The Local Farey Tale of the Garbage Plate is told in 4 chapters (averaging 10 minutes each) scooping together the voices of the following Tale-Tellers… Matthew Backlas (Administrator of the Serious Garbage Plate Lovers FB Group), Julie Camardo (CEO/Owner of Zweigle’s), Rachel Laber (Director of Communications and Public Relations for Visit Rochester), Alex Tahou (Owner of Nick Tahou Hots) and Mike “Thunder” Warren (Owner of the Trash Plate Central FB Page)
Remember that pivot I mentioned in my blog entry for the Coffee Milk episode? Welp, this was the episode I had initially intended to complete. I began conducting interviews in March 2022 and was able to record my final interview by August 2022. The snag? My schedule had less time for podcast episode editing at that point. BUT I kept chipping away at it and FINALLY have a finished episode to share!!!
I have missed researching, conducting interviews and putting episodes out more frequently and I’m hoping to pick the pace up again! (Another episode is already slowly but surely in progress….)
Back to the Garbage Plate… when I pursued this episode I didn’t know all the details regarding the trademark. It was important to me to speak to Alex Tahou of Nick Tahou Hots so he could “tell it like it is” rather than have it be hearsay. I’m incredibly thankful and honored that he trusted me with properly sharing this tale.
And thanks to ALL of the Tale Tellers who have contributed to this episode and have patiently waited for it to arrive!
You can listen to the episode here or anywhere you stream podcasts.
Note: I’m embarrassed to type that when I was in Rochester years ago, I unknowingly ate a copycat…and had it without meat sauce! Thankfully, Mike “Thunder” Warren shared a photo from Trash Plate Central of an actual Garbage Plate for me to use. Learn from my mistake by listening to this episode to know what and where to order!
Woohoo! An ice-cold caffeinated beverage cheers to the arrival of Season 2, Episode 2! I had to pivot along the way and unfortunately, that meant a delay. But I’m so happy to share that the season has (finally) continued with “The Local Farey Tale of Coffee Milk”!
This episode marks the first time I’ve formally acknowledged my “independent podcast” status in an ask for support. It feels weird but I know it’s a necessary step that I needed to embrace to keep the podcast going.
One of the many things on my wishlist to bring Local Farey Tales to the next level is to take a course on sound editing. I’m self-taught so far. I know a class would likely help me improve more quickly and also give you, the listener, an improved listening experience, too! There’s one particularly troublesome edit in this episode that makes me cringe. You may notice it and you may not. (We are our own harshest critics after all.) But I’m hopeful more editing knowledge will reduce cringing, too! 🙂
Back to Coffee Milk, this is the first local fare I have featured that I haven’t experienced myself. But you will learn in the episode that the majority of us have experienced a version of it without realizing it. (How’s that for a tease?) As always, I was extremely grateful to all of the Coffee Milk Tale-Tellers for participating but I felt especially lucky to get to speak with Richard Field and John Barr. Two people who played pivotal roles in helping Coffee Milk become the Rhode Island State Beverage. (What a story!)
You can listen to the episode here or anywhere you stream podcasts.
Note: Since I haven’t experienced Coffee Milk firsthand, this was the first time I didn’t have a reference photo, too. Thankfully, Coffee Milk Tale-Teller, Christopher Martin helped me out with that.
One year ago I launched Local Farey Tales. And it’s been an incredible labor of love. I’ve loved getting to “meet” all the Tale-Tellers over Zoom or phone and then sharing their tales with people far and wide.
While I took a break to regroup for Season 2, I’m happy to announce that the new season has officially begun with the release of “The Local Farey Tale of Knoephla Soup”.
When I first spoke to the artist, Jonathan Reich, about creating the Local Farey Tales logo, he revealed he was from North Dakota. I remembered trying “lumpy yellow soup” when in Fargo but couldn’t remember the official name. Jonathan was quick to inform me about it and the soup was put on the list for a future episode. When the time finally came to start interviews, I knew I had to include Jonathan and I’m happy to say he agreed to contribute to this episode.
This episode is the shortest one yet but no less filled with lots of info & anecdotes!
You can listen to the episode here or anywhere you stream podcasts.
Note: The photo is from the first time I had Knoephla Soup. It was at Kroll’s Diner in Fargo, ND where it’s also known as “Lumpy Yellow Soup”. 🙂
Pasty from UP North Sandwich & Pasty Co, Richland, MI
Phew! This episode marks the end of Season One!
And what an episode it is! It is the longest episode to date and I must admit, it could have been much longer! As always, my Tale-Tellers provided me with an abundance of wonderful content. Take your time with this one. Lots of potential rabbit holes of info to go down. 🙂
This episode features the Pasty. A local fare I first heard about when visiting Michigan. I had zero clue at the time of how far-reaching yet still distinctly regional this fare was at the time. But when I started research for this episode it soon became clear. While I’ve kept my previous episode interviews within the U.S., this time the tale couldn’t be told without international voices and I’m delighted that so many agreed to contribute!
You can listen to the episode here (or anywhere you stream podcasts). BUT if you stream elsewhere, be sure to check out the supplemental content via that same link.
Note: The pasty photo is from the only time I’ve had a pasty so far. However, thanks to a recommendation from David Oates, I’ll be headed to Grass Valley, CA for their Cornish Christmas and trying another one soon!
Just in time for Labor Day Weekend listening, it’s a new episode of Local Farey Tales!
This episode (6!) features Loco Moco. Although the dish has escaped it’s original borders of Hilo, Hawaii, and can be found here and there around the globe, it is still very much a beloved local fare.
As I listened to the Tale-Tellers speak about the dish, I couldn’t help but think about doughburgers/slugburgers/Dudie Burgers as the Hawaiian-style burger was described. And wondered…has anyone created Southern fusion Loco Moco? Which then had me wondering about other local fare fusions/mash ups. As the podcast grows its audience, I would love to have live shows interviewing people about iconic food at different state fairs. Perhaps I’ll just have to add a food truck to that plan and offer some of these local fare fusions. 🙂
You can listen to the episode here (or anywhere you stream podcasts). BUT if you stream elsewhere, be sure to check out the supplemental content via that same link.
Note: The photo is from the only time I’ve had Loco Moco so far. I had wanted to try it and the cafe at this tour stop was my only opportunity. It was okay but after hearing everyone speak of all the other options in Hawaii, I can’t wait to go back and properly sample a few!
A traditional loco moco is normally made with white rice, topped with a hamburger, a fried egg, and brown gravy. At Liliha Bakery, we offer different variations where customers can actually order their loco moco with brown rice or fried rice and add on grilled mushrooms and onions.
What is the originstory of Loco Moco as you know it?
The Loco Moco was actually created back in the late 1940s in Hilo where a group of hungry teenagers called the” Lincoln Wreckers” were trying to buy some food at the Lincoln Grill (now closed). The story goes that they didn’t have a lot of money to spend and they couldn’t afford a normal hamburger plate which cost $2-$3 at the time, so they came up with the idea to ask for a bowl of rice with a hamburger and gravy on it, and the owners gave it a try and charged them 30 cents for the dish. As for the name, they named it after one of the teenagers who was nicknamed crazy for doing crazy dares. One of them was studying Spanish and suggested using loco and they just used the word moco since it rhymed.
How old is Liliha Bakery? What is its origin story and where are the locations? Describe layout with counter and grill. (Is this only at the original location?)
Liliha Bakery just turned 71 last Friday (August 20). It originally started as a tiny retail outlet on Liliha Street by Roy and Koo Takakuwa. They began selling loaves of bread in 1950 and as their popularity grew they decided to move to Kuakini street, where you’ll still find the original location today. Since then, Liiliha Bakery has become an integral part of the community and now has 3 other locations: Nimitz Hwy, Macy’s Ala Moana, and the International Marketplace in Waikiki opening in the Holiday of 2021. To pay homage to the original location, we have kept the counter and grill layout where guests can view what is happening in the kitchen.
What are the other popular menu items the bakery is known for?
Our popular items from our bakery include coco puffs, poi mochi donuts, butter rolls, and our chantilly cake. When it comes to our coffee shop side, our most popular dishes are the Loco moco (of course), Country Style Omelet, and our Hot Cakes!
If you know, was the Loco Moco always a part of the menu? If not, when was it added?
The item was added in 2008 when Liliha Bakery was acquired by Yummy Restaurant Group.
What is it about the Liliha Bakery Loco Moco that makes it stand out from the other Loco Mocos out there? (Not expecting to have any secret ingredients given away but just in general.) Is fried rice version a unique offering compared to other places? Can people customize their eggs? What type of gravy is used?
We always use quality and fresh produce for all of our coffee shop dishes. For our Loco moco, we use great quality Angus chuck beef that is hand-pressed, always fresh, and never frozen. We also prepare them slightly differently instead of just grilling our patties. No two restaurants prepare their fried rice the same, so we would like to say ours is different from other places. Customers are able to choose how they’d like their eggs prepared and for our gravy, that’s something that we’d like to keep secret.
In a non-pandemic time, how many Loco Mocos would be ordered/made on average during the breakfast rush? (Assuming breakfast is the most popular time they are ordered?) Is it THE most popular dish during breakfast? If not, what outranks it?
The Loco Moco is the most popular dish for breakfast and approximately we sell maybe 100 dishes a day at all of our locations (dine-in/takeout).
Local Farey Tales 