Say Grace

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...

Frank Stitt is the chef and owner of Highlands Bar & Grill, Bottega, and Chez Fonfon in Birmingham, AL, and one of the most influential voices in modern Southern cuisine. A multi–James Beard Award winner and accomplished author, he has played a pivotal role in redefining Southern dining on a national stage while helping put Birmingham’s culinary scene on the map. As a founding member of the So...

In this special solo episode, host Steve Palmer shares his perspective on navigating the holiday season—a time that can be especially challenging for many—as a recovering addict working in the hospitality industry. If you or someone you know in hospitality needs support this season (or any time of year), Ben’s Friends offers professional resources and a strong, compassionate community. Thank you t...

Jon Murray is the founder of Noko and Kase, two acclaimed East Nashville restaurants that blend Southern roots with a global point of view. With nearly two decades of hospitality experience, Jon is reshaping modern dining through purpose-driven concepts, people-first workplaces, and a commitment to thoughtful, intentional guest experiences. His work challenges industry norms while setting a new st...

Max Goldberg is the co-owner of Strategic Hospitality, the group behind some of Nashville’s most celebrated restaurants and bars, including The Patterson House, The Catbird Seat, Bastion, Henrietta Red, Locust, and Kisser. Since founding the company with his brother Benjamin in 2006, he has helped shape Nashville’s dining culture and grown the group to more than 500 employees. He serves on several...

Will Guidara is the author of the New York Times Bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality . He is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which under his leadership was named the Best Restaurant in the World. He is the host of The Welcome Conference, a Co-Producer on the Emmy Award-winning series The Bear, and is a recipient of the Wall Street Journal Innovator Award. In this episode, Will sits dow...

A native of Winston-Salem, NC, Asheville-based Chef John Fleer has earned critical acclaim for the way he transforms local ingredients into world-class dishes. The unique "foothills cuisine" he helped establish at Tennessee's Blackberry Farm walked the line between refined and rugged; fancy and familiar. The "freestyle American" cuisine he later brought to downtown Asheville at Rhubarb and The Rhu...

Executive Chef Graham House, Chef de Cuisine Sean McMullen, and Director of Food & Beverage Sarah Charles Hereford are the talented trio behind beloved restaurant Luminosa at The Flat Iron Hotel in Asheville. Known for its elegant yet approachable take on Italian cuisine, Luminosa celebrates the spirit of the mountains through local ingredients, seasonal flavors, and warm, polished hospitality. A...

Meherwan and Molly Irani are the husband-and-wife duo behind Chai Pani Restaurant Group and Spicewalla. Since opening the flagship Chai Pani location in Asheville, NC in 2009, Molly, Chief Hospitality Officer, and Meherwan, Chef and CEO, have grown Chai Pani into a nationally celebrated brand with a team of over 300 people, seven restaurants across the Southeast and Washington, D.C., and a growing...