Kentucky’s Wandering Realtor

Troy King went from police officer to hot dog cart owner to challenging Louisville Metro in court over food truck regulations, then to working alongside the city to help other Louisville food truck operators. On this episode of Kentucky's Wandering Realtor, the founder of Velvet Couch Hospitality Group and leader of the Louisville Food Truck Association shares how betting on himself, and knowi...

Peggy Noe Stevens: The First Female Master Bourbon Taster on Belonging, Reinvention, and Legacy | Kentucky's Wandering Realtor Peggy Noe Stevens is known around the world for bourbon, hospitality, etiquette, and shaping how people experience Kentucky, but this conversation goes far beyond the résumé. In this episode of Kentucky's Wandering Realtor, Peggy opens up about who she was before t...

Behind Louisville's Tables | The People Powering the Taste of Louisville Taste of Louisville 2026: the people behind Louisville's restaurant community, on and off camera. What does it take to keep this scene thriving? Tom Enyeart of Gordon Food Service and Kimberlie Thompson of US Foods represent competing companies, but they come to the same table as co-chairs of the 52nd annual Taste of...

A Kentucky farm kid, a portable pizza oven, and a mission to fix food access in Louisville, this is the story behind Locals Food Hub & Pizza Pub. Locals Food Hub & Pizza Pub is more than a place to grab a wood-fired pizza. It's a business built around a much larger mission: supporting Kentucky farmers and bringing fresh, nutrient-rich food into communities where access has historically...

Hannah Drake on Finding Her Voice, Louisville, and The (Un)Known Project | Raised Hand, Raised Voice Before Hannah Drake became a nationally recognized poet, author, and voice for the unheard, she was a little girl in a fifth-grade classroom with her hand raised, waiting to be chosen. In this episode of Kentucky's Wandering Realtor, Hannah opens up about how that moment shaped her voice, why s...

Nachand Trabue doesn't just talk about resilience, she lives it. In this episode of Kentucky's Wandering Realtor, she opens up about growing up in Smoketown, building multiple businesses, and advocating for Black entrepreneurs in Louisville. "I didn't stop moving. I just started moving different." This conversation goes far beyond entrepreneurship. Nachand reflects on loss, l...

WHAT MAKES J-TOWN, J-TOWN? | Jeffersontown, Gaslight Festival & The Power of Community with Deana Karem & Greg Hayden What makes a community feel like home, and how do you keep that identity as it grows? Ahead of the 57th Gaslight Festival, I sat down in Jeffersontown with Deana Karem, President & CEO of the Jeffersontown Chamber of Commerce, and Greg Hayden, owner of 3rd Turn Brewing,...

Woodford Bourbon Guy Jay Jacobs opens up his private bourbon collection of nearly 1,000 bottles, and the story behind it is bigger than whiskey. Jay Jacobs, known online as Woodford Bourbon Guy, turned an ordinary garage into one of Kentucky's most talked-about private bourbon bars, starting with a bar he found on Marketplace and bolted straight to the floor. But the real story isn't the s...

Louisville artist and former Atlanta Braves minor league player Richard Sullivan joins Kentucky's Wandering Realtor for a raw conversation about identity, healing, and who you are when the applause stops. For Episode 50, Richard Sullivan, the 2024 Kentucky Derby Festival poster artist whose work has been featured by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, a...

THE MISSION AFTER SERVICE | Luis Martinez Jr. of Whiskey Valor Foundation What happens when the uniform comes off, but the need for purpose, brotherhood, and service remains? In this episode of Kentucky's Wandering Realtor, Stephon Lewis sits down with Luis Martinez Jr., Marine Corps veteran and founder of the Whiskey Valor Foundation, for a deeply personal conversation about identity after mi...

Brittany Penny, founder of The Nine Bourbon, made history as one of the few Black women to launch her own bourbon brand, but this Kentucky's Wandering Realtor conversation reveals why her story means far more than being first. Watch More Than the First with Brittany Penny, follow Kentucky's Wandering Realtor on Instagram, and check out The Nine Bourbon at 2centsinc.com. Brittany opens up a...

Bourbons Bistro has shaped Louisville's bourbon and food scene for over two decades. In this episode of Kentucky's Wandering Realtor, Jason Brauner and Executive Chef Jereme McFarland share how rare bottle collecting, kitchen leadership, and two very different journeys built one of Louisville's most important bourbon destinations. Jason talks about helping open Bourbons Bistro in 2005,...

From a SoCal barber chair to Kentucky bourbon: Tim Van Riper's unlikely path into the whiskey industry with Pursuit Spirits in Louisville. In this episode of Kentucky's Wandering Realtor, I sit down with Tim Van Riper, Operations Manager at Pursuit Spirits in Louisville, Kentucky, for a conversation about whiskey, reinvention, storytelling, and the unexpected journey from a barber chair in...

Louisville restaurants, barbecue, and Mediterranean food collide in this episode of Kentucky's Wandering Realtor, where I sit down with two of the city's most talked-about restaurant owners: Dustin Olsen, butcher, pit master, and owner of Mill Iron 4, and Chef Noam Bilitzer, chef/owner of MeeshMeesh Mediterranean and executive chef/owner of Mill Iron 4. This conversation brings together fo...

In this episode of Kentucky’s Wandering Realtor, I sit down with Dave Astorga, owner of Bar Toast, for a conversation about whiskey, entrepreneurship, relationships and the power of connection. What started as a small garage barrel project grew into Bar Toast, a brand built around great pours, shared stories and unforgettable moments with good people. Dave opens up about his journey with whiskey,...

For more than 30 years, Dawne Gee has been one of Louisville’s most trusted voices, but this conversation goes far beyond the news desk. Dawne opens up about the faith that grounds her, the heart behind her service, the health battles that changed her perspective and the strength behind her belief that life cannot take anything from you that you refuse to give up. This is a powerful conversation a...

Teacher Turned Whiskey Tastemaker Before Nikki Armento was guiding guests through some of Kentucky’s most memorable whiskey experiences, she was a teacher learning how to connect with people, hold a room, and make complex ideas feel approachable. In this episode of Kentucky’s Wandering Realtor , Nikki shares the journey that took her from the classroom to becoming Director of Whiskey Experiences a...

In this episode of Kentucky’s Wandering Realtor , we sit down with Rhona Kamar , Founder and Executive Director of Feed Louisville , and Chef Emmaly Saliga , Head Chef of Zest , for a powerful conversation about food, dignity, community, and mission-driven hospitality in Louisville, Kentucky. Feed Louisville is celebrating 6 years of rescuing food, nourishing people, and strengthening community by...

Dessert Has a New Voice. In this episode of Kentucky’s Wandering Realtor , we sit down with Chef Ben Deutsch , chef and owner of Retta’s on Frankfort Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky. Retta’s is one of Louisville’s most creative dessert experiences, blending seasonal desserts, ice cream, cocktails, natural wine, vinyl records, and Kentucky-grown ingredients into a concept rooted in a true sense of p...

The 3rd Annual Rollin’ on the River Fest is more than just a good time, it’s a celebration of community, purpose, and bringing people together for something bigger. In this episode, I sit down with Todd Antz and Kelly Conn, the co-organizers behind Rollin’ on the River Fest benefiting the WHAS Crusade for Children. We dive into how this festival came to life, the vision behind it, and what makes i...

Chef Michael Bowe of Red Yeti in Jeffersonville, Indiana joins Kentucky’s Wandering Realtor for a conversation about the journey behind the title. From Appalachia to becoming a James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes, Michael shares the path, pressure, and purpose that shaped him along the way. In this episode, we talk about his culinary journey, building Red Yeti, leadership in the ki...

Creola Dickerson, National Brand Ambassador for New Riff Distilling, joins me for a powerful conversation about leadership, mentorship, representation, and what it takes to build a respected voice in whiskey. With more than 20 years of experience across the spirits, hospitality, and restaurant industries, Creola shares how fearlessness, education, and authenticity helped shape her journey. In this...

Built From Pain, Served With Purpose — in this episode, I sit down with Nicolee Burks and Roberto Davila, the owners of Big Nita’s Cheesecakes, for a conversation that goes far beyond dessert. Nicolee opens up about addiction, shame, rebuilding her life, and how cheesecake became the beginning of purpose when life felt empty. Roberto shares what it has looked like to support that journey, build to...

What stories in bourbon still are not getting the attention they deserve? In this episode, Maggie Kimberl joins the show for a conversation that goes far beyond what is in the glass. As a Kentucky Colonel, ninth-generation Louisvillian, Spirits Writer of the Year, Content Editor of American Whiskey Magazine , and Co-Chair of the World Whiskies Awards , Maggie has become one of the most respected v...

Grateville Dead has become more than a festival in Louisville. Ashley Angel shares how it grew from an idea into a music, art, and community experience with real culture behind it. In this episode, Ashley Angel, co-founder of the Grateville Dead Festival, talks about the origins of the festival, the Grateful Dead influence, the Louisville jam-band scene, and what has helped Grateville build someth...