Food Farms & Chefs

We began with Robert Dumont, owner and Chef behind Farmstead Foods - a mobile catering concept which focuses on locally-sourced ingredients that caters to your preferences. What does that mean? He has a wealth of experience, having previously worked inside the kitchens of restaurants and prepared food markets along the eastern coast. His vast knowledge of various cuisines lends itself to his ability to create any number of menu ...

Kevin Baxter has always enjoyed the taste of pickles, and noticed how popular pickles have been trending in more recent years.  So, he founded a festival that fans of the brined cucumbers could relish in: The Big Dill Pickle Festival!  Since its inception in 2019, The Big Dill has blossomed into the worlds largest pickle party, with visitors traveling from across the globe to attend.  Kevin joined us to give us the 4-1-1 about this...

We began the episode with Morgan and Deb Manchester who own CraveWell Cafe in Pennsylvania. The husband and wife partners began their path to a fast-casual healthy concept after Deb had a medical scare. The duo decided that they didn't want Deb going back to work for someone else, and they wanted to focus on healthy food options--something they found was lacking when they were out and looking for a quick bite to eat. Now, they'v...

Cake Life Bake Shop has always been a popular spot in Philadelphia, as a result of Owner and Pastry Chef Nima Etemadi using the highest-quality ingredients with a zeal for the arts. His journey to becoming a Pastry Chef and owner of Cake Life Bake Shop had its ups and downs, as he transitioned from working in the culinary industry to working in the arts. It wasn't too long before Nima realized his true passion was founded in the c...

Farmers markets are a fun way to not only pick up your next ready-made meal or produce and spices from local farms and businesses, they're also a great way to learn something new. One of our friends, who is the founder of Forest Farmers Market AND Moneta Farmers Market in Virginia, happens to know a thing or two about that. Dorothy, who you can learn more about her when she joined us in October 2023 on episode 250, let us know ab...

Our first guest has accomplished a lot since he began working as a glass collector in his hometown of Belfast, Ireland. Jack McGarry began his career in Ireland and worked his way to a pub in London, eventually crossing the ocean to open the Dead Rabbit in New York. Since then, McGarry's desire to create Pubs that elevate the 'Irish pub experience' has found its place, along with numerous well-earned awards celebrating 'The Best Ba...

We had a burning desire to share our first guest's full story with you, especially after Kaylyn Kahana's business, Kay Kay's, became a viral sensation! As Kaylyn described her love of baking to us, she also explained how her knowledge in the culinary world blossomed, and how baking became a passion for her. In fact, Kaylyn's passion was so strong that she switched careers in order to start her own business. As luck would have it, t...

Our first guest is FORK's Executive Chef, George Madosky. Chef Madosky, who has worked inside numerous well-known restaurants in the North East, joined us to discuss his background in the culinary industry as well as other restaurants from the High Street Hospitality Group. To say the menu offerings at FORK and High Street Market are excellent is an understatement. From the moment you walk through the doors to when you see and tas...

Chef Andrew Farley of Enswell in Philadelphia has honed his culinary skills under the tutelage of some very prestigious restaurateurs over the years, making a name for himself in doing so. So when the Rival Brothers Coffee owners, Jonathan Adams and Damien Pileggi, wanted to create a coffee and cocktail bar--Chef Adams reached out to someone he worked alongside with in the past - Chef Farley - to run the kitchen. Now, armed with ...

Partners since birth, our first guest Stephen Servis owns Servis Events with his twin brother Nicolas. Stephen joined us on the show to discuss how both he and his brother became chefs through some pivotal decisions made earlier in their lives. Years later, Stephen and his brother built a reputation based on being heavily tattooed twin Chefs. Post pandemic, they decided to try something new and found WWOOF (World Wide Opportunit...

Continuing traditions is big for most families, and our first guest did so in a huge way by opening Iron Oven in Southampton, PA. Alex Nalbandian grew up learning the restaurant industry from his parent's well-known business, Rising Sun Pizzeria. Years later, Alex took over the management of his parents restaurant, furthering his familiarity with the industry, managing staff, and running a business. Nine years later, Alex was Ins...

Born in and raised in Ecuador, Veronica Fitzgerald moved to the US with her family in North Carolina as a teen. Growing up she was treated to her grandmother's empanadas on a regular basis, eventually learning how to make them as well. Years later, she treated her family and friends to her empanadas, and subsequently the pandemic inspired Veronica to create her business, V Empanadas. Soon thereafter, V-Empanada's was a hit, and sh...

Our first guest grew up on his grandfather's farm, then valiantly served our country in the Airforce before returning to the states, taking a position in the corporate world. Nate Layton, whose desire to find healthy, organic food for his family found the stores lacking in non-chemically-treated, pesticide-free foods, so he made a decision to return to his roots. After re-establishing himself by raising chickens and selling eggs,...

Born and brewed in Ireland, Forged Irish Stout was created by MMA Champion Conor McGregor as a specialty beer for his Irish pub, The Black Forge Inn.  After its initial launch Forged Irish Stout was met with a positive reception, and McGregor decided to expand the brand, buying the collaborating brewery to focus on larger-scale production with the intention to launch internationally.  So in October of 2023 McGregor launched his bra...

"Dry January" and healthier lifestyle choices are two of the top resolutions we hear you're making, so we asked Chris Carney, the owner of NoProof Seltzer to join us on the show. NoProof is a non-alcoholic energy drink with an orange-citrus flavor, infused with beneficial vitamins, no sugar added, and a light caffeine kick. Chris started his company when he was looking for something that was alcohol free, healthier for you to co...

With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, co-owner Kerri Marin joined us to discuss what Philly Yard Bar is, how they began their rentable bar-venue on wheels, and how both of their careers blended together to create the perfect option for a traveling celebration! Their elegant trailers can be rented for any kind of focus: Whether you're creating an experience to shop, celebrate a special occasion in your backyard, ...

Chef & Owner Mohammed Aqlan shares his grandmother's recipes with anyone who visits his Malooga Restaurant and Catering business. Every time you sit down to eat, you'll enjoy a taste of his grandmother's lovingly-created meals. Born and raised in Yemen, Mohammed came to the USA in 2014 to pursue an Aviation Engineering degree. However. as fate would have it, he was introduced to the culinary world while working inside his cousin'...

Looking for a new take on two of your favorite things to eat? Then we highly recommend trying out Deke's Bar-B-Que, which has several locations including their new Cloud Kitchen that opened about one month ago. Derek "Deke" Denmead joined us on the show for a deep dive into how he and his wife met, and eventually established Deke's BBQ. I know that it was wonderful hearing how they began, but even better is the mouth-watering menu ...

Partners Chris Macguire and Steve Wright Jr. have been friends since they were six years old, and both have a deep love of two things: Gaming and ice cream. In fact, Chris' love of ice cream was so well-known that he received two ice cream makers as a wedding gift. A gift that he and his wife began experimenting in ice cream-making at home. Some time later, Chris' trials and errors yielded braggable versions that others could enj...