Episodes
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While the restaurant industry may have survived the events of the last few years, without resources and support to help create sustainable environments, success can feel far off. Since launching in 2017, InKind has grown into the largest consumer marketplace of its kind, offering a unique combination of low risk financing for restaurants and high-value dining rewards for consumers.
Co-founded by CEO Johann Moonesinghe, InKind's goal is to deliver rewarding experiences to diners through their app, while creating pathways to financial sustainability, not only for some of the most successful restaurant groups in the world, including MINA Group, Ethan Stowell Restaurants, and José Andrés Group, but also minority-owned and underrepresented restaurant operators, who traditionally face significant hurdles obtaining the funding necessary to start or expand their businesses.
This week, Kahja talks with Johann about the importance of access to mentorship early in an entrepreneurial journey, having true partnership in balancing the load of successfully running a restaurant, funding paths that create winning strategies for owners and operators, the value of the platform as a diner, leveraging the restaurant industry to transform communities, and building InKind as a family legacy to combat societal and economic disparity.
Recorded on location in Austin, TX.
InKind
InKind Capital (for restaurants)
@inkind_hospitality
Sign up for InKind with a special offer for listeners of The As Told By Podcast!
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
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With the launch of her cooking blog in 2017, Just Add Hot Sauce, Alex Hill set out to build a platform based on her love of food, fun, friendship, and spice! Her down to earth, relatable approach to culinary creating garnered her a show on Tastemade, Spice Spice Baby, which debuted in 2023.
Since then, Alex launched her popular newsletter on Substack, Food and Feelings, and has been featured on the Coca-Cola Kickback Stage at 2024's EssenceFest in New Orleans, preparing some of her favorite recipes for a live audience. She is currently starting the process of writing her first cookbook which will undoubtedly teach people how to get spicy at home, recently selling out the initial offering of her new, in-person cooking class in LA!
This week, Kahja and Alex talk about learning how to cook with simplicity and ease, recognizing overwhelm as a sign to make changes and bet on yourself, striking a balance between manifesting your dreams and doing the work, the invaluable nature of friendships, discerning between your purpose and your assignment, and the beauty of holding space for yourself to expand.
Recorded on location in West Hollywood, CA.
Alex Hill
Food and Feelings Newsletter
Check out Spice Spice Baby on Tastemade!
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On the heels of a successful career as a recipe developer, food writer, and producer/director, Kiano Moju is adding author to that list with the release of her new cookbook, "AfriCali: Recipes From My Jikoni." Drawing from her layered African heritage as well as her upbringing in Northern California, Kiano is welcoming us into her jikoni (which means "kitchen" in Swahili) through a vibrant collection of recipes taking us from savory to sweet, with flavor profiles that are both simple and complex, honoring the spirit of regionally adaptive foodways.
This week, Kahja and Kiano talk about the distinctions in the food cultures of her Kenyan and Nigerian background, having her childhood culinary curiosity spurred on by public broadcasting, using what's available to you for adaptive cultural cooking, the multi-step process of actually publishing a cookbook, and the importance of creating a historic archive to preserve tradition.
Recorded in Oakland, CA.
Kiano Moju
AfriCali: Recipes From My Jikoni
AfriCali Book Tour
@kianomoju
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
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With multiculturalism informing so much of how we eat today, our experiences of food and family are a huge influence on our approach to diversity in the world, and as a Black and Japanese Queer woman of color, Patty Dingle has built a successful career in DEI based on her lived experience, which has grown to include ownership of White Horse Bar, the oldest operating gay bar in the United States.
This week, Kahja chats with Patty about growing up in a home that respected the distinct food culture of both parents, using intersectionality to expand the patronage of White Horse, reframing the concept of "elevating" ethnic food, the innovation that comes from lack of access, the excitement of potentially having a multi-racial woman as President, and the lasting human connections found in food.
Recorded in Oakland, CA.
@epdingle
@whitehorsebar
Patty on LinkedIn
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay.
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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 (@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
Brown Butter Summer Dinner Party tickets
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
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What does it look like to go confidently in the direction of your dreams? It looks like Cecilia Phillips, Coordinating Producer and Reporter for one of KQED's most popular shows, Check Please, Bay Area! Merging her love and knowledge of the restaurant industry with a background in journalism, Cecilia's talent is evident both behind and in front of the camera, hosting her very own segment Cecilia Tries It, as well as her original food-themed game show Chew On This, and her newest segment, Beyond The Menu.
This week, Kahja talks with Cecilia about food as nurturance, knowing when you're on the wrong career path, the invaluableness of determination and perseverance, why public broadcast media is such a resource, and holding fast to your dreams of the life you want.
Recorded on location in Oakland, CA.
@ccroundthetown
Check Please, Bay Area
Apply to be on Check Please, Bay Area!
Support KQED
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
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Our unique histories are a primary driver of our culinary sensibilities, and adapting culture, regionality, and access to develop a style of cuisine is a process! As the James Beard nominated Executive Chef of Auro, the Michelin Star fine dining concept located at the Four Seasons Resort in Napa Valley, Rogelio Garcia is using his roots and his training to redefine our perception of Mexican cuisine with the upcoming release of his new book "Convivir: Modern Mexican Cuisine in California's Wine Country."
In this episode, Kahja talks with Rogelio about being bit by the culinary bug early in life, viewing your success through the eyes of your family, what it's like being a Top Chef contestant, the fragility of the restaurant industry, and having the bounty of Napa Valley as a backdrop and tool to evolve the experience of Mexican food.
Recorded on location at The Four Seasons Resort & Residences Napa Valley in Calistoga, CA
Chef Rogelio Garcia
Convivir: Modern Mexican Cuisine in California's Wine Country
Pre-order the book
Auro Napa Valley
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With food businesses being some of the most complex to start, the need for guidance and support is vital to success, and since 2005, La Cocina has helped to champion and launch many of the Bay Area's most beloved eateries! With its focus on women and people from immigrant communities, their efforts to create diversity on the road to access and ownership across the food industry have been a blueprint for what's possible when organizations focus on development of local culinary talent!
This week, Kahja talks with Leticia Landa, Executive Director of La Cocina about why food businesses are about more than just cooking, the benefits of growing something in community with others, pivoting in evolving societal landscapes as a means to expansion, and the responsibility and privilege of shaping the culture of the Bay through food.Recorded on location in San Francisco, CA
LaCocinaSF.org
@lacocinasf
Volunteer with La Cocina
Donate to La Cocina
Wanna keep up in between episodes? FollowKahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
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Baking is a science, but as important as weights and measurements are, so is a love of the art, and Rachel Caygill has transformed her love into Green House Bakery, one of Oakland's favorite pop-ups for delectable, seasonal, baked treats! Situated in her literal green house in Maxwell Park, and along with her husband Scott, she's cornered the market not just on pastries, cakes, and cookies, but on community engagement!
This week, Kahja talks with Rachel about being open to the ebbs of and flow of an evolving business model, leaning into the efficiency processes of the people around you, finding enjoyment in stress and change, learning yourself through motherhood, and the dream of building a business that's a fit for the life you want.
Recorded at GreenHouse Bakery in Oakland, CA
Green House Bakery
@green_housebakery
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
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Building on a 20 year career in the wine industry, and with the success of Street Somm, the Emmy and James Beard nominated show on Tastemade, Bronx native Jermaine Stone is fusing the worlds of wine education, hip hop culture, and travel, blurring the lines that often separate the luxurious and the laid back experiences of food, wine, and music.
In this week's bonus episode, Kahja talks with Jermaine about humble beginnings, lessons learned through starting at the bottom and growing by creating value, the often overlooked connections between hip hop and wine, preparing to share your creative outlet with the world, and the ultimate pairing of authenticity, sacrifice, and success.
Recorded in Oakland, CA
@realwolfofwine
@wineandhiphopshow
Street Somm
wineandhiphop.com
Pre-order Wine Barz Vol 1: For The Love
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
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With the landscape of Black fine dining experiences present now more than ever, DC native and James Beard Award nominee Keem Hughley is proving that you don't have to go off to new places to create them, bringing his elevated concept Bronze to the historic H Street corridor, where he's carved a unique niche, anchoring the story of the restaurant and its food in the premise of Afro-futurism.
This week, Kahja talks with Keem about the legacy of Black fine dining in DC, the art of having foresight into creating concepts ahead of trends that invite diners to have new and elevated experiences, using food and storytelling as a medium for creative liberation, allowing Afro-futurism to be a place to take creative license and use revisionist history in our favor, and the need for communities to focus on what's going well as a means to create more of what we want to see.
Recorded on location at Bronze in Washington, DC
Bronze
@bronzehst
@goodmorningkeem
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
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With San Francisco being known for its global food scene, a restaurant centered around creating a dining experience that highlights authentic Indian flavors alongside fun and flair is a great find, and Besharam has cornered the market on both! Led by Chef Heena Patel, Besharam is delivering unexpected twists with a fully vegetarian menu that walks diners through eclectic offerings, bold spice combinations, and regional nuance!
This week, Kahja talks with Chef Heena about honoring the simplicity of farming and culinary techniques, the ways in which living in different countries broadens food sensibility, diving into creativity to highlight the breadth of vegetarian flavors, developing her business acumen through the esteemed La Cocina incubator program, and the agelessness of finally getting to live out your creative passions.
Besharam
@besharamsf
@besharamheena
Besharam on Check Please, Bay Area
Recorded at Besharam in San Francisco, CA
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
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While it's true that vegan food is around every corner in the Bay, what isn't around every corner is a San Francisco native, first known as a rapper, now known for creating classic soul food and BBQ staples with a California twist! With his new plant-based cookbook, Vegan Mob: Vegan BBQ and Soul Food, owner Toriano Gordon is sharing recipes from his popular eatery where he's created a brand aimed at giving people vegan versions of the classic foods they love with all the flavor they remember!
This week, Kahja talks with Toriano about growing up surrounded by Black entrepreneurship, building self-esteem through accomplishments, the learning process of rapid growth and systems, and translating family memories into into one of the Bay's most beloved outposts for soulful vegan eats!
Recorded at Ten Speed in Emeryville, CA
Vegan Mob
@officialveganmob
Vegan Mob: Vegan BBQ and Soul Food - A Plant Based Cookbook
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
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With formal culinary training typically centering on European techniques, bringing distinctions of African culture to fine dining takes skill and heart, and with the West African-centered pop-up E Le Ade Test Kitchen, Chef Selasie Dotse is serving up both on a well plated platter!
This week, Kahja talks with Chef Selasie about growing up at the intersection of vastly different cultures and customs, not watering down your culinary aesthetic, leveraging community to start initiatives that focus on telling Black food stories, and using your craft to create a path to a global stage!
We also want to congratulate Chef Selasie on the amazing opportunity to head to Amsterdam as a Sous Chef at Restaurant Momi to show the world what we've been fortunate to have access to here in Oakland!Recorded on location at Oakland Public Library
E Le Ade Test Kitchen
Chef Selasie Dotse
Restaurant Momi
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
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The increasing number of Black women in the wine industry is evident, and with the upcoming opening of The Pour Up Wine Bar, sisters Monique Griffin and Angela Edwards are poised to bring wine culture, community, and fun to Antioch's waterfront!
This week, Kahja talks with Monique and Angela about moving on opportunities when you feel you aren't ready, growing their entrepreneurial spirit during the pandemic, creating space to highlight Black wine labels, and leveraging joy and individuality in this new endeavor.@thepourupwine
@thepourupwinebar
Join the mailing list at thepourupwine.com
Recorded on location at @thepourupwinebar
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
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When the events of 2020 drove people to the internet to find their tribe, KJ Kearney got busy sharing ways to keep folks engaged with one of the hardest hit industries: restaurants. And with a simple call for people to designate a day to support Black eateries, KJ launched what has gone on to become the James Beard Award nominated social media account, Black Food Fridays, where he harnesses the power of community to impact and uplift Black-owned businesses across a variety of food disciplines.
On this episode, Kahja talks with KJ about building a social media following, how his job as a Community Organizer helped inform his approach to content creation, the value of intellectual property and knowing your worth in business, and how Black Food Fridays is just the beginning of his plan to inform and influence his audience's civic sensibility and creative freedom.@blackfoodfridays
Who Made The Potato Salad?
Citizen Better (Episode 1)
Citizen Better (Episode 2)
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
Recorded on location at the Claremont Hotel
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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
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Folow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
Recorded on location at Fairmont San Francisco
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In just over a week, food reviewer Keith Lee's trip to and exit from the Bay Area took us from excitement and fervor to disappoint and questions; was his perception of the Bay accurate? Why did he have so many disappointing food experiences in a region revered for its culinary breadth? And what has this revealed about the state of the food and restaurant industry and overall state of business in a city that's currently experiencing significant civic shifts?
On this episode, Kahja sat down for an impromptu chat with Charlese Banks, founder of The Town Experience, freelance journalist Brandy Collins, and journalist/editor/filmmaker Niema Jordan to unravel what this moment of reckoning for Oakland means, and where it has the ability to take us.
@thetownexperience
@story_soul_collecter
@niemajordanBrandy Collins for Oakland Voices
Brandy Collins for Substack
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay and on YouTube at Kay In The Bay
Episode recorded at Stay Diff -
It's the end of Season 4, and we're raising our glasses and celebrating with Fern Stroud, founder of Black Vines, the longest running annual Black wine festival in the country, celebrating culture, art, and Black winemakers and vintners!
This week, Kahja talks with Fern about taking the leap from a career in Silicon Valley to preeminence in the wine industry, leading a team dedicated to creating spaces of Black joy and celebration, being on your own personal journey to enjoying wine, and the value of creating community and sustainability within a Black economic ecosystem.
Black Vines
@blackvines_
Black Vines 2024 Tickets
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What does it mean to build? What does it mean to serve? Whatever it means, Chef Matt Horn understood the assignment and got busy leveraging his memories of barbecue and studied the process of creating it, eventually transforming those learnings into the launch of Horn Barbecue and a career as a restauranteur that would go on to include two additional concepts; Kowbird and Matty's Old Fashioned.
This week, Kahja talks with Matt about the road from pop-ups to opening three restaurants in just over three years, curating spaces where hospitality is the main focus, the ups and downs that come with highly visible success, and honoring tradition by pushing the envelope.
If you enjoyed this episode, please contribute to the GoFundMe established to help with efforts for the Horn Barbecue Fire Restoration.
Horn Barbecue
Kowbird
Matty's Old Fashioned
Wanna keep up in between episodes? Follow Kahja on IG at @heykayinthebay
Episode recorded at StayDiff
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