Girls' Lunch

Choo choo! All aboard the Atchinson, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway! Destination: Fred Harvey. Today's episode takes you on a journey across the American landscape and through time as we learn about the progenitor of fast food and franchises. We'll also learn about the Harvey Girls, one of the first independent employment opportunities for women and who definitely all got married and nothing gay hap...

Alternate episode title: "Bashing Our Husbands and the French Since 2023" Inns, taverns, and cookshops, oh my! Come along with Julia and Nicole on a journey through time following the development of the modern restaurant. From Pompeii to the French Revolution, people have always enjoyed eating out and having opinions on what women are allowed to do. We also get wiggy with the feminist restaurants...

Rejected episode title: "Get Your Nuts Hot, Fresh, and Cream-filled: All About Doughnuts"   We'd like to argue that the doughnut is possibly one of nature's most perfect foods. But behind that sprinkled and glazed exterior is a past filled with nostalgia, innovation, and controversy. In this episode, Julia and Nicole learn how the simple doughnut faced satirical novelists, industrial revolution, t...

Alternate episode title: "Primordial Childhood Cannibalism Fantasy: A History of Graham Crackers."   The graham cracker: the bread of the s'mores sandwich, a crust for your cheesecake, or something easy on your tummy when you're sick. But where did this humble wafer come from? Join Nicole and Julia on a journey to 1830s New England to meet Sylvester Graham, a Presbyterian minister obsessed with br...

Welcome to the first episode of Girls' Lunch! In this episode, you'll get to know hosts Nicole and Julia, learn about our backgrounds, and our goals for the show. We'll talk about the origin of Girls' Lunch, Tumultuous Tummy Times, and what you can expect in future episodes. Have some lunch with us! Everyone is welcome. Our theme song is "Red Onions" by Louie Zong, off of his album Vegetable Soul:...