Food About Town podcast based out of Rochester, NY and hosted by Chris Lindstrom focusing on restaurants, food and drink of all kinds, and whatever topics I want to cover!
Kyle Waldron Breaks Down Lucky Frog: Why he calls it a ‘social tonic’ and how ashwagandha + magnesium actually work
Kyle Waldron makes the main point up front: Lucky Frog sells shelf‑stable "social tonics" that use magnesium and ashwagandha to take the edge off without alcohol or intoxication. He explains ashwagandha as a traditional Ayurvedic root with low‑level, cumulative calming effects and describes magnesium as a familiar supplement that supports relaxation, stressing that their doses are modest and meant for daytime use. Chris Lindstrom, out of Rochester, steers the chat toward flavor and process, and Kyle walks through the three distinct flavor profiles—plum/cardamom/pomelo; Meyer lemon/basil/strawberry; and mango/lime/pandan—showing how he started with culinary pairings and a simple formula of sweet, acid, and herbaceous to keep things approachable. They dig into practical production issues too: water‑soluble extracts that won’t wreck taste, avoiding harsh artificial sweeteners, working with a co‑packer to scale recipes, and ensuring shelf stability and food‑safety constraints. On the business side Kyle lays out the pivot away from cannabis drinks, the importance of direct‑to‑consumer margins, local roots in Rochester, and the next steps of expanding distribution while keeping the product delicious and repeatable.
Mentioned in this episode:
It’s A Lot
Check out It’s A Lot on Lunchador!
https://feeds.captivate.fm/itsalot/
Getting Real with Bossy: For Women Who Own Business
Check out Getting Real with Bossy: For Women Who Own Business on Lunchador!
https://feeds.captivate.fm/gettingrealwithbossy/
Joe Bean Roasters
Joe Bean Coffee - Coffee that lifts everyone.
https://shop.joebeanroasters.com
26 Sept 2026
Texture, Light & the Diaspora: How Tiwa Topia Let Dark Skin Shine Through Glass - Just Can't Not
Tiwa Topia made a whole stained‑glass thesis about how to put Black skin into stained glass, using experimental techniques so light can do the heavy lifting. Tiwa flipped the usual “light-to-dark” idea and sculpted where the light hits to get depth and warmth for darker skin tones — clever, stubborn, and gorgeous.
Tiwa’s show is at The Yards (at the Public Market) with a closing ceremony on Saturday the 26th from 11am–2pm (go see it in person — photos don’t do the light justice), and you can follow their work on Instagram at @awit.glass (Tiwa backwards dot glass).
We chat about how stained glass is both a craft (all those tools and cuts and lead) and an art (how the sun becomes the final artist), why texture and double‑rolled glass like Kokomo or Youghiogheny give that depth, and how being self‑taught meant a lot of trial, error, and obsession.
We also dig into the story behind the work: Yoruba/Ifa references, family proverbs about Agemo, and the messy love of celebrating culture while calling out the parts that exclude people.
Oh, and we nerd out about glass news — Kokomo stopping production and UK safety rules around lead — because materials and maker safety actually matter when you care this much. Come for the color and the craft, stay for the big, complicated, joyful conversation Tiwa’s putting into glass.
Mentioned in this episode:
Joe Bean Roasters
Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!
22 Sept 2026
Darjeeling to Rochester: Niraj Lama on First‑Flush Spring Teas, Origin, and Why Seasonality Matters
Check out the episode on Food About Town wherever you get your podcasts or on Lunchador.org!
Niraj Lama makes the central point that provenance, seasonality and simple care — especially spring or “first flush” Darjeeling teas — are what give tea its distinctive flavors. He explains that tea for fine black, green and oolong varieties all comes from one plant, Camellia sinensis, and that harvest season, elevation and how the leaves are processed change the cup dramatically; first flush means the first young shoots of the year and tend to be delicate, floral and lively.
He traces his own path from Darjeeling journalism to founding Happy Earth Tea in Rochester’s South Wedge, and he frames the shop as a place for hospitality where people can both relax and learn about origin and tasting.
We discuss practical basics too: steeping and temperature vary by tea type, but a good rule is to come close to boiling for blacks without overdoing it and to trust your palate — fine teas are forgiving and often reveal more across multiple steeps. He also walks listeners through how elevation and mountain microclimates slow growth and concentrate flavor, why small-lot mountain teas differ from commodity lowland blends, and how storage and subtle aging can sometimes change a tea for the better. They cover shop offerings — tastings, Tea 101 classes, matcha and tea-and-chocolate events — and the larger point that tea is both a beverage and a way to build community.
If listeners want to explore, he runs HappyEarthTea.com and welcomes people to pop into the Teahouse at 696 South Ave (corner of South and Gregory) to taste spring teas and learn more.
Links referenced in this episode:
happyearthtea.com (https://happyearthtea.com)
taurusavant.bandcamp.com (https://taurusavant.bandcamp.com)
Mentioned in this episode:
Joe Bean Roasters
Joe Bean Coffee - Coffee that lifts everyone.
https://shop.joebeanroasters.com
Who has been a guest on Food About Town
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Jim Zobel
Paul Guaracini
Oz
Kyle O'Gara
Isabelle O'Gara
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.4 / 5
8 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
76
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
31
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Chris Lindstrom host the show. Published by Chris Lindstrom.
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