Joiners

Curious how Rick Bayless spends his Christmas in Oaxaca? Or how Frontier chef Brian Jupiter cooks whole animals, from pigs to llamas? Then start each Monday the way I do — with the latest episode of Joiners. Hosts Danny Shapiro, co-owner of Scofflaw, the Heavy Feather, and other Logan Square bars, and Tim Tierney, cofounder of the restaurant uniform maker Stock, launched the hospitality-centric podcast in June of last year, and it has quickly become a must-listen. They’ve drawn a steady stream of A-list guests (including the aforementioned chefs), who sometimes drop juicy tidbits: Fifty/50 beverage director Julieta Campos shared how the Aviary discreetly handles guests who come in with mistresses, and Hogsalt Hospitality cofounder Jean Tomaro offered details on a planned Small Cheval drive-through. Tierney and Shapiro’s banter is certainly entertaining, but the podcast excels most in providing a deeper understanding of the fascinating folks running Chicago’s culinary-and-cocktails scene.