Jaime's Local Love Podcast

A former truck driver and a singer find romance online and go into business together. We talk to the owners of Old School Grub Cafe in Mesa. Frank and Carlotta Perla give you a taste of nostalgia with a restaurant filled with vintage toys and comic memorabilia, all with a huge menu of comfort food like meatloaf and homemade pie. When you visit Frank and Carlotta, they want you to feel like family. Old School Grub is kicking off a brunch and a dinner buffet so you can get a taste of everything. They offer daily specials and Carlotta, the singer, leads you through karaoke sessions on the weekends.

The Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival and Scottsdale Fashion Week are two really big events that bring big names to the Valley. In this episode, we meet the local couple doing the legwork behind the scenes. Steve and Jamie Levine own Steve Levine Entertainment and Public Relations. Steve, a former DJ, and Jamie, a master of PR, combined their passions to create events that enrich the lives of Arizona families. Hear how they make marriage work in the workplace, how they survived COVID when live entertainment stopped, and how Steve and Jamie met years ago when Steve was spinning records and Jamie was a cheerleader for the Arizona Rattlers.

If you love coffee and country music, you're going to love this episode. We talk to Aaron Lopo, the owner of Dapper and Stout Coffee and Horse and Hyde Barroom. The coffee shops came first, some eight years ago. Then a little over a year ago, Aaron opened Horse and Hyde which quickly became popular because of daily live country music. His parents owned food trucks when he was growing up, and Aaron wanted no part of the food and beverage business. He thought he'd become a neonatal ER surgeon! Now, Aaron has two brands and four locations: Two Dapper and Stouts—one in Glendale and one in downtown Phoenix—a Horse and Hyde in Arcadia, and a brand new Horse and Hyde at Uptown Plaza in Phoenix. Hear how he gets it all done. Plus, if you sing, how you could get on stage.

Luke Irvin and Eric Walters of “A Taste of AZ” love telling stories about the Arizona restauranteur, chef, bar owner, and mixologist. They travel the state to tell their stories in print, in podcasts, and at festivals, where food lovers can connect in person. The work is something Eric felt was a long time coming as he'd searched for a career that just “felt good” and celebrated others. Luke, too, wanted to help others excel and came to the table well prepared to shoot, edit, and write. Hear about their new book, how to get the magazine, and the festival—with big name chefs—you’ll want to attend.

We meet the designer behind Lucky Star Jewels. Dawn Baiden created her jewelry line to be light and easy to wear, yet made with love that could go from day to night. You’ll find her beautiful necklaces, rings, bracelets and more in spa boutiques around the valley and the nation. She tells us about where she finds inspiration for her designs, the serendipitous way her business began and the way she has to protect her brand. Hear more about how dawn’s found success for two decades and counting. https://shopluckystar.com/

Azfoodie is the OG when it comes to Arizona food content creators. She started before it was cool by taking beautiful pictures of beautiful food around the Valley. Her pages went viral and pretty soon, Diana Brandt found herself Instagram and TikTok famous. She tells us about handling a new form of fame while always keeping in focus, and why she started in the first place: her love and respect for chefs and restauranteurs. Diana lets us in on some of the downsides of her work—like internet trolls—and tells us how she's been able to monetize her creativity.  

The Original Arizona Foodie ™️ (@azfoodie) • Instagram photos and videos

Shantelle and Kenny Girard want to create the next big name in hats. They say they eat, sleep and breathe Rancher Hat Bar. It's a company they started out of a vintage trailer they converted into a hat bar. On the very first day they opened, they had a line around the corner and knew they were onto something! While the Rancher Hat Bar brand is still rather new, it's already grown to three locations with more coming soon. Plus, learn the longtime valley entrepreneur who shantelle calls "Grandma"! 

That's the idea behind Jenny's Dresses in Scottsdale. Owner Jenny Weinstein has always loved fashion, and when she found a treasure trove of high-end couture, she knew she had to share the one-of-a-kind pieces. Her collection grew from there and is now expanding to a bridal collection too. Hear how Jenny attended ASU, met her husband at Manzanita, appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show...and she's a sculptor and a dancer. Plus, hear how the store features a big bold diamond runway where every woman can truly shine.

https://www.instagram.com/jennysdresses/ or 602-705-4525

In this episode of Jaime's Local Love, Jaime Cerreta chats with Chef Ron Young, the mastermind behind Foodvision. Chef Ron shares his wild journey from working at Nike and Victoria's Secret to cooking for celebs like Kyler Murray, Derrick Rose, and Odell Beckham Jr.

Hear how a random encounter with a supportive customer led him to cook for a Hall of Fame linebacker and eventually build a booming business. 

Chef Ron dishes on his passion for meal prep, catering, private chef gigs, and how he gives back to the community with his culinary talents. He also spills stories from his travels, cooking for athletes overseas and learning from top chefs around the globe.

Tune in to hear about his exciting plans, including opening a fine dining restaurant set to be a game-changer. Don't miss this inspiring and entertaining episode!

Follow Chef Ron and Foodvision:

Instagram: @azsdopeshef

Website: www.foodvisionmeals.com

Celebrity chef Beau MacMillan and managing partner and co-founder Mikis Troyan of Clive Collective tell us how they came together to create the very popular restaurant Cala Scottsdale and the new speakeasy Tell Your Friends. The two industry veterans talk about the ever-changing dining culture in Arizona and why they wanted to develop restaurants that offer incredible design, decor, ambience and sounds—along with amazing food! Hear about the scramble of a quick open of Cala Scottsdale and how the mouth droppingly elegant Tell Your Friends was once a storage room, plus the men talk about the important of adding balance to their personal lives. 

https://calascottsdale.com/

https://www.tellyourfriendsaz.com/