The Table Rock

What does it take to build a creative career that lasts? Chef, educator, and creator  Justin Khanna  joins Alx and Julie to talk about growth, sustainability, and the balancing act between ambition and burnout. From Michelin-starred kitchens like  Per Se  and  Noma  to launching his own hospitality education company,  Repertoire , Justin shares the pivots that shaped his path and the rituals that...

 Why put fries before burgers? In this  Red Meat Nation  episode, Alx and Julie sit down with Blake Lingle, founder of Boise Fry Company, to explore Idaho’s dual love affair with beef and potatoes — and how one restaurant turned that identity into an art form. Blake shares how a creative concept became a local staple, what sustainability means in the restaurant world, and why representing Idaho’s...

In this installment of the  Red Meat Nation  series, Alx and Julie sit down with  Tori from the Desert Mountain Cooperative  to talk about the backbone of the American dinner table: ground beef. We’re tracing the journey of beef from the open rangelands of Idaho to the vintage hand-crank grinders of our grandmothers’ kitchens. Whether you're a fan of the classic 80/20 burger or looking to stre...

In this episode of  Red Meat Nation , hosts Alx and Julie sit down with rancher, entrepreneur, and community builder  Jessie Jarvis  to unpack what beef really represents in the American West. Raised on a multi-generational cattle ranch in Southern Idaho, Jessie offers a grounded, first-hand perspective on ranching not as myth, but as daily labor—shaped by land, weather, responsibility, and care....

Beef doesn’t just appear at the grocery store — it moves through systems built on labor, logistics, and trust. In this episode of  Red Meat Nation , hosts Alexander Milles and Julie sit down with Andrea from Bruce Ranch Beef to talk about the customer-facing side of local beef CSAs — where education, access, and expectation-setting do as much work as the cattle themselves. Andrea doesn’t raise the...

What does a perfectly seasoned hamburger have to do with revolution? In this episode of  Red Meat Nation ,  Alx  and  Julie  sit down with James Beard Award-winning author and historian  John Birdsall  to peel back the layers of queer identity hidden within American foodways. From the coded intimacy of a neighbor’s kitchen to the rugged, mythologized landscapes of Western ranching, we explore how...

In the first episode of  Red Meat Nation , Julie and Alx dig into one of Idaho’s most iconic—and controversial—foods: beef. Joined by University of Idaho expert Dr. Philip Bass, a butcher, researcher, and author of  It’s Not a Cow , the conversation explores why beef matters so much to Idaho’s economy, how cattle turn grass into high-quality protein, and what challenges the industry is facing toda...

Red Meat Nation is a podcast about beef—but not the way you’ve been taught to think about it. From ranching families and food writers to activists, chefs, and policymakers, Red Meat Nation digs into America’s most charged protein to ask bigger questions:Who benefits from our food system? Who bears the cost? And why does beef sit at the center of our politics, culture, and identity? Hosted by Alexa...

The Tablerock duo, Alex and Julie wrap-up by chatting about people they have met and foods they have shared over three seasons of the podcast.  Season 1 was the State of Food, Season 2 focused on Neighborhoods and in Season 3, the duo interviewed Influencers.  The podcast endsas Alex heads to Massachusetts. Listeners can join Julie on her new podcast, Dame Julie, playing on all podcast platforms....

The Table Rock duo Alex and Julie meet with Alex's new cleaner. We talk about women owned businesses and mess free food. Recorded and Produced by TMA Studios

The Table Rock duo (TR) chat about what’s been on their plate lately. Tune in to hear about Alex applying to Love is Blind on Netflix and more!

In this episode, the Tablerock duo, Alex and Julie, rock the table with Royd Carlson, The Teff Company Marketing and Agriculture Manager.  Alex also works with Teff as the marketing coordinator.  Teff is the national food of Ethiopia and one of the earliest domesticated plants.  Teff seeds were found in a pyramid in 3350 B.C. Teff planting and distribution was started in Idaho by Ro...

Table Rock Podcast talks with Alex’s private chef Clean Cuisine by Gina. They go over her influences as a chef while sampling a salad. Eating the rainbow is discussed. Boiseans will want to tune in to hear about the Treasure Valleys most sustainable meal service (Boise, Meridian, Eagle). It’s all about crudités darling. Her cooking is healthy and soulful and so is her story. The duo as usual stirs...

Table Rock Podcast looks at the nature of influencers. Everyone has some impact or influence on another but only a very few make money as influencers.  Alex and Julie discuss influence from their individual perspectives. What does it mean to be an influencer?   The answer seems to be some combination of changing the behavior, attitudes, of values of another person.  With influe...

Newbie foodies, professional content creators, career influencers and the current Idaho Statesman food contributor chat about their purpose in focusing their time on highlighting local food. They also discuss how the lack of understanding of the importance of social media marketing is limiting local brands and restaurants. This episode is released in collaboration with the “The Table RockLocal foo...

Alex talks with @TastefullyTyler and Chef Reno of Anthonys Seafood in Boise, inviting Natalie from @HelloMeridian on the stage.

In this final Neighborhood episode, the Table Rock Duo, Alex and Julie, introduce the audience to their neighborhoods. Julie has lived in the East end over 25 years and Alex lives in Meridian near Kuna. On their tour, the duo visits some of Boise’s most iconic eateries such as Fancy Freeze, Flying M Coffee, the Flicks and Lucky 13. The duo also reviews many of the events coming up in September tha...

The Table Rock duo, Alex and Julie, share a Tony G’s pizza from Crave. Tony G originated in San Francisco. Named after the owner, Tony G has won all sorts of awards for his pizza dough. Alex has had the privilege of seeing Tony toss a pizza in Boise. While munching on great crust, Julie gives Alex a set of Kitchen Tarot cards. There are 22 cards created by Susan Shie and Dennis Fairchild. The card...

In this episode, Alex and Julie, the Table Rock duo, are joined by Katie Hestead, a beverage professional. Katie has brought Julie a mocktail, Strawberry Green tea, while she and Alex sip on Strawberry Margaritas she shook up in the Speak Boise studio. The gorgeous salmon-colored drinks are featured on Boifood. Katie takes the duo on a tour of west Boise eateries starting with Nampa for Mexican fo...

The Table Rock duo, interview Aaron and Anna from Hudson’s Baking Company committed to accessible food. The Hudsons first became interested in food when they lived in Hawaii with the military. In Hawaii, they were able to buy fresh, locally grown food year around. Later, in college at Evergreen State, they both majored in food policy. Today, they are putting their commitment to activism and food t...

Julie takes a break this week from the podcast to visit her son Scott in Washington. Alex invites over his long time friend and colleague in the influencer world Sara Stewart to talk again about the state of food and ultimately nutrition, while eating some flowerless muffins. From talking romance to whats on their plates you'll want to dive into the conversation. If you want more from Sara, go che...

This episode Alex and Julie celebrate Boifood gaining 7,000 plus followers with their Table Rock Podcast guest Dr. Kelly Pennings. Kelly is the social media volunteer managing #mydeportbench postings. She is also a busy family medicine physician at a St Lukes clinic in Meridian. Penny takes the duo on a tour of some of her favorite bench places starting with Petite 4 and ending with the new Stil o...

Alex surprises Julie by calling her to introduce one of his best friends, Vanessa Feurguson of the.marketing.model. This week’s podcast is by phone and live. Vanessa lived in Boise for nine years before moving to The Woodlands Texas this spring.  She is engaged to well-known Boise State football star Jerad Zabransky.  Vanessa is an award-winning swimsuit model and Instagram influencer.  The Table...

In this week’s Table Rock conversation, Alex introduces his podcast partner, Julie, to one of his best friends, Liz Taylor.  Liz lives in the North end, the heart of Boise according to true North enders.  Liz describes being able to bike or walk everywhere in Boise. No description of the North End is complete without a cruise around Hyde Park. Liz describes drinking and walking home without having...

The Table Rock Duo, Alex and Julie, dish with entrepreneur extraordinaire Beth Alpaugh from Simple Bites. Over the past 18 years, Beth has grown Simple Bites from a small coffee shop into a large catering business. Today her team prepares thousands of food items daily in Meridian in USDA certified facilities.  Simple Bites offers food delivery in 8 states and catering services throughout the Treas...