The Sauce - A St. Louis Restaurant Show

On this episode of The Sauce Podcast, host Lauren sits down with Nick Bognar, chef/owner of Indo, Sado, and Pavilion, and Hana Chung, Indo's new chef de cuisine and the star of our June cover story, for a lively conversation about the evolution of one of St. Louis's most beloved restaurants and the exciting new concept on the horizon. Nick and Hana walk through the new dishes coming to I...

On this episode of The Source Podcast, host Lauren sits down with Jordan Goodman, founder of Good Hospitality, for a wide-ranging conversation about building one of St. Louis's most exciting and fast-growing restaurant groups from the ground up. Jordan shares the origin story of Good Ice, the handcrafted clear ice company he launched in March 2020 that has grown to serve over 100 bars, restau...

On this episode of The Sauce Podcast, host Lauren sits down with Fred Burmer, CEO of Lion’s Choice, for a conversation about one of St. Louis’ most iconic restaurant brands, the loyal customers who have sustained it for nearly six decades, and the challenge of honoring tradition while continuing to innovate. Fred shares the story behind Lion’s Choice, from its founding in 1967 by a former Monsanto...

On this episode of The Sauce Podcast, host Lauren sits down with Qui Tran, founder of Mai Lee and co-owner of Nudo House, alongside chef and business partner Marie-Anne Velasco, for a conversation about food, community, resilience, and the stories behind two of St. Louis’ most beloved restaurant concepts. Qui shares the remarkable journey of Mai Lee, from its humble beginnings as a small family-ru...

On this episode of The Sauce Podcast, host Lauren sits down with Vince Valenza, founder and owner of Blues City Deli, for a conversation about family, food, blues music, and the journey of building one of St. Louis’ most beloved sandwich shops. Vince shares the story behind Blues City Deli and how what began as an idea for an Italian market evolved into a neighborhood institution known for its aut...

On this episode of The Sauce Podcast, host Lauren sits down with Eddie Hsia, general manager and bar manager at Saigon Café, for a conversation about cocktail creativity, Vietnamese cuisine, Asian food culture, and the growing hospitality community in St. Louis. Eddie shares how he helped develop Saigon Café’s evolving cocktail program — from clarified cocktails and bottled drinks to presentation-...

On this episode of The Sauce Podcast , host Lauren sits down with Amy Guo, co-owner of Sando Shack and Hello Poké, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, Japanese comfort food, food halls, and the unexpected path that brought her family back to St. Louis. Amy shares the story behind Sando Shack — the Japanese-inspired sandwich concept known for its katsu sandos, fruit sandos, and creative flav...

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of suicide, mental health struggles, paranormal themes, and substance use that some listeners may find sensitive or distressing. On this episode of The Sauce Podcast, host Lauren sits down with longtime St. Louis radio personality Dave Glover for one of the wildest and most entertaining conversations yet — covering everything from his unexpected j...

“The Sauce” with Jeff & Alex Henry – Bringing Yucatán Cuisine to St. Louis Through El Molino del Sureste On this episode of The Sauce Podcast, host Lauren sits down with brothers Jeff and Alex Henry — the owners of El Molino del Sureste and Taqueria del Sureste — to talk about their journey from growing up between Missouri and Mexico to building one of St. Louis’ most exciting and celebrated r...

On this episode of The Sauce Podcast , host Lauren sits down with Bethany Budde-Cohen — owner of SqWires Restaurant & Market — to celebrate 25 years of one of Lafayette Square’s most beloved dining destinations and the story behind its lasting success. Bethany shares how she transformed a 130-year-old wire factory into a warm, character-filled restaurant, and the challenges that came with it —...

On this episode of The Sauce Podcast, host Lauren sits down with Braden— one of St. Louis’ fastest-growing food influencers — to talk about the highly anticipated Foodies Eat First Fest and how he’s turning the city’s food scene into a national destination. Braden breaks down the vision behind the festival, built “for foodies, by foodies,” and how he’s bringing together some of the most talked-abo...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce podcast, host Lauren sits down with Cally and Rich Conyers, owners of Prohibition, a hidden speakeasy tucked beneath a historic 150-year-old building in St. Louis’ Lafayette Square. They share how a fire-damaged, nearly demolished building was transformed into one of the city’s most immersive nightlife experiences—blending history, design, and storytelling into...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce podcast, host Lauren Healey sits down with Brennan England, founder of the St. Louis Cannabis Club and The Cola Lounge—Missouri’s first cannabis consumption space. Brennan shares how his journey from activism and community-building led to creating a platform where cannabis culture meets education, wellness, and entertainment. From launching just before COVID to...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce podcast, host Lauren Healey sits down with Michael and Meredith Shadwick, the duo behind Honey Bee's Biscuits and a growing collection of beloved businesses in Kirkwood. Michael and Meredith share how their journey started during COVID, experimenting with food and launching at local farmers markets with no expectations—only to be met with overwhelming deman...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce podcast, host Lauren Healey sits down with Brandon Cavanagh, Senior Director of Marketing at SWADE Dispensary, one of Missouri’s leading cannabis brands. Brandon shares his journey from the St. Louis hospitality scene, including owning a popular bar in The Grove, to transitioning into the cannabis industry. He talks about how that background shaped his approach...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce podcast, host Lauren Healey sits down with Loryn Nalic, chef and co-owner of Balkan Treat Box and Telva at The Ridge—two of St. Louis’ most celebrated dining spots. Loryn shares how she turned a passion for Balkan cuisine into a successful food truck and, eventually, a nationally recognized restaurant. She talks about the early challenges, the moment she realize...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce podcast, host Lauren Healey sits down with Danni Eickenhorst, CEO of HuSTL Hospitality and co-owner of some of St. Louis’ most beloved restaurants, including Steve’s Hot Dogs, Steve’s Meltdown at City Foundry, and the iconic The Fountain on Locust. Danni shares how an unexpected partnership with musician and restaurateur Steve Ewing helped save Steve’s Hot Dogs...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce podcast, host Lauren Healey sits down with Alisha Blackwell-Calvert, Advanced Sommelier and beverage director at Madrina in Webster Groves, for a conversation about wine, hospitality, and the journey behind becoming one of the most recognized beverage professionals in the country. Alisha shares how her early love for science and curiosity about the world eventua...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce Podcast, host Lauren Healey sits down with Rick Lewis, owner of Grace Meat + Three in The Grove and Grace Chicken + Fish, for a conversation about hospitality, risk-taking, and growing a restaurant brand with purpose. Rick shares how his path from fine dining to Southern comfort food led him to help launch Nashville hot chicken in St. Louis before stepping out t...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce Podcast, host Lauren Healey sits down with LaTasha Smith, owner of Intertwine Wine Bar in Dutchtown, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, education, and building spaces where community thrives. LaTasha shares how a 10-year dream became reality — transforming a former residential space into a hidden, speakeasy-style wine bar where nearly everything inside w...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce Podcast On this week’s episode of The Sauce Podcast, host Lauren Healey sits down with Jared Williamson, Head Brewer at Schlafly Beer, to talk creativity, legacy, and what the future of beer really looks like. Jared shares how his path into brewing began far from traditional beer school — starting as an art and music major before working his way up from cleaning...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce Podcast, host Lauren Healey sits down with Jackie Price, founder and owner of Fennel Cooking Studio in Midtown St. Louis. Jackie shares her journey from culinary school to teaching at Saint Louis University, and eventually taking the leap to open Fennel — a hands-on cooking class studio built around accessibility, education, and community. She talks about blendi...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce Podcast , host Lauren Healey sits down with Brandon Oker , the Executive Chef at Pastaria and one of Sauce Magazine’s Ones to Watch in the February issue. Brandon shares his path from growing up in a town of 300 people near Lake of the Ozarks to working his way from dishwasher to leading one of St. Louis’s most beloved pasta institutions. He talks about work eth...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce Podcast , host Lauren Healey sits down with Jason Tilford , chef/owner behind Session Taco and the newly opened Lapez Mod Mex in the Central West End. Jason walks through nearly two decades of building chef-driven concepts in St. Louis, starting with a tiny, made-from-scratch Tortilleria in the CWE, to opening Mission Taco Joint in 2012, and now evolving the bra...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce , host Lauren Healey is joined by Nathaniel Reid , chef and owner of Nathaniel Reid Bakery , one of St. Louis’ most celebrated bakeries. Nathaniel reflects on nearly 10 years in Kirkwood, three expansions, and the mindset that’s helped the bakery thrive through consistency, craft, and community support. In this episode: How Nathaniel went from aspiring scientist...