Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast

Foodies Of Lafayette
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Food

Welcome to the official podcast of Foodies of Lafayette—where flavor meets community! Hosted by founder Heidi McDonald and partner Jason Stoner, each episode brings you inside the kitchens, stories, and lives of the people who make Lafayette’s culinary scene unforgettable. From behind-the-scenes chats with local chefs and restaurant owners to stories of food-driven charity, culture, and celebration, this is where Acadiana's food spirit comes to life—one delicious conversation at a time.

  1. 5d ago

    How Camellia Beans Built A 103-Year Legacy In New Orleans

    Red beans and rice looks simple on the plate, but the story behind the beans is anything but. We drove to New Orleans to sit down with Vince Hayward of L.H. Hayward Company, the family business behind Camellia Beans, and we learned how a “little bean company” becomes a Louisiana institution for more than a century without ever getting careless about quality. We talk about the Hayward Standard, the unofficial name farmers gave Camellia’s pickiness, and why that strict sorting and sourcing shows up in the pot as creamier texture, better consistency, and fewer defects to pick through. Vince also explains how modern cooking habits changed the game: pressure cookers can mute spices, convenience matters more than ever, and a strong recipe library plus smart seasoning blends can help people cook beans confidently even without someone’s grandma coaching them through it. The conversation goes deeper than food. Vince shares what it took to keep people paid and operations moving after Hurricane Katrina when banks were closed and cash was king, plus how COVID flipped their business overnight from restaurant demand to a home cooking boom that introduced Camellia to new customers across the country. We also get into community and culture, from supporting the Krewe of Red Beans and Beanlandia to the Caribbean and Haitian influences that help explain why New Orleans has such a powerful bean tradition in the first place. If you care about Louisiana food culture, family-owned businesses, and what “quality” really means when it’s your name on the bag, you’ll want this one. Subscribe, share this with a fellow bean loyalist, and leave a review with the dish that tastes most like home to you. The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Supermarket, Logic Refrigeration HVAC, Cajun Table, Vermilionville, Soul Haus Kitchen, Chris Logan Media, and Sunday Soda Fountain – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time! learn more: foodiesoflafayette.com Social Media Facebook Instagram YouTube

  2. Oct 21

    Pancho's: How A Family Turned Hard Times Into A Mexican Buffet Legacy

    One family gets one hour to leave their home during the Mexican Revolution, and decades later their name becomes shorthand for a whole generation’s first taste of Mexican food. We’re in El Paso, Texas, sitting down with the founding family behind Pancho’s Mexican Buffet to follow the true story from Chihuahua to the Second Ward, through loss, survival, and the kind of work ethic you can’t fake. We talk about a grandmother feeding people during the Great Depression, and how those early lessons in service shaped a business that always feels like hospitality first. Then the momentum hits: donut delivery as a kid, cooking Mexican meals as a Merchant Marine during World War II, coming home to build a restaurant, and expanding from El Paso into Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, and beyond. Along the way, we get into the nuts and bolts of restaurant operations, from front-of-house training to layouts, blueprints, and a design style meant to “transport you into Mexico.” And yes, we finally dig into the legendary table flag. Why it worked, how it changed service, and why people loved it so much they started taking flags home. We also talk honestly about why buffet culture shifted, how trends and costs impacted Pancho’s, and how the family carries the legacy forward today with recipes, stories, and an El Paso dining room that still feels like magic. If you care about restaurant history, family business, Mexican food culture, or the real meaning of community hospitality, hit play. Subscribe, share this with someone who remembers raising the flag, and leave a review so more people can find these stories. The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Supermarket, Logic Refrigeration HVAC, Cajun Table, Vermilionville, Soul Haus Kitchen, Chris Logan Media, and Sunday Soda Fountain – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time! learn more: foodiesoflafayette.com Social Media Facebook Instagram YouTube

  3. Oct 14

    The Family Story Behind Creole Lunch House In Lafayette

    Everybody sells hamburgers. So what happens when a retired school principal in Lafayette decides she’s going to build a restaurant around something nobody else is doing and she’s stubborn enough to stick with it? You get Creole Lunch House, a true local icon, and a stuffed bread that became a grab-and-go Louisiana comfort food long before “portable” was a food trend. We sit down with Jason Herbert to talk about how his mom, Merlene, went from the school system to opening a tiny green building and quickly expanding into a bigger space. He shares what it took for that signature stuffed bread recipe to catch on, why consistency matters, and how the Creole Lunch House menu stays rooted in everyday classics like chicken and rice, red beans, meatballs, and fried pork chop. We also get into what it’s like growing up in a family restaurant where the staff feels like family, and how big events like Jazz Fest test your prep, patience, and stamina. Then we go behind the scenes of the stuffed bread production plant: hundreds of stuffed breads a day, still made by hand, still protected by process, and now distributed through smarter partnerships instead of nonstop driving. Along the way, we talk legacy, grief, and the weight of stewardship, plus why working with your spouse can be a strength when both people truly understand the sacrifice. If you love Lafayette food, Cajun and Creole cooking, and real stories about family businesses that last, this one’s for you. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, share the episode with a fellow food lover, and leave a review so more people can find it. The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Supermarket, Logic Refrigeration HVAC, Cajun Table, Vermilionville, Soul Haus Kitchen, Chris Logan Media, and Sunday Soda Fountain – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time! learn more: foodiesoflafayette.com Social Media Facebook Instagram YouTube

  4. Oct 7

    A Childhood Of Moving Turns Into A Life In Food, Chef Kim from Cafe Sydnie Mae

    A chef’s origin story rarely starts with a white tablecloth. Ours starts with a kid making spaghetti and meat sauce at nine, moving every two years, and learning how to walk into any new place and make it work. We’re joined by Chef Kim of Cafe Sydnie Mae, and her path from Lafayette to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, then out to Colorado and back home, is packed with the kind of details food lovers never get to hear at the table. We get into the moments that shape a real cooking career: early competition wins with a family cheesecake recipe, the pressure of being the only Southerner in her CIA group, and the hard lessons that come from stepping onto a restaurant line as a young woman. Chef Kim also shares what it’s like to cook as a private chef in the Hamptons, where the expectations are high and the menu never stands still. Then we bring it back to the Lafayette, Louisiana food scene and the realities of restaurant leadership during COVID. Chef Kim explains how kitchens adapt behind the scenes, from spacing and service changes to recipe adjustments, menu costing, and simplifying ingredients without losing flavor. We also talk legacy dishes like her great grandmother’s carrot cake, the meaning behind the Wagyu chicken fried steak on the Sydney May brunch menu, and how charity dinners can turn hospitality into tangible support for organizations like Hospice of Acadiana. If you care about great local restaurants, fine dining with heart, and the craft that makes a dish memorable, hit play, subscribe, and share this conversation with a fellow foodie. After you listen, what’s one dish that instantly takes you back to your family table? The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Supermarket, Logic Refrigeration HVAC, Cajun Table, Vermilionville, Soul Haus Kitchen, Chris Logan Media, and Sunday Soda Fountain – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time! learn more: foodiesoflafayette.com Social Media Facebook Instagram YouTube

  5. Sep 30

    How Konriko Turned Louisiana Rice Into A Niche Brand

    The oldest operating rice mill in the United States is not a museum piece. It’s a working building in New Iberia, Louisiana that still hums, creaks, and ships flavor across the country. We head to Konriko Rice Mill with Mike Davis to hear how a 1912 operation survives floods, market swings, and changing grocery store economics by staying stubborn about quality and brave about change.  We get practical fast: what actually separates long grain, medium grain, and short grain rice, why Cajun kitchens love medium grain, and why restaurants often prefer parboiled rice for the steam table. Mike walks us through how rice goes from rough to brown to white, then shares the moment he realizes the “commodity” path is a race to the bottom. That sets up the bigger story of niche marketing, including the breakthrough of wild pecan rice and how a memorable name and aroma can open doors from Louisiana to major retailers.  From there, we dig into the products that surprise people: seasoning blends that travel nationwide, a naturally gluten-free production advantage, a Bay Island “secret sauce” that’s still made with serious care, and a rice flour gravy thickener that skips the cornstarch slurry and won’t clump. We also get the behind-the-scenes science on CO2-flushed packaging, oxidation, and how Konriko protects shelf life without losing what makes the product feel real.  If you love Louisiana food, Cajun culture, small business strategy, or heritage tourism, you’ll leave with ideas you can actually use. Subscribe, share this with a fellow food nerd, and leave a review so more people can find the stories that make Acadiana taste like home. The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Supermarket, Logic Refrigeration HVAC, Cajun Table, Vermilionville, Soul Haus Kitchen, Chris Logan Media, and Sunday Soda Fountain – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time! learn more: foodiesoflafayette.com Social Media Facebook Instagram YouTube

  6. Sep 23

    Judice Inn: How A 1947 Lafayette Burger Stand Became A Community Landmark

    A burger can be a history lesson if you know where to listen. We sit down with Acadiana royalty from Judice Inn, one of Lafayette’s most iconic, family-owned restaurants, to unpack how a tiny 1947 curb service burger stand turned into a true community landmark. From post-WWII beginnings and 15-cent burgers to a dining room that still feels like a reunion, this conversation shows why the “best burger in Lafayette” debate is really about tradition, consistency, and the people behind the counter. We get into what it’s like to grow up behind the restaurant, learning the work young, meeting the regulars, and realizing the business is bigger than the menu. You’ll hear why Judice Inn keeps it simple, why there are no fries, and how a cooked tomato-based secret sauce and a custom seasoning blend became part of the restaurant’s signature. We also talk about catering for Mardi Gras floats, weddings, receptions, and even funerals, because in Louisiana food culture, comfort and memory often show up together. Then we go behind the scenes: taking on more responsibility at 19, running lean through hard times like the 1980s oil downturn and COVID, and building a staff culture where we work with our team, not above them. We also break down the 2023 renovation that added a second kitchen, a drive-thru, and more seating, plus what succession looks like with the next generation stepping up. Along the way, there’s a Hall of Fame honor and a wild piece of local lore you have to hear to believe. If you love Lafayette restaurants, Acadiana food, and the stories that keep local icons alive, subscribe, share this with a friend who craves a Judice burger, and leave a review so more people can find the show. The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Supermarket, Logic Refrigeration HVAC, Cajun Table, Vermilionville, Soul Haus Kitchen, Chris Logan Media, and Sunday Soda Fountain – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time! learn more: foodiesoflafayette.com Social Media Facebook Instagram YouTube

  7. Sep 16

    How Louisiana Creole Heritage Shapes Food And Community

    Somebody told Milton Arceneaux's brother-in-law he was “too dark to be Creole” and it exposed a problem Louisiana still wrestles with: we celebrate culture, but we often misunderstand it, flatten it, or market it under the wrong name. So we sit down with Milton to talk about what Creole culture really means, how it shapes Louisiana food culture, and why documenting people and traditions is not nostalgia, it’s preservation. We get into Milton’s roots in Lafayette, his belief that a passport can teach what school cannot, and how photography becomes his tool for truth telling. He breaks down his obsession with the still image, that split-second that never repeats, and how that mindset fuels the work behind Creole Culture Day in Grand Coteau. Along the way, we talk French language loss, the power of building “a table” where people can gather, and the myths that keep “Creole” boxed into one look or one story. Then we go deep on the boucherie: the knife handed down, the community labor, the smells that bring people to tears, and why this tradition is bigger than the meat. Milton shares what they are adding this year, from genealogy support and oral history recording to okra cutting, sugar cane, zydeco, and Creole French music, all designed as a full cultural experience. We also touch his zydeco documentary work and the push for proper credit and fair recognition, because culture drives tourism, but the artists deserve to benefit from it. Subscribe, share this with someone who loves Louisiana food and heritage, and leave a review so more people can find these stories. The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Supermarket, Logic Refrigeration HVAC, Cajun Table, Vermilionville, Soul Haus Kitchen, Chris Logan Media, and Sunday Soda Fountain – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time! learn more: foodiesoflafayette.com Social Media Facebook Instagram YouTube

  8. Sep 9

    How Sunday Dinner Guys Turn A Meal Into Community

    A flood, a rebuilt kitchen, and a decision to use the “good dishes” turned into something bigger than a dinner party. We sit down in Jason Stoner and Steven Rogers’ home to hear how Sunday Dinner Guys grew from a family birthday tradition into a monthly Lafayette supper club style night where strangers walk in and friends walk out.  We get specific about what makes these nights feel unforgettable: choosing a theme, designing a seven to eight course menu, pairing drinks from the welcome cocktail to dessert, and sourcing ingredients from local Lafayette favorites whenever possible. They share the behind-the-scenes reality too, from smoke alarms to imperfect courses, and why rolling with it is part of the craft.  Then we go deeper on the real point of it all: the table as a center of life. We talk about sobremesa, building community through food, keeping phones away to protect conversation, and how a thoughtful tablescape, music, and lighting help guests feel the story before the first bite. If you love dinner parties, Cajun culture, local food, and practical hosting ideas, this one delivers.  Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, then share this with someone you want at your table and leave a review with your favorite Sunday dinner memory. The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Supermarket, Logic Refrigeration HVAC, Cajun Table, Vermilionville, Soul Haus Kitchen, Chris Logan Media, and Sunday Soda Fountain – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time! learn more: foodiesoflafayette.com Social Media Facebook Instagram YouTube

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About

Welcome to the official podcast of Foodies of Lafayette—where flavor meets community! Hosted by founder Heidi McDonald and partner Jason Stoner, each episode brings you inside the kitchens, stories, and lives of the people who make Lafayette’s culinary scene unforgettable. From behind-the-scenes chats with local chefs and restaurant owners to stories of food-driven charity, culture, and celebration, this is where Acadiana's food spirit comes to life—one delicious conversation at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    Foodies Of Lafayette
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    68
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast
  • Show Website
    Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast

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