Tanya and Wasinade Raphael are the mother-daughter team behind Raphael Foods. You’ll find their food truck drawing long lines at powwows and other tribal events across northern Michigan. Most of their dishes are built on hot, pillowy fry bread – a Native American flat bread with a complex history.
Find operating hours for Raphael Foods here.
Find bonus footage from our trip here.

Want more food stories? Listen here. 

Tanya and Wasinade Raphael are the mother-daughter team behind Raphael Foods. You&rsquo;ll find their food truck drawing long lines at powwows and other tribal events across northern Michigan. Most of their dishes are built on hot, pillowy fry bread &ndash; a Native American flat bread with a complex history.
<ul>
<li data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Find operating hours for Raphael Foods <a href="https://www.facebook.com/raphaelfoods/">here</a>.</li>
<li data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Find bonus footage from our trip <a href="https://www.michiganpublic.org/podcast/the-dish/2025-07-17/fry-bread-and-family-traditions-in-peshawbestown">here</a>.</li>
</ul>
Want more food stories? Listen <a href="https://www.michiganpublic.org/podcast/the-dish">here</a>.&nbsp;

The Dish, hosted by Mercedes Mejia, brings you behind the scenes with Michigan’s most inspiring chefs and culinary talents. Learn how food connects these chefs to their cultures, and strengthens our communities, one dish at a time.

Support our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

The Dish, hosted by Mercedes Mejia, brings you behind the scenes with Michigan’s most inspiring chefs and culinary talents. Learn how food connects these chefs to their cultures, and strengthens our communities, one dish at a time.
Support our work: <a href="https://www.michiganpublic.org/podfund">michiganpublic.org/podfund</a>

The Dish, hosted by Mercedes Mejia, brings you behind the scenes with Michigan’s most inspiring chefs and culinary talents. 

The Dish

Fry bread and family traditions in Peshawbestown

A sober bar manager in Ann Arbor is redefining what zero‑proof cocktails can be.

In this episode, my colleague April Baer talks with Max Schikora of Echelon Kitchen and Bar about his path to sobriety, the pressures of bar culture, and how he’s crafting some of Michigan’s most thoughtful spirit‑free drinks. 

Max’s story is also a window into a broader shift. More people in the service industry are choosing sobriety, and more restaurants are making space for them. At Echelon, Max helps lead a weekly Ben’s Friends meeting, part of a national support network for hospitality workers navigating addiction and recovery.

He also walked April through one of his favorite creations: a roasted beet cocktail that’s earthy, bright, and built from kitchen scraps that would otherwise be tossed. It’s a drink that captures his philosophy: nothing wasted, everything intentional.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or use Lifeline Chat to connect with a trained counselor.
Find The Dish's suggestion form here, or email us at TheDish@MichiganPublic.org

A sober bar manager in Ann Arbor is redefining what zero‑proof cocktails can be.
In this episode, my colleague April Baer talks with Max Schikora of Echelon Kitchen and Bar about his path to sobriety, the pressures of bar culture, and how he&rsquo;s crafting some of Michigan&rsquo;s most thoughtful spirit‑free drinks.&nbsp;
Max&rsquo;s story is also a window into a broader shift. More people in the service industry are choosing sobriety, and more restaurants are making space for them. At Echelon, Max helps lead a weekly <a href="https://www.bensfriendshope.com/">Ben&rsquo;s Friends</a> meeting, part of a national support network for hospitality workers navigating addiction and recovery.
He also walked April through one of his favorite creations: a roasted beet cocktail that&rsquo;s earthy, bright, and built from kitchen scraps that would otherwise be tossed. It&rsquo;s a drink that captures his philosophy: nothing wasted, everything intentional.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or use<a href="https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/mentalhealth/crisis-and-access-line?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=fy26_awareness&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=22452851230&amp;gbraid=0AAAAA9Yl-LVTfMu7e8H-WIE9ebIuHHjyM&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAj8LLBhAkEiwAJjbY7yNLfmt6p777UprfDRltTqNw8T2SAv_KUIV84WGXyxoFqj3PtRLZ3RoC-TUQAvD_BwE"> Lifeline Chat </a>to connect with a trained counselor.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://forms.fillout.com/t/fRKCYeDpUJus">Find The Dish's suggestion form here</a>, or email us at <a href="mailto:TheDish@MichiganPublic.org">TheDish@MichiganPublic.org</a></li>
</ul>

Sober bartender reinvents zero‑proof cocktails

We spent some time with Yumna Jawad, better known as Feel Good Foodie, in her Grand Rapids home. She shared her must-have holiday dish and some super practical tips to help us all survive the holiday season in the kitchen.
Find Yumna's stuffed grape leaves recipe here
Find the landing page for Yumna's episode here
Find The Dish's suggestion form here, or email us at TheDish@MichiganPublic.org

We spent some time with Yumna Jawad, better known as Feel Good Foodie, in her Grand Rapids home. She shared her must-have holiday dish and some super practical tips to help us all survive the holiday season in the kitchen.
<ul>
<li data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><a href="https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/lebanese-stuffed-grape-leaves/">Find Yumna's stuffed grape leaves recipe here</a></li>
<li data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><a href="https://www.michiganpublic.org/podcast/the-dish">Find the landing page for Yumna's episode here</a></li>
<li data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><a href="https://forms.fillout.com/t/fRKCYeDpUJus">Find The Dish's suggestion form here</a>, or email us at TheDish@MichiganPublic.org</li>
</ul>

Cooking through the holidays with Feel Good Foodie's Yumna Jawad

British-born and Michelin-starred chef Kieron Hales has cooked for presidents and royalty across 27 countries. 

He's Executive Chef at Zingerman's Cornman Farms in Dexter, Michigan, a farmhouse and event space with a restored red barn on the property. He works with couples to create custom menus—crafting farm-to-table meals or recreating family favorites—and provides them with the recipes to keep.

Today he talks with me about his favorite food memory, his mother's crepe cannelloni. It’s a labor-intensive lasagna-like creation of crepes stuffed with bolognese and baked in bechamel sauce. Plus what he takes away from cooking at the highest levels of the culinary world, and what it means to create meals that become memories. 

We’d love for you to fill out this listener survey. It will only take a few minutes, and it will help us know what you want to hear! 

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.

Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

British-born and Michelin-starred chef Kieron Hales has cooked for presidents and royalty across 27 countries.&nbsp;
He's Executive Chef at <a href="https://zingermanscornmanfarms.com/">Zingerman's Cornman Farms</a> in Dexter, Michigan, a farmhouse and event space with a restored red barn on the property. He works with couples to create custom menus&mdash;crafting farm-to-table meals or recreating family favorites&mdash;and provides them with the recipes to keep.
Today he talks with me about his favorite food memory, his mother's crepe cannelloni.&nbsp;It&rsquo;s a labor-intensive lasagna-like creation of crepes stuffed with bolognese and baked in bechamel sauce.&nbsp;Plus what he takes away from cooking at the highest levels of the culinary world, and what it means to create meals that become memories.&nbsp;
<hr>
We&rsquo;d love for you to fill out&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/tRg7LtjFiCAazNR39">this listener survey</a>. It will only take a few minutes, and it will help us know what you want to hear!&nbsp;
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider <a href="http://michiganpublic.org/podfund" data-stringify-link="http://michiganpublic.org/podfund" data-sk="tooltip_parent">supporting our work.</a>
Music in this episode by<a href="https://www.sessions.blue/" data-stringify-link="https://www.sessions.blue/" data-sk="tooltip_parent"> Blue Dot Sessions.</a>

Fry bread and family traditions in Peshawbestown

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