Chef Marcus Guiliano, Chef on a Mission

Chef Marcus Guiliano, Chef on a Mission Learn from the in and outs about the restaurant business from Chef Restauranteur Marcus Guiliano. Ru

I’m Marcus Guiliano — chef, author, entrepreneur, consultant, coach, and proud rogue thinker. I’ve spent over two decades proving there’s always a smarter, healthier, and more sustainable way to succeed in business and in life. In 2003, I launched Aroma Thyme Bistro with just $50K and no investors. Today it’s an award-winning restaurant and a pioneer in farm-to-table dining, sustainability, and co

nscious hospitality. Along the way, I wrote books like “50 Mistakes Restaurant Owners Make” to help others avoid the pitfalls that nearly sank me, and I’ve since coached and consulted countless owners worldwide.

🌍 What I Do & Share Here:

Coaching & Consulting — Guiding restaurateurs and entrepreneurs to scale profitably while reclaiming their freedom. Author & Educator — Books, talks, and training built on hard-earned lessons. Wine & Travel — From my wine travel business to journeys across the globe, I connect people to unique vineyards, cultures, and experiences. Doc Agave Project — My mission to support authentic mezcal & tequila producers, protecting traditions and exposing the industry’s hidden truths. Health & Lifestyle — Plant-based eating, clean living, and breaking free from mainstream myths. Speaking Truth — I go rogue, exposing industry BS and offering real solutions. I’ve traveled extensively, tasted the world, and built businesses that blend passion with purpose. Nothing was handed to me — I built it all by questioning, challenging, and refusing to accept “the way it’s always been done.”

📚 Author • 🎙 Coach & Consultant • 🍷 Wine & Travel Curator • 🌎 Global Explorer • 🥂 Advocate for authenticity & sustainability

If you’re ready to think differently, live healthier, and run smarter businesses, you’re in the right place. This isn’t just about food or wine — it’s about living beyond the kitchen.

The consultant leaves.The binders are on the shelf.The training is complete.The team is energized.Everyone agrees the ch...
06/19/2026

The consultant leaves.

The binders are on the shelf.

The training is complete.

The team is energized.

Everyone agrees the changes make sense.

For a few weeks, things improve.

Food costs start moving in the right direction.

Service gets more consistent.

Standards are being followed.

Then life happens.

A manager gets busy.

A supervisor stops enforcing a process.

A long-time employee goes back to "the way we've always done it."

One shortcut becomes two.

Two become ten.

And six months later, the restaurant is right back where it started.

If you've ever watched Gordon Ramsay rescue a restaurant on TV, you've seen the exciting part.

The reveal.

The new menu.

The new systems.

The emotional breakthrough.

What you don't see is what happens a year later.

Did the owners keep holding people accountable?

Did managers reinforce the new standards?

Did the team continue executing after the cameras left?

Because that's where change either survives or dies.

One of the biggest misconceptions I see among restaurant owners is the belief that hiring a consultant will fix the problem.

It won't.

A consultant can identify issues.

A consultant can create systems.

A consultant can train your team.

A consultant can provide a roadmap.

What a consultant cannot do is lead your restaurant after they leave.

And that's where many projects fail.

Not because the recommendations were wrong.

Not because the consultant lacked experience.

But because accountability never followed the advice.

Managers resisted.

Employees drifted back to old habits.

Standards stopped being enforced.

The uncomfortable conversations never happened.

Advice without ex*****on is entertainment.

A plan without accountability is a wish.

A system without leadership is just paperwork.

The restaurants that improve aren't necessarily the ones that hire the best consultants.

They're the ones that commit to the work after the consultant is gone.

Because sustainable change isn't created by a consultant.

It's created by leaders who are willing to reinforce new behaviors long after the excitement wears off.

Have you ever implemented a great idea in your restaurant only to watch old habits return a few months later?

At Aroma Thyme Bistro, we’ve always believed farm to table should go far beyond the kitchen.That philosophy extends dire...
06/17/2026

At Aroma Thyme Bistro, we’ve always believed farm to table should go far beyond the kitchen.

That philosophy extends directly into our bar program and wine list.

Every bottle we carry has a purpose. A family. A history. A reason it earned its place.

We call it “a story in every pour.”

This spring, Jamie and I had the opportunity to bring a small group of guests from Aroma Thyme to Piedmont, Italy, where we visited one of the newest permanent additions to our wine list, Picollo Ernesto in Gavi.

I’ve known Gavi wines for more than 20 years. This tiny region in Piedmont specializes almost entirely in wines made from the Cortese grape. But about two years ago, I discovered Picollo Ernesto and immediately knew this producer was something special.

Then earlier this year, after hosting Gianlorenzo and his daughter Arianna at Aroma Thyme Bistro, the connection became even deeper.

So during our recent trip to Italy, we visited the winery personally.

And this wasn’t some polished public tasting experience.

Picollo Ernesto is a very small producer making only about 160,000 bottles annually. They do not have a public tasting room and generally do not host outside visitors. Access comes through relationships and trust.

That’s exactly the kind of producer we love supporting.

We walked the vineyards with the family.

We toured the cellar and winery privately.

Then we sat down to an incredible homemade meal prepared by Gianlorenzo’s mother while three generations of the family joined us around the table sharing stories, food, and wine together.

That’s the magic of what we do.

Not just drinking wine.
Understanding it.
Meeting the people behind it.
Walking the vineyards.
Standing inside the cellar.
Breaking bread with the families themselves.

That experience changes the way wine tastes forever.

And that’s exactly why we travel.

Next time you’re dining with us and looking for a white wine recommendation, skip the predictable Pinot Grigio and ask us about Picollo Ernesto Gavi.

There’s now a real memory, a real family, and a real story behind every glass we pour.

And if you’d ever like to join Jamie and me on one of our future culinary and wine adventures, we’d love to travel with you.

06/17/2026

One of the reasons I enjoy bringing people to Oaxaca is how easy it is to immerse yourself in the city.

You can stay right in the center, walk out your door, and immediately find great restaurants, local markets, incredible architecture, and nonstop energy.

Then when you're ready, the countryside opens up with mezcal distilleries, agave fields, and small communities that tell a completely different part of Oaxaca's story.

Few destinations offer that combination so naturally.

That's what keeps bringing me back.

“Because when every restaurant buys the exact same products from the exact same corporations, hospitality loses its soul...
06/12/2026

“Because when every restaurant buys the exact same products from the exact same corporations, hospitality loses its soul.” Chef Marcus Guiliano

Last night Jamie and I found ourselves in Brewster, New York... but for a few hours it felt like we were in Jalisco. 🇲🇽🥃...
06/12/2026

Last night Jamie and I found ourselves in Brewster, New York... but for a few hours it felt like we were in Jalisco. 🇲🇽🥃

We attended a Viva México Tequila dinner at Pueblo Viejo and had the opportunity to spend time with some of the people behind the brand itself.

Pictured here with:

🥃 Sergio Cruz, Master Distiller at NOM 1414
🥃 Sergio Vivanco, 3rd-generation owner of Feliciano Vivanco y Asociados NOM 1414
🥃 Omar, owner of Pueblo Viejo

One of the things I love most about the tequila world is that it always comes back to people.

The agave fields.
The distilleries.
The families.
The traditions passed down from one generation to the next.

Over the years I've been fortunate to visit many distilleries throughout Jalisco, meet producers, walk agave fields, and learn directly from the people who dedicate their lives to crafting authentic tequila.

That's why evenings like this are so special.

Not only were we enjoying great tequila and food, but we were sharing stories and conversations with the people whose families have helped shape the tequila industry for generations.

A huge thank you to Pueblo Viejo for hosting such a fantastic evening and to Sergio Cruz and Sergio Vivanco for sharing their passion, knowledge, and hospitality.

The best tequila isn't just what's in the bottle.

It's the history, craftsmanship, and people behind every pour.

¡Salud! 🇲🇽🥃

Most food travelers make the same mistake.They plan their trip around famous attractions.The best travelers plan around ...
06/10/2026

Most food travelers make the same mistake.

They plan their trip around famous attractions.

The best travelers plan around food.

One of my favorite examples is La Guerrerense in Ensenada, Mexico.

What began as a humble street cart became an internationally recognized culinary destination. Not because of marketing. Not because of a celebrity chef. Not because of a prime location.

Because the food was exceptional.

Over time, chefs, journalists, and food lovers from around the world made the pilgrimage to experience it for themselves.

There's an important lesson here for business owners.

In an age where everyone is focused on social media algorithms, advertising, and growth hacks, many forget the most powerful marketing strategy still available:

Create something worth talking about.

La Guerrerense didn't become famous by chasing attention.

They earned attention by consistently delivering an outstanding experience.

The same principle applies to restaurants, hotels, wineries, retailers, consultants, and virtually every business.

Word-of-mouth remains the most trusted form of marketing.

And word-of-mouth is built through excellence.

When I travel, I'm constantly looking for businesses that have become destinations because they do one thing extraordinarily well.

La Guerrerense is one of those places.

The lesson isn't about seafood.

It's about creating experiences people can't stop talking about.

That's how brands are built.

— Marcus Guiliano

06/05/2026

Cherry blossom shoyu from Japan is one of those ingredients that reminds me how much flavor you can get from something simple when it is made well.

This is a lighter-style shoyu infused with cherry blossoms, and it is seasonal. When it is gone, it is gone until the next cherry blossom season.

You do not need to build a heavy sauce around something like this.

A few seared scallops, raw in the center.
Or thinly sliced scallop crudo.
A little scallion.
Maybe a touch of sesame oil.
Then just a small drizzle of cherry blossom shoyu.

That is it.

Good shoyu and tamari are packed with flavor. A little goes a long way. The mistake a lot of people make is using too much sauce when the ingredient already has depth.

Have you ever cooked with a seasonal Japanese shoyu like this?

Some chefs collect recipes.I collect vineyard walks, cellar conversations, long lunches with winemakers, and moments tha...
05/26/2026

Some chefs collect recipes.

I collect vineyard walks, cellar conversations, long lunches with winemakers, and moments that completely change how I understand food and wine.

This spring in Piedmont, Jamie and I spent time at Pico Maccario with Gianluca guiding us personally through the vineyards and cellar before sharing wines that tasted completely different once you understood the story behind them.

That’s the part of travel I love most.

Not rushing from attraction to attraction.

But slowing down enough to actually connect with the people creating something meaningful.

The older I get, the more I realize luxury isn’t about excess.

It’s about access.
Perspective.
Relationships.
Authenticity.

One minute you’re standing in a vineyard discussing Barbera and soil composition.

The next minute you’re sitting around a table in Italy realizing hospitality is really about human connection more than anything else.

Honestly, experiences like this continue to inspire everything we do back at Aroma Thyme Bistro.

A story in every pour.
A reason behind every bottle.
A deeper connection to what’s on the table.

And this is exactly why Jamie and I continue leading these wine and gastronomy journeys around the world.

Because travel changes the way you taste life.

05/23/2026

Not every overnight stay is a hotel.

Sometimes… it's a castle. 🏰

Welcome to Castello di Viano, one of our favorite regular stays in Italy. Perched high above the rolling countryside, this historic castle feels like stepping into another era. Stone towers. Medieval charm. Quiet mornings. Endless views.

This is why Jamie and I love creating our experiences. We don't just book rooms. We find places with soul. Places with stories. Places that become part of the journey.

Because sometimes the place you sleep becomes one of the memories you never forget.

This is Italy beyond the guidebooks.

05/22/2026

You can hear it before you even see it. Plates moving. Smiles growing. Then… lobster hits the table.

Villa Ortega in Puerto Nuevo is one of those places that reminds you food is more than eating. It’s atmosphere. It’s people. It’s place.

This is Baja the way we love experiencing it. Slow. Authentic. Delicious.

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Ellenville, NY
12428

Telephone

(845) 647-3000

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