Ya Gotta Eat

Before she raised some of the finest Wagyu beef in the South, Kim Howard was walking the streets of Los Angeles as an LAPD officer — and earning the Medal of Valor to prove it. Now she runs Black Jack Ranch in Wiggins, Mississippi, where her expertise in cattle breeding and harvesting has helped her build something truly rare: a Wagyu operation with the kind of depth and intention that only comes...

Susan Spicer helped shape modern New Orleans cuisine without ever chasing the spotlight. Born in Key West and raised in New Orleans after spending part of her childhood in the Netherlands, Susan built a career defined by curiosity, discipline, and fearless creativity. From learning classic French technique at Louis XVI and staging in Paris in the early 1980s to opening legendary restaurants like B...

Vasti Jackson isn’t just a musician. He’s a storyteller, a cultural bridge, and one of the living voices of the blues. Born and raised in McComb, Mississippi, Vasti grew up surrounded by music, gospel, country, soul, and blues, long before he ever stepped on a stage. That foundation led to a career spanning decades, working with legends, performing around the world, and helping carry forward a sou...

Dario Cecchini isn't just a butcher. He’s a philosopher of food, a steward of tradition, and the heart of a small town in Tuscany. Known around the world as The Butcher of Panzano, Dario has spent more than 50 years working in the same family butcher shop, carrying on an eight-generation tradition. Along the way, he built not just a business, but a community — a place where people from all ove...

Mark Landis is one of the most unusual guests we’ve ever had at the table. Known as one of America’s most prolific art forgers, Landis spent years donating recreated works to museums across the country, never asking for money and often taking on elaborate personas along the way. His story was later captured in the documentary Art and Craft. In Episode 9 of Ya Gotta Eat, Robert St. John and Drew Wo...

Charles Morgan helped define the Gulf Coast restaurant scene. In 1979, he turned a small repurposed house on the Destin Harbor into Harbor Docks — a waterfront seafood landmark built on fresh Gulf fish, 400 feet of dock space, and a true “Gulf to Table” philosophy. What started as a dockside seafood house became an institution. But this episode isn’t just about seafood. It’s about legacy. In Episo...

Kevin Boehm has built one of the most respected restaurant groups in America. As co-founder of Boka Restaurant Group, he and his business partner Rob Katz operate more than 35 restaurants across Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and beyond. In 2018, they won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur in America. But this episode isn’t just about success. It’s about what it costs. In Episode...

In Episode 6 of Ya Gotta Eat, Robert St. John and Drew Wooton sit down with Chef Frank Brigtsen — one of the true gentlemen of New Orleans cooking — for a meal at Susan Spicer’s Rosedale Restaurant in New Orleans. Frank’s story sits at the heart of a defining moment in American food. He got his start at Commander’s Palace, worked side-by-side with Chef Paul Prudhomme, and was there for the early d...

Oli Petit — Belgian-born restaurateur, drummer, and the heart behind The Red Bar in Downtown Grayton Beach — joins Robert St. John and Drew Wooton for Episode 5 of Ya Gotta Eat. The Red Bar isn’t just a restaurant — it’s a landmark. A funky, unforgettable room filled with live music, red walls, and the kind of energy you can’t fake. In this episode, Oli talks about building that magic from the gro...

Mason Hereford — chef, author, and owner of Turkey and the Wolf — joins Robert St. John and Drew Wooton at the High Hat Cafe for Episode 4 of Ya Gotta Eat. Mason is one of the most original voices in American food today. His counter-service sandwich shop, Turkey and the Wolf, has been named one of the most important restaurants of the decade by Food & Wine and Esquire, and was crowned Bon Appé...

Chef Eric Cook — Marine Corps veteran, New Orleans native, and owner of Gris-Gris and Saint John — returns for Part 2 on Episode 3 of Ya Gotta Eat. In this episode, the conversation turns deeply personal as Eric recounts the days surrounding Hurricane Katrina — being trapped at Charity Hospital, navigating chaos and survival, and doing whatever it took to save his son while the city collapsed arou...

Chef Eric Cook — Marine Corps veteran, New Orleans native, and owner of Gris-Gris and Saint John — joins Robert St. John and Drew Wooton for Episode 2 of Ya Gotta Eat: a series all about great food, great people, and real conversation. In this episode, we sit down at Gris-Gris and talk about everything from his early days in the kitchen… to fighting personal battles, finding purpose, and building...

Ben & Erin Napier are famous far beyond their Hometown, but when you sit down a share a meal with them, you wouldn't know it. They have to be two of the most genuine human beings of all time, and it is a cosmic gift that they found each other here in the Pine Belt of Mississippi. They have done more for their town of Laurel, Mississippi than any citizens we are aware of, and they have done...