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The Food For ThoughtCast: Call Me Chef

Life is better with food. Join Melissa and Steve as we chat with each other, other chefs, and friends alike or just wax poetic on all the culinary things that bring us together. At the virtual table, there’s something tasty for everybody!

Recent Sound Bites

Oct. 15, 2025

125. Lenzy Ruffin- A Guest Ep!

Hey there food fans, welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast-- today we are talking to Lenzy Ruffin in Episode 125! Lenzy Ruffin is the Cooking Show Advisor for Park Road Studios. He specializes in teaching chefs how to use ...
Oct. 9, 2025

124. Bennett Rea- A Guest Ep!

Would you ever try beef tongue jello or Newt's fruit? What about tuna loaf or a mayonnaise ice cube with pears and nuts? Bennett would, and he has! Buckle up food fans, today we're talking to Bennett Rea from Cookin' with Con...
Oct. 2, 2025

123. Kitchen Myth-Busting

Hey there food fans! It's time for Episode 123 of The Food For ThoughtCast. Maybe it's just in time for October, or Thursday for those who celebrate, but today we're talking about kitchen myths, wives' tales (please don't can...
Sept. 25, 2025

123. Chef Joe Sasto- A Guest Ep!

Hey there food fans! Get ready to lose your minds and be inspired to grow creative facial hair- because Chef Joe Sasto is here! You may know him from Top Chef: Colorado, Chopped, or The Great Food Truck Race or you may also k...
Sept. 17, 2025

121. Nicole Patel- A Guest Ep!

Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast! It's time for a guest episode. Today on Episode 121 we are honored to be speaking to Nicole Patel from Delysia Chocolatier in Austin, Texas. She was generous enough to share two colle...
Sept. 11, 2025

120. Chefs Check-In

Hey there food fans! We've missed you. We're back and ready for the next episode of The Food For ThoughtCast! This is a check-in episode. Steve and Melissa missed each other so much that we couldn't go any further without tal...

Recent Blog Posts

April 26, 2023

Columbus' Best of the Best

It was an honor to have Ray Chmielecki, host of the Spoon Mob podcast, on the show this week. Here are his shout-outs from the the Columbus, Ohio area. Comune (Plant-forward dining)Their Menu Looks Amazing!Veritas ( An excellent …

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April 22, 2023

St. Louis and Kansas City Food Tour! via Chef Steve

If you happen to be traveling through, check out these picks:Civil Life Brewery in St. LouisBeastButcher & Block in St. LouisJoe's BBQ in Kansas CityPappy's in St LouisSeoul Taco in St. Louis

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April 18, 2023

Zak Haynes- D.C. Recs and NY Food Shout-Outs

Our latest guest, Zak Haines- had some great recommendations for bar /pub food in the DC area:   Penn Quarter Sports TavernTight Five PubDon't forget to check out Zak's comedy:Zak Haines on YouTubeNY Food Shout-Outs:Salt Potatoes:Salt potatoe…

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About the Hosts

Melissa Reagan Profile Photo

Melissa Reagan

Host/chef/dog mom

Hi, I'm one of your hosts, Melissa Reagan! I'm a 20-year veteran of the foodservice industry formerly of steakhouses, private clubs, restaurants, other random locations, catering events, and near nervous breakdowns. I reside in North Carolina with my two greyhounds who are doing their best to make sure it isn't quiet enough for me to effectively record these podcasts. Food and wifi will bring us together.

Stephen Gonzalez Profile Photo

Stephen Gonzalez

Chef/kitchen ninja/ all-around good cooker

For some, cooking can be overwhelming. I relish giving those people confidence in the kitchen. Whether we admit it or not, food brings us comfort and joy. Life can be full of flavor, so let's talk about how to Getcha Grub On! Stephen joined The Food For ThoughtCast as an official co-host in October 2023, but be sure to check out his other amazing projects as well-- he has an amazing YouTube channel and of course his cookbook- Getcha Grub On!

Reviews

So good!!!

"I can’t wait for more episodes. Your story was so entertaining and now I want to experiment more with cooking."

FiveDeeSeven | Feb. 23, 2023

A fun, entertaining, and upbeat podcast all about food and more

"You’re invited to join a fun, upbeat conversation all about food. The laughter never stops! If you love food, you’ll love this show."

wabbitman1 | March 22, 2023

Foodies fun friend

"Such a fun and informative podcast. For years, I’ve thought podcast podcast podcast, but let me tell you Chef Melissa has totally changed my view. I’m listening to a podcast with this hysterical, inf…"

@@&);:()),;))$&@@&(; | May 23, 2023