Jael Skeffington: French Broad Chocolates (Asheville, NC)
Release Date: 05/10/2024
The Southern Fork’s BEST of 2025
The Southern Fork
In this episode, host Stephanie Burt reflects on her experiences from 2025, sharing highlights from her culinary adventures, restaurant visits, and travel experiences. She emphasizes the importance of personal connections to food and hospitality, recounting memorable dishes and places. The episode serves as a recap of the year while looking forward to future culinary explorations. To keep up with Stephanie’s work beyond the show, , her free monthly newsletter that includes recent bylines, recommendations, and other fun tidbits. And for consistent visual peeks into the world of The Southern...
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Crafting a Legendary Oyster: Trey McMillan of Lowcountry Oyster Company (Green Pond, SC)
The Southern Fork
In this conversation, Trey McMillan of shares insights into the world of oyster farming, discussing the significance of location, the transition from fishing to oyster cultivation, and the crafting of the Lowcountry Cup oyster. He emphasizes the challenges and learning experiences in the industry, the importance of sustainability, and the unique flavor profiles of oysters. If you dream about a day on the waters of the South Carolina Lowcountry, then this episode will transport you there. To keep up with Stephanie’s work beyond the show, , her free monthly newsletter that includes...
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Opening Charleston's Restaurant Jewel Box: Merci (Charleston, SC)
The Southern Fork
What makes a restaurant make one of Stephanie’s best of lists? Well, it is always an equation of passion and details that come together behind the scenes and feel effortless during service. , located in Charleston, SC, ended up being one of her most exciting restaurant visits of 2025, so in this conversation, co-owners Courtney and Michael Zentner delve into the importance of community relationships and their event production company, The Drifter. The chef shares his insights into their menu development and culinary philosophy, and they both embrace the challenges of running a small...
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The Heart of a Fried Seafood Tourist Town: Captain and Chef Bob Taylor (Calabash, NC)
The Southern Fork
Just over the South Carolina state border from Myrtle Beach is Calabash, North Carolina, a small commercial fishing town that’s been known for generations, especially for its shrimp. For many beach goers, including many in my family, a trip to the beach wasn’t complete without a visit to a fish camp in Calabash. In this conversation, lifelong Calabash resident Chef and Captain Bob Taylor shares insights about his life at . He discusses the unique aspects of living in a tourist town, the importance of loving hard work, and the joy of serving fresh seafood. Bob also highlights his family's...
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An Auspicious Journey for a Savannah Bakery (Savannah, GA)
The Southern Fork
For this “treat filled” Halloween conversation, Kaitlin Bryant and Mark Ekstrom, co-owners of in Savannah, Ga., share their journey from humble beginnings to running a successful bakery with two locations, a wholesale business, and a full-service restaurant, Bread & Butter. They discuss their passion for baking, the evolution of their craft, and power of a just out of the oven chocolate chip cookie. The conversation also delves into the challenges of transitioning to a restaurant model and the balance between ownership and craftsmanship in the culinary world, but their enthusiasm for...
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Late Air’s Approach to Hospitality and Savannah’s Culinary Coming of Age (Savannah, GA)
The Southern Fork
Tucked into a modest brick building beside the train tracks at the intersection of Bull and Victory in Savannah, Georgia is . In this conversation, Colin Breland and Madeline Ott, co-owners of Late Air, discuss their journey in establishing a unique dining experience in a city whose culinary community is popping with creativity. They share insights on the importance of intentional dining, the evolution of their restaurant concept, and the significance of a sense of place. Both use hospitality as their creative outlet, and with it, have created a buzzy restaurant that’s one of the must visits...
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A Legacy of Family and Farming on Morning Glory Homestead (St. Helena Island, SC)
The Southern Fork
St. Helena is a storied South Carolina sea island and the epicenter of the rich cultural heritage of the Gullah Geechee community. is a family-run micro farm on the island, and through the work of farmers Tony and Belinda Jones, the stories of the island become rooted in the very land from which they spring. This discussion highlights the importance of sustainable farming, community education, and the preservation of cultural traditions. The couple share their journey of transforming their family land into a hub for learning and cultural enrichment, emphasizing the significance of their...
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The Joy of Cultural Appreciation and Collaborative Skill at Sushi-Wa (Charleston, SC)
The Southern Fork
Within ’s small restaurant in Charleston, SC, there is a joyful sense of peace, anchored in an unlikely friendship where Kazu Murakami and Chris Schoedler have forged a schedule that allows them to joyfully show up to work and enjoy life outside of it too. This conversation explores the intricate world of sushi making, delving into the cultural influences, the joy of culinary exploration, and the significance of seasonal ingredients. The chefs share personal anecdotes about their journeys in the culinary field, the art of sushi presentation, and the relationships built through food. This is...
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Sammy Monsour & Kassady Wiggins: Salt & Shore Cookbook / Joyce LA (Charleston, SC)
The Southern Fork
I have a passion for sustainable seafood, and it’s been both an important subject here on the show and the subject of many of my written pieces throughout the years. When I first interviewed Sammy Monsour in 2020, I discovered that we shared this passion, and I’ve watched as he has really blossomed into a chef leader on this front. Therefore, when I first heard that he and Kassady Wiggins, his wife and beverage director partner, wanted to write a cookbook about Southern seafood, I encouraged them to go for it. What has resulted is Salt & Shore: Recipes from the Coastal South, filled...
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Michael Toscano: Le Farfalle, da Toscano, Porchetta Shop, & Fugazzi (Charleston, SC & NYC)
The Southern Fork
When I first spoke with Chef Michael Toscano in 2017, he and his family were just getting settled in Charleston with the opening of Le Farfalle. Now, seven years later, the chef seems as if he’s truly settled into a new rhythm between NYC and the Lowcountry. He and his wife Caitlin currently have four restaurants: the aforementioned Le Farfalle, da Toscano in New York’s Greenwich Village, da Toscano Porchetta Shop in Charleston, and Fugazzi, a small spot inside Charleston’s Revelry Brewing that serves what Michael calls unauthentic Italian-inspired American food. The last two are...
info_outlineJael Skeffington is the co-founder and CEO of French Broad Chocolates in Asheville, NC. What started in 2006 as a chocolate passion and a cafe in Costa Rica with her partner Dan, has grown to 85 employees, a Chocolate Lounge & Boutique in downtown Asheville, and an experiential Chocolate Factory & Cafe. French Broad sources the finest cacao from farmers and producers in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Perú and transforms it into 50 tons of chocolate a year. They sell not only their bean-to-bar and craft chocolates online but also to wholesale partners, and they directly wholesale chocolate to other artisans, from chefs to coffee brewers, Her in-house products have won numerous Good Food Awards, and in short, Jael’s world is chocolate-fueled, fueling community, a life full of flavor and connection, and the delicious potential in every day.