This might be the most chaotic, unplanned, laugh-filled live episode we’ve ever recorded.
We set up at The Crushed Grape in Grand Rapids, turned on the mics, and let the crowd take over — and the result was pure magic.

In this episode of The BRUH Foodcast, Mike and Tony go fully off-script as customers, wine tasters, rum-curious newcomers, cheetah-girls-in-training, and even a licensed therapist grab the mic and ask us everything.

No prep.
No plan.
Just real people, real questions, and real drinks.

You’ll hear:

🍷 A 40-year rum comeback — Rebecca takes her first sip of rum since age 17
😂 The debate of the night: Which food is truly non-perishable?
🔥 A Louisiana childhood food story that will make you crave gumbo immediately
🥧 Sweet potato pie vs. pumpkin pie (and the controversy that followed)
🥪 What is “ham salad,” and why is it a Pittsburgh childhood delicacy?
🍯 A heated argument about who actually knows how to make Kool-Aid correctly
🌭 The great Midwest mystery: Why Chicago sausage hits different
🍳 How to properly cook an egg — fried, scrambled, poached… and with mayo??
🦞 The ONLY correct way to make a lobster roll (and why Boston betrayed us)
🚗 A surprise car segment: Are Range Rovers trash… or elite? (We settle it)

Plus:
Tony creates a brand-new original cocktail LIVE — The Broasis — a tiki drink so good the parking lot fell silent.

This is food, drinks, culture, chaos, community, and straight-up good vibes.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you hand strangers a microphone… this is it.

Episode 14: Gina Ferwerda — “Meals from the Mitten,” Meijer Food Stage, & Great Lakes flavors (Spotify/Apple/YouTube episode description)

Michigan cookbook author, TV personality, entrepreneur, and creator of Meals from the Mitten—Gina Ferwerda—joins BRUH just ahead of her culinary demos on the Meijer Food Stage at the Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival (Nov 21–22).

We get into:

• Fresh, coastal-inspired Great Lakes cooking & approachable holiday boards

• Gina’s SILVER Spices (including Tequila-Barreled Smoked Sea Salt)

• “Festive Bruschetta & Pairings Board” with Michigan favorites like Stone House Bread (Traverse City), Grady’s Garden Salsa, and Downriver Chip Company

• Adventure cooking (yes… muffler meatballs), pellet smokers vs. wood/charcoal, and tailgate leftover egg bakes

• RV resorts vs. RV living, Silver Lake Sand Dunes, and festival pro-tips (pace yourself—and eat!)

🎟 Festival info: Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival — Nov 21–22
🍳 Gina’s world: Meals from the Mitten • SILVER Spices • Nom News

Chapters
00:00 Cold open & tech shenanigans
02:05 Who is Gina Ferwerda
08:45 Wine, Beer & Food Fest preview (Meijer Food Stage)
18:20 Holiday bruschetta & Michigan pairings
29:10 Adventure cooking & “muffler meatballs”
41:00 Smoked meats, pellets, & the perfect wrap temp
52:30 Tailgate → breakfast egg bake
1:00:10 Silver Lake invite & closing

Hashtags:
#GinaFerwerda #MealsFromTheMitten #GrandRapids #GreatLakesCooking #WineBeerFoodFestival #Meijer #MichiganFood #Podcast

We’re officially weekly and live at 9 PM ET—and yes, we accidentally didn’t press record the first time. Robfather, come home.

This episode:

• Weight-loss accountability: 201 → 201 (goal 190)

• Cooking Club recap: aglio e olio (gluten-free)

• Guest: Nate (Drink GR) — previewing the GR International Wine, Beer & Food Festival (Nov 21–22, DeVos Place):

  • Sober-curious talks (Fri 5:30, Sat 5:30) + Made in the Mitten spirits (Sat 4:00)

  • NA shoutouts: Toast, Clever Mocktails (piña colada & mojito), Blind Tiger, and a German NA white from the Selbach family

• Libation Station: tequila flight (Ocho, Fortaleza, Lost Lore) vs. piña colada mocktail; Herradura cameo

• Smasher Pass: takeout orange chicken—you smashing or passing?

• Listener Qs:

  • The pizza slice back-bite dilemma

  • Mocktails leveled up with 2–1–1 balance, fresh citrus, quality syrups, and big garnish energy

• Cooking Club Assignment: a weeknight chicken entrée (≤ 1 hour) with veg + starch/legume. Tag us and we’ll feature you.

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