The Buildout

When Takuma Watanabe left Angel’s Share, he wasn’t just moving on — he was chasing a vision: to build the ultimate Japanese-style cocktail bar in New York City. The result is Martiny’s.

Takuma sits down with Adam to talk about what it took to make the leap from acclaimed bartender to owner, the principles and details that define Martiny’s, and how he translated Japanese craft and hospitality into a bar that already feels like a modern classic.

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Martiny's: https://www.instagram.com/martinys_nyc
Takuma Watanabe: https://www.instagram.com/takuma0w

VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair
Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter
Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why would one of the most celebrated restaurants in the world — Eleven Madison Park — open a cocktail bar? Turns out the answer isn’t “because they can.”

In this episode, Adam sits down with EMP Beverage Director Sebastian Tollius to unpack the story behind Clemente Bar: how it came to life, what it means to build a bar through a three–Michelin-star lens, and the standards that carry over from the dining room to the glass. They also get into the relationship Tollius developed with Chef Daniel Humm — and how that partnership ultimately made the bar possible.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcast

Clemente Bar: https://www.instagram.com/theclementebar
Sebastian Tollius: https://www.instagram.com/tollius_

VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair
Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter
Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mexico’s bar scene has exploded over the past decade — but bartender and owner Nacho Jimenez set his sights on something different: building a New York City bar that feels unmistakably Mexican and unmistakably American.On this episode, Adam Teeter sits down with Jimenez to trace his journey to opening Superbueno, the choices that shaped its identity, and what it takes to build a bar that resonates on both sides of the border.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcast

Superbueno: https://www.instagram.com/superbuenonyc
Ignacio "Nacho" Jimenez: https://www.instagram.com/ignacio_nacho_jimenez

VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair
Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter
Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When GN Chan and Faye Chen opened Double Chicken Please, the idea of cocktails that taste like food was still a novelty in New York City. Almost immediately, the bar captured local and national attention—and soon after, international acclaim. Within a year, Double Chicken Please rocketed onto the World’s 50 Best list, and today it draws lines from the moment the doors open until last call.

GN and Faye sit down with Adam to share the story behind the bar’s meteoric rise, tracing their journey from aspiring flair bartenders to taking a leap of faith that brought them from Taiwan to New York City. They talk about risk, creativity, and what it really took to build one of the most influential cocktail bars in the world.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcast

Double Chicken Please: https://www.instagram.com/doublechickenpleasenyc
Faye Chen: https://www.instagram.com/fayechen_dcp
GN Chan: https://www.instagram.com/ggnchan

VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair
Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter
Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Masa Urushido will never take credit for the runaway success of Katana Kitten. Despite the awards and global acclaim, he insists the real story is the community that lifted him up—transforming a shy, awkward newcomer into one of NYC’s most admired bartenders.
Adam talks with Masa about that journey, and how teaming up with Greg Boehm and James Tune sparked the creation of Katana Kitten, a bar whose Japanese American identity has made it a true standout in the cocktail world.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcast
Katana Kitten: https://www.instagram.com/katanakitten_nyc
Masa Urushido: https://www.instagram.com/masanyc
VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair
Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter
Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.