Lawrence Forking Kansas

We had a great time chatting with owner and pitmaster Dale Buchheister of Mr. Bacon BBQ! Learn all about his journey through the food world from Lawrence to New York and back again, what it takes to run a BBQ company, and how COVID kicked off his current business model! Donate to Just Food! Support our show!

We had so much fun talking with owner Paul Harper-O'Connor of Paul's Better Bakery! Hear all about how Paul made the jump from working in healthcare in Hawaii to owning a bakery in Lawrence, what it took to troubleshoot and eventually nail the famously-fussy macaron, and his ever-expanding sweet and savory offerings!  Donate to Just Food! Support our show!

We had a blast talking with Bryan Zesiger and Gina Montalbano from Z&M Twisted Vines Winery and Vineyard! Learn all about how this dynamic duo turned their shared passion for wine into a thriving business, how they experiment with different production methods to come up with interesting offerings like coffee wine or unique fruit wines, and how they implement sustainable practices by repurposing the byproducts of the wine-making process!  Donate to Just Food! Donate to …

We had so much fun talking with Will and Hannah Soo of Lucky Seb's Dumpling Bar & Grill! Learn all about how Will's upbringing in restaurants prepared him to open his own, how they manage to make all of their dumplings by hand each week, and how keeping their menu small has allowed them to focus on their favorite items! Donate to Just Food! Donate to the Lawrence Hospitality Workers Crisis Fund! Support our show!

We had a blast chatting with Mike Young and Chetan Michie of Latchkey Deli! Learn all about the origins behind this incredible new deli, the amazing knowledge and effort that goes into their house-made meats and other goodies, and their experience opening a business during the COVID-19 pandemic!  Donate to Just Food! Donate to the Lawrence Hospitality Workers Crisis Fund! Support our show!  

We had so much fun chatting with Sophie Tate and Emily Lysen about the Lawrence Farmers’ Market! Check out our latest episode for information about the history of the market, how COVID-19 has affected this downtown tradition, and exciting changes coming to the market in the future!  Donate to Just Food! Donate to the Lawrence Hospitality Workers Crisis Fund! Donate to the Lawrence Farmers’ Market! Support our show!

We had a blast talking with Mass Street Soda owner Luke Thompson and manager Maren Ludwig! Hear all about the origins of this unique downtown shop, what it takes to curate their huge selection of craft sodas, and their new offering for 2021: 365 Days of Soda! Donate to Just Food! Donate to the Lawrence Hospitality Workers Crisis Fund! Support our show!

Happy Restaurant Week, Lawrence! We sat down with Downtown Lawrence Inc. executive director Sally Zogry and Lawrence Restaurant Association board member Nate Morsches to learn about all of the changes for 2021. Listen to our latest episode for some highlights to check out, and tips on how to (safely) support our local restaurants this winter!  Donate to Just Food! Donate to the Lawrence Hospitality Workers Crisis Fund! Support our show!  

We had so much fun talking with owner Lora Wiley about Au Marché! Learn all about the origins of this unique Mass St. shop, what it takes to stock their store with European goodies, and how their coffee got attention from President Obama!  Donate to Just Food! Donate to the Lawrence Hospitality Workers Crisis Fund! Support our show!

We had a blast talking with the ownership team from RPG! Hear all about the inspiration behind their board game/restaurant concept, their local mead offerings, and how they’ve adapted a business model designed to bring people together for pandemic times with #bringRPGhome! Donate to Just Food! Donate to the Lawrence Hospitality Workers Crisis Fund! Support our show!

We had so much fun talking with Maulik Trivedi and Jodi Palmer from Trivedi Wine! Learn all about how a vacation to Germany prompted a career change for Maulik, the process of how wine is made, and how they’ve managed to use wine to create a sense of community even within the limitations of the COVID pandemic!  Donate to Just Food! Donate to the Lawrence Hospitality Workers Crisis Fund! Support our show!

We had so much fun talking with Kelli Huslig and Krys O’Brien from Uplift Coffee Shop! Learn all about Kelli’s transition from teacher to coffee shop owner, how they’ve incorporated positivity and a sense of community into everything they do, and how they’ve adapted the business for success during the coronavirus pandemic!  Donate to Just Food! Donate to the Lawrence Hospitality Workers Crisis Fund! Support our show!

We had so much fun talking with Holly and David Heitmann of Pedestrian! Learn all about how their background in restaurants inspired their first business together, how they work with local and regional farms and suppliers to bring the best and most interesting cheeses to Lawrence, and what it was like to open a new restaurant in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic! Donate to Just Food! Donate to the Lawrence Hospitality Workers Crisis Fund! …

We had a blast talking with Elliot Pees of KANbucha! Learn all about the process of making kombucha, how a kombucha sample from Texas inspired Elliot to start experimenting on his own and eventually start KANbucha, and how he comes up with new flavors to try!  Donate to Just Food! Donate to the Lawrence Hospitality Workers Crisis Fund! Support our show!

We had a great time talking with Liz Keever and Ryan Bowersox of Just Food! Hear all about the origins and mission of Just Food, the multitude of community classes and programs they offer, and how they’ve been handling increased demand over the past few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic! Donate to Just Food! Donate to the Lawrence Hospitality Workers Crisis Fund! Support our show!

We had a blast talking to Scott Thellman and Michael Beard of Sunflower Provisions! Learn all about their wild journey of starting a new business in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, where they source their 180+ local products from, and how they pull it all together for hundreds of orders each week! Donate to the Lawrence Hospitality Workers Crisis Fund! Support our show!

We had a blast talking to Panta Florez of Maseualkualli Farms and Rick Martin of the Kitchen Scratch app! We learned a ton about everything they’re doing to expand access to local produce both for consumers and the local restaurant industry, as well as the effects the coronavirus pandemic is having on the local food scene. Donate to the Lawrence Hospitality Workers Crisis Fund! Support our show!

We had so much fun talking with owner Louis Wigen-Toccalino from Decade! Hear all about how Decade began with a passion for coffee, the beginnings of the Warehouse Arts District, how Decade manages to turn out such great food and baked goods in such a small space, and what Louis has in store for his new venture, the Cellar Door Cafe! Donate to Just Food to help families affected by COVID-19. Support our show!  

We had so much fun talking with owner Scott Thellman from Juniper Hill Farms! Learn all about how he started his business in high school and expanded it little by little to now include regional grocery store distribution, what types of produce he grows with his sustainable practices, and what it’s like to be a young first-generation farmer in the 21st century! Vote for us on Best of Lawrence! Support our show!

We had a blast talking with Sylas & Maddy’s owner Cindy England! Learn all about their beginnings in Lawrence back in 1997, how they develop and create their unique flavor offerings, and details about their new location at 11th and Mass! Be sure to check out the new location’s Grand Opening on January 26!  Support our show!

Happy Restaurant Week 2020, Lawrence! We sat down with Sally Zogry and Emily Peterson from Downtown Lawrence, Inc. to get insider information on Lawrence’s biggest food event of the year! Check out the menus here: Lawrence Restaurant Week Website Support our show!

We had a blast talking with Emily and TK Peterson of Merchants Pub & Plate! Hear all about how their values of inclusivity and Midwest hospitality inspire everything they do, what it’s like to occupy such a large historic building downtown, and how they stay on top of beer trends to create their huge list of tap offerings!  Support our show!

We had a great time talking with Chef Rick Martin about all his fascinating and inspiring projects in the Lawrence food scene! Learn all about how he got his start in the restaurant industry, his teaching roles for both local high school students and adults, and how his restaurant consulting business is helping Lawrence restaurants! Support our show!

We had so much fun talking with owner Ruben Leal of Caramelo Tortillas! Learn all about how Ruben went from working at KU and making tortillas at home to distributing them to the Merc and eventually all over the country with his online store, how his recent national press coverage has affected his growing operation, and Ruben’s future plans for an expansion to craft barbecue!  Support our show!

We had a great time chatting with bar director Katrina Weiss and culinary director Zach Thompson from 715 for our 12th episode! Learn some fun facts about their pasta production, cocktail program, historic building, and infamous Instagram account as they get ready to celebrate 10 years in business on Mass Street! Support our show!

Alchemy owners Ben Farmer and Joni Alexander-Farmer join us for our 11th episode! We had so much fun chatting with them about their business’s incredible growth from a 400-square-foot coffee shop to the large downtown coffee shop and kitchen they have today, the “alchemy” (and really hard work) behind their coffee and kitchen offerings, and how they expanded their initial small-scale cold brew process to supply enough for wholesale in three states! Support our show!

Lawrence Beer Company’s president and co-founder Matt Williams and head brewer Sam McClain join us for our 10th episode! We had lots to talk about: the inspiration behind their exceptional beer and food, the wild logistics behind their 2017 opening party, and the details about their newest bottle release, their upcoming 2nd anniversary party, and their future space in West Lawrence!   

Lee Meisel of Leeway Franks and Leeway Butcher joins us for our ninth episode! Hear all about how a high school job at a butcher inspired a love of the craft, the inspiration behind his menu of simple foods done exceptionally well, and the philosophy behind their several holiday special events! 

Associate general manager and bar manager Evan Epperson from J. Wilson’s joins us for our eighth episode! Learn all about their transition from Marisco’s to J. Wilson’s, their sustainability efforts, and the local wines and spirits on their drink menu!

Bon Bon! team Ryan Bowersox, Devin Campbell, and Stephanie Goetz join us for our seventh episode! Hear all about their new building and grand re-opening, their new menu (what old dishes made the cut?!), and how they use Midwestern ingredients to create world cuisine right here in Lawrence.

Dante Colombo, Cammie Mitchener, and Logan Oleen from John Brown’s Underground join us for our sixth episode! Learn about how their space went from bank to bar, the process behind creating their newest menu, and the particular challenges of putting together “bartender’s choice” orders!

The Waffle Iron’s Sam Donnell joins us for our fifth episode! Hear all about how an obsession with perfecting panang curry led to an obsession with creating the perfect waffle, how Instagram has influenced his waffle evolution, and which of his many creative waffle offerings is his favorite!  

We welcome Laura Klein, managing partner and front of house manager at Mass St. Fish House & Raw Bar, for our fourth episode! Learn all about the logistics of getting fresh seafood to Kansas, where their seafood is sourced from, and how oysters are like wine!

Lark a Fare’s general manager Kyle Bennett and chef Chetan Michie join us for our third episode! Learn all about their journeys through various Lawrence-area kitchens before creating Lark a Fare’s modern Midwest vibe, how they rise to the challenge of creating options for those with dietary restrictions, and the upcoming Just Food benefit Jay’s Dinner that they’re hosting!

We welcome Amy Pope of Repetition Coffee for our second episode! Learn about how co-owners Amy and Ryan Pope came back to Lawrence from Paris to start Repetition, what it takes to bring specialty coffee to Lawrence, and Amy’s recent trip to Uganda and Kenya!

We welcome Regan Pillar of Culinaria for our very first episode! Hear all about their transition from home chefs to the catering world to owning their own restaurant, the inspiration behind their Mediterranean small plates, and the story behind their hashtag, #culinarialovesyou !

Lawrence Forking Kansas is a new podcast exploring the food scene in Lawrence, KS. Join husband-and-wife team Jake Bellucci and Kristen Allen as they interview owners and chefs from establishments new and old in Lawrence. Episodes coming soon!