May 21, 2026 · 17 min · 11 segments
This week, host Brandi Fullwood talks to Brady Ishiwata-Williams, the chef and owner of Tomo, about his go-to spot for big birthdays, out of town friends, and honestly any day that needs an upgrade…
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You ran the kitchen at one of Seattle's most iconic special occasion spots, Canlis.
What have you learned about what people want from their, their big night out?
Yeah, I mean, no, definitely there was a curve coming from New York to a 70-year-old, or it was 60-something years at the time.
So yeah, I would think that people just wanna, I mean, be ack- like, acknowledged and seen that like, "Hey, this is, like, an important night to us," and we want them to feel like that their important night is in really good hands and being cared for by people that care about them-
... and care about whatever the occasion may be, whether it's an anniversary or a birthday or...
And so then someone who does that basically every day, how do you get that for yourself? Like, what does that feel like?
We, we get that by eating in places that we enjoy and care about, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a fine dining restaurant.
It can be just our neighborhood spot, right? I say this a lot, I'm like, people should know the difference between service and hospitality, and, like, they could be your mechanic who, like, knows your car and, like, is, like, here to take care of you.
A dive bar actually is, like, oftentimes the best hospitality experience.
For me, like, returning to places that are familiar and comfortable and feel like home more often than not.
You ran the kitchen at one of Seattle's most iconic special occasion spots, Canlis.
What have you learned about what people want from their, their big night out?
Yeah, I mean, no, definitely there was a curve coming from New York to a 70-year-old, or it was 60-something years at the time.
So yeah, I would think that people just wanna, I mean, be ack- like, acknowledged and seen that like, "Hey, this is, like, an important night to us," and we want them to feel like that their important night is in really good hands and being cared for by people that care about them-
... and care about whatever the occasion may be, whether it's an anniversary or a birthday or...
And so then someone who does that basically every day, how do you get that for yourself? Like, what does that feel like?
We, we get that by eating in places that we enjoy and care about, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a fine dining restaurant.
It can be just our neighborhood spot, right? I say this a lot, I'm like, people should know the difference between service and hospitality, and, like, they could be your mechanic who, like, knows your car and, like, is, like, here to take care of you.
A dive bar actually is, like, oftentimes the best hospitality experience.
For me, like, returning to places that are familiar and comfortable and feel like home more often than not.
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