Retire Southern with James Lewis

The Thompson Nashville: The Dream Team Behind Marsh House, L.A. Jackson, and the Soul of The Gulch

Broadway may be where Nashville turns the volume up, but The Gulch is where the city sharpens its edges. In this episode of Retire Southern, James Lewis sits down with the team behind one of Nashville's most compelling hospitality experiences: Executive Chef Brack May, Beverage Director Todd Johnston, and Executive Pastry Chef Natalie Moorer of The Thompson Nashville. From oysters sliding across the raw bar at Marsh House to espresso martinis climbing toward the rooftop at L.A. Jackson, this conversation explores what actually makes a hotel feel alive. Not just the food. Not just the cocktails. The feeling. Together, the group dives into: * The ecosystem philosophy behind modern hospitality * Seafood sourcing, raw bar culture, and caviar service at Marsh House * Soft-shell crab yaka mein and elevated Southern seafood * The rise of espresso martinis and rooftop culture at L.A. Jackson * Building a pastry program that feels refined yet approachable * Why locals genuinely spend time at The Thompson * The team's version of the perfect Nashville weekend * What Southern hospitality looks like when it is done correctly Chef Brack brings decades of experience from San Francisco to New Orleans, shaping Marsh House into one of Nashville's defining seafood destinations with an approach rooted in authenticity over performance. Todd has helped build both Marsh House and L.A. Jackson since opening day in 2016, creating spaces that feel elevated without ever becoming pretentious. And Chef Natalie quietly ties the entire experience together through desserts, pastries, brunch, and small details that guests remember long after checkout. What emerges is a conversation about hospitality, energy, rhythm, and the kind of places people return to because of how they feel when they are there. The Thompson Nashville is not trying to compete with Broadway. It is offering a different frequency altogether. A little calmer. A little sharper. A little more intentional. Read. Watch. Listen. Rooted in the South. Driven by Purpose. Built for Living.

John T. Edge on House of Smoke, Southern Identity, and the Stories We Inherit

James Lewis sits down with author, food writer, and TrueSouth host John T. Edge to discuss his memoir House of Smoke: A Southerner Goes Searching for Home. The conversation explores inherited identity, childhood trauma, Southern culture, accountability, unintended consequences, and the stories we unconsciously carry forward. Best known for his work with the Southern Foodways Alliance and the Emmy Award winning series TrueSouth, John T. reflects on family, purpose, leadership, and what it means to confront the truths that shape us. This is a conversation about more than food. It is a conversation about identity, memory, and what to carry forward from our past. Watch. Read. Listen. Companion essay: "The Story We Inherit" https://www.retiresouthern.com/lifestyle/the-story-we-inherit

Between Airplanes and Amplifiers: The Ballad of Frankie G

Most people think success in music looks like the spotlight. The front man. The headliner. The name on the marquee. But there is another path. One built on preparation, consistency, and being ready when the call comes. In this episode, I sit down with Frank Grocholski, a professional guitarist, session player, and touring musician for Cowboy Mouth, to talk about what it really looks like to build a life in music. From getting his first guitar at three years old to teaching himself by ear off Nirvana, The Beatles, and Metallica to touring the world before he was 20 to stepping on stage at Jazz Fest in front of 30,000 people Frankie's story is not about chasing the spotlight. It is about becoming the guy who gets the call. We talk about the grind, the moments that mattered, and what it means to build a career between airplanes and amplifiers. If you have ever wondered what it really takes to do what you love for a living, this one is for you. Read the full feature here: https://www.retiresouthern.com/retiresouthernpodcast/frankie-g-guitarist-cowboy-mouth-story [https://www.retiresouthern.com/retiresouthernpodcast/frankie-g-guitarist-cowboy-mouth-story] Read. Watch. Listen. Rooted in the South. Driven by Purpose. Built for Living.

EPICureanism at Nowak's: Discover the 22nd Century Culinary Philosophy

*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:afe50263-35d3-4211-a2f5-d4f5c68b79eb-0" data-testid= "conversation-turn-2" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> What if most of what we call "dining" today… isn't actually dining at all? In this episode of Retire Southern, we sit down with Chef Kevin Joseph of Raw Lab and Blaiss Nowak of Nowak's Steakhouse to explore a new way of thinking about food, hospitality, and human connection. On April 28 in Atlanta, they're bringing that vision to life with EPICureanism at Nowak's. A one-night, immersive culinary experience designed not as a dinner, but as a progression. A conversation. A room built for presence. Because as Kevin puts it: "The delta between eating and dining is discovery." In this episode, we cover: * The difference between 21st century dining and a 22nd century culinary philosophy * How Raw Lab redefined what a meal can be * Why presence is the ultimate luxury in a dining experience * The psychology of shared tables, music, and environment * What to expect from EPICureanism at Nowak's on April 28 The Experience: EPICureanism at Nowak's This is not a traditional dinner. It's a curated, multi-course experience built around: * Oyster Flight * Salon de Caviar * Land & Sea * Sea Salt Social * Wine travel throughout Designed to engage, challenge, and connect. This experience unfolds in real time, with every guest moving through it together. No distractions. No separate tables. Just a room built for discovery. Who This Is For This isn't for everyone. And it's not supposed to be. This is for the curious. For people who value presence over routine. For those who believe the best conversations, and the best relationships, are built around a table. Event Details 📍 Nowak's Steakhouse, Atlanta, GA 📅 April 28 🕕 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM 🎟️ Limited seating This is what Life EQ looks like in real time. Some dinners you forget. Others change how you experience everything that comes after. This is one of those. 🎧 Read. Watch. Listen. Full feature [https://www.retiresouthern.com/retiresouthernpodcast/epicureanism-atlanta-kevin-joseph-blaiss-nowak-raw-lab-nowaks]

Jump Small. Dream Big. One Lily Pad at a Time

What if the problem isn't your work… but your alignment? In this episode of the Retire Southern Podcast, James Lewis and his wife Amanda sit down with Callie and Jeff Dauler to explore a question most people avoid. What happens when your life looks right on paper… but feels wrong in practice? From the outside, Callie and Jeff had built successful, visible careers in media. But behind the scenes, something wasn't lining up. And instead of ignoring it, they made a decision most people only talk about. They stepped away. What followed was a complete rethinking of how they approach work, creativity, and life. At the center of that shift is a simple but powerful idea they call the Lily Pad Strategy. You don't jump the whole pond. You move one intentional step at a time. This conversation goes deeper into: * Why "success" without alignment creates friction you can't ignore * The Lily Pad Strategy and how small moves lead to meaningful change * What most people get wrong about podcasting, growth, and audience * Why getting the right 10 people matters more than reaching 10,000 * The tradeoffs that come with building something that looks successful from the outside This is not a conversation about quitting. It is a conversation about choosing. Choosing clarity over noise. Choosing alignment over expectation. Choosing a life that actually fits. If you have ever felt the tension between where you are and where you want to be, this one will resonate. Jump small. Because that is how you get across the pond.