The Buildout

How did James O’Brien build the restaurant where seemingly every sommelier in New York wants to drink wine on their night off? The prices are certainly part of the appeal, but Popina’s location is hardly the most convenient. Its success comes from something deeper.It begins with the hospitality of the owner, which carries through to the entire staff, and a shared commitment to creating a restaurant that feels inviting, delicious, and accessible.James joins Adam on this episode of The Buildout to discuss how he created a restaurant that is both a destination and a neighborhood spot filled with regulars—even when many of those regulars live nowhere nearby.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastPopina: https://www.instagram.com/popinanycJames O’Brien: https://www.instagram.com/obsworldVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Toby Maloney is one of the country’s most respected cocktail creators, responsible not only for multiple modern classics, but also for some of drinkers’ favorite bars across the country. Through his consulting business, he has been involved in more projects than even he can name, but the bar he is best known for is Chicago’s The Violet Hour. On this episode of The Buildout, Toby joins Adam to talk about how The Violet Hour came to be, the impact it had on Chicago’s cocktail scene, and the legacy it leaves behind following its recent closing.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastToby Maloney: https://www.instagram.com/tobycocktailVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Building a celebrated restaurant group in New Jersey is already an accomplishment. Bringing that success across the Hudson to New York City is another challenge entirely—one many restaurateurs never even attempt. But Sidharth Sharma and Sammeer A. Raajpal were determined to try.With Kidilum, their celebration of Kerala cuisine in Manhattan, they are betting that the same commitment to hospitality and showing guests a wonderful time that fueled their success in New Jersey can also resonate in New York.Sidharth and Sammeer join Adam on this episode of The Buildout to discuss how they built their restaurant group, why they were confident their approach would translate to New York City, and what it takes to make the leap into one of the world’s most competitive dining markets.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastKidilum: https://www.instagram.com/kidilum.nycVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

New York Distilling Company was born out of New York’s cocktail renaissance. Founded by Allen Katz, an entrepreneur obsessed with cocktails and the bars creating them, the distillery was built as a brand for New York bartenders.Katz also turned New York Distilling into a destination for the liquid-curious, creating a hands-on experience in Williamsburg where both aficionados and novices could learn more about spirits and cocktails. Since its founding, the brand has become a mainstay behind bars across New York, but Katz always believed it could become something bigger. That ambition ultimately led him to sell the company this past year.Allen joins Adam on this episode of The Buildout to discuss founding one of New York State’s first distilleries after Prohibition, building the brand, and preparing it to go global.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastNew York Distilling: https://www.instagram.com/nydistillingAllen Katz: https://www.instagram.com/nydistillerymanVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Opening a restaurant in New York is difficult, even when the people behind it come from one of the best restaurants in the world.When Cedric Nicaise and chef Andy Quinn set out to open The Noortwyck, they wanted to create a true West Village neighborhood restaurant—something very different from the three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, where they had both previously worked. But building the restaurant has not been easy, a reality Cedric is refreshingly candid about. Some days, he admits, it can still feel nearly impossible.At the same time, The Noortwyck created the opportunity for them to open Oriana, their more approachable take on fine dining, which is already attracting attention and acclaim.Cedric joins Adam on this episode of The Buildout to discuss learning from mistakes, the importance of service and hospitality, and what restaurant critics get right—and wrong—about the dining experience.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastOriana: https://www.instagram.com/oriana.nycCedric Nicaise: https://www.instagram.com/cedlovesbaconVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Handshake Speakeasy seems to be everywhere these days, from starring in commercials for 1800 Tequila to being named the number one bar in the world. For anyone visiting Mexico City, missing the chance to have a drink at this acclaimed bar can inspire some serious FOMO.But its success was far from inevitable. It took years of starts, stops, and setbacks to finally get Handshake off the ground. Once it opened, however, the response was immediate. The bar offered something distinctly different from the cocktail destinations that had come before it in Mexico City, and its arrival helped further cement CDMX as one of the world’s most exciting drinking destinations.Co-owners Eric and Rodrigo join Adam on this episode of The Buildout to tell the story of how Handshake Speakeasy came to be.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastHandshake Speakeasy: https://www.instagram.com/handshake_barEric van Beek: https://www.instagram.com/ericvanbeek.carinoRodrigo Urraca: https://www.instagram.com/rurracaVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor