Today on Jeff & Jamie Feed, we’re joined by Jen Hidinger-Kendrick from Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit that helps food service workers in crisis. We talk about what makes restaurant and hospitality work so different from other industries—and why these individuals benefit so much from Giving Kitchen’s support.

Jen also shares the inspiring origin story of the organization, which began with an Atlanta restaurant later named Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurant about eight years ago. It’s a powerful look at how one community’s compassion grew into a nationwide effort to care for those who serve us every day.

If you’ve ever worked in hospitality, love the restaurant world, or just want to hear an inspiring story about turning tragedy into positive change, this episode is for you.

In this episode, hosts Jeff and Jamie dig into the messy, magical world of brunch with special guest Chef Chris Rogienski of Leluia Hall. Together, they explore why brunch often gets a bad rap among chefs — and whether the critics have a point. Chef Chris pulls back the curtain on the real challenges of opening for brunch service at Leluia Hall, from staffing headaches to keeping the menu both profitable and creative.

The conversation also gets cracking over farm-fresh vs. regular eggs — does the difference really show up on the plate? And finally, they tackle the big question: can brunch actually make money, or is it just a labor of love?

Pull up a chair (and maybe a mimosa) for a candid, flavorful look at the sweet, sour, and sunny side of brunch.

Jeff and Jamie share inside scoop on their new TV series, Fork & Hammer. The journey has been a whirlwind—equal parts thrilling and downright surreal. The premiere was a night to remember: pure celebration, packed with laughter, cheers, and the incredible energy of friends, family, and fans. Get takeaways from filming and insights behind episodes 1 and 2—both now available for streaming on pbs.org!

This week on the podcast, Jeff and Jamie chat with Jesse Ledbetter from FreshList, a Charlotte-based company that aggregates produce from over 200 local and regional farms. Sitting right between two notoriously low-margin worlds—restaurants and farmers—Jesse shares how he’s built a business that supports both sides. They dive into the challenges of seasonality, the realities of sourcing locally, and how FreshList keeps it all working in a complex and ever-changing food system

This week on the podcast, Jeff & Jamie are hanging out with Scott Galloway—the producer behind the brand-new PBS TV series Fork & Hammer—featuring the Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group team. They swap stories about the rollercoaster of making a national public TV show right here in Charlotte—all the challenges and wins and stories from the journey. Jeff and Jamie share what it was like filming season one with their team—and give a sneak peek at what’s next.

Jeff and Jamie go back in time and chat with their first business partner, Paul Manley—a successful Charlotte restaurateur with experience in fine dining, fast casual, consulting, and more. Discussing the massive changes that have taken place since 2009 when these three went into business to open an 11 table eatery called Crêpe Cellar, it is clear one thing stays the same: the loving element of hospitality.