Podcasts by Heaping Spoonful
"Heaping Spoonful" is a twice-monthly conversation with restaurateurs, chefs, growers and others who have helped generate the legends associated with eateries across the Mid-South. The team at Ben E. Keith is proud to sponsor this adventure with the goal of preserving the stories that have helped cultivate an amazing food scene across the Mid-South.
Further podcasts by Ben E. Keith Mid-South
Podcast on the topic Essen
All episodes
Todd Gold of Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, AR from 2022-02-15T01:00
Todd Gold, Director of Food and Beverage at Saracen Casino Resort, dropped by to tell Heaping Spoonful listeners how the casino is putting Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on the map for fine dining -- thi...
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Phil Brandon of Rock Town Distillery in Little Rock, AR from 2022-01-18T01:00
Phil Brandon stopped by the Heaping Spoonful studio to tell the somewhat far-fetched story of how an electrical engineer by trade ends up establishing the first legal distillery in Arkansas sinc...
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Kim Daly of City Hall Cheesecake in Hernando, MS from 2022-01-04T01:00
Kim Daly of City Hall Cheesecake called the Heaping Spoonful hotline to tell the heartwarming story of how besides creating renowned cheesecake, her three north Mississippi establishments have g...
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Bart Barlogie of the Fold and Raduno in Little Rock, AR from 2021-12-21T01:00
Bart Barlogie stopped by the Heaping Spoonful's studio to talk about the Fold and Raduno, his two Little Rock, AR, restaurants that despite totally different looks, feels and menus have the...
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Heather Baber-Roe of Baja Grill in Central Arkansas from 2021-12-07T01:00
Heather Baber-Roe called the Heaping Spoonful hotline to tell an amazing growth story -- how one Baja Grill in Little Rock led to another in Benton as well as two more restaurants -- and an axe-...
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Mexico Chiquito in Little Rock, AR from 2021-11-16T01:00
Three of the five sisters who grew up working at Mexico Chiquito -- their family's business -- stopped by the Heaping Spoonful studio to talk about the restaurant's 86-year history and...
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Jason Cottingham of Trauma Hogs BBQ in Brookland, AR from 2021-11-02T01:00
Jason Cottingham of Trauma Hogs BBQ in Brookland, Arkansas, stopped by the Heaping Spoonful studio to explain how a barbecue-loving emergency room nurse ended up transitioning to a full-time cul...
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Patrick Reilly of The Majestic Grille in Memphis, TN from 2021-10-19T01:00
Legendary chef/restaurateur Patrick Reilly of The Majestic Grille in downtown Memphis called the Heaping Spoonful studio to tell listeners how an Irish native who already had forged an outstandi...
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Michael Robertshaw of Pizzeria Ruby in Springdale, AR from 2021-10-05T01:00
It was a long path from his native Maine to Seattle for chef Michael Robertshaw, and after 12 years there he landed in Northwest Arkansas, first at Pressroom and then with his own food truck and...
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David Connell, owner/operator of Homer's West in Little Rock, AR from 2021-09-21T01:00
David Connell, owner/operator of Homer's West in Little Rock, stopped by the Heaping Spoonful studio to talk about the exciting news that his legendary home-cooking restaurant is moving jus...
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Tracy Carter of JAC's Craft Smokehouse in West Monroe, LA from 2021-09-07T01:00
Tracy Carter of JAC's Craft Smokehouse hopped on the phone with Heaping Spoonful to explain how his wife Kristi and he launched a sauces and spices business that years later morphed into a ...
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Lisa Zhang of Three Fold Noodles&Dumpling in Little Rock, AR from 2021-08-17T01:00
Lisa Zhang never thought she'd own a restaurant. But the native of China -- after a very successful white-collar career -- now creates dumplings, noodles and steamed buns at her Three Fold ...
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Scott Caradine of Proud Larry's in Oxford, MS from 2021-08-03T01:00
Scott Caradine of Proud Larry's in Oxford, Mississippi, gave Heaping Spoonful a call to talk about how his "come for the food, stay for the music" combo has generated a 28-year t...
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Cheryl Roorda and Zac Smith of SQZBX in Hot Springs, AR from 2021-07-20T01:00
Cheryl Roorda and Zac Smith of SQZBX in Hot Springs, Arkansas, stopped by the studio to tell the amazing story of how a husband and wife musical duo -- who play tuba and accordion, no less -- en...
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Chris Tanner of Cheers, Samantha's Wood Grill&the Oyster Bar in Little Rock, AR from 2021-07-06T01:00
Chris Tanner -- owner of Cheers in the Heights, Samantha's Wood Grill and Tap Room, and the Oyster Bar -- stopped by the Heaping Spoonful studio to talk about how his start as a caterer and...
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David Todd of Longshot at the Arrive Hotel in Memphis, TN from 2021-06-15T01:00
David Todd, better known as "DT," gave Heaping Spoonful a call to talk about his 25-year career on the Memphis restaurant scene, and how what he has learned along the way has shaped hi...
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Jess McMullen of Flyway Brewing and Brood&Barley in North Little Rock, AR from 2021-06-01T01:00
Jess McMullen visited with Heaping Spoonful about how his love of craft beer in college, and a dream hatched a decade ago with a buddy, led the two to co-found Flyway Brewing -- and more recentl...
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Perry Smith of Minute Man in Little Rock, AR from 2021-05-18T01:00
Perry Smith stopped by to tell Heaping Spoonful listeners how his love for Minute Man’s food 50 years ago combined with lessons learned from a successful career in the corporate restaurant world...
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Daniel Bryant, prolific restaurateur in and around Little Rock, AR from 2021-05-04T01:00
Daniel Bryant, owner of more restaurants around Little Rock, AR, than we can list here came to the Heaping Spoonful studio to talk about how he, a self-professed "real estate" guy, got...
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Christy Ouei of Mule Kick in Magnolia, AR from 2021-04-20T01:00
Christy Ouei gave Heaping Spoonful a call to discuss her vision and mission for Mule Kick, a coffee shop -- and so much more! -- adjacent to Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, an establis...
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Jack Sundell of The Root Cafe and Mockingbird Bar and Tacos in Little Rock, AR from 2021-04-06T01:00
Jack Sundell, owner of The Root Cafe and Mockingbird Bar and Tacos in the SOMA District of downtown Little Rock, stopped by the Heaping Spoonful studios to explain how his work in the Peace Corp...
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Marshall Bartlett of Home Place Pastures in Como, MS from 2021-03-16T01:00
Marshall Bartlett grew up on his family's farm near Como, Mississippi. After an Ivy League education, he knew he wanted to come home but not be a row-crop farmer. Marshall called Heaping Sp...
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James Hale of the Grumpy Rabbit in Lonoke, AR from 2021-03-02T01:00
James Hale, executive chef at the Grumpy Rabbit, stopped by the Heaping Spoonful studio to explain how a Lonoke native and husband who chose to return to the small town in Central Arkansas chose...
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Lynn Hewlett of Taylor Grocery in Taylor, MS from 2021-02-16T01:00
Lynn Hewlett gave us a call to explain the phenomenon that is Taylor Grocery, a general-store-turned-catfish-restaurant that draws people from all over the region, particularly from Oxford, the ...
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Rodney Slane, chef and owner of Grotto and Sauced in Eureka Springs, AR from 2021-02-02T01:00
Rodney Slane, chef and owner of Grotto and Sauced -- two thriving restaurants in Eureka Springs, Arkansas -- gave Heaping Spoonful a call to talk about the long, winding and exciting road that l...
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Randy Ellis of Feltner's Whatta-Burger in Russellville, AR from 2021-01-19T01:00
Randy Ellis of Feltner's Whatta-Burger in Russellville, Arkansas, gave Heaping Spoonful a call to talk about his family's legendary burger restaurant and how a commitment to quality --...
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Lou Martin of Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken in Memphis, TN from 2021-01-05T01:00
Lou Martin of Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken in Memphis chatted by phone with Heaping Spoonful, and credited his success to the publicity generated by his appearance on Food Network's "...
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Brian Deloney, owner and chef at Maddie's Place in Little Rock, AR from 2020-12-15T01:00
Brian Deloney, owner and chef at Maddie's Place in Little Rock, Arkansas, dropped in to tell Heaping Spoonful listeners how working in high-energy kitchens at two legendary restaurants owne...
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Elihue Washington, Jr. of the Lassis Inn in Little Rock, AR from 2020-12-01T01:00
Elihue Washington, Jr., -- owner and head fish fryer at the Lassis Inn in Little Rock, Arkansas -- stopped by the Heaping Spoonful studio to talk about his restaurant, which dates back to 1905, ...
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John Currence of Big Bad Breakfast in Oxford, MS from 2020-11-17T01:00
John Currence, who has built a restaurant empire in Oxford, Mississippi, explains how his sense of market opportunities and people's tastes have helped him create four winning concepts, inc...
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Diana Bratton, owner and chef of Taco Mama and Taco Mama Side Town in Hot Springs, AR from 2020-11-03T01:00
Diana Bratton, owner and chef of Taco Mama and Taco Mama Side Town in Hot Springs, Arkansas, stopped by to talk about how her south Texas heritage, culinary school experience and time in the kit...
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Miles McMath of Junior's in Hernando, MS from 2020-10-20T01:00
Miles McMath gave Heaping Spoonful a call to talk about the huge following his Junior's restaurant in Hernando, MS, has developed by doing straightforward home cooking from scratch ... and ...
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Food blogger Kevin Shalin of The Mighty Rib from 2020-10-06T01:00
Kevin Shalin, a popular food blogger known as The Mighty Rib, dropped by the Heaping Spoonful studio to explain how a former school teacher can become an influential blogger with more than 15,00...
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Paul Holt of 4-Dice Restaurant in Fordyce, AR from 2020-09-15T01:00
Paul Holt of 4-Dice Restaurant in Fordyce, Arkansas, gave Heaping Spoonful a call to talk about the colorful history of the restaurant his mother founded in 1967, including the infamous meal Rol...
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Andrew Adams, executive chef at Acre in Memphis, TN from 2020-09-01T01:00
Andrew Adams, executive chef at Acre in Memphis, gave Heaping Spoonful a call to explain how a part-time job in high school was the springboard to an amazing career that years ago reunited him w...
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James Woods of Woods Place in Camden, AR from 2020-08-18T01:00
James Woods of Woods Place checked in by phone to explain the tried-and-true philosophies that have made his restaurant in Camden, Arkansas, a true legend for more than 35 years -- primarily his...
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Kelly English, chef and owner of Restaurant Iris and the Second Line in Memphis, TN from 2020-08-04T01:00
Kelly English, chef and owner of Restaurant Iris and the Second Line, two popular Memphis eateries that are next door to one another near Overton Square, checks in by phone to talk about his pat...
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Ed and Zac David of Faded Rose in Little Rock, AR from 2020-07-21T01:00
Ed and Zac David of Faded Rose in Little Rock stopped by to talk about the amazing, almost-40-year run the Cajun/Creole restaurant has enjoyed as one of the city's most beloved and enduring...
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Cole Ellis of Delta Meat Market in Cleveland, MS from 2020-07-07T01:00
Cole Ellis of Delta Meat Market in Cleveland, Mississippi, checked in by phone to tell his amazing story, which started as a butcher shop, transitioned into a market and now is one of the most r...
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Austin Samuelson of Tacos 4 Life from 2020-06-16T01:00
Austin Samuelson gives us a call to tell Heaping Spoonful listeners how the passion his wife, Ashton, and he have for helping others led them to open Tacos 4 Life, which donates money from each ...
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Travis Hester of Eat My Catfish from 2020-06-02T01:00
Travis Hester checks in by phone to discuss how his bold decision to take out a loan to buy a used food trailer and start frying catfish for the first time in his life has grown into a five-rest...
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Jamie McAfee, general manager and executive chef at the Pine Bluff Country Club from 2020-05-19T01:00
Jamie McAfee, general manager and executive chef at the Pine Bluff Country Club, spoke by phone about his long career in the country club business as well as his close connection to the Universi...
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Donnie Ferneau of Cathead's Diner in Little Rock, AR from 2020-05-05T01:00
Donnie Ferneau talked by phone about the journey that established him as one of the most acclaimed chefs in Arkansas, including lessons learned as the owner-operator of Ferneau and now Cathead&a...
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Matt McClure of the Hive at the 21c Hotel in Bentonville, AR from 2020-04-23T15:00
Matt McClure, executive chef of the Hive at the 21c Hotel in Bentonville, checked in by phone to describe his culinary school and early restaurant experience in New England and the steps that to...
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Matt Bell of Gray&Dudley in Nashville, TN and former owner/operator of South on Main from 2020-04-07T00:00
Chef Matt Bell checks in by phone from his new home in Nashville, TN, where he moved to be executive chef at Gray & Dudley, a restaurant at the 21C Hotel. Matt talks about the journey that s...
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Gio and Vince Bruno of Bruno's Little Italy in Little Rock, AR from 2020-03-17T01:00
Brothers Gio and Vince Bruno talk about growing up at their father's iconic Bruno's Little Italy on Roosevelt Road in Little Rock and the other iterations of the restaurant that led to...
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Jim, Tommy&Jake Keet of Taziki's and Petit&Keet from 2020-03-03T01:00
The Keet restaurant empire in Arkansas began with father Jim's partnership in more than two dozen Wendy's outlets, but the legend has only grown as sons Tommy and Jake have joined forc...
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Capi Peck co-owner/operator of Trio's in Little Rock, AR from 2020-02-18T03:00
Capi Peck, longtime co-owner/operator of Trio's Restaurant, talks about all the time she spent as a young girl at the Hotel Sam Peck, her grandparents' legendary hotel/restaurant in do...
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Mark Abernathy of Red Door and Loca Luna in Little Rock, AR from 2020-02-05T11:00
Veteran restaurateur/chef Mark Abernathy tells listeners what it takes to have staying power in a fickle industry and how his training in Texas and Mexico brought the first authentic Tex-Mex cui...
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Scott McGehee, Executive Chef for Yellow Rocket Concepts from 2019-11-26T09:00
Scott McGehee, executive chef and partner in the five restaurant brands under the Yellow Rocket Concepts umbrella, tells how personal persistence and a commitment to continuous improvement have ...
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Don Dugan of Dugan's Pub and Dizzy's Gypsy Bistro in Little Rock, AR from 2019-11-12T14:00
Don Dugan, the owner/operator of Dugan's Pub and Dizzy's Gypsy Bistro, talks about the long, strange trip that led him in and out of the restaurant business before he emerged as the ow...
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Rob Nelson, Owner/Chef at Tusk and Trotter in Bentonville, AR from 2019-10-22T10:00
Rob Nelson, owner/chef at Tusk and Trotter in Bentonville -- among other establishments -- talks about his journey from Northwest Arkansas to Colorado to France and back to Northwest Arkansas as...
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Anthony Valinoti of Deluca's Pizzeria in Hot Springs, AR from 2019-10-09T09:00
The owner and chef of this renowned Hot Springs spot discusses his varied background and how his first restaurant became an overnight success.
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Mary Beth Ringgold of Capers&Copper Grill in Little Rock, AR from 2019-09-25T15:00
Mary Beth Ringgold, a Little Rock restaurant leader for decades, explains her journey from West Virginia to Knoxville to Little Rock and the circumstances that led her to decide to close Cajun&a...
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George Eldridge of Doe's in Little Rock, AR from 2019-09-10T10:00
Famed Arkansas restaurateur George Eldridge — of The Band Box, The Sports Page and Doe's fame — talks about how he got into the business, his beloved grill top and his long friendship with ...
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George Eldridge of Doe's in Little Rock, AR from 2019-09-10T10:00
Famed Arkansas restaurateur George Eldridge — of The Band Box, The Sports Page and Doe's fame — talks about how he got into the business, his beloved grill top and his long friendship with ...
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George Eldridge of Doe's in Little Rock, AR from 2019-09-10T10:00
Famed Arkansas restaurateur George Eldridge — of The Band Box, The Sports Page and Doe's fame — talks about how he got into the business, his beloved grill top and his long friendship with ...
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