The COVID-19 pandemic has further cemented Eater as a must-read source for all things related to the food and drink industry. By leveraging its network of local city sites, while also utilizing its team of international contributors, Eater’s been able to give both micro and macro views of the pandemic’s effects. The overall result is a comprehensive collection of articles that includes personal stories, government policy reports, takeout / delivery dining guides, think pieces and even a guide to all the restaurant safety guides. Eater’s editor-in-chief and longtime pal of Snacky Tunes, Amanda Kludt, fills us in on how her team has been keeping up and keeping everyone informed during this crisis. Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Pearl Charles has been making music since she was 5. Over the years her musical career has taken a genre-spanning arc “from old time music to 60’s garage and psychedelia, and now more 70’s country rock and 80’s smooth rock.” Pearl’s hard at work putting the finishing touches on her soon-to-drop new album, and took a break to join us to share some songs and some stories.

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Before the coronavirus pandemic Bub and Grandma’s bakery wholesale business was flourishing. They supplied 140 restaurants in Los Angeles, including such popular spots as Mozza, Kismet, Sqirl and Konbi. Since the pandemic has temporarily shuttered so many restaurants, Bub and Grandma’s has been forced to adjust its business accordingly in order to survive. Andy Kadin, Bub and Grandma’s founder and award-winning head baker, shares with us everything he’s done to keep the ovens going. Our good buddy and engineer Jeet Paul steps up to the mic for us. Jeet met up with Greg Telfeian, a New Jersey-based singer/songwriter as well as the drummer for the bands Red Hymns and Pralaya. Greg joins us to share his experience as a musician during these unusual times, as well as to discuss his growth as an artist and songwriter.

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We head south to Kentucky to continue our series about the coronavirus pandemic’s effects on the food industry. Lindsey Ofcacek is co-founder, managing director and mentor of the LEE Initiative. She along with acclaimed chef Edward Lee set up the organization to promote career development, equality and diversity in the restaurant community. As the pandemic sent millions of restaurant industry workers to the unemployment lines, Lindsey connected with Thomas Bolton, diplomat for Maker’s Mark, and together they helped roll out the Restaurant Workers Relief Program and the Restaurant Reboot Relief Program. Los Angeles’ Jeff Miller has risen to national prominence as a food and travel writer and TV host. He’s also the frontman for the world’s first indie rock tribute band, Black Crystal Wolf Kids, paying costumed, audience-participation-encouraged homage to the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Billie Eilish, the Talking Heads and Weezer. Jeff joins us to play live covers of some of our favorite all-time songs, and also shares his deeply personal work with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Man Of The Year Campaign.

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Snacky Tunes’ Los Angeles contingency is fueled by breakfast tacos from Tex-Mex champion, HomeState. Since the coronavirus pandemic hit HomeState has made the transition from full-service restaurant to general store, and has also launched a meal program to support hospital workers. HomeState owner Briana Valdez shares with us her plan to adapt, survive and thrive in these challenging and difficult times. Singer-songwriter Alex Rose landed in L.A. from NYC a few years ago. A longtime pal of the show, she now performs as Canyon Counterpoint, and joins us to share some new music inspired by life in the City of Angels, including the latest single, “Crescent Heights.”

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The coronavirus pandemic has shut down America’s hospitality industry, financially imperiling many of its workers. Anna Polonsky, a longtime friend of the Tunes, has partnered with Galeen Quinn to develop the #AskChefsAnything campaign to support the industry’s immigrant workforce who are severely lacking access to government unemployment assistance. #AskChefsAnything has established auctions that give bidders a chance to win a one-on-one 30-minute online session with their favorite chef or other food expert, with the proceeds benefiting immigrant workers. Industry luminaries such as Eric Ripert, Enrique Olvera, Alison Roman and Gail Simmons have signed up to participate. We also check in with our good buddy, singer-songwriter Fletcher C Johnson. Fletcher and his wife recently battled COVID-19, and our thankfully on the mend. Fletcher also was gracious enough to play some songs for us from quarantine in Brooklyn. Be sure to check out Fletcher’s latest album, Are You Feelin’ It.

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Devin de Wulf is the founder of the Krewe of Red Beans, a neighborhood carnival parade in New Orleans. He is also married to Annelies, an ER doctor who works at University Medical Center in New Orleans. With the Crescent City being one of the epicenters of the COVID 19 pandemic in the United States, Annelies and other hospital staffers have been toiling nonstop to help the sick, all the while putting themselves in danger of infection as well. On March 17, to help support these folks, along with the New Orleans’ out-of-work musicians and suffering restaurant, Devin, Annelies founded the non-profit, Feed the Front Line NOLA. Utilizing charitable donations and an all-volunteer staff, Feed the Front Line supports locally owned restaurants who cook up fresh meals for ER and ICU workers, and hires and trains musicians and artists as delivery drivers. 

To learn more and to donate, visit https://www.feedthefrontlinenola.org.

We also drop into our musical vault and pull out an in-studio performance from 2019 by Lafayette, LA, artist Roddie Romero, who would have been performing at the now cancelled historic NOLA Jazz Fest this weekend.

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As the coronavirus pandemic continues to hold the world captive, we check in with Dale Donchey, award-winning barista and owner of Spiller Parker Coffee ATL. Dale and Spiller Park Coffee first began as a market stall, and has since grown to encompass two popular locations in Atlanta. Since COVID 19 hit, Dale’s had to temporarily shutter his cafes, and has been sustaining himself and his employees through sales and donations via Spiller Park’s online shop. In addition to letting us know how he’s been doing during this incredibly difficult time, Dale also provides us with tips on how we can all make a good cup of joe while we’re all quarantined at home. We stay in the South musically by revisiting a performance from our archives by Grammy-nominated Louisiana cajun and creole musician, Roddie Romero.

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We catch up with our longtime friend Cathy Erway, journalist, author and host of the Heritage Radio Network show Eat Your Words. The coronavirus pandemic has meant all of us quarantining at home for safety’s sake, and the result is not being able to frequent our favorite restaurants, delicatessens, food carts and diners. Cathy has deep experience when it comes to being a resourceful, budget-conscious home cook, which she has chronicled via her blog, Not Eating Out in New York, and book, The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove. She provides us with insights into making the most of shopping for and preparing meals on our own. We then head back to 2010 to revisit an in-studio performance from hip-hop artist Pigeon John. His newest album, Gotta a Good Feelin’, is set to drop and is available for pre-order now.

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Before the coronavirus pandemic completely halted the world, Chris Shepherd was one of the country’s most acclaimed chefs with his Underbelly Hospitality family of restaurants being must-visits destinations in Houston. Now, Chris finds himself in the role of relief aid fundraiser, stepping up to take care of his own. His charity the Southern Smoke Foundation has raised and dispensed hundreds of thousands of dollars of crisis financial assistance to unemployed workers in the food and beverage industry. 

You can learn more about Southern Smoke and donate by visiting https://southernsmoke.org. 

We also revisit an in-studio performance by Minneapolis trio Strange Names from 2015.

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In this special episode of Snacky Tunes, Keith Cohen, baker and owner of New York City’s legendary 104-year-old Orwashers Bakery brand, gives us the rundown of what it’s been like running a restaurant during the global coronavirus pandemic. In addition to keeping his teams employed, and providing food for curbside pickup during this crisis, Keith supports the Food Education Fund. All NYC public school students get a $7 credit at Orwashers to use on anything they would like to eat.

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Snacky Tunes, Greg Bresnitz, Darin Bresnitz, finger on the pulse, food, music, talk, chef, radio, COVID-19, Orwashers, baker, bakery, Keith Cohen, Food Education Fund