The Hot Minute Podcast
Presented by Trail Appliances.
The Hot Minute is a hospitality-focused podcast that delves into the bare knuckles, brass rings and big names within BC’s burgeoning food and beverage scene. In each episode, co-hosts Dan Larsen and JC Sorensen share the origin stories, travails and triumphs of this province’s most acclaimed chefs, sommeliers, restaurateurs, change-makers and risk-takers. Equal parts off the cuff, of the moment, and in the weeds, The Hot Minute serves up hot takes on the hospitality scene and those who live and work within it. New episodes of The Hot Minute debut bimonthly on Spotify or Apple Music.
Hosts
DAN LARSEN
Co-Host
JC SORENSEN
Co-Host
Visit Hot Minute Podcast Instagram
Episode 1: Robbie Kane - Long Story Short
Café Medina Owner Robbie Kane
Owner of the venerable Vancouver brunch institution Café Medina, Robbie Kane is as well known for his philosophy of ‘enlightened hospitality’ as his restaurant is for its long (and totally-worth-the-wait) lineups.
In this episode, Robbie recounts his initial foray in the hospitality industry as a pizza delivery boy in Toronto; the first incarnation of Café Medina during the heyday of Chambar and its journey to its current home in the Library District; the importance of showing gratitude to staff and guests; the serendipitous story behind him marrying a woman named Medina who wandered into his restaurant; and why the ‘Medina mystique’ has been such an abiding part of this city’s culinary scene 15+ years.
- Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Check out Café Medina https://www.medinacafe.com/
Episode 2: Alex Ploughman - Legends of the Fall
Legends Haul Co-Founder and Chef Alex Ploughman
Alex Ploughman was one of the big movers-and-shakers that emerged during the pandemic when his company Legends Haul Grocery Co. made a massive pivot to become a household name for bringing restaurant-quality meals to, well, households.
In this episode, we trace Alex’s journey from Newfoundland to Vancouver and his early days working in kitchens in Whistler, Vancouver, Melbourne, Haida Gwaii and Copenhagen; his career as a personal and development chef; what happens when you run low on ingredients as a chef on a superyacht; the importance of focusing on local and sustainable; and how his company was able to make the most out of a dire situation during the COVID pandemic.
- Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Check out Legends Haul
Episode 3: Paul Grunberg - The School of PG Hospitality
Over the past 20 years, Paul Grunberg has firmly established his bona fides as a maestro of hospitality and proven his chops as one of Vancouver’s most respected restaurateurs. His early career included stops at Chambar, Market by Jean-Georges and Bao Bei before affixing his first stamp as ‘restaurateur’ on award-winning Gastown institution L’Abattoir in 2010. Today, he’s Co-Owner of a trio of beloved Italian landmarks in Osteria Savio Volpe, Pepino’s Spaghetti House and Caffé La Tana.
In this episode, Paul traces his roots back to some heady days in high school home ec. class and the hospitality program at Camosun College; how his dad’s days in the Israeli Army helped him recover from being ‘broken’ while staging in Switzerland; creating a culture that allows culinary teams to thrive; the hubris and growing pains involved in turning Nick’s into Pepino’s Spaghetti House; how his wife Emily is the Silvio Dante to his Tony Soprano; the lasting impact that the late Andrew Morrison and Scout Magazine continues to have on the city’s dining scene; and talks about his latest upcoming venture, set to open in 2024.
- Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Check out Osteria Savio Volpe, Pepino’s Spaghetti House and Caffé La Tana.
Episode 4: Jenna Briscoe - Whose Wine is it Anyway?
Multi-hyphenate hospitality pro Jenna Briscoe wears many hats: Longtime GM of Vancouver brunch institution Café Medina. Sommelier and Wine Spirits & Education Trust (WSET) instructor. Project Director for the terroir-focused Top Drop Canada wine festival. International wine judge. Co-Founder of This is Wine School. And perhaps most importantly these days, a Mom to Be.
In this episode, Jenna discusses how her background in improv comedy in Calgary helped her navigate the sometimes inhospitable elements of the hospitality industry; Coming to the end of a ten-year tenure at Café Medina and why she knows it’s in good hands; Making wine more accessible; Her new venture, This is Wine School, co-founded with respected wine luminaries and friends Kelcie Jones and Maude Renaud-Brisson; What to make of the whole ‘natural’ wine trend; Why leading a team holds more sway for her than being a full-time somm; the effect of climate change on vineyards in BC and around the globe; her favourite varietals and vintages; and how she feels the hospitality industry is making changes for the better.
- Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Check out Café Medina https://www.medinacafe.com/
Episode 5: Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson - Publishing Rights
What’s in a name? When it comes to Johannes ‘Gus’ Stieffenhofer-Brandson, plenty. Chef. Mentor. Forager. Fermenter. Boxer. Illustrated Man. And a once wide-eyed Winnipeg lad who has been on a meteoric rise to the Michelin-starred Chef at Canada’s Best Restaurant 2022, Published on Main.
In this episode, Gus discusses nostalgic memories of time spent on his Grandparents’ Manitoba farm and how they continue to inform dishes on the Published menu; how a chance meeting with Scott Jaeger and the Canadian team at the Culinary Olympics in Germany eventually led him to Vancouver; quality time spent foraging in the wilds of Western Canada with fellow chef Phil Scarfone; making staff meal on the fly at Copenhagen’s gastronomic landmark Noma; the initial curveballs that came at him hard and fast before the accolades started rolling in during the early days of Published; his symbiotic kitchen relationship with Published Chef de Cuisine Connor Sperling and the importance of being a mentor; why each dish at Published — and jar its preservation pantry — is reflective of the seasons; the upsides and drawbacks of being named Canada’s Best Restaurant and scoring a Michelin Star; and the importance of showing the love to his staff and making sure they’re set up for success.
- Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Check out Published on Main https://publishedonmain.com/
Episode 6: Alex Chen - You Will Never Break the Chen
Going into battle? This is the general you want leading the charge. The many implements in his culinary arsenal include: Understated finesse and precision. Classical French training. Tireless dedication to craft and time-honoured traditions. And a taste for victory in high-pressure cooking competitions. This is what fuels the fire in the belly of Alex Chen, Executive Chef, Signature Restaurants at Vancouver’s Michelin-Recommended Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar and Executive Chef at Whistler’s Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar, ranked No. 4 on the 2023 List of Canada’s 50 Best New Restaurants.
In this episode, Alex talks about his first foray in the foodservice industry under the Golden Arches; how his lack of direction was corrected when he enrolled in the culinary program at VCC; the importance of leadership and what he learned from his first mentor, Robert Sulatycky; the early struggles in opening Boulevard and how he and Roger Ma worked tirelessly to build it into the destination it’s become; What drives his competitive spirit and desire to help up-and-coming cooks reach their full potential; His big win over Iron Chef Hugh Acheson in the inaugural season of the Food Network’s Iron Chef Canada in 2018; the importance of being present and a positive force in his kids’ lives; and his latest venture at the helm of Whistler’s Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar.
- Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Check out Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar and Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar
Episode 7: Jennifer Rossi - Kitchen Party
You may not be familiar with the name Kitchen Table Group, but we guarantee you’ve heard of their concepts. The KT portfolio includes such award-winning cafés and restaurants as Ask For Luigi, Carlino and Bacaro (all three of which were recently recommended by the Michelin Guide) as well as Pourhouse, Pizzeria Farina and its North Shore offshoot Farina a Legna, Di Beppe, Monzo Burger, giovane caffè, Mercato di Luigi and Motoretta. In this episode, we gather ‘round the Kitchen Table with Co-Founder and 2023 BC Restaurant Hall of Fame inductee Jennifer Rossi and take a bite into the backstory of the KT brand.
In this episode, Jennifer discusses her early foray into the industry working for her grandfather’s food services company and as a server at the ‘Mug and Musket’ in Surrey; how KT has been able to thoughtfully cultivate unique identities and personalities for each concept in their portfolio; The story behind KT’s first venture, Gastown’s Pourhouse, in 2009, and its longevity in the city’s hospitality scene; What led her and husband Nick and partner Chuck McIntosh to lean into and embrace Nick’s Northern Italian heritage as the touchstone for KT’s projects beginning with Ask For Luigi; How the people behind the brand play key roles in the continued success of each existing and new project; the importance of managing the human resources for a workforce of more than 400 and ensuring the workplace culture is on point; and their new partnership with Westbank Corp.
- Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Check out the Kitchen Table Group
Episode 8: Hanna McLean - The Daily Grind
She’s the food-savvy, always-got-the-hot-scoop gal about town with her finger fixed firmly on the pulse of the national culinary scene. In this episode, we enter the ’Hive and chat with Hanna McLean, Queen Bee of the local hospitality scene and Daily Hive’s National ‘Dished’ Food Editor.
Hanna talks about sinking her teeth into J-School at King’s College in Halifax (and too many bowls of Willy’s Poutine with fried pepperoni slathered in ketchup), which Atlantic lobsters have the ‘junk in the trunk’; getting in at the tail end of the heyday of print journalism; the advent and proliferation of social media and its charms and ills; bearing down, chipping in and helping out local restaurants during the pandemic; keeping up with ‘who’s who in the zoo’ when it comes to food influencers; How Michelin helped pump the tires of an already burgeoning and well-established culinary landscape in Vancouver; the ‘disturbing’ approach Meta has taken in blocking access to Canadian news platforms like Daily Hive in light of the Federal Government’s Online News Act; her take on the rise of AI and how her newsroom approaches it; and some of her favourite dishes and spots in Vancouver.
- Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
Check out Daliy Hive
About the hosts: Dan and Jan
DAN LARSEN
Co-Host
Dan Larsen is the method behind the madness.
His pursuit of culinary excellence stems from more than just a prodigious appetite for cooking with seasonal ingredients, sampling exotic cuisines and honing time-honoured skills and techniques — it’s also a family tradition.
After making an early foray into the industry cooking at Cactus Club and The Boathouse, Dan developed a taste for the fast-paced environment and camaraderie and decided to follow his passion — and the footsteps of his father Steen, who was a chef in his native Denmark before coming to Vancouver and working in hotel kitchens.
The senior Larsen went on to serve as a culinary instructor at Vancouver Community College, where he closed out a three-decade career in 2013 by passing the proverbial torch to Dan, who was among his final class of aspiring chefs and (all nepotism aside, it was an independent panel) was awarded the Gerald Korne Scholarship for Culinary Excellence as the top graduating student in the Class of ’14.
After graduating, Dan went on to his first role as a chef de partie at Northern BC’s Sonora Resort before moving back to Vancouver and stepping on to the line at acclaimed local destinations like Bishop’s, La Quercia and Café Medina. While he credits a number of personalities for influencing his career path, the real impetus came from Steen: “He showed me that cooking for friends and family is the most rewarding ambition for a chef.”
In 2015, Dan switched gears and launched Culture Craft Kombucha, a boutique brand that supports local farmers and sustainable food systems while crafting healthy, delicious beverages made with high quality fruits, flowers and herbs grown in BC’s backyard.
JC SORENSEN
Co-Host
JC Sorensen is the madness behind the method.
You can either blame or credit his mother and her embrace of the ‘Teach Your Child to Read in Just 10 Minutes a Day’ program for nurturing his passion for the written word and eventual pursuit of a career as an ink-stained wretch at a daily newspaper.
Whether it was his love of ‘All The President’s Men’ or the frenetic, zero-to-sixty-in-three-seconds pace of an editorial department racing against deadline, something clicked. He served as editor of his university newspaper in his Maritime stomping grounds and parlayed that into a job as a reporter at the New Brunswick Telegraph Journal and Saint John Evening Times Globe.
After graduating, he took Horace Greeley’s advice to ‘Go West, young man’ and made ends meet working in kitchens and dining rooms at Cactus Club and The Keg in North Vancouver. He was widely regarded as being terrible at it. Management repeatedly told him it was only personality that kept them from firing him on a number of occasions. So yes — an only child who generally coasts on charm.
in 2001, he jumped back into the journalism pool and began a seven-year stint as Sports Editor at the North Shore News before going against the advice of a crusty former editor and ‘going to the dark side’ (a.k.a. public relations), where he found success as a copywriter, editor and account manager representing high-profile culinary destinations in Vancouver’s hospitality industry.
These days he continues to represent and create content for a number of Vancouver bars, restaurants and breweries, maintains an indefatigable defence of syntax and grammar (don’t even start with him on Oxford commas) and still pretty much gets by on charm and a face that was made for radio.
