We sit down with Christopher Beers, the founder of Grandpa Joe’s, to learn the journey from one 900-square-foot Strip District shop to 21 locations across five states. Chris pulls back the curtain on how that magic gets made. From sourcing regional candies that never went national, Japanese Kit Kats and UK Cadbury, the network Grandpa Joes has built is just as astounding. 

We dig into craft soda culture and why pinpoint carbonation from Natrona's Red Ribbon feels different, then explore the wild-but-drinkable Grandpa Joe’s soda line—ketchup, pickle, sarsaparilla, even “hot dog water”—engineered to be drinkable and enjoyed, not just photographed.

Each store runs local socials to stay neighborly, and cleaver marketing keeps the focus on fun. Whether it's thousands of tiny ducks lining Canonsburg streets or handing out 35,000 bananas at a parade— these stunts keep folks coming back to Grandpa Joe's for more. 

We also zoom out to the Pittsburgh food scene with Ana from Ana Eats Pittsburgh, who points wing lovers to Wiggies for crispy wings with a pitch-perfect honey habanero sauce and standout onion rings. To warm the week, we revisit Dak Bokkeum Tang, a Korean spicy chicken stew that marries tender chicken, potatoes, and gochujang heat.

If you love stories about small makers, and the careful art of preserving candy history, you’ll feel right at home here. Subscribe, share with a friend who hoards vintage sweets, and leave us a review with the one candy you wish would make a comeback.

Support the show

Liked the episode? We'd love a coffee!

A backyard garden harvest and a family united on a new journey—this is how Two Ugly Mugs turned a homemade recipe into a national salsa brand. Diane and Matt Perella trace the steps from hot sauce experiments to a salsa lineup with a habanero base softened by carrots, a clean label with low sodium, and a flavor that wins over heat skeptics and spice lovers alike.

Their journey is packed with real turning points that led from local stores to a footprint across the United States and beyond. We also get a first look at new products—an amped-up hot honey salsa and a bright salsa verde, coming soon.

We broaden the flavor tour with a day trip pick: White Rabbit Cafe and Patisserie in Greensburg, with Sarah of Sarah Loves Yinz. Then culinary pro Tess Monks from Phipps Conservatory shares a soup blueprint that turns whatever is on hand into comfort. 

If you love origin stories, retail strategy, and food you actually want to eat, this one delivers. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves Pittsburgh-made food, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find the show.

Support the show

Liked the episode? We'd love a coffee!

We're starting the year with a full plate of wins, a smarter way to drink, and a dinner you can make before the water boils. We look back at 2025 with clear eyes and real numbers, from forty new episodes to an 88 percent completion rate that tells us you’re staying to the last bite. 

From there, we shift to drinking with intention. The low and no alcohol movement is reshaping shelves, but skipping spirits doesn’t mean skipping flavor. We walk through a practical middle path: wine-based cocktails that keep ABV low and satisfaction high. Whether you’re aiming for Dry January or just a gentler social ritual, these ideas help you sip smarter without losing the fun.

To finish with a tasty bite, we share a weeknight classic from the team at Hey Babe: Shrimp linguini with spinach for color, and Pecorino Romano to finish. It’s quick, bright, and totally doable.

If you enjoy these stories and tips, help us grow by sharing the show with a friend who loves food. 

Support the show

Liked the episode? We'd love a coffee!

A crumbling 1849 house, abolitionist lore, and a quest to cook for the next hundred years—this is the story of how Maggie and Matt Noble turned The Tavern on the Square into a living landmark. We sit down inside the restored space in New Wilmington, where original beams meet brand-new wiring, and the elevator isn’t a luxury but a promise that everyone belongs at the table. 

We trace their unlikely route from California kitchens and construction sites to Amish-country sourcing in Western Pennsylvania. Culinary training in Napa taught discipline and seasonality; small-town life sharpened their commitment to scratch cooking. The result is a tavern menu with a conscience: stocks built from bones, sauces fired to order, and a flagship burger made from a single, 100% grass-fed, grass-finished cow raised three miles away. Beloved staples like Korean sticky ribs and crispy-skinned salmon sit alongside pizzas that turn local harvests into a seasonal showcase, and cocktails crafted to slow and savor the evening.

Plan a visit to this historic gem and bucolic community for a delicious experience. Check hours, events, and specials on their website at www.thetavernonthesquare.com and on Instagram at @thetavernnewwilmington. 

If the story resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who loves thoughtful food, and leave a review to help others find the show.

Support the show

Liked the episode? We'd love a coffee!

(01:16) A small-town “toast boy” grows into a gold-medal chef, then chooses a new kind of success. We sit down with Chef Joe Peroney to unpack a winding path from The Greenbrier’s relentless kitchens to the world stage at the Culinary Olympics, and how a sudden vision scare and a marathon reset his compass toward time, family, and impact.

(15:19) Joe lifts the lid on competition cooking, from training in unfamiliar kitchens to plating East Coast flavors as tiny, elegant starters. He also shares the quieter victories: trading 20-hour days for a role that still feeds millions, mentoring the next generation as part-time faculty, and creating a 32-layer lasagna that stops conversation in its tracks. For anyone weighing ambition against life outside the kitchen, his pivot offers a clear, human roadmap.

(42:08) Later, we also welcome Chef Barbara Ann of AB Kitchen with a life-changing kale salad—bright lemon, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos, and a crunchy pumpkin-seed topper—proving wholesome can be addictive. Together, these chef stories show how food can be both world-class and weeknight-ready, and how the best meals often carry a lesson about what matters most.

If the episode moved you, tap follow, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—what part of Joe’s journey hit home for you?

Support the show

Liked the episode? We'd love a coffee!

In this mini-episode... we trade the 12:30pm coffee surge for a calmer tea routine. Catherine Montest helps to unpack caffeine timing, yerba mate culture, and simple ways to control the buzz. Then we pivot to a bright cranberry loaf suggestion from Baking Across America that pairs perfectly with any afternoon brew.

If you're in the market to grab a cookbook from B. Dylan Hollis as a gift or for yourself, be sure to shop locally at one of our great independent bookstores like White Whale Bookstore in Bloomfield or Woolly Bear Books & Gifts in Carnegie. 

Support the show

Liked the episode? We'd love a coffee!

We pull back the curtain on how Pittsburgh’s local food television gets made, from planning and pacing a five-minute kitchen segment to building community around long-form public media cooking shows. Maria DeBone and Chris Fennimore share the inside scoop. Plus local TV food personality Chef Alekka offers an easy holiday crumble.

• Planning, staging, and timing a live kitchen segment
• Tips and hacks viewers value on short TV spots
• The origin and evolution of QED Cooks and its community format
• Realities of live-to-tape and behind-the-scenes crew work
• A beginner-friendly winter fruit crumble with oats
• Where to watch Alekka, Doug, and Chris across local TV

If you enjoyed the show, consider buying us a coffee for this episode or supporting the show monthly. You can find links to those options at the bottom of our show description.

Support the show

Liked the episode? We'd love a coffee!

Looking for the sweet spot where tradition meets the table? We bring together a master appraiser, a wine guide, and a hometown foodie to show how old-school cookbooks, a just-released French red, and a one-pan dinner can turn a chilly weeknight into a warm celebration.

Dr. Lori kicks things off with a collector’s map to the kitchen shelf: early printings of The Joy of Cooking, The White House Cookbook, and first editions from Julia Child, Ina Garten, and Rachael Ray—and why themed and community cookbooks carry both cultural weight and market value. She shares clear preservation tips you can use today and explains how to spot the difference between “well-loved” and “deal-breaker” condition.

We then uncork the season with Catherine Montest, Your Fairy Wine Mother, for an easy primer on Beaujolais Nouveau. Learn why this Gamay-based, fruit-forward red lands each November, how EU designations protect producers and quality, and why Nouveau’s bright cherry-strawberry profile is a knockout with turkey and a welcoming pour for red-wine skeptics. Think of it as a snapshot of the year’s harvest—festive, fresh, and perfectly timed for your holiday table.

Closing things out, Angie Carducci of Angie Loves PGH shares her weeknight sheet pan blueprint: chunky seasonal veg, a reliable starch, and a simple protein like pressed tofu, all tossed with high-quality Arbequina olive oil and finished with local spice blends from Steel City Salt. 

If you love the hunt for a great cookbook, want a crowd-pleasing wine for Thanksgiving, or just need a dinner that practically cooks itself, this one’s for you. Subscribe for more local flavor, share with a foodie friend, and leave a quick review—what cookbook gem, bottle, or sheet pan combo should we try next?

Support the show

Liked the episode? We'd love a coffee!

Flaky pie crust isn’t magic—it’s method. We sit down with Chef Alekka Sweeney to unpack the science and the small choices that turn holiday baking from stressful to satisfying. 

We go beyond pies to build a full, flexible holiday playbook. Stock the pantry with non-perishables now, refresh tired baking powder and soda, and freeze multiple dough discs so you can bake on your schedule. Alekka shares her favorites—bourbon chocolate pecan pie, apple filling with real sauce and texture, and plum or pear frangipane tarts.  When guests want “just a taste,” mini pies in muffin tins offer variety without leftovers. 

We also highlight class offerings like the always-sold-out “I Forgot To Make A Pie” session with dough practice and fillings, and her upcoming live demos. The throughline is preparation: test new recipes before the big day, plan components you can make ahead, and use the freezer as your ally... all keys to sweet success. Happy holiday baking!

Subscribe, share with a friend who loves dessert, and leave a review with your biggest pie question—what should we bake together next?

Support the show

Liked the episode? We'd love a coffee!

A private chef who learned pasta in an Umbrian cellar, sold out DC markets with recipe cards, and now feeds Pittsburgh with allergy-aware comfort food? That’s Barbara Ann of A B Kitchen, and her story is a tour of how real-world cooking can be both nourishing and exciting without getting fussy.

We visit the nuts and bolts of Barbara's off-site private chef model: custom meal prep, catering that accommodates varied diets, and partnerships with trusted nutrition pros to align flavor with macros and recovery goals. Her background spans DC restaurant trenches, global travel influences, and seasons on Pennsylvania organic farms. Plus a stint at Whole Foods helped guide what cools quickly, reheats cleanly, and still tastes fresh on day two.

We also venture across town to spotlight Tram’s Kitchen, a cash-only Vietnamese staple where plastic tablecloths hide a kitchen making one of Pittsburgh’s most satisfying bowls of bún bò Huế. Creator Karen Hoang explains why the spicy broth, tender noodles, and “no ambiance, all flavor” ethos make it a must-visit when you want substance over scene.

For a quick home win, Lisa Ray from Hamajack Heat Company drops a three-minute guacamole: one avocado, a spoon of Sublime jalapeño sauce, lime, and salt. It’s the kind of recipe shortcut that we love.

Press play, then subscribe, rate, and share with a friend who loves hidden gems and smarter comfort food. Got a favorite no-frills spot or a go-to weeknight hack? Tell us—your tip might make the next show.

Support the show

Liked the episode? We'd love a coffee!