Building a Mexican Food Legacy

Kerry Brown, founder of eat G.A.N.G.S.T.E.R. and Jamie's identical twin sister, joins Jeff and Jamie to share the story behind her growing allergy-friendly baking brand. Inspired by personal health challenges, Kerry set out to create clean-ingredient baking mixes that make food more accessible and enjoyable for people with dietary restrictions. They discuss the challenges of building a packaged food business, product development, manufacturing mishaps, expanding into food service, and the persistence it takes to grow a brand. 

Restaurateur Andre Lomeli is bringing the flavors of Southern California and his family’s rich Mexican food traditions to Charlotte through Mal Pan, El Malo, and Hermanita. On this episode of Jeff & Jamie Feed, Andre shares his journey from opening a restaurant with his parents in San Diego to building his own restaurant group in Charlotte. We talk handmade tortillas, regional Mexican cuisine, the lessons passed down through generations of restaurant ownership, and how he’s evolving his family’s legacy through marketing, creativity, and business growth.

What’s it really like to compete on Top Chef? On this episode of Jeff & Jamie Feed, Brittany Cochran, Executive Chef at Stagioni and a contestant on Top Chef Season 23: Carolinas, takes us behind the scenes of the high-pressure competition filmed right here in Charlotte. She shares what it takes to cook under pressure, how her leadership style has evolved, and why Top Chef is putting Charlotte’s food scene in the spotlight.

On this episode of Jeff & Jamie Feed, we’re joined by Kristen Wile, founder and editor of Unpretentious Palate, to talk about the changing world of food media and Charlotte’s evolving restaurant scene.Kristen shares her journey from the Washington Post and Charlotte Magazine to building an independent food publication, and we discuss the decline of traditional food journalism, the rise of influencers and AI, and why local food media still matters. We also dive into current restaurant trends, including the return of nostalgic comfort foods and the rising costs facing restaurants. Plus, Kristen fills us in on the upcoming Uppy Awards (Monday, November 9th) and her mission to celebrate Charlotte’s hospitality community. For more on Kristen and Unpretentious Palate, visit: www.unpretentiouspalate.com.

On this episode of Jeff & Jamie Feed, the couple sits down with Susanne Dillingham, aka “The Tiny Chef,” for a conversation about an unconventional culinary journey that has taken her from washing dishes at a Charlotte restaurant to studying regional Italian cuisine in Florence, cooking privately for clients including Jeff Gordon and Chelsea Clinton, and building a business around intimate culinary experiences.Susanne shares what she learned from starting at the bottom, why adapting to change is essential as an entrepreneur, and why private dinners have become her sweet spot. She takes Jeff and Jamie inside her one-acre farm and beehives, explaining the surprisingly wild world of raising bees. The conversation also gets personal as Susanne talks about rebuilding her business after divorce, her experience with adoption, reconnecting with her biological family, and how those experiences inspired her new memoir, Secret Ingredients of Life.

On this week's episode of Jeff & Jamie Feed, Culinary Specialist Rachel Mazur of Gordon Food Service joins us to explore the essential relationship between restaurants and their mainline distributors. We talk about the trends shaping restaurants today, the many ways a great distributor can help an operation thrive, and why the relationship is truly a partnership. Rachel also shares the story of Gordon Food Service, a family-owned company now five generations strong, and what has her most excited about the future of our industry.

Heidi Billotto has spent decades helping shape Charlotte’s culinary scene—and bringing the people behind our food closer together. This week on Jeff & Jamie Feed, we sit down with Heidi to talk about her influence on Charlotte’s evolving food community, why supporting local farmers and makers matters, and the magic that happens when chefs know the people growing and producing their ingredients. Plus, we look ahead to the 10th annual NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale this September and the chefs, farmers and local products it celebrates. (Get tickets to the event: www.NCChefShowdown.com)

On this episode of Jeff & Jamie Feed, we sit down with Laura White of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) to talk about the intentional work happening behind the scenes to elevate Charlotte on a national stage.From helping bring the Michelin Guide to the Southeast for the first time, to landing Top Chef Season 23 and supporting Fork & Hammer, the CRVA is betting big on food and hospitality as drivers of tourism and growth. We talk about why culinary matters, where Charlotte is headed, and what it takes to put a city on the map.

In this episode of Jeff & Jamie Feed, we’re taking you behind the scenes of launching Olivelli Deli, our new 82-square-foot walk-up sandwich shop in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood. We share why we made the difficult decision to close Reigning Doughnuts, what inspired the new concept, and the realities of opening a business when the doors are open and guests are already lining up.From unexpectedly high demand and staffing adjustments to designing a menu for an incredibly small space, we discuss the wins, the setbacks, and the lessons we’re learning in real time. We also dive into our approach to housemade bread, imported Italian meats, handcrafted soft serve, and why every ingredient has to earn its place in a kitchen this small.Whether you’re a restaurant owner, entrepreneur, or simply curious about what goes into building a food business, we hope you enjoy a peek at the first few days of bringing a new concept to life.

This week on Jeff & Jamie Feed, we sit down with restaurateur Sam Diminich, founder of Your Farms Your Table and the visionary behind Restaurant Constance and the newly opened Grey's Diner.Sam shares how direct partnerships with local farmers became the foundation of his restaurant philosophy, the challenges and rewards of sourcing locally, and how those relationships shape the guest experience. We also discuss his journey of getting into the restaurant business, his inspiring ability to overcome, and the future of independent restaurants.It's a thoughtful conversation about food, hospitality, community, and building a business with purpose.