Season 2 is officially here. In this episode of BRUH, Mike and Tony kick things off with the mindset for the year — stay in the pocket — and welcome Chef Raphael Jones, owner of Garden District in downtown Grand Rapids.

Raphael shares the story behind Garden District, from New Orleans roots and family recipes to building a restaurant that feels more like a home than a dining room. The conversation covers food, culture, gumbo debates, red beans and rice, and how hospitality, memory, and intention show up on every plate.

This is Part 1 of a two-part episode.
Part 2 drops next week, featuring a brand-new segment called Pronunciation Station and listener call-ins.

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Support the show on Patreon and check out the merch.
Interested in being on the show? DM us on the platform you found us on.

Recorded live from the floor at DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Episode 16 of the BRUH Podcast is pure festival chaos—in the best way possible.

This episode is a rolling, unscripted hang with festival-goers, chefs, founders, and flavor-obsessed humans. We bless the booth with the Bolognese gods, debate the correct way to eat leftover pizza, argue lifelong restaurant loyalty in Grand Rapids, and hand out truly questionable prizes. As always, things escalate quickly.

• Live crowd Q&A straight from the festival floor

• Grand Rapids restaurant debates (lifelong picks included)

• Cold pizza vs reheated pizza: settled (kind of)

• Italian Thanksgiving traditions, nonna energy included

• Libation Station featuring Precision Syrups (Sawyer, MI)

• A mezcal-to-tequila cocktail conversion that actually worked

• Syrup bumps, bolognese dipping, and absolute festival nonsense

If you love food festivals, live podcasts, cocktails, and overheard conversations that somehow turn deep and hilarious—this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify & YouTube
🌶️ More chaos at bruhpodcast.com

🍷 What’s inside this episode:

This might be the most chaotic, unplanned, laugh-filled live episode we’ve ever recorded.
We set up at The Crushed Grape in Grand Rapids, turned on the mics, and let the crowd take over — and the result was pure magic.

In this episode of The BRUH Foodcast, Mike and Tony go fully off-script as customers, wine tasters, rum-curious newcomers, cheetah-girls-in-training, and even a licensed therapist grab the mic and ask us everything.

No prep.
No plan.
Just real people, real questions, and real drinks.

You’ll hear:

🍷 A 40-year rum comeback — Rebecca takes her first sip of rum since age 17
😂 The debate of the night: Which food is truly non-perishable?
🔥 A Louisiana childhood food story that will make you crave gumbo immediately
🥧 Sweet potato pie vs. pumpkin pie (and the controversy that followed)
🥪 What is “ham salad,” and why is it a Pittsburgh childhood delicacy?
🍯 A heated argument about who actually knows how to make Kool-Aid correctly
🌭 The great Midwest mystery: Why Chicago sausage hits different
🍳 How to properly cook an egg — fried, scrambled, poached… and with mayo??
🦞 The ONLY correct way to make a lobster roll (and why Boston betrayed us)
🚗 A surprise car segment: Are Range Rovers trash… or elite? (We settle it)

Plus:
Tony creates a brand-new original cocktail LIVE — The Broasis — a tiki drink so good the parking lot fell silent.

This is food, drinks, culture, chaos, community, and straight-up good vibes.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you hand strangers a microphone… this is it.

Episode 14: Gina Ferwerda — “Meals from the Mitten,” Meijer Food Stage, & Great Lakes flavors (Spotify/Apple/YouTube episode description)

Michigan cookbook author, TV personality, entrepreneur, and creator of Meals from the Mitten—Gina Ferwerda—joins BRUH just ahead of her culinary demos on the Meijer Food Stage at the Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival (Nov 21–22).

We get into:

• Fresh, coastal-inspired Great Lakes cooking & approachable holiday boards

• Gina’s SILVER Spices (including Tequila-Barreled Smoked Sea Salt)

• “Festive Bruschetta & Pairings Board” with Michigan favorites like Stone House Bread (Traverse City), Grady’s Garden Salsa, and Downriver Chip Company

• Adventure cooking (yes… muffler meatballs), pellet smokers vs. wood/charcoal, and tailgate leftover egg bakes

• RV resorts vs. RV living, Silver Lake Sand Dunes, and festival pro-tips (pace yourself—and eat!)

🎟 Festival info: Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival — Nov 21–22
🍳 Gina’s world: Meals from the Mitten • SILVER Spices • Nom News

Chapters
00:00 Cold open & tech shenanigans
02:05 Who is Gina Ferwerda
08:45 Wine, Beer & Food Fest preview (Meijer Food Stage)
18:20 Holiday bruschetta & Michigan pairings
29:10 Adventure cooking & “muffler meatballs”
41:00 Smoked meats, pellets, & the perfect wrap temp
52:30 Tailgate → breakfast egg bake
1:00:10 Silver Lake invite & closing

Hashtags:
#GinaFerwerda #MealsFromTheMitten #GrandRapids #GreatLakesCooking #WineBeerFoodFestival #Meijer #MichiganFood #Podcast

We’re officially weekly and live at 9 PM ET—and yes, we accidentally didn’t press record the first time. Robfather, come home.

This episode:

• Weight-loss accountability: 201 → 201 (goal 190)

• Cooking Club recap: aglio e olio (gluten-free)

• Guest: Nate (Drink GR) — previewing the GR International Wine, Beer & Food Festival (Nov 21–22, DeVos Place):

  • Sober-curious talks (Fri 5:30, Sat 5:30) + Made in the Mitten spirits (Sat 4:00)

  • NA shoutouts: Toast, Clever Mocktails (piña colada & mojito), Blind Tiger, and a German NA white from the Selbach family

• Libation Station: tequila flight (Ocho, Fortaleza, Lost Lore) vs. piña colada mocktail; Herradura cameo

• Smasher Pass: takeout orange chicken—you smashing or passing?

• Listener Qs:

  • The pizza slice back-bite dilemma

  • Mocktails leveled up with 2–1–1 balance, fresh citrus, quality syrups, and big garnish energy

• Cooking Club Assignment: a weeknight chicken entrée (≤ 1 hour) with veg + starch/legume. Tag us and we’ll feature you.

Subscribe, rate, and share. More at bruhpodcast.com.

We’re back and officially weekly! Episode 12 is packed — Tony B and Mike V break down their first live show at The Crushed Grape, shout out their first sponsor (Samsons Haircare from Kalamazoo), and share a live review of Stock the Bar Vodka from Grand Rapids’ own Darrell Rees.

Then it’s onto Libation Station, a new Cooking Club challenge, and a wild rundown of what’s Hot & Not in Michigan — including the long-awaited comeback of Hot ‘n Now and the controversial take on pumpkin farms in 75-degree weather.

🍸 Live events. Local flavor. Dad energy.
🎙️ Every Wednesday at 9PM EST live on YouTube.
📍 New episodes drop Fridays.
🖥️ Visit bruhpodcast.com

The BRUH boys are back—streaming live and bringing the chaos. Tony’s mixing up a killer cocktail called Peaches Be Crazy (sage, peach, bourbon, fried sage garnish—trust us, it’s 🔥), while Michael shares his one-armed dad weight-loss hack. We dive into:

• 🥃 Libation Station – peach + sage bourbon smash

• 🥩 Local Shoutout – Bailey’s Meats (Schoolcraft, MI) + MOO-ville Ice Cream

• 🍕 Michigan Food Talk – Detroit pizza, Coney dogs, pasties & apples

• 🧀 Sheet Pan Nachos – how we build them, toppings that slap, and why lettuce actually matters

• 🍑 Pop Culture – The Bear’s omelet, Gordon Ramsay at Burger King, and why Michigan peaches beat Georgia’s

• 📣 Announcement – Catch us LIVE at Harvest Fest 2025 in Grand Rapids at The Crushed Grape

It’s food, drinks, dad jokes, and a little Midwest madness. Come hungry.

👉 Listen + subscribe: bruhpodcast.com

Bruh Podcast Ep. 10 – Sommel-YAY

We’re back with a packed episode! The Bruh crew kicks things off swapping summer stories—backyard camping, birthday shots, and the aches of hitting your late 30s. From Thai food in Phoenix to discovering the magic of sour cream squeeze pouches, it’s classic Bruh banter at its finest.

This week we debut our new segment, Sommel-YAY, featuring special guest and Grand Rapids’ own Matt Labonte, aka The Bearded Vine. Matt helps us answer real listener letters with spot-on (and sometimes brutally honest) wine pairings—from anniversary Cornish hens to awkward family dinners with funky-footed uncles.

We also drop a hot sauce update on our upcoming Michigan Red release, plus a teaser for a possible live Bruh show at Crush Grape.

Closing Notes:

• 🎧 Find us everywhere: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts

• 🌐 Visit: BruhPodcast.com

• 🍳 Don’t miss our Bruh Dinner Date virtual cooking event – Sept 24, 2025. Sign up on the website.

• 💥 Check out Chops & Drops Ep. 1 now on YouTube

• 🤝 Support us on Patreon for full videos, recipes, and exclusive extras

Bruh Podcast — where food, drinks, and friendship always bring the flavor.