The As Told By Podcast

Kahja Elliott
  • 5.0 (12)
  • DOCUMENTARY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Food. We all love it. But how much do we know about the people who’ve made it their business? Join food enthusiast and host Kahja Elliott as she talks to some of the industry’s most influential voices, from celebrated chefs and restaurateurs to voices in food media, rising culinary stars, innovative and iconic brands, and food industry thought leaders and discovers the stories of how they’re helping shape culinary culture. As someone who’s always loved the adventure and wanderlust of food, Kahja has also been drawn to the backstories; what makes people choose this as a career, and how do they bring communities and cultures along with them? With the rise of food TV focused on storytelling beyond just recipe or competition shows, The As Told By Podcast highlights the creative and the business sides of the industry, from leading culinarians who are informing what’s on your plate, to CEOs, food justice and entrepreneur-based organizations, and food writers crafting the the paths and stories of how it gets there. We all have a role in the system of food, so join Kahja for a behind the scenes taste of the people helping to make it happen!

  1. MAR 3

    (RE-RUN) Charleston In Charge: As Told By Alyssa Maute Smith of Charleston Wine & Food Festival

    ReE-RUN; originally released April 1, 2025 It's time for Season 6, and we're kicking things off in Charleston, South Carolina at the Charleston Wine and Food Festival with Executive Director Alyssa Maute Smith! Held annually in March, CHSWF has become one of the preeminent food festivals in the country, with its week-long celebration of all things, culinary, culture, and community! This week, Kahja talks with Alyssa about her Carolina upbringing and the responsibility of showcasing the best of her hometown, the rigors of event management, Charleston's growing designation as a multi-ethnic culinary destination, leveraging the power of teamwork to prioritize the visitor experience, and the excitement of looking forward to celebrating the festival's 20th celebration in 2026! Recorded on location in Charleston, SC. Learn more about Charleston Wine & Food Festival! Follow Charleston Wine & Food on IG @chswineandfood! Check out my Substack review of North Charleston's King BBQ, named one of Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurants of 2024! Be sure to leave a 5 star review if you enjoyed this episode! For advertising or sponsorship opportunities, visit kayinthebay.com. Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay Intro music by Diff Works

    39 min

  2. FEB 17

    (RE-RUN) "And For My Next Act....": As Told By Craig Murli of June's Pizza

    *RE-RUN; originally released October 2, 2024 What do you do when what you know suddenly shifts and you need to make something happen? You take your fine dining background, a few good people, and your entrepreneurial hustle, and you create one of Oakland's most buzzed about pop-ups in recent years, June's Pizza (@junes_pizza)!  Initially opening during the pandemic to acclaim and customer demand, Craig Murli prioritized growth by focusing on simplicity, with a pared down menu featuring nothing but wood-fired Margherita pizza plus a special, and their notorious dusting of Grana Padano! Recalibrated and recently reopened, June's Pizza is living in the paradigm of delayed, not denied. In this episode, Kahja talks with Craig about the frustration of hustling for someone else's dream, bringing a "soigné" approach to restaurant work and life, leaving marketing to the people who love your product, not waiting until you have all the answers to move forward, brand transference, and remaining humble on the way back up after experiencing the pitfalls of being a business owner. Recorded  in West Oakland, CA June's Pizza Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at kayinthebay.com and @heykayinthebay.

    45 min

  3. FEB 3

    (RE-RUN) That Girl: As Told By Courtnee Futch-Brinson

    *RE-RUN; originally released August 6, 2024. It's often said that you can taste the love in food, and if that's true, then expect to be served up nothing but deliciousness at the hands of Courtnee Futch-Brinson (@courtneefutch)!  Take formal training as a pastry chef and mixologist, combine it with a Southern upbringing and a rich kitchen background, stir in a career as a Culinary Producer on the precipice of creating room for new stories, and add in a penchant for love and romance that intersects with food, and you've got the recipe for Courtnee's success in her life and career! This week, Kahja talks with Courtnee about understanding the impact of the kind of food family you come from, why there's so much more to Culinary Producers than meets the eye, the excitement of growing a business dedicated to shining light on emerging talent, the ongoing need for diverse voices in the food industry, and examining the concepts of love, romance, and culinary prowess as mile markers on the road to personal and career growth. Recorded on location in Atlanta, GA. @courtneefutch Be sure to leave a 5 star review if you enjoyed this episode! For advertising or sponsorship opportunities, visit kayinthebay.com. Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay

    1h 3m

  4. JAN 20

    (RE-RUN) Foodways & An Ancestral Gaze: As Told By Crystal Wilkinson

    Re-run; originally released March 5, 2024. More than anywhere else, our ancestral origins are found in food, and while migratory patterns and industrialization may have created a few degrees of separation, our memories help ensure that the lived experiences of those before us never really die. To kick off Season 5, Kahja is talking to Award-Winning Writer, Bush-Holbrook Endowed Professor, and Poet Laureate of Kentucky (2021-2023) Crystal Wilkinson about her latest book, Praisesong For The Kitchen Ghosts, in which she recalls the influence of her family's matriarchs and patriarchs, and what her upbringing in the foothills of the Appalachian region and regional foodways have come to represent. In this episode, Crystal talks with Kahja about giving voice to our ancestor's stories, the depth of ways Appalachian culture has shaped her culinary sensibility, the sacredness in communing over food as a learned process, love and grief as kitchen ingredients, and how looking back converges with the path to looking ahead. Crystal Wilkinson Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts @crystalwilki Be sure to leave a 5 star review if you enjoyed this episode! For advertising or sponsorship opportunities, visit kayinthebay.com. Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay Recorded on location at Fairmont San Francisco

    48 min

  5. JAN 6

    (RE-RUN) Write On!: As Told By Mona Holmes of Eater LA

    **Re-run; originally released May 27, 2025   Food writers play a critical role in shaping the culture of a place, and in a big city like Los Angeles, big voices like Mona Holmes of Eater LA have become trusted sources for food reporting that not only share the places you should be eating, but the stories of the people and communities that make restaurants a vital economic resource in the region. This week, Mona talks with Kahja about working in restaurants as a way to understand the business of food, the ongoing question of which California region has the best Mexican cuisine, how LA's culinary culture has been informed by Black migration and growing immigrant populations, the economic impact of regulatory processes on food businesses and cities, the state of the restaurant industry in LA post-wildfires and Kahja's discovery of Altadena, food writing and the presence of Black voices, the joy of solo dining, and the excitement of the evolving face of the restaurant industry in the area. Recorded on location in Los Angeles, CA. @monaeats Eater LA Be sure to leave a 5 star review if you enjoyed this episode! For advertising or sponsorship opportunities, visit kayinthebay.com. Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay Intro music by Diff Works

    1h 10m

  6. 12/16/2025

    The Pride of Lions: As Told By C-Y & Shane of Lion Dance Cafe (S6/E23)

    Starting with pop-ups that went on to become a full scale restaurant in late 2020, C-Y Chia and Shane Stanbridge turned up the volume on Oakland's food scene at Lion Dance Cafe with a menu that highlighted fresh vegan fare steeped in a rich profile of spice and flavor reflective of their respective cultural backgrounds in Teochew Singaporean and California Italian cuisine. Garnering national attention with nods from Michelin Guide and the New York Times, they shocked the Bay Area community in 2024 with the announcement of their closure, proving why going out on top serves as much of a purpose as staying put.      On this final episode of season 6, Kahja talks with C-Y and Shane about creating community through food when communal dining isn't an option, the theory of experiential dining, the nuances of food and hospitality in pop-up environments vs. your own location, making the decision to leave the Bay and reconnecting with parts of yourself in familiar places that've evolved and changed, being intentional about uplifting other producers, the process of creating their upcoming cookbook in a way that's approachable for home cooks, and looking forward to new beginnings.  Recorded on location in Oakland, CA. Lion Dance Cafe @liondancecafe Sign upon for LDC's Newsletter for updates! Learn about LDC's upcoming cookbook! Be sure to leave a 5 star review if you enjoyed this episode! For advertising or sponsorship opportunities, visit kayinthebay.com. Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay. Intro music by Diff Works

    1h 6m

  7. 12/02/2025

    Flavor Fave: As Told By Andrea Ramirez of Torani (S6/E22)

    With a brand spanning 150+ flavors worldwide and a product line that includes syrups, smoothie mixes, and purees, Torani is a staple at the places making your favorite beverages from coffee to cocktails, and they're more than just drinks!  Celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2025, they have a finger on the pulse of what's new and next, and as the Consumer & Customer Market Insight Manager, Andrea Ramirez is focused on trends that inform tastes and palates! This week, Kahja chats with Andrea at Torani's Flavor Factory about finding a home in the East Bay, how pop culture impacts beverage culture, the scientific process of bringing flavors to life, understanding the relationship between experience and taste, learning how to be an effective taste tester, the benefit of being a banner brand, an employee environment that centers growth and development, demonstrating community commitment, bringing the coffee shop approach to kitchens, staying relevant by studying social behavior, and the limitless potential of creations to come. Recorded on location in San Leandro, CA. Torani Facebook: @ToraniFlavor Instagram: @Torani TikTok: @ToraniFlavor Pintrest: @ToraniFlavor Be sure to leave a 5 star review if you enjoyed this episode! For advertising or sponsorship opportunities, visit kayinthebay.com. Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay. Intro music by Diff Works

    56 min

  8. 11/18/2025

    Everything And The KitchenSync: As Told By Chef Randy Wilkes of KitchenSync (S6/E21)

    Picture going to work at one of the biggest global tech companies and pausing midday to take a cooking class! This may not sound like a traditional workplace experience, but for employees at Google's San Francisco campus, it's a tasty way to spice up a day in the office!  Led by Executive Sous Chef Randy Wilkes, KitchenSync is a full teaching kitchen where culinary professionals lead participants through in-person and digital classes centered on the joy of cooking recipes together that are both culturally and seasonally relevant, focusing on a hands-on, step-by-step approach to building confidence in the kitchen. This week, Kahja talks with Chef Randy about the strategy of learning more than just your role, pivoting away from the call of culinary burnout, the art of teaching food preparation, industry optionality through corporate dining, structuring dishes for maximum flavor balance, understanding the science of recipes, electing a more leisurely career path, and picking the culinary road that's right for you. Recorded on location in San Francisco, CA. @badpanda9 Be sure to leave a 5 star review if you enjoyed this episode! For advertising or sponsorship opportunities, visit kayinthebay.com. Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay. Intro music by Diff Works

    44 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Food. We all love it. But how much do we know about the people who’ve made it their business? Join food enthusiast and host Kahja Elliott as she talks to some of the industry’s most influential voices, from celebrated chefs and restaurateurs to voices in food media, rising culinary stars, innovative and iconic brands, and food industry thought leaders and discovers the stories of how they’re helping shape culinary culture. As someone who’s always loved the adventure and wanderlust of food, Kahja has also been drawn to the backstories; what makes people choose this as a career, and how do they bring communities and cultures along with them? With the rise of food TV focused on storytelling beyond just recipe or competition shows, The As Told By Podcast highlights the creative and the business sides of the industry, from leading culinarians who are informing what’s on your plate, to CEOs, food justice and entrepreneur-based organizations, and food writers crafting the the paths and stories of how it gets there. We all have a role in the system of food, so join Kahja for a behind the scenes taste of the people helping to make it happen!

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