Episodes
June 18, 2025
Second Floor Flavor, Ground-Level Soul: John MacKinnon of Todo Bueno (All Good Grill) is Up+Adam
Today in the LoBro Studios at Timbre, we’re joined by longtime restaurateur and hospitality ninja John MacKinnon, the mind and soul behind two very different but equally beloved spots on the Central Coast: Moonstone Beach Bar & Grill in Cambria and Todo Bueno at the SLO Public Market. We talk about what it means to build something with intention. From the grind of surviving the pandemic as a restaurant owner, to the obsessive joy of layering a perfect taco or burger. John shares why quesadillas...
June 17, 2025
She Solved a Murder Online. Then Went to Work. The Ladies Behind True Crime Tonight (and Don't F**k with Cats) #TrueCrimeTuesday
Today on Up+Adam, Adam chats with Courtney Armstrong and Baudi Moovan, co-hosts of the nightly iHeartRadio podcast True Crime Tonight. Courtney has spent years inside the darkest corners of America’s most haunting cases, from the Piketon massacre to justice with Nancy Grace. Baudi became a household name after helping crack a murder case online, her story told in Netflix’s Don’t F**k With Cats. Together, they navigate the chaos of true crime headlines, digital manhunts, and human heartbreak fiv...
June 16, 2025
We Got the Dirt: Ag Stories You Can’t Make Up - Part 2 with SLO Farm Trail
We’re kicking off a part 2 of our Farm Days series that takes you straight into the heart of the SLO County Farm Trail this weekend!. In this first episode, Adam sits down with some of his favorite ag fam to talk about food, farming, friendship, and how passion and product collide right here on the Central Coast. Joining Adam in Timbre LoBro studio: Lynette Sonne, the powerhouse behind Farmstead Ed and the SLO County Farm Trail, who’s connecting farmers to farmers and farms to YOU. Gina Hambl...
June 13, 2025
Boop! There It Is: A Legend in the Booth, David Foster is Up+Adam
This is one of those Up+Adam episodes you remember. When a guest like David Foster joins the show, you know you're in for something special. Sixteen Grammys. A career that’s defined the sound of entire generations. And now? He’s scoring Broadway. This is more than a cool conversation. It’s a front-row seat to one of music’s greatest living legends. What happens when a hitmaker steps into the world of Broadway? You get BOOP! The Musical, a lush, cinematic journey through the world of the iconic ...
June 12, 2025
Batter Up: The Rise of Breadin' Bros and its Local 16 Year Old CEO!
In this episode, Adam reunites with a very special guest: Aiden Ponti, the 16-year-old founder of Breadin Bros, a Central Coast culinary brand built from scratch... literally. Two years after their first conversation at the Mid-State Fair, Aiden returns to talk about how his fried chicken obsession turned into a fast-growing business, now in local stores. We talk product innovation, personal growth, and the wild story behind launching his very own Breadin Bros Racing team in the 24 Hours of ...
June 11, 2025
One Chair, One Chance, One Comeback: NBC's Winner of The Voice Adam David is Up+Adam
What does it sound like when a man sings from the middle of his comeback? On this episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel sits down with The Voice Season 27 winner Adam David, a soulful rocker whose voice is as textured as his story. From a single-chair turn to an Instant Save that felt more like a divine pause button, Adam’s journey through addiction, recovery, and redemption is nothing short of cinematic. We talk about the moment music stopped being a dream and started being a lifeline. This is mor...
June 10, 2025
Sleuths, Secrets, and the Silence of Talina Zar #TrueCrimeTuesday
In this episode, Adam chats with award-winning journalist and podcast host Melissa Jeltsen, whose latest true-crime series What Happened to Talina Zar dives deep into one of the most unsettling disappearances in recent memory. During the early days of COVID lockdown, 50-year-old Talina Zar posted an eerie message online and then vanished. What followed was a search unlike anything we’ve seen: led not by detectives, but by relentless internet sleuths. Melissa walks us through the bizarre twists,...
June 9, 2025
Man of Steel, Heart of Gold: Cain't Knock the Hustle - Actor Dean Cain is Up+Adam
What happens when Superman trades his cape for a clipboard… and ends up coaching a girls’ soccer team full of chaos and heart? In this episode of Up+Adam, Dean Cain joins the show to talk about his brand-new film Little Angels, in theaters now. But this conversation goes well beyond the movie. They dive into legacy, left turns, writing from the heart, and the real behind-the-scenes grit it takes to create something the whole family can watch...and actually enjoy. Dean shares stories from his Ho...
June 6, 2025
Where There’s Smoke, There’s 'Meathead': The NYT Best Selling Grillmaster General & Food Scientist is Up+Adam
Where There’s Smoke, There’s Meathead: Adam chats with one of the most trusted voices in barbecue…Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer and the mind behind the wildly popular AmazingRibs.com. His latest book, The Meathead Method, isn’t just a cookbook, it’s a myth-busting, flavor-unlocking, science-soaked manual that turns your grill into an instrument of delicious truth. From the Central Coast to the science lab, Meathead talks about busting BBQ myths, cooking with our own Brigit Binns, and how flavor ...
June 5, 2025
Locker Room Talk: Kenny Crossley of Storage Wars is Up+Adam
In this episode of Up+Adam, we sit down with the ever-charismatic Kenny Crossley, a standout personality from A&E's hit series Storage Wars. From his early days in New Orleans law enforcement to managing storage facilities in Los Angeles, Kenny's journey to television stardom is anything but ordinary. He shares insights into the upcoming season of Storage Wars, premiering Saturday, June 7th at 9PM ET/PT on A&E, promising more auctions, action, and unexpected treasures. Kenny opens up about his ...
June 4, 2025
Where Wine Meets Wow: Cuisine & Hospitality at a Higher Vibration w/ Allegretto Vineyard Resort's Chef Kenny Seliger
Chef Kenny Seliger is no stranger to fine dining. After helping In Bloom earn a mention in the Michelin Guide, he’s now stepping into a whole new chapter as Executive Chef of Allegretto Vineyard Resort in Paso Robles. This property is as soulful and intentional as the cuisine he’s now creating. In this episode, Adam sits down with Kenny after a weekend on-site to talk about what it’s like running a kitchen inside a luxury resort, how his mindset has evolved, and why sometimes the perfect omelet ...
June 3, 2025
How to Bring Down Big Pharma as a Secret Agent for the DOJ Without Losing Your Mind (or Your Kid) #TrueCrimeTue
Today on Up+Adam, on a #TrueCrimeTuesday we’re pulling back the curtain on Big Pharma with someone who lived the story from the inside. Lisa Pratta spent over 30 years as a pharmaceutical sales rep, climbing the ranks, crushing quotas, and doing what she thought was helping people. But when she saw her company pushing a powerful drug off-label, jacking up the price from $40 to nearly $30,000 per vial, and putting patients at risk, she couldn’t stay quiet. What followed was a nearly decade-long u...
June 2, 2025
A QUIET CAFETERIA: HOW THE SLO FOOD BANK WORKS TO SILENCE THE SOUNDS OF SUMMER HUNGER
On Today’s Episode Of Up + Adam, We Sit Down With Molly Kern, Ceo Of The Slo Food Bank, For A Real And Inspiring Conversation About What Food Insecurity Looks Like Right Here On The Central Coast. While Many Of Us Are Easing Into Summer, There’s A Silence Happening In School Cafeterias Across The County That Speaks Volumes, Because When School’s Out, For Thousands Of Local Kids, So Is Their Most Reliable Meal Of The Day. We Talk About The Power Of A Single Breakfast Bag, What A $1 Donation Can ...
May 30, 2025
Pet Me, Pour Me, Plate Me: A Weekend of Greek Eats, Craft Beer, and Cat Naps
This episode of Up+Adam is a full-on celebration of community, culture, and connection on the Central Coast. We kick things off with Ashley White from Firestone Walker Brewing Company, who gives us the inside scoop on the sold-out Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest and the growing list of community events surrounding it. From Friday’s all-day Block Party to Sunday’s “Beers & Brekkie” brunch, it’s more than just a beer fest. It’s a full weekend experience designed to celebrate Paso and its ...
May 29, 2025
SLO Grown, Soul Grown: Know Your Farmer – Down the SLO Farm Trail We Go!
We’re kicking off a two-part Farm Days series that takes you straight into the heart of the SLO County Farm Trail. In this first episode, Adam sits down with some of his favorite ag fam to talk about food, farming, friendship, and how passion and product collide right here in SLO CAL. Joining Adam in Timbre LoBro studio: Lynette Sonne, the powerhouse behind Farmstead Ed and the SLO County Farm Trail, who’s connecting farmers to farmers and farms to YOU. Gina Hambly from Hambly Farms, where la...
May 28, 2025
Your Name Deserves a Keychain: NYT Bestseller Luvvie Ajayi Jones on Owning Identity and Telling Your Story
In this episode, Adam chats with the iconic Luvvie Ajayi Jones, four-time New York Times bestselling author, cultural critic, TED Talk powerhouse, and now the author of Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name, a children's book that hits home for anyone who's ever been told their name was "too much." They talk about what it means to be a “professional troublemaker,” the power of defending your identity, and how our childhood gifts, the ones we often got in trouble for, are usually our true superpo...
May 27, 2025
It’s Everywhere, Even Here in SLO CAL: The Forever Chemical Crisis #TrueCrimeTuesday
They’re called ‘Forever Chemicals’, but the damage they cause could last even longer. In this episode of Up+Adam, award-winning environmental journalists Sharon Udasin and Rachel Frazin join Adam Montiel to talk about their new book, Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America. With gripping stories, damning internal documents, and emotional accounts from families devastated by PFAS exposure, this interview dives into the disturbing reality of how a class of chemicals, hidden...
May 23, 2025
Improvised, Intimate, and In Sync: The Sonic Alchemy of Elysian Moon
In this episode, Adam welcomes Elysian Moon, the magnetic musical duo of Tyson Leonard and Grace Jiia, into the Timbre Winery LoBo studios for an intimate conversation and a live in-studio performance that hits on every frequency. Known for their cinematic, ritualistic sets and hypnotic blend of neoclassical, global house, and sparkly techno, Tyson and Grace don’t just perform - they channel. From falling in love in a festival bathroom line to composing during moments of relationship tension, t...
May 22, 2025
Mama's Meatball & Mistura: The Many Lives of Local (but World Renowned) Chef Nicola
In this soulful, laugh-filled, and eye-opening episode, Adam sits down with longtime friend and culinary visionary Chef Nicola Allegretta — the heart behind Paso’s beloved Mama’s Meatball and the bold brilliance behind Mistura, one of the most acclaimed Peruvian restaurants in the country. From dancing salsa at The Grad to launching his latest Chef’s Table experience (yes, he’s serving kui, beef heart, and alpaca), Nicola shares the story of his culinary fusion, his deep spiritual connection to...
May 21, 2025
Playing Without a Net: Corey Jordan on Risk, Resonance, and Renaissance in Taking a Coffee Shop to a Conservatory – Libretto in Full Bloom
In this episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel sits down at the LoBro Studios at Timbre with musician, curator, and Paso Robles native Corey Jordan, co-founder of Libretto Paso, the one-of-a-kind wine and jazz club making serious noise on the Central Coast. Corey isn’t just talking chords and concerts, he’s building legacy. We go deep on the upcoming May 22 fundraiser for the Libretto Conservatory, a music education program that’s bringing Grammy-level mentorship to young musicians across SLO County,...
May 20, 2025
Intentionally Unfiltered: She Can See Right Through You - Dr. Leslie Dobson is Up+Adam #TrueCrimeTuesday
Dr. Leslie Dobson is not your typical psychologist. She's a courtroom expert, a clinical force, and the host of the razor-sharp podcast Intentionally Disturbing. In this episode, Adam and Dr. Dobson dive into the minds of predators, the patterns of trauma, and the uncomfortable truths we tend to look away from. They get into the Diddy allegations, how predators manipulate with power, and what it’s like to read someone’s darkness before they even open their mouth. This conversation is layered, f...
May 19, 2025
The Staviary, Part 2: Building a Place That Feels Like You - with Chef Rachel & Eric Ponce
In Part 2 of Adam’s conversation with Chef Rachel Ponce and brewmaster Eric Ponce, we move from the journey… to the juice. This episode dives into the creative heartbeat of The Staviary - their soon-to-open wine, food, and beer experience in downtown Paso Robles. From the chef’s counter to the curated bottle list, every choice is rooted in intention, flavor, and soul. Eric shares what makes their beer program unlike anything else in town, including international bottles with personal stories b...
May 16, 2025
Sailing with Phoenix Update - Paso Wine Fest - Pet of the Week -
Pet of the Week - Wine Fest - Sailing with Phoenix Update ***** Sailing with Phoenix Links: Instagram: @sailing_with_phoenix PredictWind Tracker: Live GPS Map MarineTraffic: AIS Vessel Info GoFundMe: Help Make a Dream Come True Articles: Statesman Journal KGW News Today’s Interview: What does it mean to build a dynasty…and what does it cost to keep one? On today’s Up+Adam, Adam chats with former ESPN NBA reporter and Dub Dynasty host Israel Gutierrez to unpack the real story behind the Golde...
May 15, 2025
Pairing Dreams with Grit: Chef Rachel & Eric Go All In with The Staviary - A Name You’ve Never Heard, But Will Never Forget
Today on Up+Adam, we’ve got the exclusive first look at The Staviary—a brand new food and beer experience coming to downtown Paso Robles. Chef Rachel Ponce and brewmaster Eric Ponce join Adam to announce their long-awaited concept, opening behind the park in one of the most exciting new developments in town. From Michelin-star buzz to glassware from Belgium, these two are bringing something fresh, personal, and deeply soulful to the Central Coast. In this first half of their interview, we dig i...