Charlie Alvarado is the DOO for New State Burgers and the beloved Good for a few. He's also cool AF.

Andrea Schultz is the owner and founder of HQ Coffee, the walk-up, Asian District shop that's finally (FINALLY!) introduced Asian-inspired flavors to OKC's coffee scene. She is responsible for two of my three favorite lattes in the metro: black sesame and ube. She incorporates flavors and ingredients like houjicha, li hing mui, genmaicha, and even White Rabbit candy, and in addition to coffee service, HQ offers soft serve pop-ups, outstanding matcha, and baked goods.

Distilling in the U.S. usually begins with Kentucky, and then moves onto Tennessee, Colorado, Indiana, and maybe California, but Oklahoma doesn't usually make a short list. A handful of distillers scattered around the state are trying to further Oklahoma's reputation as a distiller state, and we sat down with two of our local luminaries: Jeffrey Cole, master distiller for Guthrie-based WanderFolk Spirits, and David Wood, owner and founder of OKC-based Woodworks Distilling in the Britton District. The two have become friends with a shared goal of increasging the size and influence of the Oklahoma Distillers Guild. We talked about their brands, their work, the guild, distilling in the state, and then the products from their line they have a strong affection for.

Norman native Claire Hampton had a relatively brief stint as a bartender in OKC before making the jump to ownership when an opportunity arrived in the form of Good Times,

Subtitle: Xmas for Winos! That's right, Thirst Day and its charity component Thirst for a Cause return September 10. On the new episode, we talk with Alex Kroblin, founder and owner of Thirst Wine Merchants, and Chef Kurt Fleischfresser, who helped found Thirst for a Cause almost 20 years ago.

Another wide ranging conversation with a local beloved restauranteur with some great fun and interesting tidbits.

Episode 204 of the OKC Underground podcast features Greg Gawey, owner of Jamil’s Steakhouse. Jamil’s is an institution in the the way that only restaurants that have survived more than 50 years can be, which is to say, the experience of it is baked into the great grandkids of some of the original guests just as it is in every generation through the decades. Jamil’s is celebrating their 60th anniversary, enough years to serve five generations of Oklahomans. 

Julia McLish opened Barkeep Supply in Midtown seven years ago. July 7 was the anniversary. She started bartending in college, and loved it more than her degree program, so after several years working for Hal Smith Restaurants and Deep Fork Group, she took a chance on her own business. The 4-seat bar quickly became one of the most popular, influential bars in the metro, and she has worked with and trained some of the city's best bartenders. As far as I know, she and her team are undefeated in bartending competitions. At one point, they'd won seven in a row. Lunar Lounge, her collaboration with business partner Zach Armfield, came along four years later, and they'll be celebrating their third anniversary later this month. In the episode, we talk about her businesses, her background, her connection to Major League Baseball, and how all around awesome she is.

We're dropping episode 202 today, and it features a conversation with chef, restaurateur, educator, advocate, mother, and life-long NEOKC resident Chaya Pennington. At 47, her career in hospitality now spans 30 years, and she's worked pretty much every role in restaurants. Now as the Culinary Coordinator for MetroTech, she oversees the education of our future chefs, pastry chefs, managers, and operators. I wrote about her for Luxiere magazine last year, and this excerpt helps sum up a little about her before you listen:

"Pennington is the daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter, etc., of generations of educators and chefs. In her role as bar owner, restaurant professional and culinary coordinator at Metro Tech, she represents both sides in the nature vs. nurture argument — and at 45, she said she still hasn’t decided if she’s committed to a career in food.

She catered her first event at 13, helping her teacher mother who had a side gig as a party bartender. From that point on, the opportunities seemed to line up in a way that lit a path straight to hospitality. There were early jobs with two large companies well-known at the time — Dub Adams Catering and Harry’s Gourmet To Go — but things really began to gel when Chef Kurt Fleischfresser invited her to be a part of his Coach House apprenticeship program, a structured education that eventually graduated 45 trained chefs.

As for her accomplishments, Pennington has a surprising list of what she’s most proud. 'I’m a third generation East Side resident,' she says. 'I grew up here, went to school here, raised my family here, am an educator here, own a business here. It’s a point of pride. It’s critical to invest in the community you want to be a part of, point of origin or not. I’m proud of that failed business (Urban Roots) because we go into every opportunity undercapitalized, but we do it anyway because we love our community.'”

What do meat grinders, frat house dinners, and the ass end of a mall have in common? Restaurateur J. Mays. In this episode, he serves up a raw and real take on his journey from small-town Oklahoma to leading some of OKC’s most beloved spots—Cafe 7, The Hamilton, and Dado’s Pizza.

Expect laughs, lessons, and a few curveballs (yes, pickleball included). This one's for anyone who's ever dreamed of building something great—and maybe burning the onions along the way.