JOEY Restaurant Group, Group Sommelier & Bar Development , Jason Yamasaki

“O Canada” An Interview with Jason Yamasaki,group sommelier & bar developmentJOEY Restaurant Group By Lisa Gmur, CSW UNCORKED JOEY Restaurant Group is a special company, something I learned at their conference in Whistler, British Columbia, last spring. The CEO and a lot of their staff are all born and bred in Canada, just like the […]

Marcus Marshall, Vice President of Restaurants & Bars, HVMG

“In Vino Veritas” An Interview with Marcus Marshall,Vice President of Restaurants & Bars By Lisa Gmur, CSW UNCORKED HVMG (Hospitality Ventures Management Group) is a pretty cool company. Whether it’s a rooftop bar, a signature restaurant, or a trendy hotel, HVMG has things covered. Their focus is finding what’s missing from a neighborhood and then […]

Carson Gray, Director of Adult Beverage & Restaurant Development, HMS Host

“On The Runway” An Interview with Carson Gray,Director of Adult Beverage & Restaurant Development By Lisa Gmur, CSW UNCORKED Founded in 1897, HMSHost started its Food & Beverage and retail business on big railway networks. By the 1920’s, the company expanded to include shipping as well. In the early Fifties it was the first company […]

Lazy Dog Restaurant, Director of Bar Strategy & Marketing, Laura LaVigne

Laura LaVigneDirector of Bar Strategy & Marketing Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar Interview By Lisa Gmur, CSW Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar is an American casual dining restaurant chain that operates 42 restaurants across eight states including California, Florida, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Georgia and Virginia. There are also more on the way.  The extensive […]

Dana Pellicano, President of Delaware North’s, Patina Restaurant Group

Dana Pellicano President, Delaware North’s Patina Restaurant Group Interview By Lisa Gmur, CSW In case you are not aware of Delaware North’s Patina Restaurant Group, well, let me introduce you. It’s one of the world’s leading restaurant and catering companies with high profile venues from Morimoto in Lake Buena Vista in Florida to Uva Bar […]

ClubCorp, Senior VP of F&B, Sean DiCicco

Sean DiCiccoSenior VP of Food & Beverage “Traveling Man”Senior VP of Food & Beverage, Sean DiCiccoInterview By Lisa Gmur, CSW When Robert H. Dedman founded ClubCorp in 1957, he had a vision; to create private clubs where everyone is welcome, regardless of age, race, religion, or background. And he did just that. Dedman died in […]

Nobu’s, Beverage Director, Marcus Voglrieder

Marcus Voglrieder, Nobu’s Beverage Director “Easy Rider”Nobu’s Beverage Director, Marcus VoglriederInterview By Lisa Gmur, CSW Just hearing, saying or even writing the word “Nobu” and my mouth starts watering. The fusion cuisine, blending traditional Japanese cuisine with Peruvian ingredients, developed by Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa is in a playing field all its own. With restaurants in […]

Cami Lehmann, Maggiano’s Director of Marketing

If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching the 1996 film “Big Night,” you definitely need to, and if you have, yes, it is the inspiration for this new segment in The Mark Wine News. Set on the New Jersey Shore in the 1950’s, the highly acclaimed film was nominated for the “Grand Jury Prize” […]

Dave Mattern, Managing Partner & Beverage Director, Truluck’s

Truluck’s, Managing Partner & Beverage Director, Dave Mattern In this second installment of “Finding Vino,” we talk with Dave Mattern, Truluck’s Managing Partner & Beverage Director, about their Stone Crab of course, and what wines to drink with it, but also about how they are responding to Covid-19. Truluck’s was founded in Texas in 1992 […]