Regional Food, Restaurant Longevity and the Future of Hospitality | Live from Aspen | Part 1

Recorded live at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Mark Pascal and Francis Schott sit down with four influential voices shaping American food and hospitality. Food & Wine Editor in Chief Hunter Lewis and chefs Claudette Zepeda, Cassidee Dabney, and Melissa Perello.Why You Should ListenHunter LewisWhy the Aspen Classic feels like “adult food and wine summer camp” and still makes even celebrated chefs bring their A game.How live events and genuine human connection offer something algorithms and AI cannot replicate.Claudette ZepedaHow growing up between Tijuana and San Diego shaped her expansive understanding of Mexican cuisine, migration, and cultural identity.Why authenticity is personal and how Cooking the Borderlands preserves the recipes and stories that might otherwise disappear.Cassidee DabneyHow Appalachian cooks transform seasonal necessity, preservation, and humble ingredients into deeply expressive cuisine.Why the future of luxury dining may be less about spectacle and more about thoughtful food, analog experiences, and being genuinely cared for.Melissa PerelloHow Frances and Octavia became enduring San Francisco neighborhood restaurants by building committed teams and lasting community relationships.Why restaurant longevity depends on consistency, evolution, and doing excellent work long after the opening-night attention has moved elsewhere.The GuestsHunter LewisHunter Lewis has served as Editor in Chief of Food & Wine since 2017. A former professional cook, he previously held senior editorial roles at Cooking Light, Southern Living, Bon Appétit, and Saveur. Under his leadership, Food & Wine has received honors from the James Beard Foundation, the IACP, and the American Society of Magazine Editors.Food & Wine https://www.foodandwine.com/Claudette ZepedaClaudette Zepeda is a San Diego–based chef, writer, television personality, and founder of Chispa Hospitality. Her cooking explores regional Mexican food and the cultural exchange found along the U.S.–Mexico border.Her debut cookbook, Cooking the Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States, combines personal stories with more than 100 recipes reflecting the intertwined communities and culinary traditions of the borderlands. Cassidee DabneyCassidee Dabney is Executive Chef of The Barn at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee. She joined Blackberry Farm in 2010 and became executive chef of The Barn in 2015.Her multicourse menus express Blackberry Farm’s seasonal Foothills Cuisine, drawing from Appalachian traditions, the property’s gardens, and regional farms. The Barn has received James Beard Awards for Outstanding Wine Program and Outstanding Service. Blackberry Farm, Walland, TNhttps://www.blackberryfarm.com/ Melissa PerelloMelissa Perello is the chef-owner of Frances and Octavia in San Francisco. A Culinary Institute of America graduate and former Food & Wine Best New Chef, she is known for seasonal California cooking that combines fine-dining technique with the warmth and accessibility of a neighborhood restaurant.Frances offers a rotating, ingredient-driven menu in a relaxed neighborhood setting, while sister restaurant Octavia presents Perello’s modern California sensibility on a larger scale. Frances Restaurant, San Francisco, CAhttps://www.frances-sf.com/Timestamps1:00 Hunter Lewis: Why Aspen makes the food world bring its A game4:00 Live events, human connection, and what AI cannot replicate8:00 Claudette Zepeda: The multicultural food of Tijuana and the borderlands16:00 Preserving family recipes, defining authenticity, and cooking under pressure27:30 Cassidee Dabney: What defines Appalachian cuisine35:30 The future of luxury hospitality and making home cooking luxurious42:30 Melissa Perello: Building Frances and Octavia for the long haul51:30 Restaurant community, staff longevity, and the next chapter in San FranciscoWe're bringing our kitchen to the farm!Join us at Dreyer Farms in Cranford, NJ for a Table-to-Farm Dinner.Sunday, September 13 @ 5:30https://www.stageleft.com/event/91326-table-to-farm-dinner/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regularhttps://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Our PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Reach Out to The [email protected]