Serving up locally sourced, free-range storytelling.
There's no way around it. The food business sucks.
Eight out of 10 restaurants don’t make it beyond the first 18 months. The profit margins are razor-thin, competition is fierce, and every diner with a Yelp account thinks they’re a food critic.
But here’s the thing—the ones who succeed aren’t just in it for the food—they’re in it for the love of the craft. They’re the bold dreamers who transform simple ingredients into unforgettable experiences that bring people together. They know the odds, and still, they pour everything into making magic happen.
Because the secret ingredient isn’t on the menu. It’s in the people behind it.
In partnership with KRCL 90.9 FM, ”The Utah Foodie Podcast” was a showcase of the Utah food scene where we interviewed the state’s top chefs, restaurateurs, and culinary entrepreneurs.
Although the podcast is no longer active, it is still available on all major podcasting platforms.
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Host: Chase Murdock
Co-Host / Marketing: Keni Nelson
Producer: Ryan Samanka
Caputo's Market & Deli - Tony Caputo Retires
Tony Caputo: we all know the name. He’s the man, of course, behind Tony Caputo’s Market & Deli, a culinary staple in downtown Salt Lake City. Caputo's has been a large part of the Utah food scene since 1997 when Tony opened up across from Pioneer Park. It’s part deli, part market, and today, a large third part that is their online store, where they ship out hundreds of boxes each day filled with fine cheese, chocolate, meats, oils, and jam. In fact, they’re the largest premium chocolate company in the United States.
Oteo Restaurant - Finding Passion in the Food Business
Mosi Oteo is a young restauranteur in the Utah Valley. The name Oteo might sound familiar to you—the Oteo’s are a family of 12 who moved from Mexico to San Diego, and eventually to Provo, and are behind many new Utah restaurants like Tortilla Bar, Masa Restaurant, and their latest, Oteo Restaurant.
Station 22 Cafe - Putting a Twist on Provo's Thriving Food Scene
Station 22 Cafe is a popular Utah Valley restaurant right in the center of historic downtown Provo. They call themselves a “finer diner.” It’s a restaurant that doesn’t do anything you’ve never heard of—just classic staples, comfort food, and soul food of America, but always with a twist.
The Chocolate Conspiracy - A Story of Healthy Eating and A Career in Chocolate
AJ Wentworth attended the world's largest nutrition school in New York City, after spending years as a health coach and working at a retreat center in rural Arizona where he taught his patients about raw food and holistic, healthy living. To put it simply, AJ doesn't have the background you'd expect of a chocolatier.
Rico Brand & Frida Bistro - Mexican Food and the American Dream
Jorge Fierro has an incredible story. He left university in Chihuahua, Mexico in his early twenties to start a new life chapter in the United States, despite his parents' desire to have him complete his studies at law school to become an attorney. When he arrived in America, he spent his nights on the streets and in homeless shelters while he learned English and struggled to find a way to make ends meet. His first job was herding sheep in rural Wyoming, before he finally made his way to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Vive Juicery - All About Local, Cold-Pressed Juice
Vive Juicery is a cold-press juice shop in Sugarhouse that makes fresh fruit and vegetable juices—and it's the product of Brittany Thaxton's blood, sweat, and tears over the past two years. In this episode of The Utah Foodie, our host Chase Murdock chats with Brittany to reflect back on Vive's last two years, starting all the way to their farmer’s market days, to the original Kickstarter campaign that got them the startup capital they needed to make Vive a reality, and all the way up to today, where they have 20 employees, two locations, and press a lot of juice.
Chase Murdock - The Utah Foodie on the I Am Salt Lake Podcast
This is a re-broadcast of episode 175 of I Am Salt Lake Podcast, where Chris Holifield interviews our very own, Chase Murdock, host of The Utah Foodie Podcast.
Maddox Ranch House - Still Thriving After 61 Years and Three Generations
Irvin Maddox grew up in rural Perry, Utah practically living in his grandfather's successful restaurant, Maddox Ranch House. For 61 years, Maddox has been a staple in the Brigham City and greater Northern Utah world—a busy, always-bustling, from-scratch, meat-and-potatoes country restaurant.
Black Sheep Cafe - Native American Cuisine and the Provo Food Scene
Mark Mason and Bleu Adams are half Navajo and half Mandan Hidatsa, and much of Mark's passion and inspiration for his food is drawn from his memories of his great grandmother cooking early in the morning in their Navajo Hogan on a reservation, and creating dishes like blue corn mush, a fine grind of blue cornmeal boiled like porridge and garnished with cedar or juniper ash to give a small smokey taste.
Spitz - All About the Döner Kebab and Mediterranean Street Food
After traveling all over Europe, Tanner Slizeski and Josh Hill weren’t struck by the art or by the architecture. It wasn’t the history, or any of the museums that kept Tanner and Josh up at night. It was the Mediterranean street food. Specifically, it was the döner kebab: the food cart staple made with beef and lamb cut off a marinated spit.
Avenues Proper - Craft Beer, Great Patios, and Good Food
Avenues Proper: A staple for those in the Avenues neighborhood, and a worthy destination for those who aren't. Nestled upon 376 8th Ave, it’s quaint, it’s friendly, and they serve up great craft beer with an equally impressive food menu. And in our opinion, they’ve got one of the best patios around in the summertime.
The Queens' Tea - Michael Ferguson and Seth Anderson Talk Tea, Their Lawsuit, and How They Help LGBT Teens
In this episode of The Utah Foodie Podcast, we interview Michael Ferguson and Seth Anderson, the two behind The Queens' Tea, a tea blending and sourcing company they started in Utah in late 2012 when they realized they wanted to share their passion for tea with a larger audience than just their family and friends.
Even Stevens Sandwiches - Food With a Cause
In this episode of The Utah Foodie Podcast, we talk sandwiches with Even Stevens' creative director Jamie Coates and director of community engagement Sara Day. But not just any old sandwiches—sandwiches with a cause. For each sandwich Even Stevens makes, they donate one to a local nonprofit partner here in Utah.
3 Cups Coffee - What it Takes to Open a Coffee Shop
Derek Belnap had been a barista at the Coffee Garden on 9th and 9th for almost a decade when he was approached about starting his own coffee shop. And just six short months later, he unveiled 3 Cups in Holladay with his pastry chef Amber Billingsley.
Squatters - A History of Utah’s Purveyor in Craft Brewing
Since quietly opening their doors on Broadway in 1989, Squatters has become a Utah staple in the restaurant and brewing scene. But when co-founders Peter Cole and Jeff Polychronis were getting started, their intentions were simple: they just wanted great beer, a friendly atmosphere, and a culture focused on quality, their community, and the environment.
Blue Copper Coffee - A Conversation About Coffee With Patrick Andrews
In this episode of The Utah Foodie Podcast, we talk with Patrick Andrews, the man behind Blue Copper Roasters, a coffee roasting company that supplies the coffee and espresso beans to many high-end “third wave” coffee houses in Utah. In 2014, Blue Copper merged with No Brow Coffee and launched their new and improved Coffee Room on 179 West 900 South that offers tasting classes and a full offering of espresso and coffee drinks and baked goods.
Forage Restaurant - More Than Just a Great Meal
Bowman Brown is the chef and co-owner of Forage Restaurant, one of Utah's finest. In 2014, Forage was named one of the Top 100 Restaurants in America by Open Table, and since opening their doors in the residential neighborhood just north of Liberty Park, Forage has built a reputation for providing more than just a great meal.
Whiskey Street - What It’s Like to Run a Bar in Utah
In this episode of The Utah Foodie Podcast, we interview two of the gentlemen behind Whiskey Street, owner and proprietor Jason LeCates, and executive chef Matt Crandall. After launching Bourbon House in 2011, Matt and Jason set out to do it again. But this time they had more funding, a better location, and a drive to create an upscale whiskey bar that boasts a great drink menu and a strong food offering.