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PODCAST

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast

Foodies Of Lafayette

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.

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All Episodes

49:34

From Franchise Systems To Chef Creativity In Lafayette

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/04/22

Ronald McDonald showed up at Mark Krampe’s birthday parties at home and that’s only the beginning of how unusual his food story gets. We sit down with Mark to talk about growing up in Lafayette inside a family that helped bring McDonald’s to the area, where procedure, cleanliness, and consistency weren’t buzzwords, they were daily life. That early training shaped how he sees restaurants now: strong systems, clear standards, and a team culture that protects the guest experience. Mark shares w...

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41:32

How Acadian Superette Became Lafayette’s Handmade...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/04/15

A great neighborhood restaurant doesn’t just feed people, it teaches them to come back. From the outside, Acadian Superette looks like a classic Lafayette corner store. Step inside, and you find a carefully rebuilt local market and deli where the history stays on the walls while the food keeps getting sharper. We talk with the people behind the transformation: how a building dating back to the 1950-51 expansion of the original Petros grocery becomes a community gathering spot again, and why ...

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44:03

How Joey’s Became Lafayette’s Go-To Market For...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/04/08

Eight hundred pounds of lasagna doesn’t happen by accident. We sit down with Joey Beyt of Joey’s, a literal Lafayette icon, to hear how a small, family-built meat market turns into what we love calling the city’s “auxiliary kitchen” a place where you can grab prime steaks, sushi-grade seafood, scratch-made soups and gumbos, and a freezer full of comfort food that saves your weeknight dinner. Joey walks us back to opening day, the early hustle, and the hands-on training that shaped his obsessi...

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52:54

Inside Nash’s: Scratch Italian Cooking In A 1908...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/04/01

A chef who learned by sanding beer boxes, waxing banquet-room floors, and listening to Creole cooks all day doesn’t need a flashy origin story. He needs consistency, standards, and a dining room full of regulars who keep coming back. From inside Nash’s Restaurant in Broussard, Louisiana, we sit down with Nash and Jenny Vereca to unpack how a family legacy in New Orleans becomes a long-running Acadiana favorite set in a stunning 1908 historic home that still has a few “spirit” stories floating...

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45:39

How A Sicilian Family Built Lafayette’s First Pizza...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/03/25

Lafayette didn’t always know what pizza was, and Alesi’s Pizza helped change that. We sit down with the family behind one of the oldest Italian restaurants in Lafayette, Louisiana to follow a story that starts in Sicily, passes through Ellis Island, and lands in Acadiana in the most unexpected way: a WWII posting at an old Army air base and a chance meeting with a “little Cajun girl” at a downtown lunch counter. The result is a restaurant legacy that’s about more than food, it’s about how fam...

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34:16

Poupart’s: A Lafayette Bakery Legacy

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/03/18

A great bakery doesn’t just sell pastries. It keeps a city’s memories warm, one loaf at a time. We’re sitting down at Sunday Soda Fountain with Patrick Poupart, the next-generation baker behind Poupart’s Bakery in Lafayette, Louisiana, to dig into how a true French bakery took root here and why people still drive in from out of town with an ice chest to stock up. Patrick shares the family story that starts in France with serious craft training through the Compagnons du Devoir and leads to Po...

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39:31

From Insurance To Café Sydney Mae: Community,...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/03/11

What if your second act became your town’s heartbeat? We sit down with Café Sydney Mae’s David Puckett to trace a late-career leap from insurance to the line, and how that jump—grounded in family, faith, and fierce hospitality—turned a 100-year-old Breaux Bridge building into a community hub for food, music, and art. David shares the moment his daughter needed a kidney and he became her donor, the decades he and Cheryl have poured into LOPA’s lifesaving mission, and why the restaurant hosts a...

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37:42

From Roofing To Boudin: How Karchener’s Built A Cajun...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/03/04

The smell of fried ribs hits first, then the line of boudin links, and finally the feeling that you’ve stepped into a modern Cajun country store where everything just works. We sat down with Doug Miller to unpack how Karchener’s grew from a bold bet in Scott, Louisiana into a thriving, multi-location market without sacrificing flavor, warmth, or control. The story winds through roofing crews in August heat, an oilfield scare, and a roadside realization: if you meet people where traffic stalls...

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43:34

From Dishwasher To 17 Restaurants: Nidal Balbisi’s...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/02/25

What makes a restaurant unforgettable isn’t the plate, it’s the person who serves it. We sit down with Nidal Balbisi—founder behind Zeus, Agave, Baba Kebab, and more—to unpack how people-first hospitality, relentless presence, and creative fusion built some of Acadiana’s most-loved dining rooms. Nidal takes us from Kuwait to LSU, through his first shifts as a dishwasher assistant, and into the front-of-house lessons that shaped everything to come. He explains why a Bud Light tastes better wh...

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31:57

How A Family Grocer Built Cajun Classics And Community

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/02/11

A lively lounge across from a canning factory turned into a grocery where regulars grabbed bread, eggs, and ketchup after a beer—and that simple pivot launched a 70-year family legacy. We sit down with Blaine and Braden Broussard of Nunu’s to unpack how a third- and fourth-generation team built a beloved Acadiana staple known for bold boudin, cracklins, plate lunches, and the kind of customer care that makes a store feel like home. We trace the early days from the Blue Room Lounge to a small...

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40:26

A Sit Down With Gene Todaro and Hunter Moody of...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/02/04

A house behind a tiny Lafayette restaurant once held a secret kitchen where a mother simmered sauces that would shape a city’s palate. From that backyard ingenuity to a French Quarter liquor store with the rare ability to sell both to-go and across the bar, Gene shares how grit, community, and a deep love for wine became the backbone of his restaurants. We walk through live-music nights at Time Plaza, the pivot that turned an oil bust into a wine education boom, and the mentorship ethos that ...

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25:23

A Sit Down With CuGino, Part One

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/01/28

A stranger in a Pueblo cafe hears the name “Todaro” and replies, “Don Calogero.” In a heartbeat, Gene’s family lore tilts from mystery to revelation, and what begins as a search for relatives becomes a tour of Prohibition-era Colorado, early Las Vegas watchmen, and the way immigrant networks quietly shaped American towns. We follow that thread back to Palermo, where a boy counts 44 steps down to the markets, learns ingredients by touch, and stores away recipes he never writes—just lives. We ...

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37:01

Five Generations, One Oven: The Keller’s Bakery Story

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/01/21

A near-miss with Alexandria, a sold family farm, and a steel-framed building that became Lafayette’s unofficial compass—turn left by Keller’s. We sit down with the Keller family to trace five generations of baking craft, from French roots in the 1700s to a downtown landmark that still runs on touch, timing, and tradition. This is a story about more than pastries; it’s about a living starter that links decades, antique machines that still work daily, and a team that keeps flavor anchored to pl...

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34:17

From Freetown Roots To A City Favorite: How Taco...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/01/14

A small Freetown counter, a line out the door, and a brisket burrito people plan their day around—this is how Taco Sisters built a loyal following without losing their soul. We sit down with Lynn Jenkins to unpack the real story behind a 17-year run marked by steady quality, creative specials, and a culture that turns first jobs into careers. Lynn takes us back to 407 Johnston Street where Katie and Molly set the standard: simple, fresh ingredients handled with care. That foundation became t...

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32:18

From Lab Coat To Line Cook, They Built A Community...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2026/01/07

A legendary steakhouse doesn’t need hype when the grill speaks for itself. We sit down with Phoebe and Clint Moe of A-Bears to unpack how a small, historic spot in the Nunez community keeps winning hearts: fresh-cut ribeyes every day, a ribeye-based grind that turns hamburger steaks and rice dressing into must-orders, and a consistency you can taste from first bite to last. Taking the reins at 26, they protected the classics, learned from the previous owners, and then layered in smart changes...

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47:14

Inside Catholic Charities: From Hot Meals To Housing...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2025/12/17

The smell of coffee hits at 6:30 a.m., kettles are already warm, and plates for the shelters go out before the doors open—that’s how a community feeds itself every single day. We sit with Catholic Charities of Acadiana to pull back the curtain on St. Joseph Diner, the shelters next door, and the volunteers who keep the line moving with a smile and a name. From the first cup poured to the last tray stacked, the goal stays simple and bold: serve people with dignity and make sure no neighbor goe...

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31:27

From Butcher Shop To Beloved Buffet, a chat with Toby...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2025/12/10

A meat market where farmers waited for their cuts with po-boys. A fire that leveled the building—and friends who rebuilt it in weeks. A buffet born in a recession that saved a family restaurant and turned it into a Lafayette staple. We sat down with Toby from Lagneaux's Seafood to tell the full story: grit, community, and a kitchen that still tastes every dish before it reaches your plate. We walk through the roots, from slaughterhouse days in 1965 to today’s bustling dining room that still ...

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53:52

From Lafayette Roots To Netflix Lights: Nina Charles...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2025/12/03

A backyard line so long the neighbors thought there was a funeral—that’s when Nina Charles knew it was time to buy a food truck. What started as a craving for balance in a too-sweet world became a movement powered by Mama’s pralines, crawfish boudin king cake, and Creole egg rolls that skip the cabbage and go straight for flavor. We sit down with Nina to trace the journey from Lafayette’s north side to Dallas lofts and back again, where healing during COVID opened a door to bold, community-l...

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32:00

How A Tribal Chef Turns Simple Corn And Onions Into...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2025/11/26

A pot of corn and onions can hold an entire history when the hands guiding it know the land, the language, and the stakes. We head to Chitimacha country with chef and cultural leader Al LeBlanc to make traditional maque choux the way it’s been done for generations: trim the ears for easy silk removal, shave the kernels in layers to “milk” the corn, fold in a fine dice of sweet onions, then slow-cook until the sugars caramelize and the mixture turns glossy and rich. No cream needed. Just patie...

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33:59

How One Child’s Question Built a Community: Dreams...

Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast ·

2025/11/19

A single question from a ten-year-old—“When do I get to play baseball?”—set off a chain reaction that reshaped a community. We trace that spark to the creation of the Dreams Foundation, the launch of a USDA-inspected meat pie factory employing adults with special needs, and the next leap: transforming the beloved Shade Tree Cafe into Dreams Shade Tree Cafe, a living, working space where inclusion isn’t just promised, it’s visible. We talk with Danielle and Chef Brandon about building program...

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41 results

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