From the folks at The Cranky Buzzard in downtown Eau Claire, a podcast highlighting the food industry in the Chippewa Valley. Conversations with operators, cooks, wait staff, food producers and many others.
Episodes drop weekly on Wednesdays
Episode #14 Click Here to Listen
Ryan and Sara chat with Alex Jacobson, the general manager of Wiscos for a fun chat.
How they’ve all been burned out from eating Prime Rib
All-you-can eat crab legs at a casino
Hardest holidays to work
The customer who wanted to collect rocks at Wiscos
Other odd customer stories
Fighting a flooding situation
Calling an ex-wife to help a passed out customer
Staying in the industry and the chaos
Episode #13 Click Here to Listen
Shawn McManus – Savory Creations
A recent arrival to the Chippewa Valley from La Crosse, Shawn has brought his business with him! It is a cooking school business that caters to creating an entertaining experience.
What does he offer and why it makes for a fun night with friend (or for Sara, a perfect first date activity!).
Oh, and you’ll want to hear the odd story of the job that sparked his interest in cooking was actually a job he was fired from after just a few days!
Episode #12 Click Here to Listen
Neo Ralph – The Cranky Buzzard
We head inside the kitchen at The Cranky Buzzard for a chat with one of the chef’s Neo. How does an Italian from Long Island end up dishing up tasty meals in Eau Claire? The way her experiences as a disaster relief volunteer strengthened her passion for cooking.
The bond and intimacy that food has within our human relationships.
The amazing talent that is inside the kitchens in our community.
Working in haunted kitchens
Episode #11 Click Here to Listen
Jess Greenhow – Elbow Room
Sara’s inner “cocktail waitress” dream job comes out, thankscto this guest who got her start as one at the former Tijuana Taxi Club. We also get a fun discussion between Jess and Ryan on how the names of drinks changecand the old days of “cashing checks” at the bar.
Caring about your regulars.
The unique characteristics of some local bartenders
Episode #10 Click Here to Listen
Nate Derrickson – Performance Food Service
Nate has decades of experience in the food service industry tackling a variety of jobs. Currently, he works with Performance Food Service dealing directly with many local establishments.
How Nate got his start gets us going with a fun discussion about popularity of the buffet restaurant, years ago. Hey, not only were they popular but it was considered “high class” then.
Whatabout the Supper Club “vibe” and how that compares?
Fanny Hill memories.
Just grab an old fashion, sit back and enjoy some great stories.
Episode #9 Click Here to Listen
Guest: Bri Link – Princeton Valley Golf-Bar-Grill Bartender and Event Director
A historic episode as Bri is the first female guest on the program and she shares her story in the local service industry. Her background includes time at Buffalo Wild Wings, The Mousetrap and now at Princeton Valley.
With the changing seasons, Princeton Valley sees the growth in traffic. Bri talks about the base of regulars and how they stayed around through an ownership change.
The impact of weather on business.
How golf is, and also is not, essential to their restaurant business.
Bri shares a story of a customer that seemed “off” and her and Ryan commiserate over clientele.
She tells a story of having to jump the bar one night at The Mousetrap and having regulars who “have your back”. Some notable differences that come with being a female in the bartending universe.
Episode 8 Click Here to Listen
Many know Princeton Valley for its golf, but many are also familiar with the eating options and Corey is the lead on that. He takes us through his culinary (and his music) history locally. How there truly is a connection between local restaurant kitchens with people moving around and crossing paths continuously.
Of course, there are some great stories including the time he had to be careful to keep people from dancing on “shit water” due to a septic issue.
Episode 7 Click Here to Listen
Episode 6 Click Here to Listen
Episode 5 Click Here to Listen
Episode 4 Click Here to Listen
Episode 3 Click Here to Listen
Episode 2 Click Here to Listen
Episode 1 Click Here to Listen