Podcast · Arts & Books

Cheftimony

by Graham MacLennan · English · Arts & Books

Talking to chefs and sometimes lawyers... My name is Graham MacLennan and I've spent most of the last 20 years in law offices and in restaurant kitchens, so the people I know best are chefs and lawyers. On Cheftimony, I talk to both groups, but always to people who love food.

New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 34 min
Latest: 9 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026 · 43 min

Episode 084 - Oscar's Steakhouse

Today we wrap up Season 7 of Cheftimony with a visit to the iconic Oscar’s Steakhouse in the Plaza Hotel & Casino in Downtown Las Vegas. Oscar’s really is a perfect fit for Cheftimony, given its blend of great food and fascinating legal stories. The restaurant’s namesake is Oscar Goodman , former mayor of Las Vegas and retired trial lawyer for alleged mobsters. I’ve recorded in the past about the wonderful Oscar Dinner Series that takes place at the Plaza, where a great dinner is served and Oscar himself tells stories from his trial days. You can listen to Oscar’s talks on the Plaza’s own…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S7 · 2 Oct 2026 · 12 min
A Snack of an Update
As I’ve said so many times, food’s real importance is the human connection it fosters, and I talk about that today along with some of the things I’ve eaten recently. We start on Haida Gwaii with Jags and Blacktail (and although Gather was closed on our recent trip, I did get a great visit in with Chef Giulio!). Returning to the mainland, I have (repeatedly) visited Raku Japanese Kitchen in West Vancouver and I go on about some delicious watermelon from Grounded Acres Farm that turned up at my house. Finally, I look ahead to the next full episode of Cheftimony, the season-ender for our look…
S7 · 8 May 2026 · 47 min
Episode 083 - Circular Neon
You are listening to Episode 083 of the Cheftimony Podcast. Friends, steakhouses, and SCOOP!
S7 · 25 Apr 2026 · 37 min
Episode 082 - Martini Salad Cart
When you sit down at a steakhouse… …what really matters? Is it what’s on the plate… …or is it the experience that surrounds it? “I want a little pomp and circumstance!” These are wise words from Chef Claire Lassam of the wonderful Livia Sweets on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive. Claire, along with Michael Trager of the Vegas- and luxury-travel empire TravelZork , are my guests today as we talk through how a good steakhouse curates a feeling and all the little details that make up a great experience. Long-time listeners will remember Claire from Episode 044 of the show and Michael from Episode…
S7 · 10 Apr 2026 · 51 min
Episode 081 - Something for Everyone
Is a secret to the steakhouse’s enduring appeal that it offers something for everyone? I think that must be at least part of the answer. In my first interview today, I re-connect with the impressive Las Vegas chef and entrepreneur Gary FX LaMorte . Gary has designed a lot of menus over a lot of years, and he talks about the importance to the menu of both familiarity (70% of menu items should sit comfortably with guests) and variety (everyone should be able to order something). Steakhouses have this math right. Gary first joined me on Episode 064 of Cheftimony where we talked about his early…
S7 · 3 Apr 2026 · 13 min
Cheftimony Snack - Steakhouse Status
It’s a quick snack today to bring you up to date on where we’ve been in Season 7 and where we’re going next. We’ve had two full episodes so far, both squarely focused on the theme of the season – the steakhouse. Because Las Vegas is both my favourite city to visit and a global contender for best steakhouse city, the discussions have been very Vegas-centric. On Episode 079 and Episode 080 , we started to explore just why the steakhouse remains so popular by speaking with chefs, a lawyer and members of the passionate Vegas podcasting and vlogging community. Today, I give a quick recap of those…
S7 · 27 Mar 2026 · 40 min
Episode 080 - "Boys, we need extra gravy."
The steakhouse exploration continues today! My guests and I discuss why the steakhouse continues to appeal and just where to go in Las Vegas to enjoy a steakhouse experience. Three guests are friends from the Las Vegas podcasting community, and my final guest is one amazing chef who has been doing amazing things on the Las Vegas Strip for years. First up are Mark DeVol and Dr. Mike from the iconic You Can Bet on That podcast. While these two sensibly focus their time in Vegas on the important business of gambling, they also frequent a steakhouse now and again and today, they share their…
S7 · 20 Mar 2026 · 42 min
Episode 079 - "I like steak!"
It’s easy to explain why I love a good steak… but how to explain a love for the steakhouse itself? Why are so many of us, me included, drawn to a restaurant that showcases an item we can cook at home; a restaurant that doesn’t break much new ground in cooking; and a restaurant that can be very expensive? It’s a question I’ve pondered for a good long while but haven’t been able to answer. I turned to some friends. Friends who love steakhouses and who love the steakhouses in a very steakhouse-friendly city, Las Vegas. Episode 079 is the first of the steakhouse-exclusive episodes of the…
S6 · 10 Jan 2026 · 49 min
Episode 078 - Absence Makes the Heart… Go to Spain
As you may recall from Episode 075 , I’m not visiting the United States right now, which means I’m not visiting my favourite city in the world to visit, Las Vegas, Nevada . But in very good news, my friend Tania Tomaszewska recently did. And on the show today, Tania and I dive into some of the many tasty sips and bites she enjoyed, particularly in the remarkable Arts District of Las Vegas. When we wrap up Las Vegas, Tania and I head to northern Spain for a quick re-cap of my October trip to the delightful and delicious Zarautz. While I’m missing Las Vegas terribly, re-living some of the…
S6 · 29 Aug 2025 · 30 min
Episode 077 - The Coffee Shop on the Edge of the World
If you’re going to stare out over the ocean beyond the horizon and into the infinite, you’re well advised to have a great cup of coffee while you do it. And there is a place for coffee unlike any you’ve ever been to, unless you’re lucky enough to have been to Haida Gwaii . And to Jags . At the end of June, I sat down after-hours with family team members Khataya and with Jags himself (the shop’s namesake and Khataya’s father), to learn just how their family created this wonderfully special place. Join us for a talk that starts in the shop pouring coffee and baking scones, but quickly winds…
S6 · 9 Aug 2025 · 9 min
Rest well, Mark.
We recently lost the wonderful Mark Wojtowicz Jr., driving force behind the 360 Vegas Podcast. In today’s short episode, I share some memories of great times with Mark and thank him for all the Vegas history lessons, for sharing some delicious meals, and most especially for building a terrific community of Las Vegas nerds I am lucky to call friends.
S6 · 6 Jun 2025 · 34 min
Episode 076 - Signed, Sealed, Cellared
My guest today is Megan O’Neill , a Vancouver-based lawyer who focuses on the wine industry. Megan shares how she found her way into “wine law,” how she supports clients in the space, and the creative ways younger people are finding to break into a traditionally expensive industry. We explore tariff and interprovincial trade issues, the work of industry organizations, and the impact of shifting demographics—particularly the challenge facing winery owners as their core customer base of boomers ages, while younger consumers show more interest in lower-alcohol or no-alcohol options - the world…
S6 · 9 Apr 2025 · 27 min
Episode 075 - Seeking New City
In an outcome I’m really glad I didn’t bet on happening… I just cancelled my trip to Las Vegas scheduled for later this month. I can’t say when I’ll be ready to go again. Thanks to my friends Sonja Cho Swanson and Dayvid Figler at the fantastic City Cast Las Vegas Podcast for inviting me to share my thoughts on just what led me to pull the plug and to give up all that glorious food and gambling. In today’s episode, I’m sharing an interview with City Cast co-host Dayvid, from a recent City Cast Las Vegas episode. You can hear that full episode (and subscribe to that fantastic show) right over…
S6 · 28 Mar 2025 · 33 min
Episode 074 - A Punch in the Nose
Today, my guest is Chef Thompson Tran of The Wooden Boat Food Company . Long-time listeners to Cheftimony have heard from Thompson in the past. He’s an old friend, and we met way back in the day when I was a stagiaire at Bishop’s restaurant in Vancouver. You can hear more on Chef’s background on Episode 009 of the show and on a Snapshot episode in the summer of 2021 . In today’s episode, Thompson and I dive right on into the joys of middle age, cooking for children and – of all things – boxing. Chef is taking part in a charity boxing match on Friday, April 4th, and we discuss the charity the…
S6 · 8 Mar 2025 · 28 min
Episode 073 - Travelling in Style with Julia
Today, points-and-miles expert Julia Menez of Geobreeze Travel joins me to talk delicious food around the world. We also dive into some of the techniques Julia uses to significantly reduce the cost of luxury travel and the outstanding food and drink that goes along with it. From her current home base in Las Vegas where Julia loves off-Strip dining, to a steakhouse in Buenos Aires, to some great (and not-so-great) food options when flying business or first class, Julia takes us to some of her favourite food-friendly destinations around the globe. If you’ve ever boarded a flight and wondered…
S6 · 13 Dec 2024 · 48 min
Episode 072 - Fifteen Minutes with Anjula
All right, it’s more like 45 minutes than fifteen, but the point is you’re going to hear from the wonderful Chef Anjula Devi . I had the enviable job of speaking with Chef about her long-standing interest in food, her experiences growing up in the UK in a first-generation immigrant family that used food to forge community, and about Anjula’s soon-to-be-released new cookbook, 15-Minute Indian. Surprisingly for Cheftimony, we also talk a little sports! Or at least about the most important aspect of sports – the food available on game day. Join us for the talk! Detailed show notes are at the…
S6 · 12 Nov 2024 · 18 min
Cheftimony Snack - Dinner with Frank
Today I’m taking you inside the Chairman’s Room at Sinatra Restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas . You’ll hear from several of the lucky dinner guests with their thoughts on the private, Frank Sinatra-inspired menu that Michael of TravelZork and ZorkFest , Keren from the 360 Vegas Podcast , and I planned way back on Episode 070 of Cheftimony . Join us in the Chairman’s Room at Sinatra, and head to the Cheftimony website for detailed show notes, including the exact menu from which our twenty diners had to make their choices for each course.
S6 · 1 Nov 2024 · 55 min
Episode 071 - Zero Proof
Today my friend Tania Tomaszewska and I dive deep into the world of NOLO and “zebra”-ing. And yes, those terms were new to me too! Our topic is no- and low-alcohol drinks (hence “NOLO”), and Tania and I discuss the increasingly popular choice to reduce alcohol consumption by alternating between drinks with and without alcohol: zebra-ing. Today on Cheftimony, I’m sharing the latest episode of the excellent TT Wine Explorer Podcast in full. You’re about to hear Episode 19: The Rise of NOLO . Join us for our talk, and head to the Cheftimony website for detailed show notes.
S6 · 29 Oct 2024 · 21 min
Cheftimony Snack: Just what makes a great burger?
Today’s snack-sized episode answers a seemingly simple question: “Just what goes into making a great burger?” My guest is Chef Robert Belcham who shares the goods on his iconic Dirty Burger . Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website .
S6 · 2 Oct 2024 · 53 min
Episode 070 - Caviar Bump
Join me and my friends Keren and Michael for a behind-the-scenes discussion as we plan two beautiful menus for an extravagant dinner for twenty in fabulous Las Vegas. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website .
S5 · 2 Jun 2024 · 57 min
Episode 069, Part 2 - The Season Wraps
The second and final part of Episode 069 is here! Keren and I complete our talk about fantastic Vegas restaurants - past and present - and we welcome two new Vegas-based guests to share their thoughts too. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website .
S5 · 28 Apr 2024 · 59 min
Episode 069, Part 1 - Food Is Great, People Are Better
Here is the first installment of a two-part season-ending episode, all about great restaurants in Las Vegas – past and present. My co-host is Keren from the 360 Vegas Podcast, and together we welcome Las Vegas food enthusiasts to discuss the great restaurants we’ve lost and the ones we should visit now. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website .
S5 · 21 Apr 2024 · 14 min
Cheftimony Snack: Pals in Vegas
Here’s a quick update from Las Vegas, with a focus on fabulous food from a middle-of-the-night steak dinner to amazing brunches on-Strip and off. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website .
S5 · 28 Jan 2024 · 18 min
A Snapshot of Kauai
Today is a snapshot of food, friends and fun on the garden island. Order the Ahi Au Poivre! Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website .
S5 · 31 Dec 2023 · 43 min
Episode 068 - A Knife to the Tart
Today I sit down with Chef Hilary Prince and Chef Jack Chen to talk everything from the business realities of running a restaurant to the importance of taking your staff to the farm to a story so hilariously tragic - or tragically hilarious - that it is literally A Knife to the Tart. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website .
S5 · 27 Nov 2023 · 22 min
A Snapshot of Sardinia
Join me on Sardinia and meet three characters who have left lives of stress behind and chosen to “downshift” on this idyllic island. We’ll dive into pasta making, pizza, gelato, coffee, and the wonderful Sardinian pasta, culurgiones. Detailed notes are at the Cheftimony website .
S5 · 18 Nov 2023 · 14 min
A Snapshot of Venice
Join me in Venice for delightful breakfasts, one stand-out lunch, and an important life lesson from an elderly waiter who calmed me as I tried to rush dinner to make it to a jazz show. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website .
S5 · 10 Nov 2023 · 14 min
A Snapshot of Bologna
Join me for quick thoughts on food in Bologna, captured through the lens of one special meal at Osteria del Mirasole . Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website .
S5 · 6 Nov 2023 · 18 min
A Snapshot of Piedmont
Join me in Piedmont for a tour through lunch, coffee, family-style dinner and the second visit to my absolute favourite restaurant in Italy. If you have not been to the village of Roddino, you might consider booking a trip when you hear about the food… Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website .
S5 · 2 Nov 2023 · 54 min
Episode 067 - Plungers and Pepperoni
Today I’m delighted to speak with Seattle-based food writer , video producer , home cook, food scientist, James Beard Foundation award winner , chef, New York Times columnist , and accomplished Street Fighter II player, J. Kenji López-Alt . Lattes, pizzas and the best kitchen plunger story I’ve ever heard. This and so much more. Detailed show notes are at the Cheftimony website .

About Cheftimony

Cheftimony is a English arts & books podcast from Graham MacLennan. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Graham MacLennan
Language: English
Category: Arts & Books
New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 34 min
Latest episode: 9 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1458045557

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