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  • Live with Stephanie Hansen
    Oct 28 2026

    Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

    Get the marinated goat cheese and other recipes at stephaniesdish.com



    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe
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    22 Min.
  • Dishing With @StephaniesDish: Stephanie Hansen visits with Chef Michael Lopata
    Oct 23 2026
    Get Reservations at Charlie’s RestaurantGet more information about The Minneapolis ClubOpen Seatings to the Public* Dinner Tuesday - Friday, 5 pm - 7:15 pm* Charlie’s Bar Open until 9 pmNon-members can join for cocktails at the iconic Charlie’s Bar until 9 pm or for full dinner service with seatings available Tuesday through Friday from 5 pm to 7:15 pmMake a Non-Member ReservationTo make a same-day reservation, please call us at 612-332-2292.ORIGINAL EDITED TRANSCRIPTStephanie Hansen (00:00.664)Hi, welcome to Dishing with Stephanie’s Dish, the podcast where we talk to people in the food space. And today I’m actually recording from the Minneapolis Club. I had a little internet trouble at home, so I’m a member here and, coincidentally, I'm recording today with Michael Lopata, Executive Chef and Director of the Culinary Program at the Minneapolis Club. Welcome to the podcast, Michael.Michael Lopata (00:21.117)Thank you so much. Good to have you here, literally and figuratively.Stephanie Hansen (00:25.352)Yes, thank you. I am glad to be here too. I hosted a really powerful event last week, I thought, about women in food. Fellow member Beth Dooley , who is a cookbook writer. She’s written so many great books. She was there. Joy summers , a food critic for the Star Tribune, and my radio partner, Stephanie March , the founder of the Salt Cure Recovery Fund for Restaurant Recovery. It was really just such a great panel. And we had a lot of opportunity to talk about food from the intersection of chefs, farmers, product producers, people that write about, and home cooking. And that day you made something so delicious. You made one of my favorite things. Did you know I love a beef short rib?Michael Lopata (01:16.955)No, but I wouldn’t trust you if you said you didn’t. So it was nice to kind of live in the center lane of the highway there, but also be able to put something out there. I’ve said for years, as long as I’ve been doing this, there are those corporate Monday-through-Friday lunches with chicken, mashed potatoes, and asparagus, and that fits the bill. But I wanted to do something a little bit more fun. I definitely want to touch on something that you said about the intersection of food and chefs, butit’s always easier when we’re cooking people’s favorite food. It makes my job and my team’s job so much easier. So I’m glad we I’m glad we hit that mark.Stephanie Hansen (01:50.763)it was so delicious. And I had mine packed up to go because obviously when I was speaking I couldn’t eat, and I was sitting down in a little side room kind of off of Charlie’s restaurant here, which is open to the public Thursday through Sunday. So, Thursday through Saturday, did I get the hours right?Michael Lopata (02:11.843)Tuesday through Saturday for dinner. Yep. Yep.Stephanie Hansen (02:14.732)People don’t realize they can come to the Minneapolis Club and eat this delicious food at Charlie’s. You also have a beautiful patio. It’s getting to be fall now, but the patio is lovely during patio season. yeah, I had a lot of great comments about the food that day, so well done.Michael Lopata (02:35.762)Thank you so much. I caught the very end of you and Beth and Joy and Stephanie andyou know, as soon as that food was out, we actually had an event on the second floor, but we’re rushing through it because I love listening to people talk about their passion. Whether I’m getting my oil changed and it’s somebody who just graduated from auto tech school and he’s excited about the next 20 years of his life, and I’m driving away thinking, I’m glad that guy loves cars more than I do. But it’s always nice to listen and exciting for me, especially because this is my passion. And this is what I’ve dedicated the last twenty-five years of my life to: listening to four just exponentially great voices in this in the Minneapolis food scene and beyond. Two quick things. I moved here from Seattle in January 2022. And then when you work at a place like the Minneapolis Club that has that rich history and that tradition, the expectation is, you knowThe ins and outs of Midwest food, you know the history of the club. And a lot of times I’m teaching Tuesday morning what I learned Monday night. So if I have to listen to you, talk to Beth, and have those experiences, it’s a win-win for me because I get to talk to somebody who’s passionate, and I also get to learn. And that’s that’s the best part about this job. So as I was listening to you all talk, I kept hearing, over and over again, everybody referencing what I say at all my interviews and all my wine dinners.The food tastes better when it has a story. And y’all were just telling the story of food for an hour. And I I didn’t want the day to end. I love hearing that. Every time you have a story for food, it always tastes better. And if you can relate it to those those certain aspects of of what people are eating and why they’re ...
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    22 Min.
  • Coffee Break Chat with Stephanie Hansen
    Oct 21 2026

    My friend Rebecca Blackwell, whom I met through Substack and who has been such a resource and inspiration in my food writing career, turned the tables on me by interviewing me for a coffee chat as part of her Mastermind for Food Writers series. We could have talked for hours!

    * If you are wondering how to get started on a new creative endeavor, this might inspire you.

    * If you have ever been insecure in your career pursuits, this might give you some courage.

    * If you are curious about building your own brand ecosystem, this might give you some ideas.

    As a creator and broadcaster, I love hearing others'. stories, and when the microphone turns the other way, It turns out I have a lot to say about the process of being a creator myself. I hope you enjoy our coffee chat!

    If you come here for the recipes - I have one of those for you too! My Crockpot Sausage and Tortelloni Soup as we are on day 21 of Crocktober! Crock On Friends.



    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe
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    1 Std. und 7 Min.
  • Jeremy Messersmith
    Oct 9 2026
    Jeremy Messersmith, an indie pop folk singer-songwriter, joins us this week on Dishing with Stephanie's Dish. Known for his quirky style and engaging performances, Jeremy shares insights from his musical journey and his newfound passion for baking during the pandemic.Get Tickets for the Show and Listen to Fox Coyote by Jeremy Messersmith on SpotifyORIGINAL TRANSCRIPT FOLOWSStephanie Hansen (00:00.728)Hello everybody and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie’s Dish, the podcast where we talk to cool people in the food space. They can be in any spaces. I’m here today with, as my friend Sarah calls you, my boy band crush, Jeremy Messersmith. You are my first musician on the program, friend.Jeremy Messersmith (00:21.41)Well, it’s good to good to be here.Stephanie Hansen (00:21.544)I’m trying to describe you - I mean people would say you’re like an indie pop folk singer songwriter, perhaps.Jeremy Messersmith (00:35.436)Yeah, I think that’s fair. it I describe myself as you I’m basically just another white guy with an acoustic guitar, is mostly what I do. I think what I end up writing to me just seems like very normal songs, but people do describe it as a quirky, let’s say. Yeah, yeah.Stephanie Hansen (00:51.85)Yeah. There is kind of a and I hope you take this as a compliment. There is sort of like a a little bit of a Ben Folds vibe. ButJeremy Messersmith (01:02.526)yeah. I yeah, I I definitely take that. Yeah, I take that as a as a high compliment. Yeah.Stephanie Hansen (01:09.066)The first time I think I became aware of you was probably at a New Standards holiday show. And it might have been, well, I honestly, it could have been like 15 years ago that was the first time. And you came out, and since then you’ve appeared many times, sometimes with the ukulele, sometimes just singing fantastical, crazy songs.Jeremy Messersmith (01:16.718)Yeah.Jeremy Messersmith (01:37.175)Yeah. Yeah. That’s true. The New Standards have been quite generous over the years in letting me crash their their holiday show and sometimes it’s a song that I pitch for them and sometimes they want me to to come in and sing a song and I I try to we generally try to shake it up and do something that’s f fairly funny and provocative maybe at the same time.Stephanie Hansen (01:59.584)Well, and I have to say you have also blown up in my mind in the food space a little bit here because you seem to like have made a decision about something. And tell me if you think I’m right. I feel like, okay, COVID was just a hellish time, right? And particularly horrible for musicians because you couldn’t be out on the road doing what you do.And I think it’s fair to say most musicians that tour at all were just going crazy. And you all seem to have like created some self-discovery through the social media channels. And those social media channels for a lot of musicians are like a blessing and a curse at the same time because you need them to sell records. But also many musicians are actually kind of can be introverted and a little quirky and.So putting yourself out there in that way feels so weird. But I feel like I don’t know, like in the last year, have you made a concerted effort to just like throw caution to the wind and get out there?Jeremy Messersmith (03:11.146)Yes, yes I have. And it’s mostly just because I have a a new record out, released in in April. It’s called Fox Coyote and I just play I play all kinds of little games with myself and I realize that Part of my job as a musician, if I care about my my art, my craft, is I need to just go where people are. And that’s something I’ve always tried to do in my career. And if that is social media, then so be it. I will I will pop on there. And so back in April I I had a little challenge with myself and it was I’m going to make like, you know, an Instagram reel every day for like a month or something. And then if if I do that, then I’m gonna go take myself out to eat at a very nice restaurant.You know, like that was my little reward to myself. And it was challenging because, you know, how much of yourself do you really want to share with people? And I found that what was most comfortable to me was usually things based around kind of projects. either, here’s what I was thinking, putting together an outfit for today. And it’s just stuff I would be doing anyway, but just like sharing it with folks. And a lot of that ended up being baking, which is something that started back during the pandemic for me, really. I I’ve always done a little bit of cooking and and been handy around the kitchen, but but during the pandemic we all had kind of different stabs at at sanity, let’s say. And I s for me it was I started baking my way through Sarah Kiefer’s book One Hundred Cookies, and I just baked cookies and I made little videos for for all of them andHad a great time doing that. And it made me very, very popular with my neighbors because I was baking more cookies than...
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    28 Min.
  • Crafting Cocktails and Connection with Emily Vikre
    Sep 25 2026
    In this episode, Stephanie Hansen chats with Emily Vikre, owner of Vikre Distillery and author of the new book Cabin Cocktails. Emily shares insights into her journey as a cookbook writer and distiller.The Art of Cocktail CreationEmily’s fourth book, Cabin Cocktails, features 70 seasonal cocktails, including mocktails, that celebrate the beauty of outdoor experiences. She reflects on how intuitive cooking differs from the precision required in cocktail making:“I do find cooking recipes hard to write down for me. Especially because as a cook, I’m very intuitive... I go by those sensory inputs.”Emily emphasizes that while cooking can be forgiving, cocktails require strict adherence to measurements for the best results. “Cocktails can be very unforgiving if you don’t have a good recipe and if you don’t follow it,” she explains.Sense of PlaceThe conversation moves into the heart of what makes Vikre Distillery unique: the water sourced from Lake Superior. Emily discusses how this element influences the flavor and character of her spirits on this week’s “Dishing With Stephanie’s Dish” Podcast.Stephanie Hansen (00:01.038)Hello everybody and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie’s Dish, the podcast where we talk to people in the food space. And today I am here with Emily Vikre. And she is the owner of Vikre Distillery up in Duluth and also makes a whole host of beautiful, beautiful spirits. I’m a big fan. But Emily also is a cookbook writer. And in her case, she has written this is your fourth book, isn’t it?Stephanie Hansen's @StephaniesDish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Emily (00:31.574)Yes, it is. Yeah.Stephanie Hansen (00:33.814)Okay, four books and four cookbooks in particular is pretty amazing. This last book is called Cabin Cocktails, and it has 70 seasonal cocktails for year-round drinks, and there’s mocktails too, I want to point out, because a lot of people are looking for mocktail options. I’m curious, you’ve had so many books. So you I’m just gonna kind of go through your canon here. You have Camp Cocktails, which was a great book and isEmily (00:47.984)Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.Emily (00:59.738)Yeah. Mm-hmm.Stephanie Hansen (01:04.03)still sold all over. It’s usually a lot of places where the True North Cabin cookbook is. We’re right next to each other, which yeah, I love. And then Cabin Cocktails, which is the new book. Then you have On the Trail, which was a new camp cookbook about easy-to-pack meals, kind of more about like taking your family actually camping and how to orchestrate that. And that book was great. And then you have another book called Fireside Warmers that had drinks.Emily (01:09.166)Yes, right. All those outdoorsy places.Emily (01:24.988)Mm. Yeah.Stephanie Hansen (01:33.354)Sweets. So you’ve done both cocktails, and you’ve done food books. Is one easier for you than the other?Emily (01:38.811)Yes. Ooh, that’s a great question. both things are things that I think cut like kind of come naturally to me to talk about, to storytell about, to develop recipes for. So in that way, one isn’t necessarily harder than the other. But I will say I do find like cooking recipes hard to write down for me.Especially because as a cook, I’m very like intuitive in my cooking. And when I’m cooking for myself or my family, I don’t measure anything, I don’t time anything. I go by those like sensory inputs. And so it’s hard then when you’re writing a cookbook to really slow yourself down and say, okay, how much did I use here? Check my time, how long did that go for? Give it to other people to test it. and because myCookbooks right now have really been more about outdoor cooking and camping cooking, which isn’t even like the bulk of the cooking I do, but it is something that I enjoy. There is a whole part where you have to give that sensory feedback anyway, because everybody’s fires fires a little bit wild. So you have to learn to work with it. and then conversely for cocktails, I treat it much more like baking, where very precise. I’m measuring everything and so what those ones I have like the recipes kind of already dialed and written in a format that works for a cookbook already more easily. and this most recent book, yeah, just flowed.Stephanie Hansen (03:11.414)It’s funny that your your description of this whole thing is the exact reason why I have a hard time writing cocktails. Cause I feel like it’s so much easier to write a recipe than and you get like, you know, different flavor profiles and you knowEmily (03:20.228)Mm-hmm, interesting.Stephanie Hansen (03:32.042)salt to taste, like okay. But like with cocktails, the level of sweet, the level of acid, the level of sour, the level of bitter feels so much more precise, just like baking to me.Emily (03:43.109)Yes, right. Cocktails can be very unforgiving if you don’t have if you haven’t ...
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    29 Min.
  • Lisa Steele
    Sep 11 2026
    Lisa Steele, author of 'In Season' and known for her expertise in eggs from her Blog, and first cookbook of the same name Fresh Eggs Daily, and farm-to-table cooking, shares her journey from chicken farming to cookbook author. She discusses her creative process, the challenges of social media, and her upcoming baking book, offering insights for aspiring food creators.Stephanie Hansen (00:00.718)Hello, everybody. Welcome to Dishing with Stephanie’s Dish, the podcast where I talk to cool people in the food space. I’ve been expanding my repertoire, but I got a cookbook that came across my desk earlier in the season. It is called In Season. It’s by Lisa Steele. She’s the founder of Fresh Eggs Daily. And this is Lisa’s second book. The first book that she has is really all about eggs. Because if you know Lisa, she is a chicken farmer.But she is so much more than that. Lisa, this new book "In Season”, 125 sweet and savory recipes, is gorgeous. Congratulations.Lisa Steele l (00:37.886)thank you. Yeah, it it is a really pretty book. I mean, I know the most important part is that the recipes are delicious, but you know, we do all eat with our eyes. And I feel like if someone’s in a bookstore flipping through the book, you know, they’re just gonna be like, I wanna make that, I wanna make that, that looks so good. I mean, it’s just so because it’s vegetables and fruits and berries, you know. So it was easy to make it like bright and vibrant. You know, my first book, All Eggs, it can get a little dull, you know, eggs are kind of tough to photograph sometimes.Hmm.Stephanie Hansen (01:08.138)Your first book though, okay, so every season I spend a bit good portion of the summer at my cabin. And your book came with me to the cabin this summer because there’s so much to do with eggs and I do a lot of entertaining there. So there’s a lot of brunch ideas. So I use that book a lot.Lisa Steele l (02:19.71)Good. And I mean the second book does have a whole egg chapter. So anyone who does love eggs, I managed to slide in, you know, like a bunch of deviled egg recipes and, you know, some baked dishes that I feel like are, you know, kind of like casseroles that are really good for entertaining, or like you said, if you’re, you know, somewhere that you have a limited, you know, cooking space or whatever. So there are still egg recipes for those people that love eggs.Stephanie Hansen (01:55.47)Can we talk about like obviously after you got done with the first book, y you had more to say and more to say that wasn’t just eggs? I loved that you expanded your repertoire because obviously you’re a cook. you know how to make and put together a book and put dishes together. What was it that kept propelling you forward, or were you just like, I’m gonna stay on this cookbook jag?Lisa Steele l (02:19.71)yeah. So after the first book came out, I mean it was it was brand new. Like you said, I was in the chicken world. I was writing books about raising chickens. I was giving talks about raising chickens and you know, COVID came along and my publisher wanted me to write another chicken book. And I had written like almost a book a year for like six years. And I said to him, I don’t really have anything more to say about chickens. Like I have a blog with a ton of information. I just couldn’t get excited about it, you know. And so I said, I really want to write a cookbook. Like it’s COVID. I feel like this might be the end of the world. You know, I wanna likeCheck things off my bucket list. And he did he wasn’t interested. He he said, No, you’ve got your lane. This is what you do. This is what you do. Well, you need to do it. But he very graciously let me out of my contract. you know, you know, as a cookbook author, you they have like first write a refusal, right? And you’ve got like whatever. He let me out of my contract, wished me well. and I hired an agent and pitched, you know, the egg cookbook to him. He loved it. Jill kind of was so gracious to share with me her agent. and yeah, he loved the idea of an egg cookbook. And he said, you know, it’s the next natural step for you. You know, you’ve got all these people that raise chickens and have a ton of eggs. Let’s do this cookbook. Plus, people who don’t have chickens, you know, so it’s just widening your your universe kind of. so he loved it, got right on board, and it was so much fun. you know.People say cookbooks are hard to write and it wasn’t easy and it took a long time, you know, two years, right? Start to finish pretty much. but I found it so much easier than writing like a nonfiction chicken book because each recipe is like its own little capsule. You know, you’ve got your your title, you’ve got your head notes, you’ve got your recipe and your photo, and then you move on. And like writing a nonfiction book.There’s got to be chapters and there’s got to be paragraphs and you can’t do all run-on sentences and it has to ...
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    23 Min.
  • Minnesota State Fair
    Aug 21 2026
    The Minnesota State Fair is more than a 12-day event - it is a full-on lifestyle choice for 12 days, and Alex Lodner knows exactly how to make the most of it. Sunday’s with Stephanie this week will feature my full State Fair Guide with picks, tops and tricks for making the most of the next 12 days at the Minnesota State Fair.Upgrade my subscription now so I don’t miss the State Fair Guide.My goal with this newsletter is to help you discover new recipes and share things I am obsessed with. I also like to create short essays about what I am thinking about from time to time. It’s like the miscellaneous drawer in my kitchen: a little bit of everything, some dribs and drabs—recipes, essays, helpful ideas, occasional interviews, restaurant suggestions, and more.What will I get as a free subscriber?As a free subscriber, you’ll receive a newsletter in your inbox every week on Wednesday with a free recipe. You will be the first to know about any new classes or live cooking events I’m teaching, podcast episodes I’m releasing, etc.What else would I get if I paid to subscribe?Great question! First and foremost, you’ll get my gratitude (I appreciate your support!!). I am a freelance creator, which means I work for everyone but no one full-time, so I pay all my own healthcare, buy my own groceries for recipes and shows, and fund my own podcast.You will also get the Sunday Subscriber email in your inbox each week. You will have access to the entire archive of posts, plus exclusive content like extra recipes only for Subscribers (there are 65 currently like this Corn Shrmp and Basil Risotto perfect for Summer), and access to Stephanie’s Dish chat. .This chat lets you join the conversation, comment on posts, and engage with other people and me in the Sunday Subscriber community. I also link all my Taste Buds Episodes, Podcasts and appearance clips on the Jason Show so if you are into what I do - its all here posted each week. Subscribing is $8/month or $60/year.Whether you are a first-time visitor trying not to waste a single bite or a seasoned fairgoer looking to level up your annual plan, this episode will help you experience the fair like an insider. Perfect for anyone counting down to the fair, food lovers chasing the best bites, and Minnesota locals who want to make the most of every precious day on the grounds. Alex reveals the must-try new foods on her list, the classics she returns to every year, and the hidden gems that still make the fair feel magical even after decades of visits. You’ll discover:* Why Tuesday and Wednesday are the smartest fair days for shorter lines* How to approach the new foods list before the most popular items get swarmed* The off-the-beaten-path favorites Alex never skips* Where to find the cleanest bathrooms, quietest rest spots, and easiest shortcuts* Which fair traditions are still worth your time, from the parade to the llama spectacle to the church dining hallsOriginal Episode TranscriptStephanie Hansen (00:00.724)Hello everybody and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie’s Dish, the podcast where we talk to cool people in the food space. And today I’m talking to my friend Alex Lodner. And Alex is someone that I feel like I owe a public thank you to. She would fill in on my radio show a lot in the times when I started going to the cabin quite a bit more and started the garden.And I have become friends with Alex over the years. And Alex is also someone that whenever we think of the Minnesota State Fair, she is someone that comes to mind. She’s a fair aficionado. She really has done a lot to help with the fair foundation. And I just am loving to geek out with a fellow friend that loves the Minnesota State Fair. Thanks to coming on the program, Alex.Alex Lodner (00:37.55)Okay, I’ll take that.Anytime, of course. My favorite subject. You knew that. You knew that when you got me.Stephanie Hansen (00:53.756)I did. I did. So let’s talk a little bit about your love of the fair and how it all started.Alex Lodner (01:01.5)yeah, so you know, the fair is kind of a crazy thing, right? It’s this insane time for twelve days. I always say that I suspend my entire personality during those twelve days because I don’t like crowds, I don’t like fried foods, barn animals, you know, all those things are not something that I normally r seek out. And it just those twelve days are just magic. You just lean in and if you do it right, I think it’s a it’s aan amazing experience. I hear a lot from people who are who go once a year with their, you know, family of five and they they can’t understand why I go an average of eight times. And I always tell them it’s a completely different experience. When you go multiple times, you’re not trying to fit everything into one day. You find your secret rest spots. You find your favorite foods that are maybe a little bit off the beaten path. We always had our sec secret little spaces where we put our blanket down and let the ...
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    36 Min.
  • Potluck Kitchenware in Ely Minnesota
    Aug 14 2026
    Kelsey Lee, owner of Potluck Kitchenware Store in Ely, Minnesota, shares how her business navigated the challenges of wildfires, the unique culinary traditions of the Northwoods, and the importance of community and learning. Discover her insights on store curation, local culture, and must-have kitchen tools.A few items mentioned in the Podcast available at POTLUCKPierogi Love and The Elements of BakingVisit Ely, Minnesota for fun things to do year-round! Whether you are looking for a place to stay, a delicious meal, a hiking trail, or an immersion experience, we have businesses ready to meet your needs.Original Transcript Follows:Stephanie Hansen (00:01.176)Hello everybody, welcome to Dishing with Stephanie’s Dish, the podcast where we talk to people in the food space. And today I’m with Kelsey Lee. She is the owner of Potluck Kitchenware Store. And Potluck is in Ely, Minnesota, which is my second home. And I’ve been doing a little mini-series to help people get familiar with some of the businesses that have been impacted by the wildfires this summer. The wildfires, as we currently stand, are in a high form of containment.Smoke in the town has been virtually non existent and people are coming back to Ely, but it has been a dramatic turn in what was looking to be a great summer. Welcome to the program, Kelsey.Kelsey Lee (00:41.088)Thank you so much for having me on.Stephanie Hansen (00:44.2)What does it feel like when, you know, you’re starting out on your summer and July fourth has just happened and something that you couldn’t have predicted as a business owner, like a wildfire comes into town?Kelsey Lee (00:50.389)it feels like such a jolt and especially with wildfire there’s a there’s this sense of kind of unknown danger known but unknown danger and i this was the first summer of wildfires that were quite close to town during my time of owning the business the last time we had any a wildfire anywhere near potluck or elite largeI was an employee of Potluck. I wasn’t the owner. So I was making, I was sort of executing on decisions as opposed to making them myself. So, you know, your first thought is about air quality and evacuation zones and all of that. And then sort of secondarily you wonder if it means the end of the season. And for me this year, that was an especially weighty question because what I’ve seen over the last couple of years is that our what whatis commonly known as our summer season, actually extends quite far into the fall. I’ve seen growing sales numbers in September and October over the last couple of years. And so you really don’t want to see your season kind of come to a close when really it’s like just getting started. But I’m really happy to say that what I’ve seen is very much to the contrary. This so two weekends ago on what would have been our blueberry art festivalI saw huge numbers of people in town. I had amazing sales. I’ve talked to other business owners who had a similar experience. So it feels like our kind of recurring visitors and also our seasonal residents have really rallied to support Ely. and I personally am just so grateful for all of the messaging around Ely is open for business, like conditions here are safe, we welcome you, we encourage you to do your Christmas shopping. all of thatfor in my case and the case of many of the retailers I’ve spoken to has just been incredibly successful.Stephanie Hansen (02:59.584)It’s kind of funny because I am a person that does a reverse commute. I my husband lives in Ely in the summer and I usually head there on Saturday in the afternoon and come home on like a Monday or a Tuesday. And the air quality in the Twin Cities has actually been worse than in Ely. So it’s it’s been a kind of a strange summer.How hard is it? So you have a great selection of cookbooks. You really do a great job of curating. You’ve got all the cast iron things that one would expect at a kitchen store in the Northwoods, but you’ve also got beautiful dishware, some small appliances, all the cute funny towels and napkins and cocktail and entertaining things that you might use at the cabin. How do you curate the store?With such a big percentage of folks being summer residents, does it change?Think it’s a really interesting challenge. I actually love doing the buying for the store. I do it all myself because my market really exists as like three segments. And over the years of working here and then being an owner-operator, I’ve really gotten to know those segments by their general characteristics, but also individuals, right? So I’m getting feedback and product requests and things all the time. and so I think of my customer market as being comprised of seasonal residents. So people who come up for the summer, like you you have a s you have a second home, you have a second kitchen, you’re hosting, you’re cooking, you are really looking for anything you would be looking for at your main home in your kitchen...
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    27 Min.