Restaurateur Andre Lomeli is bringing the flavors of Southern California and his family’s rich Mexican food traditions to Charlotte through Mal Pan, El Malo, and Hermanita. On this episode of Jeff & Jamie Feed, Andre shares his journey from opening a restaurant with his parents in San Diego to building his own restaurant group in Charlotte. We talk handmade tortillas, regional Mexican cuisine, the lessons passed down through generations of restaurant ownership, and how he’s evolving his family’s legacy through marketing, creativity, and business growth.

What’s it really like to compete on Top Chef? On this episode of Jeff & Jamie Feed, Brittany Cochran, Executive Chef at Stagioni and a contestant on Top Chef Season 23: Carolinas, takes us behind the scenes of the high-pressure competition filmed right here in Charlotte. She shares what it takes to cook under pressure, how her leadership style has evolved, and why Top Chef is putting Charlotte’s food scene in the spotlight.

On this episode of Jeff & Jamie Feed, we’re joined by Kristen Wile, founder and editor of Unpretentious Palate, to talk about the changing world of food media and Charlotte’s evolving restaurant scene.

Kristen shares her journey from the Washington Post and Charlotte Magazine to building an independent food publication, and we discuss the decline of traditional food journalism, the rise of influencers and AI, and why local food media still matters. We also dive into current restaurant trends, including the return of nostalgic comfort foods and the rising costs facing restaurants.

Plus, Kristen fills us in on the upcoming Uppy Awards (Monday, November 9th) and her mission to celebrate Charlotte’s hospitality community. For more on Kristen and Unpretentious Palate, visit: www.unpretentiouspalate.com.