Best Ben E. Keith Mid South Podcasts (2025)

1
Michael Carpenter of Speakeasy Café in Bryant, AR 45:50

17d ago45:50

45:50

This episode of Heaping Spoonful features Michael Carpenter from Speakeasy Café in Bryant. He discusses everything coffee-related, as well as the customer experience. Michael also shares insights into starting a business, including the challenges and rewards of being a cafe owner.

1
Kelli Marks, pastry chef, author & instructor at Pulaski Technical College 57:04

1M ago57:04

57:04

Today we welcome Kelli Marks, a talented baker and author. From her journey as a restaurateur to writing her own cookbook, Kelli shares her passion for baking and education. Her story is truly inspiring!

1
Shane Taylor of Taylors' Made Cafe in Conway, AR 52:05

2M ago52:05

52:05

Today's special guest is Shane Taylor of Taylors' Made Cafe in Conway who shares his journey growing up in the restaurant business. He reflects on his years at North Little Rock staple Sir Loins End and discusses how he and his wife successfully balance their work and personal life.

1
Joe Salgueiro of SO Restaurant & Bar in Little Rock, AR 1:43:06

2M ago1:43:06

1:43:06

On today’s episode of Heaping Spoonful, we welcome Joe Salgueiro of SO Restaurant & Bar. Joe shares stories from his time at one of New York City's top restaurants and how he brings that same high-level dining experience to Little Rock.

1
Kevin Doroski of Draft + Table in North Little Rock, AR 1:15:54

3M ago1:15:54

1:15:54

Today’s episode of Heaping Spoonful features Kevin Doroski of Draft and Table. Kevin shares his journey from working in the country club scene to owning his own restaurant in downtown North Little Rock.

1
Matt Quin of Caverns and Forests Board Game Café in North Little Rock, AR 48:58

3M ago48:58

48:58

In today's episode, Matt Quin shares his journey from the East Coast to Arkansas, leading to the creation of Caverns and Forests Board Game Café. Discover how he combined his passions for gaming, food, and community to build a fun-filled café offering great games, food, and drinks.

1
Chef Brad Izzard of The Capital Hotel in Little Rock, AR 40:53

3M ago40:53

40:53

This episode of Heaping Spoonful features Brad Izzard, who shares his journey from South Africa to Arkansas, where he began working at the renowned Capital Hotel. He discusses his rise through the hospitality industry, including his experiences traveling and training in some of the best hotels across the United States.…

1
Brett Basset of Origami Sake in Hot Springs, AR 1:16:15

4M ago1:16:15

1:16:15

On today's episode of Heaping Spoonful, Brett Basset shares his journey in the food and beverage industry, starting at Local Luna, advancing through his time with Yellow Rocket Concepts, and culminating in his current role as Regional Sales Manager at Origami Sake.By Ben E. Keith Mid-South

1
Heather Kouns of North Little Rock Tourism 51:24

5M ago51:24

51:24

Tune in to this episode of Heaping Spoonful where we hear from Heather Kouns. We follow Heather's path from server to restaurant general manager to where she landed at North Little Rock Tourism. She's currently serving as the Vice President of Strategic Sales and works closely with restaurants to highlight the growing food scene here in central Ark…

1
Joann Sims of Cache Restaurant in Little Rock, AR 1:03:27

5M ago1:03:27

1:03:27

Don't miss this episode of Heaping Spoonful. Today we have the incomparable Joann Sims of Cache New American restaurant. Hear about her move to the states from the Philippines and her time at the iconic Capital Hotel.By Ben E. Keith Mid-South

1
David Hesselbein of George's in Little Rock, AR 43:37

6M ago43:37

43:37

In this episode of Heaping Spoonful with David Hesselbein, we’ll uncover the story behind David’s evolution from Heights Taco & Tamale Co. to the beloved George's in Little Rock.By Ben E. Keith Mid-South

1
Nate Miller of BCW (Bread Cheese Wine) in Little Rock, AR 1:04:11

6M ago1:04:11

1:04:11

On this episode of Heaping Spoonful we hear from Nate Miller, chef/owner of Bread Cheese Wine (BCW) in SoMa. We hear about Nate's days selling produce to his days at PFG. Now Nate owns the hottest little spot in Little Rock.By Ben E. Keith Mid-South

1
Josh Woodard of Shotgun Dan's Pizza in Central Arkansas 1:18:58

7M ago1:18:58

1:18:58

On this episode of Heaping Spoonful we chat with Josh Woodard, Owner/Operator of Shotgun Dan's Pizza. We hear how Josh took the reins from his father, runs three locations and his thoughts on work ethic and customer service.

1
Shanna Merriweather of Trio's in Little Rock, AR 55:20

7M ago55:20

55:20

In this episode of Heaping Spoonful hear how Chef Shanna became what she is today by using local, fresh ingredients. Hear about her inspirations and Thursday night Jazz Night.

1
Kelley Bass, Former Heaping Spoonful host & Mid-South food scene advocate 53:22

8M ago53:22

53:22

Kelley Bass, one of the two founding members of Heaping Spoonful is now the Chief Executive Officer of the Museum of Discovery. This episode is a "passing of the torch" as Kelley did 100+ episodes of HS leaving a well paved trail for Brayan to get started. Rusty and Brayan thought it was only appropriate to have Kelley on as the first guest of the …

1
Rusty Mathis, GM of Ben E. Keith Mid-South Division 34:21

1y ago34:21

34:21

Heaping Spoonful began as an idea -- and a name -- created by Rusty Mathis, general manager at Ben E. Keith Foods Mid-South Division. And after nearly 100 episodes, the podcast series ends with an interview with Rusty, who tells listeners about his background and how BEK works to differentiate itself in a crowded marketplace.…

1
Wendy Schay and Jill McDonald of The Croissanterie in Little Rock, AR 37:50

1+ y ago37:50

37:50

Wendy Schay and Jill McDonald tell listeners how a friendship forged as students and then instructors at culinary school led to selling their wares at farmer's markets, then from a food truck and today at The Crossainterie, a popular restaurant in West Little Rock.By Ben E. Keith Mid-South

1
Gilbert Alaquinez Regional Chef of Hanks Brokerage Inc. 43:33

1+ y ago43:33

43:33

How can a career lead from washing dishes to having three home freezers full of top-quality meat -- and not visiting the butcher counter for at least two years? Tune into Heaping Spoonful and let Chef Gilbert Alaquinez tell you how that happened to him.By Ben E. Keith Mid-South

1
Chef Shane Henderson of Ben E. Keith Mid-South in North Little Rock, AR 37:05

1+ y ago37:05

37:05

When most people think of what a food service company like Ben E. Keith does, warehousing and delivering food is certainly at the top of the list. But having an executive chef like Shane Henderson on staff to help customers in almost countless ways is also part of the equation. And Chef Shane came upstairs from his demo kitchen to tell listeners al…

1
Mary Laws of RP Tracks in Memphis, TN 25:25

1+ y ago25:25

25:25

Mary Laws, owner of RP Tracks in Memphis, called the hotline to tell listeners how her restaurant/bar has cultivated a great vibe and loyal clientele with a menu that mixes classic meat-focused apps, sandwiches and main courses with lots of creative "animal-friendly" (vegetarian) dishes that has helped it thrive for more than 35 years.…

1
Coby Smith of CARTI in Little Rock, AR 25:10

1+ y ago25:10

25:10

Coby Smith tells Heaping Spoonful listeners how he parlayed his experience as a chef to focus on health care facilities, including some national media coverage he got for the ramen he featured at one spot that became the rage. Today he's thrilling patients, families and staff at CARTI, a Little Rock-based cancer care facility. And, yes, he still pr…

1
Meredith Chapuis and Chef Dylan McClure of For the Love in Northwest Arkansas 30:16

1+ y ago30:16

30:16

Meredith Chapuis, one of the three founders, and Chef Dylan McClure tell listeners how their For the Love nonprofit in Northwest Arkansas doesn't just feed hundreds of food-insecure people each week but also helps build community and create the connections that help people find new opportunities to improve their lives in multiple ways.…

1
Scott Rains of Table 28 in West Little Rock, AR 39:57

1+ y ago39:57

39:57

Scott Rains dropped by to talk about how his skills, his menu and his restaurant -- Table 28 in the Burgundy Hotel in West Little Rock -- have progressed over the 10 years he's been the executive chef there.By Ben E. Keith Mid-South

1
Payne Harding of Cache in Little Rock, AR 43:54

1+ y ago43:54

43:54

Payne Harding, executive chef and owner of Cache in downtown Little Rock, tells listeners how a tighter focus on high-end but straightforward Southern cuisine and building and maintaining a strong team has helped his restaurant continue to improve over its 10 years in a very high-profile location.

1
Tracy Brown and Clay Caffey of Coy's Southern Eats in Bryant, AR 28:46

2y ago28:46

28:46

Tracy Brown and Clay Caffey of Coy's Southern Eats dropped in to tell us about the rebirth of one of the iconic restaurant brands in Arkansas history -- Coy's Steak House -- and where that might lead beyond the spices and other products, they're selling online.

1
Rich Cosgrove of Whole Hog in North Little Rock, AR 30:25

2y ago30:25

30:25

Rich Cosgrove says great food and service are givens in the restaurant business -- that it's the "enchantment" his team dishes up that differentiates Whole Hog North Little Rock from other restaurants.

1
Brandon Douglas of Mug's Cafe, Mylo's and Leiva's in Central Arkansas 28:48

2y ago28:48

28:48

Brandon Douglas tells our listeners the plans his team has in the works for Mug's Cafe Little Rock, Mug's Cafe North Little Rock, Mylo's Coffee and Leiva's, their four premier coffee shops in the Little Rock metropolitan area.

1
John Mabry of Vacari in Corinth, MS 47:41

2y ago47:41

47:41

John Mabry called the Heaping Spoonful hotline to tell listeners how his path from college to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York to culinary school in Avignon, France, to his next job in the kitchen at a five-star hotel in Miami eventually led him to the small city of Corinth, Mississippi, where his three establishments are all stars on the loca…

1
Joshua Garland & Fatima Alvirde of Best Cafe & Bar in Hot Springs, AR 33:35

2y ago33:35

33:35

Chef/owner Joshua Garland and director of operations Fatima Alvirde talk about the amazing success they've had with Best Cafe and Bar in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and how excited they are about their next project, DONS Southern Social, a true "speakeasy" down to its hidden entrances.

1
Jamie and Rob Gaston of Copper Mule Table & Tap in Bryant, AR 41:35

2y ago41:35

41:35

Jamie and Rob Gaston explain how wanting a local, "niche" restaurant choice in Bryant led them to open Copper Mule Table and Tap, which has more than doubled in size in its two-plus years in business and soon will add a second location in the Heights Neighborhood of Little Rock.

1
Jordan Wright of Wright's Barbecue in Northwest Arkansas 1:00:24

2y ago1:00:24

1:00:24

Jordan Wright tells listeners how his first bite of truly transcendent beef brisket – smoky, totally tender and juicy and just mind-blowingly awesome -- at a legendary Texas restaurant ignited a fire that has led him to open three very successful Wright's Barbecue restaurants in northwest Arkansas with a fourth on the way -- this time in his hometo…

1
Denis Seyer of the famed Jacques & Suzanne 32:33

2y ago32:33

32:33

Denis Seyer, a Frenchman, had never heard of Little Rock or Arkansas when he agreed to become a chef at Jacques and Suzanne, which opened atop the tallest building in the state in 1975. Forty-eight years later he tells Heaping Spoonful listeners about the amazing culinary journey he has traveled in his more than 60 years in the business.…

1
Doug Wood of Catfish Charlie's in Monroe, LA 33:13

2y ago33:13

33:13

Doug Wood's grandfather and uncle owned popular restaurants when he was a kid, but it was his seven years selling point-of-sale systems to more than 300 eateries that gave Doug the background to make solid decisions in how he would operate Catfish Charlie's, which under his 15 years of ownership has become a landmark hotspot in Monroe, Louisiana.…

1
Kyle Carson of The Grumpy Rabbit in Lonoke, AR 30:23

2y ago30:23

30:23

Kyle Carson, executive chef at The Grumpy Rabbit, told Heaping Spoonful about how rekindling a relationship with renowned chef James Hale led him to this outstanding restaurant in the small town of Lonoke, Arkansas, and how he and his kitchen team keep things fresh and fun -- and the people coming back again and again.…

1
Dan Kovach of Copper Grill and Capers in Little Rock, AR 44:22

2y ago44:22

44:22

Dan Kovach dropped by the Heaping Spoonful studio to tell listeners how working as a server at the legendary and lamented Cajun's Wharf in Little Rock almost a quarter-century ago started him on the path to owning two of the city's most popular restaurants -- Copper Grill and Capers.

1
Sam Russell and Hunter Kissinger of The Buttered Biscuit in Northwest Arkansas 1:06:27

2y ago1:06:27

1:06:27

The Buttered Biscuit is one of the most compelling success stories on the Northwest Arkansas food scene, growing from concept to four booming restaurants in about four years. Sam Russell, co-founder, co-owner and CEO, and Hunter Kissinger, director of operations, called the Heaping Spoonful hotline to explain how their mini-chain has gotten so larg…

1
John Harpool of Bocca in Fayetteville, AR 33:54

2+ y ago33:54

33:54

John Harpool, executive chef and general manager at Bocca in Fayetteville, Arkansas, stopped by to tell Heaping Spoonful listeners how he parlayed a mild interest in food as a kid to a successful career -- and why his restaurant is committed to making everything from scratch, including all pasta, salad dressings, bread and desserts.…

1
Ryan Hamra of Blue Coast Burrito and Potbelly Sandwich Shop in Little Rock, AR 33:36

2+ y ago33:36

33:36

Ryan Hamra stopped by the Heaping Spoonful studios to tell how his expected career -- running his family's group of Wendy's restaurants -- was derailed by his father's death when Ryan was in high school ... and how he parlayed what he learned there and afterward to launch successful Blue Coast Burrito and Potbelly Sandwich Shop outlets in Little Ro…

1
Sally Mengel of Loblolly Creamery in Little Rock, AR 35:13

2+ y ago35:13

35:13

Sally Mengel didn't even intend to have a real "business" when she first started making ice cream to sell in the Green Corner Store in 2011. But what a business she and her team have built, selling ice cream and other sweet treats in the Loblolly Creamery shop next door and at locations all across Arkansas. She stopped by to tell Heaping Spoonful h…

1
Chef Andre Poirot of 42 Bar and Table in Little Rock, AR 1:14:03

2+ y ago1:14:03

1:14:03

Chef Andre Poirot stopped by the studio to tell listeners the details of his long and fascinating career that has taken him from his home country of France to London, Bermuda, New Orleans and, for the last 18-plus years, to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he now serves as executive chef at 42 Bar and Table in the Clinton Presidential Center.…

1
Sam Walker of Theo's in Fayetteville, AR 31:35

2+ y ago31:35

31:35

Sam Walker, executive chef at Theo's in Fayetteville, Arkansas, called the Heaping Spoonful hotline and explained the many steps along his impressive career journey -- from deli counter worker at Fresh Market to high-profile roles at several south Florida upscale restaurants.

1
Ben Brainard of Big Bad Breakfast in Little Rock, AR 42:07

2+ y ago42:07

42:07

Ben Brainard stopped by to tell Heaping Spoonful listeners how seeing a pressing need in the market -- a top-quality breakfast option in west Little Rock -- led him to partner with renowned chef/restaurateur John Currence to open the state's first Big Bad Breakfast.

1
Kat Robinson, Arkansas food scene writer/influencer 1:24:54

2+ y ago1:24:54

1:24:54

Noted Arkansas food writer Kat Robinson stopped by to tell her unlikely story of how she became a TV news producer and later transitioned to become perhaps the most prolific and influential chronicler of the Arkansas food scene.

1
Brayan McFadden of Brood & Barley in North Little Rock, AR 46:45

2+ y ago46:45

46:45

Brayan McFadden sat down to talk about being as chef at Brood & Barley in North Little Rock, AR, and how his Philadelphia culinary roots are evident in the restaurant's fun and eclectic menu. Like with the mussels, octopus and "the stupid burger".

1
Lisa Provencio-Jones & Bert Jones of Gaskins Cabin in Eureka Springs, AR 21:46

2+ y ago21:46

21:46

Lisa Provencio-Jones and her husband Bert Jones, came to the Heaping Spoonful satellite studio in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, to tell the historic story of the beginnings of Gaskins Cabin in 1864, how it morphed into a restaurant in the 1980s and what they've done to elevate it as one of the top steakhouses in Arkansas.…

1
Kelly Lovell and Walt Todd of Count Porkula in Central Arkansas 36:36

2+ y ago36:36

36:36

Kelly Lovell and Walt Todd of Count Porkula dropped by the studio to tell the story of how they morphed from business careers to cooking barbecue for friends to launching a food truck and soon will open their third bricks-and-mortar location in Central Arkansas.

1
Tommy Shaffer of Rogue's Manor in Eureka Springs, AR 23:08

3y ago23:08

23:08

Tommy Shaffer grew up in the Eureka Springs area, and after being thrust into an unexpected role as a cook at his first restaurant he has thrived ever since, first working his way up to executive chef at the Crescent Hotel and now serving as executive chef at Rogue's Manor, one of the resort town's top dining destinations.…

1
Tamsye Nosal and Melody Williford of American Pie in Central Arkansas 28:37

3y ago28:37

28:37

Tamsye Nosal and Melody Williford, sisters who own the three American Pie locations in Central Arkansas, stopped by the studio to tell how they parlayed their years of experience in the pizza business into quickly growing their business after they established it in 2004.

1
Brian Van Sickle of The Crescent Hotel & Spa in Eureka Springs, AR 36:14

3y ago36:14

36:14

Brian Van Sickle was the first guest featured during our Heaping Spoonful road trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. We set up our studio at the historic Crescent Hotel, where Brian serves as assistant general manager in charge of all food and beverage operations. And man do they have plenty of those!

1
Matt Fuller of 501 Prime in Hot Springs, AR 40:14

3y ago40:14

40:14

Matt Fuller of 501 Prime in Hot Springs, Arkansas, graced the Heaping Spoonful studio with his presence as he explained what led him to leave south Florida for Hot Springs and how his first successful venture -- Central Park Fusion Cuisine -- led him to move across town and open a high-end spot focused on prime steaks, fresh seafood, and an amazing…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Ben E. Keith Mid South Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen