The Dish

Michigan Public
  • 5.0 (7)
  • FOOD
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Dish, hosted by Mercedes Mejia, brings you behind the scenes with Michigan’s most inspiring chefs and culinary talents. Learn how food connects these chefs to their cultures, and strengthens our communities, one dish at a time. Support our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

  1. Sober bartender reinvents zero‑proof cocktails

    JAN 21

    Sober bartender reinvents zero‑proof cocktails

    A sober bar manager in Ann Arbor is redefining what zero‑proof cocktails can be. In this episode, my colleague April Baer talks with Max Schikora of Echelon Kitchen and Bar about his path to sobriety, the pressures of bar culture, and how he’s crafting some of Michigan’s most thoughtful spirit‑free drinks.  Max’s story is also a window into a broader shift. More people in the service industry are choosing sobriety, and more restaurants are making space for them. At Echelon, Max helps lead a weekly Ben’s Friends meeting, part of a national support network for hospitality workers navigating addiction and recovery. He also walked April through one of his favorite creations: a roasted beet cocktail that’s earthy, bright, and built from kitchen scraps that would otherwise be tossed. It’s a drink that captures his philosophy: nothing wasted, everything intentional. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or use Lifeline Chat to connect with a trained counselor. Find The Dish's suggestion form here, or email us at TheDish@MichiganPublic.org Support our work: https://www.michiganpublic.org/podfund See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 min
  2. Cooking through the holidays with Feel Good Foodie's Yumna Jawad

    12/12/2025

    Cooking through the holidays with Feel Good Foodie's Yumna Jawad

    We spent some time with Yumna Jawad, better known as Feel Good Foodie, in her Grand Rapids home. She shared her must-have holiday dish and some super practical tips to help us all survive the holiday season in the kitchen. Find Yumna's stuffed grape leaves recipe here Find the landing page for Yumna's episode here Find The Dish's suggestion form here, or email us at TheDish@MichiganPublic.org Support our work: https://www.michiganpublic.org/podfund See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    18 min
  3. How Chef Kieron Hales turns wedding meals into memories at Cornman Farms

    11/19/2025

    How Chef Kieron Hales turns wedding meals into memories at Cornman Farms

    British-born and Michelin-starred chef Kieron Hales has cooked for presidents and royalty across 27 countries.  He's Executive Chef at Zingerman's Cornman Farms in Dexter, Michigan, a farmhouse and event space with a restored red barn on the property. He works with couples to create custom menus—crafting farm-to-table meals or recreating family favorites—and provides them with the recipes to keep. Today he talks with me about his favorite food memory, his mother's crepe cannelloni. It’s a labor-intensive lasagna-like creation of crepes stuffed with bolognese and baked in bechamel sauce. Plus what he takes away from cooking at the highest levels of the culinary world, and what it means to create meals that become memories.  We’d love for you to fill out this listener survey. It will only take a few minutes, and it will help us know what you want to hear!  If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. Support our work: https://www.michiganpublic.org/podfund See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 min
  4. The baker bringing Brittany-style crepes to Boyne City

    10/16/2025

    The baker bringing Brittany-style crepes to Boyne City

    In Boyne City, a little lakeside town in Northern Michigan, there’s a bakery offering crepes of a quality that you'd expect to find in France. It’s owned by a classically trained French baker, Gildas Berrou. The shop offers a variety of savory and sweet fresh-baked goods, including traditional crepes made to order. Just don’t ask Gildas to add American cheese. HELPFUL LINKS: Find the Gildas' Lake Street Bakery website here Find bonus footage on our website here We’d love for you to fill out this listener survey. It will only take a few minutes, and it will help us know what you want to hear!  If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. Support our work: https://www.michiganpublic.org/podfund See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 min
  5. From Chicago fine dining to Michigan’s wild peninsula

    09/18/2025

    From Chicago fine dining to Michigan’s wild peninsula

    Milkweed Inn is a unique culinary getaway hidden deep in the Upper Penninsula's Hiawatha National Forest. Chef Lane Regan works to craft menus that are foraged and locally sourced. We learned about what it takes to craft and execute such a remote experience, and the ways the environment shape Chef Regan's food philosophy. HELPFUL LINKS: Read about Lane's work at Elizabeth The website for Milkweed Inn Bonus photos from our visit to Milkweed Inn We’d love for you to fill out this listener survey. It will only take a few minutes, and it will help us know what you want to hear!  If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. Support our work: https://www.michiganpublic.org/podfund See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 min
  6. Traverse City chefs lean into Sichuan spice

    08/20/2025

    Traverse City chefs lean into Sichuan spice

    Brothers Patrick and Ryan Evans fell in love with Sichuanese cuisine while working in San Francisco's fine dining industry. When they returned to Michigan, they teamed up with Ryan Corbin, a fellow chef, to bring those flavors to Traverse City. We talked to the trio about Crocodile Palace, their takeout-only Sichuan restaurant, the appeal of the Sichuan region's mala flavor profile, and the ingredients that go into their bestselling dan dan noodles. HELPFUL LINKS: Crocodile Palace's main brick-and-mortar is located at 124 Cochlin St. in Traverse City. Their kitchen at The Little Fleet near downtown Traverse City is open year-round, and offers a less spicy menu of options. Find bonus footage from our trip, plus a map of all our past trips, here! We’d love for you to fill out this listener survey. It will only take a few minutes, and it will help us know what you want to hear!  If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. Support our work: https://www.michiganpublic.org/podfund See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    19 min
  7. Fry bread and family traditions in Peshawbestown

    07/17/2025

    Fry bread and family traditions in Peshawbestown

    Tanya and Wasinade Raphael are the mother-daughter team behind Raphael Foods. You’ll find their food truck drawing long lines at powwows and other tribal events across northern Michigan. Most of their dishes are built on hot, pillowy fry bread – a Native American flat bread with a complex history. Find operating hours for Raphael Foods here. Find bonus footage from our trip here. Want more food stories? Listen here.  Support our work: https://www.michiganpublic.org/podfund See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 min
  8. Flipping the script on Detroit pizza, one vegan slice at a time

    06/18/2025

    Flipping the script on Detroit pizza, one vegan slice at a time

    We’d love for you to fill out this listener survey. It will only take a few minutes, and it will help us know what you want to hear!  Brittany March, the owner of a culinary pop-up called It’s Food Detroit, has a deep love for pizza that goes all the way back to childhood. Now, she's cooking her own pies, offering a vegan-first take on Detroit-style. She has plans to open up her own brick-and-mortar called Roots and Dough next spring. Find details about Brittany's fundraiser for her brick-and-mortar here. Learn more about Village Pizza and Alkebu-lan Village here. Find bonus footage from our trip here. Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. Support our work: https://www.michiganpublic.org/podfund See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    23 min
See All (18)

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

The Dish, hosted by Mercedes Mejia, brings you behind the scenes with Michigan’s most inspiring chefs and culinary talents. Learn how food connects these chefs to their cultures, and strengthens our communities, one dish at a time. Support our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

Information

  • Creator
    Michigan Public
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    The Dish

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