14. Award Winning Chef, Culinary Entrepreneur and Reality TV star, Mike Pigot.

Chef Mike Pigot was awarded best chef in the city of Calgary in 2020. We had a great conversation about food trends, the challenges of opening a new restaurant during the last year and how he goes about designing a menu.  There's some tips and tricks for cooking at home, for all the chef enthusiasts out there.  Mike also takes us through some behind the scenes stories from reality TV and the unique experience of winning Guy Fieri's Grocery Games. Timestamps 0:50 - The  humble beginning in the restaurant industry to opening multiple restaurants 8:09 - Dealing with the effects of the pandemic and considerations for moving up in the industry 10:49 - Food trends, responding to feedback, and designing a menu 16:42 - Mike's experience on a reality cooking show, Guy's Grocery Games 19:46 - Winning best chef of Calgary in 2020 21:15 - Mike's guidance for home cooks 26:03 - Mike's thoughts on appraising the restaurants we visit 27:56 - Understanding and managing the input costs of a restaurant 31:36 - Musing on the stereotype of the extreme chef 35:23 - Balancing the demand of being a business owner, and your own needs 36:49 - Getting inspired and not putting up with the bullshit 39:16 - Thoughts on celebrity chefs, having dinner with your idols, and restaurants Mike would like to visit 42:55 - What's next, how do you rest, and cookbooks that Mike recommends 45:11 - Socials & Outro Follow David Crosby on social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crosbyandcoffee Website: https://www.rossocoffeeroasters.com Follow Mike Pigot on social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefpigot/ Website: https://www.chefpigot.com/