Nick Speed's nonprofit Ujima is dedicated to cultivating community through food justice, environmental stewardship, and youth empowerment in St. Louis. 

From his own time at Americorps and EarthDance Farms, through overseeing Ujima's apprenticeships, founder Speed joins us to share stories of programs that are making a real difference. 

Learn about vermiculture, building a home garden that flourishes, and hear about Ujima's plans for expansion and collaboration throughout the region.  

EPISODE LINKS

Donate to Ujima today or learn more on UjimaSTL.com

Follow Ujima on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram

The wonderful Kimberly Neil joins us to share her Fuzzy's favorites, how they've grown through the challenges of the past year, and what's in development among the chain's ever-expanding array of tacos.

We're joined by Joy Millner and Gabrielle Cole, who together run The Fit and Food Connection (FAFC), a nonprofit based in St. Louis that serves people living in food and fitness deserts. Their two main areas of programming -- wellness (group fitness, nutrition classes & 1-on-1 help) and food access (an organic garden & delivery-based healthy food pantry) support healthy living in low-income communities and impact hundreds of families.

In today's episode, they share the story of their nonprofit, and how the pressures of the pandemic led them to rethink their offerings -- and what this new digital strategy means for their future and the people that they serve.

Episode Links:

Connect with The Fit and Food Connection on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn

Explore The Fit and Food Connection's website

Aaron Teitelbaum's restaurants in St. Louis and Clayton, Mo. have grown to be a beloved staple of local dining. He joins us for a timely conversation about the current situation for restaurants in December 2020. Topics covered include:

... and fascinatingly, he shares how his establishments use a water treatment system to keep guests and surfaces safe without sacrificing hospitality. 

Episode Links:

Buy gift cards for Herbie's or Kingside Diner

Check out the Herbie's website, Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter

See the Kingside Diner website, Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter

Tara Gallina, owner of St. Louis' Vicia and Winslow's Table in University City, joins us to discuss the state of the industry and share how she and her husband Michael have been keeping their beloved restaurants alive and relevant from the initial weeks of the pandemic throughout all the difficult trials of 2020.

Hear how they've kept afloat and true to their ethos of wonderful food, supporting local food systems, and great hospitality... from finding ways to keep staff employed to creating all-new giftable experiences as an alternative to holiday gift cards.

Links from the episode:

Vicia website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Winslow's Table website, Facebook, Instagram

NFL athlete. Apparel entrepreneur. Bar manager. Karl Schmitz of Clayton, MO's venerable BARcelona Tapas Restaurant and ❤︎OMS Clothing has a background like no other.

He joins us to share his story -- from growing up in Bermuda, to working with his family to weather the pandemic, and much more.

Episode Links

BARcelona Tapas Restaurant: website, Facebook, Instagram

Heart On My Sleeve Clothing: website, Facebook, Instagram

Could you carry 40 lunches on a bicycle? Keep a pizza balanced while you pedal around town? Food Pedaler is St. Louis' only locally-owned food delivery service... and they do it all on bikes!

Owner Alex Ward comes on to share:

- How a chance encounter at lunch led him away from the world of PR and down a different (bike) path 

- How to carry 40 lunches or a stack of pizzas on a bicycle

- The impact of COVID-19 and how he kept his customers and couriers safe

- Giving back locally: Meals for Meds and GiftAMeal

- What the future holds for Food Pedaler and the industry

...and more!

Episode Links:

Food Pedaler Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Get the Food Pedaler app (App Store | Google Play)

Take a photo of your delivery on GiftAMeal (App Store | Google Play) to heal hunger locally for free

Ken Mao joins us at Food on the Table for our longest and most in-depth episode yet. 

Ken started his career in education, traveling the world and creating his own test prep company before working as a teacher on a private yacht. He learned to cook delicious healthy meals for himself, and when he came to St. Louis for his MBA, his classmates at Wash U wanted in on his meal prepping. And that's how he got the idea for what became "Ful.", a health-focused meal prep company with pickup locations all over St. Louis. He's also done a ton to lift up the community, from coaching kids to feeding healthcare workers to applying educational models to difficult conversations about social issues. 

He came on the show to share his story - from the educational background that infuses everything he does, to the creation of Ful., to how he's weathered the storm that has been 2020. It's a fun, wide-ranging episode that covers a lot of ground.

Episode Links

Check out the Ful. website at eatful.co

Connect with Ful. on Facebook and Instagram

TeenLIFT website

David Kirkland is the owner and Executive Chef of Turn Restaurant. His background is far-ranging: He spent years honing his craft in the kitchens of acclaimed cafes and restaurants throughout St. Louis before his decade-long career as a DJ in San Francisco. In 2007, he returned to STL where he helmed Cafe Osage before opening Turn Restaurant and David Kirkland Catering in 2016. Since then, he's delighted customers with his health-centered and unique takes on American comfort food.  

He sits down with GiftAMeal founder Andrew Glantz for a timely discussion about his background, the genesis of Turn, and how the community has risen up to support him throughout recent events.

Episode Links:

Turn Restaurant & David Kirkland Catering website, facebook, instagram

See David and Andrew together in a 2018 television segment

In 2008, John Matthews opened Pappy's Smokehouse in St. Louis, MO. Today, customers drive hundreds - sometimes thousands - of miles just to eat their award-winning 'cue. The Pappy's Family of Restaurants is has grown substantially, and is commonly credited with putting the St. Louis barbecue scene on the map. There's a reason the Food Network named them the "The Best Ribs in America"

Their Memphis-style BBQ has won too many awards to list, and in early March of 2020, things were looking great. Southern Living had just named them the 'Best BBQ' in the state of Missouri; Pappy's and sister restaurant Bogart's were also named to Ian Froeb's prestigious Top 100 St. Louis Restaurants for the year.

And then COVID-19 disrupted it all. John Matthews joins us to share his story -- from the moment he and his business partner first decided to open up shop, all the way to how they managed to survive through a pandemic.

Get ready to get hungry, on this episode of Food on the Table.

Episode Links:

Pappy's Smokehouse website, facebook, instagram, twitter

Support Pappy's with a gift card

Order Pappy's famous ribs - shipped nationwide