Finding Your Place with Michael Zarick

Food, Community, and Third Spaces with Michael Zarick (Third Space Indy) Host Chris Whonsetler welcomes Michael Zarick of Third Space Indy to the Okayest Cook podcast to continue a conversation on community and “third spaces” as places outside home and work that foster consistent connection and conversation. Michael shares notable meals from a new food-focused project with Amanda Gibson featuring Indianapolis restaurants Macizo and Wisanggeni Pawon, emphasizing owner stories and kitchen access, while Chris highlights a Greenfield coffee shop, Hitherto, filled with board games and game nights. They discuss why third spaces matter amid isolation, COVID-era habits, and phone-driven convenience, and how car-centric infrastructure, zoning, and suburban design discourage spontaneous community compared with pub culture and transit-rich cities. Michael describes merchandise plans (locally made mugs) intended to get people into local businesses, recalls Pizzeria Ruby in northwest Arkansas as a personal third space, and cites Flanner House’s Flanner Farms and Cleo’s Bodega addressing food access. They also touch on roller rinks, walking, bus riding, and Michael’s ideal model: Abby Reckard’s forthcoming Lille Bønne community space in a rezoned Dutch church. Find Michael: @Thirdspaceindy on Instagram Web: https://thirdspaceindy.com/ ~ Support Okayest Cook by grabbing some of our new merch! https://shop-okayestcook.square.site/ Shopping with our favorite brand via affiliate links is also a huge help ~ Anova: We love their Precision Cooker 3.0 & vac sealers - https://bit.ly/3WT36ZR MEAT!: Powerful meat grinders - https://bit.ly/4ho5a4r Hedley & Bennett: Quality Aprons - https://hedley-and-bennett.sjv.io/EEzBq2 Yeti: The king of coolers - https://yetius.pxf.io/a1NJXq Lodge: Cast Iron cooking - https://lodgecastiron.pxf.io/zxe7dr ~ 00:00 Cold Open and Sizzle 00:35 Meet Third Space Indy 01:38 Notable Meals and Food Show 04:15 Coffee Shop Third Place 06:55 What Makes a Third Space 10:16 Isolation and Why It Matters 12:50 Mugs That Get You Out 15:39 Food as Culture and Story 18:19 Pizzeria Ruby Community 24:11 Beyond Food Third Spacesn 31:50 Food Deserts and Flanner Farms 36:26 Why Third Spaces Matter 37:19 Skateland as Third Space 39:15 Intergenerational Rink Culture 40:23 Online Community Limits 41:46 Cars Kill Spontaneity 46:07 Pub Culture and Transit 49:00 Zoning and Missing Middle 52:02 Transit Benefits Everyone 53:41 Bus Serendipity and Bus Camp 56:23 Walkable Cities and Green Space 59:17 How to Make Friends IRL 01:01:05 Dream Third Space Li Labon 01:04:18 Final Shoutouts and Where to Find Him -- More at https://OkayestCook.com Sign up for our Second Helpings newsletter: https://OkayestCook.com/subscribe Connect with us on Instagram @Okayest_Cook And facebook.com/AnOkayestCook Video feed on YouTube.com/@OkayestCook Crew: Chris Whonsetler Email: [email protected] Web: ChrisWhonsetler.com Instagram: @FromFieldToTable & @WhonPhoto