After the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, Anwar Naderpoor fled to Pakistan, and eventually made his way to Bloomington many years later after stops in France, Virginia, and Indianapolis. Named after his daughter, Samira opened in 1998 and quickly established itself as a consistent, quality dining destination for locals and students alike. How have they managed to maintain quality after all of these years? What was the community response after 9/11? Why does Anwar love Bloomington so much? It's all on this episode of No Dishes!

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Original theme song by Lew Bruno

In this very special episode, we get an intimate look into the life and times of host Jordan Davis, learn about the 2025 Taste of Bloomington results, Bloomington Bar Bingo, DJ JD, and more!

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Original theme song by Lew Bruno

From iconic breakfast eats on Kirkwood, to local coffee all over town, to hosting events in a beautiful, historic building, Bob Costello has his hand in it all! How did Village Deli become such a staple? What's the secret to SOMA's success? What is The Ivy? Why did Laughing Planet close? It's all on the latest episode of No Dishes!

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Original theme song by Lew Bruno

Sometimes it's okay to be a little bit of a Weirdough, and enjoy some delicious cookies in the process. Weirdough Cookie Co was started by Rachel Wiehe and specializes in custom cookies like you've never seen before. Rachel tells us all about her operation, how her perfectionism has paid off, and how exactly she pulled off the best chocolate chip cookie Jordan has ever had the pleasure of tasting!

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Original theme song by Lew Bruno

Just north of 2nd street, right off the B-Line, lies Friendly Beasts Cidery. With trivia, rotating ciders, and an expanded patio, it's the perfect hang out spot after work, or a visit to the Farmer's Market. One of the owners, Jacob Schumacher, fills us in on his journey working his way up through the ranks, their history since their beginnings in 2017, and what's on the horizon for this local gem. Join The Clean Plate Club on Facebook and discuss the latest episodes of the podcast with other fans: https://www.facebook.com/groups/833028944651314 Join our Patreon for exclusive merch, perks, and content: https://www.patreon.com/nodishes Original theme song by Lew Bruno

"The eleventh annual Bloomington Pridefest, ranked by Thrillist as the best college town pride in the nation, will take place Saturday, August 23rd, 2025. It is an incredible day with thousands of people celebrating LGBTQ+ lives and the fight for liberation on the iconic Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington." Two of the Pridefest organizers, Zachary Taylor and Cale Ulery, join us to go over what to expect, all of the amazing entertainment, and why events like Pride are so important for our community! You can find out more at bloomingtonpride.org/pridefest Join The Clean Plate Club on Facebook and discuss the latest episodes of the podcast with other fans: https://www.facebook.com/groups/833028944651314 Join our Patreon for exclusive merch, perks, and content: https://www.patreon.com/nodishes Original theme song by Lew Bruno

Please welcome our new Season 9 Presenting Sponsor, Gameday Men's Health! We're so excited that they want to support local restaurants, and more, along with us! I sat down with owner, Dan McGurk, to discuss all of the services they offer, his background, his favorite place to eat in town, and my personal weight loss of over fifty pounds during five months of visiting them. Join The Clean Plate Club on Facebook and discuss the latest episodes of the podcast with other fans: https://www.facebook.com/groups/833028944651314 Join our Patreon for exclusive merch, perks, and content: https://www.patreon.com/nodishes Original theme song by Lew Bruno

Next up in our Sponsor Spotlight series, we're sitting down with Talisha Coppock, from Downtown Bloomington Inc, and Mike McAfee, from Visit Bloomington, to discuss the new Bloomington Convention Center that just broke ground! How will it benefit the community? What can we expect? Oh, and we talk with Talisha about her decades of experience organizing the Taste of Bloomington! Join The Clean Plate Club on Facebook and discuss the latest episodes of the podcast with other fans: https://www.facebook.com/groups/833028944651314 Join our Patreon for exclusive merch, perks, and content: https://www.patreon.com/nodishes Original theme song by Lew Bruno

With Season 8 in the books, and Season 9 starting August 19th, we've decided to release some Sponsor Spotlight episodes, highlighting the sponsors that make the No Dishes Podcast possible! Please support them and let them know you appreciate their support of No Dishes. MOVE Bloomington was started 6 years ago by Matt Boyer and his wife Amanda. This mirror-free environment mixes the best of personal training and group classes through their semi-private training sessions. With classes all day, there's sure to be a time that works for you and your schedule. Check them out movebloomington.com and mention No Dishes when you sign up for 1/2 off their kickstarter program! Join The Clean Plate Club on Facebook and discuss the latest episodes of the podcast with other fans: https://www.facebook.com/groups/833028944651314 Join our Patreon for exclusive merch, perks, and content: https://www.patreon.com/nodishes Original theme song by Lew Bruno

Hey everyone! It's Jordan. I've been working for a while to bring back the Taste of Bloomington and it's almost here! August 2nd, on Kirkwood, from 3-10 pm. The first thing I did was put together a committee of amazing people from our community to help bring this beloved Bloomigton tradition back to life. Spearheading our Marketing efforts is Sadie Clarke from Dream Socials/Bloomington Foodies, and leading the charge on Infrastructure is Cassie Werne from the City of Bloomington Public Works department. The three of us chat about what to expect, what it's been like organizing Taste, and shout out all of the other hard working individuals who have donated their time to help make Taste a reality again! More details can be found at tasteofbloomington.com Join The Clean Plate Club on Facebook and discuss the latest episodes of the podcast with other fans: https://www.facebook.com/groups/833028944651314 Join our Patreon for exclusive merch, perks, and content: https://www.patreon.com/nodishes Original theme song by Lew Bruno