Our New York Table

What turns a collection of strangers into a community? Sometimes it's a block party, sharing a plate, or simply having a place where everybody knows your name.
In this episode, we head to a block party in Brooklyn, where longtime neighbors share stories of the block they call home. Then we spend a night at The Vale Public House, a Scottish pub in Harlem, where bartenders, regulars, and karaoke enthusiasts show us how a neighborhood bar can become something much more than a place to grab a drink.
Read more about what we ate!
 
EPISODE CREDITS
Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha
Music
“Coronea” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Marisala
Sprinkle of Trouble_Medium (Comedy) by Grand_Project
“Cooking Food Music” by BackgroundMusicForVideos
“Cast in Wicker” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Aeronaut
“Filing Away” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Crab Shack
“Sunset New York Beat” by -SunSet-

Season 3 is coming November 10!
New York City is full of tables—and every one has a story.
This season, Our New York Table is exploring the many ways New Yorkers gather around food. From neighborhood block parties and family dinners to sacred meals, first dates, and gatherings that help us navigate loss, we’re pulling up a chair to discover what brings us together, what keeps us connected, and the stories and dishes we share along the way.
New episodes every month.
People. Food. Stories. Connection.
Follow Our New York Table wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss a seat at the table.

Hello, listeners!
As we get ready to begin production on Season 3 of Our New York Table, we'd love your feedback.
What do you love about the show? What could we do better? What kinds of food stories would you like to hear more of?
Please take a few minutes to complete our anonymous Listener Survey — it only takes about 5 minutes.
Whether you've listened since Episode 1 or you're just discovering the podcast, your feedback will help shape the next season.
Take the survey here: Listener Survey
Thanks for listening, and for helping us build Season 3. I can't wait to share what's coming next.

As a kid, Ayo Balogun didn’t go into the kitchen for the food—he went for the stories. The cooks had lived lives he couldn’t imagine, and he wanted one of his own.
In this episode, we sit down with Ayo Balogun of Dept of Culture and Radio Kwara. We talk about his journey from his grandmother’s kitchen in Nigeria to his James Beard–nominated restaurant in Brooklyn—and the moments that shaped him along the way.
Read more about what we ate!

When Lookman Afolayan came to the U.S., the only thing bigger than his dreams was the flavor in his goat pepper soup. He risked it all to build a Nigerian restaurant he could be proud of.
In this episode, I sit down with Lookman and Abiodun Afolayan, owners of Buka. As I sweat my way through a bowl of pepper soup, we talk about Nigerian food, family, and what it takes to build a restaurant from the ground up.
Read more about what we ate!