Say Grace

Gregory Gourdet is a three-time James Beard Award-winning chef, best-selling author, two-time Top Chef finalist, and one of the most influential voices in American hospitality today. Drawing inspiration from his Haitian heritage, global travels, and commitment to wellness, Gregory has created a distinctive culinary style rooted in bold flavors, live-fire cooking, and cultural storytelling. His res...

June Rodil, Felipe Riccio, and Austin Waiter are the team behind one of Houston's most acclaimed hospitality groups, Goodnight Hospitality. June, CEO and Partner, is one of fewer than 30 women in the Americas to earn the Master Sommelier credential and has been recognized by Food & Wine as Sommelier of the Year. Felipe, Chef and Partner, oversees culinary operations across the group and serves...

Simon Kim is the Founder and CEO of Gracious Hospitality Management, the group behind acclaimed concepts including COTE Korean Steakhouse, COQODAQ, and Undercote. Born in South Korea and raised in New York, Kim is best known for COTE, the first Korean steakhouse in the United States to receive a Michelin Guide star, which it has retained since 2018. Since launching COTE, he has expanded the concep...

Sam Fore is a Sri Lankan-American chef and recipe developer based in Lexington, Kentucky, whose cooking blends her Sri Lankan heritage with her upbringing in the American South. She founded Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites in 2016 after hosting Sri Lankan brunches in her home and went on to bring her cooking to pop-ups across the country. In 2023, she opened Tuk Tuk Snack Shop, which was named one of Gard...

Jeremiah Langhorne is the chef and co-owner of The Dabney in Washington, D.C., a restaurant that has helped redefine modern American cooking through a deep reverence for Mid-Atlantic ingredients, history, and hearth-driven technique. The Dabney has earned a MICHELIN star every year since the Guide’s D.C. debut, was named a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant, and was ran...

Kyle Knall is the Culinary Director at Stone Bank Farms and chef/co-owner of Birch in Milwaukee, which he operates with his wife, Meghan. At Birch, he champions regionally sourced ingredients cooked over an open hearth, emphasizing sustainability and honest, flavorful food. His impact on Milwaukee’s dining scene has earned him multiple James Beard Foundation semifinalist nominations, including Bes...

Yia Vang is the executive chef and owner of Vinai in Minneapolis, where he honors the past, present, and future of Hmong cooking. Born in a Thai refugee camp and raised in Wisconsin, his culinary perspective is deeply rooted in family, culture, and the power of food to bring people together. He began his career as a dishwasher before launching Union Hmong Kitchen, earning James Beard recognition a...

Nancy Silverton is a five-time James Beard Award–winning chef and co-owner of the Mozza Restaurant Group, which includes eight locations worldwide. Her flagship California restaurants include MICHELIN-starred Osteria Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza, chi SPACCA, and Mozza2Go, with additional U.S. locations in Washington, D.C., and Hawaii, and international outposts in Singapore and Cabo. In 2025, she opened...

Siblings Matt and Ted Lee grew up and learned to cook in Charleston, SC. They founded The Lee Brothers Boiled Peanuts Catalogue, a mail-order source for Southern pantry staples, in 1994 before embarking on a second career as food journalists and award-winning authors. The Lee Brothers currently produce live events and festivals, turning narratives around contemporary food and beverage culture into...

Vinnie Cimino is a Cleveland, Ohio-based chef who has built his reputation on Midwest values, exceptional ingredients, and genuine hospitality. At his restaurant, Cordelia, he champions “Midwest Nice,” putting team and guests first while celebrating farm-fresh, seasonal bounty. Named one of Food & Wine Best New Chefs in 2025, Cimino also co-founded Cleveland Family Meal, supports local charita...

Jon Bassford is a best-selling author, TEDx speaker, and founder of Lateral Solutions, an operations consulting and advisory firm. With a background spanning law, philosophy, and executive operations, Jon now helps founders and leadership teams scale by transforming curiosity into a competitive advantage. In this episode, Jon sits down with Steve for a conversation about the power of curiosity, th...

Alyssa Maute Smith is the Executive Director of Charleston Wine + Food, where she led the organization into its 20th anniversary year in 2026 with a focus on community, education, and sustainability. A Charleston native appointed to the role in 2023, she has overseen nearly $21.7 million in economic impact for the Festival while expanding its reach through free community programming and industry-f...

Bill Addison is the restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times , where he writes influential reviews and guides that spotlight the diversity of the Southern California dining scene. Bill is the recipient of the 2023 Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award from the James Beard Foundation, one of the highest honors in food writing. Before joining the Los Angeles Times , he was the nat...

Rose Previte is the owner of Washington, D.C.’s acclaimed restaurants and bars Compass Rose, MICHELIN-starred Maydan, Medina, and Maydan Market in Los Angeles. She is also the author of a cookbook called “Maydan,” and the co-founder of Go There Wines, which brings to market trailblazing wines made by women and other underrepresented winemakers from lesser-known wine-making regions around the world...

Chef Alex Harrell brings a blend of classical technique and deep respect for Southern technique and seasonal ingredients to his cooking. Raised in southeastern Alabama, he spent childhood weekends on his grandparents’ Gulf Coast farm harvesting produce and cooking with his father. After earning a biology degree from Hampden-Sydney College, Harrell discovered his passion for the kitchen while worki...

Chef Justin Devillier and Mia Devillier are the husband-and-wife team behind New Orleans’ beloved La Petite Grocery, where Justin serves as Chef/Owner and Mia as Director of Operations and co-owner. Raised in Dana Point, California, Justin’s early experiences fishing and diving along the Pacific coast sparked a lifelong passion for cooking. After moving to New Orleans in 2003, he worked in acclaim...

James London is a Charleston native whose culinary career began at age 14. After graduating from the College of Charleston and training at The French Culinary Institute in New York, he went on to lead kitchens in New York City and San Francisco, including serving as Executive Chef at the Japanese restaurant Niko in SoHo. Returning home to the Lowcountry, he opened Chubby Fish, a dock-to-table seaf...

Kat Kinsman is the Executive Features Editor at Food & Wine . She is the author of Hi, Anxiety: Life with a Bad Case of Nerves , host of the award-winning podcast Tinfoil Swans , and founder of Chefs with Issues. Previously, she served as senior food and drinks editor at Extra Crispy , editor in chief of Tasting Table , and founding editor of CNN’s Eatocracy. A two-time IACP Award winner, with...

Wolfgang Puck is a chef, restaurateur, and culinary pioneer whose name is synonymous with innovation in modern cuisine. Born in Austria, he worked in some of Europe’s most renowned kitchens before moving to the United States, where his fusion of French technique, California sensibility, and global influences reshaped fine dining. In 1982, he opened Spago, a flagship restaurant that became an inter...

Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy- and four-time James Beard Award–winning chef, creator, producer, and storyteller who has built a career on the belief that food tells the world’s most important stories. Through his acclaimed shows including Bizarre Foods, The Zimmern List, and Family Dinner , he’s explored how food can bridge divides and inspire change. Beyond television, he founded Intuitive Content an...

Brooks Reitz is a Charleston-based entrepreneur, investor, and writer. He is the owner of Leon's Oyster Shop, Little Jack's Tavern, and Melfi's, in Charleston, and The Bell, in New Orleans. He is also the founder of Jack Rudy Cocktail Co., a manufacturer of mixers and bar tools distributed internationally, and along with his wife, Erin, he is the co-founder of E.M. Reitz, making high-end shirts fo...

In this special kick-off to 2026, host Steve Palmer and his previous and upcoming guests, including Frank Stitt, Kat Kinsman, Andrew Zimmern, and more, share thoughts on what trends we will see more (and less of) in the new year. Thank you to our studio partners for allowing us to use their space to film this episode.

In this special holiday episode, host Steve Palmer takes a moment to reflect on the past year and highlight the important work his partners, community, and friends are doing within the hospitality community and beyond. Thank you to Sloss Real Estate for allowing us to use their space to film this episode.

Hunter Lewis is the Editor-in-Chief of Food & Wine , a role he has held since 2017, overseeing the brand’s print, digital, and experiential platforms. He began his career in food journalism after leaving a newspaper job in Durham, North Carolina, for a spot in Jonathan Waxman’s kitchen at Barbuto. This experience shaped his editorial approach and deepened his connection to restaurant culture....

John T. Edge is the writer and host of the Emmy Award-winning television show TrueSouth on the SEC Network, ESPN, Disney, and Hulu. He also pens a beloved restaurant column for Garden & Gun and is the author of The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South , which was named one of the best books of the year by NPR and Publishers Weekly.  His most recent work is a memoir, House...