Love + Grit

Our hosts chat with an actor (Nakia Dillard) and an MC (Chill Moody) this week. First up: Nakia Dillard, who takes his role of Philadelphia actor very seriously. Dillard developed his acting chops here in the City of Brotherly Love. And although he’s appeared in numerous productions (Black Lightning, The Wire)—at least 80 and counting—he has never left Philadelphia physically. Learn how and why he...

In this episode, our hosts talk to two dope Philly ladies: one who feeds our bellies in all kinds of delicious ways and another who feeds our souls through the characters she plays. Philly foodies know Talula’s. There’s Talula’s Table in Kennett Square and Talula’s Garden and Talula’s Daily in Philadelphia’s Washington Square neighborhood. That’s all thanks to West Chester’s own Aimee Olexy, who b...

We talk to two of our favorite folks from the local sports scene: Tom McCarthy, voice of The Phillies, and Jazmine Smith, leading the charge to diversify field hockey and lacrosse.  With baseball about to return, our hosts check in with the man who knows everything about the Phillies. Tom McCarthy speaks to us about life in and out of Citizens Bank Park. For the last 18 years, Jasmine Smith has be...

To get to the root of festival life, we called in the big bosses! This episode begins with Shawn Gee, who honed his management skills with legendary Roots manager Rich Nichols. Over the years, Gee has managed the Roots and Jill Scott and served as business manager for Drake, Nicki Minaj, Meek Mill, Lil Wayne and a slew of others. He's also the president of Live Nation Urban. Gee gives us the lowdo...

While the country is going through a cycle of change, Philadelphia offers some hope. Rachel, Laiya and Justin dive into a couple of remarkable Philadelphia stories for a special edition of Love + Grit. The mother of Black Music Month, media personality and strategist, Dyana Williams, has been a Philly tastemaker for over 40 years. She’s the person celebrities call when their mouths get them in tro...

Philadelphia native Angela Nissel, one of Hollywood’s most in-demand writers, gained popularity with her blockbuster memoir “The Broke Diaries: The Completely True and Hilarious Misadventures of a Good Girl Gone Broke” and as a producer and writer on hit television shows “Mixed-ish,” “Scrubs,” “The Boondocks” and more. She joins Laiya, Rachel and Justin to discuss her journey in entertainment. The...

Nicole Marquis, owner of HipCityVeg, Charlie was a sinner and Bar Bombón, has always kept a dizzying pace at the office. This week, she gives listeners an insider's view of her life during the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes keeping her restaurants open for takeout and delivery and working to help the city’s restaurant industry recover. Then, NBC10Philly Live host Aunyea Lachelle joins to tell t...

Rachel, Justin and Laiya talk to a 2020 James Beard Awards nominee and Top Chef winner: chef Nick Elmi (owner of Philadelphia’s Laurel, ITV and Royal Boucherie). In this episode, he shares his theories about the current bread-baking craze and his ingredient-foraging adventures with his son. Then, our hosts check in with DJ Diamond Kuts, the first female mixer on Philadelphia radio. The Philadelphi...

Laiya, Rachel and Justin talk to Philadelphia’s own Eugene “Man-Man” Roberts about being John Legend’s musical director, Instagram Live etiquette and Twitch, the leading live-streaming platform. Next, NBC10 Philly Live’s Auynea Lachelle introduces us to three West Chester University students thanking first responders and other heroes for their work during the COVID-19 crisis. And finally, our host...

On this week’s Love + Grit, Rachel, Justin and Laiya spend time with James Beard Award nominee Eli Kulp, the chef behind Fork, High Street On Market and High Street Hospitality Group and host of The CHEF Radio Podcast. They talk with Kulp about how he reinvented his life following a 2015 Amtrak crash that left him paralyzed and his new podcast, which explores all aspects of the food and restaurant...

While spending time at home and talking about the region they love so much, the Love + Grit hosts kick off this episode by sharing their favorite regional craft breweries offering delivery before discussing vegetarian cuisine and the future of the restaurant industry with Vedge owners and James Beard Award honorees Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby. Then, Laiya, Rachel and Justin catch up with NBC10 Phi...

In another episode that finds our hosts heeding Mayor Kenney’s advice to stay at home and keep each other safe, Laiya, Rachel and Justin talk to Charlie Mack about his unofficial roles as Philadelphia’s Big Brother and star-maker (Will Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Bryshere Gray). Next, they have a conversation with Aunyea Lachelle, host of NBC10’s Philly Live, about the importance of fostering pets durin...

In this special episode of Love + Grit, designed to help all of us get through COVID-19, we embrace the importance of laughter, as we listen to our guests tell us about how they’re navigating through these uncertain times. First, Temple University and Cardinal Dougherty High School alum and Philadelphia comic TuRae Gordon talks to Rachel, Laiya and Justin about writing new material and really gett...

On this week’s episode of Love + Grit, our hosts begin to emphasize the people of Greater Philadelphia and their stories of positivity, ingenuity and compassion in response to the impact of COVID-19 on our region. First, Jennifer Carroll, Top Chef finalist, Philadelphia native and Spice Finch executive chef, joins the hosts to share easy make-at-home recipes, talk about how to best support restaur...

Note: Love + Grit is here to inform and bring the fun, but we want you to know that this episode was recorded before COVID-19. Going forward, we’ll focus on sharing stories of the region’s vibrancy and the fun we’ll have when Philly is Philly again. As always, we stand with you, and thank you for standing with us. P.S.: Wash your hands! There is light at the end of the tunnel! - LSC, RF & JP This...

In the first episode of Love + Grit, learn why hosts Laiya St. Clair, Rachel Ferguson and Justin Pizzi love Philadelphia as much as they do (and why you should too) before they chat with three women making an impact on the city.  First, they talk to Rashia Bell ( The Cristalline ), West Philadelphia native and crystal designer for the  Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center , about the...

Love + Grit: two words often associated with Philadelphia, the City of Sisterly Love. Impossible to define, Philadelphia has long been regarded as an underdog city. That is no longer the case. This uniquely Philadelphia podcast uses the authentic and diverse stories of the city to inspire all people — visitors and locals alike — to visit (or re-visit) the region. It gives listeners an insider’s lo...