and hospitality media company focused on chef-driven storytelling.
Founded by Carl Fiadini, Walk-In Talk Media produces podcasts, studio video content, documentary storytelling, and live trade show coverage across the U.S.
The Walk-In Talk Podcast has reached millions of downloads, held the #1 spot in the U.S. Food Podcast category, was a finalist at the People's Choice Podcast Awards, and is officially recognized for its storytelling at the Central Florida Film event and the Folkestone Film Festival. Episodes and projects are also listed on IMDb, reinforcing Walk-In Talk Media's positioning as a broadcast-level media company.

This week on the Walk-In Talk Podcast, Chef Ryan Yost joins us in studio after traveling from Western North Carolina to Lakeland for a full production day.
Ryan is a chef-manager with Operation Blessing, an international humanitarian organization providing disaster relief through food, clean water, medical care, and rebuilding efforts. His path has taken him from fine dining kitchens to feeding communities in crisis across the U.S., Jamaica, and Ukraine.
In this episode, we explore what it means to cook for people who need food, not just want it. We talk about discipline under pressure, humility in service, and how chef-level technique still matters, even when you are cooking with limited resources in disaster zones.
Ryan also steps into the studio kitchen to prepare two dishes, bringing the same respect for ingredients and precision he applies in the field. Because for him, whether it is a donated ingredient or a premium protein, it deserves care.
This episode continues Walk-In Talk Media's global storytelling expansion. Recently, Frederic Casagrande conducted his first live fire interview in Dubai with Chef Andrew Dickens, further extending the show's reach into international culinary conversations. From disaster zones to global live-fire stages, the mission remains the same — elevate chefs and the impact they create. 
This conversation is about purpose, responsibility, and how chefs can use their craft for something bigger than themselves.
🎯 Key Takeaways
• Cooking in crisis is about restoring dignity, not just providing calories • Excellence in limited conditions sharpens discipline and creativity • Collaboration between relief organizations prevents duplication and increases impact • Respecting ingredients is a mindset, not a budget line item • Chefs have career paths beyond restaurants, including humanitarian work • Leadership in food is ultimately about service
🤝 Brand & Cause Partners
Walk-In Talk Media proudly works alongside brand partners and cause organizations that support chef-driven storytelling and humanitarian impact.
Metro Foodservice Solutions https://www.metro.com
RAK Porcelain USA https://www.rakporcelainusa.com
Crab Island Seafood https://crabislandseafood.com
Citrus America https://citrusamerica.com
The Burnt Chef Project https://www.theburntchefproject.com
Operation BBQ Relief https://www.operationbbqrelief.org
Sustainable Supperclub https://sustainablesupper.org
Operation Blessing https://www.ob.org
 
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "request-6951710a-0184-832c-9d32-bda2c450a8ea-2" data-testid= "conversation-turn-392" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> About Walk-In Talk Media
Walk-In Talk Media is an industry-recognized food and hospitality media company focused on chef-driven storytelling and B2B industry impact.
Founded by Carl Fiadini, Walk-In Talk Media operates at the intersection of food culture, business, and human experience. The company produces podcasts, studio video content, documentary storytelling, premium photography, and live trade show coverage across the United States.
The Walk-In Talk Podcast has reached millions of downloads, held the #1 spot in the U.S. Food Podcast category, and was a finalist at the People's Choice Podcast Awards. Walk-In Talk Media has also been officially recognized for its storytelling at the Central Florida Film Festival and the Folkestone Film Festival. Projects and episodes are listed on IMDb, reinforcing its positioning as a broadcast-level media company, not just a podcast.
As the official media partner of the New York, California, and Florida Restaurant Shows, the U.S. Culinary Open, and the Pizza Tomorrow Summit, Walk-In Talk Media sits inside the heartbeat of the hospitality industry. Its access spans Michelin-level chefs, James Beard nominees, manufacturers, distributors, nonprofit leaders, and food innovators shaping the future of the business.
Beyond media production, Walk-In Talk Media works alongside brand marketing and sales teams to create consistent, high-quality content ecosystems that support product launches, industry positioning, and long-term brand storytelling. The platform bridges B2B and consumer audiences, delivering authentic visibility without replacing existing marketing infrastructure.
Cause alignment is central to the company's ethos. Walk-In Talk Media partners with organizations such as The Burnt Chef Project, Operation BBQ Relief, and other disaster relief and mental health initiatives to amplify stories that matter beyond the plate.
What sets Walk-In Talk Media apart is trust. Chefs and industry leaders come to the platform not to promote, but to speak honestly about leadership, burnout, recognition, faith, failure, sustainability, and purpose.
In 2026, Walk-In Talk Media continues to expand its reach through documentary projects, international interviews, strategic brand partnerships, and deeper conversations with culinary leaders at every level of the industry.
At its core, Walk-In Talk Media believes the most powerful stories in food are still human ones.

This week on the Walk-In Talk Podcast, we step off solid ground and into one of the most demanding kitchens you can run.
Chef Thomas Parker, Executive Chef with Manthey Hospitality, joins us on location aboard Craft, a fine-dining cocktail and food river cruise operating in Tampa Bay.
Running a restaurant on a moving vessel changes everything. Space is limited. Storage is on land. Service is compressed into a two-hour window. Once the boat leaves the dock, there are no second chances.
Chef Parker breaks down how discipline, preparation, leadership, and trust replace shortcuts, and how cooking at this level requires a different kind of calm under pressure.
We also talk ambition, sustainability, and what it really takes to build Michelin-level consistency in a non-traditional environment.
This episode was filmed on board the ship during a full production day, featuring two dishes prepared for camera and photography.
🔑 Episode Takeaways
Cooking on a boat demands absolute organization, there is no room for error

Fine dining doesn't require excess, it requires intention and timing

Leadership looks different when every service is compressed into two hours

Michelin aspirations are about systems, not stars

Constraints can sharpen creativity instead of limiting it

Discipline and trust matter more than equipment or size of kitchen

🤝 Brand & Cause Partners
Metro Foodservice Solutions https://metro.com

RAK Porcelain USA https://rakporcelain.com

Crab Island Seafood https://crabislandseafood.com

Operation BBQ Relief https://operationbbqrelief.org

The Burnt Chef Project https://theburntchefproject.com

Citrus America https://citrusamerica.com

🎧 About Walk-In Talk Media
Walk-In Talk Media is an industry-recognized food and hospitality media company focused on chef-driven storytelling. Through podcasts, studio production, documentaries, and live trade-show coverage, Walk-In Talk Media highlights the human side of the food industry, from leadership and burnout to ambition and purpose.