The Whet Palette Productions: Miami Food Blog & Podcast
Embark on a flavorful journey with The Whet Palette Podcast, your premier guide to the vibrant culinary landscape of South Florida and beyond.
Hosted by Cuban-American writer and podcaster Brenda Fernandez Popritkin, this series offers in-depth restaurant coverage, engaging conversations with local chefs, sommeliers, and industry insiders, plus explorations of wine and travel experiences.
Whether you’re a local food enthusiast or an international gastronome, join us on your preferred podcast platform and savor the tastes and tales that make the culinary world so captivating.
Episodes
80 episodes
Everyone Hates MICHELIN: The Stars, the Sponsors & the Skeptics
Welcome to Supplements, the subscriber-only extension of The Whet Palette Podcast—an extra serving of the conversations, opinions, and behind-the-scenes perspective that deserve a deeper dive.For the first pour, I’m taking on ever...
BCPR’s Larry Carrino on Restaurant PR: The Spin, the Buzz & the Bullsh*t
What does a publicist actually do for a restaurant? Can PR help win a MICHELIN star or James Beard Award? Do follower counts really matter? And when everyone with an Instagram account calls themselves an influencer, who actually moves the needl...
Chef Juan Camilo Liscano’s Unscripted Journey: The Making of Palma
What happens when a chef who spent much of his life moving finally decides to come home and build something of his own?Chef Juan Camilo Liscano joins The Whet Palette Podcast to trace the path that led to Palma, his ...
A Conversation with Alvaro Perez Miranda: From Artist to Restaurateur
In this episode of The Whet Palette Podcast, I sit down with Alvaro Perez Miranda (artist, restaurateur, and one of the visionaries behind Miami's acclaimed Japanese restaurants) to discuss the journey that brought him from Venezu...
Fireproof: A Candid Conversation with Chef Curtis Duffy
Chef Curtis Duffy has spent decades pursuing excellence at the highest levels of American fine dining.In this episode of The Whet Palette Podcast, the acclaimed chef behind two-Michelin-starred Ever discusses the les...
MICHELIN Guide Florida 2026: Hot Takes, Hard Truths, and a Few Receipts
The 2026 MICHELIN Guide Florida results have arrived, and as expected, the reactions were...
Kojin: Chef Katherine Mederos on Motherhood, Michelin, and Miami
What does it really take to build a restaurant in Miami right now?In this deeply personal episode of The Whet Palette Podcast, Chef Katherine Mederos of Kojin opens up about the reality behind the restaurant world: motherho...
MICHELIN Guide Florida 2026: Perspective & Predictions
The MICHELIN Guide Florida 2026 announcement is set for May 28, and this year, everything feels different.With the guide going fully statewide and the ceremony officially gone, the rules, the rhythm, and the expectations ar...
The Fire Behind Apocalypse Miami: Smoke, Setbacks, and Success
From Cancer Survivor to Pitmaster: The Story Behind Apocalypse BarbecueMiami may be known for cafecito and croquetas, but in this episode we’re talking about another side of the city’s food story: barbecue.In this ep...
Chef Jonathan Kaiser on Calusso, Pier Sixty-Six, and Raising the Bar in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale is having a moment, and Chef Jonathan Kaiser is part of the reason why.In this episode, I sit down with the South Florida native and the chef leading Calusso at Pier Sixty-Six Resort to talk about his...
The Vicky Bakery Story with Amy Cao : Cajitas, Community & Cuban Coffee
Miami y Hialeah, this one is for you.I’m joined by someone who feels like an extension of every 305 childhood: Amy Cao of Vicky Bakery. She embodies everything that makes this brand so beloved: warmth, family, community, an...
Featuring GMCVB's President & CEO David Whitaker: Miami’s Culinary Glow-Up
On this episode of The Whet Palette Podcast, host Brenda Popritkin sits down with David Whitaker, President and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, to discuss Miami’s ever-evolving culinary i...
Mitch’s Bagels: A Father-and-Son Story of Family, Food, and Entrepreneurship
How does a CPA from New York end up co-running one of South Florida’s fastest-growing bagel brands? Meet Adam Shidlofsky, co-owner of Mitch’s Bagels, the family-built business redefining what a “New York-style” bagel means in Flor...
Mimi Puche of Happy Wine in the Grove
From Colombia to the GroveIn this episode of The Whet Palette Podcast, host Brenda Popritkin sits down with Mimi Puche, owner of Happy Wine Miami in the Grove — a must-visit Miami destination for wine lovers, ...
Effe Café's Patty Lopez
Patty Lopez’s journey begins in Hialeah. Her love for food and curiosity led her to New York, where she launched her culinary career. Eventually, she made her way to Italy, where fate intervened at a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, intr...
The Secret Star Life: A Former MICHELIN Guide Inspector Reflects
For 20 years, she lived a life shrouded in mystery: dining anonymously at some of the world’s most celebrated restaurants, and deciding which ones would earn (or lose) the coveted MICHELIN stars. In this rare and candid ...
EVP Yves de Launay on Château Angélus, Terroir, and Timeless Elegance: The Fine Wine Icon of Saint-Émilion
In this exceptional episode, I welcome Yves de Launay, Executive Vice President of the Americas for Château Angélus, one of the most prestigious wine estates in Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux. With a resume that includes Cheval...
Daniel Serfer’s Very Miami Chef Story: Big Flavors, Bigger Heart
Miami OG alert! Chef Daniel Serfer of Blue Collar and Mignonette joins me for a convo that’s been way overdue. Trust me, it was worth the wait.He didn’t exactly dream of becoming a chef, much less running a be...
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A No-Filter Recap of the 2025 Michelin Guide Florida Ceremony: From Bibs to Bubbles:
The 2025 MICHELIN Guide Florida Ceremony went full throttle. In this juicy, no-holds-barred breakdown, I share what really happened behind the scenes at the glamorous Four Seasons Resort in Orlando.Hear about...
Inside RECOVECO Miami with Chefs Maria Teresa Gallina and Nico Martinez
Recoveco Miami isn’t just a new restaurant—it’s a story of focus, flavor, and corazón. Chefs Maria Teresa Gallina and Nico Martinez join us to dish on their exciting new opening, the serendipitous journey that led them ther...
MICHELIN Guide Florida 2025: Perspective & Predictions
Delving into the world of the MICHELIN Guide ahead of the April 17th ceremony in Orlando, Florida, this episode offers expert predictions based on my perspective after accumulating 317 Michelin stars from dining at restaurants worldwide.
EntreNos' Osmel Gonzalez and Evan Burgess
This Miami pop-up, EntreNos, quickly captured the hearts of Miami food enthusiasts with its unwavering commitment to sourcing all things Florida. Chefs Osmel Gonzalez, and Evan Burgess stopped in to share their journey. How did ...
Ryan Ratino of MAASS, Bresca, Jônt and Ômo by Jônt
Chef Ryan Ratino attended Orlando’s Le Cordon Bleu in 2009. He launched his culinary career as a Junior Sous Chef at Shula’s Steak House (Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resort) and spent three years working under Todd Englis...
Miami Restaurant Reviews 112-123 PART 2
Picking up where we left off, the hubs and I review our personal experiences from the last 16 (new to us) Miami restaurants we visited. This is OUR opinion on OUR experience dining at each. We chose and paid for every restaurant featu...
Miami Restaurant Reviews 104-111 PART 1
It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. The hubs and I review our personal experiences from the last 16 (new to us) Miami restaurants we visited. This is OUR opinion on OUR experience dining at each. We chose and paid for every re...
