Meet St. Louis Meet St. Louis
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- Society & Culture
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St. Louis is a place full of incredible food, interesting businesses, some of the nation's best breweries and some of the country's most creative people. Meet St. Louis is the podcast taking you behind the scenes with the brewers, chefs, entrepreneurs, and artists who make St. Louis more than just the Arch.
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Episode 270: Fennel Cooking School
Jackie Price found a love of cooking when she was a young teen. And while she loved working in a restaurant, her true passion she found was teaching others. She saw a need in the St. Louis community for more hands-on cooking classes, and the Fennel Cooking Studio was born. Little did she know just how much of a demand there would be. Classes sell out and people are setting alarms to secure a spot when the new batch opens each month. We sat down in the bright and cheery classroom space of her Midtown St. Louis studio to talk about building her business, her favorite things about teaching, and a new partnership she has with the Tower Grove farmers market helping St. Louisians learn how to cook what's in season each week.
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Episode 269: Damn Fine Hand Pies
If you've been to the Tower Grove Farmer's Market, you've likely seen the line wrap around one of the booths. At the booth, you'll find bread, donuts, and hand pies. That's what Madeline Hissong started with when she launched her business Damn Fine Hand Pies. Despite the popularity, she still recalls with clarity her first customer. Now, Madeline and her business partner Gene Bailey are gearing up to open their brick-and-mortar bakery in the Shaw neighborhood of South St. Louis - just a few blocks from where it all began at Tower Grove Park. The two joined us on the podcast to talk pies and bread, the dreams and the challenges, and what you can expect from their shop.
You can learn more and order from the bakery through their Instagram page: Instagram.com/DamnFineHandPies -
Episode 268: Good Ice
Ice – it’s water frozen into a solid state. Seems pretty basic. But Jordan Goodman, who’s spent much of his career behind a bar, will tell you it can make or break drink. We sat down with Jordan at his soon-to-open cocktail bar and restaurant Good Company in the Grove Neighborhood of St. Louis. But we start the conversation with a focus on Good Ice. That’s the name of his company that crafts artisan ice for some of our city’s best bars and restaurants. A special process that creates crystal-clear ice. You might be thinking, how can you make a whole business out of ice? Well, you’re about to find out.
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Episode 267: Civil Life
The idea 'Stay Civil' is one we could all use a little more of in today’s day and age. That’s the motto at the South City brewery Civil Life. Founded in 2011 by Jake Hafner, Mike Bianco and Dylan Mosley, the brewery is known for their malt-driven beers. Their best seller and crowd favorite is the Civil Life Brown. It’s a beer head brewer Dylan never imagined would take off in the way that it has. Dylan and Mike sat down with us inside the wood-filled cozy pub to talk about how it all began with home brewing and how it’s transformed into what it is today – a brewery with a solid food menu, classic beers and one of the best outdoor patios around.
You know we love a good chat with St. Louis’ best brewers, we’d love to know where’s your favorite brewery in town. Let us know on social media – find us on Facebook and Instagram at Meet St. Louis podcast. And let us know what brewery we need to visit for our next podcast. -
Episode 266: Kevin Nashan
James Beard Award Winning Chef Kevin Nashan isn’t from St. Louis but after working at some of the best restaurants around the world, this is the city he chose to plant roots and open his restaurants.
He took over Sidney Street Café in 2003 and incorporated his vision into the beloved Benton park restaurant. Now it’s synonymous with special occasions and considered one of the best restaurants in town. He opened Peacemaker down the street in 2014 with a different vibe and very different menu.
Now he continues to grow his concept, partnering with 4 Hands Brewing and expanding to other states. Kevin Nashan shares his journey from a teenager working in his family’s restaurant to becoming a mentor to chefs in St. Louis. -
Episode 265: Party Hop
Party Hop is sort of a one-stop shop for the big celebrations in your life. The owners – Ashely Detweiler and Ashley Roberts, started the company because they saw a need. They were moms planning tons of parties, and there wasn’t a super easy way to get all the fun products. So while their initial idea for Party Hop started with pre-made kits, it soon ballooned into something more. I say that because they’re really known for their balloons now. Something both will admit they had no experience with. In our conversation, that becomes a theme. These are two entrepreneurs that never let the idea of no experience stop them. They learned along the way and now teach others.
Customer Reviews
Felt like I was chatting with a friend!
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Alexis. She is personable, friendly and keeps the convo going like you’re chatting with a friend. I always love listening to her episodes. She always chooses interesting local businesses and that’s what this city needs. Thanks for always supporting local!
Alexis Zotos
The host Alexis is such a superior interviewer! She has a big smile in her voice welcoming every guest and asking the questions I would like to know about! She keeps the conversation going and heads it into a perfectly timed interview! I love listening to this St. Louis podcast!
Martin Casas comic store
Sorry don’t have name of episode handy. Just wanted to say very informative. Good insight on several topics. Interviewer well prepared and polished.