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Law Have Mercy!
Law Have Mercy! isn’t just about the law anymore—it’s about life, business, health, and everything that sparks curiosity. Join Personal Injury Attorney Chaz Roberts as he dives into candid conversations that mix legal insights with lifestyle tips, entrepreneurial wisdom, and personal growth. From breaking down complex legal issues in simple terms to exploring the challenges and triumphs of health, business, and beyond, Chaz brings his unique perspective and passion to every episode.
Whether you're here to learn, laugh, or find inspiration, Law Have Mercy! has something for everyone. Just remember: the opinions of our guests are their own, and nothing on this podcast is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship—it’s all about entertainment, exploration, and empowerment. Let’s make it fun!
Law Have Mercy!
Gerald Gruenig: Acadiana's Favorite TV Personality on Food, Culture, and Community
Acadiana's beloved TV personality Gerald Gruenig shares his incredible journey, from growing up in New Orleans to becoming a prominent figure in local television. Known for his high-energy presence on KLFY News 10, Gerald discusses the experiences that shaped his career, including his background in football at Nicholls State and his unexpected entry into TV. He dives into his morning routine, which keeps him fueled, and reflects on the support he's received from loyal followers throughout his career.
Gerald talks about Louisiana's cultural richness and the impact it’s had on his life. From New Orleans to Thibodeaux, to Alexandria, and now to Lafayette, he highlights how the state’s unique camaraderie and diversity have helped him connect with people from all walks of life. He also shares his passion for supporting local restaurants through his popular segment, Acadiana Eats, emphasizing the importance of community advocacy, especially in tough economic times.
Gerald gives a shoutout to John Weatherall, an integral figure behind the scenes who has played a huge role in helping capture Acadiana’s vibrant culture through the lens. Whether it's showcasing food or local events, their collaboration has made a lasting impact on the region.
Tune in to hear Gerald’s thoughts on using social media to uplift small businesses, foster authentic relationships, and celebrate Acadiana’s vibrant culinary scene. This conversation is not just about food—it’s about culture, community, and the personal connections that make Louisiana special.
You can watch most full episodes of Law Have Mercy on YouTube!
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If you are in need of legal guidance, visit our website: https://www.chazrobertslaw.com/
This show is co-produced by Carter Simoneaux of AcadianaCasts Network, Chaz H. Roberts of Chaz Roberts Law and Kayli Guidry Bonin of Beau The Agency, and Laith Alferahin.
I'm like man. I don't know what this is going to look like.
Speaker 2:Bring the camera John.
Speaker 1:I don't know how we're going to put this together, but I know we got the approval to go shoot a couple of test episodes of Acadiana Eats. Let's see what this looks like. And then I go back and watch them and I'm like, oh man, rough to watch. But like anything else, man with reps, you get better. Similar to this podcast you go watch the first one, you're like man, we crushed it. And then here you are, down the road and you're like bruh.
Speaker 2:This is brutal.
Speaker 1:Yeah, correct, but I always do love the people that have been rocking with us since the beginning and it's been really cool to kind of see what it's all turned into Jarrett.
Speaker 2:I have to know the first question that everybody wants to know maybe it's just me what do you drink in the morning? Because the amount of energy that you have on a daily basis all through the day, I don't get it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So, brother, what's happening? I will tell you, as I've gotten older. I was never a coffee person when I was growing up. I always make the joke right. The people that watch me on TV. I think about, like the little old ladies, and I know we have younger people watching us. But you know, when I first moved to Paspa too, it was a heavy, you know older crowd and they'd be like oh, I just love your energy every morning and I'd sit there and I'd go well, what did you?
Speaker 1:you know, hey, oh, I'm retired now. I used to be a school teacher and I'm like I don't know why I sound like Adam Sandler right now, but all that being said, bro, I'd be like, well, I would have drove you crazy. So I've always been like high energy, kind of high strong. You know, I didn't ever want to get into television and it just honestly ended up working out some connections, some friends. And now here we are, 11 years into my TV career, and one of my biggest compliments I get all the time is my energy. And I tell people now the three things that really kind of do it for me.
Speaker 1:I try to get at least seven hours of sleep, so I should say four, but sleep being that top one, I try to get at least seven hours of sleep. I have one cup of coffee. I sit in the morning you know I do pass by too which is real easy to wake up and do a morning show live Cause it's like hey, bro, you got to bring the juice man, you know what I'm saying. So you got to bring it. That's my, that's my job is to bring energy to the airwaves of Acadiana on KLFY News 10.
Speaker 1:And then, um, something I try to do every morning is is kind of hit a daily mass and uh, dependent on the mass or who's who's, you know who's doing mass right, which, which which priest or you know pastors doing mass. A part that I love is that Hallelujah, hallelujah Bruh. I don't know what it is, I just got hyped now, dude, you know. So, um, you know some music selections help as well, uh, but I would say in the last you know two years, um, that has been something that, uh, those three things for sure get me going. You know putting on some old school Wayne stuff like that, but really coffee, a daily mask, and I love the cold plunge at Red's Chaz, what you know, brother.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, we're here, of course, with Gerald Grunick, who is Acadiana's favorite TV personality, prolific on social media, foodie, awesome guy. And we just found out that his intro song is Hallelujah.
Speaker 1:Cue Mackenzie, Borg right. Hallelujah, no. But that kind of chanting back and forth with the congregation and from the, I don't know, it just gets me fired up. I don't know why, Maybe I'm the only one, but it gets me juiced, bro for sure.
Speaker 2:So you are from New Orleans, you go to Nichols State, you play football. How did you get into TV?
Speaker 1:So, bro, crazy story, I'm actually my whole life. So I grew up in the hood man. 5319 Franklin Avenue, on top of the Po'boy Bakery, next to 224.7 gas stations Baby, it was popping. You heard me? I'm telling you, bro, it was on on. This is your dad's my dad's spot, the po'boy bakery. The person I'm named after is gerald sealy, gerald grunick, my dad's kind of father figure. My dad used to be called the kamikaze without a plane because he was blind in one eye and would hit parked cars on his newspaper route all the time. It totally a cancel culture name now right, like referencing kamikazes and all that. Um, so my dad goes by kaz shout, out, big kaz shout out to big kaz, for for sure.
Speaker 1:And Kaz and where I grew up. He was 12, 13 years old he met Mr Jerry, mr Gerald Seeley, and then Mr Jerry hired him and then, before you knew it, he was a co-owner of the business with Mr Jerry, bought the apartment on top of the business from Mr Jerry and that was the house I was raised in. That was the house I was raised in. So, with that being said, my dad had a lot of people coming in and out of the restaurant because we weren't far from City Park right and City Park in the 70s, 80s, 90s, the golf course, and like a golf course now it's a hang. So Frank Mackle was one of my dad's good friends.
Speaker 1:Travis and Fletcher Mackle are his twin sons that work on TV in New Orleans. We used to go to their Christmas party every year. Mr Frank, miss Judy you know I just saw Miss Judy a few weeks ago loved them to death. Just went and visited Travis and Fletcher in New Orleans recently and, um, you know, so super tight with them. I'm working before I interned with them. I'm working at the gold mine in the French quarter right, just bouncing my. My wife now is getting ready.
Speaker 2:The gold mine, the gold mine baby flame of dr peppers.
Speaker 1:Bro, people don't know this whole this, all, this whole thing started a lot of brain cells there, my my television career, social media career all of it started at the gold mine because I was bouncing. I got done playing football at nickels waiting on my wife to finish her last year of school. I was still in school trying to figure out what I was going to do. I was probably going to coach high school or college for the year and work at the restaurant. Well then Travis rolls up on me. He's like what's up dude? I'm like what up, bro, how you been Yada, yada, yada. He's like well, why? Five-hour college algebra class is crazy. I did the minimum math.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you will never be able to make that make sense to me bro, shout out business management.
Speaker 2:I think I had one algebra.
Speaker 1:Yeah right, that's what I'm saying. I had a business degree going for the restaurant. And then they're like hey, you have to go to lab Tuesdays and Thursdays for two hours and you've got to go to a math class Monday. I'm like what man? So it was either math, communications or general studies for the easiest math. And then here we are. So Travers hit me up and he's like bro, why don't you come intern? Because we ran into each other at the Goldmine. And then a few months later I had my first TV job in Alexandria and then you ended up in Acadiana.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I worked in Alexandria. I always make the joke. I love central Louisiana. I had a blast up there, dude, and I think anybody. While they're starting their profession their first year, the people they work with you know, you're becoming an adult, You're figuring out how things kind of work. I had no idea. I grew up in a cash money business, bro. You know what taxes were. Bro. I get my first tv job. They're paying me 25 grand a year. I'm like that's two bands a month. We'll be able to make that shake, bro.
Speaker 1:When I got my first 700 paycheck and and I had a rent house for 600 a month in the hood of pineville, I'm like, whoa, we got we to make some adjustments, man. So I lived in Alexandria for my first year, um, and then they had a sports opening pop up at KLFY in 2014. And uh, yeah, I jumped on it. Jeff, jeff Horchak, who's at news 15 now, and KLFY news tens, george Faust brought me in. And then, uh, yeah, we made it, made it happen.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you don't do sports anymore, so a couple of years ago I was still doing the Friday night first and 10 show, the Friday night football show. We did, we've done at KLFY.
Speaker 2:I remember you now from the sports show. You were clean, shaven, bright red hair. You look completely different now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a little different now, but that kind of comes with time, right, I think, as things have changed within television and in general, but also too, it's like I think, as things have changed within television and in general, but also too, I think, as things have continued to succeed on television and on social for me. But even now things are constantly changing bro.
Speaker 2:Look at Michael Strahan. He started in sports. Yeah, that's what I'm saying Now. He's on everything. He's on Fox, he's on ABC. It's crazy. It was a foot in the door, right it was your. It was your knowledge base at the time. It's what you felt most comfortable with, and then it, it was a foot in the door and it led to other things, yeah and then.
Speaker 1:So I did sports for two years, but within my first two years at klfy I started acadiana eats, which then pivoted into you started acad age yeah. So I went to my bosses kenny lawrence and kyle brinkman at the time. I said, hey, I want to do a food segment.
Speaker 2:They're like eh, I'm like well that's a cooking show once every month, right?
Speaker 1:well, there's just so much. You know there's so much going on and we were at such a weird time for the television station because channel 10 was the legacy station. Right, we were longest running, you know, the most tenure, if you will, but just trying to figure out, trying to prioritize what people want to watch, right that's going to be inherently more conservative on their viewers yeah, like you know, we just uh, less willing to take trial and new things.
Speaker 1:Yeah let's get back to doing and I think they did a fantastic job from a management standpoint of just let's get back to doing the news. You know what I'm saying like, like, let's put the train back on the tracks and let's just do a newscast the way everybody else is doing it, and then we can get back to adding our flavor and culture to our newscasts once we have this whole thing situated. Because for the longest time KLFY was so culture-based, I think it had kind of gotten a little hectic, whereas you know, they tightened up how we operate and then we started inserting the cultural aspects of things. So they eventually came around and then, instead of me doing it during what was called a ratings period, they're like no, let's do it every week. And then, sure enough, they were the ones that really kind of saw the foresight to do it every week.
Speaker 2:And then it's turned into a monster man. Best way. What was the first iteration of?
Speaker 1:acadiana eats. So this is actually you know, I know we're taping this in the fall of 2024. We're officially at nine years of acadiana eats. Oh, I lie, wait 2024. Yeah, okay, we're officially at nine years, because it started in 15. I've been at channel 10 for 10 years, so 14 was when I started at congratulations, you made a decade at kfy baby.
Speaker 2:Carter, that's pretty good, there's that Nichols math working for Jared? Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 1:As I'm learning. Yeah, for sure, but because I've been at TV 11, I started at Channel 10 10 years ago.
Speaker 2:Help me out. That's a long time, right, is that? Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:Especially these days. But you know, kudos to them for you know, and me, I think we've both done a really good job of growing together and you know I always hold Channel 10 in a super great light. You'll never hear me say anything bad about.
Speaker 1:KLFY ever. They've been great to me, but they've also I've been good to them. They've been good to me. It's just been a great mutual relationship. It's awesome and you know I'm proud to be a member of that team. But Acadiana Eats, to your point, we shot it in August of 2015. And I've been the first segment aired October 1st of 2015. We shot Acadiana Eats in August of 15. The first edition of Acadiana Eats at Pops Pull Boys aired October 1st of 2015.
Speaker 2:That was your first episode at.
Speaker 1:Pops At.
Speaker 2:Pops yeah, and what did it look like? What was the episode? I mean, you get out there with a camera.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so John and I, Mr Weatherall.
Speaker 2:We couldn't book John, we had to bring Gerald. He's up there with you, brother.
Speaker 1:Oh, no, look, and that's what's been. It's been such a friendship there and we can get into the nitty gritty.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I want to talk about John, yeah.
Speaker 1:So, um, john has been a huge blessing in my life, but John and I both um went. I don't know. I'm like man, I don't know what this is going to look like. I don't know, I don't know how we're going to put this together, but I know we got the approval to go shoot a couple of test episodes of Acadiana eats. You know, let's see what this looks like and then you know, I'll go back and watch them and I'm like, oh man, rough to watch, but like anything else man, you know, with reps you get better. Yeah, Similar to this podcast.
Speaker 1:You go watch the first one, you're like man, we crushed it. And then here you are, you know, down the road and you're like this is brutal. Yeah, correct, but you know, yeah, but I always do love the people that that you know. I've been rocking with us since the beginning and it's been really cool to kind of see what it's all turned into.
Speaker 2:And how has the show evolved over time? What did? What was the original kind of concept?
Speaker 1:How did it? What did it get to now? Yeah, I think it's a cultural phenomenon. Yeah, no, it's been, it's been a blessing, and I think what's cool about it is, you know, it's still very television-esque, right? Like you know, instead of me being, you know, my like I don't want to say natural self, because it is still me being natural, but it's like TV, polished, right? You know what I mean, which is a thing you know.
Speaker 2:No-transcript uh, and I'm doing a when I'm doing, I'm doing a legal clip on a podcast or at home or in the office and I but I don't wear that to court Exactly Right, Perfect example, Perfect example.
Speaker 1:So, um, yeah, so John and I roll up, we go to Pops and had no idea what it was going to look like, had no idea what that would be, but I just knew we could get to the point where we could showcase local restaurants, because that's what called to me was never a success standpoint, a financial standpoint. Oh, one day this is going to have this amount of sponsors and I'm going to be able to raise my family here and, yeah, like never was a thought. It was just like hey, why don't we do a food segment spotlighting all these local restaurants and all this great food that we have in our community? Why is nobody doing that? It's crazy to think that at the time the other television stations, nobody was doing it, you know, and we were the cultural station for decades, forever. It's what we were known for. Why weren't we doing it? So there was. The format itself is still pretty similar. You know what I'm saying. Like located on Jefferson Street in downtown Lafayette, right Sound bite of Colin Cormier.
Speaker 1:Like yeah, you know we've been open since March of 2014. It's like you's like the home of Pop's Pull Boys. We sell New Orleans-style pull boys with a Cajun twist. Pop's Pull Boys like dude. I've seen the same clip, similar to Adam Richman, kind of scripting out man vs Food. But I mean, once you catch a formula that works, it's a good formula.
Speaker 1:Yeah, let's roll, so yeah. So the format itself has changed a little bit because we've had to make it a little tighter, because people's attention spans are obviously shrinking, which, you know, depending on how you deliver your information, can be a good or bad thing. But you know, we first started the segment it was like three minutes. Now I can get it anywhere from like 155 to two minutes. So a lot of that is like, instead of you and I talking on camera, it's just you talking on camera and just me talking on camera. Then it makes it easier for me to edit too, because what people don't realize, john shoots that video and it's like here you go, gerald, wow, and I edit it, write it, track it, do everything you know. But it's also another beautiful skill that you get to learn working in TV, as long as you do, you know.
Speaker 2:So when did you start pushing social media? How was that evolution transition?
Speaker 1:So I had no interest in social media ever, you know. In fact, the television station you know, at times would be like hey, why don't you post pictures of the food you're eating? Why don't you, you know, and on your personal account?
Speaker 1:on my even cause. I had work, I had a work Facebook page at the time, right, and we had an Acadiana Eats Instagram where I was just posting pictures. And then in 2021, when I saw the shift kind of happen and I'll tell you. You know, I know I gave John some love always do but John had actually grown a haunted attraction right to insane numbers in a short amount of time on TikTok and Instagram and I'm and I'm going like man dude, if, if, if what you're doing, just because you like to do it is, is doing that. I just feel like this is a space we need to be in.
Speaker 2:Um, was this before he went viral on, correct so?
Speaker 1:John was not growing his own pages. He would post stuff on his Facebook from time to time. He had an Instagram. Before the Kevin Gates video dropped a couple of years ago, I think, john was at like eight or 9,000 followers on. Now was what two, three years ago now? So you know, now he's at like two plus or 200 plus and then. So what I'm saying is is like there was a focus there, but John was like a a very busy wedding photographer.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. So it was like the Mardi Gras stuff and filming everything was just kind of a hobby, whereas, like with me, I've always loved what I do at the television station but I always have felt like man. You know what can I do, where I can? You know what's cool about local TV is like you really get to get invested into your community. But the tough part is is, like you know, I kind of felt like trapped by our eight parishes.
Speaker 1:But I lived in Thibodeau. I lived in New Orleans, I lived on the North, like I've lived all over the state. I lived in Alexandria and the beautiful part about Lafayette is that you're an hour and a half to two hours to every portion of the state. You know what I mean. Three hours north of Louisiana, but you know. So, seeing what John did with his numbers and knowing my personality, I didn't know what that looked like. But I'm like man. You know what I think.
Speaker 1:If you've got the knacker or if you've seen what works and we get to see what works, and you and I both have the ability we both need to start kind of pouring into this, because something that is an unfortunate side of working in TV is that at times, dude, I'll tell you right now. Dwight Dugas and Kenny Lawrence, the two that hired me love them to death. Kyle Brinkman, my news director at KLFY love him to death. Fran McRae, who then ended up being my GM after Kenny love her to death. Michael Sipes, who's been my news director for almost eight years now that's my guy. And Chris Cook, who's my GM now love him to death. All of them have been super gracious and given me plenty of opportunities within the television station to do my thing, and the television station has got to also benefit as well as me. It's just been a great mutual relationship. However, that's a lot of names in 10 years.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, from the social side, you know, for me it just felt like, hey, this is something that can be mine, that I can do, but it also works and doesn't step on toe. You know what I'm saying. It's just something that I feel like I need to be doing and that's ultimately what it was. And then, once I started I need to be doing and that's ultimately what it was. And then, once I started, I quickly got to see, you know, like man, you know, people are enjoying this, and I'm not talking just in Acadiana, because I knew everybody loved it here, or most people did. And I say it all the time. I feel so bad for the people that don't like me, boy, because I'm like at times I'm like, whether it's TV, the radio, my phone, I'm like bro, that's a whole lot of Gerald man. But that also motivates me a little bit too, because it's like, yeah, yeah, you don't like me, here I am.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying, so I know what appeals here. What do you think someone in Des Moines, iowa, or Fairbanks, alaska, what do you think attracts them to your videos?
Speaker 1:Yeah, the things that drive people crazy at times are also like my biggest. My biggest I guess pros or assets in my personality and who I am can also be my biggest. You know faults, you know. I think we all can struggle with that. Right Like you can probably be really combative, you know what I mean and argumentative and you know. But it's like, hey, that's how you make a living, you know. So same kind of thing here. It's like, well, I try to keep that line on the leash. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. So it's like that that dude does a lot, you know, or that guy's a lot. So I think, depending on who you're talking to, the bayou state as a whole is a national treasure and people have always had a natural like what is going on over there?
Speaker 2:yeah, you know what I mean you've seen it with the saint super bowl run you've seen with lsu and lsu's doing. Well, you see it with some of the local athletes. Yeah, something that keon coleman just recently the buffalo bills like his his candid interviews and the way he was. He became a fan favorite before he even caught a touchdown pass like I agree with you. There's something about the people here that magnetizes others right, and that's what's been so cool.
Speaker 1:To your point, all of those bosses that I just mentioned at KLFY I don't think any of them wanted to leave. You know what I mean? I think, within the scope of bettering your family's lives and other opportunities, you got to do it. But every single person I just rattled off that has helped me in my television career and helped me grow as a person dude, they didn't want to leave.
Speaker 1:They loved it here, you know what I'm saying, so like as messed up as this state is as a whole, and we could give you a list.
Speaker 2:Oh man, we can give you a list. It's been well-documented.
Speaker 1:It is still very much a cool place to live and I think people there's a natural attraction to it and I think what's been really unique in the success that we've had on social has been and the success that I've had on television is and I don't say this to sound arrogant, but if you think you can find somebody that grew up like me, it's going to be tough, because I grew up in the hood of New Orleans, on top.
Speaker 1:I grew up where I grew up in New Orleans on top of my family's poor boy restaurant, across the street from a 24-7 gas station, catching a bus down into the Lafitte housing projects and then playing baseball at Lakeview Playground with Billy and Tommy and going to mass at St Dominic you know what I'm saying. And hanging out at the restaurant with the guys in the back and waking up in the mornings to the homeless dudes that cleaned my dad's restaurant for a case of Red Dogs. You know what I'm saying. Like what's up, anthony, how you doing studda, for real. Like man, we'd have dudes off the street in my living room, bro. You know. Like hey, where's your dad at? I'm like man, what you doing.
Speaker 1:You're like next thing you know he's rapping my Adidas by run DMC and I'm like 12. And I'm like what's up? Like who is stutter? I'm like, oh, that's the neighborhood alcoholic, you know what I mean. Like he sleeps in the old post truck and then Katrina hits. I end up on the North Shore in the suburbs. I'm like whoa, what is this? I feel like I'm rolling up to football games and I'm getting handed a pizza with my number on it, bro. And then Katrina hits. I'm in Bayou country and then I get done with football on the North Shore and then I'm in Thibodeau and then I'm playing football at Nichols. Like what I'm like, dude. You like Thibodeau? I'm like, yeah, I like everywhere I'm at, you know what I'm saying. And then so I spend time. Next thing, you know I'm bow fishing and cutoff, golden medal, grand dial. And then that happens. And then I get my first TV job from working in the French Quarter, from a contact, and then I'm in Alexandria, louisiana.
Speaker 2:People are like up there. I'm like, bro, I'm having a blast.
Speaker 1:You're like the culmination of the entire state of Louisiana, correct? So how that has all worked. And one of the things that I'm so proud of is like I can be in the most rural portions of our state or I can be in the nitty gritty, like rough parts of our state and everybody's different type of love and admiration, but there still is a general like what's up, g, you know what I'm saying Like that's my guy and dude. I feel eternally grateful and blessed to grow up how I grew up, because the impact I'm able to make and the relationships I've been able to form with all walks of life has been unbelievable.
Speaker 2:That's cool. Look, I told you I had a client that came up to me one time and said there's two boys that are invited to the cookout you and Gerald Groening.
Speaker 1:And I took that as a super super compliment.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure, and I think it's a level of realness and a level of being able to relate to different types of people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's what I tell people all the time too. It's like you know in my comments. They'll be like hey, gerald's invited to the cookout. I'm like bro, I grew up at the cookout man, I've been there.
Speaker 2:Thanks for the invite, but I'm already here, homie, you feel me.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying, but those things do mean a lot to me. But also, what I love is like hey man, come on a duck hunt. Hey man, come on a deer hunt. It's just been unbelievable the way I've been able to relate to so many different walks of life, but also when I get to spend time with those people, the perspective I'm able to share with them, because the reality of it is, bro, depending on who I'm with, you hear some things where I got to go hey man, don't talk like that around me from all aspects. You know what I'm saying. Like, dude, there's times John Weatherall, and're all in the car or we're out and about. I'm like hey, john, get in the car, let me handle this. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Because people well bro think about where we are at. We go into, like the most rural, the most, you know, densely populated, we're all over the place with of life and all types of perspectives. How I have been able to relate and even connect with people that may be way out of pocket and kind of salvage conversations, moments, instances has been something I take a lot of pride in. But also, too, if I can have one person thinking one way and then they get to know me and or we get to talk for a little bit. Oh man, I never thought about it that way. Like all right, cool bro, now you do have a good one baby we out. You know what I'm saying. That's great, because we kind of have to, because, man, it can get as crazy as times have been. Yeah, you know, I've got a four-year-old and a two-year-old.
Speaker 2:Give me a. It is a wild wild between the cost of stuff. It's crazy. Well, what's crazy, man, is the way I grew up in Sicilia man we didn't know anything about politics. I remember one time I was on the playground and there was like a plane that drew in the sky like Edwards or Duke or I don't know what it was. And I was like that, guess the first time I can remember ever thinking about politics, because we just didn't talk about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah right, my family was not a very political family and it's like now, everything is so polarized and oh yeah you know, just it. It makes me sick because the when I, the way I grew up in sicilia, dude, everybody was on the same level.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, right, I don't care. White, black, asilia dude, everybody was on the same level. Yeah, yeah right, I don't care.
Speaker 2:White, black, asian, I don't care, Everybody was on the same level.
Speaker 1:Republican Democrat dude we're all on the struggle bus here trying to make it, and we're all in Sicilia cat.
Speaker 2:We're all in Sicilia cat All right, I give you big props for your trip to Sic. Oh yeah, Green's picked it with us.
Speaker 1:Dane is actually my cousin. Okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:It's fire and you got them pink, weenie hot dogs with the most fire chili. And I was like Gerald knows what's up bro. Oh yeah, no, for sure, because that's how I grew up.
Speaker 1:My dad had the steam table underneath the apartment I grew up in and there was always pink hot dogs in the water, bro, or in chili man, isn't that the best. Yeah and dude, I got to experiment because, you know, in the mornings I'd wake up and roll through the, the bakery you know what I'm saying. Where I'd go, to, gendusa, my dad, when we'd load up to go to school. So you know where I grew up on franklin avenue in new orleans.
Speaker 1:In the eighth war, gentilly, whatever you want to call it we would then go. I'd go to school at christian bells in city park then. Then I'd have to go to saint dominic, then'd have to go to St Dominic, then I'd have to go to Hunt, like my parents were always moving me around because I was always getting into something. But the neighborhood I grew up in it's like whew, we don't want Gerald in that situation either, because it could get bad quick, because I'm like I'm going to cut up wherever I'm at at that time. I ended up going to Cap, though on Franklin Avenue, because no high school, no Catholic high school in New Orleans, would take me, because my grades were bad. I was, you know, never a bad kid, but always going to contest or push. Or you know, like those same ladies that I told you earlier that are like exactly oh, I love your energy.
Speaker 2:Like bro, you would have kicked me out your school, you would have kicked me out Season D's in conduct baby Season D's in conduct, and it's not because I'm a bad kid, I just can't keep my damn mouth shut.
Speaker 1:So I have to keep Ariel at times, as cause my wife's a teacher. You know, at times I kind of have to kind of like, hey, remember that was me.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1:Like, and it's so easy to be hard on those kids.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying, which is and don't don't pound them down too much, because they might be the next Gerald Grunick.
Speaker 1:Oh man, you know compared to you know, like you know, just a line where all of the valedictorians, or people that I know that graduated at the top of classes when I was growing up, are working at. A lot of them are working at restaurants in New Orleans. They're hitting me up. Hey man, do you think you could?
Speaker 1:come to this place I work at. That's crazy about great dudes, great people, but just like to think man, it's kind of like well, pretty humbling for me because it's like man I remember you're putting them on now looking up to you as like man right dude's a great athlete, good student got it all figured out and then it's like man, gerald, that's my boat, gerald's my boy you know, instead of the other way, because that was the role I was gonna be at the po'boy shop, you know, slugged up, tatted up, with slits in my eyebrows, bro, that's what was happening.
Speaker 2:It could have happened. Oh, no, no, no, no.
Speaker 1:Still can baby. Don't count it out bro.
Speaker 2:Uh, there's two things that that you do. Yeah, so we've been friends for probably over a year now. And so I know you're a real one, but if I was just watching your videos, there's two things that you do that make me know that you're a real one. Number one is you combine all your food. If you got a plate lunch, you're going to take the bread and make a sandwich with the meat and the beans, and the thing.
Speaker 2:Or if you're going to Popeye's or fried chicken, you put the red beans on top of the tender.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, let's go Load up the drums.
Speaker 2:I don't even have to ask if you put your potato salad in your gumbo because I already know the answer you got to yeah, no doubt so that's number one. Number two is you always find the best drink. Yep, with the meal, yeah. If you're going to the pig, yeah, and you're eating hot dogs, you're gonna get a fago out the front cooler. That's 89 cents, oh, no doubt and doubt. And double cup it or something. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Where does that come from?
Speaker 1:Oh. So back to how I grew up, bro. I grew up in the city where I had 24-7 gas stations at my disposal at all times. I can vividly remember being 13, 14 years old and, like bro, telling you, I was out of pocket man, never in a bad way, never doing anything, you know but I would take my mom and dad's car while they were sleeping and go roll to the Taco Bell on Elysian fields, down the street from brother Martin, and my brother would be like I can't believe you're about to do that. Like you want some Taco Bell? Yeah, I do, like you know. And we go roll to Taco Bell, I'd drive and then we'd roll back up, whether it's a Baja Blast or Go-Get, something like that.
Speaker 1:But all that being said, bro, if it was the middle of the night and we had friends over man, I was hanging with the Middle Eastern dudes that owned the gas station next door. So, like dude that's the culture I grew up in, you know what I'm saying. So, like, like big shots, it wasn't a treat, it's just what I drank, you know what I'm saying. Or like a bottle of Barks root beer, or you know stuff like that Hubig's pies, red cream soda, like that, dude, I had a fountain machine under my house, bro. So it's not like my daughter who's like, oh, I get lemonade water today. It's like, bro, I get home from basketball practice and be slamming you know, pineapple, bro, it just is what it is.
Speaker 1:And then, from the food side, I've always been just kind of like man, let's try this, let's try that, let's stack it up, and it is, I mean dude. There's no other way to do it in my personal opinion, but I do respect those people. That kind of eat civilly, that's cool. And I'm not eating like that when me and Ariel are just hanging out. I'll make a sandwich when we're chilling, but that's what people. It's funny. Every time I do a podcast people will be like well, how come you ain't talking? I'm like well, bro, you think I'm at my house, like what's happening, baby? I'm not yelling at my wife all the time, bro, you know what I'm saying. So the conversational aspect of how versus, like that elevated, it's like coaching, like doing anything, like you're not talking to your wife, how you speak in a courtroom.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying. In fact, when you talk normal, it's pretty boring. And like it's like when I'm animated on camera. I think I'm doing this, but I'm just really kind of doing this, yeah right Like if you talk in your normal tone, you will have zero attention. Yeah, Two seconds of attention. People are like this guy's monotone, boring, oh yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 1:So you have to elevate it to a certain extent. I mean, there's, like you know, I've learned, there's like an anchor voice right Like in TV, like you know, like you on TV. Hello, Acadiana, I'm Gerald.
Speaker 2:Grudek.
Speaker 1:Thanks so much. You know, like there is a certain like performance aspect of what I do for a living, so anyway, all that being said, that you know, that's kind of how that all came about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was. That was an observation I made and I and I it. It just rings true in so many things, man, I, I, I catch myself doing the same thing and I'm just like, damn, dude, that was country as hell.
Speaker 1:But that's all right, man, that was country. I kind of have to get myself in check too, because culturally at times, you know how I grew up and where I grew up in New Orleans. You know it's like, bro, how I used to talk, how I used to act, how things used to be like. Now, don't fly, you know what I'm saying, but it's still in me. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. It's always going to be in you Right.
Speaker 2:I had a soccer practice yesterday. I took my shoes off and I coached a team of 12 nine-year-olds barefooted for an hour and a half. Yeah, Running around and people were looking at me like what is wrong with this man?
Speaker 1:I was like dude, this is my best footwear known to man barefoot right. My dad gets on me about that all the time. Put some shoes on. I'm like bro, I love being one of the ladies said damn, that's country. I was like, hey, that's me, don't knock it till you, try it for sure what, what area?
Speaker 2:you've been all around the state. You've probably been all around the country. Now where do you find in louisiana is the best food? Oh man, I know that's gonna probably get you in trouble no, bro.
Speaker 1:Bro, Look, I know when you're thinking about content. This is the question to ask, bro. For sure I'm glad you asked me, so I tell people this answer all the time. So I'm born and raised in New Orleans on top of my family's po'boy and plate lunch restaurant All right family's po'boy and plate lunch restaurant, All right Grew up in New Orleans around all of my you know aunts and aunties, or aunties I should say you know what I'm saying, Like the full spectrum.
Speaker 2:I can't wait the full spectrum. Come on bro.
Speaker 1:Bring it the full spectrum of people. I have lived in New Orleans, born and raised. I have lived on the North Shore. I have lived in Thibodeau. I have lived in Alexandria. I have lived in downtown Lafayette, the north side of Lafayette, the south side of Lafayette. I've touched just about everywhere. I haven't lived in Lake Charles or North Louisiana, but I've spent enough time in all those areas. So I will tell you, from the affordability aspect of food, we're breaking it down into budgets.
Speaker 1:Oh dude, this is how you got to get the answer because New Orleans is in this crazy spot. You got a lot of people flooding to the city and the New Orleans area is getting so expensive. It's like man. If I had to pick a place where I had to eat out every day, would it be in New Orleans right now? Absolutely not, because it's not sustainable, it's expensive, whereas out here it's crazy to me that a pound of buddha has like five, six, seven dollars now, because when I got here it was like 2.99. But so you talk about like the financial state of the world we're living in is nuts, because it's like I remember when crackling was like 13 a pound people are like it's so expensive.
Speaker 2:Now it's like 25, 26, 27 really I remember when I was 18 and it was like damn that's.
Speaker 1:That's expensive. Bro crackling is $23, $24, $25 a pound, bro, because what happens is you get a 90-pound case of pork belly and it goes down to you got to make a margin, and that's a lot of work.
Speaker 2:Oh, what you got to make your margin.
Speaker 1:So, all that being said, new Orleans, from a fine dining aspect, takes the cake Across the state, no problem. I Takes the cake Across the state, no problem, I think, from a daily plate. And po'boys, I love old time, I love pops, I love, but like dude, a New Orleans po'boy to me Like a full a dress, shrimp po'boy dress with hot sauce and pickles, a barksroot beer, some zaps, potato chips, onion rings and a lemon pie from Hubig's. Oh, my goodness, can't be touched.
Speaker 2:Touched in my opinion and what's your favorite po'boy joint in your world?
Speaker 1:my dad it's got to be pops. Uh, you know we've gone to eat at other places, but you know, yeah, how can you top that nostalgia? You can't. But you know so from the affordability aspect, the day-to-day living, I you gotta go, you gotta go. Laugh yet, um, because the flavor is unbelievable and, for some reason, something I get on my restaurants about all the time.
Speaker 1:Everybody's in this race to the bottom. You know what I'm saying. One of the biggest problems we have in this town we have too many restaurants, period, there's way too many. A plate lunch spot closes, another one opens up, thinking they're going to change the game, not saying you can't have success, but what ends up happening is everybody gets in this race of serving so much food at oh man, you can get.
Speaker 1:How often do we hear in Acadiana oh man, you spend 15, $16 on a plate. You can eat on it for three days. That's a problem. That's a problem. That is a problem, yeah, because what starts happening? You've got people trying to make a living, the cost of goods are going up and then you start spoiling people by the cost of what, oh man, this used to be. Look at us, we're talking about crackling boudin, like all of the things worth every penny now, compared to even what it was 10 years ago. But all that being said, it's like every time you got to go up it just makes that cut. Deeper and deeper Conversations I have at restaurants all day, every day. It's like hey, bro, how much you sell that for, say they tell tell.
Speaker 2:Say, they tell me 10, I'm like why not 15? Oh, I can't do that. Well, why not? Oh well, I spoiled my client, my customers.
Speaker 1:That's what I'm saying. So, but then we have a lot of good restaurants that are open, that are charging what they should. Oh, they're too high. But it's like, dude, I don't do anything to survive. You know what I'm saying. I don't wake up every day trying to survive. I'm not trying to maybe bring my kids to Disneyland no, we going to Disneyland. I'm not trying. Oh, but, daddy, I want to see snow, let's go. I'm not. I'm not trying to put my family in a situation where I can't do that. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:So why would our restaurants do that same thing? Oh, man, just trying to make it. Like, man, you packed. What are we talking about? Oh, well, you know they don't want to pay. Like well, bruh, you got. Man, everybody. It's a music conversation, a food conversation, all of the cultural things that we are so blessed to have here, especially in the three, three, seven area right, Lafayette, Acadiana, Lake Charles, all of our 337 area, Lafayette, Acadiana, Lake Charles, all of our, I would say, rural, smaller aspects of our state compared to New Orleans and Baton Rouge. We're all fighting the same battle. What makes us so unique and so special in this portion of our state and this portion of the country is not sustainable right now. You know what I'm saying. That food, this rice and gravy, this seven steak man, I can't believe oxtails are $22 a plate Like well, bruh, people keep buying them because you're selling them too cheap, man, Like it's just the. It's not.
Speaker 2:It is not at all so do you think that we're going to lose some of the cultural impact we have over time because the mom and pop shops are going to go away, because they can't afford to survive?
Speaker 1:Dude, I've got a dad, my dad's got a thriving restaurant right now and I want nothing to do with it. When was that ever? Do you think if my dad were growing up in that situation he would have ever thought about doing something else? No, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, like now, it's my job to support those people. You know what I'm saying? Klfy News 10 to do it in Acadiana. On my social media, I'm working with all kinds of different people to make sure we can lift up these small businesses. But the reality of it is, bro, it's like $2,500, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $10,000. Weekend ain't as big of a lick as it used to be when I started doing this a decade ago, bro, now they need it. You know what I'm saying. Doing this a decade ago, bro, now they need it. You know what I'm saying. Now it's a need. Hey, bro, I could really use the boost instead of like wow, thank you for that. You get what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:It's almost like this sense of hey, Gerald, I need you, and I'm talking about busy restaurants too, bro. Yeah, so let's deconstruct that On your social media, because we're going to have some new Gerald fans. You go out to these restaurants, you display their food, you give them some love, you talk about it on an already show, you pump them up, and you do that out of the kindness of your heart. And you do that because you have a love and appreciation for restaurants, because your dad was a restaurateur. You grew up on top of a restaurant and so you go out and you help and it could go viral. It could be 15,000 likes, something crazy that's going to bring people to them. And you started to see a trend where people went from kind of appreciating it to almost needing it because the restaurant environment has gotten so difficult to keep up with inflation.
Speaker 2:Everything. The customers are dealing with inflation and other areas of their life, so they're less likely to go eat. They're more price sensitive. Their cost of goods are going up. That's been a trend, and so what do you do now? What responsibility do you have and what are you trying to do to to help?
Speaker 1:Well, so that's what's been.
Speaker 2:Other than giving them some real talk right now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So, like you know, I will tell you.
Speaker 2:By the way, you don't have to convince me not to have a restaurant. I talk about this all the time, yeah, yeah. And I respect the heck out of restaurateurs. Oh man, because it's brutal. You and I talked about that. Like, like the amount of capital and labor and cost of goods, I mean it's insane, it's a lifestyle, bro. It's a lifestyle. I didn't mean to cut you off.
Speaker 1:No, no, no, you're good. So you know, from the social aspect, right On KLFY News 10, our Acadiana Eats segment was started 100% to support local restaurants and showcase local restaurants on TV. There was never. Hey, I want to eat free food, hey this, hey I want to eat free food. Hey, this, that and the other. I grew up like that. I've never been like you know my the worst thing the worst thing you can tell me as a person, bro.
Speaker 1:Seriously, people do it. I'm working for the local news all the time. The worst thing you can do to me right now is like hey, gerald, um, you know, we'll feed you like bro. That does not get me excited. It doesn't because I'm like bro. You're talking about somebody that eats or goes out to eat or can go out to eat for free wherever he wants, whenever he wants all day Y'all are killing me.
Speaker 1:But, bro, the reality of it is is like that doesn't get me excited. You me helping you as a person or you telling me what's really going on with you is what helps get me motivated, not like, hey, cheeseburgers on me. The worst, bro, the worst situations that can happen and this, hopefully, the people that do get to see this or hear this are restaurateurs that I've worked with in the past. What feels like the biggest slap in the face to me? Because when I come see you, no questions asked, bro, you know what I'm saying, saying I'm gonna try and do everything I can to lift you up. Of course I go back to that place to support, right, dude, this makes my blood boil. I'm telling you, I know what you're gonna say, dude. They'll say hey, man, I'm like yo, I want this, this and this, right, and then, and then, instead of just checking me out, let me pay for my meal. They'll be like hey, I didn't charge you for the chicken tenders.
Speaker 1:I'm a huge believer in. Like, bro, don't take food from those that are going to brag about feeding you. You get what I'm saying. Yes, like, I never want to take a meal from somebody that's going to be like oh yeah, see what Gerald's wearing. I gave him that. You see what Gerald's wearing. I gave him that. You see what Gerald's eating. I gave him. Never take food from someone that's going to brag about feeding you. It's something that I hold near and dear to my heart. Damn. You know what I'm saying Because I told you earlier I never want to be in a position where somebody feels like they gave me something ever.
Speaker 1:Everything I do I went and got. Either relationship-wise, it's been a natural thing or it's something that we've built, it's all come natural. I never want to feel like I owe anyone anything, so I don't want a handout. So when you tell me after I packed out your restaurant with a television segment or a social media segment oh hey, and by the way, I didn't charge you for that link of boot head but then, like bro, either do it and don't say anything, right, and oh cool, that was nice of you or, you know, I get on my dad all the time we went out to eat Guy brings out a bottle of champagne for us to have at the table. My dad ruined it. You want to know why? Because he's like hey, dad, you just killed it. You were the man, until you said that you know what I'm saying. And then my mom's like Gerald, you're so rude. I'm like no, I'm not Act like you've been there, bro, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:The big time is where you're at. So when people told me that I wouldn't be able to and now it's been really fun to be like, oh yeah, come on, bro, go ahead and tell me. But from the restaurant aspect of what I need to do, or what we have been doing, acadiana Eats on KLFY News 10 is still you know, it's the most popular restaurant segment in the state when it comes to local television. Not even close, man, we put a restaurant on Acadiana Eats and if, if we don't have a thunderstorm or if it's not a food truck and it's, and it's so hot outside, it's gonna be packed, it's gonna oh dude, it's gonna look like chick-fil-a bro, I say that all the time. But from the social aspect, you gave me goosebumps.
Speaker 2:Man, yeah, dude, no, no.
Speaker 1:I'm glad. But from from the social, what has been so awesome is working with tourism offices right, traveling around the state, kind of bouncing off ideas, really working with them to kind of hit some spots that need love but also mean that's a good person. You know what I'm saying. Like I have a gift. I spend time with people. They go, hey, that's my boy, you know. But it's like you ain't meeting my wife, you ain't meeting my kids, you ain't coming to my house.
Speaker 1:Now I can say what's up and we can rock, we can chill, we can rock and roll, we can talk or whatever. But like there are certain cats, you meet them and it's like, hmm, and then you start to see it all play and just fired up that we're there and then for us to put them on my platforms and then for them to man, I had a million people. Look at my shrimp po' boy or my soft shell crab po' boy, or this gumbo, or this plate lunch, or this pizza, this hamburger. That excitement that resonates within the community, within their family, within their household, it rejuvenates their love for what they do. You know what I'm saying With the staff.
Speaker 2:I told you, I hired, we're talking about this, and I hired Kevin. And Kevin is a new attorney. He's been practicing for 10 years. He's a good friend. I was fortunate and blessed to hire him. I told him on a run we run together too. I got him running and it hit me, man, I was having runners high. I said, Kevin, if all you do was energize me and re-energize me and get me out of just the status quo, I don't care if you do a damn thing here. It was worth the money. Oh, no doubt. And so when you talk about re-energizing a staff, an owner, a manager, a wife, a family, a community, dude, that's worth more than the people walking through the door, Correct?
Speaker 1:Long term Correct Long term, correct Long term.
Speaker 2:Correct Because, like you said, they're going to come in and come right, you still got to have the product Correct. They could come, gerald, you could go viral 5 million people.
Speaker 1:If the food quality doesn't last past a week, you're going to be right back in the same spot. Well, and that's what's been so fun about the social aspect of the love that we get. And I think people realize now because that's what's crazy about social and that's what's so funny. The conversation I have all the time is like man, I can't believe you're still doing all that. I'm like well, why wouldn't I? First of all.
Speaker 1:Secondly, like the television aspect of what we do boom, because we got 30, 40, 50, 50, 60 000 people all day choosing to watch klfy and they want to see what we're doing. Right, social, you don't control what's real. Or like people have to go to their phone and search gerald grunick to like, but then it's like okay, that's another like. It's a pretty unique thing to jump onto somebody's page and do that every day. You get what I'm saying, whereas like television, boop, turn it on, we're on, they're locked in. Hey, they're choosing to watch us. You don't choose what your algorithm. You can try and shape what your algorithm feeds you. So for me to post a video that you know, my crawfish ball stuff that I, that I do blows up, right, an order video like I have one pinned on my, on my TikTok right now almost six and a half million views.
Speaker 2:People love seeing Ball of Crawfish. Yeah, they do.
Speaker 1:But also his brand and my brand, like the Crawfish Boss, the Daiquiri, all of the things that kind of go with it. It's just been a really great fit. But that all being said, one thing that I've totally learned is like these people for one, excited that John and I are here, cause, you know, we roll up dude, we got almost, you know three, we uh, now it's more than 3 million followers between the both of us, right. So that's exciting, right. But then, oh, gerald's not just posting one video, he's going to post a week's worth at our restaurant. And then that that juice, that energy, that excitement from us visiting, from the video work, from the people engaging with us while we're shooting, it's just awesome memories, bro. And I'm going to tell you something when I got sick right, because, for those that don't know, I had Hodgkin's lymphoma. I've been in remission almost a year Um, when I got sick, one of the things that stood out to me, um, was the aspect of man your health, gerald.
Speaker 1:what does that look like? These memories that I'm creating on my page, these memories that have been created on television for the last decade, are something, are living testaments to my life and what I've poured into this community, to this state and to people around me. And knowing that we have video, that we have these things right, these interviews with my dad that I've done on social, these interviews that I've done with musicians on TV and restaurant owners who passed Lionel Roban was the executive chef.
Speaker 2:I know, mr Lionel.
Speaker 1:Oh, no doubt Passed Right In a plane, in a plane crash. Yeah, guess what they? They ran at his, at his, at his funeral, at his celebration of life, throughout the his Acadiana eats segment that we did at KLFY. What a fun way to hear somebody's voice their memory, their space, and I've taken so much pride and passion in that where, if a restaurant, maybe after we went, has started to slow down, or it's been six months to a year, if they can go back and look at that clip and smile, be like man, that was a blast, and have that same juice, even just a little bit of that same energy we gave them when we visited bro man that's huge, that same energy we gave them when we visited bro.
Speaker 2:that's man, that's huge. I hung out with Mr Lionel the weekend before he died at a duck camp yeah. And his stories were legendary. Oh, he's a cat, bro Good dude, First of all like thank you for sharing your struggle and your journey. I shouldn't say a struggle, I mean it was a major medical setback, but you shared it with the public and and I followed along and I'm so glad you're doing well, thank you brother in remission yep and um, god is good brother.
Speaker 1:There's no doubt, man, you look amazing. Yeah, thank you. A lot of push-ups, we're working on it. No sugar either no they tried trapping me. When I walked in here it's like, yeah, we got a little box of sweet like man. That's keller's, it's been it's been on my mind since I walked in but no more.
Speaker 2:Got me in a chokehold. No more fagos, but I um, I tell everyone, if that's one of my biggest sells is to come on the podcast yeah hey, give me an hour of your time and you're gonna have something that your family can listen to an hour of me and you chopping it up for for an an hour that will last forever and that's a big thing legacy man.
Speaker 1:And I'm realizing, as you say, that we all think we're promised getting down these steps from this studio. We all think I can get up. Life can happen in an instant and what's been so, as you know, doing what you do for a living, you've got so many people that think, oh, I was on my way to do this and then boom, I got hit, or you know, something happened. I had a stroke, I had a heart attack. My, you know, my daughter had X, y and Z happen and then their life changes forever. I never take that for granted. I love that I was given a certain perspective from my illness where now I get to. You know, I've always been a stop and smell the roses type dude, but I never used to put that on people. Now, whenever I can, when the time calls for it, I make people. I make sure people know real quick how lucky they are to even be in this moment.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying? Confucius says the man has two lives, and the second one starts when he realizes he only has one.
Speaker 1:Yeah Right, oh, no doubt it's. That's some deep stuff. There was a line and I know we're getting towards the end there was a line that I just saw that that hit me like a ton of bricks. It said you know, health is a crown that only sick people can see. You know what I'm saying You're healthy, I'm healthy. We all think, but when you're in a spot or when something's going on, I wish I was back to that, or I wish I had hit what he's got.
Speaker 2:I wish I needed. I wish my biggest concern was a low tire on my truck right now Correct or having to go to this meeting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 1:And that's what's been, what's been so beautiful through all this. And I, you know, I wanted to say this as we get towards the end um, what this community means to me, what this state means to me, what my friends mean to me. I know we didn't really get into the nitty gritty with Mr Weatherall, but I would love to come back and do something with John one day, because John will talk, but, you know, is he going to fill an hour. It may be a little tough because Mr Weatherall is not a big talker, but I will say you know all of the people that have helped build, you know, my life into what it is today. I am eternally grateful, what it is today. I am eternally grateful. But more importantly and I, you know I shouldn't say more importantly, but something I have to say because you know, you really hit home with. You know, you and I having the same idea about how important this is, for I'll always be able to see and hear my dad's voice, or, you know, my uncle, or my friend. You know, in this podcast.
Speaker 1:You know my wife, ariel, and I have been together since 2007. We've never broken up. She tried breaking up with me once in high school. Didn't work out, didn't let it happen, and we've been together all gas, no brakes, for 17 years. We've got a four-year-old daughter named Adeline, a two-year-old daughter named Charlotte, and it's funny how people will talk to me like, hey, man, be sure you're taking care of your wife, be sure you're spending time with your kid Like brother. It ain't even close where my priorities are Not even close.
Speaker 1:And without those three my mom, my dad, my immediate family, you know. But without those three, like dude, you know, as soon as Ariel's like, hey, gerald, this ain't working for me anymore, say less, bro, We'll put it away, you know. But we've done a really, really good job as a couple, kind of grinding it out together and building a beautiful lives for each other.
Speaker 2:And, uh, it's been it's been a huge blessing and I love those three to death. That's amazing, I think. When I look at you, I see congruence. I talk about congruence, intentional congruence when swear everything feeds into everything, and so I'll find little things that I can do that feed my health bucket my wealth bucket and my family bucket, right, Because we all have to manage. And so I see you and I see you're so outpouring into your community because you're trying to make the community better for your family, right? Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2:That's the priority bro, and and so that you're hitting, you're hitting all those buckets at one, and maybe a little trip to reds every once in a while.
Speaker 1:Dude, that's what I tell my wife. Bro, if we looking at houses, man, if I can't see reds from the roof or with the drone, I don't want it, man. Facts, facts, stamp it bro.
Speaker 2:All right, I got one more question and this is is gonna be as the production team.
Speaker 1:It's like to get this dude to stop talking well, look, I like I appreciate somebody in media.
Speaker 2:You're like okay, as we wrap this thing up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I'm thinking, bro, we'll go all day on this thing we can edit what we don't like.
Speaker 2:We're just gonna keep rolling, all right. Top three foods in acadiana or foods or restaurants. I'll let you.
Speaker 1:oh, man geez, you gotta do that to me Um and look, that doesn't put down.
Speaker 2:You know anybody.
Speaker 1:So I'll tell you some of my go-tos in regards to. You know how how this all works and I know it's funny. Somebody is going to get mad at me. You know, my two favorite cheeseburgers to eat in town right now, without a doubt, are Five Mile Eatery in the Oil Center.
Speaker 2:You just put me on this place this morning.
Speaker 1:Dude, it's kind of like my home away from home.
Speaker 1:Right now, my current life situation pretty much has me working out of my truck all day and I go set up shop there. Five Mile Eatery their cheeseburger with the fancy M cheese I don't even know how to say it, it's fire so good. But then another one that I really love my second favorite cheeseburger because I know this is a burger conversation, bro, let's just be honest, right, you know, because people around here, specifically you know, burgers, boudin and maybe a plate lunch, so I'm going to stick in that realm, okay. So my two favorite burgers five mile eatery and, uh, the neon pig at the crawfish boss, like dude, the all American cheeseburger from the neon pig. Dude, I got it. I'll show you a picture. I don't take pictures of my food. If John ain't around, I ain't working. You know what I'm saying. I had to take a picture of this thing. I was like dude. I want to remember this.
Speaker 2:I have not had either one.
Speaker 1:So, fire, but I'm gonna tell you I'm not a huge cayenne pepper person when it comes to my cheeseburgers. Right, I don't. I don't have to eat a burger and be sweating when I eat it, whereas like a lot of people around here like a spicy cage and cheeseburger. That's not me. We have tons of delicious ones, but my personal top two are more salt and pepper based brisket kind of you know brisket, kind of you know, just a little more like taste the meat. Let the toppings mayo, lettuce, tomato pickles maybe like a fancier ketchup.
Speaker 1:Let that the bun, let that all do the talking right. So from the boudin standpoint, because I have terrific relationships with Don's Specialty Meats, the Best Stop Kochner's, all the big dogs in Scott, all of them do a great job right. But if you were to ask me for like my hole in the wall, kind of like nook and cranny spots, that I really enjoy eating boudin when we're in those neck of the woods I really love Mo Wata Store Bubba Fry north of Crowley, between Crowley and Eunice, that's Highway 13, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah pretty sure. So Mo Wata Store their boudin. Everybody's like, oh, that's white boudin. I'm like, well, dude, here's the deal. You know there are a lot of people, um, and depending on who you're talking to, it's it's pretty tough to churn out mass amounts of boudin and to be able to sit there and brown everything Like it's a jambalaya bro. It's just not. It's just not possible.
Speaker 1:When you're making the crib and you know this is a special batch that we're going to eat on for, you know, the next six months, I get it. But like when you're trying to get product out, like you know it's boiled season pork butt, like you know. So I love Moata store and then you know I guess you know that's kind of like my sleeper, we'll just leave the boudin at that one from the smaller mom and pop side I'm going to rock with Moata store boudin. It's always kind of at the top of like, if you can get there, it's a little kind of. I used to really like Landrenaux's or Landrenaux's in Pine Prairie. They used to do a pepper jack smoked sausage boudin, pepper jack smoked boudin. But you know, up there almost was, like you know, sauce. It was almost like pork with a little bit of rice compared to.
Speaker 1:You know, everybody's got different ways of kind of rolling stuff out and whoever you're selling boudin around, or against bruh, it's like where, where, how is? How does mine compare to theirs? This market is looking for a certain type of thing, so, um, I'll, I'll throw that for my two hole in the walls. From the plate lunch aspect. Um, you know, it gets a little tough. I know I see you cracking your fingers. Here we go. You know, dude, I actually just had a killer plate lunch in Alexandria which was fire, really enjoyed it, which was the sleeper. But the lady who owns it, pam, is from Opelousas, so it makes sense, but I think you know, from the Acadiana.
Speaker 2:I would not have gone. Alexandria on the top plate lunch spot, so good.
Speaker 1:It's the best one I've had recently, no doubt, I think, from the actual plate lunch aspect. I really enjoy man, this is so tough Oof. So Creole Lunchbox in Burbridge does a great job, jennifer Bonnet does a killer job right there on Reese Street. More soul food on Hopkins in New Iberia fire, mace Rockstar in New Iberia fire, and then you know, these are some of the ones that stand out. How about?
Speaker 2:Backbone Stew at Poche's Dude.
Speaker 1:I like Poche's, so like Poche's, catching them on a Friday I feel like has been some of my oh, that's good stuff I'm. And look, poche has a great plate lunch set up. Bro, it's fire. Um, you know I love miss gloria or, excuse me, miss glenda, in in bro bridge anthony bourdain made a yeah oh yeah, but it's.
Speaker 1:Here's a funny story about that. We're talking about a katiana eats. Bro, I'm, I'm going out there and she's like, oh, she knew who I was, but she didn't know me as a person yet. So I called her. I said, hey, I want to come do an Acadiana Eats with you. Oh well, I've been on Bourdain and she's rolling her eyes and giving me this attitude. I said, yeah, that's cool. People all over the have seen you on Anthony Bourdain, but my girl they're not driving, they're not within driving distance.
Speaker 1:Right, I said watch what happens. And we put her on a KDNA. She calls me. Oh my God, it's the busiest we've ever. Because, it's true, like I told you earlier, people are choosing to watch KLFY, the legacy television station in Lafayette, louisiana, bro, like they are choosing to watch us, choosing to watch us, and everybody that can watch us can drive to your restaurant. That's right. You know what I'm saying, that's right. So pack them out. You know everybody loves on Miss Veronica and Karen Crow. She does a great job. I love Soul House Kitchen on Congress and Johnson Street right there in Lafayette. They got one in Karen Crow. Soul House is fire man. So yeah, I think you know. But then you know, I'm thinking about, from my friend's side, everybody's like man. I think about Sean at the Cajun Table. He does a great job. The list goes on and on.
Speaker 2:You know Cajun Table. I live right next to it. I don't think I've been Dude their crawfish. I heard their crawfish is amazing, their crawfish is great.
Speaker 1:Their crawfish nachos are crazy. Yeah, Crazy bro.
Speaker 1:So, good, what perfect? Not not a restaurant per se, but what is the perfect plate lunch for gerald grunig? Oh, um, great, great question in the sense of like, if I had to pick. So there used to be a place called southern rue, okay, um, he was open on vero right or verot, depending on who you're talking to, bro, you know, whatever, that's a whole nother conversation. I'm in the middle of the august 16 floods. I ain't got an umbrella or a raincoat, but they're calling it and complaining that I'm saying Vero and not Verrat. Like, come on, bro, leave me alone. I'm from New Orleans. People want to be like hey, come on, say mom, like dude, you know, I say a long marge.
Speaker 1:What you say about me, I say I say a long marge in the television segment Right and Acadiana eats. But they, that was something they made me do, because I'm glad I do it and I'm glad it checks a box, knowing the french history that comes along with klfy and paspatou, and meet your neighbor and the french rosary and all the historical aspects of klfy. But I have to humble people, not humble people, I have to humble myself and just tell people like, hey, bro, I'm from new orleans, I don't speak french. They make, they made me right, they made me say a long mange, acadiana. I'm so glad they did because it does get people excited about. Oh, it's good to hear French on TV, but I let them down when they're like como se va? I'm like, eh, like bro, that ain't like what's happening. Baby, I know what you're saying, but I'm not going to pretend and sit here like I don't.
Speaker 1:But my ideal plate lunch, to bring it all back to me, southern Rue used to do a God, I don't know if it was beef tips or what or what kind of, but he closed. He does some catering and stuff now, but he used to win all kinds of rice and gravy cookout fire. But I guess to me, like I really do have a hard time. Like a good shrimp stew or a good seafood plate lunch is always really good to me, but the reality of it is it's like. You know, I eat like that for TV, I eat like that on my social media pages but like I'm not rolling up and ordering a plate lunch.
Speaker 1:You know you had mentioned easy on the pineapple or the Faygo's or the big shots. You know, something people don't realize is that balance I have in my life. Chaz, you and I have formed a friendship from seeing each other at Red LaRelle's Point blank period. Right, you know what I'm saying and people don't understand. I take the approach every day that I have to earn everything that I put into my body. Now I'm not being super picky about what I put in. I have become pickier since I have been in remission from a terminal illness.
Speaker 2:I was going to ask you that you look damn good for eating the way you do, bro. Look at a plate lunch. I'm going to put on three pounds.
Speaker 1:Well, so that's the thing is like, bro I'm. I eat like that for work once a week and I eat like that for social media once, a month or once every six weeks Cause the what we'll do Acadiana eats. We'll shoot on a Thursday right, and then it'll air the following Thursday, tuesday mornings when we're in studio at KLFY bro, I'm not eating that, I'm interviewing these people. We're hanging out and then the staff gets to eat it while it's hot, fresh, because they don't get to do what I do.
Speaker 2:I'm waiting for Keith Lee to be like 350 pounds, because he's going hard every day.
Speaker 1:But if you notice, he'll drop a review at a restaurant, right and look, dude, genes are also a thing. My dad always make the joke and he'll get mad at me and hopefully, you know, pops, you hear this clip. You know my dad at one point was 400 pounds and he was 200 right here, bro, all on his chest, dude. So I fight a body type bro.
Speaker 2:Straight up, but I will tell you.
Speaker 1:Mine's right here. My dad is a salty dog now Like he's working behind the register at that restaurant with one leg.
Speaker 1:He's blind in one eye, but you better believe he's back there every day and I firmly believe, on top of God's grace, one of the reasons why the cancer that I had in my neck, which started in a lymph node right under my jawline, that I found. I just saw a video a couple of days ago, August of 22,. I had a lymph node sticking out of my neck. I didn't go to the doctor till June of 23, right, so almost a year. And it's probably if I were to go back to the year before, I'd probably see the signs of like a hardened lymph node in my neck right. The cancer in that time only stayed in the left side of my neck, Didn't spread, didn't end up anywhere else, but right here. So it spread, but through the lymphatic system on the left side of my neck.
Speaker 1:I firmly believe because of my dad's genes that I have. My brothers don't. They'll make fun of me all the time Like, oh, Gerald wishes he had our legs Because my mom's got some calves, my dad's got. I mean, my brothers have calves but they all carry their weight in different places. I spread out my weight proportionately with my dad, but I got to work hard to make sure I don't get it right here. Homie, you know what I'm saying Like dude, it's true, it's a fact. So I'm fighting a body type now. So everything I eat I have to earn and I truly take that approach. And it's something I harp on people about now, Because when these guys I'm in the sauna after playing basketball or working out and they want to talk to me before I go, get in the cold punch or whatever it is, they're like man, how do you do all that? I said, brother, dude, I do that once a week or once a month, or once every six weeks, Because when we go on these trips out of town, what we'll do is we'll spend.
Speaker 1:We were just in New Orleans for 36 hours. So we're there, we get in, we start shooting, we sleep Honestly, we work out before we go to sleep and I got John John's down almost 20 pounds. We work, we go work out before we sleep, Cause I ain't going to sleep that full Ain't happening. I got to do something. I got to. I got to, I got to pour, I got to pour something out before I take more in. And then that morning either wake up, go for a run, workout, do something and then go shoot all over again. Because one thing I've learned that's not sustainable with what I do for a living is doing exactly what people think I do. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Like Keith Lee is in New Orleans or in Baton Rouge. He's not in Baton Rouge for two weeks eating everything deep, fried, seasoned and laid to the side. What did he say? Everything seasoned, fried and laid to the side in Baton Rouge. That's what he said, and I love the food scene in Baton Rouge, but the reality of it is is like shoot in bulk and then roll out that content. So that way I'm not doing that all the time, bro. Like John and I shot in New Orleans and then we shot in Alexandria this month, I'm not going to have to shoot social media content until November, December. You get what.
Speaker 2:I'm saying Well, Jarrett, look, if you meet me at 6 am at Red's on Sunday mornings. I promise you you can eat whatever the hell you want Box right.
Speaker 1:Don't you box on Sunday mornings?
Speaker 2:No, we run. Okay, we run 10, 12, 14 miles.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's the other thing. So keith's a ufc guy, I know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so like it doesn't look like it anymore right, but but at.
Speaker 1:But you always know right, being a former athlete, being somebody that's into it's like, hey, bro, I can stray, but I know I have the discipline to come back. You know what I'm saying and I know like, for instance, should I have stopped yesterday and picked up those gingerbread cookies for my daughter and I to eat at twins before I picked her up from school? Probably not, but guess what I did today? I passed on the Kellers and I'm going to walk right past that box on my way out, even though it's been calling me the full time. We've been doing this interview, bro.
Speaker 1:But my family something people don't know my dad's obese, my aunt's obese, my grandmother was obese. It's a problem on my dad's side of the family. Like we all have bad eating habits. I have to work extremely hard, doing what I do, to not be 400 pounds, point blank, period. And people don't know that. That's why, you know, double cups are turning into double cups with water, depending on where we're at. You know what I'm saying Because it's true, like I ain't drinking pineapple sodas on a Tuesday and going home and chilling, bro, it ain't happening.
Speaker 2:Jarrah, I got the feeling that you and I could podcast for three or four hours.
Speaker 1:Oh, dude yes.
Speaker 2:Can we call this part one? Yeah?
Speaker 1:sure To be continued, to be continued, I mean dude, I got five or six.
Speaker 2:We didn't even give John enough love.
Speaker 1:I got five. Well, part two will be with John. Let's do that, man.
Speaker 2:John, by the way, check him out, John Weatherall.
Speaker 1:Mr Weatherall.
Speaker 2:He's got a song named after him. Now he's a culture ambassador. I guarantee you he has brought tourism to country. Mardi Gras in Acadiana, no doubt. I know you've packed the restaurants. You're a cultural ambassador here. Thank you, gerald, for all you do. You're an awesome dude. I enjoy being your friend.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man.
Speaker 2:Acadiana Eats is coming up.
Speaker 1:We got the festival coming up October 26th and, for those of you that don't know, depending on when you're hearing this, it'll be Halloween weekend in 2025 too, brother. So put it down, let's go. How can we follow you? Yeah, so my social handles are all at Gerald Grunick, and then, yeah, so social media-wise you can keep up with John and I at Mr Weatherall and at Gerald Grunick, and then, bro, klfy News 10, you can put on Pops by 2 every morning.
Speaker 2:We're still there, brother, it only makes sense that you'd be here on Law, have Mercy baby.
Speaker 1:That's it, baby. Let's go Law, have Mercy.
Speaker 2:Hey, it would mean the world to me if you subscribe to the podcast and leave us a five-star review. It helps keep the show free and it helps us book better guests to provide more valuable content to you. None of the opinions expressed by my guests are that of my own, and nothing we talked about creates an attorney-client relationship or could be construed as legal advice. Hope you enjoy the show.
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