Across the DinerVerse

Jack Davenport opened a diner in south-central Los Angeles specializing in home-style soul food back in 1969 near the intersection of Western Ave. and what is today, Martin Luther King Blvd.

Because he wanted to make it a family business, he named the diner Jack's Family Kitchen.

Well, life throws you curves, and Jack's marriage didn't work out. Luckily for him, a woman named LaFay owned a hair salo...

My father-in-law, Marvin, suggested I do a podcast from a deli in L.A. close to where he grew up. It's called Factors Famous Deli which has been around since 1948!  

I saw a woman sitting in a booth wearing scrubs and assumed she was a medical professional, but I had no idea she was a licensed nurse midwife. I wasn't even really aware that midwives were still a thing--my kids were born via C-section with my wife&...

Originating from Lou's Diner on Decatur Blvd. in Sin City, Nevada, I talk with attorney Dan Ambrose, a criminal defense lawyer turned trial coach about his company, Trial Lawyer's University. Dan shares his experience as an overworked, underpaid defense attorney in Detroit, Michigan and the pro-bono murder case that changed his life. 

He later pulled up stakes and moved to L.A. to pursue a career as a personal in...

When you hear the term "trophy hunter", you might you have a visceral negative reaction, which is understandable when you see social media photos of wealthy individuals, rifle in hand, smiling proudly next to a dead exotic animal they just killed like an elephant, lion, rhino, or giraffe.  Millions of people worldwide condemn this blood sport. I ran into two trophy hunters who were willing to share their story.

O...

My 2023 Fourth of July episode! America's 247th birthday. So, how are we doing?

I decided to get some different perspectives on the topic, and since I wasn't able to get to Philadelphia, PA. where the Declaration of Independence was ratified and signed on July 4th, 1776, I went to the next best place...San Diego, CA!

Why? Well, first, it's a very patriotic town. I mean, the west coast home of the U....

Welcome to season two of the podcast! Very excited to profile new people and new stories, and this week is pretty incredible. Coming to you from the small, idyllic town of Sierra Madre just below the San Gabriel mountains in Southern California, this episode originates from a diner/restaurant affectionately called "The Only Place in Town." They've been in business since 1945 and specialize in traditional American far...

My youngest daughter Cameron (I'm blessed with two!) pitched the idea of interviewing me about being a girl dad for this new Father's Day podcast.  I thought, what the hell, might as well reveal some hard truths about being her poppa and share some of the best and worst moments of my fatherhood journey. Maybe some new, younger dads will learn something.

The first new podcast of season two. Hope you enjoy it and a...

One of most popular episodes from season one, recorded in Grand Junction, CO.

After I recorded an earlier podcast, I checked into a local hotel and hit the lounge for a night cap. I started talking to a guy in the bar, told him what I do and why I was in Grand Junction. He just laughed and said, "I got a story for you." 

This is Keth's harrowing tale of being kidnapped by his father and living on th...

The final episode of "Across the DinerVerse's" first season. Already working on diner locations for season two which will premiere in the coming weeks from: New York City, Long Island, San Francisco, and a swing through the Midwest and south.  In the meantime, please enjoy this podcast with amazing country artist, Johnny Young.

A singer, songwriter and accomplished guitarist, Johnny shares his breakthrough j...

Tim never felt like he fit in at home or school. The youngest kid in a blue-collar family with a history of alcoholism, Tim was traumatized at the age of 10 when his older brother and mentor was shot by a Black man for no apparent reason. The incident instilled a fear-based hatred of African Americans that festered into rage-filled violence toward pretty much anyone. He numbed his feelings of pain and inadequacy with alcohol and dr...

Part one in a two-part series about the magical healing power of 12-Step recovery for those willing to give it a try. Originating from Cosmo's Bistro along famed Route 66 in Glendora, California, Cosmo's opens its doors once a week to host a free meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, the first ever 12-Step recovery program in the world. A.A., as it's commonly called, was started by two hard-core alcoholics named Bill W. a...

Ever drive through a small town in the middle of the desert and wonder what in the hell people do there for a living and for fun? Find out on this episode that originates from the Stanford Inn and Cafe in Salome, Arizona. Founded in 1904, the town has a rich history of ranching and turning parched desert into fertile farmland for a myriad of crops including alfalfa.

But alfalfa requires a lot of water to grow it, and a Sau...

This episode does NOT originate from a diner, but rather the main cafeteria at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada-Flintridge, California. Commonly known as JPL and administered by the California Institute of Technology (CalTech), JPL is all about getting mankind off planet Earth to explore other worlds.

The idea for this episode comes from me hearing people say, and reading on social media how they want to "ge...

The FINAL Installment of this true-crime series of podcasts originating from the Anvil Bar & Grill in beautiful downtown Curtis, Nebraska.  A heinous double homicide as told by the confessed killer, Harold Nokes.

A secret love affair turned into a battle for Harold's affections between two women, his wife, Ena, and his mistress, Kay Hein. But it was Kay's parents who were shot and killed and butchered in the...

The fourth installment in this true-crime series of episodes originating from the Anvil Bar & Grill in Curtis, Ne. Podcast host John Murphy dives into the criminal investigation of the gruesome murders of Edwin and Wilma Hoyt after a menage' a trois love affair involving their daughter, Kay Hein, and a married couple, Harold and Ena Nokes ended badly.

Murphy interviews lead investigator Lannie Roblee, Frontier Cou...

The third installment of this true-crime series about one of the most infamous murder cases in Nebraska history--the killing and butchering of beloved farm couple, Edwin and Wilma Hoyt. Originating from the Anvil Bar & Grill in Curtis, Ne., retired Frontier County Sheriff, Lannie Roblee, takes podcast host John Murphy through the ins and outs of the investigation.

The episode also features key highlights from official ...

The second installment in this true-crime series of podcasts surrounding the brutal murders of Edwin and Wilma Hoyt in McCook, Nebraska in the fall of 1973.

Originating from the Anvil Bar & Grill in Curtis, Nebraska, as well as the Hi-Way Diner in Lincoln, host John Murphy shares for the first time, exclusive audio from taped interviews with the key people involved in the case: confessed killer, Harold Nokes, his lover...

The title harkens back to the 1930 classic painting, "American Gothic" by Grant Wood which is displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago. Intended to convey a positive image of rural American values, this episode (and future episodes) leans into the other meaning of "gothic", in this instance, relating to something mysterious, grotesque or horrific.

Podcast host, John Murphy, travels back to his hometown...