EP. 35: Chef Phil Kastel, how do you make kosher food with gusto at Spielberg-owned The Milky Way?
PK&J Hospitality Group's Phil Kastel is a chef and restaurant consultant. For over twelve years, Phil served as Executive Vice President of Culinary for L.A.-based Grill Concepts, Inc., where he was responsible for culinary operations of twenty-nine restaurants nationwide, including the Public School brand. Prior to Grill Concepts, Phil served as Executive Chef of Hillstone Restaurant Group, where he was responsible for kitchen operations, menu development and training. Phil is currently the Creative Chef at The Milky Way, the beloved Pico-Robertson kosher restaurant that’s owned by the Spielbergs. In his current role, he’s jumping at the challenge of thoughtfully redesigning the space and creating a New American kosher menu while paying homage to the legacy and unique tastes of Ms. Leah Adler.
In this episode of How Do You Do? Podcast, Ben asks Phil to share his approach to developing menus and what it's been like to create one for a kosher restaurant with a storied legacy (5:32), the role of food influencers, social media, and word-of-mouth in helping the restaurant succeed and engage a younger demographic (21:53), how he's led The Milky Way in adapting to the challenges of the pandemic (27:59), and more.
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Phil Kastel: @milkywayla
How Do You Do? Podcast: @hdydpod
Ben Hannani: @benhannani
Website: www.hdydpod.com
Our guests' jams can be found on the "HDYD Jams" playlist on Spotify!