This week, we talk to two longtime restaurant critics from different parts of the country about what makes their work so interesting and what they're excited to eat. First, Bill Addison, restaurant critic for The Los Angeles Times, talks about his approach to critical writing, his favorite restaurant experiences, and the evolution of California cuisine. He just wrapped up one of the most ambitious projects of his career, the list of the One Hundred and One Best Restaurants in California for The Los Angeles Times. Then, we turn to the Midwest to join Wini Moranville, a restaurant critic based in Des Moines, Iowa. She tells us about her first job as a restaurant server and how that influenced her current work reviewing restaurants, and how restaurant criticism in smaller cities often have very different considerations. Wini is the author of the memoir "Love is My Favorite Flavor: A Midwestern Dining Critic Tells All," and you can check out her Substack, Dining Well in DSM.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• June 13, 2025 (originally aired)

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Have you ever wondered how June looks and tastes in different parts of the country? This week, we visit three different corners of the country to hear about their Junes. Gullah Geechee Chef-Farmer, Matthew Raiford in Coastal Georgia describes this time of year as “where the wild things are”. He tells us how his decision to come back to the south to become a farmer came to be and paints a picture of his favorite low country boil. Matthew's latest book is Bress ‘N’ Nyam: Gullah Geechee Recipes from a Sixth-Generation Farmer. Then, we take a trip to Alaska to hear from Native Alaskan fisherwoman, Melanie Brown as she takes us into a radiantly green scene with sloughs and creeks and paints a vivid picture of millions of sockeye Salmon rolling into Bristol Bay. And then, we sit in with Ronni Lundy, author of the award-winning Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, with Recipes to talk about June in the mountains and summer preserves.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• June 11, 2021 (originally aired)
• June 10, 2022 (rebroadcast)

• June 6, 2025 (rebroadcast)

  
  

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We're celebrating our 30th Anniversary on the road, and this week, we make our fourth stop in Iowa City in partnership with IPR. We talk to bakers, chefs, restaurateurs, and farmers about the food of the heartland. First up, Shae and Anna Pesek of Over the Moon Farm and T.D. Holub of The Garden Oasis Farm talk about their personal experiences with farm life, from agricultural challenges to sustainability and the community and passion that contribute to the success and drive of a farm. Then, we talk to Jamie Powers, owner and executive chef of Deluxe Bakery, and Carrie and Andy Schumacher, owners of the restaurant Cobble Hill, about opening their restaurants in Iowa and how building community is the most important part of their businesses.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• May 30, 2025 (originally aired)

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