DeRusha Eats

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WCCO Radio’s Jason DeRusha is a known foodie in Minnesota. In DeRusha Eats, Jason takes you around the hottest food stories in town.

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    • Apr 22, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 38m AVG DURATION
    • 55 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from DeRusha Eats

    S3 - Episode 7 - Fellers Ranch

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 36:05


    What is American Wagyu beef? Fellers Ranch, based in southern Minnesota, is trying to elevate American beef and sell premium cuts directly to restaurants and consumers. Troy Kopischke grew up on a farm and partnered with Conger Meats butcher shop owner Jeremy Johnson to help Fellers grow. Minnesota ranchers raise American Wagyu beef, and it's processed in Conger and sent all over the upper midwest. Troy and Jeremy talk with Jason about Wagyu, beef in Minnesota, the trade and tariff environment, and the future of farming in small town Minnesota

    S3 - Episode 6 - Gavin Kaysen

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2025 48:17


    A conversation with Minnesota-based and nationally known chef Gavin Kaysen. The chef and owner of Spoon and Stable, Demi, Bellecour and Mara is sharing stories about mentoring in his new book “The Synergy Series.” 25 chefs who came to Minneapolis to cook talking about their stories, their philosophies and sharing recipes. Gavin talks about his own journey, as well as looks at the state of dining right now.

    S3 - Episode 5 - William H. Macy

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2025 25:33


    You know William H. Macy as an actor. But he's also in the whiskey business. He's in Minnesota on behalf of the Woody Creek Distiller and joins Jason for DeRusha Eats!

    S3 - Episode 4 - The Food Dolls

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 45:29


    The Food Dolls are two Minnesota sisters who loved creating cooking videos. Alia and Radwa Elkaffas started on Facebook in 2005 and now have more than 4 million followers. Instagram, TikTok and YouTube versions of Food Dolls make up another 5 million followers. Now the Elkaffas sisters have their own cookbook: Pretty Delicious: Simple, Modern Mediterranean, Served With Style. The Food Dolls talk with Jason DeRusha about the journey, about imposter syndrome, and about being women and moms building an empire on social media.

    S3 Episode 3 - Joshua Hedquist

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2025 47:58


    From young felon to successful owner of Minnesota pizza chain OG ZAZA - Joshua Hedquist's life story is astonishing and inspiring. How he went from in prison and a 9th grade dropout, to fine dining kitchens in Florida and Minnesota, to opening the most buzzed about pizza restaurant in the Twin Cities. He talks about addiction and what made him quit alcohol and get sober. And is his pizza burned? Hedquist explains the New Haven style of pizza and the surprising way he landed on that in a frank, no-holds-barred conversation.

    S3 Episode 2 - Karyn Tomlinson

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2024 41:36


    St. Paul chef Karyn Tomlinson has been named one of the Best New Chefs of 2024 by Food and Wine magazine. It's the latest national honor for the Minnesota-native who took a winding path towards owning her own restaurant nestled into a small neighborhood, Myriel. She joins Jason to talk about her intense way of connecting with farms and ranches, even being included in one farmer's will. She calls her style "Grandma Chic" and talks about creating a culture of fine dining, femininity and her future ambitions.

    S3 Episode 1 - Restaurant Alma

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2024 48:23


    Alex Roberts and Margo Roberts, Restaurant Alma The most awarded restaurant currently operating in Minneapolis, Minnesota: Restaurant Alma celebrates 25 years in November 2024. Alex recalls the early days with 7 reservations on the books pre-social media; spotting his now-wife in a nearby coffee shop; Margo talks about growing into a co-owner and leadership role in this New American restaurant. We talk leadership, creativity, and family.

    S2 Episode 18

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2024 11:59


    On this DeRusha Eats, Jason asks you what food you're afraid of.

    S2 Episode 17 - Food and Wine Classic

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2024 22:32


    DeRusha Eats is on the road in Aspen, Colorado at the 41st annual FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen. Hear from the three finalists in Bravo's Top Chef TV Culinary competition:  Milwaukee's Dan Jacobs, North Carolina's Savannah Miller and New York City's Danny Garcia. Plus, are restaurants taking themselves too seriously? Maybe we all are. Chef Kwame Onwuachi reminds us: "It's just dinner." Minnesota's Gavin Kaysen talks about fine dining and the culture of rating restaurants instead of being restored within. And Luke Shimp from Red Cow / Red Rabbit tells me why he keeps coming back to Food & Wine every year.

    S2 Episode 16 - Sameh Wadi

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2024 56:50


    Sameh Wadi was a culinary prodigy in his low 20's.Competed on Food Network's Iron Chef at age 24. Had his own fine dining Mediterranean restaurant, Saffron at age 23. But after a decade, he was burned out and closed it. In the interim, his fast-casual World Street Kitchen and ice cream shop Milkjam have taken his energy. But now, post-COVID, he's returning to his roots and rebooting his first love. Why now and what role his identity as a Palestinian-Minnesotan has in his food in this extended conversation.

    S2 Episode 15 - Minnesota Barbeque

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2024 38:39


    What is Minnesota barbeque? Is it a thing? We have seen more and more success in the upper midwest as pitmasters try to create their own flavors and businesses. In the North Metro, both Smokey's BBQ and Jellybean and Julia's have found large audiences and more than a decade of success. Chris Leibel talks about Smokey's Pub & Grill in the East Bethel area. Koli and Cory Swap run Jellybean and Julia's - they share their love story and how they are moving locations and hoping to move their audience with them.

    S2 Episode 14 - Redifining St Paul

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2024 39:18


    Two of my favorite restaurants in the 651 of St Paul Minnesota share their stories of Refining St. Paul food in DeRusha Eats. Jason Hansen and Peter Sebastian talk about their Spanish-inspired bar and restaurant Estelle and their sandwich and pizza shop Mario's. Meanwhile on the East Side, Tongue In Cheek has been getting it done for a decade. Leonard Anderson, his wife, Ashleigh Newman, and Ryan Huseby own and run a neighborhood spot with a regional reputation.

    S2 Episode 13 - Coffee

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2024 42:04


    Let's talk coffee. From the biggest coffee company in Minnesota… innovating around the world. To one of the smallest roasters, growing throughout our cities. Sam Kjellberg is a third wave coffee roaster at SK Coffee. How does he go about crafting flavors- and how did he start SK Coffee? We'll get into it. PLUS Gretchen Hashemi-Rad runs the Caribou Coffee Beverage Category. How does she and her team create new and hot-selling drinks?

    S2 Episode 12 - Leaving the Big City for Small Towns

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2024 40:11


    Chefs Mateo Mackbee and Erin Lucas left Minneapolis for St. Joseph, a small central Minnesota college town, where they're bringing New Orleans cuisine, racial diversity, and a lot of love to their restaurant Krewe. Josh Petzel spent his career running restaurants in the Twin Cities, and left for a Wisconsin River town to raise his family and open the Great River Roadhouse. What's it like to leave the big city? Regrets? Benefits? 

    S2 Episode 11 - Suburbs Post Covid

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2024 51:39


    Maple Grove. Minnetonka. Eagan. Suburbs of the Twin Cities with restaurant owners who are there to sponsor the football and basketball and volleyball teams. The owners of Malone's, Scoreboard Grill, Jimmy's Food, and Brianno's share what it takes to make it work and make it last in the suburbs.

    S2 Episode 10 - Taking a Risk

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2024 41:03


    Jumping into small business ownership can mean taking a big risk. Karl Benson and Marie Dwyer teamed up with chef Gavin Kaysen to build a bakery into their home goods and kitchen store. Vanessa Drews credits an encounter with Prince for helping her leap into owning her own cheesecake business, Cheesecake Funk.

    S2 Episode 9 - Icons Celebrating Decades

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2024 39:53


    They are legends! Two family-owned restaurants, one with 50 years in the Twin Cities, the other with 90. It's hard to imagine our food scene without Keys Cafe - Barbara Hunn is now on 4 generations of family working at these spots, with legendary breakfast. And think of anniversaries, proms, any special occasion in town without being able to go to Northeast Minneapolis and Jax Cafe. The Kozlak family has been making steaks for more than 90 years!! Barbara brought the whole family together to share memories! Bill is a powerhouse of a personality all himself.

    S2 Episode 8 - The Road Trip

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2024 38:07


    Hop in the car and get out of the Twin Cities Metro with two iconic stops: King's Bar and Grill in Miesville in known for 100+ burgers on the menu. Located across from a corn-flanked baseball field, people travel from all over to King's. And on the banks of the St. Croix River in Wisconsin, Pete Foster has built a little empire with three restaurants in Hudson. They explain what's different about running businesses outside the city center.

    S2 Episode 7 - From High School Speech Champions to Celebrity Chefs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2024 27:57


    Both Ann Kim and Justin Sutherland were high school speech competitors, both at Apple Valley High School, in the Minneapolis suburbs. That foundation of storytelling has served both well as they've become celebrity chefs. Ann Kim was featured on Netflix's Chef's Table, she's just opened her first restaurant focusing on her Korean-American cuisine. Justin Sutherland is the host of “Taste The Culture,” he's also been featured on “Fast Foodies.”

    S2 Episode 6 - The Entrepreneurs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2024 39:40


    Two entrepreneurs building their restaurant empires. Randy Stanley has two high-end modern steakhouses in the Twin Cities suburbs. Mark Toth is building a fast-casual chain of restaurants called Urban Wok. How do they find inspiration? What challenges have they overcome?

    S2 Episode 5 - The Farmers

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2023 34:27


    Two farmers for this episode of DeRusha Eats: One is a cheesemaker, Alise Sjostrom, her cheese company Red Head Creamery wins awards all over the world. What's life like in the central minnesota town of Brooton? Trisha Zachman's farm, Feathered Acres, isn't that far from Brooton- Stearns County, Minnesota. Trisha and her husband practice regenerative hog farming - what's that about? We can't enjoy great food, without great farming - and that's in the spotlight in this episode of DeRusha Eats.

    S2 Episode 4 - The Butcher and Grocer

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2023 36:03


    She's a woman who owns a butcher shop! An unusual combination, but Teena Matson joins us to talk about why she thinks women have an advantage in this traditionally male-business. She owns Anoka Meats in the north suburbs of Minneapolis. Plus Jill Holter, talks about how one of the oldest co-ops in the country, the Wedge in Minneapolis, has adjusted with the times and with the increased competition in the grocery space.

    S2 Episode 3 - James Beard Award Winners

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2023 38:11


    Two of our most awarded chefs, both James Beard Award winners, talk about the challenges in their businesses. Sean Sherman's Indigenous-focused restaurant Owamni was named Best New Restaurant in America by the Beard Foundation. What is Indigenous cuisine? Why has it been so hard for Native Chefs to get started? And Alex Roberts won Best Chef: Midwest in 2010, how he's achieved more than 20 years with Restaurant Alma, and his plans for his fast-casual restaurant Brasa.

    S2 Episode 2 - Innovators in the Drinks Space

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2023 49:41


    A national bartending competitor, a CEO driving innovation in CBD, THC, seltzers, sodas and beer, and a founder who's started multiple drinks companies. What's new, what's hot, what's coming? GUESTS: Jessi Pollak, Bar Manager, Spoon and Stable; Janet Johanson, CEO of Bev Source and The Lab; Joe Heron, founder of Bar Diver, Crispin Cider

    S2 Episode 1 - Icons of Minnesota

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2023 40:33


    Since 1950. Al's breakfast has been part of the fabric of the minnesota food scene. What are we without our icons and classics. The spots that have been a part of life since before we were around. The spots we take our kids so they understand that they're part of something bigger. Al's Breakfast is that to Minnesota. It's won most awards out there, and a former server, Alison Kirwin, is now the owner. She tells how it's surviving. And Zorbaz! Around since 1969, now 11 locations all along Minnesota lakes. An essential part of the summer cabin trip, the weird, mexican-pizza combo works. The original owners son Cole Hanson is now running it, and he joins us on this edition of DeRusha Eats.

    Episode 30 - Suburban Innovation

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2023 38:08


    Two risk-takers. Innovators. Building an audience for great food in unexpected locations. Justin Ahlstrom and his wife opened Margie's in a North Suburb of Andover. Craft cocktails. Food from scratch. Live music. Just a great scene. And Mik German - a master of the burger… who's carved out a niche of terrific, creative bar food inside an American Legion Hall in St. Paul Park, the 328 grill. 

    Episode 29 - Growing Latino Culinary Scene

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2023 40:19


    Two men who both should be in the mix for the next cycle of the James Beard Awards: Jorge Guzman has been there, Gustavo Romero should be there. Jorge Guzman  has been a beard award nominee for his work as the executive chef at Surly Brewing's A Brewers Table… an awesome restaurant. He's been at Solera, a distillery in LaCrosse, and now at Petite Leon in Minneapolis - we talk about expectations of a Latino Mexican chef, when it comes to the types of food that he cooks. Very interesting. Plus Gustavo Romero brought his love for heritage corn into a tortillas like the twin cities have never seen. Nixta changed the game with nixtamalized tortillas that taste like corn, instead of nothing. Now he's opened a restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis. We talk about his work bringing together a group of Latino chefs and bartenders as K'ooben- raising their profiles, and drawing attention to some incredible talents in Minnesota. 

    Episode 28 - St. Paul Pride

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2023 34:49


    Three powerhouse women making a real difference in St. Paul, Minnesota. One - the daughter of a founder, Milissa Silva is running her family's business, El Burrito Mercado. We talk grocery, we talk the pain that comes with change, as she is mixing up the way her store does food service. Plus, two women who met in Chicago working at Girl and the Goat, have come back to St. Paul to open a modern clubhouse with incredible food. Tara Coleman started with Hot Hands Pie and expanded next door with Gina Mangiameli to open one of my favorites, Chip's Clubhouse. Let's have some 651 love in DeRusha Eats.

    Episode 27 - Creativity

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2023 39:19


    I'm fascinated by the creative process in restaurants. How do you avoid the regular. The boring. The road oft traveled. Two real creative people here… Steve Schussler is the creative genius behind Rainforest Cafe. He's created dozens of interactive restaurant concepts - including the incredibly successful Boathouse in Downtown Disney in Orlando Florida. His lab is based in suburban Minneapolis - he talks about what drives his creativity today, what diners want, and the difference between Minnesota diners and Disney diners. Plus, Jami Olson. The former bartender became a restaurant owner with Centro and a high-end mexican restaurant. Then the pandemic hit, she shifted, and also has come up with a new ghost kitchen concept called Hippo Pockets. Two creative people… getting it done. 

    Episode 26 - Bakers and Businesswomen

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2023 37:54


    An East Coast businesswoman left a lucrative career in investment banking to follow her husband to the Twin Cities - but food kept calling Lindsay Pohlad. She attended culinary school and opened a restaurant in her adopted home of Wayzata right as the pandemic began. The Grocers Table was named MInnesota Monthly's restaurant of the year - she shares the story of her number one seller, THE Chocolate Chip Cookie. Plus Anne Andrus left a career in nonprofits to go to culinary school in San Francisco. She came home as a baker and opened Honey & Rye Bakery in St. Louis Park. How she finds inspiration in the routine and repetition of baking.

    Episode 25 - Food Hall Chefs

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2023 40:10


    An emotional episode: featuring Jamie Yoo, a Korean immigrant who lost his job when his high end restaurant Bellecour shut down during the pandemic. Yoo felt like a failure, considered quitting the field, until he ended up at a food hall in Minneapolis. Abang Yoli has been a huge hit with it's flavorful Korean Fried Chicken among other treats. Plus, John Ng and Lina Goh came to the Twin Cities from San Francisco because a friend suggested it would be a good place to launch a ramen shop. Zen Box Izakaya became the leader in the midwest, now this couple has launched a food hall called Eat Street Crossing.

    Episode 24 - Jared Brewington and Khalid Ansari

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2023 38:41


    The runaway hit new food at Target Field is a combination of high tech and high culinary. Is there anywhere else in the country you can get a 4-piece of chicken? Jared Brewington talks about being a black businessman and bringing broasted chicken to Twins fans. And hopefully beyond. Plus Khalid Ansari is a restaurant baby - growing up with his sister in his dad's suburban Mediterranean restaurant. They launched a hummus called Baba's in local grocery stores, exploded in popularity with a last-minute booth at the Minnesota State Fair, and are now opening a restaurant in Minneapolis. 

    Episode 23 - Badass Women Leaders

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2023 39:52


    Two Minnesota women leaders talk about inspiration, creativity and their top-notch restaurants. Sarah Botcher is the chef/owner of Black Walnut Bakery - she finds inspiration in the routine of baking. Her croissants and cakes are among Minnesota's finest. Karyn Tomlinson has cooked around the world, her St. Paul restaurant Myriel is taking fresh, local ingredients and bringing them to new heights. We talk about innovating and femininity in the feel of her restaurant.

    Episode 22 - Minneapolis Hotel Chefs

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2023 40:37


    Steven Brown is one of the finest and most acclaimed chefs in Minnesota. He owns two of his own restaurants (Tilia and St. Genevieve) in Minneapolis, and also is the Executive Chef at Giulia in the Hotel Emery. Marque Collins has worked at top restaurants in Chicago for a decade and now is the Executive Chef at Tullibee, inside the North Loop hotel hotspot, the Hewing. Both share the challenges and advantages of working in a hotel, and why a great hotel restaurant is often overlooked in Minnesota.

    Episode 21 - Pizza

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2023 37:17


    Two pizza guys with two unique journeys: John Puckett founded Caribou Coffee, grew it, sold it, and then bought into a Neapolitan Pizza joint called Punch. He shares Punch's growth and the choice to grow it slowly into a dozen locations. Fascinating story of how Punch's business flipped from mostly dine-in, to mostly delivery during the pandemic. Plus, Chris Kolstad made mistakes as a young man - how he went from prison to a business owner of the Pizza Man in suburban Columbia Heights, Minnesota.

    Episode 20 - Farm to Table

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2023 38:28


    You can't talk about food and restaurants without talking about the farm. There may be nowhere quite like Wise Acre Eatery, a Minneapolis restaurant that sources 90% of their produce and proteins from the owner's farm. Scott Endres and Dean Engelmann explain perhaps the shortest version from farm to table in the country. And Erika and Brandon Goette grew up in rural Minnesota - they explain how they decided as millennials to start their own farm and sell directly to consumers through Goette Farms.

    Episode 19 - Influencers

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2023 38:19


    More than professional critics, food influencers may really be impacting what restaurants we eat and how we enjoy food. Kim Ly Curry has been named one of the top 100 food Instagrammers in the country. This Twin Cities mom has nearly 52,000 followers on IG. https://www.instagram.com/kimlycurry/  JD Hovland is a computer engineer who has exploded on TikTok with his restaurant tours - 43,000 followers. https://www.tiktok.com/@jdhovland. We talk ethics, strategy, and how they got their starts.

    Episode 18 - The Food Truck as Incubator

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2023 46:15


    Christina Ngyuen and Birk Grudem fell in love at her vintage shop. The veteran bartender and self-taught cook opened a food truck selling an Argentinian-inspired sandwich - Hola Arepa was born. How this power couple went from a truck to two locations and several James Beard Award nominations. Plus: Sameh Wadi was the youngest and first Palestinian-American chef to battle on Iron Chef in 2010. He opened and closed a fine dining restaurant, Saffron, then a food truck, which graduated to a restaurant World Street Kitchen. We talk the future of dining in a post-pandemic world.

    Episode 17 - Bringing High End Food to Surprising Suburbs

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2023 36:32


    How did the suburb of Robbinsdale, Minnesota become known for high-end, experimental cuisine? Mike Brown and his partners built the first iteration of Travail Kitchen with the money in their savings, using sweat equity to refurbish a restaurant. Today, his team has been James Beard finalists, bringing the most expensive tasting menu experience in town. Plus, a suburb north of St. Paul and Minneapolis only had chain restaurants - how Carly Gatzlaff brought critically acclaimed food and a sense of community to Shoreview with her restaurant Churchill St.

    Episode 16 - From Fancy Dining to Mini-Restaurant Empires

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2023 39:51


    Stephen Hesse worked in some of the best restaurants in the Twin Cities before opening his  Mexican-inspired restaurant Pajarito. Today his Eclectic Culinary Concepts owns 13 restaurants including a chain of suburban pub-style restaurants. How'd that happen? Plus Joe Ehlenz and Brad Nordeen went from city restaurants to an East Metro tourist town - bringing craft cocktails and high-technique to Stillwater, Minnesota and Hudson, Wisconsin.

    Episode 15 - Irish Whiskey

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2023 28:01


    It's the luck of the Irish - the drink of the Irish! Irish Whiskey is a key part of St. Patrick's Day celebrations - meet two founders on this episode of DeRusha Eats. Kieran Folliard started as a pub owner in Minneapolis, created a whiskey and ginger ale cocktail that went crazy, and then founded his own Irish Whiskey. After Folliard sold Two Gingers, he founded an even better whiskey - Red Locks. And direct from Slane Castle in County Meath, Ireland, Alex Conyngham talks about the history of rock and roll at his family's estate and the future of his Irish whiskey brand, Slane, in partnership with American whiskey legend Brown Forman.

    Episode 14 - Bourbon and Cocktails

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2023 38:05


    Bottoms up: this episode of DeRusha Eats is all about bourbon and cocktails. Luke Castle was a bourbon aficionado with a real job who bought his favorite liquor store, Ace Spirits in Hopkins. What's the future for this highly allocated and sought after spirit? Jesse Held was one of the bartenders who helped usher in the era of the craft cocktail in Minnesota. Now he owns his own distillery and restaurant, Earl Giles. What's the future of fancy cocktails? 

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