Our New South - Season 3 - Episode 8 - Sara Bradley: Top Chef, Local Table

Chef Sara Bradley joins Kevin Blackistone and Robert Greene II to discuss how her upbringing in Paducah, Kentucky, a cultural crossroads at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers, shaped her unique approach to Southern cuisine. Bradley shares stories of growing up in a fusion of cultures, blending her mother's Eastern European Jewish heritage with her father's Appalachian roots, as well as her choice to return to "small-town" Paducah to invest in her local community.

Bradley is the owner and head chef of Freight House, a seasonal restaurant in Paducah, and a James Beard Award semi-finalist. Widely recognized for her television appearances, she represented Kentucky on Bravo's Top Chef and won the Food Network's Chopped: Legends tournament. Beyond the kitchen, Bradley is deeply involved in community service and ecosystem ethics, partnering with local farmers to create sustainable supply chains, fighting food insecurity alongside organizations like the Lee Initiative, and utilizing invasive species like silver carp to protect local waterways.

Links:

Learn more about Sara Bradley: https://chefsarabradley.com/

Visit Frieght House in Paducah, Kentucky: https://freighthousefood.com/

Donate to support this podcast! https://museumofthenewsouth.kindful.com/

Learn more about Levine Museum of the New South: https://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/

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