The Hospitalitarian Podcast

Today's episode is about something we all use every single day and almost never think twice about salt. My guest is David Iannicello founder of Syracuse Salt Company and the only artisan salt maker currently producing salt in central New York.So nearly a hundred years after the last local salt operation shut down, David brought salt making back to a city that was once known worldwide as the salt city. In this conversation, we're gonna talk about how salt shaped the history of Syracuse and how an underground aquifer, the remnants of an ancient ocean, still feeds that legacy today and what it takes to turn brine into a finished product by hand.We also explore why salt isn't just a commodity, how flavor and texture matter and what happens when you choose to build a food business slowly, thoughtfully, and in relationship with your community. If you're someone who cooks, bakes, runs a restaurant, or simply cares about where food comes from and how it's made, this episode will give you a lot to consider when you think about one of the most basic ingredients in your kitchen.Here's my conversation with David Ianello of Syracuse Salt Company.

In this episode of The Hospitalitarian, I welcome Suzie Jones ofJones Family Farm for a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation about farming,food, family, and the real economics behind local food systems.Suzie's story begins more than 20 years ago, when she and her husband Peter leftGloucester, Massachusetts for the Mohawk Valley, trading corporate and retailcareers for the uncertainty—and possibility—of farm life. What followed wasn’t astraight line, but a slow, intentional evolution shaped by listening to customers,responding to community needs, and learning when to simplify.Listeners will hear how Jones Family Farm grew from a small, diversified livestockoperation into a focused cheese producer known across New York State—withoutlosing the values that made the farm special in the first place. Suzie breaks downwhy scaling doesn’t always mean “doing more,” how choosing a few flagshipproducts can be a survival strategy, and why some beautiful, artisanal ideas don’talways pay the bills.The conversation also explores:• What it actually takes to run a small food business over decades• Why distributors are partners—but not saviors• How infrastructure, grants, and cash flow shape everyday decisions• The importance of paying farmers fairly through Suzy’s “Fair Shake Milk”philosophy• How their daughter Harper is now shaping the next chapter of the farm as acheesemaker• Why the shortest possible food chain still matters—to farmers, chefs, and eatersalikeWoven throughout is a deeper reflection on community: neighbors helpingneighbors, chefs supporting producers, and the idea that local food works best when everyone in the chain can succeed.This episode is a grounded, honest look at what “farm to table” really means—notas a marketing phrase, but as a set of relationships built patiently over time.Learn more about Jones Family Farm at their website: https://anotherjonesfamilyfarm.com

In this Episode, a follow up to my conversation with Frank Elias, the tables turn.What begins as a continuation of our earlier discussion becomes something else entirely — a fun,  reflective, and I promise, completely unscripted conversation about transition, identity, and what comes after building a brand and letting go of it.  Frank presses pause on the telling of his own story and asks me to talk honestly about mine: leaving the Farm table Eatery we founded inn Utica after 15 years, closing that defining chapter, and stepping into something new.We talk about why The Hospitalitarian Podcast exists—not so much as a media project, but as an extension of the same work I’ve always cared so deeply about: strengthening local food systems, amplifying the stories of our producers, and building economic resilience through relationships. I share how “farm to table” evolved for me from a cooking and sourcing philosophy into a community and an economic framework—one that includes farmers, distributors, chefs, winemakers, and everyone in between.  You can tell that Frank and I, along with our pal and producer Ryan Miller are having a good time, and honestly, it was easy.  I hope it makes you smile, and laugh, and I really appreciate you tuning in for this fun and personal Bonus Episode of The Hospitalitarian.  So check it out – here is episode ONE, point five.

Frank Elias is the founder of Utica Coffee roasting company, and for more than 20 years, he's been building one of the most dynamic beverage businesses in the Mohawk Valley.What began as a small Saturday only coffee shop has grown into a regional roaster shipping hundreds of thousands of pounds of coffee each year while staying deeply rooted in their community. So in this conversation we're gonna talk about growth, about staying inspired decades into a business's evolution and about what it means to operate locally in a global system.We dig into coffee culture in Europe, supply chains, climate change, talent and labor, and why consistency and curiosity still matter. This episode sets the tone for the hospitalitarian, thoughtful, grounded conversations about food Place and the people building what comes next. Here's my conversation with Frank Elias of Utica Coffee Roasting Company.

Introducing The Hospitalitarian PodcastTim and Melissa chat about the mission of this podcast and how this concept came to be, what to expect in future episodes, the history of where we’ve been and a glimpse of where we’re going.Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and visit www.hospitalitarianpod.com to follow us on social media or to sign up our mailing list.

 The Hospitalitarian podcast focuses on conversations with forward-thinking people who make the community of New York State hospitality compelling and noteworthy.If it's happening in food, beverage, or agriculture in New York, we are digging in.