Walk-In Talk Podcast

Content Advisory: This episode contains a candid conversation about childhood abuse, domestic violence, trauma, and a past suicide attempt. Some listeners may find portions of this discussion difficult. Listener discretion is advised.
For the first time publicly, Chef Anthony Santos tells the story behind the man and chef he has become.
Anthony grew up in a home marked by years of physical and emotional abuse. As a child, he stepped between his stepfather and his mother and younger siblings, often becoming the target himself. The violence eventually escalated to an attack with a machete. At 15, Anthony left home, at one point sleeping outside in the rain with nowhere safe to go.
Food became an unexpected way forward.
After seeing the joy his uncle's cooking brought to his mother, Anthony began to understand food as something more than a meal—it could bring comfort, connection and, even briefly, a sense of safety. That realization eventually led a teenage Anthony, soaked from walking through the rain, through the doors of a Chinese restaurant looking for work.
In this deeply personal conversation, Anthony talks about surviving abuse, leaving home, mental health, therapy, faith, the lasting effects of trauma and the relentless drive that helped shape his career. He also shares what he would tell a young person living through abuse today and why he believes what happened to him can be part of his story without becoming his identity.
From the WITM kitchen: Anthony prepared a charred Spanish octopus inspired by his Portuguese roots, followed by a Wagyu ribeye with Japanese purple sweet potato, charred broccolini and a red wine truffle sauce finished with 24-karat gold. The sweet potato incorporated butter, black garlic, fresh garlic and Maldon smoked sea salt, creating layers of sweet, savory, smoky and umami flavor.
Today, Anthony Santos is a private chef, entrepreneur, mentor and culinary competitor. But this isn't simply a story about becoming a chef.
It's a story about survival, purpose, faith and what one person chose to build from what he endured.
Takeaways
Survival is part of Anthony's story—not his identity. He speaks openly about nine years of abuse and the long process of separating who he is today from what happened to him as a child.
At 15, he chose to get out. Anthony worked multiple jobs, stayed with friends and began building a life outside the home he had grown up in.
Food represented something violence couldn't. Watching his uncle cook and seeing his mother smile gave Anthony an early realization that food could create joy, comfort and connection. As he says, cooking looked like a "superpower."
The trauma didn't disappear when the abuse ended. Anthony discusses therapy, triggers, relationships, anger, fight-or-flight and the years it took to understand how childhood trauma continued affecting his adult life.
His drive and his trauma are connected. When asked how much of the ambition people see in him comes from what he survived, Anthony's answer is striking: "all of it."
Faith wasn't a straight line. Anthony speaks candidly about being angry with God as a child, losing his faith and eventually returning to it with a very different understanding of what he survived.
His definition of success has changed. After cooking for celebrities, millionaires and billionaires and building a successful career, Anthony says his real pursuit isn't money or possessions—it's a peaceful, purposeful and happy life.
He's turning experience into mentorship. Anthony now mentors other chefs, including helping private chefs build sustainable careers, giving him another avenue to pour into people in ways he didn't experience growing up.
He speaks directly to young people experiencing abuse. One of the episode's most important moments is Anthony explaining what he wishes he had known as a teenager: tell someone capable of actually helping, seek professional support, prepare for independence and understand that abuse does not determine what your life can become.
The chef eventually emerges from the survivor. His charred Spanish octopus and Wagyu ribeye with Japanese purple sweet potato show the artistic, highly visual approach to food that Anthony has developed throughout his career.
The Companies Helping Shape Hospitality
Metro Foodservice Solutions - Commercial-grade storage, transport, and workflow systems that help professional kitchens operate efficiently.
RAK Porcelain USA - Professional tableware built for performance, durability, and presentation at the highest level.
UNOX - Intelligent commercial cooking technology designed to improve consistency, efficiency, and kitchen performance.
TriMark USA - North America's largest foodservice design, equipment, and supplies provider, helping operators build smarter, more efficient kitchens.
Testo North America - Precision measurement and food safety solutions designed for professional hospitality operations.
Crab Island Seafood - Florida-based manufacturer of premium seafood dips and spreads inspired by coastal flavors.
Citrus America - Commercial juicing solutions delivering consistency, speed, and quality to foodservice operators.
Cahaba Club – Growing exceptional herbs, edible flowers, and specialty produce that bring fresh flavor and vibrant presentation to our studio kitchen.
Shogun Farms - produces premium Florida wild boar through ethical sourcing, humane raising, and a natural feeding program that delivers exceptional flavor from farm to table.
Walk-In Talk Media proudly supports organizations making a measurable impact on hospitality professionals and communities across North America and beyond.
Operation BBQ Relief - Disaster response through hot meals served by culinary volunteers across the country.
Sustainable Supperclub - Community driven dining experiences focused on sustainability, food access, and social impact.
The Burnt Chef Project North America – Supporting mental health awareness and wellbeing throughout the hospitality industry.
 
Industry Events & Media Partnerships
Florida Restaurant Show - Official Media Partner delivering on-site coverage of operators, suppliers, chefs, and hospitality innovation throughout the Southeast.
 New York Restaurant Show - Official Media Partner highlighting the people, products, and stories shaping hospitality across the Northeast.
 California Restaurant Show - Official Media Partner covering West Coast hospitality innovation, culinary trends, and foodservice leadership.
 Pizza Tomorrow Summit - Official Media Partner covering the latest innovations, leadership, and growth in the pizza industry.
 U.S. Culinary Open -Official Media Partner documenting one of America's premier live culinary competitions and the chefs competing at the highest level.
 Creative Loafing Tampa Bay - Regional media partner sharing stories from the people, restaurants, and events shaping Tampa Bay's hospitality community.
About Walk-In Talk Media
Walk-In Talk Media is an industry-recognized B2B food and hospitality media company focused on chef-driven storytelling and real conversations inside the business of food.
 Through cinematic video, photography, podcasting, documentaries, and live event coverage, Walk-In Talk Media highlights the chefs, operators, brands, and organizations shaping the future of hospitality. 
From Michelin-starred chefs and independent restaurants to manufacturers, distributors, and industry associations, Walk-In Talk Media exists to tell the stories moving hospitality forward.

Chef Felicia Lacalle's story is about much more than food.
The Tampa chef and partner at Quiote Tequilaria sits down with Walk-In Talk Podcast for an unfiltered conversation about addiction, divorce, single motherhood, failed partnerships, financial hardship, faith, and the long road back to herself.
Felicia began cooking at a young age, inspired by her mother, her Mexican and Cuban heritage, and even childhood afternoons watching Julia Child. She went on to graduate from Johnson & Wales, spend more than a decade at Roy's, and eventually earn national recognition at Hemingway's—including a first-place win at the 2018 International Cuban Sandwich Festival.
But behind the accolades were years of setbacks and painful choices.
Felicia opens up about substance abuse, losing businesses, destructive relationships, rebuilding as a single mother, returning to faith, and learning how to recognize the patterns that nearly derailed her life.
Today, she is entering a new chapter as a partner at Quiote Tequilaria, where her Mexican roots, Cuban influence, and decades of kitchen experience come together in food that is deeply personal.
The episode also features two dishes prepared in the Walk-In Talk Media studio: duck enmoladas with Oaxacan cheese and a wild boar pork belly dish with boniato mash, charred baby leeks, and pickled mustard seeds.
This is a conversation about resilience, accountability, faith, mental health, restaurant life, and what it takes to rebuild when the life you imagined falls apart.
Featured Dishes
During her Walk-In Talk Media studio session, Chef Felicia prepared two deeply personal dishes that reflect both sides of her culinary heritage. The first was Duck Enmoladas—house-made corn tortillas filled with duck confit, topped with pistachio mole, Oaxacan cheese from Salerno Dairy, crema, and chile de árbol pickled onions. Her second dish showcased Shogun Farms wild boar pork belly, slowly braised with sour orange, garlic and spices, served over brown butter boniato purée with charred baby leeks and pickled mustard seeds—a modern interpretation inspired by her Cuban roots.
Special thanks to our newest studio partner, Shogun Farms, for supplying the premium wild boar pork belly featured in this episode. Their commitment to responsible farming and exceptional specialty proteins helped bring this remarkable dish to life.
Key Takeaways
Success isn't about avoiding failure—it's about refusing to let failure define who you become.
Faith became the foundation that helped Felicia rebuild her life after addiction, divorce, financial hardship, and personal loss.
The restaurant industry can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also magnify mental health struggles, addiction, burnout, and unhealthy lifestyles.
Self-reflection, accountability, and therapy were essential in breaking destructive personal and generational patterns.
Every setback—from failed partnerships to losing businesses—became preparation for the opportunity she has today.
Roy's shaped Felicia's discipline, leadership, and respect for kitchen culture, providing the foundation for her career.
Great food is deeply personal. Life experiences, heritage, and emotional growth ultimately influence what ends up on the plate.
Leadership begins with culture. Felicia believes respect, accountability, and creating a healthy kitchen environment are just as important as culinary skill.
Building something meaningful often requires walking away from situations—even successful ones—that no longer align with your purpose.
Quiote Tequilaria represents more than a restaurant; it represents a lifetime of perseverance, healing, and finally feeling at home in her craft.
Breaking generational cycles requires intentional choices, discipline, and the courage to confront your own mistakes.
Hospitality professionals don't have to face their struggles alone. Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
The Companies Helping Shape Hospitality
Metro Foodservice Solutions - Commercial-grade storage, transport, and workflow systems that help professional kitchens operate efficiently.
RAK Porcelain USA - Professional tableware built for performance, durability, and presentation at the highest level.
UNOX - Intelligent commercial cooking technology designed to improve consistency, efficiency, and kitchen performance.
TriMark USA - North America's largest foodservice design, equipment, and supplies provider, helping operators build smarter, more efficient kitchens.
Testo North America - Precision measurement and food safety solutions designed for professional hospitality operations.
Crab Island Seafood - Florida-based manufacturer of premium seafood dips and spreads inspired by coastal flavors.
Citrus America - Commercial juicing solutions delivering consistency, speed, and quality to foodservice operators.
Cahaba Club – Growing exceptional herbs, edible flowers, and specialty produce that bring fresh flavor and vibrant presentation to our studio kitchen.
Shogun Farms - produces premium Florida wild boar through ethical sourcing, humane raising, and a natural feeding program that delivers exceptional flavor from farm to table.
Walk-In Talk Media proudly supports organizations making a measurable impact on hospitality professionals and communities across North America and beyond.
Operation BBQ Relief - Disaster response through hot meals served by culinary volunteers across the country.
Sustainable Supperclub - Community driven dining experiences focused on sustainability, food access, and social impact.
The Burnt Chef Project North America – Supporting mental health awareness and wellbeing throughout the hospitality industry.
 
Industry Events & Media Partnerships
Florida Restaurant Show - Official Media Partner delivering on-site coverage of operators, suppliers, chefs, and hospitality innovation throughout the Southeast.
 New York Restaurant Show - Official Media Partner highlighting the people, products, and stories shaping hospitality across the Northeast.
 California Restaurant Show - Official Media Partner covering West Coast hospitality innovation, culinary trends, and foodservice leadership.
 Pizza Tomorrow Summit - Official Media Partner covering the latest innovations, leadership, and growth in the pizza industry.
 U.S. Culinary Open -Official Media Partner documenting one of America's premier live culinary competitions and the chefs competing at the highest level.
 Creative Loafing Tampa Bay - Regional media partner sharing stories from the people, restaurants, and events shaping Tampa Bay's hospitality community.
About Walk-In Talk Media
Walk-In Talk Media is an industry-recognized B2B food and hospitality media company focused on chef-driven storytelling and real conversations inside the business of food.
 Through cinematic video, photography, podcasting, documentaries, and live event coverage, Walk-In Talk Media highlights the chefs, operators, brands, and organizations shaping the future of hospitality. 
From Michelin-starred chefs and independent restaurants to manufacturers, distributors, and industry associations, Walk-In Talk Media exists to tell the stories moving hospitality forward.

One of the largest Cyclospora outbreaks in U.S. history has placed fresh produce safety under the national spotlight.
In this episode of Inside Food Safety, presented by Testo North America, Carl Fiadini and co-host Eric Moore are joined by nationally recognized produce safety expert Kiley Harper-Larsen, M.S., Owner of The Ag Safety Lady and a food safety executive with more than two decades of experience spanning farms, processing facilities, audits, crisis management and regulatory compliance.  She has spent her career working everywhere from farms and packing houses to boardrooms, recalls and FDA inspections.
Together, they examine the ongoing Cyclospora outbreak linked to Taylor Farms and discuss what is currently known, what remains unknown, and why outbreaks like this are among the most difficult events for the produce industry to investigate.
Topics include:
• What Cyclospora is and how it spreads
• Why produce outbreaks are uniquely challenging to trace
• Farm-to-table food safety systems
• Supply chain accountability
• Worker hygiene and agricultural water
• Consumer risk and practical guidance
• The role of technology and testing
• What the industry must do to prevent future outbreaks
Rather than assigning blame, this conversation explores the science, the systems and the lessons that can help strengthen food safety across the entire supply chain.
Guest:
Kiley Harper-Larsen, M.S.
Owner & Lead Consultant, The Ag Safety Lady
Former Corporate Safety Director, A. Duda & Sons
Former Vice President of Product & Personnel Safety, J&J Family of Farms
Presented by Testo North America

Recorded live in New Orleans during an unprecedented week that brought together the Louisiana Restaurant Association Expo, Bocuse d'Or USA, and the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), this special edition of Inside Food Safety explores the unseen systems that protect some of the world's greatest restaurants.
Host Carl Fiadini is joined by Chef Sean "Pooch" Rivera and Eric Moore of Testo North America for a conversation on why food safety has become one of the most critical ingredients in modern hospitality.
From New Orleans' centuries-old restaurant buildings and aging infrastructure to large-scale convention center operations serving thousands of guests, the discussion examines the real-world challenges chefs and operators face every day. The team also explores how technology is helping restaurants monitor refrigeration, cooking oil quality, food temperatures, and inventory—protecting both guests and businesses from costly failures.
Along the way, Carl reflects on the incredible opportunity to film the world's top chefs during Bocuse d'Or, including icons like Emeril Lagasse, Daniel Boulud, and many of today's most celebrated culinary professionals, while highlighting the often-overlooked role food safety plays in supporting culinary excellence.
Whether you own a restaurant, work in hospitality, or simply want a behind-the-scenes look at what keeps world-class kitchens operating safely, this episode offers valuable insights from the heart of one of America's greatest food cities.
Topics include:
Food safety in historic restaurant cities

Why New Orleans presents unique operational challenges

Temperature monitoring and refrigeration protection

How automation helps reduce human error

Protecting inventory during storms and power outages

Cooking oil management and food quality

The connection between culinary excellence and food safety

Behind the scenes at Bocuse d'Or, LRA Expo, and IAFP 2026

Inside Food Safety is hosted by Carl Fiadini and presented in partnership with Testo North America, exploring the people, technology, and best practices shaping safer kitchens across the foodservice industry.

Chef Christian Gill's story is about far more than restaurants, television, or beating Bobby Flay. It is a story of identity, loss, resilience, and learning how to rebuild when life changes without warning.
Raised by a single mother in Lexington, Kentucky, Christian found his creative voice through theater before earning the title of chef through years of hard work in professional kitchens. He created ambitious culinary experiences at the Cincinnati Art Museum, helped build Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey alongside his best friend and business partner, PJ, and later faced the unimaginable task of leading the restaurant after PJ's sudden passing—just before COVID brought the hospitality industry to a standstill.
Christian opens up about grief, therapy, restaurant ownership, and the pressure to keep pushing through when stopping may be the healthier choice. He also shares how six weeks of mentorship under Guy Fieri changed his approach to television, what it took to defeat Bobby Flay with his signature shrimp bánh mì, and why that victory changed the trajectory of his entertainment career.
Today, Christian continues to create as a culinary leader with Spiceology while growing The Culinary Gang through consulting, content, collaborations, pop-ups, and one-of-a-kind dining experiences.
This is a conversation about becoming yourself, earning your place, and discovering how many times a person can reinvent themselves before finding the next chapter.
 
BRAND PARTNERS
Metro Foodservice Solutions & Trimark USA
https://www.metro.com 
Commercial-grade storage, transport, and workflow systems trusted across professional kitchens.
TriMark USA
TriMark is the largest foodservice design, equipment, and supplies provider in North America, helping operators build, equip, and optimize hospitality kitchens through design-build expertise, sourcing, installation, and service.
RAK Porcelain USA
https://www.rakporcelain.com

Professional tableware engineered for durability and presentation.

Citrus America
https://www.citrusamerica.com

Premium citrus solutions supporting chefs, retailers, and distributors.

Crab Island Seafood
https://crabislandseafood.com

Florida-based supplier delivering responsibly sourced seafood to foodservice partners.

Testo North America
https://www.testo.com/en-US

Precision measurement and food safety solutions for professional kitchens.

CAUSE PARTNERS

The Burnt Chef Project
https://www.theburntchefproject.com

Advocating for mental health awareness in the hospitality industry.

Operation BBQ Relief
https://operationbbqrelief.org

Providing meals to communities impacted by natural disasters.

Sustainable Supperclub
https://www.sustainablesupperclub.com
Pop-up dining experiences focused on sustainability and food access.

TRADE SHOW & INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Florida Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/florida/

New York Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/new-york/

California Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/california/

Pizza Tomorrow Summit
https://www.pizzatomorrow.com/

U.S. Culinary Open
https://www.usculinaryopen.com/About

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay
https://www.cltampa.com

ABOUT WALK-IN TALK MEDIA
Walk-In Talk Media is an industry-recognized B2B food and hospitality media company focused on chef-driven storytelling and real conversations inside the business of food.