Best Crack Magazine Podcasts (2024)

1
Cracking the Code of Picky Eaters: San Diego-based Hidden Foods is Revolutionizing Family Mealtime 51:18

22d ago51:18

51:18

#345 This week’s Happy Half Hour dives into the challenges of parenting picky eaters with special guest Kendra Vallone Matthews, founder of Hidden Foods Co. Kendra shares her journey from golf pro to hidden food expert, revealing how her frustration with her child’s picky eating led her to create a line of nutrient-packed foods that taste great and…

1
The Story Behind San Diego’s Most Legendary Cocktail 44:13

21h ago44:13

44:13

#347 In this week’s episode, we dive into the history of San Diego’s iconic Bali Hai, a restaurant that’s been a cornerstone of San Diego’s tiki culture for 70 years. Our guests are the Baumanns, the family who’s been running the show since the beginning, pouring more Mai Tais than anyone in town—and making sure you don’t have more than two in one …

1
The Royal Family of San Diego Taco Shops: A Deep Dive with Jorge Farfan of Lolita’s 37:52

15d ago37:52

37:52

#346 This week, the HHH crew revisits a favorite episode with Lolita's Mexican Food, an iconic family-owned business celebrating 34 years in the burrito biz. Jorge Farfan shares the story behind the beloved chain, the evolution of their authentic recipes (Cali burrito, anyone?), and the challenges of running a multi-location restaurant. Farfan reve…

1
This San Diego Non-Profit Focuses on Cooking Stoves, the Number One Killer in the World (Seriously) 1:00:07

29d ago1:00:07

1:00:07

#344 Our guest on this week’s podcast is Bill Toone, the founder of ECOLIFE Conservation and a celebrated conservationist. Our chat is filled with emotional highs and lows, as Toone reflects on the milestones that defined his fascinating career and the seemingly coincidental moments that led him to found ECOLIFE, an organization that prioritizes im…

1
How Sam The Cooking Guy Won the Internet 38:55

1M ago38:55

38:55

#343 Sam the Cooking Guy is our guest on this week’s Happy Half Hour. The YouTube star, cookbook author, and local restaurateur is sitting pretty at 3.7 million YouTube followers and just opened his latest restaurant, called Basta, in Little Italy (He’s also got Not Not Tacos, Samburgers, Graze, and Coo Coo’s Nest). In classic Sam style, the food f…

1
Stella Jeans’ Secret Sauce is its Milk 42:43

1M ago42:43

42:43

#342 We’ve never met anyone who felt merely “so-so” about local craft scoop shop Stella Jean’s and its mostly salty other half, Pop Pie Co., so Troy and I decided to have its founders and owners, Steven Torres and chef Gan Suebsarakham onto the podcast to find out what makes their treats so special (spoiler alert: in part, it's the dairy). Pop Pie …

1
Organic Food Pioneer Ran Every Day for Six Years…Twice 34:32

2M ago34:32

34:32

#341 We can’t get enough good produce here at San Diego Magazine. That’s why we brought on to Happy Half Hour Jimbo, himself, of Jimbo’s Naturally, the natural foods grocer that is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Jim “Jimbo” Someck is not only a real, actual person (many fans of the chain have wondered over the years), but a native New Yorker who…

1
San Diego’s Soul Food Lumpia Truck Was Inspired by Cooking in the Panamanian Jungle 56:07

2M ago56:07

56:07

#340 This week’s Happy Half Hour features mother-and-son duo Lia and Spencer Hunter of Lia’s Lumpia. Their come-up story is a fascinating blend of family tradition, cultural preservation, and innovative culinary fusion that began long before the Hunters’ foray into food competition TV. Spencer learned how to roll the thumb-thin Filipino fried and s…

1
The Little Lion’s Chef Learned Everything from Her Grandparents at The Belgian Lion 54:36

2M ago54:36

54:36

#339 If your time spent in OB and Point Loma spans decades, not just years, you likely know all about the Coulon family, proprietors of the well-loved but now-shuttered Belgian Lion. And there’s a good chance that you also know about their granddaughters, Anne-Marie, Jacqueline, and Dominique, who own Point Loma’s The Little Lion, now entering its …

1
Martin Short is the Current Mayor of This Food-and-Drink-Obsessed San Diego County Town 46:53

2M ago46:53

46:53

Martin Short is the Current Mayor of This Food-and-Drink-Obsessed San Diego County Town by San Diego MagazineBy San Diego Magazine

1
Meet the Man Responsible for Light Beer's Craft Comeback 52:12

3M ago52:12

52:12

This week, Troy and Jackie are joined by Doug Haster, master brewer at Mission Valley’s Puesto Cervecería. Hasker goes way back with beer in this town–he moved to San Diego in 1998 to head brewing at Gordon Biersch’s then-Mission Valley location and stayed until Biersch sold its operations to Puesto in 2019. Not ready to hang up his skates, he stuc…

1
Javier Plascencia Talks Michelin Stars and the Caesar Salad's 100th Anniversary 1:04:13

3M ago1:04:13

1:04:13

We’ve got a Happy Half Hour double-header today: chef Michael Vaughn, who is coming up on his first year at the helm of La Jolla’s iconic Marine Room, and also Baja-based superstar Javier Plascencia, whose under-a-200-year-old-oak tree restaurant Animalón just got a Michelin Star. Both chat philosophy, process, and their cooking histories, and as a…

1
Deep-Fried Delights at the San Diego County Fair 34:10

3M ago34:10

34:10

For podcasts like Happy Half Hour, events like the fair are basically our Christmas. Yeah, we love the rides, the activations, the camaraderie, the merriment. But to be totally honest, we’re here for the food. Dip us in corn batter and fry us. Dust some powdered sugar on our heads. Load us up with fatty, drippy, sloppy, sweet and salty goods. This …

1
San Diego Mag's Chef of the Year + His Truffle Hunter 1:22:10

3M ago1:22:10

1:22:10

Truffles are food gold, one of the world’s most famous ingredients. Musky, lovely, funky, delicious, expensive, and fickle as hell. Why do some of them taste like cardboard? Did you know you can grow very good ones in the U.S., but that it might take over a decade to yield your first “crop”? On this episode, we pay a visit to San Diego Magazine’s 2…

1
San Diego’s King of Produce 1:23:55

3M ago1:23:55

1:23:55

He got fired. He sold fruit out of a postal truck. He slept near the citrus. Then he and his family became the backbone of the restaurant culture in San Diego. The wild, never-give-up story of Bob Harrington, his brothers, and Specialty Produce.By San Diego Magazine

1
Inside an Icon: Top of the Market 1:07:03

4M ago1:07:03

1:07:03

This week’s Happy Half Hour takes place from one of the best perches in all of San Diego: Top of the Market. It’s a fully windowed and partially outdoor restaurant, separate and with a more fine dining or special occasion bent than its counterpart downstairs, the equally beloved and lauded Fish Market. To our front are sprawling views of Coronado a…

1
Trying The Best Food at Petco Park with Don & Mud 59:33

4M ago59:33

59:33

This week we got out-broadcasted on Happy Half Hour, and we couldn’t be more honored to pass the torch, to, as Troy dubbed it, “the best monosyllabic baseball broadcast duo in the major leagues.” The crew went to Petco Park ahead of the start of the Padres/Rockies series to chat with the voices of the franchise, Don Orsillo and Mark Grant (the Fria…

1
Michelin's Sommelier of the Year is Serving Wine at a Bistro in North Park 1:13:30

4M ago1:13:30

1:13:30

Did you know one of the country’s most celebrated sommeliers lives and works in San Diego? It’s true! This week, we welcomed Coco Randolph of Black Radish and San Francisco’s Californios to the Happy Half Hour podcast. Randolph is new-ish to town, having moved here about a year and a half ago from San Francisco, where she helped her family run two …

1
San Diego Broadcast Legend Chris Cantore and Sushi Icon Tyler Mars Launch Omakase-and-Vinyl Pop-Up 1:00:18

4M ago1:00:18

1:00:18

Sometimes, it’s the most fun to chop it up with friends. And when your friends include legendary sushi chefs and top DJs, all the better. This week we brought to Happy Half Hour Chris Cantore, a former voice across San Diego’s radio airwaves, and his long-time buddy, North County sushi chef Tyler Mars. Troy goes way back with the duo, having been b…

1
Jordan Howlett: 40 Million Followers, a Collab with Kevin Hart—All from His Kitchen in Oceanside 1:33:33

5M ago1:33:33

1:33:33

Jordan Howlett just needs a minute. Give him that, and he’s liable to have you hooked. Thanks to his highly recognizable, signature mirror-selfie videos, Howlett (San Diego Magazine’s cover star for our 2024 Best Restaurants issue) has amassed upwards of 30 million followers across his social channels by sharing fast food hacks and wisdom with dead…

1
Cracking the TikTok Code 31:23

5M ago31:23

31:23

In the past couple of years, TikTok has provided a platform for budding entrepreneurs to connect with their consumers. But how effective is this method, and can it lead to a new level for success for founders? In a panel discussion for Inc.’s Founders House at SXSW, Diana Ransom posed this question to FYSH Foods founder Zoya Biglary, Hot Take co-fo…

1
Feeding San Diego Rescues 1.2 Million Pounds of Food a Month 1:07:03

5M ago1:07:03

1:07:03

This week’s Happy Half Hour extra special guest is a longtime friend of San Diego Magazine, Feeding San Diego. If you tune into our channels, this fantastic organization probably doesn’t need much of an introduction. And if you’re lucky, you would have caught Troy emceeing their gala last month (in a sequin jacket, of course). But for the uninitiat…

1
Making Wishes Come True With Chef William Eick 1:16:27

5M ago1:16:27

1:16:27

Our Happy Half Hour guest today is the local chapter CEO of probably one of the most beloved and recognizable charities in the world: The Make-A-Wish Foundation, San Diego chapter. We invited Suzanne Husby, who garnered her title in 2021, to talk all things Make-a-Wish at Matsu in Oceanside. Husby has been with the foundation for 17 years, moving u…

1
Savvy Ways to Secure Funding 53:31

5M ago53:31

53:31

Whether you’re crowdfunding, getting a bank loan, or seeking venture capital, you need to be able to pitch yourself and your business successfully. Today's episode features some of the biggest lessons learned from the founder of clean fragrance brand MOODEAUX, who has secured funding in an incredibly challenging market.…

1
Grief, Joy, and Giant Vats of Slime 42:13

5M ago42:13

42:13

Karen Robinovitz and Sara Schiller had each been through multiple traumas when they found reinvention and joy through the unlikeliest of substances: slime. Yes, slime. They explain to hosts Diana Ransom and Christine Lagorio-Chafkin how they channeled their newfound joy, and passion for sensory play, into a business, the Sloomoo Institute. Sloomoo …

1
The Beach Boys’ Mike Love Puts Us in a Kokomo State of Mind 1:08:36

5M ago1:08:36

1:08:36

“Close my eyes, she's somehow closer now / Softly smile, I know she must be kind / When I look in her eyes / She goes with me to a blossom world” The lyrics to the iconic Beach Boys song “Good Vibrations,” penned in part by Mike Love, are likely about a woman from long ago. But they could just as easily be about the flavors and sensations from his …

1
San Diego's First Family of Karaoke Opens Grand New Thing (With a Heck of a Burger) 1:42:33

6M ago1:42:33

1:42:33

Everyone’s favorite Mission Hills karaoke joint, the Lamplighter, has brought its talents down the hill to the Gaslamp—and so has this podcast. The team, led by fourth-generation bar owner Frankie Sciuto, launched the Gaslamplighter, a new upscale cocktail and karaoke bar, in January. Sciuto joins us on the Happy Half Hour podcast today as we check…

1
Powering the Future - AI Bootcamp FROM INC STUDIO AND SAP 27:18

6M ago27:18

27:18

The impact of AI on finance departments will be huge.By Inc. Magazine

1
The Story Behind the City’s Backyard Restaurant With a Year-Long Waitlist 1:42:03

6M ago1:42:03

1:42:03

If you received this month’s San Diego Magazine, you already know about Warung RieRie. Happy Half Hour host and food critic Troy Johnson dubbed it “the star of the city's thrilling backyard restaurant scene.” Wait. There’s a thrilling backyard restaurant scene in San Diego? Indeed, there is, and the individual restaurants are formally dubbed MEHKOs…

1
Supply Ch(AI)n Strategy Session - AI Bootcamp FROM INC STUDIO AND SAP 19:43

6M ago19:43

19:43

How artificial intelligence is shaping the product journeys from procurement to end customers.By Inc. Magazine

1
Is This the Best Falafel in San Diego? 1:06:31

6M ago1:06:31

1:06:31

Stop us if you’ve heard the Happy Half Hour cast claim a particular food item was the “best in San Diego” before (to be fair, San Diego Magazine devotes an entire issue to the topic). If we assign superlatives, we tend to stand behind them, so buckle up for the following: We’ve found the best falafel in San Diego. Hands down, bar none, et cetera. F…

1
Time for Growth - AI Bootcamp FROM INC STUDIO AND SAP 24:48

6M ago24:48

24:48

In this podcast, leaders in HR and AI reveal what it will take for businesses to get their staff on board.By Inc. Magazine

1
San Diego’s Legendary Tony Tee Drops By 1:09:53

7M ago1:09:53

1:09:53

To know the illustrious Tony Tee, real name Antonio Ley, is to love him. The Chula Vista-born-and-bred, man-about-town has appeared in popular shows, like Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and Vice News, and he even had a brief career as a politico after he got his law degree in Tijuana. These days, the former party promoter is running a food truc…

1
Feeling Lucky with Jason Mraz 1:30:56

7M ago1:30:56

1:30:56

I think it’s fair to claim that this week’s Happy Half Hour guest is the most special visitor we’ve ever had on the podcast (which is saying something): Jason Mraz, the two-time Grammy Award–winning singer and songwriter who has gone platinum and multi-platinum in more than 20 countries. His tune “I'm Yours” also surpassed one billion streams on Sp…

1
That’s the Spirit 1:32:36

7M ago1:32:36

1:32:36

“It’s not just a spirits company, but a way of life.” That’s what Fierce & Kind’s owners and founders, Cyndi Smith and Basem Harb, say when talking about the ethos behind their company. In addition to peddling high-quality vodka and bourbon, Fierce & Kind donates a whopping 25 percent of net profits to charity. To learn more, we asked them to come …

1
Let Us Eat Cake 1:05:19

8M ago1:05:19

1:05:19

In case you haven’t noticed, we just debuted our first-ever issue dedicated to all things South Bay. On February 25, we are also holding our first Taste of South Bay food and drink extravaganza at Novo Brazil Brewing in Imperial Beach. In conjunction with that, we’re also asking various South Bay food folks to come on to the HHH podcast to talk abo…

1
Getting Real With Celebrity Chef Lauren Lawless 1:05:16

8M ago1:05:16

1:05:16

Avid HHH listeners will remember a few episodes back, when we announced that Ramen World, celebrity chef Lauren Lawless’ first restaurant, would open somewhere in San Diego. That opening is imminent, and so we decided to have the cooking show star and Pacific Beach native in to tell us what’s up. Ramen World’s opening is notable for a few reasons, …

1
40 Years of La Jolla’s George’s at the Cove 1:35:50

8M ago1:35:50

1:35:50

Our HHH guest this week, the legendary Trey Foshee of George’s at the Cove, has been in San Diego’s restaurants for a long time. Actually, scratch that. He’s been in one kitchen during the entire 27 years he’s lived, cooked, and managed here, and that’s in La Jolla at George’s (and its related establishments). In an age where people hop around fast…

1
The Secret Leads Goldmine: How Savvy Companies Capitalize on Q5 - FROM INC STUDIO AND META 14:42

8M ago14:42

14:42

The so-called “fifth quarter” could be your opportunity to give your business a competitive edge. Hear directly from successful small business owners Lauren Petrullo, of Mongoose Media, and John Wai of John Wai Martial Arts Academy about how they use the post-holiday season to grow their businesses. In this podcast, the entrepreneurs are joined by …

1
The Fishmonger Tommy Gomes Returns With Dry-Aged Fish 1:10:07

8M ago1:10:07

1:10:07

When your boss tells you to do something, you do it. When your boss is Troy Johnson, food critic and Chief Content Officer of San Diego Magazine, texting you: “I just left Tunaville. He’s doing amazing stuff. Get Tommy on the podcast,” well, you get Tommy Gomes on the Happy Half Hour podcast. Gomes, a commercial fisherman by trade and blood, is no …

1
A Look Back at 2023 38:48

9M ago38:48

38:48

By Inc. Magazine

1
Paradise, Or Something Like It 1:34:02

9M ago1:34:02

1:34:02

According to some of San Diego’s finest food minds (umm, us), one of the hottest restaurants of 2023 is easily Bird Rock’s Paradisaea. The Michelin Guide thinks so, too—it recently gave the restaurant, which opened in late 2022, a special recognition for being pretty damn good (and also new). A year or so is a good length of time for a restaurant t…

1
The Big South Bay Brewery That Could 1:09:59

9M ago1:09:59

1:09:59

“I said to myself, this was the biggest failure of my whole life,” recalls Tiago Carneiro, founder and owner of Nova Kombucha and Novo Brazil Brewing. In this week’s episode of Happy Half Hour, he’s talking about his business’ epic near-crash-and-burn during the pandemic. Which, if you do some quick back-of-the-napkin math, wasn’t all that long ago…

1
Top Chef Thanksgiving Day Tips: Lessons From Brad Wise 1:02:39

10M ago1:02:39

1:02:39

“People are always like, ‘You’re a chef I’m sure you’re smoking your turkey,’” says Brad Wise, head chef and owner of Trust Restaurant Group. “But I’ve tried it every way and I’m telling you that old bag is the best.” At his restaurants, he jockeys a nightly parade of red oak to smoke and char meats into various forms of yes. But for Thanksgiving t…

1
HOT TICKET: Susan Finegar & Liz Lachman 1:26:43

10M ago1:26:43

1:26:43

Susan Feniger and Liz Lachman pop. I first encountered their mutual hurricane of wit at the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival. They were setting up their table to cook. It looked like a movie set. Lachman immediately cordoned me, made me one of her own. Both of them struck me as whip-smart, funny, alive. James Beard Award–winning chef Feniger and Emmy-w…

1
Couples Counseling PART 2: How to argue 15:25

10M ago15:25

15:25

By Inc. Magazine

1
Working Couples 43:54

11M ago43:54

43:54

Working together within a marriage can require give and take, but imagine working in the same company too. Melissa Ben-Ishay, co-founder and CEO of Baked by Melissa, and Adi Ben-Ishay, its director of technology and innovation, met by happenstance—to be honest, it was something out of a romance novel. Now, they're married with two kids and still ru…

1
The Best First Date Bar in San Diego? 1:18:25

11M ago1:18:25

1:18:25

They got weird with it, and it worked. Understory is a concept bar in the middle of a Noah’s Ark-looking food hall called Sky Deck in Del Mar, where it is surrounded by nine sit-down restaurants. “Understories” are the natural world of shade-craving trees, soils, and organisms in any forest. And so, this bar—along with its own barrel-aged boozes (t…

1
Control freaks 50:59

11M ago50:59

50:59

From the outside, founders seem to have so much freedom in running their own businesses. But how much control do they really have? When is it an advantage to retain control over decisions, and when is it time to let go? Christene Barberich, cofounder of Refinery 29 and author of the newsletter, A Tiny Apartment; and Rebecca Minkoff, founder of her …

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