On the most recent episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” CultureMap editor Eric Sandler sits down with six of the chefs who participated in the Southern Smoke Festival. Held on Saturday, October 5 at Discovery Green, the event drew more than 70 chefs from across the country and raised $1.5 million for the Southern Smoke Foundation.

In the first segment, Sandler speaks with Cheetie Kumar of Ajja restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina and Sam Fore of Tuk Tuk Snack Shop in Lexington, Kentucky. Kumar, a two-time James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Southeast, expresses admiration for the community of chefs that Southern Smoke co-founder Chris Shepherd has created around the event.

“A lot of festivals are about cooking and promoting yourself. Southern Smoke is a community. It’s a place where we cook and provide delicious food and a fun experience, but really the main focus is some of the vulnerabilities of our industry — how much we all need each other, and the shared experiences we all have,” she says. “Not just our day-to-day challenges, but talking about the very real need for support — financial, mental, and emotional.”

That sense of being part of a larger community drew Fore to the event. “It’s been really interesting to apply everything I’ve learned from these restaurateurs into my own space. It’s giving me a stronger approach and a better approach to mental health, to staffing, to operations. It’s also a really good place to find out you’re not alone,” she says.

Then, Little’s Oyster Bar executive chef Jason Ryczek shares how Southern Smoke helped his staff recover from the disruptions caused by this summer’s derecho and Hurricane Beryl, both of which knocked out power to his Upper Kirby-area seafood restaurant. He concludes by sharing some exciting news about a new offering coming to Little’s later this fall.

“We’re going to start looking at selling out the 10 seats at the raw bar for a tasting menu that’s kind of omakase style but doesn’t use Japanese ingredients. We’re leaning into Gulf Coast, contemporary American, Little’s vibe seafood but with coursing and somms taking care of the wine pairings.”

Tune in to hear Feges BBQ co-owner and Southern Smoke board member Erin Smith discuss the foundation’s Behind You program that offers mental health services to hospitality workers in 10 states. The episode concludes with James Beard Award-winning pitmaster and restaurateur Rodney Scott and Feges BBQ co-owner Patrick Feges discussing the festival’s evolution over the year, barbecue, and other topics.

In the most recent restaurant of the week episode, Sandler and co-host Felice Sloan visit two new restaurants. First, they describe their recent dinner at Credence, Goode Co. Restaurants president Levi Goode’s new upscale eatery near Memorial City Mall. In addition to sharing their thoughts on the meal, they opine on why it isn’t explicitly labeled a Goode Co. restaurant.

Then, they visit the new, brick and mortar location of ChòpnBlọk. Sloan and Sander share some of their favorite dishes and discuss how the restaurant improves upon ChòpnBlọk’s location at the Post Market food hall.

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