Chef Seth Siegel-Gardner didn’t follow a traditional path into the restaurant world—he built his career from the ground up. From underground pop-ups and cooking in parking lots to leading a multi-restaurant hospitality group, Seth’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, creativity, and collaboration.

In this episode of Live Fire, host LC sits down with Seth to explore the philosophy behind “story-driven food,” the realities of building restaurants from nothing, and why the best kitchens are built on people—not ego. Seth shares insights from his time in fine dining across New York, Chicago, London, and Houston, and breaks down how mentorship, discipline, and curiosity shape both great chefs and lasting businesses.

This conversation dives into:

• How Seth built restaurants through pop-ups and unconventional spaces
• The role of storytelling in food and hospitality
• Why collaboration matters more than authorship in modern kitchens
• The hidden chaos behind every great dining experience
• Leadership, mentorship, and building strong restaurant teams
• Why “the path of least resistance doesn’t make us great”

Live Fire is a podcast about building community through curiosity—featuring conversations with chefs, pitmasters, and creators who make things that last.

Season one leads to Lockhart Rising — May 9th, 2026 in Lockhart, Texas, where many of these voices come together to celebrate live fire cooking and culture.

Ernest Servantes didn’t stumble into barbecue—he built his life around it.

Long before Burnt Bean Co. was named #1 on the Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ list, Ernest was preparing for the moment most people only dream about. From competition circuits to backyard pop-ups during COVID, his path wasn’t fast—it was intentional.

In this episode of Live Fire, Ernest sits down with LC to talk about discipline, sacrifice, and what it really takes to build something that lasts. He breaks down why he waited until later in life to go all in, how he built a culture-driven team with zero experience, and why hospitality—not food—is the true foundation of his success.

This conversation goes beyond barbecue.

It’s about leadership.

It’s about identity.

It’s about choosing who you want to be remembered as.

And what happens after you reach the top.

Because for Ernest, becoming number one wasn’t the finish line—

It was the beginning.

Live Fire is building toward Lockhart Rising — a gathering of people who don’t just make great food, but create things that last.

🎟️ Get tickets to Lockhart Rising: https://lockhartrising.com/

What does it mean to dedicate your life to the craft of cooking?

In this episode of Live Fire, host LC sits down with chef, pitmaster, and teacher Shane McBride—a lifelong student of the kitchen shaped by discipline, mentorship, and curiosity. From his early days in restaurant culture to the philosophy that guides his work today, Shane reflects on the moments that define a career in live-fire cooking—including the idea of “joining the right pirate ship” and committing to something bigger than yourself.

This conversation explores the realities of coming up in professional kitchens, the importance of passing knowledge forward, and the connection between storytelling and food. It’s a look at what separates good cooks from great ones—and why curiosity remains the most important tool in the kitchen.

This episode is part of Live Fire Season One, a series built around one idea: community through curiosity. The season leads toward Lockhart Rising on April 9th, 2026, where pitmasters and chefs gather in Lockhart, Texas to cook, connect, and push the craft forward.