Dine & Grind Podcast

In this episode of Dine & Grind, host Daniel Shemtob chats with Chef Rashida Holmes—the force behind Bridgetown Roti and a three-time James Beard Award nominee—about carving her own lane in the culinary world.
From her Brooklyn-and-Barbados roots to building one of LA’s most celebrated Caribbean food brands, Rashida opens up about resilience, identity, and community. She shares how family flavors inspired her hospitality philosophy, what it took to launch a pop-up turned powerhouse, and how she’s reshaping LA’s restaurant scene.
Packed with culinary insights, cultural storytelling, and entrepreneurial wisdom, this episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about food, creativity, and building something from scratch.
02:20 – Rashida's Background and Upbringing on the East Coast07:45 – Why Her Parents Disproved Her Career as a Chef22:25 – "If you are Stressing you are not Nourishing", Her Motto for Leading a Successful Restaurant Crew24:22 – Why Rashida Moved to California36:44 – How She Achieved Success with Bridgetown Roti46:47 – Rashida Revealed Her 3 Ingredient for Success
 
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or visit Dine & Grind for show notes and more inspiring chef interviews.

In this high-energy episode of Dine & Grind, host Daniel Shemtob sits down with powerhouse entrepreneur Ellen Bennett — founder of the iconic apron and kitchen gear brand Hedley & Bennett, author, TV personality, and all-around culinary industry game-changer.
Ellen shares her incredible journey from her early days as a line cook in Los Angeles to building one of the most recognizable culinary lifestyle brands in the world. Learn how her English-Mexican roots, latchkey childhood, and unstoppable drive shaped her "figure it out" mindset — a philosophy that fuels both her business and creativity.
You'll hear behind-the-scenes stories about:
The very first Hedley & Bennett aprons — and Ellen's no-discount, hustle-hard sales style
How she juggled multiple kitchen jobs to fund her startup dream
Game-changing moments like Martha Stewart Café spotting her designs and her first celebrity collab with Alton Brown
Lessons on scaling a business with integrity and learning from early mistakes
Why she went back to culinary school (and what Gen Z classmates are teaching her about innovation)
Plus, enjoy authentic banter on parenting, creativity, entrepreneurship, and the tools that power great kitchens — all wrapped up with laughter, grit, and actionable inspiration.
Whether you're a chef, restaurant founder, or creative entrepreneur, this episode delivers raw insight into what it really takes to succeed in the food industry.
 
00:00 – Opening & Biggest Mistakes
00:25 – Meet Ellen Bennett
02:18 – How They Met & Early Hustle
05:13 – Ellen's Childhood & Entrepreneurial Spirit
08:10 – Breaking Into the Culinary World
11:31 – The Apron Epiphany
13:29 – First Aprons & Hustling Multiple Jobs
16:04 – Selling Confidence, Not Just Aprons
17:27 – Lessons From Early Failures
18:47 – Making the Leap to Full-Time Entrepreneur
22:14 – Pinch Me Moments & Celebrity Collabs
27:33 – Rapid Growth & Hard Lessons
32:36 – Building Brand Love
37:58 – Pivoting & Keeping the Brand's Soul
42:35 – Juggling Family & Nonstop Hustle
45:17 – Productivity & Organization Secrets
48:03 – Lightning Round
51:08 – Closing Thoughts
👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or DineandGrindPodcast.com to catch Ellen Bennett and Daniel Shemtob's electric energy and real-talk on culinary entrepreneurship.

He went from sleeping in a warehouse to winning Top Chef and now he’s running some of LA’s hottest restaurants.In this episode of Dine & Grind, Daniel sits down with Chef Charbel Hayek , founder of Ladyhawk and Laya, to talk about his journey from Beirut, Paris to LA.Charbel opens up about the hustle behind his success and the mindset that helped him won Top Chef and achieve success in the restaurant world.1:51 Daniel’s First Time Meeting Charbel4:03 How Charbel Discovered His Passion for Cooking8:09 Charbel’s Early Year in LA Working at Butcher Shop and Sleeping in a Warehouse15:20 How Charbel Got on Top Chef and Won It19:14 Opening a New Restaurant and Managing Fear and Stress26:49 Charbel Reveal the Greatest Thing about Restaurant Business33:35 Daniel’s Fun Question for Charbel
 
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www.danielshemtob.com
 

In the second episode of Dine & Grind, we sit down with Ike Shehadeh, founder of Ike’s Love & Sandwiches, to unpack the wild journey behind one of America’s most creative sandwich empires. From turning leftovers into legendary sandwiches, Ike shares how following your passion and selling only what you love, can build a brand that lasts decades.
0:00 Daniel's first time Meeting Ike
3:00 Turning Childhood Experiement into Legendary Sandwiches 7:50 "Turkey sandwich is not your best sandwich" Ike's Rule for Make Sandwich Shop Unique
13:29 "It only matters what you want to sell" Ike's Secret Sauce for Starting a Successful Business
23:32 Ike's Lesson from his Early Failure and working for $20 27:59 Ike explains his life-changing “list”
39:09 How Ike stepped down as the CEO but still Kept the Culture Alive
Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dine-grind-episode-1-from-pantry-to-power-nancy-silvertons/id1845926969?i=1000731691313
Follow Me on Social Media! https://www.instagram.com/daniel.shemtob

Chef Nancy Silverton joins Dine and Grind to talk openings, closures, creative grit, the MozzaPlex in LA, and why her closet and personal style mirrors her kitchen.