On The Pass

Chef Travis Swikard has become one of the most influential voices shaping the future of West Coast dining. After years cooking at the highest levels in New York, Travis returned home to San Diego to create Callie, a restaurant that has redefined Southern California cuisine and captured national attention. Now, he's preparing to open Fleurette, his most intimate and personal restaurant yet — a project rooted in craft, memory, and a deep sense of place. In this conversation, Travis opens up about the moments that shaped him: the early lessons that forged his discipline, the risk of walking away from a dream job, the grief and setbacks that humbled him, and the clarity that came from rebuilding with purpose. We explore how he leads, how he cultivates culture inside the kitchen, how he thinks about flavor and storytelling, and why he believes San Diego is entering its most exciting culinary chapter yet. In this episode, we discuss: • The rise of Callie and Travis' return to San Diego • Why Fleurette represents a new creative frontier • Leadership, culture-building, and empowering young cooks • Turning loss into fuel and rebuilding with intention • What defines San Diego's food identity — and where it's going • The responsibility chefs carry in shaping community Whether you're a chef, entrepreneur, hospitality leader, or someone who simply loves food and meaningful storytelling, this episode offers a rare look into the heart and mind of a chef leading with vision. 📍 Listen to more episodes of On The Pass on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube. 📺 Watch this full conversation on YouTube — including bonus moments and behind-the-scenes context. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations with the chefs, thinkers, entrepreneurs, and culture-builders shaping hospitality today. An On The Pass Studios Production Learn more about Travis Swikard + Callie San Diego: https://bit.ly/48JdQ1Y Follow Travis Swikard on Instagram: https://bit.ly/44QDyR7 Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Subscribe to On The Pass on YouTube and Watch "A New Course": https://bit.ly/4hajZq8 Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Learn more about On The Pass: https://bit.ly/44rEOsR Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.onthepass.com

What does it take to build a bakery that becomes the soul of a neighborhood? In this episode of On The Pass, host Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Or Amsalam, chef and co-founder of Lodge Bread Co., one of Los Angeles' most influential and beloved artisan bakeries. For nearly a decade, Lodge Bread Co. has been more than a place for great bread — it has become a cultural pillar, a symbol of craft, care, and community. Or shares how his Israeli–Moroccan heritage shaped his palate, how failure became a teacher, and how the bakery's recent Culver City expansion is a way of giving back to the neighborhood that believed in them from day one. Together, they dive into: • The discipline and philosophy behind naturally leavened sourdough • How heritage, memory, and flavor inform Or's cooking • The power of community-driven hospitality • What creativity looks like after 10 years of growth • Why every neighborhood needs a bakery and a baker • The dish Or wishes he had created • What the next decade of Lodge Bread Co. might hold This is a thoughtful, warm, fun conversation with a chef who understands that bread isn't just food — it's connection. Watch the full video episode on YouTube and subscribe to On The Pass for more conversations with chefs, winemakers, and creative leaders shaping food and culture. Learn more about Lodge Bread Co.: https://www.lodgebread.com Follow Lodge Bread Co. on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lodgebreadco/ Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Subscribe to On The Pass on YouTube and Watch "A New Course": https://bit.ly/4hajZq8 Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Learn more about On The Pass: https://bit.ly/44rEOsR Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.onthepass.com

In this special in-depth conversation, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with Chef Eduard Xatruch, one of the three creative forces behind Disfrutar — the #1 restaurant in the world (World's 50 Best 2024) and a three-Michelin-stardestination redefining modern gastronomy. From the legacy of El Bulli to the philosophy of "creative cooking," Eduard reflects on his lifelong pursuit of innovation, collaboration, and meaning. He opens up about the power of partnership with fellow chefs Oriol Castro and Mateu Casañas, the discipline required to harness creativity ("creativity is a beast, and you must control it"), and the relentless curiosity that drives Disfrutar to keep reimagining what's possible in fine dining. Recorded live in Miami during the Estrella Damm Gastronomy Congress, this conversation offers a rare glimpse into the mind of one of the world's most visionary chefs — an exploration of passion, precision, and purpose that defines the next era of culinary creativity. 🍽️ Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Learn more about Disfrutar: https://bit.ly/4hTmVtu Follow Disfrutar on Instagram: https://bit.ly/49HLSG3 Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Subscribe to On The Pass on YouTube and Watch "A New Course": https://bit.ly/4hajZq8 Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Learn more about On The Pass: https://bit.ly/44rEOsR Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.onthepass.com

A New Course is a special three-part video series presented by On The Pass, in partnership with S.Pellegrino and the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy — a celebration of mentorship, creativity, and the future of gastronomy. Featuring culinary icons like Nancy Silverton, Aisha Ibrahim, and Brad Kilgore, alongside emerging voices such as Charlie Mitchell and Garrett Brower, each episode explores the deeper meaning of competition, leadership, and community in shaping the next generation of chefs. It offers a rare glimpse into the minds and hearts of chefs across generations who are redefining excellence in the kitchen — and reminds us that every great culinary journey begins with a love for being in service to others. 🎥 Watch the full series now on YouTube — link below. Watch "A New Course" & Subscribe to On The Pass on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4hajZq8 Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Watch On The Pass Original: RARE, A Chef's Story: https://bit.ly/3NKDU2N Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.onthepass.com

In this episode of On The Pass, Gabriel Ornelas sits down with world-renowned chef, restaurateur, and creative force Curtis Stone — a figure who has spent nearly two decades evolving from fine dining in Beverly Hills, to live fire at Gwen, to his latest chapter with Woodend at Maroma, A Belmond Hotel in Mexico. Curtis has worn many hats: Michelin-starred chef, butcher, farmer, TV personality, cookbook author, Emmy-nominated producer, and entrepreneur. But beneath the accolades lies a deeper story — one about vision, leadership, reinvention, and the pursuit of meaning in both work and life. In this conversation, Curtis opens up about: How he gets others to believe in and buy into his vision across restaurants, media, products, and farms Why vulnerability is just as essential to leadership as grit and discipline His perspective on the future of culinary storytelling — from network TV to TikTok to long-form depth What Mexico has taught him about humility, culture, and honoring place through food How he decides where to focus his energy, what he's ready to leave behind, and what success means now as a leader, father, and builder of community This is Curtis Stone like you've never heard him before, not just as a celebrity chef, but as a creative visionary building an ecosystem that stretches far beyond the kitchen. Learn more about Woodend by Curtis Stone: https://bit.ly/4naygHt Follow Curtis Stone on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48iTUV8 Follow On The Pass on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Kvgm1n Subscribe to On The Pass on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4hajZq8 Watch On The Pass Original: RARE, A Chef's Story: https://bit.ly/3NKDU2N Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas: http://bit.ly/3YS964b Learn more about On The Pass: https://bit.ly/44rEOsR Lets work together! Get in contact: https://www.onthepass.com