The No Dishes Podcast

After just a year of being open, Phat Daddy's BBQ has expanded to three locations and has already laid claim to being quite possibly the best bbq around. Phat Daddy himself, Bruce Parrott, joins us and tells us what makes his Q special, how important his faith is, and how the opportunities for such quick expansion presented themselves. Kool aid on tap. $1.25 wings. First responder discounts. It's...

What started as a fudge shop turned into a home brewing store, years later is now Quaff On Brewing, Hard Truth Distillery, and Big Woods Restaurants, with nine locations across Indiana. Partner, and Master Distiller, Bryan Smith joins us with Big Woods Bloomington General Manager Dustin Sanders to share how Quaff On grew to become the 3rd highest volume craft brewer in Indiana and Hard Truth has f...

From helping Bobby Flay get his first Head Chef job, to being an integral part of the growth of Union Square Hospitality Group in NYC, Arthur Levy has no shortage of tales and accomplishments from his long and storied career. Together with his wife Rosann, Arthur runs the Roart Group, who along with their aforementioned accomplishments in New York City, have helped many local restaurants grow and...

For over 30 years, the Lotus World Music & Arts festival has been bringing artists and musicians from all over the globe to showcase their talent right here in Bloomington. Executive Director Katarina Koch joins us and fills us in on the ins and outs of putting on such a large scale production, drawing thousands of people every year. This year the event is October 3rd-6th. Jordan has also been org...

After humble beginnings at the Smithville Farmers' Market, Kassie Jensen and Amanda Armstrong have turned their beloved recipes into some of the most desired baked goods in the city. Two Sticks Bakery has become a staple on South Washington over the past 6 years years for those wanting savory scones, sweet treats, or delicious coffee beverages featuring their own special blend from Quarryman Coffe...

A new Soma. Bloomington's first full service hotel, featuring room service and a rooftop bar. These are both just a small part of the transformation taking place in the Trades District at 11th and Rogers, partially due to a $16 million dollar Lilly Endowment grant executed through a partnership between the City of Bloomington and Indiana University. Dimension Mill Executive Director Pat East and F...

Over 15 food vendors, two stages of free live music, craft booths, and of course… a parade!! Where is all the fun and tasty goodness? The Monroe County Festival!! Coming up September 12th, 13th, 14th, there's more to do this year than ever before. First year President of the festival Marv Ulmet joins us with Food Vendor Coordinator, and owner of 812, Marren Terrell, to fill us in on what to expect...

Since its inception, Hoosier Hills Food Bank has collected, and distributed, over 80 MILLION pounds of food to those in need. Last year alone they hit over six million pounds of food which found its way to not only Monroe county, but also Brown, Orange, Lawrence, Martin, and Owen counties. Joining us to cover all the daunting logistics to pull off such a feat is Associate Director & Chief Administ...

After their starts as delivery drivers for Baked!, Jeremy Ness and Jason Voegeli found themselves in a position to buy the beloved local cookie joint 2011. Since then they have moved out of the house on 3rd street and into their current location on Washington just north of Kirkwood. Join us as they fill us in on possible future expansion, how they've held off competition from national chains, and...

Tucked beneath the Back Door, and behind Atlas, the Blockhouse Bar has been hosting shows for ten years now and has made a name for themselves as one of Bloomington's premier music venues. Owner David James joins us to discuss Honky Tonk Tuesdays' popularity, his experience working at Farm and Uptown, and his solo music career, including writing credits on Durand Jones' newest solo album. Join The...

Founder of the popular 'Bloomington Foodies' Facebook group, over 13k members, and up-and-coming SadieEatsFood Instagram page, Sadie Clarke is affectionately known to many within the Bloomington community as the Foodie Queen. Her resume includes three plus years as the Director of Operations of the Endeavor/WOW group, General Manager of Sweet Grass, and now her own business, Kealohi Solutions, run...

An absolute Bloomington institution, Upland Brewing Company has been known for inventive brews and made-from-scratch food for over 25 years. Joining us to shed some light on how they've managed to innovate and keep things fresh after all these years is Head Brewer Matt Wisely, and Executive Chef Ryan Whetham. From their award winning burgers, to their world renown sours program, we cover everythin...

After plans to open a food truck with her Mom to bring a taste of Hawaii to Bloomington, Amber Racoma's world was rocked in February of 2020 when her mom passed away from cancer.  She initially gave up on the plans and focused on her job at IU, but a year later, Amber could no longer ignore the urge to honor her late mother, and opened up Mama Duke's Hawaiian BBQ. She quit her job, and using her m...

A staple of the Bloomington square, Malibu Grill has been serving us savory steaks, succulent seafood, and delectable desserts since 1993. General Manager Elliott Green walks us through his journey working his way up in the restaurant over the past 12 years, his high school industry experiences, and how they've been able to execute such a large menu to perfection over all these years. Join The Cle...

After moving to Bloomington from Venezuela in his early 30's, Juan Guerra began working at La Charaeda and Casa Brava as a dishwasher. After long days washing dishes, he would go sell slices of pizza at Rockit's until the wee hours of the morning, sleep for four hours, and go do it all again. He now oversees six restaurants between Marian, Bloomington, and Bedford in his role as Operations Manager...

Mentioned more than any other restaurant on the podcast, Uptown Cafe has a well deserved reputation as one of the best, most consistent dining experiences in Bloomington. A big reason for that is Executive Chef Adam Noffsinger and Assistant General Manager Vivi Szalavari. After having Michael and Galen Cassady on the podcast back when we were audio only, we're now covering the other key players th...

Born in Afghanistan, and raised in Germany after stops in India and Pakistan, Hamid Ali has had quite the journey that ultimately brought him here to Bloomington. With only $100 in his pocket when he arrived, he has built a successful food truck business over the last eight years through care, passion, and consistency. Doner Kebab is known for their delicious meat, eye-popping presentation, and th...

In this presidential episode we have Chris Martin, President of Finney Hospitality Group, which includes The Tap, Social Cantina, Yogis, SmokeWorks, and Kind Car Wash in Columbus. Join us and we discuss their expansion over the years into Lafayette, Mishawaka, Carmel, Downtown Indy, and soon in Nashville, Tennessee. We also dive into Chris' long resume of opening restaurants all across the country...

Jeff Mease joined us as the first ever guest on the No Dishes Podcast on September 1st 2020. Almost four years later, gone are the masks and social distancing, Bloomington Brewing Company and Lennies have been sold to new owners, and Jeff continues to plow ahead with One World Enterprises, consisting of Pizza X, Hive, One World Catering, One World Kitchen Share, and Loesch Farm. How does Pizza X g...

After serving on City Council for twenty years, 2004-2024, Steve  Volan  knows a thing or two about legislation that has, and might, affect the Bloomington restaurant industry. Find out about the food truck battle of 2014, how and why our parking works the way it does, and his podcast, the 812 Show, highlighting those working in city government. Why should campuses act more like cities? What was i...

For over 13 years Muddy Fork Bakery has been supplying the Bloomington community and beyond with their delectable wood-fired baked goods. Owner Eric Shedler joins us with Baker Carlee Villa and they fill us in on all their unique offerings. From world class sourdough to buttery, flaky croissants, Muddy Fork has something for every palate. Join The Clean Plate Club on Facebook and discuss the lates...

What if I told you you could have hearty biscuits & gravy, delicious homemade cinnamon rolls, and mouth watering cuban sandwiches, on house made bread, all without the gluten? It's not a dream, it's Brightside Cafe! Abe Carney and John Moore join us to fill us in on their new gluten free bakery and cafe on the bottom floor of the Fountain Square Mall. Whether you're just trying to cut back on your...

Like true works of art, Da Vinci Pizza and Pasta is known for their eye-catching pizza and pasta offerings, all with taste to back up their pleasing aesthetics. Joining us to fill us in on how it's all done is our first ever brother-sister duo: Owner Henry Love, and FOH Manager, his sister Hannah. From Henry starting as a server to eventually purchasing the restaurant, and Hannah coming back from...

Having volunteered at Community Kitchen brunches together, and serving as judges side-by-side at the Chef's Challenge, Jordan knew he had to get Stacy Strand on the podcast to share her awesome story. In her role as Program Chair of the Culinary Arts program at Ivy Tech, and doubling as a pastry chef/professor, Stacy oversees incredible growth as youth, and adults alike, find themselves seeking ou...

After meeting in the Army, and spending eight years in Nashville, Tennessee, Aubrey Williams and Dan Dutcher moved to Bloomington and opened Heartwork Brewing alongside old school Yogi's alum, Jeff Browne. Aubrey and Dan join us to chat about the special beers Heartwork offers, their rotating food truck options, and what you can expect to see from them in the near future! Join The Clean Plate Club...