Ya Gotta Eat

Vasti Jackson isn’t just a musician. He’s a storyteller, a cultural bridge, and one of the living voices of the blues.Born and raised in McComb, Mississippi, Vasti grew up surrounded by music, gospel, country, soul, and blues, long before he ever stepped on a stage. That foundation led to a career spanning decades, working with legends, performing around the world, and helping carry forward a sound that is deeply rooted in history.In Episode 11 of Ya Gotta Eat, Robert St. John and Drew Wooton sit down with Vasti at Eastside Soul Food in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to talk about music, heritage, and the journey that shaped his life. From early days playing in juke joints to recording at Malaco Records and touring internationally, Vasti shares what it means to dedicate your life to your craft.But this episode isn’t just about music. It’s about passion, discipline, faith, and the idea that if you stay true to what you love, the rest will follow.Food brings people together. Stories keep us together.As always: if we eat there, go eat there. Tip big. Support the places we visit.Pull up a chair — Episode 11 starts now. Because… Ya Gotta Eat!New episodes drop every other Wednesday.Subscribe and join us at the table.FOLLOW VASTI JACKSONhttps://www.vastijackson.com/FOLLOW USInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yagottaeatshowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/yagottaeatshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yagottaeatshowBusiness Inquiries: [email protected]▶️ Last Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPQMhB7a_no🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3vyLYdyS0Q4omwaNcqVCrI🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ya-gotta-eat/id1856003639❤️ iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ya-gotta-eat-315833688CHAPTERS0:00 – Intro2:30 – Why East Side Soul Food6:15 – Growing Up in McComb12:40 – Music in the Household18:05 – Learning to Play & Early Gigs25:10 – Recording at Malaco32:20 – Working with Blues Legends40:15 – Touring the World48:30 – The Evolution of Music & AI55:20 – Passion, Purpose, and Longevity1:02:10 – Last Thing You Listened To1:05:00 – The 12-Year-Old Birthday Dinner Question1:08:30 – Outro#mississippi #blues #podcast

Dario Cecchini isn't just a butcher. He’s a philosopher of food, a steward of tradition, and the heart of a small town in Tuscany.Known around the world as The Butcher of Panzano, Dario has spent more than 50 years working in the same family butcher shop, carrying on an eight-generation tradition. Along the way, he built not just a business, but a community — a place where people from all over the world come to sit at long tables, share meals, and experience what he believes food is really about: bringing people together.In Episode 10 of Ya Gotta Eat, Robert St. John and Drew Wooton sit down with Dario to talk about meat, tradition, family, hard work, and the philosophy that guides his life and work. Once called the greatest butcher in the world by Anthony Bourdain, Dario explains why success didn’t happen overnight — it happened over decades of passion, discipline, and showing up every day.Food brings people together. Stories keep us together.As always: if we eat there, go eat there. Tip big. Support the places we visit.Pull up a chair — Episode 10 starts now. Because… Ya Gotta Eat!New episodes drop every other Wednesday.Subscribe and join us at the table.FOLLOW DARIOhttps://www.dariocecchini.com/en/FOLLOW USInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yagottaeatshowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/yagottaeatshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yagottaeatshowBusiness Inquiries: [email protected]▶️ Last Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W_mtqOzxMs🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3vyLYdyS0Q4omwaNcqVCrI🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ya-gotta-eat/id1856003639❤️ iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ya-gotta-eat-315833688

Mark Landis is one of the most unusual guests we’ve ever had at the table.Known as one of America’s most prolific art forgers, Landis spent years donating recreated works to museums across the country, never asking for money and often taking on elaborate personas along the way. His story was later captured in the documentary Art and Craft.In Episode 9 of Ya Gotta Eat, Robert St. John and Drew Wooton sit down with Mark at Tabella in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, one of Robert’s restaurants, to talk about art, identity, validation, and the strange path that made Landis a folk legend.This episode isn’t just about forgery. It’s about talent, loneliness, self-esteem, reinvention, and the need to be seen. Mark opens up about his process, his motivations, his love of classic films, and what life looks like now as he creates original work and commissions in Mississippi.Food brings people together. Stories keep us together.As always: if we eat there, go eat there. Tip big. Support the places we visit.Pull up a chair — Episode 9 starts now. Because… Ya Gotta Eat!New episodes drop every other Wednesday.Subscribe and join us at the table.FOLLOW USInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yagottaeatshowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/yagottaeatshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yagottaeatshowBusiness Inquiries: [email protected]▶️ Last Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86MXwy49rPU🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3vyLYdyS0Q4omwaNcqVCrI🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ya-gotta-eat/id1856003639❤️ iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ya-gotta-eat-315833688CHAPTERS#artandcraft #restaurant #podcast

Charles Morgan helped define the Gulf Coast restaurant scene.In 1979, he turned a small repurposed house on the Destin Harbor into Harbor Docks — a waterfront seafood landmark built on fresh Gulf fish, 400 feet of dock space, and a true “Gulf to Table” philosophy. What started as a dockside seafood house became an institution.But this episode isn’t just about seafood. It’s about legacy.In Episode 8 of Ya Gotta Eat, Charles sits down with Robert St. John and Drew Wooton to talk about building Harbor Docks from the ground up, sourcing directly from the Gulf, and creating a culture that has lasted more than four decades.For Robert, this conversation is personal. Harbor Docks is where his restaurant career began. This is a full-circle moment — mentor and mentee at the same table.They discuss risk, leadership, family ownership, expansion through Chuck’s Fish, and what it really takes to build something that stands the test of time.From boat captain to restaurateur.From a small house on the harbor to a multi-city brand.This is a conversation about grit, stewardship, and staying true to your roots.Food brings people together. Stories keep us together.As always: if we eat there, go eat there. Tip big. Support the places we visit.Pull up a chair — Episode 8 starts now. Because… Ya Gotta Eat!New episodes drop every other Wednesday.Subscribe and join us at the table.FOLLOW USInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yagottaeatshowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/yagottaeatshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yagottaeatshowBusiness Inquiries: [email protected]▶️ Last Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PB1RSW_7vo🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3vyLYdyS0Q4omwaNcqVCrI🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ya-gotta-eat/id1856003639❤️ iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ya-gotta-eat-315833688CHAPTERS#destinflorida #restaurantlife #seafood

Kevin Boehm has built one of the most respected restaurant groups in America.As co-founder of Boka Restaurant Group, he and his business partner Rob Katz operate more than 35 restaurants across Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and beyond. In 2018, they won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur in America.But this episode isn’t just about success. It’s about what it costs.In Episode 7 of Ya Gotta Eat, Kevin opens up about the story behind his new memoir, The Bottomless Cup: A Memoir of Secrets, Restaurants, and Forgiveness — and the truths that shaped his life long before the headlines. From sleeping in his car as a young man to building a restaurant empire, Kevin shares what ambition can give you… and what it can take.Robert St. John and Drew Wooton sit down with Kevin to talk about scaling restaurants, fighting for independent operators during the pandemic, and the pressure that comes with leadership. The conversation moves beyond hospitality into mental health, therapy, and the childhood secret about his biological father that reshaped his life.This is an honest, vulnerable conversation about resilience, responsibility, and the work of forgiveness.Food brings people together. Stories keep us together.As always: if we eat there, go eat there. Tip big. Support the places we visit.Pull up a chair — Episode 7 starts now. Because… Ya Gotta Eat!

In Episode 6 of Ya Gotta Eat, Robert St. John and Drew Wooton sit down with Chef Frank Brigtsen — one of the true gentlemen of New Orleans cooking — for a meal at Susan Spicer’s Rosedale Restaurant in New Orleans.Frank’s story sits at the heart of a defining moment in American food. He got his start at Commander’s Palace, worked side-by-side with Chef Paul Prudhomme, and was there for the early days that reshaped how the country thought about Cajun and Creole cuisine. From the first bite of blackened redfish to the “whatever it takes” hustle that builds a career, Frank shares the lessons, the people, and the moments that matter.We talk mentorship, work ethic, and the craft of doing the same dish thousands of times — and why, at the end of the day, the restaurant business is still about one thing: making people happy.Ya Gotta Eat is built on one idea:Food brings people together. Stories keep us together.As always: if we eat there, go eat there. Tip big. Support the places we visit.Pull up a chair and enjoy Episode 6 — because… Ya Gotta Eat!FOLLOW USInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yagottaeatshowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/yagottaeatshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yagottaeatshowBusiness Inquiries: [email protected]▶️ Last Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcW4Y50LkJs🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3vyLYdyS0Q4omwaNcqVCrI🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ya-gotta-eat/id1856003639❤️ iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ya-gotta-eat-31583368

Oli Petit — Belgian-born restaurateur, drummer, and the heart behind The Red Bar in Downtown Grayton Beach — joins Robert St. John and Drew Wooton for Episode 5 of Ya Gotta Eat.The Red Bar isn’t just a restaurant — it’s a landmark. A funky, unforgettable room filled with live music, red walls, and the kind of energy you can’t fake. In this episode, Oli talks about building that magic from the ground up, what it means to be a true hospitalitarian, and why simple, well-executed food can create a place people will gladly wait hours to experience.We also get into the story every Red Bar fan remembers: the 2019 fire — and the incredible rebuilding effort that brought it back to life with the same soul and spirit that made it iconic in the first place.From restaurant culture to music memories, this one is full of heart, history, and the kind of conversation that reminds you why these places matter.Ya Gotta Eat! is built on one idea:Food brings people together. Stories keep us together.Pull up a chair and enjoy Episode 5 — because… Ya Gotta Eat!FOLLOW USInstagram: www.instagram.com/yagottaeatshowFacebook: www.facebook.com/yagottaeatshowTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@yagottaeatshowBusiness Inquiries: [email protected]

Mason Hereford — chef, author, and owner of Turkey and the Wolf — joins Robert St. John and Drew Wooton at the High Hat Cafe for Episode 4 of Ya Gotta Eat.Mason is one of the most original voices in American food today. His counter-service sandwich shop, Turkey and the Wolf, has been named one of the most important restaurants of the decade by Food & Wine and Esquire, and was crowned Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurant in America. He’s also a New York Times bestselling cookbook author — but titles only tell part of the story.In this episode, the conversation goes far beyond the kitchen. We talk about the realities of running restaurants, personal responsibility, and how culture, place, and work ethic shape the way we live and eat. From quirky gas stations and unexpected food finds to bigger ideas about America, creativity, and timing — this is a thoughtful, honest conversation with someone who sees the world a little differently.Ya Gotta Eat is built on one idea:Food brings people together. Stories keep us together.Watch or listen to Episode 4 — because… Ya Gotta Eat!

Chef Eric Cook — Marine Corps veteran, New Orleans native, and owner of Gris-Gris and Saint John — returns for Part 2 on Episode 3 of Ya Gotta Eat.In this episode, the conversation turns deeply personal as Eric recounts the days surrounding Hurricane Katrina — being trapped at Charity Hospital, navigating chaos and survival, and doing whatever it took to save his son while the city collapsed around him. It’s a raw, emotional account of resilience, sacrifice, and the instinct to show up when everything is on the line.This episode builds directly on Part 1, which lays the foundation for Eric’s life, career, and mindset — and gives this story its full weight.Ya Gotta Eat is built on one idea:Food brings people together. Stories keep us together.This is not an easy story — but it’s an important one.Pull up a chair and experience Episode 3 (Eric Cook — Part 2) — because… Ya Gotta Eat!FOLLOW USInstagram: www.instagram.com/yagottaeatshow/Facebook: www.facebook.com/yagottaeatshowTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@yagottaeatshowBusiness Inquiries: [email protected]

Chef Eric Cook — Marine Corps veteran, New Orleans native, and owner of Gris-Gris and Saint John — joins Robert St. John and Drew Wooton for Episode 2 of Ya Gotta Eat: a series all about great food, great people, and real conversation.In this episode, we sit down at Gris-Gris and talk about everything from his early days in the kitchen… to fighting personal battles, finding purpose, and building restaurants rooted in heart and hospitality. Eric opens up about his life, his struggles, and the lessons that shaped the chef he is today.Ya Gotta Eat is built on one idea:Food brings people together. Stories keep us together.Pull up a chair and enjoy Episode 2 — because… Ya Gotta Eat!FOLLOW USInstagram: www.instagram.com/yagottaeatshow/Facebook: www.facebook.com/yagottaeatshowTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@yagottaeatshowBusiness Inquiries: [email protected]#foodie #chefslife #neworleansfood

Ben & Erin Napier are famous far beyond their Hometown, but when you sit down a share a meal with them, you wouldn't know it. They have to be two of the most genuine human beings of all time, and it is a cosmic gift that they found each other here in the Pine Belt of Mississippi. They have done more for their town of Laurel, Mississippi than any citizens we are aware of, and they have done it all with smiles on their faces.Pull up a chair, and a plate, because we all know--Ya Gotta Eat!