Flavorphiles

Happy Diwali! Jerry and Tanner Agar head into Indian food for the Festival of Lights. Like Bourdain, but with lower stakes: two curious eaters finding it out together, with some real experts to keep them honest.

Tanner starts with an amuse booze, a Masala Chai Old Fashioned. (Also, “chai tea” just means “tea tea.”) Then eTalk host Sonia Mangat, whose new podcast Silk & Savage spotlights prominent South Asians, explains what Diwali means to Hindu and Sikh families. She covers why you should eat at a Sikh temple (cover your head, and no, a Jays hat doesn’t count), the one di...

It’s actually Halloween, and Tanner and Jerry Agar are in full costume (Frankenstein and Little Bo Peep, for those listening on the radio) to dig into how Halloween, and its candy, went from homemade to store-bought.

Tanner opens with the Stone Fence, an 1862 Jerry Thomas cocktail of rye, hard apple cider and bitters. Then we trace trick-or-treating from Celtic roots to popcorn balls to the 1954 Milky Way ad that made Halloween a candy holiday, and where the poisoned-candy panic really came from.

Does candy taste worse than when you were a kid? Tanner gives four re...

Most of what North America calls Mexican food barely scratches the surface. Tanner Agar, Michelin-winning chef and bartender, and broadcaster Jerry Agar go deeper. They start with pulque, the ancient agave drink older than tequila, and the spirits mezcal drinkers should know next: raicilla, bacanora, and charanda.

From there, the dishes rarely seen north of the border: escamoles, huitlacoche, chapulines, sesos, nopales, and the moles beyond the black one. Chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman, three-time James Beard semifinalist and founder of Oh Hi Hospitality, joins to discuss cooking Mexican food in a Tex-Mex city, and why queso has no p...

Whatever happened to the dinner party? Have we gotten too busy, too intimidated, or just too comfortable ordering takeout to invite friends over for a proper meal?

This week on Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry are bringing back the lost art of entertaining. First, they're joined by Toronto Star contributor Catherine Bradbury to explore why dinner parties have fallen out of fashion and what we're missing by not gathering around the table.

Then, Tanner explains how to throw an incredible dinner party even if you can't cook. From clever shortcuts to the little details that make guests...

Baking looks simple until you actually try it.

This week, Tanner and Jerry dig into why good cooks can be surprisingly bad bakers, and why baking rewards a completely different set of instincts. Tanner mixes up his signature Wake and Bake before they’re joined by Jen Hudson, contestant on The Great Canadian Baking Show, to find out what it’s really like inside the tent.

Then it’s time to settle an important question: when should you buy it, use a mix, or make it from scratch? Brownies, croissants, pie crust, cake and more are all up...

This week on Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry are back with a completely new Thanksgiving episode built for everything that happens after the basic advice runs out.

First, we head to the Thanksgiving Emergency Room to tackle the disasters that can derail dinner. Frozen turkey? Broken gravy? Everything needs the oven at the same time? Tanner explains how to save the meal before anyone starts ordering pizza.

Then it’s Thanksgiving Mythbusters. Do you really need to baste the turkey? Is the timing of turkey hard to get right? Should stuffing go inside the bird? We take on...

What is it really like to be a chef?

This week, Tanner and Jerry get into the reality of chef life, from the long hours and low pay to culinary school, repetition, passion, and why working in restaurants is often more of a lifestyle than a normal job.

Then we talk about Tony, the Anthony Bourdain film, and ask how accurately it captures Bourdain’s life, what it gets right about being a chef, and whether the movie actually works.

Tanner’s fiancée Grace also joins us to answer a different question: what is it...

For Talk Like a Pirate Day, Tanner and Jerry dig into the surprisingly strange food and drink history of life at sea. We start with what pirates actually ate, why their diet could sometimes give them an advantage over the Navy, and how scurvy became one of the biggest threats aboard ship. That includes James Lind’s famous experiment testing cures ranging from cider and vinegar to seawater, citrus, and a truly questionable garlic-and-mustard concoction.

Then we make a Bumbo and look at what pirates and sailors actually drank. Why was fresh water such a problem? Why did ru...

Fall is farmers market season, but what does that actually mean when you live somewhere like Dallas?

This week on Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry head into fall with a Harvest Highball made with applejack, an old-school American apple spirit, before turning the market into their own personal cooking competition. In Chopped: Flavorphiles Edition, they each surprise the other with mystery baskets of fall farmers market staples and have to figure out what they would actually make with them.

Then we talk with the Director of the Dallas Farmers Market about what really happens when the market...

Judging food is fun. Whether you’re ranking the best chefs on TV, challenging your friends to a ridiculous eating competition, or silently keeping score of everything a restaurant gets wrong, we all do it. This week, Tanner and Jerry are putting everything on the judging table.

First, we look at food competitions you can actually do with your friends, from blind butter tastings to the kind of steak challenge that involves 72 ounces of beef and some questionable life choices.
Then we rank the best food competition chefs on television. Who makes a great judge? Who makes a...

Bitter gets a bad rap. We’re basically born suspicious of it, kids hate it, and yet somehow adults end up obsessed with coffee, dark chocolate, bitter greens, amaro, and aggressively hoppy beer.

This week on Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry dig into why we learn to love bitter flavors, how bitterness is different from burnt, sour, and astringent, and why some people may actually experience bitter foods more intensely than others.

Then Kolby Howard from Fernet-Branca joins us to explain amaro, the exptremely bitter, and very popular, Italian digestif.

Tanner also breaks down how ch...

This week on Flavorphiles, we are committing crimes against food. Allegedly. Tanner and Jerry dig into the strange, sticky, and surprisingly sophisticated world of food true crime.

First, Tanner introduces the Amuse Booze: powdered alcohol. He knows how to make it, he will not be telling you how, and depending on where you live, that may be for the best.

Then Christie Wallace and Heather McKinney from Sinisterhood join the show to break down the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, a real-life caper involving millions of dollars in stolen syrup, a cartel's strategic reserve, and how 1 f...

This week, we’re taking a bite out of New Zealand. Tanner used to live in NZ, so he’s guiding Jerry through the foods, flavors, and extremely specific Kiwi words that make the country’s cuisine so much more than lamb and Sauvignon Blanc.

First up, it’s Guess That Kiwi Food, where Jerry has to figure out what ingredients like kūmara, capsicum, pāua, and hokey pokey actually are based only on the name. Then, Chef Toby Archibald of Michelin-recognized Quarter Acre in Dallas joins us to talk about cooking New Zealand food in Texas and what it...

Whiskey can feel like it comes with homework. Scotch, bourbon, rye, Irish whiskey, Japanese whisky, Canadian whisky, age statements, ice rules, spelling arguments; it is a lot of brown liquid with a lot of opinions.

This week on Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry take a not-too-nerdy trip through the whiskeys of the world to figure out what actually makes each style different. Then they sit down with Robert Likarish of Ironroot Republic Distillery to talk about why great bourbon is not limited to Kentucky, how Texas heat changes the aging process, and what gives Texas whiskey its own identity.<...

In celebration of National Mustard Day, Flavorphiles is bringing the heat, just not the hot sauce.

This week, Tanner and Jerry dive into the world of spicy condiments, from chili crisp and horseradish to hot mustard, yuzu kosho, and the jars hiding in the back of your fridge that may or may not still be alive. Then they answer one of sushi’s great green mysteries: what is wasabi, really, and why is the stuff most people eat basically wearing a disguise?

Barry Levenson, founder and curator of the National Mustard Museum, joins the show to ta...

This week on Flavorphiles, we turn up the volume for an episode all about the strange, funny, and surprisingly important relationship between food and music.

Jerry returns to his roots as a longtime radio DJ with a countdown of his top 10 songs about food, from the Beatles, to Frank Sinatra, to Jack Johnson. 

Then Rob Felicetti of Bowling for Soup joins us to talk about eating on tour: the best meals on the road, the foods that make certain cities worth looking forward to, backstage catering, late-night survival meals, and why he has such a deep l...

Restaurants used to be places you went to eat. Now they’re also places you go to post, flex, film, and prove you were there.

This week on Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry look at the rise of dining out for clout. We start with a viral flaming cocktail stunt that looks incredible on camera and asks the obvious question: when food and drinks are built for the video, what happens to the actual experience? Then we dig into how restaurants have changed in the camera era, from better lighting and tableside service to dramatic plating, cocktail reveals, and ro...

Great food does not have to come with a luxury price tag. In this episode of Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry dig into the places, dishes, and techniques that prove affordable food can still be serious, memorable, and packed with flavor.

First, they look at why “cheap eats” is the wrong phrase. Restaurants spend money on far more than food: real estate, design, service style, branding, huge menus, and all the little details that make a place feel expensive. But sometimes the best meals come from restaurants that skip the polish and put the money where it matters: into the...

This week on Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry head to the farmers’ market to figure out what is actually worth buying—and how to keep your ambitious haul from becoming expensive compost.

Tanner starts with the best things to buy at the market, why high-water foods often deliver the biggest improvement over their grocery-store counterparts, and the etiquette that keeps you from becoming every vendor’s least-favorite customer.

Then, Melanie Anderson, Executive Director of Farmers’ Markets Ontario, joins the show to explain what separates a great market from a disappointing one and how her organization supports more than 180...

Canada Day and the Fourth of July are approaching, which means it’s time to fire up the grill, load the cooler, and make a few decisions that could determine whether your backyard party becomes legendary or a small insurance claim.

We start with a layered red-and-white Jell-O shot—add blue for the American version—before tackling how not to ruin burgers, chicken, and every other meat somebody confidently volunteered to grill.

Then Overrated/Underrated returns with the cookout edition. From coleslaw and baked beans to corn on the cob and watermelon, what's a must and what's...

This week on Flavorphiles, we’re going Into the Wild— but not in a “survive on bark and make friends with a squirrel” kind of way.

Tanner and Jerry start with how to seriously upgrade your picnic, car camping, or outdoor hang without turning it into a fully catered wedding in a field. After that, Alana McGee of Truffle Dog Co. joins the show to explain how truffle dogs are trained, what it’s like to forage for truffles and mushrooms, and how to keep them safe from getting eaten. 

Then the episode heads deeper into the backcou...

Do cookbooks still matter, or have they become expensive decorations for people who mostly cook from TikTok?

This week on Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry crack open the cookbook shelf to ask why we buy cookbooks and what they still give us that the internet can’t. We start with the strange joy of owning cookbooks we may never use, then talk with Matt Rodbard about how cookbooks actually get made and how they shape food culture. 

Then we look back at cookbooks as the original food internet — part instruction manual, part status symbol, part cultural record. Final...

Why is everything so expensive? This week on Flavorphiles, we’re talking about the money behind the meal.

First, food professor Sylvain Charlebois joins us to explain what’s really driving food prices, why grocery bills and menu prices keep climbing, and whether things are likely to get better or worse from here.

Then, Tanner pulls back the curtain on restaurant profit math. A packed dining room on a Saturday night might look like a gold mine, but once you factor in labor, rent, prep time, food costs, broken equipment, and all the invisible expenses, the real...

How do you actually get started in the restaurant business? This week, we’re going behind the scenes of the jobs that make restaurants work — from the first kitchen shift to the first night behind the bar, and all the chaos in between.

We start in the kitchen with the big question: is culinary school worth it? Tanner breaks down the pros and cons, how professional kitchens are organized, and what those jobs are really like once service starts. Then we move to the front of house to talk servers, bartenders, barbacks, hosts, and why some of the leas...

This week on Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry are making The Ick List — the restaurant habits that instantly make someone less attractive.

A dinner date is not just about dinner. It is a test of manners, taste, generosity, patience, curiosity, and whether you can treat a server like a human being. From filming every dish to saying “I know the owner,” we’re breaking down the food behaviors that ruin the vibe.

Then relationship expert and sexologist Shan Boodram joins the show to talk about dating performance, spicy food, and why people pretend to like things they don’t. Af...

This week on Flavorphiles, we’re giving hot dogs the serious culinary examination they obviously deserve.

Tanner and Jerry start with a Hot Dog Martini — made with “dirty hot dog water” gin, mustard oil, pickle oil, and a poppy seed/celery salt rim — before breaking down what actually makes a great dog: the meat, the snap, the bun, the toppings, and why ketchup may be the enemy.

Then Eric Mittenthal, President of the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, joins the show to walk us through the official hot dog etiquette guide. After that, competitive eater Katie Prettyman...

A great night out does not happen by accident. This week on Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry break down how to get the most out of every restaurant experience—from choosing the right place to ordering like someone who knows what they’re doing.

We start with the Amuse Booze: amaro, the bittersweet Italian liqueur you should probably be drinking at the end of dinner. Then, Tanner shares how to spot a great restaurant before you book, including what menus can tell you, why some reviews are useless, and the social media trick that helps reveal what a place is r...

Before it’s plated, paired, or priced—luxury starts in the dirt.

In this episode, we follow the path from soil to status. Tanner and Jerry begin by unpacking the reality of “farm to table,” where menus are shaped by weather, relationships, and a level of unpredictability most diners never see.

Then, we hear from the people who live that reality every day. The owner of Altima Caviar shares the decades-long process behind producing world-class caviar, while Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery offers a reminder that winemaking is still farming—no matter how refined the final prod...

Spring is here, and we’re taking things outside. This week on Flavorphiles, we’re throwing the ultimate Garden Party—from what to grow, to what to drink, to what actually belongs on your table.

We kick things off with our Amuse Booze: a classic sour cocktail, a smash, and a highball that unlock the perfect ratios you can use to create nearly endless drinks. Once you understand the balance, you don’t need recipes—just fresh ingredients, ideally pulled straight from your garden or a local farmers market.

Next, we’re joined by gardening icon Mark Cullen...

This week on Flavorphiles, we’re skipping the theme and letting curiosity run the show.

We kick things off with a homemade absinthe for Amuse Booze—because if you’re going to go off-script, you might as well start with something a little dangerous.

From there, it’s a rapid-fire mix of questions and hot takes: what farm-to-table actually means (and when it’s just marketing), how to make non-alcoholic cocktails feel like a real experience instead of an afterthought, and whether vegetarian tasting menus should really cost less.

Then we look at what’s old becomi...

TikTok has a food hack for everything—drink more water, eat more protein, save money, cook faster. But how much of it actually holds up?

This episode, we react to some of the biggest trends taking over your feed. We start with the viral “buy half a cow” craze and why it’s not quite the deal it looks like. Then, with the help of a nutritionist and a fitness expert, we dig into hydration trends, “healthy” swaps, protein obsession, man kibble, and meal prep extremes. Finally Tanner responds to cooking hacks and we crown a winner of Martini Madn...

Easter might be the strangest food holiday we celebrate.

A rabbit delivers eggs. We hide them in the yard. And somehow, all of it ends with a pile of candy that only exists for a few weeks a year.

In this episode of Flavorphiles, we unpack how it all came together. We start with the question no one really asks: why eggs? From ancient symbols of rebirth to medieval fasting rules, eggs became the center of Easter almost by accident. Along the way, we figure out how a German folklore hare ended up delivering them.
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This week on Flavorphiles, we explore the strange line between food traditions that are centuries old and the ones we invented last Tuesday.

We begin with a game of Authentic… or Not?, where Jerry tries to determine whether famous dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala, Caesar Salad, and sushi rolls are actually traditional to the cuisines they’re associated with—or clever culinary imposters.

Then we’re joined by Indigenous chef Sarah Mierau, founder of Tradish, a café and food brand dedicated to sharing Indigenous ingredients and cooking with a modern audience. She explains how Indigenous cuisine continues...

The future of food and hospitality is changing fast—and in some cases, unraveling in real time.

This week’s episode starts with one of the biggest stories in the industry: the allegations surrounding René Redzepi and his departure from Noma. As one of the most influential chefs of this era steps away, we unpack what happened—and what it says about the culture that defined modern fine dining.

From there, we zoom out. Are the foundations of fine dining—unpaid stages, marathon tasting menus, and all-consuming kitchen culture—still viable? Or is the industry heading toward some...

Amuse Booze: Frozen irish Coffee

This week on Flavorphiles, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day the way it was meant to be celebrated: by questioning almost everything about it.

In Segment 1, we look at how St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is very different from the green-beer spectacle it’s become in North America. Tanner explains why owning a bar on St. Patrick’s Day isn’t quite the party people think it is, and we introduce our Martini Madness competition.

In Segment 2, we tackle the humble potato. If potatoes didn’t originate in Ireland, how...

Amuse Booze: 20% Martini

In Episode 20 of Flavorphiles, Tanner and Jerry explore the power dynamics shaping modern hospitality — from tipping culture to food journalism to the way television has redefined what we think kitchens look like. 

We begin with a listener question that sparked a bigger debate: if someone tips $40 on a $500 bill, and the server balks, who’s in the wrong? That conversation opens the door to the economics of service, why 20% has become the standard, whether tipping should disappear altogether, and why even industry leaders like Danny Meyer ultimately returned to the system they tried to re...

Amuse Booze: The Gin & Tonic — The Original Location-Driven Cocktail

In the first segment, Tanner and Jerry break down the psychology of space—why rooftop restaurants feel expensive, basements feel exclusive, strip malls hide greatness, and beach restaurants often get a pass. From airport dining to vacation mode, they examine how context changes perception and why the bar is often the best seat in the house.

Next, they bring in a commercial broker to discuss the real-world side of restaurant location. What makes a space work? Why do some addresses feel cursed? Is visibility everything? It’s a cand...

Amuse Booze: Tepache — Fermented & Safe, despite what the Dallas Health Department Says

Tanner and Jerry explore the darker side of dining in an episode dedicated to foods that kills. They begin with cautionary tales from history, including embalmed milk, a 2008 CEO who went to prison, and arsenic-laced candy—reminders that food safety hasn’t always been a given. 

In the second segment, they sit down with one of the scientists responsible for removing salmonella from modern turkey production to understand how it’s done—and what you should know when cooking your own bird. From there, Tanner shar...

Amuse Booze: The Spicy Pickle Martini

Tanner and Jerry take on the science—and the suffering—behind the hangover. They start by breaking down what a hangover actually is, how it happens, and whether certain spirits are truly better or worse when it comes to next-day consequences.

In the second segment, they sort fact from fiction on hangover cures: what works, what doesn’t, and the surprising global remedies people swear by—including ox blood soup. Then they pivot to a thoughtful listener question: how do you cook flavorful food if you can’t rely on salt for h...

Amuse Booze: The Orange Julep (Montréal)

Tanner and Jerry celebrate Valentine’s Day with an episode dedicated to romance, food, and the realities of making it all work. The conversation begins with nutritionist Lianne Phillipson, as they unpack the idea of aphrodisiacs—Tanner shares his favorite “romance foods,” while Lianne breaks down whether there’s any real science behind the magic.

Next, they tackle the nightmare scenario: you forgot to make the perfect reservation. From last-minute saves to progressive dinners and thoughtful meals at home, Tanner offers practical solutions—including his infamous Cast Iron Pan Test, how a p...