Assorted Conversations
Assorted Conversations is an interview podcast featuring inspiring stories from everyday people doing extraordinary things. Every other Wednesday, host Helen sits down with guests who are pursuing meaningful passions, exploring unusual hobbies, building creative careers, overcoming challenges, and turning long-held dreams into reality.
Each episode is a warm, candid conversation about the choices, setbacks, lessons, and moments of courage behind a personal journey. Come for the laughter and fascinating stories; leave with a fresh perspective and inspiration to begin—or keep pursuing—your own path.
Assorted Conversations
Ep. 56 - The Mr. Alright Chef Conversation with Joe Garcia
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One Italian sub can change your whole creative career, and Joe Garcia proves it. Joe, better known online as Mr. Allright Chef, joins us for a funny, grounded conversation about building a food community without pretending to be a fine dining chef. His whole vibe is simple: good food does not have to be fancy, and you do not need perfect skills or perfect gear to cook meals people love.
We talk about where his passion actually comes from: an Italian and Colombian family where grandmothers feed everyone as an act of love, and where the kitchen is the center of the house. Joe shares how cooking started as pure necessity in his teens, then became the way he brought friends together, and eventually the way he connected with viewers during the pandemic through Facebook Live cooking shows and easy, practical recipes.
From there, the creator journey gets real. Joe opens up about burnout, trying to copy what “works” online, and the confidence shift that came from leaning back into his personality. He also tells the story of auditioning for Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef, then pivoting into the South Shore Massachusetts Italian sub hunt that took off fast. We dig into the ethics of food reviews, why he avoids paid influence that could erode trust, and how he uses his platform to support small local businesses. If you love local food, Italian subs, social media storytelling, or the behind-the-scenes craft of editing on CapCut, you will get a ton from this conversation.
Subscribe or follow Assorted Conversations, share this with a friend who loves a great sandwich, and leave a review with your favorite local spot so we can add it to the list.
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Subscribe And Meet Mr. Allright Chef
SPEAKER_06Just a reminder, don't forget to hit subscribe or follow wherever you're listening to this podcast. That way you don't miss any of the great conversations coming up. Thanks, and here's this week's episode. Everyday people following their passions.
SPEAKER_01That's probably like one of the highlights of my life so far, just being able to be creative like that. Something I've always wanted.
SPEAKER_00And then I decided to get another hive, and that turned into a lot of hives. As long as I can do that, I want to be a good citizen. Help people out.
SPEAKER_06Putting themselves out there, taking chances, and navigating challenges along the way.
SPEAKER_05I I absolutely identified with having stage ride because, you know, anytime I went on stage, I just felt like I was having a hot attack.
SPEAKER_00Very first lap, very first practice session, I crashed, turned a car upside down, made a spectacle of myself, and I got back on that horse and started riding again.
SPEAKER_06As they pursue what makes them happy and brings them joy.
SPEAKER_02As long as people are having a good time and I have the opportunity to put smiles on people's faces, I I love what I do.
SPEAKER_05I have done things that I never thought I could do.
SPEAKER_02To have somebody tell me how real it looks and how, you know, from their actual memory. Because that's telling me I captured what I was trying to get.
SPEAKER_06Welcome to Assorted Conversations. I'm your host, Helen. Hello and thanks for listening. I hope wherever you are, spring is gently turning into summer. Here in Massachusetts, we've gone from, is winter over yet? to oh my god, it's already summer, with our first 90-degree days in mid-May. Enough about the weather. Let's talk food. This week I get to sit down with a food content creator, and his journey from learning to cook out of necessity has taken him on a wild ride from creating cooking content to hunter of the greatest Italian subs on the South Shore of Massachusetts. One thing is for sure, no matter what content he's creating, it's all about the engagement with viewers and helping small local businesses for this guy. Grab your favorite snack, take a listen to this week's episode, and I'll see you on the other side. Alright, everybody, get ready to laugh, learn, and probably get hungry because today's guest is serving a big flavor with an even bigger personality. Known across the South Shore of Massachusetts and beyond, he's built a loyal following by proving that great food doesn't have to be fancy. It just has to be real, delicious, and made with passion. From epic sandwich hunts to comfort food favorites and down-to-earth cooking tips, he's become the go-to guy for approachable food content with a side of humor. I am so excited to welcome to Assorted Conversations, Joe Garcia, also known as the one and only Mr. Right Chef. Hi, Joe.
SPEAKER_03Hi, Helen. How's it going? That was a beautiful intro. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_06You are very welcome. You are very welcome. So how are you tonight?
SPEAKER_03Well, like I like I said before we started this podcast, I am full of Italian meats. You know, I am eating so many Italian subs that, you know, I I'll share just one little thing, you know, before we even really get started. I love when people leave mean comments for me, and somebody commented and said, this guy looks like he smells like an Italian sub. And I thought that that was so funny. I pinned that call and I thought it was great. So I would like to introduce myself and say, I I am full of Italian subs and I probably smell like them. So, you know.
SPEAKER_06Well, you know, you are mortadella certified.
SPEAKER_03Mortadella certified. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_06That is so funny.
The Name And The Mission
SPEAKER_06So before I mean, to get started, I guess, where did the name Mr. Alright Chef come from?
SPEAKER_03It's you know, it's actually funny. So um I think I started this channel in 2019, maybe just like right inside of 2020, right before the pandemic started. And I was trying to think of a name for the channel, and I was like, I want it to be something like chefy, but I I'm not a chef. Let's let's make that very clear. I am not a chef by trade. A lot of people call me chef and everything. I don't deserve that recognition or that designation. I did nothing to deserve it. But I was like, but I can't call myself like the amazing chef. I can't call myself the the good chef. I don't know. It didn't sound good, and then I was like, oh, all right, the all right chef. That that is that pretty much encapsulates everything that I'm going for, you know, because I I really wanted to to create not I don't want to say lowbrow content, but I wanted to create something that was really approachable for people and and not really, you know, uh because at the time I a lot of the stuff that I was watching on the internet was people that were like fine dining chefs, you got Gordon Ramsay, you know, like stuff like that. And I think a I think a lot of people find that to be like, oh, that's for fancy. Like I can't cook like that, I can't do that. And I just really wanted to prove to people that you didn't really need to be an amazing, an excellent, a crazy good like chef to to make really good meals. So that's that's really where the name came from. I, you know, I have a piece of paper kind of with like 10 names scrawled across it, and it's like good, no, you know, whatever. And I I ended up landing on the all right chef.
SPEAKER_06So we're all right. Yeah, we're just all right. Well, good. So the the I found you on Facebook, but you originally started on YouTube. You you mentioned it was a channel.
SPEAKER_03No, I actually did start on
Pandemic Live Cooking And Instant Pot Roots
SPEAKER_03Facebook. Yeah, so I when I originally started, I was actually making, I don't know if you ever, if you have an Instant Pot. I I had just gotten- My brother does.
SPEAKER_06Oh, okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_03So I had just gotten an Instant Pot for uh Christmas, I believe, and I started making recipes in it just like specifically for the Instant Pot. And I was kind of like trying to like get them to like sponsor me, even though I, you know, I had no followers, I had no views, I had anything, but I was just tagging their Facebook page, just like every time I made something was like Instant Pot, follow me, Instant Pot, like follow me, follow me, follow me. Because I really, you know, I really wanted to do that. So yeah, so I did end up starting on Facebook, and then the pandemic kind of hit, you know, it was like we were all kind of like locked in our houses, and I was like, you know what? You know, I grew up watching the Food Network. I mean, like Rachel Ray, 30 Minute Meals, that was my jam. Oh my god, I loved that show. And so I was like, I should do a cooking show on Facebook Live. Yeah, and and yeah, so then so after I kind of had that idea, I I figured out that you can go on Facebook Live. You know, anybody could just go on Facebook Live. And so I started doing a cooking show every, I believe it was every Wednesday or every Thursday. I'm not 100% sure. I can't remember at this point, but yeah, like every Wednesday I started doing a live cooking show on on Wednesdays for everyone who was just kind of stuck at home during the pandemic.
SPEAKER_06Right. Yeah, and I I I know a lot of a lot of people I I've come across a lot of content, like out of work comedians and you know, folks that loved to cook in their spare time and and decided, hey, here's a fun way to connect at least with my friends and family and do a cooking show. So yeah, I the pandemic was the catalyst for this podcast. So go for it. Oh, no way. There you go.
SPEAKER_03Cut from the same cloth then, yeah. Yeah. So and and it seemed, and honestly, like it was really popular and it was really cool. Like, I, you know, I would release like a recipe, I believe on Monday. I'd say, like, this is gonna be the recipe that I'm making. If you guys want to like cook along at home, you know, these are the ingredients to the recipe. This is kind of how they're, you know, whether they're chopped or or or sliced or whatever, I kind of just released the recipe. And then we would just do it live on Wednesdays, you know. I like you said in the intro, I was like, it was kind of trying to blend like cooking with a little bit of humor and whatnot. And it ended up being something really fun. I think I did it for, I want to say five months. Five months in a row, I think I did it while I and I was also making, you know, small videos for TikTok on the side, I believe I'm pretty sure as well. So it was kind of a it was kind of a lot, you know. I was I was really, really trying to like push out as much content as possible.
SPEAKER_06I I want to flash back. Where did your passion for food come from?
Food As Love In Two Cultures
SPEAKER_03Well, so I I definitely want to say my family. Like, so I'm 50% Italian, I'm 50% Colombian. My dad is from Colombia, he came here when he was like 14, and my grandparents were here as well. And on my mom's side, they're 100% Italian from Gaeta, shout out Gaeta, Italy. You know, it's it's near Naples, a coastal city, absolutely beautiful. And so, you know, I grew up around both of my grandparents, and you know, in that sort of environment, it's like the grandmother is like the caretaker, and her love language was always food on both sides. You know, every Sunday we would be at my on my dad's side of my my mamita's house, and she would be making, she'd be making up rice and chicharón and and plantains, and just like every Colombian thing you can imagine. Empanadas, like that was her love language, and she she didn't really speak English, and my dad never really taught us Spanish. So the the language barrier was was pretty difficult there, and but you don't really need to speak the same language to eat the same food, you know. So we would sit around and eat and everything like that. So I always loved eating the Colombian food, and then we went to, and then we would always be at my my mom's mom's house, my my grandmother's mom's side house, and she's Italian, so it's like you cannot say no to food. It's you're not allowed to. And it's just like Joe, you know, get a forkful, come on, you know. Oh, you you want ice cream? No, I don't want ice cream, no, no, no. Okay, how about some zucchini? Like, I don't want the zucchini, and she just it would just be dish after dish after dish. And she would just name dishes until you finally said yes. You know, so so that definitely is where my my passion for good food came from. It's just like I I grew up around it. It was just like always, always great food, no matter where, you know, no matter where I was in my life was just great food.
SPEAKER_06So my Italian nonna, it was you know, have something to eat. No, no, no. Have a sandwich. No, I just, you know, I just ate or I just had dinner or I'm going out to dinner. Oh, have a snack.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_06But both of my both of my grandmothers inspired me. I would consider myself more of a baker than a chef.
SPEAKER_03Cannot bake.
SPEAKER_06My brothers cook really well. My sister and I, I think, are the bakers, and thank God she married a guy that can cook.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's definitely my household. I I I cannot bake worth you know a single damn. I am so terrible at baking because I don't like following a recipe. I follow my ancestors, I follow my heart, you know.
SPEAKER_06Like I was gonna say, baking, baking is the exact science. Cooking is the really creative side of food.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So I never really I like I still to this day, I cannot make dough. Uh everyone's like, you're Italian, you must be able to make pizza. It's like, nope. Yeah. I can't make it. I don't even do pie crust. Oh, trust me, you go to the frozen section, you get that pre-made pry crust. That's exactly how I do it. You know, I'm not playing games.
SPEAKER_06So as you grew up, how did how did you nurture this passion for cooking to the point where you weren't just a consumer, but now you you you've become a creator.
Learning To Cook And Feed People
SPEAKER_03Uh well, you know, I don't wanna I don't wanna say that I really cooked when I was like a child, but when I was like 17, I want to say. So I was either like just a junior and senior in high school. My parents got divorced, and my mom was no longer living at our house, and my dad spent like most of his time at his girlfriend's house. So I was kind of by myself a lot. My sister was off at college, you know, so it was kind of just like me a lot of the time at the house. And my dad was not really the cook in the house, my mom was, but you know, I grew up around cooking all the time, so I kind of had to take it on my own shoulders if I wanted to eat. I had to make food. And what what what better way to get like your friends to gather around you and like be at your house when you're alone than being like, hey, I'm making burritos? And everyone's like, Whoa, you're making burritos, dude? I'm there. You know what I mean? So it's like, you know, I'd have the rice and the beans, and you know, I'd have the guacamole handmade, I'd make the salsa or the pico de gallo. Like, I would just, you know, make everything and just like that's kind of really where it started, honestly, is like I just wanted people to be over my house. So, you know, I would always just be making food, and I kind of became known as the friend of my friend group who was like always cooking.
SPEAKER_06So that's awesome. Born out of necessity, but when when at what point did it become something you needed to do in order to eat and became something that you were passionate about?
SPEAKER_03You know, that's actually a really good question. I mean, I I guess I never really was like super passionate about it, I guess, in like a sort of like in like a content creation kind of way until really I made my channel. Like so in 2014 is when I moved in with my now wife, you know. Shout out to her. We've been together since my god, we we've been together forever. I mean, you know, I we dated in high school, we didn't date for like two more years. We got back together when we were like 20, and we've been together ever since. So um, yeah, it's it's a beautiful love story. I love her. You know, we moved in together when we were 22, and she can, you know, I I love you, babe, but she can't, she can barely toast a bagel. So suddenly kind of like just being, you know, on your own, living together, is like, oh, we need to figure out what to eat every single day for the rest of our lives. And and and that's kind of like where, like, instead of just being, you know, just like eating to survive, kind of became like, well, I gotta mix it up, you know, like I gotta be a little bit creative because I can't eat the same thing every day. That's just not in my wheelhouse. I I'm someone who just like really, really, really hates repetition. I don't like, you know, I don't like doing the same things, I don't like eating the same things. I always want something different. And my wife is someone who's like super routine, she could do the same thing every single day until the day we die, and she'd be totally fine with that. And also, and also didn't really have a we'll say evolved palate when we first moved in together. She was more of like a chicken fingers and pretzels with creamy Caesar, and that was all she did.
SPEAKER_06My kind of girl.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So it was kind of like trying to get her to come out of her shell as well as kind of feed my need to be creative, and that kind of increased my level of interest in cooking. And again, like I was the friend who was known as the one who did cook. So I'd have people over to our new apartment and everything. And I kind of always wanted to like, I don't know, like serve, serve people. I is that that's what makes me feel good, is is like, you know, I I'm I'm just like everyone in my family, I cannot sit down when there are guests in my house. I just I learned from the best, you know. It's like I have that constant need to just be like, do you want some pasta? Do you want some zucchini? You know, it's just like I mean, it's like my grandmother's anxiety of not being able to feed people to just like totally, totally come. And my mom too is like, that's exactly how I am. So it was like it came from a a place of like anxious to have guests there, but then it kind of grew into like, I want you to try my food. Like I like, you know, and maybe that's a little selfish of me to be like, oh, I need the attaboy, like this is so good. And I'm like, no, no, it's it's it's just okay, you know, but uh Yeah, no, I I you know it it's funny.
SPEAKER_06A lot of chefs, uh a lot of a lot of cooks uh uh often say they make food because they want to make people happy, and and that's really where that connection comes from. It's not that you need the accolades, it's that you're making somebody happy because you've put together something that it just tastes so good to them.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and I I think that, you know, I think a lot of it comes from like the fact that like, as I said with my family, it's just like everything kind of always revolved around food. You know, like I I I have mostly women in my family, which is so funny. The men all the men all die early, and the women are just constantly there, and they all are just such amazing cooks. And it's like everyone always wants to congregate in the kitchen. So it's like everybody's always there, the women are making all the food and everything. And I grew up in that environment, so it's like that always just reminds me of just like that that like childhood wonder and just like feeling really good, just being around people that you love, and that was always connected with food. Really, you know, I I really love that.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, I the the have you seen the movie Nanas? Yes, I actually have. And it that was all his restaurant was born out of his love for what his grandmother and his mom were doing and and how they cooked and how they fed everybody. And and I think I don't, I I can't say it's just Italians, although, you know, I grew up in an Italian household for the most part. It really is. It's it's all about food was all about love and family and gathering together. You know, uh it just it just food has a unifying way about it.
SPEAKER_03It sure does. Yeah, yeah, I I totally agree with that. And it, you know, and again, my you know, I thought that for a while I had escaped like, you know, the the allure of just like constantly eating and cooking. And it's just like it has just come back into my life full force with this channel over the past, you know, six or seven years. I just like and I accept it, you know. I I love it. I I really do. It's it's like, you know what? If this is my station in life, I'm totally fine with that. I love to cook, I love sharing it with other people, and you know, that's fine with me.
SPEAKER_06That's awesome. That's awesome. So, you know, this really kind of started for you during the pandemic with the live cooking show, and it has grown and grown and grown. Share with me how it has grown.
Burnout Authenticity And A TV Audition
SPEAKER_03So, you know, so when I first started doing my cooking channel, like I I grew, I don't want to say like super rapidly, but it it caught on definitely. People were watching my cooking thing live every week, and you know, it got it got to a point where I was just like spending so much time doing it and that it just kind of like overtook my ability to keep doing it. So, so after a while, I just kind of like burnt out with it where I was just like making so much content and like really trying to push the numbers, and the numbers started kind of stagnating a little bit, and I kind of just got in my head a little bit and kind of got a little bit nervous to be on camera again. Yeah and I kind of tapered off with it. And so kind of between like 2021 and like 2024, I kind of was off and on with the channel, and you know, I don't want to say that I gave up, but I I kind of gave up on it and and that was that was a big mistake. I I really do think that that was a big mistake, but it just didn't seem like people really were responding well. And the the market was so kind of saturated with people that were doing the same thing that I was doing that I kind of felt like I didn't really have anything special to offer, you know, and that yeah, and and that was really discouraging, but and I and I I don't feel that way now. I, you know, I I did at the time, but I think that, you know, through definitely through like my wife's encouragement and everything like that, you know, it's kind of like I would go through periods where I was posting every single day. I was trying to do at least five days a week. So I would make my recipes on Monday, I would release it Tuesday, and so on and so forth, or I'd do like Saturday or Sunday, I'd cook all day and I'd record like four or five different videos. And and it kind of burnt me out a little bit. But I think that the the real reason that it kind of like petered out for me was that I was trying really hard to mimic what other people were doing that was working for them, but it wasn't necessarily working for me. And so I think a lot of my content ended up being like not me on the camera, you know, camera face down over, you know, over the top of my cooking station with just me like dubbing over it later on. And you know, people did seem to like that. Content, but I didn't like that kind of content, and it just yeah, it burnt me out really, really quickly. And so I did take a long break, but then I think in 2023, I kind of was like, you know, definitely with my my wife's urging, she's like, you know, you put so much work into this, and you know, I mean, at that point, I probably had like five four or five hundred videos, you know what I mean? Like I put out so much content, and she was like, you know, you really like this, like you really have put so much hard work into it. Like you really should pick it back up again. And so I I started posting again and again, and I actually ended up getting a I ended up getting an invite to audition for the show uh next level chef. Um wow. Yeah, with Gordon Ramsey. So that was kind of like holy cow! Yeah, so that was kind of like my like real like, oh wow, like someone saw something in me through my content that like they liked enough to like put me into this casting. And I ended up making it to the third round, I believe. So like I had to do like a whole like video interview, kind of like kind of like this, where you know we had to do a video interview and put together like an audition tape basically. And unfortunately, I didn't I didn't get the role. That kind of would have been like a dream role at that point in time. Like, I don't know if you've ever seen that show, but uh I don't think I have. Oh, it's so stressful.
SPEAKER_06That's probably why I haven't. He Gordon Ramsey stresses me out. I'll watch, I'll watch all sorts of cooking shows, but he stresses me out.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you know, just as a basic overview for the show, it's like, you know, there's three different levels in the show, and each level is a different kind of kitchen. So the bottom is like a terrible kitchen, not stocked, terrible tools, and then the next one is like a medium level, and the top level is like the cool, you know, the top end, highest level French like level kitchen. And and you get an entire tray of ingredients that starts at the top and it goes all the way to the bottom. So when you're in the worst kitchen, you get the you get the slim pickings from the top. So you gotta make a dish.
SPEAKER_06I think I have I think I've seen an episode or two.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and I was like, you know what? That's kind of right up my alley because a lot of my cooking content was like fridge dump dinners and just like, hey, you have random ingredients lying around your house. This is what I would do with them. This is the meal that you can make. And so that was kind of like right up my alley. And and unfortunately, I I didn't get, you know, I didn't get into the show, which, you know, was totally fine because it kind of really showed me that like, oh, like people actually do like my content and there is something there. And so, since like from then until probably like the beginning of this year, I was back again, like posting content, you know, and I started to kind of like lean into more of just like me being on camera and my personality and kind of letting it show through a little bit more instead of trying to be like what everyone kind of was doing and being that cookie cutter.
SPEAKER_06And and that's probably why it didn't feel authentic to you when you were doing, you know, when you were cooking up a storm for two days in a row and filming the food as opposed to sharing the stage with the food, because I find your content hysterically funny. And uh we'll talk uh about this a little later, but your your technical editing and some of the sound effects and little clips that you throw in just make me laugh out loud while I am watching your content.
SPEAKER_03Thank you so much. I really appre I really appreciate that. I, you know, that's that's kind of like just for me. You know what I mean? Like it's like I put that in there for me, and it's like it's cool that other people do like enjoy that because like at the end of the day, like I now I'm doing it. I mean, now I'm doing it more for everyone to enjoy, but like in the beginning, it was like no one was watching it. So it was really just me talking to myself, you know, and like doing the little silly uh edits because I thought that that was funny. So I really appreciate you saying that because yeah, I do I do put a lot of thought into those, but um yeah.
SPEAKER_06Well, I no worry, and you know what? I I I totally sympathize with creating content and going, is it just for me or is it for for other people? And anytime I get a review or anytime somebody drops me an email, it's like, wow, you know, I'm not talking into the abyss. There's actually people listening. So yeah, I I I totally get how how reassuring that is.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. And it was, I mean, even so, like just talking about getting the interview with, you know, the the producers for next level chef. When I saw your email, I was like, what? This is crazy. You know, like this the whole thing with the reviews has been absolutely insane.
Nostalgia Meals And Trying Anything
SPEAKER_03Because like I said, I started off just doing me cooking and doing that kind of content. And then I, you know, I've more recently, like we'll say, like the end of last year, I started just taking suggestions from people and just like, hey, what's like a nostalgia meal for you? Like what like what reminds you of growing up? And because again, like I had I as I never thought of it as interesting, but apparently I've had I had an interesting upbringing. And a lot of the things that I grew up enjoying, people are like, what are you talking about?
SPEAKER_06Like an example.
SPEAKER_03Oh, have you ever had olive loaf?
SPEAKER_06Oh, it's like baloney with olives in it. Yeah, no, I don't even know.
SPEAKER_03It's literally bologna with Spanish olives into it. So it looks like, you know, if you have that fear of all the eyes, like it triggers that like so badly.
SPEAKER_06I was gonna say, it used to scare me when I was a kid. It was right next to the baloney.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so like I grew up eating that. My mom loved olive loaf, and so ipso facto, I loved olive loaf, or like, you know, I grew up eating octopus salad, and you know, so when I, you know, stuff like that. So it's like when people find out, they're like, ugh, what are you eating? And I'm like, what? You don't like olive and cream cheese sandwiches? What are you crazy? People were like, that sounds like an actual nightmare. And I'm like, oh, okay. I guess I'm the weird one, but you know, so stuff like that. I started sharing things from like my childhood. I'm like, listen, this is my nostalgia meal. My mom, when I was sick and wasn't feeling good, she'd mix up cream cheese and sliced up Spanish olives and we'd eat them together. And it was just like, that was what we ate. Olive loaf, you know, stuff like that. So I just kind of posed the question to other people and was like, hey, what's a nostalgia meal for you? And I got some, I got some wild ones. I was like, what am I eating right now? Balogna salad, which I was like, I was very hesitant to try that one. People were posting uh Lebanon bologna, head cheese, like just these crazy dishes. So I was like, I was online, I'm ordering, you know, these weird delicacy meats from Pennsylvania and getting them delivered to my house like in the dead heat of summer so that I could try them for people. And people seem to really like that content. And I really liked making it too because I feel like, again, like that's how I connect with people.
SPEAKER_06I was gonna say, it's it's it's the connection.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so like that was something that was really cool to me to like you tell me what you like, I'm not gonna yuck your yum because I'll try anything. I truly, I don't know if you see gone on my YouTube or anything, but like I have a video. I don't know if you've seen the videos going around of people eating Surstroming. It's it is a rotted fish, yeah. It's like a rotted fermented fish from from some you know Norway or or some uh people can't even open it without gagging. It was horrific. My friends bought it for me on a camping trip. I'm like, you have to try it, you have to try it. But again, I'll try anything twice. You know, I always say that. It's like try anything twice. If you don't like it the first time, try it again, and if you don't like it the second time, you're probably never gonna like it, so you can probably give up after that, you know. So I tried Surstroming twice, and both times I threw up everywhere. So, you know, you know, you know, so this is there's a video floating around on YouTube, I believe. Uh if anyone, you know, if anyone trigger warning cares to watch me gag, but you know, that was a thing that I tried. And so that kind of became like what my channel was like, you know, trying all of your suggestions. And I kind of ran out of content ideas in like, let's say, like January, February.
Italian Subs With Real Impact
SPEAKER_03I was like really reaching. And my my wife's best friend, and I also say she's my best friend, shout out Allie, Allie and Ryan, shout out you guys. Her mother was like, if you like Italian food, which I know you do, she's Sicilian, she's which is okay. Sicilian is not really Italian. You heard it here first. Hey, hey, hey, I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_06And Calibrace.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay, Calibre, we'll give it to you. Calibre's mainland. Love to hear it, love to hear it. Sicilian, as my grandmother says, that's okay. But uh, she was like, you have to try out Alfredo Aiello in Quincy. It's right down the street from you. And I'm like, okay, you know what? I got nothing to do today. I'm gonna go down there. I'm gonna try their sandwich. So I'm like, I just pulled my phone out and was like, well, you guys told me to try it. So here I am at Alfredo Aiello. And that video got like 50,000 views in like two weeks. And I was like, or I mean, in the first couple of days, it got like a couple thousand views, and I was like, this is crazy. And people were like, Oh, you think that's good? You need to try Magnosis, which is again in Quincy, like right down the street from me. And so I was like, Okay, I'll go try Magnosis. And I was like, Well, when you're right, you're right. I don't know if you I don't know if you've ever been there, but they have a massive, massive Italian. It's it is a crazy Italian sub.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, I saw that I saw the video. That and that's actually how I stumbled upon your content, because you know, you were actually at a a sub place right down the street from where I live, and you were reviewing their Italian sub, and their Italian sub is my favorite Italian sub.
SPEAKER_03Oh, that's subgalley, you were saying, right?
SPEAKER_06Yeah, subgalley in Abington. And, you know, ironically enough, it was years ago growing up. I grew up in Hingham and then we moved to Weymouth. Um, but when I lived in Hingham, there was a place called Subgalley, no connection to the one in Abington. Oh, okay. But it was Subgalley on Station Street in Hingham, and that was the first Italian sub I ever had. So that is, and I think they're closed now. That is the the bar that I measure all other Italian subs by. And Sub Galley and Abington came the closest, but I really enjoyed, I mean, who doesn't enjoy a good Italian sub? And and I love that you go local. I love the the content, you know, how you review them. And it's just so cool because who doesn't love a good Italian sub? And sometimes if you find your favorite and you're not close enough to get your favorite, you want some other options that make, you know, highly recommended. So you know that's how I find you.
SPEAKER_03Well, I really, that's really cool. I love that, I love that I was right in your backyard. It's like, you know, it's it's really funny just because like I'm just out and about town, you know. My idea was really not to I didn't have the idea originally to like bring, you know, bring attention to like local businesses. I was just eating subs, but I I really wanted to like, you know, show people the South Shore had really good food. And then I I I kind of had an experience do like very early on in doing the reviews, and it kind of really changed my perspective on what I was doing and kind of the impact that I was having. Because like again, like I'm just some guy, you know what I mean? Like, I never thought that this would become anything. You know, I was just doing it for me, and people seemed like- Yeah, exactly. And then, you know, I reviewed a sandwich, and and I don't want to mention the place that it was because I don't want to cause any beef or anything. I mean, you can very easily figure out what I'm talking about if you look at my page, but I'm just not gonna, I'm not gonna name drop. But I reviewed a sandwich and I I reviewed it kind of poorly. And the response that I got it back from that was like, it was really intense. And I wasn't expecting the amount of pushback that I was gonna get. Because again, like I don't think that my word matters at this point in time. And and I still have a hard time thinking that people actually care about what I have to say. But and so someone from the family reached out and kind of wrote me this, you know, really heartfelt message that was kind of like, hey, like I know that you like you're just trying to be honest and truthful with your experiences, and I can appreciate that, but you really need to be careful with what you say because this is like a local family business, and like my family business does a lot for the community. They're like such a staple, they've been there for 50, 60 years. People really love them, and the things that you say can really drive business away from these places.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And and I never really thought, I never really had that perspective when I first started. And so I was like, that was really like a turning point for me where it's like, listen, like I never, my intention was never to drive business away from places. In fact, I never even had a thought about driving business to these places. I was just eating the sandwiches. But, you know, getting that message kind of like really, really made me change my tune where it's like, okay, that's no longer the the point is not rating the the sandwiches. I'm not doing like a this is a zero out of 10. Like, I don't like people that do that because again, like I think that there's like the world to me is not black and white. I'm not a black and white person. I'm such a gray area person where it's like things could two things can be true at once. And so I was like, okay, so let me like reevaluate how I'm doing this. Like, I want to highlight my personal opinions, obviously, but also like the pros and the cons that I found and let people decide for themselves. Like, this is the food. This is what I got. I did not, you know, have like a predetermined deal with this person. This is what they made, not knowing who I am. This is what they made, this is what you can expect, this is what I liked about it, this is what I didn't like about it. But at the end of the day, it kind of became like, well, I want to highlight places that really deserve the recognition in these family local owned businesses. Like, I never want to be the person that drives business away from there. I want to highlight and support, you know, and that's kind of like where that transformation happened was like somebody really put me in my place, and I was like, okay.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, kind of understanding the power of media, any honey media.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and it's and it really has been this like crazy, crazy whirlwind. It's like, and I don't even have that many followers. You know what I mean? It's like, I think I have just over 10,000 on TikTok, and I I'm just about to hit 5,000 on Facebook, and wow, you know, and me and my wife are like walking through, you know, the grocery store, and people have been coming up to me and being like, hey, you're that chef guy on the internet. I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's me. Like, this is insane, you know, or like getting recognized when you go into like a deli and they're like, hey, you look familiar. And I'm like, Yeah.
SPEAKER_06Are you gonna review this?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you know, and so that's been that's been been really crazy and you know, uh life-changing, I guess, you know. It's like, yeah, I never thought that it would become this.
SPEAKER_06How how have the local businesses? I mean, once once you kind of pivoted and you and and yet kind of understood, even though this uh this was a fun thing for you, but you understood the power that you actually had to drive business to or away from these these sandwich shops, how how has your relationship with them changed, if if at all?
SPEAKER_03I think that, well, I I don't think that I'm recognizable enough at this point for people to like like like know who I am right off the bat, but I have actually like like I started my all-right sub of the month club because I thought that that was cool. Like I, you know, I'm paying for this with my own money, first and foremost. Like I'm making a little bit of money on on Facebook and and TikTok now, but a hundred percent of that goes right back into the channel. Like, I'm not like you know, I'm not sitting here dripping myself out in diamonds or anything. Like it's not a lot of money. I have a full-time job. So, you know, this isn't my this isn't really my job. But I was like, you know what? If I'm making money, like I want to give back, and so I'll go back to some of the businesses that I thought were like the best sandwiches or whatever, and I'll buy gift cards, you know, like $50 gift cards, depending on how expensive the sandwiches is. Like I put about a hundred dollars into these contests, and I give away gift cards at the end of the month and just say, these are the best. And so, like when I go back into the businesses, they're like, You have no idea. I recognize you immediately. And it's been like a few times now where people have like commented and been like, Hey, I went to go try to get a sandwich at XYZ. The line's out the door. It's a two-hour wait. People, you know, I've been in a sandwich store, and someone's like, I recognize you, and three people behind me are like, oh my god, that's the reason I'm here. And I'm like, That's so funny.
SPEAKER_06And so I've I've written down a couple places that you know, you've shown the sandwich. I'm like, Yeah, I'd really like to try that someday when I'm further north of here. And uh yeah, I mean, I I love your content. I watch it and I'm not surprised that other people are doing the same. So it's nice to hear that you're having an impact on the local businesses like that. And not knowing that earlier story you shared, I thought, wow, here's a guy who's who's putting out content, makes me laugh, and and I enjoy his content, and he's helping small local businesses. So really, really cool. Have you been able to collab or partner with any of the the uh the places that you've that you've highlighted?
SPEAKER_03No, I I no one's like really reached out to me to do so, and I don't necessarily know if I would want to do that, just in the terms like I don't want I don't want to be paid to do reviews for anything because I feel like at some point in time people kind of like are like you're a sellout or like one. Yeah exactly, like I feel like beholden to like give them a good review, and I and again, like I said before, like I'm not I'm not out here to disparage businesses, like I'm not gonna be like, this is disgusting, this is horrible. Like I would never do that. That's not the kind of person that I am. But I also wouldn't want to like feel in my head, like, well, this person paid me, so I kind of have to be more favorable to them. But I but again, like I'm open to doing so. I just would be very honest about like, hey, like this person reached out to me and like this was kind of like a paid review, or at the very least, like, you know, I see a lot of TikToks where like struggling businesses were like reach out to like influencers and be like, hey, you know, do you mind coming in? Like, I want to drive some business here. And I absolutely would not mind doing that because again, the whole the whole point that this has become is to highlight local businesses and to drive business. Like, I can't even imagine how difficult it is now to like, you know, with these razor-thin margins to begin with, and then the price of everything just going up so crazy. Like, for these places to like stay in business is already difficult. And then also, like, again, like a lot of these places, like the value that they're bringing to people with some of these sandwiches is like insane. And it's like, I think you're taking a loss on these. So that for you to keep your prices low while keeping the the quality so high is like, you know, I really think that this deserves a highlight. Like, you know, people need to like come here and see that, you know, you don't have to spend, you know, you don't have to drive into the north end and spend $20 on a sandwich from Monica's Mercado, you know, to get a good Italian. You can stay in your hometown. And a lot of these places, people are like, I live down the street from this place. I didn't even know it was there. And it's like, okay, well, that's you know what? If that's my mission in life, you know what? I am totally fine with being that person, you know.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, that's awesome. That's awesome.
Editing On A Phone And What’s Next
SPEAKER_06Now, I want to take a like a left turn here. Sure. Because in order to do what you do, yes, you know, you you cook, you you know, are out and about helping, you know, look get getting exposure for local businesses, enjoying Italian subs along the way, but there's a whole technical aspect to this that I'm sure you must have learned. So what was that like? Because your you your content isn't just a video with you talking to the camera. It's you talking to the camera, it's different camera angles. Sometimes it's voiceover, sometimes there's special effects or sound effects or b-roll that you put in there. And it's like, when did you have the time to learn all of that on top of filming and and posting your content?
SPEAKER_03Honestly and truly, like most of it has just kind of been on the fly. So, like when I first started, I was using one of those gigantic Nikon cameras, like uh one of those professional Nikon cameras, and having to set up like the tripod and like learning how to do that, that was touch and go. That was really difficult, and just kind of like learned by the seat of my pants on there. In fact, like my first video, the first video I ever made, I set up the camera, I was ready to rock, I had everything set up, I put the camera there, I pressed record, and I just froze. I literally sat there. There for a good like 15, 20, 30 seconds. I couldn't even speak. I went over, I turned the camera off, and I went and cried in a corner for three days. I literally, it, it literally sent me into the blackest of holes. I was like, I'm not a shy person. I, you know what I mean? Like, I don't, I'm not shy. I'll I'll cut it up with the best of them. And I turned that camera on and I froze. And it's like that was like such a hard hurdle to get through. People don't realize how difficult it is talking to a camera that someone's not on the back end of. You know what I mean? I'm really glad that this was on, you know, audio for everyone else, but video for you and me, so we can actually have the conversation. But you know, talking to the like learning to talk to the camera was actually the first technical hurdle, is even how to be on camera. And I think a lot of people don't realize how difficult that is. And you know, I'm not saying like, and it's on it's so easy now, like blah, blah, blah. But like over time you you learn how to do that stuff, you get used to it. And then kind of back going back to the technical aspect, it was like, you know, I already, I'm someone who's really good with computers. Like, I, you know, I jokingly say to my wife that I'm the greatest IT troubleshooter that's ever lived because I am, and I will pat myself on the back for that. You know, I I build computers, you know, I do a lot of IT troubleshooting on those, you know, software, hardware, stuff like that. When I first started, I got a MacBook or a Mac computer, and I was using, I forget what they're, I forget what they're, it's like movie maker or something like that. Their editing software. iMovie, there you go. I started using iMovie, and that was kind of where I started to learn how to actually edit videos and like work with a timeline and stuff like that. And then from there it was kind of like learning how to like cut in sound effects and and kind of like where like how to like overlap videos and and do like uh transitions and stuff like that. So it was a hundred percent self-taught. I probably watched a few YouTube videos, but I'm kind of like a learn to do by doing kind of person. I always have been. So it was kind of like everything was learned the hard way, you know? It was like just try, just trial and error. And so like my first few videos, just like everybody, were like awful. And then in 2021, I want to say, I was just using the editing software on TikTok because that was pretty intuitive and it was pretty easy to use, but it was it was pretty limited in what you could do.
SPEAKER_06And then you can't use that on a computer, can you? It's it's gonna be done on your phone.
SPEAKER_03You can now. I believe you can now, but being able to do it from your phone is like such a major advantage because you don't have to worry about like transferring content. So like everything I have I record is on my phone. So having to like somehow get it from my phone onto a memory card and then onto a computer, because like I mostly use Windows. So getting like iPhone video to like keep its quality and then move it to a Windows PC, not really very easy. So I actually do all of my video editing from an app called Cap Cut on my phone.
SPEAKER_06Okay. I can't see I have a I I have a problem doing anything on my phone because I need glasses. Sometimes the glasses don't make things big enough.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and no, I mean the phone is very small. Like if I if I had like an iPad or something, it would probably be a lot easier to edit videos, but yeah, you know, it takes me it takes me about three hours to edit one of my videos. I I usually go from like 20 minutes of recording to about four and a half minutes. I try to keep it under four and a half because people don't have an attention span on like on like TikTok and stuff like that. So, but you know, again, you know, come yeah, a very, very early callback to what we were saying is like my audience is mostly people of like my age or older. And I have fully leaned into that because we still have attention spans and can watch a four-minute video. You know what I mean? People actually, and I love that because it's like I was always trying to cut my videos down from like 20 minutes to 30 seconds or to one minute, and it was like you just can't do the same amount of like, I don't even know, like you can't do the same level of content in one minute that you can in four. So, you know, so learning how to like pick the best parts of a video and like slice them down to like 30 seconds to a minute, that really helped me with making longer form content because you know, when you're having to condense something so large into something so small, it and then going from something so small to something a little bit larger, it like it really allows you to have like a little bit more freer creativity and to be able to still have that kind of focused, concentrated content, but also like give it a little bit more personality or you know, give it a little bit more like view into like who you are as a person, which doesn't really come across when you only have 30 seconds. Right.
SPEAKER_06You know, yeah. No, you do you do a great job with it. Like I said, your videos, some of them have made me laugh out loud. So where do you see Mr. Alright Chef going from here?
SPEAKER_03You know, that's honestly a great question because like I feel like I'm like still so in the moment of like really just like figuring out like what works and what doesn't work that I haven't really looked too much in the future. I mean, my list, first of all, my list for places to go is ludicrous.
SPEAKER_06I mean, I you know, I know just for the Italian subs.
SPEAKER_03I, you know, I know people can't see this video, but like the list is just Wow, it is oh, that's it keeps going. This is the list.
SPEAKER_06Is that all for Italian subs or just go in and try this specific sandwich?
SPEAKER_03So half of it is just for Italian subs, and then the other half is like people have been like, hey, you need to try the shrimp dumplings from Costco. You know, it's like, okay, sure, like whatever, you know. But I but something that I I really like is like I love when people give suggestions because it really gives you a chance to like connect with the audience and be like, okay, so like for example, somebody, somebody recently just, or somebody who like one of my like constant commenters is a guy named Joe Palmer and or Joe De Palmer, and I just like love his comments because it's always the same. It's like, where's the beef? Where's the beef? And I'm just like, so now my videos, I'm like, well, this is this gets the Joe Palmer Award for where's the beef, you know, like whatever. Like, or when people like people like comment and like one guy shout out Ross Scheinheit, commented on every single one of my videos and was like, you need to go to Moniker's Mercado in the north end. So I'm like, I can like connect with the audience in that way and be like, hey Ross, I'm here at Monica's Mercado in the north end of Boston for you. Yeah, exactly. You know, you know, so I I I I love doing that. I like I love the suggestions that people give me because it's like not only does it give me a chance to make more content, but it allows me to like connect with the audience in that way that it's like, hey, this one's for you, specific person. I also want to grow things. Like, I again, like I'm I'm a people person, so I was kind of thinking, you know, I have a friend of mine who used to be one of the tour guides for Boston. They used to do like the Freedom Trail and like the um like the North End tours. Yeah. And he is another person who's just like so funny and just like truly somebody who just like loves to entertain and he's great. And there's a lot of great food in the North End. So I'm thinking maybe like maybe somehow we can do like a food tour where I get to like me, like, you know, maybe partner with him, and then the two of us get to like, you know, meet with people and and actually meet some of the fans and you know, get to share food with people because again, I love to share the experience and I love to share the food with people. You know, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_06Having an Italian sub in the north end with uh Mr. All right Chef, are you kidding me?
SPEAKER_03I'm signing up. So I think that that would be something fun to do, you know. Even you know, even if it's a one-off, you know. I, you know, what listen, one of my favorite comedians of all time, he used to do the bus tours in New York City. And after he became famous, he went back and did like a few bus tours where people paid tickets to like go hang out with him and do the bus tours, but him as a comedian and not an actual bus tour guy, so it was like a big joke. And I've always that's always stuck with me is like, that would be s I wish I could have done that with him, but I also would like love to be able to do that with other people because I a lot of people have been like, hey, next time you're at this place, like let me know. Like I'll I'll meet up here. The sub's on, yeah, the sub's on me. And it's like, I don't know you, so I don't know if you're gonna like you know, skin me and hang me on your wall, but I also want to connect with the fans and like you know, get a sub with you. So like I think that a group setting would be a lot better than you know, like a one-on-one, but yeah, you know, walking through the north end and you know, grabbing some sandwiches or whatever. Like, I you know, I don't know what exactly it would look like, but maybe something like that, you know, something that has like that personal touch because again, like that's my bread and butter is like the personal touch.
SPEAKER_06Right. Oh, so so fun. So fun. Joe, I can't thank you enough for all your time. One last thing. Where can folks follow along with you online? Where can they find you to check out your content?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, definitely. So you can find me on Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube as the Allright Chef or Facebook is Mr. Allright Chef. My Instagram is the all right underscore chef, but it's all the same. If you just search me up over there, you can find me on any of those platforms. I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is on my video reviews. And Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, I post like a little teaser trailer, you know, a little photo, a little photo review for people to kind of get a teaser of what's coming for the videos. So I'm posting, I'm posting pretty much every day. So if you follow any of those pages, you're gonna get all of my content. Yeah.
SPEAKER_06Great. Well, Joe, again, thank you so much. I have had so much fun talking to you. The the time has flown.
SPEAKER_03It truly has. I it has been a great conversation, Alan. I really want to thank you personally for inviting me on this podcast, my first podcast ever. This has been a lot of fun. I was a little nervous at first, but you know, you made me feel really welcome and really comfortable. And I just want to say thank you as well for even reaching out. That was really the coolest thing that's happened to me in the past month or so.
SPEAKER_06What a down-to-earth, fun guy to have a conversation with. Some of my favorite nuggets from my conversation with Joe. The connection he has with creating good food and being with people he loves. So many nationalities share the philosophy that food is love and kitchens are for congregating. I also found it interesting how we learned the value of his voice. I can completely identify with not really thinking what you say is earth-shattering. It's just your own ramblings. But then discovering what you put out into the universe has power and can affect others. He is continuing to evolve through his content, and I hope he can turn his future direction with subtours of the North End into a reality. Jump down to the show notes to follow Joe and check out his content, whether you live locally or not. Now, if you're not local to Massachusetts, don't sleep on the local food creators from your area and beyond. You will no doubt find some new places to try at home, and you can start building a list of places to try whenever you're traveling. Follow Joe, you will most definitely be covered for Southern Massachusetts. As always, thanks for listening and I'll see you in two weeks.
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