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The Buildout
Episode 200 Special: 30+ Years of Craft Cocktail Culture
To mark a major milestone, we’re stepping outside our usual format to explore the evolution of cocktail culture over the last three decades — and the very reason this show is possible. Joining us are Mark Pascal and Francis Schott, better known as The Restaurant Guys, who operate New Brunswick's Stage Left Steak and Catherine Lombardi, and are credited with running the country’s longest-standing craft cocktail program. This conversation goes beyond bartending — it’s about ownership, staying power, and the people and places that helped shape modern drinking culture.
Listen: The Restaurant Guys Podcast
Read: 10 Years After His Passing, Sasha Petraske Still Lives On
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- Stage Left Steak: https://www.instagram.com/stagelefteats/
- Catherine Lombardi: https://www.instagram.com/catherinelombardirestaurant/
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28. Leyenda
57:02||Season 1, Ep. 28What does it mean to mourn a bar? When a place becomes more than a business — a home for its staff, a gathering place for its regulars, and a defining chapter in a city’s cocktail culture — how do you come to terms with closing the door for good?On this episode of The Buildout, Adam sits down with Ivy Mix, co-founder of the beloved Brooklyn bar Leyenda, to talk about the full arc of the venue: how it began, what made it matter, and the difficult decision to ultimately close it. Ivy reflects on the grief that comes with ending something so personal, the complicated emotions of letting go, and what it takes for a founder to find the desire — and the courage — to build again.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastIvy Mix: https://www.instagram.com/ivymixWhoopsie Daisy: https://www.instagram.com/whoopsiedaisybarFiasco: https://www.instagram.com/fiascobrooklynVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor
27. Banshee
59:27||Season 1, Ep. 27At a time when many new cocktail bars are chasing acclaim with high-tech techniques and elaborate presentations, Jen Murphy went in the opposite direction: perfectly poured Guinness, ice-cold martinis, and the kind of easy hospitality that makes a bar feel instantly essential. The result is Banshee, a true East Village neighborhood bar built on simplicity, precision, and a very clear point of view. On this episode of The Buildout, Jen joins Adam to talk about why New York needed a bar like Banshee, how she found her business partner, and why the perfect pint is anything but simple.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastBanshee: https://www.instagram.com/banshee_nycJen Murphy: https://www.instagram.com/jenmnycVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor
26. Amor y Amargo
57:31||Season 1, Ep. 26Amor y Amargo was only supposed to be a six-month pop-up. Instead, it became one of the most influential bars of the modern era—a place with a distinct philosophy, a fiercely loyal audience, and a legacy that still matters.On this episode of The Buildout, Sother Teague joins Adam to tell the story of Amor y Amargo, explain why the drinks are always stirred and never shaken, and reflect on legacy, longevity, and why it still feels important for the bar to exist today.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastAmor y Amargo: https://www.instagram.com/amoryamargoSother Teague: https://www.instagram.com/creativedrunkVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor
25. Kees
01:21:59||Season 1, Ep. 25Jeff Bell may be best known for PDT, but as much as the bar reflects his influence, it wasn’t something he built from the ground up. That bar is Kees. A deeply personal project, Kees gave Jeff the chance to create something entirely his own—and to do it under the weight of expectations that come with being so closely associated with one of the most famous bars in the world.On this episode of The Buildout, Jeff joins Adam to talk about his second act, the pressure of opening a new bar when your name is already tied to an iconic one, and the intentionality behind building Kees from scratch.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastKees: https://www.instagram.com/seekkeesnycJeff Bell: https://www.instagram.com/jeffreymbellVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor
24. Trick Dog
01:25:01||Season 1, Ep. 24People come up with bar names and cocktail ideas in all kinds of ways, but for Josh Harris, inspiration often comes from memory, art, and whatever happens to spark something bigger. That creative instinct helped turn Trick Dog into one of the most influential bars of its generation. But Josh wasn’t always sure the bar—or even his place in the industry—would work out that way.On this episode of The Buildout, Josh joins Adam to talk about what it really takes to build a great bar, how to create a team culture that encourages creativity and buy-in, and how his own sobriety has shaped the way he thinks about hospitality and the bar world today.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastTrick Dog: https://www.instagram.com/trickdogbarJosh Harris: https://www.instagram.com/josh_the_bon_vivantsVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor
23. Bar Goto
58:27||Season 1, Ep. 23When Kenta Goto left Pegu Club to open his own place on the Lower East Side, he was stepping into unfamiliar territory. He knew how to run a great bar program — but building a business from the ground up was something else entirely. So he did what came naturally: he studied. Kenta read everything he could about owning and operating a business, and that preparation paid off. From day one, Bar Goto clicked, eventually growing into one of the city’s most beloved bars and expanding with a second location in Brooklyn.On this episode of The Buildout, Kenta sits down with Adam to talk about taking the leap from star bartender to owner, what he learned while preparing to open, and how Bar Goto became a lasting New York success.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastBar Goto: https://www.instagram.com/bargoto_nycKenta Goto: https://www.instagram.com/kenta_sanVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor
22. Cure
01:06:09||Season 1, Ep. 22When Cure opened, Neal Bodenheimer had a simple goal: create a great neighborhood bar. He did that—and then some. Over the years, Cure has grown into one of the country’s most celebrated drinking destinations, a New Orleans modern classic, and a must-visit for anyone in search of an exceptional Sazerac.On this episode of The Buildout, Neal joins Adam to share the story behind Cure, why he returned to New Orleans to open it, and how the bar became an institution far beyond its neighborhood.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastCure: https://www.instagram.com/curenolaNeal Bodenheimer: https://www.instagram.com/nealbodieVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor
21. Yacht Club
58:42||Season 1, Ep. 21What makes Yacht Club one of the most fun bars in America? A lot of it comes down to the energy behind it: owners Mary and McLain are clearly having a blast. On this episode of The Buildout, Adam sits down with the duo to talk about how two Southerners ended up in Denver, why they traded the music business for the bar business, and how they built one of the country’s most joyful places to drink.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastYacht Club: https://www.instagram.com/yachtclubbarMary Allison Wright: https://www.instagram.com/eatdrinkbemaryandmclainMcLain Hedges: https://www.instagram.com/yesterdayswineVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor
20. De Vie
01:28:33||Season 1, Ep. 20The founders of De Vie met while working at Paris’s legendary Little Red Door, where they began to imagine a bar of their own—one that carried forward everything they’d learned there, but stripped away some of the operational headaches that come with running a bar that has lines that form before the doors even open. The result is De Vie, one of the most exciting new openings in Paris. On today’s episode of The Buildout, Adam sits down with the founders to talk about what it takes to open a bar in Europe, why Paris felt like the right city to do it in, and how they built a place designed to work better for both guests and the people behind the bar.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastDe Vie: https://www.instagram.com/devie.barAlex Francis: https://www.instagram.com/alexmfrancisBarney O'Kane: https://www.instagram.com/barneyfrombelfastVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor