In the last year, Boise was featured in two vastly different pieces of food news. First Chef Kris Komori of KIN brought home the first Boise James Beard Award. This same year, In N Out opened its first of four locations in the Boise area.

In this episode, Katy discusses the rapidly changing restaurant industry in Boise, Idaho, recorded live at the Treefort Music Fest in March 2024. Katy and a panel of expert guests explore how the city's food identity has evolved with an influx of new residents and rising tensions over real estate and cultural shifts. The panel included local restaurateurs and industry advocates, who share their insights on the current state of Boise’s food scene, the workforce challenges, and the potential implications of Boise’s rapid growth. The episode also addresses the difficult questions raised by a local restaurateur about fostering true community and supporting independent restaurants amidst increasing competition from larger hospitality groups and real estate investors.

Guests:

Remi McManus from KIN Restaurant

Katie Baker from FARE Idaho

Dr. Amanda Ashley from Boise State University

Reno Rodriguez from the Hotel Renegade/Geronimo Hospitality Group

Audience question from Cal Elliot of Little Pearl and The Avery

In this guest episode from Loading Dock Talks with Chef Preeti Mistry, Preeti talks with Chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval, the duo behind Masala y Maíz and Marigold in Mexico City. The chefs share their unique culinary backgrounds and the melding of their heritages — Mexican, South Asian, and East African — into their cuisine. They discuss the process behind their lamb barbacoa recipe, a melding of Norma's Mexican family tradition with Saqib's South Asian flavors and spices. The discussion also explores the significance of maintaining cultural integrity while innovating with traditional recipes, avoiding the pitfalls of fusion for the sake of novelty. They also discuss the broader responsibilities of chefs in society, touching on labor rights in the restaurant industry, creating a supportive work culture, and the importance of political engagement through food.

Listen to more Loading Dock Talks here or wherever you get your podcasts.

More about the Copper & Heat Radio brand refresh:

Many of you know us as Copper & Heat (the newly dubbed Copper & Heat Radio) which explores the forces that shape our meals through narrative, sound-rich podcasts.

Copper & Heat Creative is an expansion of our award-winning storytelling. As a production studio, we focus on helping brands engage food-curious audiences with unique and thoughtful content. Over the past few years, we have done work we are really proud of with some amazing brands on projects ranging from podcast production to social media strategy and in-person event activation.

At the heart of all of our work is our belief that food is a conversation. We tell stories that, like the best meals, challenge preconceived notions and delve into the forces that shape them.

You can learn more about all of our work on our newly refreshed website: Copperandheat.com

Geraldine has started not one, but two international controversies with her blog "The Everywhereist." A three-time guest on Copper & Heat, we first chatted with her 5 years ago about imposter syndrome after winning a James Beard Award for her blog post about Mario Batali's cinnamon rolls, and then again 2 years ago after her blog post about her disastrous meal at Bros in Italy went viral.

Geraldine's new book, "If You Can't Take the Heat: Tales of Food Feminism, and Fury" explores themes similar to those in her viral blog posts about the systemic challenges of being a woman working in food. In this interview, we talk about the challenges faced by women and non-binary individuals and the importance of speaking out against injustice. Geraldine shares her experiences with her viral blog post about Bros and the subsequent New York Times article, highlighting the biases and dismissive attitudes she encountered. The conversation delves into the pressure to perform a personal brand, as well as the experience of imposter syndrome.

For more from Geraldine:

Buy her new book

Her website

Her Instagram | Threads