Food - Gathering Around the Table

About Food - Gathering Around the Table

The DeKalb County History Center’s podcast, ”Food: Gathering Around the Table,” explores stories from their current exhibit of the same name, created in collaboration with the Smithsonian. This season there will be five podcasts featuring food insecurity, Potawatomi food traditions, food trucks, rural restaurants, and one podcast in Spanish about Mexican restaurants (an English translation will be available). For information about the next podcast, visit the exhibit, or to share your favorite food story visit dekalbcountyhistory.org. This project is made possible through generous funding from Illinois Humanities. Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly (through the Illinois Arts Agency]. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.

Publisher

Michelle

Category

history

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Nov 2024

Latest episode

21 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   21 Aug 2026

   La Salsa

   This is the second interview in our third season of our podcast series, created in partnership with DeKalb High School advanced Spanish students. These talented students worked with the DeKalb County History Center to contact business owners, create questions, and conducting the interviews in Spanish. Each group focused on an owner of a Mexican restaurant to compliment the History Center's exhibit "Food: Gathering Around the Table." While the interview is in Spanish, below is an English translation. A special thank you to the students for all of their work, their teachers - Claudia Zempoalteca Amador and Monica Luna, project coordinator Carolina Velandia Hernandez, and District 428. This project was made possible by generous grants from Illinois Humanities and Healing Illinois. This interview is with Olivia Agustin owner of DeKalb's La Salsa restaurant. Olivia Agustin- La Salsa Restaurant Carlos  00:00 Hello, my name is Carlos Argüelles Amador. Today, I am here  to interview the owner of La Salsa restaurant. I'm from DeKalb, Illinois at DeKalb High School, and today I'm meeting, with Olivia Agustin  00:17 My name is Olivia Agustín. Carlos  00:19 Can you tell us how to spell your full name? Olivia Agustin  00:27 O L I V I A  A G U S T I N Carlos  00:34 I want to start asking you questions about your history and how you started your business. To begin with, can you tell me where you are from? Olivia Agustin  00:51 We are from Veracruz, Mexico. Carlos  00:54 OK, there are many, many people from Veracruz, right, yes?  A lot of people? How did your business start? Olivia Agustin  01:03 We started in 2006 thanks to some friends of mine who helped us. Carlos  01:14 Ok, so they've been in this [restaurant] business for a long time. Olivia Agustin  01:19 Yes, Carlos 01:20 What led you to open this business? Olivia Agustin  01:26 Well, more than anything, they inspired us to start that business. We like to serve people. Carlos  01:42 How long have you been in business? Olivia Agustin  01:53 From 2006 until now -  about 20 years plus Carlos  02:01 Where was your first location? Olivia Agustin  02:03 My first location? Well, it's a bit of a story because this business started here in this place where we are now. It was here for about three, three or four years. Then, we went to another location where we had a store and a restaurant - that's where it all started. And we were there for 16 years, 17, but then it was knocked it down. So, we returned to the place where the business started. Carlos  02:39 Oh, and why did you choose that location? Olivia Agustin  02:45 The second one? Well, we decided where there were more Latinos so that the store, the restaurant would be closer, and it would be closer for the Latinos, for the Mexican store and the restaurant. Carlos  03:01 And for people wondering, where are you located now? Olivia Agustin  03:08 We are in front of NIU University and the address is 900 B Lucinda. Carlos  03:18 Do you prepare food for special events - parties, concerts? Olivia Agustin  03:31 Yes, there are occasions when people come and order food for the holidays. Or they have their small gatherings here for students. Carlos  03:46 Well, moving on to the food,  please tell us what do you offer in your restaurant, tell us about your menu? Olivia Agustin  03:56 Well, people like everything, they like the mole, the ribs in dried chile, tamales, chiles, stuffings, and the students come for the tacos, tortas, burritos. Carlos  04:15 So you have a lot of variety,  a little bit of everything. What are your best-selling dishes, the ones that people love the most? Olivia Agustin  04:25 The mole is very popular. The ribs. So the chile, piquín, the rib in morita chile, the stuffed chiles are also very popular, the tamales are also very popular. Carlos  04:50 Yes, in your opinion, what is your specialty? What is your best dish? Olivia Agustin  05:07 What will it b

2. 

   20 Aug 2026

   Burritoville

   This conversation is the second in our series of conversations connected to the DeKalb County History Center's exhibit "Food: Gathering Around the Table" and DeKalb High School Spanish students. Like in the first interview, the student worked with the DeKalb County History Center to contact business owner, create questions, and conducting the interviews in Spanish. While the interview is in Spanish, below is an English translation of an interview with the owner of DeKalb's Burritoville restaurant. A special thank you to the students for all of their work, their teachers - Claudia Zempoalteca Amador and Monica Luna, project coordinator Carolina Velandia Hernandez, and District 427. This project was made possible by generous grants from Illinois Humanities and Healing Illinois. English Transcription: Rodolfo Galvan -Burritoville Rodolfo Galvan  00ab:01 Good morning Rodolfo. First of all, first of all, thank you very much for welcoming us and giving us this space of yours. This is an honor to talk with you and since your career in DeKalb is a great example of hard work. I am very interested in knowing your story and how you managed to build your business here in DeKalb County. Student First of all, please spell your name. Rodolfo Galvan  00:52 My name is Rodolfo Galván with R O D O L F O Galván G A L V A N ok my full name Student  01:03 Thank you. Very much pleasure meeting you. I would like to know a little bit of your personal history, getting to know you a little more. Where are you originally from? Rodolfo Galvan  01:18 I was born in Guadalajara, Mexico Student 01:21 What is it like there? Rodolfo Galvan  01:23 Well, Guadalajara is very cheerful, very big, a lot of mariachi, a lot of tequila- all of this is the great pride  in Guadalajara. Student  01:46 When looking back, what memories do you have of your childhood during your time in Mexico and how has that influenced or inspired you to open your business that you have today? Rodolfo Galvan  02:06 Well, look, the memories there are very, very marked because my parents ran a restaurant their whole life. The same thing I do now. They had their taco stands in Mexico and were very hardworking people because they didn't just have one taco stand, they had up to three taco stands -  my mom worked at one, brother worked at another one, and the third one had a worker because he had a very good style of making their tacos. I can remember that [my parents] picked me up from school, and they told me to help them peel tomatillos and chop onions. But I could only do a little bit because I was 10.  Good memories, and they motivated me. You arrive here in the United States and you are motivated because you see,  in Mexico it is a harder life. There is poverty there, so you are inspired to work hard to get ahead here in the United States. Student  03:36 You know I love hearing those kinds of stories about starting a business, especially when your parents have taught you about that business, to be successful, you need to work hard. Rodolfo Galvan  04:00 Well, it is the only way to get ahead [by] working [hard]. Student  04:04 Of course. And let's talk about your arrival here. Why did you or your family choose to live here in DeKalb or DeKalb County? And how has your experience been in all this time living here? Rodolfo Galvan  04:18 I came here to the United States first, [but] let me start step by step. I have some uncles there in Chicago who turned 50 years old with their restaurants  - unfortunately they have already died. But since I remember, when I was 13 years old, one uncle had had a restaurant. He began to invite nephews, nephews, nephews, and relatives who wanted to come to the United States. My brother who was the first, the eldest, came here to the United States to work with him. And after three, four years, I remember that they invited me on a trip [when they came back] to Mexico. They told me, you know what? Do you want to go

3. 

   20 Aug 2026

   Buffalo Grill

   Welcome to the Food: Gathering Around the Table podcast. This is the first interview in our third season of our podcast series, and it is a little different as it was created in partnership with DeKalb High School advanced Spanish students. These talented students worked with the DeKalb County History Center to contact business owners, create questions, and conducting the interviews in Spanish. Each group focused on an owner of a Mexican restaurant to compliment the History Center's exhibit "Food: Gathering Around the Table." While the interview is in Spanish, below is an English translation. A special thank you to the students for all of their work, their teachers - Claudia Zempoalteca Amador and Monica Luna, project coordinator Carolina Velandia Hernandez, and District 428. This project was made possible by generous grants from Illinois Humanities and Healing Illinois. This interview is with Jose Afatio Heredia, owner of Sycamore's Buffalo Grill. Students  00:00 Hi we are Ninetta, Anjel, Liam, and Diana and we are part of the ninth grade of DeKalb High School. We are part of this project to put together a podcast with community leader for the DeKalb County History Cente. With whom we have the pleasure of speaking today? Jose Afatio Heredia  00:21 José Afatio Heredia. Students  00:22 What is your age and what part of Mexico do you come from? Jose Afatio Heredia 00  :29 I am 52 years old and I come from the state of Guerrero. Students  00:34 How long have you been living in DeKalb? Jose Afatio Heredia  00:37 Twenty years Students  00:53 What does Mexican culture mean to you and how do you reflect it in your business? Jose Afatio Heredia 01  :01 Well, it means a lot to me because it is a very traditional culture, to be seen in another country, I reflect [the culture by] listening to very Mexican music, and the special food I made it in a very Mexican style. Students  01:29 What is the name of your restaurant and what is the story behind the name of the restaurant? Jose Afatio Heredia 01  :34 The restaurant is called Buffalo Grill because I am from a very small place on a ranch. When I started going to the city the name occurred to me because I thought I would always sell just meat, and especially buffalo. Students  02:34 Tell us about your restaurant, origins and main idea. Jose Afatio Heredia 02  :53 The restaurant is seven years old. Students  03:11 Tell us what year the restaurant was established. Were there any special events in that year that prompted you to create the restaurant? Jose Afatio Heredia 03  :19 No, there were none. No special events. The restaurant was established in 2019. Students  03:31 What was your motivation for opening a restaurant? Jose Afatio Heredia 03  :35 It was my motivation because the whole American community likes Mexican food a lot and I worked for a long time on different food, but I came up with the idea of doing something more Mexican for myself. Students  03:53 What challenges have you had to go through and how did you overcome it? Jose Afatio Heredia 04  :01 Well, challenges almost never, but not so much that we cannot overcome them. Students  04:16 How does your restaurant and recipes help maintain the Latino heritage at Sycamore? Jose Afatio Heredia 04  :23 Well, being vigorous in all the food, always do the same, and it will come out perfect - just as we started from the beginning. Students  04:34 What kind of food and flavors are typical of your restaurant? Jose Afatio Heredia 04  :39 Well, this is about the flavors, the only thing is garlic, cumin and cloves are the most important, the basic of the whole meal recipe. Students  05:05 Does your restaurant have some recipes from a particular place in Mexico? Jose Afatio Heredia 05  :14 Well, yes, only the recipes of what is in Guerrero, those I learned the most with my mom, may she rest in peace. Students  05:26 Ok, what gave you the idea of having this type of food on your menu? Jose Afatio Heredia 05  :32 I went an

4. 

   23 Dec 2025

   Pasture Grazed - Part 2

   Dan Sanderson explores the science of regenerative farming and emphasizes the importance of consumer awareness in supporting sustainable food production in this episode.

5. 

   2 Dec 2025

   Pasture Grazed - part 1

   Rosie Sanderson Trump introduces regenerative farming practices and their implementation at Pasture Grazed farm, setting the stage for understanding sustainable agriculture in this interview.

6. 

   1 Dec 2025

   Regenerative Farming with Pasture Grazed- part 1

   Rosie Sanderson Trump of Pasture Grazed elucidates the principles of regenerative farming and its practical implementation on her family's farm in Clare, Illinois, in this interview.

7. 

   31 Oct 2025

   Food and Grief

   Jennifer Long and Jo Cessna explore the ways food supports individuals navigating grief, highlighting Jennifer's work as Executive Director with Conley Outreach Community Services in this interview.

8. 

   28 Apr 2025

   Chef Hannah Flora

   Enjoy our bonus episode of "Food: Gathering Around the Table" with Chef Hannah Flora. During this conversation, we talk with Chef Hannah who appeared on "Hell's Kitchen" this past season, but she traces her love of food back to her time growing up in DeKalb. Stay tuned for more conversations about "Food" as we return in the fall for Season 2. This project is made possible through generous funding from Illinois Humanities. Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly (through the Illinois Arts Agency). Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.

9. 

   25 Mar 2025

   South Moon BBQ

   In this episode of "Food Gathering Around the Table," we talk with Harlan and Katie, owners of South Moon BBQ located in Hinckley, Illinois. This project is made possible through generous funding from Illinois Humanities. Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly (through the Illinois Arts Agency]. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.

10. 

    4 Mar 2025

    Wild Carrot

    During this podcast we talk with Josh Koroscik owner of the Wild Carrot food truck based in Waterman, Illinois. This project is made possible through generous funding from Illinois Humanities. Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly (through the Illinois Arts Agency]. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.

11. 

    31 Jan 2025

    Nina's Tacos

    During this episode of "Food: Gathering Around the Table" we talk with the owner's of Nina's Tacos, Jesus and Nina Munoz. They share their food journey from food truck to restaurant owners who are dedicated to serving authentic Oaxacan food from Mexico. Please note that this conversation takes place in Spanish, but don't worry an English translation is available below. This project is made possible through generous funding from Illinois Humanities. Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly (through the Illinois Arts Agency]. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.

12. 

    16 Dec 2024

    Indigenous Food Traditions

    Dr. Rosalyn LaPier joins the conversation to discuss Indigenous food traditions that includes a variety of topics covering general information to some specific examples from the Potawatomi Band who lived here when the first settlers arrived; to the present day with native chefs introducing heirloom food to wider audiences to the complicated history of fry bread. This project is made possible through generous funding from Illinois Humanities. Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly (through the Illinois Arts Agency]. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.

13. 

    2 Nov 2024

    Food: Gathering Around the Table - trailer

    The DeKalb County History Center's podcast, "Food: Gathering Around the Table," explores stories from their current exhibit of the same name, created in collaboration with the Smithsonian. The inaugural episode features a conversation with Rooted for Good, previously known as DeKalb County Community Gardens. Tune in by downloading the podcast app on Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, and more! This season there will be five podcasts featuring food insecurity, Potawatomi food traditions, food trucks, rural restaurants, and one podcast in Spanish about Mexican restaurants (an English translation will be available). For information about the next podcast, visit the exhibit, or to share your favorite food story visit dekalbcountyhistory.org This project is made possible through generous funding from Illinois Humanities. Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly (through the Illinois Arts Agency]. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.

14. 

    2 Nov 2024

    Food Insecurity

    On this first episode of "Food: Gathering Around the Table," Michelle Donahoe interviews Dan Kenny, Heather Edwards, and Kyle Moore from Rooted for Good (formerly DeKalb County Community Gardens). This podcast that explores food insecurity - what it is, how Rooted for Good addresses this issue in DeKalb County, and their plans for the future. Learn more about this topic at the DeKalb County History Center's exhibit "Food: Gathering Around the Table" hosted in collaboration with the Smithsonian. This project is made possible through generous funding from Illinois Humanities. Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly (through the Illinois Arts Agency]. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.

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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 2 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

4

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

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