You know we love a good food-and-art crossover around here. (You may recall our conversation with Malaika Hollist of Arts Axis Florida.)

So when we heard that Miami-based multidisciplinary artist Chris Friday had a food-related exhibition at the Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design, we wanted to learn more. (Not to mention, June is National Soul Food Month!)

Where We Never Grow Old is Friday’s first solo museum exhibition. It depicts literal and metaphorical safe havens traditionally cherished by the African-American community. Large-scale charcoal drawings are embellished with life-sized ceramic sculptures of food—soul food favorites like mac and cheese, candied yams, deviled eggs—finished in gold. 

Friday (that’s what the cool kids call her) spoke with Dalia about how making ceramic food isn’t so different from cooking, and about how the exhibition reflects her identity as a Black American woman. Where We Never Grow Old is on exhibit at the Sarasota Art Museum through Aug. 10, 2025.

Related episodes:

• Malaika Hollist of Arts Axis Florida on West African Food, Imposter Syndrome and More

• The City of Tampa Needs Your Recipes for its Soulwalk Community Cookbook

• From the Big House to the White House: Dr. Martha Bireda on Foodways of the Enslaved

By Dalia Colón

It’s one thing to cook food. But talking about food on the radio takes a lot more than knife skills. And Francis Lam does it so well.

Lam is a food writer, cookbook editor and host of the popular public radio program The Splendid Table. On June 1, he’ll be at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center for a sold-out live taping of the show.

Ahead of his visit to Florida, Francis chatted with Dalia Colón from his hometown of New York City, where he lives and works. In this conversation, Francis shared how his Chinese-American upbringing helped him learn to talk about food on the radio, the Florida foods he's most excited to try and his dream Splendid Table guest—a name that might surprise you. 

Thanks to The Zest’s brand manager, Alexandria Ebron, for suggesting this episode. If you have an idea for a Zest guest, email [email protected]

Related episodes:

• Yee Farms Brings Chinese Vegetables and a “Sense of Pride” to Boynton Beach

• In “My (Half) Latinx Kitchen,” Kiera Wright-Ruiz Explores Identity Through Food

• Giuliano Hazan Honors Mother Marcella Hazan’s Legacy Through Italian Cooking Classes in Sarasota and Italy

As we say every week, this podcast celebrates cuisine and community in the Sunshine State. A fun way to foster community is to host a plant and seed swap. Not only will you get to know your neighbors, but you’ll come away with seeds and cuttings for your edible garden.

Hosting the event doesn’t have to be intimidating or time-consuming. Here to show us the ropes is Ginain Grayes, founder of Cook Pray Slay, where she shares recipes, gardening advice and lifestyle tips. She also hosts the Cook the Garden podcast. Ginain has organized several plant and seed swaps for her neighborhood. 

Dalia visited Ginain at her home in Riverview. As they sat at her dining room table sipping homemade Hibiscus Lime Refreshers, Ginain shared why summer is the perfect time to host a plant and seed swap. In this conversation, she also offers tips for organizing your own event, suggests vegetables that grow well in the summer heat and explains how to use the warmer months to prep your garden for Florida’s next big growing season.

To get Ginain’s digital Host Your Own Plant & Seed Swap Guide, click here.

Related episodes:

• For Ginain Grayes of CookPraySlay & Cook the Garden, Growing Food Is a Spiritual Experience

• Spring Reset: Get Your Garden, Grill & Pantry Ready for the Season with Tips from Southern Kitchen’s Mackensy Lunsford

• Guac This Way: Sleepy Lizard Avocado Farm in the Everglades Specializes in Florida (Green) Avocados

Pizza fraud, fried mullet masquerading as a bird and produce used as weapons. For Craig Pittman, it’s all in a day’s work. 

Craig is a journalist and author of several books about the quirky side of our state. His latest is Welcome to Florida—or, for short, WTF. He also co-hosts a podcast of the same name.

Many of these stranger-than-fiction stories involve food, so we invited Craig on the pod to share a few of his favorite epicurean anecdotes. A Florida native known for wearing  tropical-themed shirts, Craig explains how his interest in quirky news stories started in childhood. He also shares his favorite under-the-radar eateries around the state.

To subscribe to Craig’s Oh, Florida! Newsletter, click here.

Related episodes:

• Author & Restaurateur Randy Wayne White on Rum, Hot Sauce & His Latest Doc Ford Novel

• “Call Anthony” Gilbert Reviews Food at Gas Stations and Other Overlooked Eateries

• “Happiest Plate on Earth” Podcast Hosts Dish on Disney Dining

There’s no shortage of Cuban restaurants in Florida. But one stands out for its commitment to the history and culture of Cubans of African descent.

At Soul de Cuba Cafe in Tampa’s Seminole Heights neighborhood, the decor includes dozens of framed family pictures—the ancestors of the restaurant’s founder and CEO, Jesús Puerto. On one wall, there’s a mural-size black-and-white photo from 1944 depicting dark-skinned people socializing and dancing—the women in dresses, the men in suit jackets and Panama hats. They were members of Martí-Maceo Society, a social club for Tampa’s Black Cubans, formed because segregation kept them from joining a similar group full of their lighter-skinned counterparts.

Jesús wants guests to leave with knowledge—and with full bellies, of course. The menu includes traditional Cuban favorites like roast pork and ropa vieja, as well as modernized options, such as mojo salmon and veggie empanadas. He also sells a line of take-home sauces.

Jesús chatted with Dalia about what makes Afro-Cubans unique, the importance of knowing your history and Soul de Cuba Cafe’s must-try foods and cocktails. He also makes a case for why Tampa, not Miami, deserves bragging rights as the birthplace of the Cuban sandwich.

Thanks to Jim Webb for the episode suggestion and photos of Soul de Cuba Cafe. If you’d like to suggest a Zest guest, email us at [email protected].

Related episodes:

• Former “Real Housewife” Ana Quincoces on Her New Cookbook, “Modern Cuban”

• Miami Herald’s Carlos Frías on Cuban Coffee, Edible Iguanas & Winning the James Beard Award

• The Cuban Sandwich: Our National Treasure

• How “Food Led the Way” for Cuban Influence in Tampa

When it comes to baking cakes, most of us reach for the same ingredients—milk, eggs, butter…

But Sira Garib says you can have all of the flavor with none of the animal products—good news for her customers, many of whom are vegan or have dairy allergies. 

Sira is the founder and CEO of Pure Vegan Cakes, which specializes in custom plant-based cakes, cupcakes and cookies. Originally from South Florida, she has baked for some pretty big names, including actress and vegan influencer Tabitha Brown—an encounter that Sira credits with taking her business to the next level.

Sira stopped by the Zest studios at WUSF for a chat with Dalia Colón. In this conversation, she shares how she went from baking cakes for family and friends to being South Florida’s go-to plant-based celebrity baker and developing her own line of baking mixes. She also shares advice transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle and tips for baking a better cake.

Related episodes:

• Plant-Powered Education: Solid Rock Community School in Tarpon Springs Offers 100% Vegan Cafeteria Menu

• How “Fab the Vegan” Dropped 150 Pounds, Reversed Diabetes & Became a Plant-Based Influencer

• Natalia Veganizes Recipes from The Great British Baking Show

• How to Start a Cottage Food Business in Florida: Lessons from the Lentil House

She’s a podcast host, the child of immigrants and a self-described picky eater. Today we’re getting to know Malaika Hollist. 

As brand manager of WUSF’s Arts Axis Florida, Malaika creates content to promote local artists and arts organizations. While she doesn’t call herself a foodie, Malaika recognizes commonalities between what she does at Arts Axis and what we do here at The Zest.

Malaika sat down in the studio with The Zest’s Dalia Colón and Alexandria Ebron. In this conversation, Malaika shares her favorite ways to combine food with the arts, discusses what she ate growing up as the child of parents from Sierra Leone and reflects on the importance of sharing her culture with pride.

Related episodes:

• Couples in the Kitchen: Melissa Santell & Bryce Bonsack

• Giuliano Hazan Honors Mother Marcella Hazan’s Legacy Through Italian Cooking Classes in Sarasota and Italy

• Dr. Fred Opie on the “Fascinating” African Roots of Florida Foods

Many Florida restaurants have received nods from some pretty prestigious organizations.

At the same time, there’s a whole other culinary scene that’s equally popular—one that, sadly, will likely never be the radar of the prestigious Michelin Guide or James Beard Foundation. We’re talking about food served in convenience stores, gas stations and other mom-and-pop eateries. Maybe you’ve eaten some amazing food in these places. Maybe you’re even among the tens of thousands of people who follow our guest on social media.

Anthony Gilbert, better known online as Call Anthony, has garnered a cult-like following with his video reviews of Tampa Bay’s under-the-radar eateries. That standing-room-only barbecue joint? Anthony says it’s got the best smoked oxtails in town. The $5 chicken wings in the sketchy-looking corner store? There’s a reason why that place is always packed. If you’re feeling uneasy about going inside, Anthony will show you that there’s nothing to worry about.

Anthony grew up in the housing projects of East Tampa, and most of his reviews highlight food spots in underprivileged neighborhoods. But his fan base is wide-reaching, helping to bring a variety of customers to small, often Black-owned businesses.

Anthony stopped by the Zest studios at WUSF Public Media for a chat with Dalia Colón and Alexandria Ebron. In this conversation, he shares some of his favorite local eateries, why he believes his food reviews are resonating with the public and his plans to open a restaurant of his own. Warning: This conversation will make you hungry.

Is Florida's new signature scent... vanilla?

A few weeks ago here on the pod, Chef Justin Timineri of Fresh From Florida told us about some of his favorite trending agricultural products coming out of the Sunshine State. One in particular caught our attention: vanilla.

You can almost smell it, can’t you? That warm, sweet, comforting scent that reminds you of baking chocolate chip cookies or lighting your favorite candle.

Stephanie Webb knows the aroma all too well. As the founder and owner of Sunshine State Vanilla, she cultivates and sells vanilla plants grown on a farm on Pine Island in Lee County. She also has a line of vanilla-scented kitchen and bath products. 

Predominantly grown in Africa and South America, vanilla is starting to flourish here Florida, thanks to folks like Stephanie and her partners, which include local farmers and researchers.

The Zest team recently met up with Stephanie. In our conversation, she shares what led to her interest in vanilla, why the plant’s beans are so expensive and her favorite sweet and savory ways to cook with vanilla.

Stephanie also explains why Florida is a perfect place to grow vanilla plants—and to host the inaugural Florida Vanilla Symposium, which takes place this Saturday, April 12, 2025, at Fallen Oak Farms in Valrico. It’s open to the public.

Thanks to Kenya Woodard for suggesting this episode. If you’d like to suggest a Zest guest, email us at: [email protected]

Related episodes:

• Guac This Way: Sleepy Lizard Avocado Farm in the Everglades Specializes in Florida (Green) Avocados

• The Olive Grove Brings a Taste of Tuscany to Brooksville

• Conscious Cuisine: Rocky Soil Family Farm on How to Reconnect with Your Food

No fish story here.

If you eat seafood, then Chef Steve Phelps wants you to know something—like, actually know something—about what you’re consuming. That striped bass at the grocery store seafood counter—where did it come from? The tuna melt you ordered for lunch from your favorite diner—how was that fish caught?

Steve is co-owner and head chef of Indigenous. Since he opened the restaurant in 2011, it’s become one of the most sought-after dinner reservations in Sarasota, and Steve was a two-time semi-finalist for James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef South award.

He’s also stepped into a role as one of the area’s most vocal advocates for responsible seafood consumption. Dalia first met Steve during a screening of the PBS docuseries Hope in the Water, and she invited him on the podcast to do a deep dive (sorry, couldn’t resist!) about how restaurant goers and home cooks can enjoy seafood responsibly. In this conversation, Steve shares:

Related episodes:

• Conscious Cuisine: How to Choose Sustainable Seafood

• Spirit of the Panhandle: Distillery 98 in Santa Rosa Beach Makes Oyster-Filtered Vodka

• Awww… Shucks! “OysterMom” Deborah Keller on the Importance of Sustainable Aquaculture