In this festive episode of the Overseasoned podcast, we broadcast from Manila (where Christmas starts in September) and break down our ultimate holiday gift guide for chefs, food lovers, and every pain-in-the-ass restaurant person in your life. From handcrafted Feder Knives, to Spanish olive oils and high-end coffee grinders, we run through the kitchen gear, pantry staples, and big-ticket splurges that are actually worth gifting.

This episode is perfect for anyone searching for foodie gift ideas or if you simply want to hear us detour into pasta primavera history, cold brew philosophy, espresso math, olive-oil snobbery, and mezcal trauma.

This week on the OverSeasoned Podcast, we turn a derailed Vietnam trip into a full-blown deep dive into one of America’s greatest culinary treasures: beef jerky. We exchange our visa drama saltiness for the saltiness that REALLY matters. Join us as we revel in the treasures of the upstate NY gem, Barb’s Butchery, where Xavier recounts his near-spiritual experience. Add in homemade childhood jerky experiments, a beef-tallow lip balm love affair, and a lively debate on alternative jerkies… and you’ve got the most unexpectedly emotional jerky episode we’ve ever recorded (so far…).

This week, the OverSeasoned Podcast crew goes all-in on the one thing the food world won’t shut up about: Michelin stars. From Manila’s first-ever Michelin Guide debut to Philadelphia finally getting recognized (after Tampa… seriously?), we break down how the star system actually works (and why the hype so often misses the mark).

Why can’t a “special journey” can’t just mean driving two hours for the world’s best empanada instead of a four-hour tasting menu that tells you when to speak? We debate Bib Gourmand vs. fine dining, laugh about $19 endive salads and $15 Stella in Vegas, drop Bourdain lore, and unpack why hospitality at the highest levels can feel more like you’re in their house… not a restaurant you’re paying a fortune to visit.

If you love restaurants, cooking, travel, culinary storytelling, or you just want to hear us roast the Michelin Guide with love, humor, and a bit of salt… this is your episode.