Dining With Dana

This week on Dining with Dana, tune in along with special guest Elizabeth Sabillon as they spill the secrets of making the perfect elderflower martini and reminisce about their favorite drinks at popular local bars. Their journey doesn't end at cocktails. They open up about their personal experiences during middle school and high school, shedding light on the struggles they faced while trying to f...

This week on Dining with Dana, Dana is joined by special guest Seth Daniels, a talented leatherworker as they dive into fascinating topics, starting with Seth's journey of self-teaching leatherworking using a kit and his dedication to refining his craft. As the conversation unfolds, Dana delves into Paul's background, exploring his transition from being a barber to creating high-quality grooming p...

This week on Dining with Dana, Dana is joined by two incredible guests, Bernadette and Michelle. Together, they dive into a fascinating discussion about supporting and empowering women, from small business owners to women in wealth. As they sip on a delicious cocktail, they explore topics ranging from the Enneagram and personality types to the challenges faced by women in the financial industry. J...

This week on Dining with Dana, Dana is joined by Christina Ruiz, Orlando local and Founder of Purpose Project. Join us as we dive into a captivating conversation, exploring Christina's journey of self-discovery, career transitions, and the integration of faith and work. Christina's story is a rollercoaster of inspiration from sports to arts administration and corporate social responsibility. We'll...

This week on Dining with Dana, we hear the inspiring story of Charlie Pioli, who pivoted from a consulting job to start a compost business in Orlando. Inspired by a thriving community composting service he used in college, he wanted to make a change towards their zero waste goal. We also learn about the importance of personal growth and self-awareness as Charlie shares anecdotes about his life pat...

Special guest Jesse Rottinghaus joins the show this week on Dining With Dana as they sip on a Danny Ocean cocktail. They dive into his journey from a bartender to a highly successful real estate agent with the steps and troubles in it. Because of this, Jesse is exceptionally familiar with the Orlando area and provides recommendations for the perfect drink destinations. Both give insights into the...

This week on Dining with Dana, special guest Sara Taylor shares her journey from a bustling city to a quiet suburb, finding solace in knitting and the importance of community. We also hear about her unexpected pregnancy and the sudden end of her marriage. But a chance dinner party changes everything, showing them the power of intimate conversation and its impact on a person. Join us for an emotion...

This week on Dining with Dana, Dana is joined by special guest Carolina Flores, where they share their own experiences of enjoying leisurely meals with family and friends, savoring fresh, whole foods, and building strong community connections with delicious food and good company. They explore the concept of 'blue zones' and how people in places like Italy live longer and happier lives because of t...

In this episode of the Dining with Dana Podcast, Dana welcomes Julie Norris Wilder, a serial entrepreneur and community advocate utilizing the mechanism of business to create positive social, economic, and environmental change. Join Dana and Julie for an insightful conversation on entrepreneurship, self-care, and community advocacy, and learn how Julie's personal experiences have influenced her ca...

This week in Dining with Dana, Dana welcomes downtown Orlando native Julia Young. Julia is the founder and executive director at Page 15, a children's language arts and empowerment nonprofit based in Orlando, FL. She has been recognized as a Bank of America Local Hero and as the winning recipient of Oprah Magazine’s 100 Women, 100 Shoes project. When she’s not changing the world at Page 15, Julia...

Formerly known as Cocktails and Conversations, Dining with Dana, with host Dana Marie Roquemore, sets the stage for the kind of conversations and connections listeners can expect from the show. Dana Marie shares her passion for building genuine relationships and exploring important topics like mental wellness and finding rest. Join Dana and her guest as they dive deep and set the tone for what pro...

It’s always a pleasure to meet new friends. When I heard about Orlando’s first spirit-free speakeasy and tasting lounge, I wanted to invite Kevin Zepf of The Bandbox over to learn more! I love that so many bars and restaurants are offering a variety of Zero Proof Cocktails. Not only are more folks going sans alcohol, it’s nice to have the option if you want to have night off of booze. Kevin walks...

If you know me at all, you know I love a good dance party. These two young ladies stumbled into some massive success about a year ago, with meeting the need for raging Taylor Swift dance parties. What started in Orlando has swift(ly), you’re welcome, grown to dancing across the USA! I chat with Courtney and Caitie about how they started Le Petite Feté , what in the world a Margarita Rash is, and h...

I ♥️ love meeting new friends and Jen Knopf was no exception! Life would be the most challenging without the capacity to read properly. Reading a recipe, holding down a job, reading street signs, all nearly impossible without understanding how all of the letters come together to make sense. Listen in as Jen shares her story on how she started her initiative, The Reed Charitable Foundation , to com...

So much incredible work has come out of Orlando. Wouldn’t you agree? Sitting down with John Rivers was no exception. He is a bit of a (self proclaimed) perfectionist, which works out for us, since his brisket he perfected for 18 years. Plus, that sauce. (Insert a drooling emoji.) We chat his journey from having to figure out how to make life work at a very early age, to being able to take care of...

Who likes to party? Whether that is your thing or not, it’s definitely a part of the downtown Orlando scene, which adds a lot to the flavor of Orlando! Dominique held Orlando’s first ever Nighttime Manager position, and honestly it’s one of very few in the country! She has loads of stories to tell including how she moved to and lived in NYC at 16, working with her brothers in the ever growing cann...

If there’s something I really love, it’s meeting new people – well, most of them. If you are a new dentist, no thank you, but it was so delightful to meet and interview the new(ish) Mayor of Winter Park, a small-town gem, north of Orlando! Phil finished a couple successful careers, retired, and then decided it would a good idea to run for Mayor. He has incredible current and long-term plans for Wi...

Spending time with Teryn Tucker is truly one of the greatest delights one can enjoy in this life. Teryn has been my long-time hair stylist and keeps me in the beautiful blonde. Her story is so incredible, from her living in NYC on her own for a bit when she was 16, to intentionally losing her southern Georgia accent, to doing hair for Bella Hadid at NYFW. She is a true legend around this town. I m...

During this Holiday Season, I wanted to chat with some of the most giving folks I know! Jim and Beth Hobart have been such active members of the Orlando scene. Beth has a wildly successful Real Estate business and Jim has too many projects to list here, but he has a long-standing photography business, MacBeth Studio . It’s hard to go out around town and not run into one of them. We get a sneak pee...

What a pleasure to have such a deep and vast community in Central FL. DJ Nigel John, aka Kurt Rambus, just makes Orlando better. If you've gotten out in the last couple of years, chances are you have witnessed the magic that Nigel brings to events. His story is forever fascinating. We chat about his first vinyl purchases, listening to KISS with his mother, and his alter ego Kurt Rambus. I made him...

What’s better than making new friends? Not much. It was a pleasure to meet a kindred spirit in Heather LaVine. I went from knowing a bit of Heather’s story, to knowing her journey quite well. There’s never a straight cut path in life and Heather’s story reflects that well. From the baseball through-line, to discovering the joy of a well-designed wine bar, to her starting the ever lovely Golden Hou...

We can’t believe it either! It’s been 50 episodes of the Cocktails and Conversation Podcast. To celebrate this momentous occasion, I invited long-time Orlando Mayor, Buddy Dyer to join me on the podcast. I brought my little recording set up to City Hall and asked the Mayor some hard hitting questions. Kidding. But, I did get to find out how his first job helped him in his current job, what his rea...

If there is one thing we can all agree on, it’s been one hell of a Global Pandemic. This past year has been a myriad of things ... Ups / Downs and everything in between. I invited my incredibly wise friend, Aaron Moore, over to chat about how this Pandemic has had an effect on our bodies and our Mental Health. I don’t know about you, but I have been really feeling it. Plus, I wanted him to speak a...

When you sit down with Tony Adams to hear all his stories, you better have time on your hands and a good amount of Whiskey. Lucky for me, I had both! I’m always so proud of the Orlando folks that, sadly, move away from Orlando, but create incredible careers and magical things around the country and the world! Tony is no exception. He shares how he knew he wanted to be a Chef since he was 14, how h...

Summer on Summer! So thankful to visit my friend Summer Singletary in San Francisco. She spent several years in Orlando learning how plants heal us and then gained experience worldwide. She helped to Co-Found The Kosmic Kitchen and has now moved onto her own ventures of Marketing for unconventional brands Warmly Summer and an Herbal Business Conference Emblossom Herbal . We chat her journey with h...