Across the DinerVerse

You've seen the bazillion billboards along the interstate: "Been injured in an accident? Call (insert law firm name here ) and win!" They're plaintiff attorneys; specialists in personal injury law. You get hurt, somebody else pays--namely insurance companies and corporations. It's a huge business, and like most business sectors in the world, technology is leading the way h...

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Jack Davenport opened a diner in south-central Los Angeles specializing in home-style soul food back in 1969 near the intersection of Western Ave. and what is today, Martin Luther King Blvd. Because he wanted to make it a family business, he named the diner Jack's Family Kitchen. Well, life throws you curves, and Jack's marriage didn't work out. Luckily for him, a woman named LaFay...

My father-in-law, Marvin, suggested I do a podcast from a deli in L.A. close to where he grew up. It's called Factors Famous Deli which has been around since 1948!   I saw a woman sitting in a booth wearing scrubs and assumed she was a medical professional, but I had no idea she was a licensed nurse midwife. I wasn't even really aware that midwives were still a thing--my kids were born v...

Originating from Lou's Diner on Decatur Blvd. in Sin City, Nevada, I talk with attorney Dan Ambrose, a criminal defense lawyer turned trial coach about his company, Trial Lawyer's University. Dan shares his experience as an overworked, underpaid defense attorney in Detroit, Michigan and the pro-bono murder case that changed his life.  He later pulled up stakes and moved to L.A. to pursue...

When you hear the term "trophy hunter", you might you have a visceral negative reaction, which is understandable when you see social media photos of wealthy individuals, rifle in hand, smiling proudly next to a dead exotic animal they just killed like an elephant, lion, rhino, or giraffe.  Millions of people worldwide condemn this blood sport. I ran into two trophy hunters who were willi...

My 2023 Fourth of July episode! America's 247th birthday. So, how are we doing? I decided to get some different perspectives on the topic, and since I wasn't able to get to Philadelphia, PA. where the Declaration of Independence was ratified and signed on July 4th, 1776, I went to the next best place...San Diego, CA! Why? Well, first, it's a very patriotic town. I mean, the west coa...

Welcome to season two of the podcast! Very excited to profile new people and new stories, and this week is pretty incredible. Coming to you from the small, idyllic town of Sierra Madre just below the San Gabriel mountains in Southern California, this episode originates from a diner/restaurant affectionately called "The Only Place in Town." They've been in business since 1945 and spe...

My youngest daughter Cameron (I'm blessed with two!) pitched the idea of interviewing me about being a girl dad for this new Father's Day podcast.  I thought, what the hell, might as well reveal some hard truths about being her poppa and share some of the best and worst moments of my fatherhood journey. Maybe some new, younger dads will learn something. The first new podcast of season tw...

One of most popular episodes from season one, recorded in Grand Junction, CO. After I recorded an earlier podcast, I checked into a local hotel and hit the lounge for a night cap. I started talking to a guy in the bar, told him what I do and why I was in Grand Junction. He just laughed and said, "I got a story for you."  This is Keth's harrowing tale of being kidnapped by his father...

The final episode of "Across the DinerVerse's" first season. Already working on diner locations for season two which will premiere in the coming weeks from: New York City, Long Island, San Francisco, and a swing through the Midwest and south.  In the meantime, please enjoy this podcast with amazing country artist, Johnny Young. A singer, songwriter and accomplished guitarist, Johnny...

Tim never felt like he fit in at home or school. The youngest kid in a blue-collar family with a history of alcoholism, Tim was traumatized at the age of 10 when his older brother and mentor was shot by a Black man for no apparent reason. The incident instilled a fear-based hatred of African Americans that festered into rage-filled violence toward pretty much anyone. He numbed his feelings of pain...

Part one in a two-part series about the magical healing power of 12-Step recovery for those willing to give it a try. Originating from Cosmo's Bistro along famed Route 66 in Glendora, California, Cosmo's opens its doors once a week to host a free meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, the first ever 12-Step recovery program in the world. A.A., as it's commonly called, was started by two h...

Ever drive through a small town in the middle of the desert and wonder what in the hell people do there for a living and for fun? Find out on this episode that originates from the Stanford Inn and Cafe in Salome, Arizona. Founded in 1904, the town has a rich history of ranching and turning parched desert into fertile farmland for a myriad of crops including alfalfa. But alfalfa requires a lot of w...

This episode does NOT originate from a diner, but rather the main cafeteria at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada-Flintridge, California. Commonly known as JPL and administered by the California Institute of Technology (CalTech), JPL is all about getting mankind off planet Earth to explore other worlds. The idea for this episode comes from me hearing people say, and reading on social media...

The FINAL Installment of this true-crime series of podcasts originating from the Anvil Bar & Grill in beautiful downtown Curtis, Nebraska.  A heinous double homicide as told by the confessed killer, Harold Nokes. A secret love affair turned into a battle for Harold's affections between two women, his wife, Ena, and his mistress, Kay Hein. But it was Kay's parents who were shot and ki...

The fourth installment in this true-crime series of episodes originating from the Anvil Bar & Grill in Curtis, Ne. Podcast host John Murphy dives into the criminal investigation of the gruesome murders of Edwin and Wilma Hoyt after a menage' a trois love affair involving their daughter, Kay Hein, and a married couple, Harold and Ena Nokes ended badly. Murphy interviews lead investigator L...

The third installment of this true-crime series about one of the most infamous murder cases in Nebraska history--the killing and butchering of beloved farm couple, Edwin and Wilma Hoyt. Originating from the Anvil Bar & Grill in Curtis, Ne., retired Frontier County Sheriff, Lannie Roblee, takes podcast host John Murphy through the ins and outs of the investigation. The episode also features key...

The second installment in this true-crime series of podcasts surrounding the brutal murders of Edwin and Wilma Hoyt in McCook, Nebraska in the fall of 1973. Originating from the Anvil Bar & Grill in Curtis, Nebraska, as well as the Hi-Way Diner in Lincoln, host John Murphy shares for the first time, exclusive audio from taped interviews with the key people involved in the case: confessed kille...

The title harkens back to the 1930 classic painting, "American Gothic" by Grant Wood which is displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago. Intended to convey a positive image of rural American values, this episode (and future episodes) leans into the other meaning of "gothic", in this instance, relating to something mysterious, grotesque or horrific. Podcast host, John Murphy, tr...

This is kind of a surprise bonus episode. I've been working for months on a true-crime series of podcasts from my hometown of McCook, Nebraska, where a heinous double murder was committed out of a love-triangle gone bad--and the people killed had no direct involvement with this salacious three-way affair. It's a bonkers story.  I not only interviewed the lead investigator of the case, bu...

Traveling this week working on several new episodes including a multi-part true crime series from my home state of Nebraska. A truly American Gothic tale coming soon! So, this week's episode is an encore of one of our most downloaded shows. Recorded at the famous Pie n' Burger in Pasadena, Ca. which opened in 1963, the diner is located near Cal Tech and is the comfort-food home to many P...

Quite the deep dive into Hawaiian culture, history, diminishing real estate, and the islander's love of Spam! The story of our diner location is quite a tale in itself. The Forty-Niner has been open on the island of Oahu in Aiea near Peal Harbor since 1947! Started by two Japanese American brothers, Richard and Henry Chagami, the two young men grew up in a small fishing village across the str...

This episode is a fun ride with stories from American's, Mexican's and Canadians living in, or around Yuma, Arizona. Originating from Rick's Kitchen on Frontage Road, the podcast begins with the diner's namesake, Rick, who hasn't always been a restauranteur--he started his career as a carnival worker and stuck with it for 57 years! Rick's shares a few stories that wil...

Episode eleven was recorded at Yankee Doodle's Cafe in Alpine, Wyoming, just south of Jackson Hole and home to hard-working, gun-loving ranchers, and high-tech billionaires who bring their money and liberal ideas to an area steeped in history and patriotic traditions. Property values are soaring forcing locals to move away to find more affordable housing. There's mounting debate on wheth...