Rob Lam-Burns has bartended all over the world: Thailand, Hong Kong, Maison Premiere and now LenLen, a new Thai spot in the Flatiron district. He joins Greg and Sother to talk about his philosophy behind putting new and unexpected flavors in front of people, the divisive magic of Durian, “the king of fruits” and of course, professional skateboarding.

PLUS, chili and cinnamon rolls? A culinary sensation from the great state of Nebraska gets its time in the limelight, and Greg and Sother discuss how refreshing it is that there are still some things in life yet to be explored.

Follow Rob at @rob.hlss

Follow LenLen at @lenlen.nyc

LINKS

• Become a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegulars
• Read JJ’s article on Chili & Cinnamon Rolls: flatwaterfreepress.org/chili-and-cinnamon-rolls-warm-welcoming-and-a-little-unexpected-just-like-nebraska/
• For resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycalliance
• The Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.Podcast

Check out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

New Year, New Us! We were awfully mean to the good people of Lansing, MI and in 2026 we’re going to do better, starting today. To help us make good on this resolution, Gregg Smyth and Brian Phillips of Phillips Cider Bar in Lansing sat down to tell us why the capital of the Wolverine state is actually a pretty cool place. Plus, they delve into the history of their sixth generation orchard, talk about the transition to making hard ciders, and help us pick the new town we’ll be dumping on for the next 365 days.

PLUS The Speakeasy turns 15! Greg, Sother and Damon reminisce about episode 1 and reflect on how the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Follow Phillips Cider at @phillipsorchards

LINKS

• Become a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegulars
• For resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycalliance
• The Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.Podcast
• Check out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In their annual year end wrap-up show Greg, Sother and Damon sit down to talk about what the heck just happened. They unpack some of the leading trends of 2025, including Hi-Fi Lounges, High-Dives, Premiumization and the migration to the extremes of either luxury or ultra-discount experiences. Are we too used to curated experiences to accept risk in our bars and restaurants? Can a true high-end dive really exist? And why does Sother have such a fascination with the US Postal Service anyway? All that and more is answered in the final Speakeasy of 2025.

LINKS

• Become a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegulars
• For resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycalliance
• The Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.Podcast
• Check out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.