Say Grace Podcast

Say Grace Podcast Say Grace: Food for Thought in Hospitality by Steve Palmer

08/13/2026

🎙️ New episode of Say Grace is live.

For Chef Kyle Knall, exceptional food on its own is not what ultimately makes a restaurant great.

This week, Kyle joins Steve Palmer to talk about a career shaped by kitchens across the South, New York, New Orleans, and the Midwest, and the lessons he carried with him to Milwaukee, where he and his wife, Meghan, are building restaurants with a strong sense of place and belonging.

At Birch, Kyle has earned national recognition for cooking that celebrates the ingredients and identity of the region, including multiple James Beard Foundation semifinalist nominations and a place on The New York Times’ 2023 Restaurant List. But in this episode, he makes the case that what guests remember most goes beyond what arrives on the plate. Hospitality is what makes a restaurant truly great, and creating it consistently requires discipline, focus, and a team committed to the same standard.

Kyle and Steve dig into the influences that shaped his cooking, the distinct food cultures he encountered throughout his career, and why creating restaurants that feel like they belong to their community matters more than simply creating a destination.

Available now on all major podcast platforms.

08/12/2026

🎙️ A new episode of Say Grace is live.

For Chef Kyle Knall, exceptional food on its own is not what ultimately makes a restaurant great.

This week, Kyle joins Steve Palmer to talk about a career shaped by kitchens across the South, New York, New Orleans, and the Midwest, and the lessons he carried with him to Milwaukee, where he and his wife, Meghan, are building restaurants with a strong sense of place and belonging.

At Birch, Kyle has earned national recognition for cooking that celebrates the ingredients and identity of the region, including multiple James Beard Foundation semifinalist nominations and a place on The New York Times’ 2023 Restaurant List. But in this episode, he makes the case that what guests remember most goes beyond what arrives on the plate. Hospitality is what makes a restaurant truly great, and creating it consistently requires discipline, focus, and a team committed to the same standard.

Kyle and Steve dig into the influences that shaped his cooking, the distinct food cultures he encountered throughout his career, and why creating restaurants that feel like they belong to their community matters more than simply creating a destination.

Available now on all major podcast platforms.

08/12/2026

Tomorrow on Say Grace, Steve Palmer sits down with Chef Kyle Knall, chef and co-owner of Birch in Milwaukee and Culinary Director at Stone Bank Farms.

Kyle’s career has taken him through some of the country’s most respected kitchens, from working under Frank Stitt in his native Birmingham to Gramercy Tavern in New York, before eventually finding his way to Milwaukee. Today, his cooking at Birch celebrates the region through locally sourced ingredients, an open hearth, and a deep commitment to creating a restaurant that feels distinctly connected to its community.

In this episode, Kyle reflects on an early lesson in leadership from his time working for Chef Michael Anthony at Gramercy Tavern. When an opportunity arose for Kyle to take a leap and join Maysville, Michael didn’t just encourage him to go. He offered to let two line cooks leave with him, believing that anyone who moved on from Gramercy Tavern should have every chance to succeed because how they showed up in their next chapter was a reflection of where they came from.

That philosophy stayed with Kyle as he became a leader himself, shaping how he thinks about mentorship, building teams, and creating restaurants people are proud to call their own.

New episode drops tomorrow on all major podcast platforms.

07/30/2026

🎙️ A new episode of Say Grace is live.

This week, Steve Palmer sits down with Chef Yia Vang, executive chef and owner of Vinai, whose work has helped introduce Hmong cuisine to a new generation of diners while honoring the legacy of his family’s journey.

Throughout the episode, Yia shares how his upbringing continues to shape the way he welcomes people into his restaurant. He reflects on a Hmong tradition of offering water to travelers passing from village to village, a simple gesture that communicated safety, generosity, and care long before a meal was ever served. For Yia, that act remains one of hospitality’s most powerful lessons. True hospitality begins with making someone feel seen before anything ever reaches the table.

Hosted by Steve Palmer, Say Grace explores the people, experiences, and philosophies that continue to shape hospitality around the world.

Available now on all major podcast platforms.

07/29/2026

Tomorrow on Say Grace, Steve Palmer’s Say Grace Podcast welcomes Chef Yia Vang executive chef and owner of Vinai in Minneapolis.

Born in a Thai refugee camp before his family resettled in Wisconsin, Yia has dedicated his career to sharing Hmong cuisine and the stories that shaped it. Through Vinai, he honors his parents’ journey while introducing diners across the country to the traditions, history, and generosity that define Hmong culture. The restaurant has quickly earned national acclaim, including recognition from the James Beard Foundation, Bon Appétit, Esquire, and The New York Times.

One of the most moving moments in this episode centers on the restaurant’s name. For years, “Vinai” was a word Yia’s mother never wanted to hear because it brought back painful memories of life in the refugee camp where their family’s story began. But after seeing the restaurant celebrated as one of the country’s best, she told him that the name had taken on an entirely new meaning. What once represented fear and hardship had become a source of pride, joy, and hope.

Some stories are preserved through photographs. Others are passed from one generation to the next around the table.

New episode drops tomorrow on all major podcast platforms.

07/16/2026

🎙️ A new episode of Say Grace is live.

This week, Steve Palmer sits down with Nancy Silverton, chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and one of the defining voices of modern American dining. From founding the groundbreaking La Brea Bakery to co-creating the Mozza Restaurant Group, Nancy’s influence can be found in kitchens across the country and in generations of chefs she has inspired.

During their conversation, Nancy reflects on how dramatically the restaurant industry has evolved since the beginning of her career in the 1970s. While she embraces many of the changes, she also shares her appreciation for a time when chefs cooked strictly from instinct and inspiration, creating dishes to be enjoyed around the table rather than through the lens of a camera.

Her perspective is a reminder that while the tools and trends may evolve, craftsmanship, curiosity, and cooking with intention never go out of style.

Hosted by Steve Palmer, Say Grace explores the stories, philosophies, and people shaping hospitality through thoughtful conversations and shared experiences.

Available now on all major podcast platforms.

07/15/2026

Tomorrow on Say Grace, Steve Palmer welcomes Nancy Silverton , chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and co-owner of the Mozza Restaurant Group.
 
Widely regarded as one of the most influential bakers and chefs of her generation, Nancy has spent decades shaping American food culture. An Outstanding Chef James Beard Award recipient, author of eleven cookbooks, and the visionary behind La Brea Bakery and the Mozza restaurants, her impact on the way Americans think about bread, baking, and Italian cuisine is immeasurable.
 
In this episode, Nancy reflects on the travels through Europe that forever changed her perspective on bread. At a time when many believed American flour simply wasn’t capable of producing the quality she admired abroad, she became determined to prove otherwise. Inspired by the chefs who were pushing culinary boundaries, she set out to elevate the craft of bread making in the United States and challenged herself to become the baker she knew she could be.
 
Her story is a reminder that some of the biggest shifts in hospitality begin with someone willing to question what’s possible and commit to doing the work to make it happen.
 
New episode drops tomorrow on all major podcast platforms.

07/02/2026

🎙️ A new episode of Say Grace is live.

This week, Steve Palmer sits down with Matt and Ted Lee, the Charleston-born brothers whose work has helped introduce Southern food and culture to audiences around the world. Together, they are two-time James Beard Award winners, acclaimed cookbook authors, journalists, television hosts, and creators of unforgettable culinary experiences.

Throughout the conversation, Matt and Ted reflect on Charleston's remarkable culinary evolution, their unconventional path into the food world, and what continues to inspire their work today. At the heart of the discussion is a simple but powerful reminder that hospitality isn't about perfection. It's about creating moments of celebration and meeting people with humanity, even when things don't go according to plan.

Hosted by Steve Palmer, Say Grace explores the stories, philosophies, and people shaping hospitality through thoughtful conversations and shared experiences.

Listen now on all major podcast platforms.

07/01/2026

Tomorrow on Say Grace, Steve Palmer welcomes Matt and Ted Lee, the Charleston-born brothers whose curiosity about Southern food helped shape remarkable careers as award-winning cookbook authors, journalists, and storytellers.

Long before they were James Beard Award-winning authors, television hosts, and sought-after culinary consultants, Matt and Ted were two college students in New York wondering why they couldn't find one of their favorite tastes of home: boiled peanuts. That simple question led them to launch The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue, introducing Southern pantry staples to customers across the country and setting them on a path that would redefine their careers.

In this conversation, the brothers reflect on the early days of building that unexpected business, the evolution of Charleston's food scene, and how following curiosity ultimately led them into hospitality, journalism, and cookbook publishing.

It's a conversation about entrepreneurship, storytelling, and the unexpected moments that can change the course of a life.

New episode drops tomorrow on all major podcast platforms.

06/18/2026

On today’s episode, Steve Palmer welcomes Chef Vinnie Cimino of Cordelia and ROSY, a three-time James Beard Award nominee, Food & Wine 2025 Best New Chef, and one of the leading voices shaping Cleveland’s dining scene.

Known for his commitment to genuine hospitality, seasonal cooking, and community impact, Vinnie has built a career rooted in taking care of people. In this episode, he reflects on one of the most pivotal decisions of his journey: leaving a stable position, taking a significant pay cut, and starting over at a restaurant where he believed he could continue learning and growing. With the support of his wife and young family, that leap of faith ultimately helped shape the chef and leader he is today.

Steve and Vinnie discuss the business of opening restaurants, creating opportunities for employees, building strong community connections, and knowing when to take a risk in pursuit of something greater.

Hosted by Steve Palmer, Say Grace explores the stories, philosophies, and people shaping hospitality today through thoughtful conversations and shared experiences.

Available now on all major podcast platforms.

Address

456 King Street
Charleston, SC
29403

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Say Grace Podcast posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category