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Intro

When I was in college, one of my favorite classes of all time was titled “anthropology of food.” This class was taught by a grad student named Aaron, who studied craft beer. And at the time, his partner was an indigenous woman who studied, or at least was deeply knowledgeable about maple syrup. Neither of these facts is relevant to the story, but just a fun tidbit.

This class, I think, is formative in the way I think about a lot of things, but primarily the thing I learned was a simple truth: food is at the core of the human experience. Everyone says, “My family loves to get together and eat.” Literally everyone says that, and they think they are unique. I feel like when Anthony Bourdain was alive and doing his show, every guest would say something along the lines of “food is so important in our culture.” I mean, of course! As Josh Scherer says on “Last Meals,” ‘we all gotta eat, and we’re all gonna die.' More on this below.

I had a pretty primitive thought a couple of weeks ago when I reached out to Amanda. Something like “it would be cool to sit with her while she’s recording for a TikTok,” and she really ran with that idea when I messaged it to her. Frankly, I did not have even a fraction of what we ended up doing in mind, so I am so thankful for her vision and her scheduling prowess. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did, and as I’ve said in numerous other places, head over to Macizo for some delicious Mexican and Peruvian food.

Can be found here:

• Links to listen

• Links of references from the show

• Production learnings

• Story Time

• Episode Summary

• Episode Transcript

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Important links and mentions

• Amanda Gibson

  • Instagram

  • Youtube

  • Tiktok

  • Facebook

• Macizo

  • Website

  • Instagram

• Indy Dough

• Ash and Elm Cider

• Pots and Pans Pie Company

• Saraga

• Filipino Cultural Center

Production learnings from the episode

I think the learnings from this episode will ripple out longer than many other ones. Much of the “production” in this case was not within the audio or video, though I will comment on that, but rather within the actual act of podcasting. I had a rotation of 3 guests on camera, a total of 5 people speaking, and a 30-45 minute break taken in the middle. A bit unorthodox, but definitely memorable, and the output and experience I loved. And who knows, maybe it will lead to some new ideas in the future 👀.

On video, I am always really happy when there’s a cloudy morning. It makes the lighting really pleasant and consistent, and I think frankly, this is one of the best-looking episodes yet. Thank goodness I told Amanda we should face the window instead of the camera facing the window (a mistake I’ve made before).

On audio, I was a bit concerned about the music; by all accounts, it was not overwhelming. I think I hyperfocused on it while editing, and it actually reminded me of the jazz show I went to on Friday. That is to say, despite the sort of “aura” of sound that pervades my ears, I was able to focus on the person who was soloing, and it actually made the whole experience a bit more authentic and interesting. At least that’s how I swing it. Anyway, I really personally enjoyed this episode.

Food is Human

Food is so interesting. It brings people together, like we just had this week with Thanksgiving, or the community coming together to give assistance to those who rely on SNAP benefits. It tears them apart, especially when I say something like “I like pineapple on pizza,” or if you lived in Philly and you have a favorite cheesesteak spot.

Food can be comforting, can teach you about somebody, or it can transport you physically or mentally somewhere else. Food has control over us as humans, as no other thing does, and it tells stories in as many ways as books or movies can. Food has origins and history; it has seen conflicts, famine, and glory. It can be simple or extravagant, and everything in between, and even those things vary from person to person.

Most importantly, food builds community. Historically, when women would have children, food trains would come through. Think of pig roasts and potlucks, s’mores on a campfire, and lunch at school. Food finds a way to interweave the human experience and is always present in how we live our lives, and we feel its absence in the worst of days. There is so much to love about food, and I think on many days we take it for granted.

One of my grandest discoveries over this past year was re-learning the majesty of a simple turkey sandwich or a peanut butter and jelly. Food guides that which makes us human and pervades our being. So it is a shame that it has taken me so long to truly broach the subject on the podcast. But I think, more than any other topic, there is more to come. Thanks for reading and listening as always.

Third Space Indy is supported by City Rising

Episode Summary

Exploring Culinary Connections at Macizo with Amanda in Indy

In this episode of Third Space Indy, host Michael Zarick sits down with Amanda Gibson, a notable Indianapolis food content creator known online as Amanda in Indy. The conversation kicks off with a heartfelt appreciation for Luz and Omar at Macizo, a Peruvian-Mexican fusion restaurant where the recording takes place. Amanda shares her journey from working at Maple Street Biscuit Company in Florida to creating the popular Indy Dough and eventually working as a social marketing coordinator for Ash & Elm Cider and Pots & Pans Pie Company. They discuss the importance of local food scenes, the impact of content creators on small businesses, and the authentic connections made through food. The episode also features an in-depth exploration of the dishes at Macizo, highlighting the unique cultural fusion and craftsmanship behind each plate. Amanda reflects on her experiences and the significance of community, both online and offline. The episode wraps up with insightful questions about the comforts of food and the places that evoke a sense of belonging.

00:00 Introduction and Shoutout

00:38 Defining the Third Place

01:20 Meet Amanda Gibson

01:58 Exploring Macizo's Menu

03:45 Thanksgiving Reflections

04:43 The Importance of Local Food Stories

13:00 Amanda's Journey in the Food Industry

31:00 Meeting and First Impressions

32:27 Dealing with Haters and Internet Trolls

32:56 Content Creation and Influencer Ethics

36:41 Supporting Local Businesses

42:05 The Concept of a Third Space

47:05 Food and Cultural Connections

54:46 Discussing the Food

01:01:29 Understanding Mole Sauce

01:01:57 Sopa Criolla: A Peruvian Comfort Food

01:03:08 Mexican Meatballs and Tiradito

01:05:07 Taco Norteno and Sourdough Bread

01:07:13 Salsa Macha and Sourdough Journey

01:15:06 The Meaning Behind Macizo

01:18:37 Final Thoughts and Community Impact

Episode Transcript

Amanda Gibson

[00:00:00] Michael Zarick: Hey, before the episode today, I want to give a huge shout out to Luz and Omar at Macizo for hosting Amanda and I in their restaurant. They would not let us pay for the food that we got, so I would love to return the love to them and have you go visit them. I think that they are totally deserving and wonderful people who are deeply accommodating of us, uh, recording in there, And I really appreciate what they're doing at their restaurant. I think it's lovely and I will definitely be back. So yeah, give them some of your money. Uh, hope you enjoy the episode as always, and thanks for listening.

​

[00:00:53] Michael Zarick: Hello, my name is Michael Zarick and in 1989, a man named Ray Oldenberg wrote a book called the Great Good Place. And in this book he coined the term, the third place. What a third place is, is it's anywhere outside of your home and your work where you can go exist and just be.

Um, and so I've made it my goal to find people all over Indianapolis who are building community and creating third places all their own. so today I'm joined by somebody born and raised in Indiana. Mm-hmm. Not a lifelong baker. I scratched that out. Somebody who discovered baking at one point in their life when they lived in Florida.

The founder of Indy Dough is now running, uh, is a social marketing coordinator,

[00:01:38] Amanda Gibson: whatever social media

[00:01:40] Michael Zarick: person for Ash and Elm Cider and Pots and Pans Pie company here in Indianapolis. But most importantly, she is best known as a food content creator known as Amanda in Indy. Her name is Amanda Gibson. Hello, Amanda.

How you doing?

[00:01:56] Amanda Gibson: Hi. Good. Yeah,

[00:01:58] Michael Zarick: today we're doing something very special, something I've not done before. We are at Macizo, which I don't know what part of town this is. It's like just the outskirts. I, I don't, yeah. We're kind of a, like a half mile from Eagle Creek. Yes. On 72nd Street. Yes. Um, and Macizo is a Peruvian Mexican fusion restaurant because the owners come from those respective countries.

Mm-hmm. So I'm super excited. To sit down and talk about food with you and talk, eat. We're gonna eat some food too. Yeah. So I'm super excited. So we have drinks in front of us. I got a mole latte, uhhuh, which is crazy. And you got what?

[00:02:33] Amanda Gibson: Um, Carmine Camini Says it's cold brew, pineapple juice, lime juice, and blackberry syrup.

All right, cool. But first

[00:02:40] Michael Zarick: sip on calling camera. Okay. Ready? Cheers. You want

[00:02:43] Amanda Gibson: cheers. Okay.

It's good. What do you think?

[00:02:48] Michael Zarick: Well, I love mole uhhuh. Oh, good. It's like, it's kind of like a, um, I've had lattes that are like spicy. There's like a, an undertone of like, chili, like, it's like sitting on my, on my tongue, which I really like. Mm-hmm. And it's like creamy. And it's like, I didn't expect it to be ice.

I actually thought it was gonna be hot, but either way it's, it's good. I'm happy. What about you?

[00:03:09] Amanda Gibson: It's good. Uh, I have had this before. Uh, it's, I like the, like pineapple and lime. Like you wouldn't like expect to like pair that with like coffee, but it is. It's like a, a brightness to it. That's awesome. You're more than welcome to try it.

Minus if you Oh, okay. I didn't know if you were like germy. No, no, no. I guess we're sharing

[00:03:25] Michael Zarick: food later, so I should be surprised.

[00:03:28] Amanda Gibson: I feel like I need like a straw because like all the foam like went to the top.

[00:03:31] Michael Zarick: Oh, that's really unique. Mm-hmm. But like in a fun and nice way.

[00:03:36] Amanda Gibson: Yes.

[00:03:37] Michael Zarick: And the coffee isn't super bitter either, so it's like Correct.

A very pleasant, do you wanna try this? How I've had that one too before. Yeah. Cool. I thought it was one. Um, so my very first question, Amanda, uh, Thanksgiving is in three days. Okay. What are you thankful for? Uh, at this time? You know, it doesn't have to be.

[00:03:56] Amanda Gibson: Um, that's a good question. Um, I,

[00:03:59] Michael Zarick: and not when I sent you.

[00:04:01] Amanda Gibson: Yes. I mean, uh, I am thankful for, uh, my. Husband who I'm nodding to over there. Um, he's not paying attention. Yeah, he's working.

[00:04:12] Michael Zarick: He's supposed to be working.

[00:04:13] Amanda Gibson: He, it looks like he is working. Yeah, I think so. Um, my husband, my child. I'm thankful that I, uh, have a job. I'm thankful that I am able to just go to a store and get food.

Uh, and I feel like that is something that not a lot of people or they struggle with saying that. So I'm thankful for all the opportunities that I get right now in life.

[00:04:41] Michael Zarick: Amazing. Thank you so much. Um, so I invited you on, actually, I, um, I invited you on because I have been following you for a little bit and I, when I first moved, or actually prior to moving, uh, from Arkansas, when I moved to a place, I have to make sure that there's good food there.

Food is so important to me. I've grown up, you know, as a. It's like I grew up, this is like weird lore from me, but I grew up knowing the founder of Texas Roadhouse, Uhhuh. Um, so like restaurants and food has been so core to my being. Um, and I love, um, sort of the way, especially now that I'm older, like the way food brings people together mm-hmm.

And restaurants bring communities together. Um, and so seeing you highlight Indianapolis and Indianapolis restaurants mm-hmm. Was really compelling to me. Um, and I love how like nonchalant, you're, your content reminds me of myself where I don't think you take it too seriously, but you are out there. Like the seriousness comes through in the output of like, you are there for the purpose of highlighting local restaurants.

[00:05:53] Amanda Gibson: Yes. Can you speak to that a little bit

[00:05:56] Michael Zarick: about why you think it's so important to be, maybe not necessarily Indianapolis centric mm-hmm. But in your case you are, but local centric.

[00:06:05] Amanda Gibson: Um, I think that it is just, let me think 'cause there's like so much that you could say about it. Um, I am a "why?" person and I am a story driven person, and so when I go into a place, I have to know why.

Something like, why did you put these flavors together? Why did you bring, why is this on your menu? Um, and places like Texas Roadhouse, you can't really ask why is this on the menu because the server doesn't know. Yeah. And also there's not, the reasons that they have are because the customers buy this one, the customers don't buy this one, then it's, it's gone.

It's out. Or the cost of goods is a reason. But like for a place like here, like you can look at the menu and like, you can actually, like, I can like point to ones that they've like told me. Like they have like deep roots in memories. And like with the pozole that we were talking about, um, a little, I guess it probably would've been off camera, but mm-hmm.

The pozole that we're talking about, like Omar was telling me like it was something similar to like what his mom made. Um, and yeah. Um, just there's a

there. There's a connection there, and it's a lot more fun To just live life when you like know the person next to you. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Instead of not knowing them.

[00:07:25] Michael Zarick: So we just a preview, Luz and Omar are going to cook us food and then come out and talk about it too. Yes. So we are, um, excited for that. Um, is there a highlight other than here that somebody has told you a story about a dish that they've made?

[00:07:39] Amanda Gibson: Like other restaurants? Yeah. '

[00:07:40] Michael Zarick: cause we're gonna hear about here.

So is there a different one?

[00:07:42] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. Um, we went to, um, I, I never say that something is the best because me either the best is like subjective to the person. Uh, but there is a place, uh, that I do think is the best so far, uh, for pho but the best. It's the best to me. Um, and, uh, I always talk about chow. So, uh, if you've, have you ever been there?

Is it

[00:08:06] Michael Zarick: CHOW?

[00:08:08] Amanda Gibson: Yes. Okay.

[00:08:08] Michael Zarick: And then I haven't been

[00:08:09] Amanda Gibson: there. Yeah. Uh, it's in Fisher's. Uh, but it's actually, I didn't know this for the longest time, but it's actually owned by my dentist. And, um, and I love my dentist office, but whenever I found that out, when I was like getting my, uh, teeth cleaned, I was like, I had no idea that you like, were the one who started, uh, chow.

And she's from Vietnam and she was just saying like, there weren't like faux places that she like loved. Um, but then her partner, um, he is from Mexico, so I guess another, like a little bit of a fusion place. It's a faux place, but there are definitely, uh, Mexican influences mm-hmm. In a lot of, the dishes.

But, uh, just like, I think that was just like so funny, um, and a connection. And so she was able to tell me about the things, why she made the fun that she made. And then the last time that we went in the pictures on the wall, he, Carlos was telling me that, uh, Dr. Vu like actually took those on her iPhone on the last trip that she took to Vietnam.

And I was like, I had no idea that these weren't just like stock photos, like these were actually like photos. So it's just like little things like that where I'm just like, it makes me like appreciate things a little bit more. Yeah.

[00:09:16] Michael Zarick: That's awesome. Um, I read in a little interview you did that you, your dream is to go to Vietnam.

Is that still true? And have you done it?

[00:09:24] Amanda Gibson: No, I have not. Okay. But I have talked to Dr. Vu. She goes back and she does, um, uh, I guess it would be like just missions work, uh, that, and she does, um, she goes there as a dentist. Yeah. And she says basically just for like all day, she is like just opening up to people that don't have access to dental, I guess dentists in general, but she is just like, for eight hours, I'm basically just like removing teeth that like are infected and I can't be saved.

And, uh, I was like, okay, well I don't want to do that, but next time you go could like, I go with you. 'cause I feel like, I don't know, I'm on the side. You have a tag along? Yeah, I'm on the side of TikTok where like, it just looks so much fun to just like, walk the streets and like just stop at like each food stall.

[00:10:07] Michael Zarick: So yeah. I think there is like a, that's an interesting point you make about like. Tourism. Like you see, when you think about tourism, you only see the glamorous side of it. Yeah. But you're, Vietnam is a very poor country and a lot of countries outside the US are very poor. Um, yes. So you only go to the

[00:10:22] Amanda Gibson: mm-hmm.

Um,

[00:10:23] Michael Zarick: I mean, there's parts of the US that are very poor, obviously as well, but yeah. So that's interesting about that would

[00:10:28] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. Outside if I to travel outside, that would probably be where I would wanna go. I don't know if that would happen anytime soon because I have a small child. Mm-hmm. But I have heard that Vietnam is like, that they love children and that it's very, uh, like a great place for just like children to like run around and, oh, that's kind of fun.

They like are very considerate to. I guess kids, but I don't know if that's true. I don't think I'm gonna take my kid there. I would rather just 'cause he's not gonna wanna stop at all of the food stalls, so maybe after he's older and my husband and I can go somewhere.

[00:10:59] Michael Zarick: That's funny. Um, I love that you said you don't like pick favorites or pick like best quote unquote.

Yeah. Because when people ask me like, what's my favorite restaurant in Indy? What's your favorite movie? Uhhuh. I always say I don't do favorites.

[00:11:12] Amanda Gibson: Yeah.

[00:11:12] Michael Zarick: Because I think the essence of a question of like, what is your favorite is what will I like?

[00:11:17] Amanda Gibson: Yeah.

[00:11:18] Michael Zarick: And, but they're asking through you and like there's never alignment there almost ever.

[00:11:21] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. Um, a lot of times when people, uh, like on like in the comment section of like, my videos, uh, they're like saying like, well Amanda went here, so it must be good. I'm like, don't, like, you're putting me like on too much. But like, don't do that because like we have different taste buds and eventually like, you're gonna feel that like, I've led you astray.

Mm-hmm. So like I'm sharing food that like, I think is good. Um. And sometimes like some of, I try not to share videos of places that like, I didn't have like a good experience because I don't really want to like negatively talk about like, small business because like that was my experience. But that doesn't mean that it's like everybody's experience.

But I feel like we're just, I'm not Yeah. Like you're not gonna like the same thing like people, people to

[00:12:01] Michael Zarick: put potentially put too much weight in your opinion.

[00:12:04] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. Like go and try it for yourself. Like I'm more here sharing story. Like I wanna share the people that share the local businesses more than like their food, but I also wanna share their food because it is really good.

Yeah,

[00:12:15] Michael Zarick: definitely. So how did you get started, like doing content because you moved from Florida, you worked for a biscuit company that I think is a subsidiary of, uh, Cracker Barrel. Is that right? And then not

[00:12:28] Amanda Gibson: not when I was started.

[00:12:28] Michael Zarick: Oh, okay. And then you moved back here in 2018. 2019. 2019. 2019. Okay. That, that interview I read earlier was wrong and I was right.

Um, and then you started Indy Dough

[00:12:41] Amanda Gibson: Yes. Um,

[00:12:42] Michael Zarick: can you explain to me how you, well, I can talk, talk about Indy, do a little bit and then we'll talk about content. 'cause that's sort of the progression.

[00:12:48] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. I mean, I can, do you want like, I can do like the whole history. I would love that. And that, that I'm like well versed on.

Sure. So, um, once I graduated high school, I moved to Florida. I didn't wanna move to Florida. I would never have chosen to move to Florida because I hate being hot. Um, but I moved to Florida and I was there for a decade and then I ended up staying there because I met my husband, I had my kid there. Um, but while I was there, I started working at, it was called Maple Street Biscuit Company.

There was only one location before that I worked at Panera. And that was like the last like corporate place that I was like, I will never work for a corporation ever, ever again. Um, so after that I needed a job and I went to Maple Street. Um, they were a biscuit place that just opened and a neighborhood called San Marco.

And I worked there. And then, um, we had just gotten engaged and I knew that I needed more of a career and not just like, working on a line. And they had already opened a second location and I said like, if you wanna keep me, then you're going to have to like, make this more of a career for me. So then I became their trainer.

Mm-hmm. Um, so I ended up opening like seven locations. That's crazy. But then once they started talking to Cracker Barrel, I was like, this is the exact thing that I said I didn't want to do. I promised myself that I didn't want to do it. Um, returning back to Maple Street, working there, I started posting on Instagram for them.

And because their pictures that they posted were like. Bad and they would do like the really bad filters. And I was like, you're not really like showcasing the food. Yeah. Um, and so then I just asked, and this was before like I even knew like this could be like a career. So I've always worked in social media before I even knew that that was like going to be a job before anybody knew it was going to be a job.

So then after I quit, um, I was at Maple Street and at the same time that they were talking to Cracker Barrel, a couple had reached, let me back up. So then I started baking because, I was working so freaking much and I was traveling and I wanted some sort of like creativity because I enjoyed making food, but I wanted some sort of creativity.

So then I started baking.

[00:14:59] Michael Zarick: So this, you started baking while working for a biscuit company?

[00:15:02] Amanda Gibson: Yes. That wasn't

[00:15:03] Michael Zarick: like draining to you at all?

[00:15:05] Amanda Gibson: Well, we didn't, we didn't have a kid. Okay. So, and uh, yes, that's funny. But I wanted to make, so Mabel Street made almost everything from scratch, but it was like, it was still like a recipe that you had to follow, but I wanted like a creative aspect and I wanted to be able to make things myself.

So then I started teaching myself how to make, um, more technical pastries, like macarons. And then I would start just posting them to my own Instagram. Or I had, I wanted to start a blog. So I started like a blog and then, um, from that, uh, people in, so that was in Jacksonville, Florida. And then from that, people saw like what I was doing, you know, if I'd go out.

'cause I was also just very lo local focused there as well. So anytime I'm going out, I'd be like, oh, I saw that you made this thing. And then we would talk about it. And from that, a couple found me and they said, Hey, we're opening a donut shop. Would you like to come and, uh, be like, our recipe developer, our head baker?

And it was the same time that Cracker Barrel was talking to Maple Street and I was just like, this is like the perfect time timing. Yeah. So then I ended up leaving, uh, I help open, it was called Good Dough. I don't know if they're, I think that they're still around. I think that they ended up selling Okay.

Their company, but, um, to

[00:16:17] Michael Zarick: Cracker Barrel.

[00:16:18] Amanda Gibson: Yeah.

[00:16:18] Michael Zarick: And then like five years from now, Indy's gonna sell the Cracker

[00:16:21] Amanda Gibson: Barrel, so Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, heck no. Um, went to Cracker Barrel, the marketing department at Cracker Barrel reached out to me and they, um, they. Wanted me to do, like, obviously they're not gonna know who I am, but they wanted me to do like some, uh, like content creation and like I know, like a new location that they had.

And I was like, yes, four or $5,000.

[00:16:44] Michael Zarick: I feel like you're low balling. Yeah.

[00:16:46] Amanda Gibson: But it was just funny 'cause I was like, I have never, never gonna do anything for you. Um, but I ended up doing a paid thing with Panera, which I was, they gave me $3,000. Yeah. So I was just like, okay, all right. I will go back to Panera and

[00:17:03] Michael Zarick: if I, so I watch a lot of Twitch streams uhhuh.

Um, just to tell you, not to undervalue yourself, some of these Twitch streamers sell like an hour, two hours of playing a video game as an ad for just an absurd amount money. Yeah. Like an absurd

[00:17:17] Amanda Gibson: Yeah.

[00:17:18] Michael Zarick: Like sick. But I don't like

[00:17:19] Amanda Gibson: that. I don't, I don't like that. Oh, definitely not. I mean, I, I don't wanna

[00:17:22] Michael Zarick: do

[00:17:22] Amanda Gibson: that.

Yeah. But I mean, that's what my husband says all the time. He is like, you should be charging more. And I'm like, okay, well I would rather just like have the money and. So give, give me the money and I will make this for you. But, um, so then I started working at Good Dough and they changed their menu every month.

So like I made the dough recipes, but then I also like had to make glaze recipes and it was like unique glazes. Um, and then I got pregnant and then I wanted to be closer to my family. So then I came back to Indiana, but not where I grew up because I'm from a very small, tiny town and I didn't want, I wanna be close to my family, but I didn't wanna live that small town life anymore.

Um, so Indianapolis was where I'd never like, grew up like coming to Indianapolis. Mm-hmm. But like, I was like, let's do Indianapolis. It's the airport's there. Yeah.

[00:18:12] Michael Zarick: So if we need, if we need to go, that was your only opinion.

[00:18:14] Amanda Gibson: I mean, we had opinions because anytime I would come to see my family, I would fly into Indianapolis and I would always be like, I wonder what Indianapolis is like.

But it was mostly like, I would, I would go to like restaurant here and there, but it was mostly focused on like, just getting on the road and like getting home. From getting from the airport. Yeah. So I just knew that that's like where I wanted to go. But I'm gonna tell you why I started Indy Dough. Yeah.

So after coming here, I wanted to, I was so in the restaurant scene in Jacksonville, and, but I didn't want to like do the restaurant life anymore, especially because we moved when my son was one, and I was like, how do I get people to, how do I get to know people within the restaurant community in Indianapolis, but not work in the restaurant scene?

So that's how Indy Dough kind of got started. Mm-hmm. Is because, uh, yeah, I just wanted, and I wanted to be taken seriously. I didn't wanna be, I didn't wanna be known as like, uh, just like a customer, like going, I wanted to be taken seriously, as in like, I actually knew what I was like doing and what I was talking about, so that I started Indy dough.

I had no idea it was gonna take off like it was.

[00:19:28] Michael Zarick: The Midwesterners would love their sweets and treats. Yeah. And I

[00:19:30] Amanda Gibson: really didn't want to do donuts, but nobody was making donuts like I was making donuts. And I did try to, because I also did Good Dough's social media and I grew that as well. And so like I knew that people would want that.

But then how was I going to show that I could, it's hard to sell social media marketing to small local businesses. So I did reach out to like a few of them, but like they don't, they don't have marketing budgets for that. Yeah. Um, and so I, that's what why I went the route of Indy Dough and I could make other things, but nobody was making donuts.

And people go crazy for donuts. Donuts are never going to trend out. They're always going to be trending like cupcakes. I feel like cupcakes is like things that is like a treat that goes and trends. Mm-hmm.

[00:20:15] Michael Zarick: Well, it's like, uh, anything or Nothing Bundt Cakes. Is that what it is? Yeah. Like those were huge for so long.

Yeah. And then it's like those are gone froyo

[00:20:21] Amanda Gibson: that was fro-yo

[00:20:23] Michael Zarick: huge and now it's boba. Yeah, a little bit, but Boba is also kind of trending in that,

[00:20:27] Amanda Gibson: uh, yeah. But boba is like a cultural thing, so I feel like it's also going to be like trending for, uh, a group of people for forever. Mm-hmm. So that makes sense.

Yeah.

[00:20:38] Michael Zarick: Um, it's also fun to drink. It is. I'm pro, pro boba, uh, um,

[00:20:44] Amanda Gibson: I gave you a lot of information. Yeah.

[00:20:45] Michael Zarick: So when did, so Amanda in Indy comes like within Indy Dough or like

[00:20:51] Amanda Gibson: after,um, um so Indy dough happened for a little while and then I think that it really, so I started that in 2019. Mm-hmm. And then the pandemic happened and a lot of businesses were looking for ways to, uh, pivot in a way.

And I think that they pivoted towards me. So I did a lot of like popups and trying to like help other businesses. 'cause I feel like sometimes people want me to come to their business to help bring awareness of their business. So places like Tinker, I did like a few, they did like a drive through, uh, system, like in their, in their wholesale parking lot.

Yeah, I know. I don't know if you've ever been to where they actually like roast the coffee,

[00:21:30] Michael Zarick: but, uh, yes, I have. I know where it is. Oh,

[00:21:33] Amanda Gibson: so they like made like a whole like, drive through, but then so people would pre-order like my donuts and then they could order like, while they were there. So then I would just like drop 'em off.

So then it was just like to help them. And then I did it with, um, Gman house. Yes. Their coffee shop. Um, just going there and making people aware that they're open and like this is what they do. Uh, and then also I get to sell my stuff and I get to make what I wanna make and not for somebody else. 'cause that was like another thing where I was just like, I'm doing all of the work, but like, I'm not the owner.

People aren't recognizing like what I'm doing and for a long time. Um. I very much put emphasis on, um, humility and being humble and not taking credit. And if I could like talk to my, like, early twenties self, it would be like, you can take the credit. You can take the credit. Yeah.

[00:22:21] Michael Zarick: I've, I've learned that, um, through this podcast.

Like, I very similar to you. Like I, I don't like being self-absorbed or at least whatever my perception of that is. Mm-hmm. But also when I'd go, oh, I'm the Third Space Indy guy, people like light up. They're like, oh my God. Yeah. Thank you for doing, that's like, yeah. Oh, that's okay. I should like, probably, yeah.

Yeah. Tell people who I am a little bit.

[00:22:43] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. What you're doing is important and people like they want to know. But with Amanda and Indy, so after Indy Dough, I still have Indy Dough. It's just, it's hard. I tried to like become a brick and mortar and it didn't go the way that I wanted to, and it was very overwhelming.

Mm-hmm. But then it gets

[00:23:00] Michael Zarick: back to that sort of like what you were trying to avoid. Yes. Because you're there every day. You're in the kitchen, you're like, yes. You're doing stock.

[00:23:07] Amanda Gibson: Yes. And uh, yeah. So I don't want to, I don't wanna do that. And so I had actually reached out, pots and pans had, uh, posted that they were hiring for a front of house and for social media.

Mm-hmm. And this was like the first time that I was like, I've never seen a small business post that they're hiring for social media if they will let me do. So then I just reached out and I was like, if you will split the job, if, 'cause I don't wanna do front of house, I still wanna have Indy dough and I still wanna be a parent.

Mm-hmm. And I was like, if you'll split the job, like I would love to do social media and. They said yes. And I was so like, I can't believe that they like have, first of all, you have like, they're, they're doing, I feel this is, could be completely wrong, but I feel like they're doing well if they're able to have like a dedicated like, marketing budget.

And it was new for them too. So then it was also going to be like a little test run. Like, is this, I mean, I assume that this is, I'm just thinking like what they're thinking, like is this worth it? Um, and just like I'm so thankful that they said yes. Um, and Clarissa and Ian are the owners of it and I love working for them and with them.

And they've just been great and it's just been really fun. And they're. It's just after working with like a husband and wife owner that didn't work well together and me like witnessing all that, I was like a little apprehensive mm-hmm. About going and working for them. But it was, it was just, it was nice.

Um, and I was able to like, grow their account and like, they were able to actually like, see people like come in and like be like, we came in because of TikTok video. Yeah. And it's just fun, like doing videos of like, it's not serious, it's not anything like that. But then after a year of doing that, I had, I noticed like I had free time and I didn't wanna do dough stuff as much anymore.

So then I just posted, I think there's um, there's a private Facebook group for Indy women and food and I just said like, Hey, I've done positive pants. So I was able to have like, credibility too. It'd be like you guys all have like seen like this is my work. And I also had Indy dough, which the page also had a good amount of views or whatever you want to call it.

Um. And so I was able to prove that I could do it. Where before, when we moved and I didn't have Indy dough yet. Yeah. I couldn't like prove, I could just be like, here are these two places that are not Indianapolis. Mm-hmm. That I can't like show you like what I've done other than like, you just like scrolling and looking.

Um, but I was able to just like say like, Hey, I have free time. And uh, the owner of ChenAsh and Elm reached out and was like, let's have a call. So then, I don't know, it was just nice because she was able to look at pots and pans. She was able to look at Indy dough and I mean, if you're in the food world, you know, pots and pans, you know, you know Indy dough or I've heard of it.

Mm-hmm. Then, or at least I think so, I don't know. Yeah. So, 'cause it's like an elusive thing sometimes. I always talk about like,

[00:25:56] Michael Zarick: this podcast is a legitimizing force, like for, for the perceptions of other people. You kind of had that in a sim similar way. It's like you've built up this beautiful thing of like a bakery and a social media following for, you know, a separate entity, but it's your work.

So it's like. ChenAsh and Elm looks at that and goes, yes, that's for me.

[00:26:14] Amanda Gibson: Yes. Yeah. And I've been with ChenAsh and Elm for two years now, so it's been good. Yeah. And again, like, I like their business. I like their, the people who own it. It's Andrea, right? Andrea. Andrea, yeah.

[00:26:27] Michael Zarick: She's gonna fight me. Um,

[00:26:29] Amanda Gibson: do you ever, do you watch, um, arrested Development?

[00:26:32] Michael Zarick: No.

[00:26:33] Amanda Gibson: Oh, okay. Well,

[00:26:34] Michael Zarick: I know, I know memes like, like there's always money in the banana stand or like, uh, their illusions, Michael. Yeah, yeah. Or like, because my name's Michael. People always go, Michael.

[00:26:43] Amanda Gibson: Oh, that's funny. Uh, well, uh, we love, uh, arrested Development and there's, uh, a character Ann, and she's supposed to be like very dull and people forget her.

And, uh, so whenever they talk about her, uh, it's his son's girlfriend, and so he's like, Anne, and he's like, who? And so I always have to like, that's my description of how to say Andrea's name. I'm like, do you know Anne from Arrested Development? It'd be like, Anne. Andrea, but Andrea and Erin are the owners and yeah, they are very like community focused and it's very, it is very different.

So it's still food world or it's still like within the industry, but like drinks are totally different from pies. Yeah. And so I have, and there's like different restrictions

[00:27:25] Michael Zarick: on like advertising too. Yeah. Like you can't show people drinking it. Is that like a thing? Um,

[00:27:30] Amanda Gibson: well I

[00:27:31] Michael Zarick: just think about Bud Light commercials, that's like, yeah,

[00:27:33] Amanda Gibson: I didn't know that.

Uh, it might be a little bit different for like small businesses, but like with TikTok, like I've had to like adjust like they've like flagged the word cider. So like, even though there's like non-alcoholic cider than That's interesting. Yeah, it is just fun. It's a fun job. 'cause you get to like be, the algorithm is always changing, rules are always changing.

Uh, so just, and everything's always a test, so it's just fun. That makes sense. Um, and frustrating.

[00:28:01] Michael Zarick: And just so you, what you said, you, you said, um, you're thankful that Pots and Pans brought you on. I'm sure that they are also thankful that they brought you on at the same time. So shout out to you.

[00:28:11] Amanda Gibson: Thank you.

[00:28:11] Michael Zarick: Um, I'm speaking for them. I've never met them, I don't think. Um, but I have met. Uh, Andrea?

[00:28:16] Amanda Gibson: Yeah, I do. Um, whenever I do pots and pants, like reviews, uh, I tell my first review, like she had like bullet points and at the very end it was like, you are funny. And I was like, if this isn't in every review I ever do for the rest of my life, I'm gonna be so mad.

I was like, I never knew. That was like, be a point. I,

[00:28:35] Michael Zarick: I didn't. Um, 'cause we just met for the first, like officially for the first time, like a week and a half ago ish, right? Mm-hmm. Is that, um, well wait, no.

[00:28:44] Amanda Gibson: The first time was at the first recording podcast that he did.

[00:28:47] Michael Zarick: Well, yeah. I said hi and I was awkward.

Yeah.

[00:28:50] Amanda Gibson: I, you, it was funny because you like, uh, I was thinking about it too. You like, you were like, hi, you're Amanda, and then you like went off like those like cartoon characters that like are like, do you ever watch grubs where he like goes off into like his like imaginary world and everybody else is just like left their stand in his stairs and I'm like, okay,

[00:29:10] Michael Zarick: Anna, my wife gets on me because I just go through life.

F uh, in a very, like, weirdly assuming way, same. I'll just be like, I'll say it, like, I'll walk into a space where I know people and I'll be like, with Anna and I'll be like, like, Hey, what's up? Like, say hello to people. And Anna's like, I don't know who these people are. Can you introduce me? Yeah. It's like,

[00:29:29] Amanda Gibson: uh, I don't know.

Well, I feel like I'm socially awkward, like in group situations too. So sometimes like, I, I don't like those like surface level like questions of like, how are you? Because I'm like, I'm just gonna say good. Like, there's not, like, I don't know, like, how much time do you have? Like, yeah. So that's, and I'm like,

[00:29:46] Michael Zarick: I always try to be honest with people when they ask me how I'm doing, I'm be like, bad.

[00:29:50] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. But then like, do I wanna like, share everything I'm going through with a stranger that I like, barely know? Or why not? Well, yeah. See though our personalities are different. I'm like, do I know you? Like, are you like sometimes like, do you want to. Do I wanna just tell you something and have you not respond?

Or do I want you to like, actually give me advice, like, I'm very like selective on the advice. Like, I must know you and like your story before you.

[00:30:14] Michael Zarick: Yeah.

[00:30:14] Amanda Gibson: Give me advice.

[00:30:15] Michael Zarick: Um, oh, I was gonna say, so we met, I officially like at a conversation like a week and a half ago ish. I don't remember exactly how much time, but, and I was so struck by your personality.

Um, I don't know what I expected, but you're just like so dry and I could tell there is like humor waiting to come out. Yes. It's

[00:30:37] Amanda Gibson: like I am very dry. I have been told to smile for other people my whole entire life. My first job was at a grocery store and it would drive me bonkers that like people, I'd be like, I'm literally just doing this.

You want me to be like,

[00:30:54] Michael Zarick: have you been told you have resting bitch face? Yes. Okay.

[00:30:57] Amanda Gibson: All the time. Yeah. And I'm okay with it.

[00:30:59] Michael Zarick: Yeah. I mean, like, it's a good deterrent.

[00:31:01] Amanda Gibson: I, and it, it helps me, I feel like it helps me find my people that I like want to be with because like, there's like, I feel like Andrea, she like immediately was like, let's talk, let's have these conversations.

I don't know, there's just certain people that I feel like I can be like silly with. And I feel like sometimes if you don't know me, then once you, like, if we actually like made the time to like sit down, then I'm not gonna talk about like, serious stuff. I wanna talk about silly, stupid stuff all the time.

So yes, I am very dry. I am resting face. I will not smile, put on a fake smile for you because that's for you, not for me. Mm-hmm. And why do you even care? Yeah.

[00:31:42] Michael Zarick: Actually, can we talk about that? Can we, can we expand on this? Okay. You, you got some haters out there?

[00:31:49] Amanda Gibson: I do, yeah.

[00:31:51] Michael Zarick: Can you, but I don't know about, do you have any words for the haters?

[00:31:54] Amanda Gibson: No.

[00:31:55] Michael Zarick: No. Oh, amen. Okay. Well, fuck 'em. Whatever. No. What about the lovers?

[00:32:01] Amanda Gibson: Um, thanks.

[00:32:04] Michael Zarick: Perfect. That's what's up.

[00:32:06] Amanda Gibson: I just, I think if you, if we, if you want to, since you're asking a question or if you want me to explain? No, no. I mean,

[00:32:10] Michael Zarick: we can move on. Um,

[00:32:11] Amanda Gibson: no, I just think like it's funny and silly, like a lot of times, like when people comment, it's usually about my body and they don't want to see me eating food.

Yeah. And so then I'm like, should I, like, what do you want? Like who are you and why do you want something from me? Like I can show you. Like, I should like make a video on like a tutorial of like how to like block someone also, like if you don't understand like how the algorithm works, like if you comment on my page and you don't like what you're like looking at, you're gonna get more of it.

You're going to just get more of me. So if you like, just don't interact and like you can hit like unfollow and there's no reason. But like, I mean, that's like the internet and like I knew when I started like doing videos, I, I knew that it was gonna happen. And the more viral a video goes, the more like people are just gonna say whatever they wanna say because they're not in real life.

Like, they're not gonna say that to me in real life. A

[00:33:01] Michael Zarick: hundred percent they're not.

[00:33:02] Amanda Gibson: But if they did say it to me in real life, then like we could have like an actual conversation about like, like I would wanna know because there's like been there and it's usually, it's usually Facebook and it's usually, um, men who are in their forties and who are white and they look, I don't know, they just look.

A lot of times. I'm like, why?

[00:33:26] Michael Zarick: Little worms?

[00:33:27] Amanda Gibson: Yes. And I'm like, why does this bother you so much that I'm eating? But then I feel like, what if I like posted a video of like, where I do go and like decide to move my body? Like, are you gonna be mad that I'm moving my body? Like, I don't know.

[00:33:39] Michael Zarick: There's a guy who I follow on Twitter who's like a bodybuilder.

He's a, a, a, not a, well I guess bodybuilder is a word, but he is a a, a powerlifter uhhuh. So he is really short and stocky. And buff his fuck Uhhuh. And these people will come in his comments and be like, you look kind of weak. Or like, just actually like aggressive towards him. And he's like, post face? Yeah.

Yeah. Post face. He's like these, these little like worms of, of people just like don't like come outta their little holes.

[00:34:05] Amanda Gibson: To me, I'm so focused on like. I'm telling you about like a business and like how hard that they've worked to like, get to where they are. And like you're just so focused on like what I look like then like you're missing like the whole point of like the whole entire video of me, like showcasing food and like, I don't know, I'm just not like, I'm not even talking about like what I'm eating or what I look like, or I don't know.

And that's like one of the reasons why, uh, there's a couple like different reasons why I wanted to like start like content creating. But one of them was like, people didn't look like me or they weren't like talking to me or they had like the come with me to, and it just like wasn't real. And I want, and I'm a very, very, like, I want authenticity.

Mm-hmm. And I feel like I do try to be like an authentic person. Like I have like held onto that work for a while. Yeah. You just walk into a

[00:34:49] Michael Zarick: restaurant, order some food. Say hello to the workers and then you leave. Oh, and

[00:34:53] Amanda Gibson: I, and I'm, oh gosh. Yeah, I, that content creators, influencers drive me bonkers. And I feel like that they could do so much good.

And a lot of them do their, they suck, they do everything for themselves. Um, and I feel like they, like you have the, if you have all these followers, like you have a platform to like, do good and so why aren't you? Um, so yeah, why aren't you like, I don't go into a place and be like, I am a good content creator and give me, make sure that like, you're cleaning your plate, make sure you're doing this.

I'm not gonna ask you like, I don't know, I'm not gonna ask for payment. I don't wanna get paid. I want free food. Um, I wanna make a point to like, if I go into a place, especially if it's an immigrant owned place, I'm not going to be like coming in here and asking for them to pay me or to give me free food or tell them like the things that I can do for them because.

Again, the algorithm is always changing. You can't promise, like what, like things will be like, even if I show you like my metrics, like that doesn't mean like my, that next video is gonna do really good or anything. So, um, one of the, like, I, I brought, brought you here to Maso for a couple like different reasons, but one of 'em was because like I came in here, I didn't tell her like what I was doing.

It was just me and my son and we just like ordered and I guess they had just opened and she, whenever I came back to talk to her, um, she was telling me, she was like, I've had a few people. She's like, I just really appreciate that you came in, you didn't like ask us for anything because they'd already had.

If other influencers within Indianapolis come in, ask for things, ask to get paid, they're a brand new freaking business. Yeah. They don't have the money. They just spent all of their money on opening this place. And even if they

[00:36:34] Michael Zarick: did, they who was to spend it on you.

[00:36:37] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. So that was like another reason because I have been on both sides where I've also been like, I've, in working for Pot Pan and for ChenAsh and Elm, I have reached out to those influencers to be like, come in, make a video, here's what we're offering.

So I have been on that side of it. And then I've also been like, when I was in Good Dough, um. I always like to give this example of there was this, uh, really annoying, um, like foodie influencer, but he never like actually knew anything about food. So I was making coffee pastry cream, and I was like, crushing the coffee beans because once you, and because I don't know if you know how to make it, but, uh, you, but you

[00:37:12] Michael Zarick: coffee, pastry

[00:37:13] Amanda Gibson: coffee, uh, pastry cream.

Oh, okay. Um, so you have to infuse, um, milk with coffee so that you get the coffee flavor. So I was crushing the coffee beans so that it actually like expAsh and Elmd, like more of the flavor. Mm-hmm. Um, and uh, kind of like, you know how like when people like make cocktails and they like kind of hit like the mint to like Ruba it around, it like expresses like the oils that are in it.

Yeah. And so he was like, why are you doing that? So I was like trying to explain it to him and I was like, you know how like whenever you like use garlic, like you crush it, you don't just like. Throw garlic, like a whole garlic clove in like you have to like open it up. And he was like, no. And it made me so mad because he was standing in the kitchen during like such a busy time and he was asking for free food and he was standing in my way and I was like, there is a line like out the door and you are in my way.

And we don't like a lot of times when people like ask me stuff. Especially like Indy dope. 'cause I've also had those influencers in my inbox and Indy dough and I'm just like, I don't need you. Like I don't have enough. Like I'm selling out. I don't have enough food. To even give. So I don't, I don't, I don't need you and I don't need to pay you to do this when I can do it myself.

So I know that might sound like a little arrogant, but

[00:38:18] Michael Zarick: No, I eat that up.

[00:38:20] Amanda Gibson: But that was like, one of the other reasons why I liked coming here is because, and people have come to Maso because of my videos and, um, I did like, uh, I wanted just, 'cause when my, when my pages first started taking off, uh, they, uh, people would be like, oh, I'd love to go out to eat with you.

I'd like, and I'm a, a person who has a lot of like walls mm-hmm. Where I'm like, I need to know who you are first. Mm-hmm. Like, I don't, like are we going to enjoy time? I'll time I'll,

[00:38:46] Michael Zarick: I've taken to this conversation is sitting down with you in this moment is a high compliment

[00:38:51] Amanda Gibson: it. Yes. I appreciate that. Yes.

Uh, maybe, I don't know. We'll see after this, but, uh, I, I just, I did like a night where I was like, if you have ever said that you want to come out to eat with me, we are going to go to ma CISO at this time. We don't have to like talk to each other, but we are gonna go support a local restaurant that, like I have come to love that a lot of you have already come to and we are going to pay full price and we are going to tip well.

Mm-hmm. Because I feel like that is another thing that influencers do, is they expect things to be given to them. Mm-hmm. And I feel like they, they think like they are entitled and that there is a lot of work that goes into like creating content and editing videos and doing a voiceover and doing all those things.

So like, I don't wanna discredit like a job of like a content creator, but I think that there's like a sense of entitlement. Like you are taking their hard, like their hard work, like what they've done in the kitchen, their history, their story, and you're taking it and you're putting it on your page and you are getting the views, you are getting the money from it when like you should, like, if you're going to do that, like you have to like understand what you're doing and you have to make sure, like you should be paying full price and you're should be pointing people to go there.

Not to just be like. The viral fruit pastry is like, I got this here. Like, I don't know. I have a lot of. Thoughts on influencers In Indianapolis

[00:40:12] Michael Zarick: or just in general? It's just, I was gonna say, not just Indianapolis. There's a lot of that we have.

[00:40:16] Amanda Gibson: We have, we have some good influencers too. And I feel like I'm trying to like change the way that people do influencing, like within Indianapolis.

I don't know. So

[00:40:26] Michael Zarick: yeah,

[00:40:26] Amanda Gibson: maybe I'm not changing the way. I think the more

[00:40:28] Michael Zarick: you talk shit, the more self-aware that you can become.

[00:40:32] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. Maybe.

[00:40:32] Michael Zarick: I think this is a good moment to transition if you want to. If we wanna order food.

Uh, let's just ask the question since we're waiting. Okay. Uh, Thursday. Cindy is sponsored by city rising.org. Mark, mark, mark. Mark Latta has decided to sponsor the podcast.

And if you didn't know, City Rising is a social impact studio that leads and supports innovative projects that strengthen, celebrate and repair people and places. So if you're a people or you're a person who inhabits a place and you're the leader of an organization and you're interested in improving your built environment, your surrounding area, your community, reach out to me or reach out to cityrising.org and get connected with Mark Latta and find out how you can work to improve that area around.

Uh, but Mark has sponsored a pod, uh, question, which Amanda knows well 'cause she's been listening to the podcast

Which is, what is a third space? To you.

[00:41:24] Amanda Gibson: Um, so at Maple Street, I feel like, uh, my boss was very, he also read the same book and he was like so adamant about making Maple Street a third place.

And so I feel like a part of me, like, anytime you like, talk about it, I'm like, you

[00:41:39] Michael Zarick: get like this drama. Yeah.

[00:41:41] Amanda Gibson: Uh, because I, I heard it so often of like, how can we make this place like a third place? Um, but what, what was the question? What is it to me or what Yeah, what does it mean it,

[00:41:53] Michael Zarick: what is a third place like to you?

It doesn't have to be a physical location. Yeah. It's just sort of conceptual or it could be a place

[00:42:00] Amanda Gibson: for me, I think that it would be not, obviously it's not work and it's not home. It's, uh, someplace that you go. Uh, but I think that it's just someplace where you feel comfortable and you feel like you can be yourself.

[00:42:15] Michael Zarick: Perfectly acceptable answer. Is there anywhere that like exists like that for you now? Like when you go out and do, if you, maybe you consider Amanda and Indy like your work, but like when you're going out and doing different, like restaurant videos, is that like your third place? Like you're finding comfort in that?

Or is it, I don't know. Sometimes it,

[00:42:32] Amanda Gibson: like, it just depends on like where, like which location? Um, like with them at Maso, like I feel comfortable with them. Like Luz and I have like gone out to like dinner together. Oh, let's go. Um, when her family, um, her mom and dad were visiting, uh, they invited us in, like my family in, and we did like dinner after hours and like her mom made like something.

So it's just like built like that relationship. So like, I would feel like, yes, this is like, I feel comfortable here. I feel like I can like get outta my seat and I can like go and ask a question and I don't feel uncomfortable like asking a question, but I don't feel that way. Like at every restaurant, even if I like their food or I like them, like I don't feel that way.

So it just is a different. Like thing. Um, but I would say like, I was thinking about this and I was like, Hmm, maybe like grocery stores.

[00:43:15] Michael Zarick: Uh, actually I think that's really it. I always think about when I was a kid, um, like it was always after church on Sundays. You're like dressed up and you go to the grocery store and you see everyone you already saw at church.

Oh yeah. And there's always like, you're a kid, so you're like, can we please get on with it? But your mom, yeah. Or your dad is like sitting there talking to somebody for like 30 minutes in an aisle and you're like, please God, help me.

[00:43:37] Amanda Gibson: Oh, well. And I wouldn't say that I like talk to people when I go grocery shopping.

Oh, you're locked

[00:43:42] Michael Zarick: in. I,

[00:43:42] Amanda Gibson: well. I want to like, I wanna have time, I would love to just like walk the aisles and like look at things and like think about food and like, think about like, I don't know, just different stuff like that. I am a very, um, when you said like that, this is like, when you say it's like a compliment to be able to like sit down and like talk like more on like a deeper like, conversation level.

Like I don't do that like a, a Latta times. Um, so I am very much a, like a singular person, I think a lot in my head. Mm-hmm. Um, my husband like knows like whenever before we had a child it was, if you're coming home or if I'm just getting home, I need like to decompress. So I guess like an introvert is what I would say.

Yeah. So if I am, I'm going to my third place to. Go not not talk, but I'm sure there's like, yeah, I have, uh, people recognize me now, so

[00:44:39] Michael Zarick: it's happened to me a couple times. And then it's

[00:44:40] Amanda Gibson: just like a little bit, it is like, I'm so thankful for it because like they don't need to like say thank you to me. They don't need to like, do any of those things.

So it does mean a lot. But then at the same time, then I feel like I have to like, do something a certain way. Like I can't just like walk down Trader Joe's aisle and like, I don't know. But then, because I repeat going back to those places, uh, I have like built a relationship with like, like at Trader Joe's, like going through their line and then we could like talk about like where you've been and stuff.

Yeah. So, or like, usually if somebody does, uh, ask if I like have gone or if they like come up and talked to me, I usually ask them like for a recommendation. And I say like, can you send me a dm? 'cause I would like to follow. People back, especially like if they took the time to like, out of their own day to be like, I'm gonna go and say something to her where other people, they'd be like, I saw you here.

And I'm like, that's so creepy. Like, you didn't say anything, but like, you saw me. I'm like, you should have just like come up and said something. That's so funny. Then I don't like that. You were just like watching me.

[00:45:37] Michael Zarick: Um, have you been to Saraga?

[00:45:40] Amanda Gibson: I love Saraga. I would say that as a, a good third place. I've

[00:45:43] Michael Zarick: been, I've been there once.

The one over near Costco that way. And you talked about like, thinking about the food or thinking about food and I, I feel like Saraga was like the epitome of that for me, where it's like I'm walking down the, each aisle that is labeled by country and just thinking there's like so many stories here or the food in this aisle is important to somebody.

Yeah. Not to me. 'cause I don't know what to do with like Yeah. Dried fish. Yeah. Frankly. Um, but to somebody it's like, this is like home.

[00:46:12] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. Or yes. A,

[00:46:13] Michael Zarick: a piece of it.

[00:46:14] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. And I, that's like another reason why like, I like sharing the restaurants that like, I choose to share. Not like, I didn't reaLuze like how unique it was for me to go to all these like, immigrant owned restaurants.

This was just like a normal thing for me. But like, I liked going to those until people like started putting on like an emphasis of like, you eat so many different types of food. I'm like, well, why aren't you eating those types of food? Uh, and why is this so unique that I'm eating them? Um, so that was just weird to me.

But what was I saying? What were we saying about, oh, just talking about

[00:46:46] Michael Zarick: how like Saraga aisles are like a piece of food for somebody.

[00:46:49] Amanda Gibson: Oh. But then that, that's what I feel like sometimes when I do share and people follow me, I'm like, this could be like, important to you. So like the Filipino, Cultural Center is on the south side.

Mm-hmm. And they have two restaurants that are in it. Um, they work opposite schedules of each other so they can use the same kitchen, but it was just like, I don't know if anybody is from the Philippines and so a lot of times they're like, I'm Filipino. And I had like no idea that the like Cultural Center was even there.

[00:47:12] Michael Zarick: Yeah. So cool. Oh, we're getting plates. I guess you need plate seed food sometimes. I mean, sometimes,

[00:47:21] Amanda Gibson: yeah. Yeah. That's the reason why I brought my husband. He's here to, to eat the leftovers. Um, sure. I didn't know how,

[00:47:27] Michael Zarick: if you could eat, what do you mean? If I could, if you mean like capital "E" Eat like get in on it.

Well, yeah. Well, I call like my, my husband

[00:47:35] Amanda Gibson: is like,

[00:47:36] Michael Zarick: I can

[00:47:36] Amanda Gibson: chow down.

He's like the, like my brother is this way too, but we call him like the disposal, so like the trash trashcan disposal. So it's like if you're, if you're all done, we'll just like pass it over and you can finish it. So no food goes to waste.

[00:47:50] Michael Zarick: well, I guess while we're still waiting, oh, of course. The next question, which is related to the previous question, we went on a long tangent. Yeah. Sorry. Actually this is gonna be a long,

[00:47:59] Amanda Gibson: sorry.

[00:47:59] Michael Zarick: No, no. I'm really, I really am like, I feel like I have, um, food is so vital to the human experience that it's unfortunate that it's taken me almost 30 episodes to get to talk to somebody about it. Uhhuh, like I just released the one with, um. Sierra today. But like even that is like, why did it take me so long to get here?

Because food is like one of the like only things that every single human on earth shares.

[00:48:29] Amanda Gibson: Mm-hmm.

[00:48:29] Michael Zarick: Uh, in common with each other. Yeah. Um, so by extension of the previous question about what is a third space to you, what is a third space that you used to have that you no longer do?

[00:48:41] Amanda Gibson: so I thought about this one, uh, a lot because I feel like there's like a lot of place.

Like I'm 36 now, so I've had like a lot of places that I've gone to. But, uh, I like that you always give the caveat of like, it doesn't actually have to be like a physical location, but like it can be, um, whatever, not physical, like just a place in your mind. A space, yeah. Or a place in your mind. I would definitely say like, as I've gotten older, like I just, like really, I miss like not having the carols of the world.

I miss like the friends that like I had like in high school, like, and I'm still friends with like, some of them, but like I miss like, just being silly, just being stupid, like being in the small town and just driving around and like just doing stupid stuff. Or this may be like a little bit deeper, but like I miss my perception of like the mom that I had when I was like growing up because now as I've gotten older, you get to see like your parents' flaws.

And now that I've become a parent and I get to see like even more of their flaws or like question, like their way that they do. So I miss those places where I could like not know. More. Does that make sense? No, I, the, I think the term

[00:49:49] Michael Zarick: ignorance is bliss. Yes. Rings true a lot to me. Like yeah. I always talk about, like, I've mentioned this before, but like taking classes in college that really opened my eyes to a lot of, um, bad stuff worldwide and specifically like that the US itself has taken action in.

And like, there was a time before where I was like, I was so happy. Yeah. No, it's not. Yeah. Also, sorry, uh, shout out to my mom. 'cause in contrast to you, I feel very blessed that I feel like as I've gotten older, I've gained a deeper respect for my mother. Yes. And like, who she is and how she raised me. Like I, I really appreciate her for that.

[00:50:23] Amanda Gibson: And I will say I always like have to, uh, I appreciate my, my mom a lot. Mm-hmm. It's just like, there are certain things that like, I'm like, dang, why did she do that? Why did she say that? Yeah. And I have to like think about like the way that her upbringing was, or like who she had influenced her life or way, the way that the world was treating women in her time.

Like growing up and thinking that you like had, I don't know, just being her, her herself in the time that she was being taken advantage of and like the expectations were put on her as a woman and then that she just took them and like, this is the way that it is. And then also she just church. Just, there's a lot of trauma that is like related with church.

But I will say my mom is one of the, like the first people that like my inspiration for like food and like trying new foods was her. Um, it came from, well, I don't wanna talk about this part, but like, it came from like a place of like, hurt. But when I was like in high school, she decided like she was gonna start going out to eat more.

Um, and we would go to places, uh, there was a Chinese restaurant in, uh, my town. And I love this story and it's made such like an impact on me. But they had just opened up and it was just like any other, like Chinese takeout restaurant, but it was owned by this very sweet couple. And, um, they had told, and like English was not their first language, but they had told my mom that they had, like, they were just talking and uh, they told my mom that she hadn't had, they hadn't had like Mexican food before.

And not that this is like any place special, but they, she went and got them, um. Taco Bell so that they could go and try tacos for the first time. Yeah. And it's just like little things like that that like, I really appreciate my mom. And then, um, those, the couple of that Chinese restaurant, uh, like, just became like one of my favorite places, like growing up to go.

Um, and so much so that like anytime they would go back to China, they would like bring me something back. And like, looking back, I'm like, that's so silly. Like, I wasn't like, I was just a kid. And so why were they doing that? They weren't like, it was my mom who like had the relationship with them, but then like my senior year, um, of high school did, I didn't realize this was like a Midwestern, but Did you, did you grow up here?

Where did you grow up?

[00:52:33] Michael Zarick: I'm from Louisville, but also Midwest. Um,

[00:52:34] Amanda Gibson: did you guys have open houses, like whenever you graduated?

[00:52:37] Michael Zarick: What do you mean open house?

[00:52:39] Amanda Gibson: Whenever you see that's, I didn't know this was like a Midwest thing until my husband, um, until like I talked to him. Uh, but. An open house is like whenever you graduate, you like have a big party and like people, like within your life bring you either money or they bring you things like towels, like to get you ready for adulthood.

Uh, okay.

[00:52:57] Michael Zarick: We did have like graduation party.

[00:52:58] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. But they called it an open house. I

[00:53:00] Michael Zarick: definitely didn't do that. Uh, so,

[00:53:01] Amanda Gibson: but so, uh, at my open house, uh, they brought like all of my favorite things, uh, like as like a thank you and like all my favorite things that I had ordered and they brought them like catering sized dishes.

And then one time they, uh, brought, um, oh my God, for back from China, they brought me like a, like an actual, like traditional. Like,

[00:53:25] Michael Zarick: like a Chinese, like, I don't know what you call, like outfit.

[00:53:28] Amanda Gibson: Yes. And like I used it in like one of my like, senior pictures and stuff. And like, I had no idea like how much of an impact that place would have on me until like I got to like where I am now, like making content and stuff.

And I'm like, I wish I could find them. And I tried really hard to find them and to like reach out to them and I have no idea how to find them because, uh, Jim and June were their names that like, I knew them, but those are not their names. So

[00:53:48] Michael Zarick: Yeah. Jim and June.

[00:53:49] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. So all that to say my mom is the one who like tried new foods and like exposed me to just going out to places where you don't know the menu.

Mm-hmm. And just like picking something on like it, so. Okay. Well anyways, here's our food, I think. Uh, are you

[00:54:04] Michael Zarick: recording?

[00:54:06] Amanda Gibson: Oh yeah, I was

[00:54:06] Michael Zarick: Do you wanna take a picture?

[00:54:07] Amanda Gibson: Yeah.

[00:54:08] Michael Zarick: Sorry to command you. I don't mean to do so. How dare you? It's just so beautiful. I, it deserves to be, um, yes. Preserved. So I'll, I'll post, uh, if you're listening, I will post images of this.

This is gorgeous.

Have you ever been told that you're just a beautiful person? It's like, this is gorgeous.

[00:54:27] Amanda Gibson: Thank you so much. And she's extra beautiful because she's also beautiful on the inside. Have you ever noticed, have you ever noticed that when people, you're like, that person is so gorgeous, and then you start talking to them and you're like, Ugh.

They like, became like awful. And then have you ever talked to somebody where you're like, they're beautiful, and then you start talking to them more and you're like, they are extra beautiful.

[00:54:45] Michael Zarick: This reminds me of almost like, um, so I'm gonna just sort of describe what I'm seeing.

So this is like a tortilla with, um, almost like a stew on top of it. Uhhuh. Yeah. It reminds me almost of like Indian food a little bit. This looks distinctly Peruvian to me, where it's like, is that fish uhhuh? So it's like fish with a bean, like a bean salsa on

[00:55:09] Amanda Gibson: top

[00:55:10] Michael Zarick: maybe?

[00:55:10] Amanda Gibson: No.

[00:55:11] Michael Zarick: Oh, I don't know any of this.

[00:55:12] Omar: It's

[00:55:13] Michael Zarick: a bowl. Bowl of meat balls, which, yeah. Well, and

[00:55:15] Amanda Gibson: this is what I love to do. I love to like, I love to, I love food. So like, I like to like talk about it first. And like some people, uh, like comment that I hate me like smelling stuff, but I like, I'm, they're like, it's so disrespectful that you smell. I'm like, I'm using all of my senses.

I'm like, actually feel like it's very respectful because like, I wanna show appreciation to the food so much Uhhuh. So that's why I'm smelling it. And also it's, that's another thing my mom did is like, when we'd go out, she would always like, taste something. She'd like try to guess like all the ingredients that are in it.

And so I feel like I try to do that now too. I do that too. Yeah. I try to guess. So I sometimes smelling is different than tasting. So we

[00:55:47] Michael Zarick: have another bowl, Uhhuh, which is a soup. There's an egg in it. Uhhuh, um, I'm assuming there's pork in it because it looks very fatty. Um.

[00:55:57] Amanda Gibson: I think this one is beef. Good.

[00:55:58] Michael Zarick: Oh, it's beef.

I think so. I think I'm doing it based off eyesight. Yeah. And then I think these are, so this is, uh, enchiladas and moley on one side and then a, a green sauce on the other, which I assume has tomatillo in it. Mm-hmm. Uh, and this, I don't know, just a different type of enchilada. No, these are, uh, these look like chilaquiles.

[00:56:17] Amanda Gibson: No, but

[00:56:18] Michael Zarick: like, not what is,

[00:56:20] Amanda Gibson: um, I can't remember. I've actually never had this one. Um, but I wanted to get it. Uh, it's e in, in, do you have a m

[00:56:27] Michael Zarick: server?

[00:56:29] Amanda Gibson: The, uh, it is

[00:56:33] Michael Zarick: this one in? Yes. Uh, free means. Oh, so it's like a bean sauce. Got it. Yeah. Free ho. That makes sense. Mm-hmm. I know Spanish,

[00:56:42] Amanda Gibson: I wanna tell you about it, but I, I want They do such a better job at explaining Luz is is like really good.

Oh, we're

[00:56:48] Michael Zarick: just

[00:56:48] Amanda Gibson: waiting for enchiladas. Uh, the tamales.

[00:56:51] Michael Zarick: Tamales,

[00:56:51] Amanda Gibson: they, I wanted that one specifically because they nixtamalize tamales their own corn. Do you know about this process? Well,

[00:56:57] Michael Zarick: like with the, the, um, oh wait, that's crazy.

[00:57:01] Amanda Gibson: Yes. So yes. Not a lot of places do that. Yeah, Julieta's does it. Okay. But for the tamales, they ize their own corn.

They don't do it for like, like this or that. Um, but it's like sometimes when places say like they make their own tortillas, they just like get their own masa, but like, they're actually like getting their corn. What's the, do you know the, how to explain the process of nixtamalization? Husband appearance. the. You mix it with like what's called like a lime, which is like an alkaline, uh, mineral I think, if I recall correctly. And you basically just like let it sit with that for a while and it softens up the corn kernels to make it digestible by humans.

'cause normally it's not digestible by humans. So, uh, it's basically something that indigenous people discovered, you know, thousands of years ago, that if they had not taught it to settlers, and if, you know, people hadn't carried it over in Mexico, then people would just have died of starvation because, because they cultivated the crop of corn for, you know, thousands of years.

So,

[00:57:56] Michael Zarick: thank you husband. Yep.

[00:57:59] Amanda Gibson: That's what, um, one of your questions was like, who supports you? Mm-hmm. And I was like, my husband, like a lot of times. Like I say, like I would not be able to have the jobs that like I have now. If it wasn't for my husband, like being like the main source of income. It wouldn't be like the.

That I wouldn't be able to make like these my God videos because of, you're

[00:58:20] Michael Zarick: so good.

[00:58:20] Amanda Gibson: Okay. I think this was everything.

[00:58:22] Michael Zarick: For those of you listening, this is Luz. She's, you're a co-owner? Yeah. Yes. Fantastic. Yeah. Co-owner of the mato. So we're gonna talk about the food that's in front of us. Yeah. I'm so excited. Okay. It's actually painful that I have to sit here and wait.

[00:58:37] Luz: Okay. So we are gonna start with a tamales. Mm-hmm. Tamales. I always love to brag saying that we don't use ma We actually started with dry corn with nixtamalize it here, which is the process we where you have to boil this dry hominy with lime powder in order to remove the skin.

Mm-hmm. We have to dinner and drive for the whole night, and the next day we have to grind it.

[00:58:59] Michael Zarick: Mm-hmm. And

[00:59:00] Luz: then we start building the tamales from there. Our dough and everything. Yeah.

[00:59:03] Michael Zarick: So you're making your own masa? We are. Which you then make into tortillas. Yes. Or whatever you're using it for. 'cause this is not a tortilla type.

Yeah.

[00:59:08] Luz: No. Just for the tamales. Yeah. Uh, those tamales are Mexican, but we love to serve with salsa criolla, which is the easiest way to explain it, is a Peruvian version of the pico de gallo that then we move to the enfrijoladas. This is a super, um, I don't know it's traditional, but just home cooking. Mexican, uh, enri coladas is a plate that normally you want, uh, you are not gonna find it in a Mexican restaurant because it's like that.

It's more like, it's humble. It's like grandma's cooking kind of thing. Exactly. So for this one, uh, we use the tortillas in the middle. We put carnitas homemade carnitas as well. The sauce is this smoky bean sauce that is just slightly spicy, but with some salad cream on top to cool it down. A little bit of crumbo queso fresco, and again, the creolla.

Now we have the enchiladas. This one, we call them Campanas, is half and Hal, between the mole Verde and the Red Mole. Mm-hmm.

[01:00:05] Amanda Gibson: Red

[01:00:05] Luz: Mole Super traditional is, I think it's the most well known sauce in Mexico.

[01:00:09] Amanda Gibson: Mm-hmm.

[01:00:09] Luz: Um, I always like to say that the mole, the red mole is, it's a sauce that has a lot of character, has like many layers.

It's made mainly with dried chiles, seeds, nuts, and chocolate.

[01:00:22] Amanda Gibson: Mm-hmm.

[01:00:23] Luz: Uh, you are gonna feel like the sweetness of the chocolate. It also has the, all the nuts that are in there. The seeds a little bit spicy because of the chilies, and there it is also kind of like smoky, savory, sweet. At the same time you're gonna.

[01:00:36] Michael Zarick: I, I, I know I'm gonna love it. That's, I love Mole. Oh,

[01:00:41] Luz: perfect. Yes,

[01:00:41] Michael Zarick: yes.

[01:00:41] Luz: So the other one, the Green Mole, not as popular as the red one. Mm-hmm. But, um,

[01:00:47] Michael Zarick: what does, sorry to interrupt, what does mole mean? Like, is it just like a pepper sauce or is it little? Uh,

[01:00:53] Luz: it is more like a pepper sauce that it needs to have peppers, seed nuts, basically just that, and that's gonna make a mole.

Okay. Uh, in this one, for the green one, we use roasted poblano with some peanuts in there. So it's not spicy. Right. Uh, it's more tart because of the tomatillo has a lot of material and, yeah. Well, we have those sopa criolla right here. This is, wait, say that one

[01:01:17] Michael Zarick: more. Sopa. What?

[01:01:18] Luz: criolla

[01:01:19] Michael Zarick: Crayola.

[01:01:19] Luz: Uhhuh like Creole.

[01:01:20] Michael Zarick: Oh, okay.

[01:01:21] Luz: Mm-hmm. Sopa criolla is this Peruvian soup, and the same as that Fri coladas. You barely gonna find it in the restaurant. It's super humble. It belongs to your house. It's something that your mom cook for you. In this one, I follow my mom's recipe. Uh,

[01:01:40] Michael Zarick: has she ever come into the restaurant and like, slapped your hand?

No. Do it better, but she

[01:01:46] Luz: did that. But she, she's been here for some time. So sopa creolla has in her pasta, has D potato, diced beef. Uh, it's a beef broth base with some milk in there and the red comes from the, normally you would use a hip panka, but we discover that it's the same as Chile guajillo. Okay. In the Mexican, if not the same.

Pretty similar. Mm-hmm. So we just use Chile guajillo for this one. Mm-hmm. Has the sunny side of egg and we serve this with a slice. So his, so bread, his home is our bread.

[01:02:19] Michael Zarick: We're gonna make him talk about

[01:02:21] Luz: Yeah, we're gonna force him. Meatballs. Um, we just put them Mexican meatballs because they come in wahe sauce.

The same chili that we use for the soup is known as spicy as well. Uh, the meatballs, they also have tomatillo inside. Um, he also use one full loaf of sourdough bread, soaking milk. I think. I think that's the secret to make them like super tender. I'm not sure, but everybody say like super tender. How do you do it?

I wanna believe that it's because of the sourdough milk and soaking milk Tiradito, that is my favorite. This is another Peruvian plate is, um, similar to a ceviche, not the same a lot of. People ask me like why we don't have ceviche, since that is the most popular thing in Peru. You think in Peru and you think about ceviche.

But always my answer is if you haven't tried, uh, you just have to try the Tiradito and then you will know why we decide to go for this one instead of the Can I

[01:03:20] Michael Zarick: see the menu? Yeah. I just wanna see. I'm gonna say it like, I would say it like a white boy. Where is it? Oh, Tiradito. Okay, got you.

[01:03:30] Luz: Theto. Uh, what's the fish on

[01:03:32] Michael Zarick: the bottom?

[01:03:32] Luz: That one is tuna. Okay. Like sashimi style tuna uhhuh. The yellow sauce is lecher tigre, which translate to tiger's milk uhhuh. But it is just this citrusy with a lot of lime sauce that it has some veggies blended in there and like maybe some celery has some ginger, has some garlic, uh, cilantro. Normally that sauce that is kind of white.

We make a J using a hi marillo paste. Mm. Amarillo is this Peruvian yellow chili pepper that has just a unique flavor.

[01:04:06] Amanda Gibson: Mm-hmm.

[01:04:06] Luz: Uh, we use that on top goes the cheetah, which is the Peruvian toasted corn mixed on with some onions, with some cilantro. More corn. Why did I

[01:04:15] Michael Zarick: think it was beans?

[01:04:16] Luz: No, it's corn. And.

Canita. Oh, and this one is the Taco Norteno. It's his own version of the Taco Norteno. Uh, he explained to me that in the north side of Mexico, they eat a lot of tacos, but using flour tortillas. Normally they're like regular sized tacos. Uh, but on his vision, he just uses their big flour tortilla has some cheese on the bottom, the refried beans, and he to it with this, um, stew that has pork, beef, and I mean pork, diced potato and chili Morita.

Chili Morita is one of his favorite chilies is kind of a smoky, has some heat in there comforting too. Mm-hmm.

[01:04:57] Michael Zarick: Well, thank you for sharing. I wanna, I wanna have him

[01:04:58] Amanda Gibson: explain this one. Yeah. And then also talk about Fred and then, is this, this is him right, too? Is this you or is this

[01:05:04] Luz: No,

[01:05:04] Amanda Gibson: that is him.

[01:05:05] Luz: Okay. All right. So I'm gonna call him.

[01:05:09] Michael Zarick: I'm so excited.

here. Oh, I'm gonna shake your hand. Okay. It's good to have you. I'm so excited that you're here. Thank you.

[01:05:17] Omar: This, uh, this, this Taco Norteno. Uh, okay. It's okay. Uh, can I stop when, whenever, whenever you want. Okay. And yes, this, this, this, the Taco Norteno to me is like, I, I remember a lot of things from my, my parents' house. So I have a, in my family, we uh, I have five brothers and my mom always cooks like big pots of excuse.

And this, remember a lot of, my, my, my house. and also I think when people start like they accept this and try, and they always recommend because there is people, like they recommend this plate, oh, oh, Macizo and try this. I feel like we're like, we were doing something different and. I don't know. This, this, this, this kind of, uh, still remembers a lot of.

My, my childhood salsa matcha is, uh, sal, they salsa maa, they start making salsa matcha in, in Barra Cruz. And now there's a lot of salsa matcha everywhere. But I think most of the salsa matcha, they are just like spicy. Um, but this one has, is spicy. It's smoky the seeds, uh, a lot of flavor to the, to the salsa matcha.

And that's why we put in jars because a lot of, people start ask, asking like they want to take home and say, yes, you can, you can buy a little jar of it. And yes, the sourdough bread, I started making sourdough bread, sourdough bread like six years ago.

First, we, we start with, uh, why you start with, um, beer, making beer. But the process was a little bit long. And to be honest, it doesn't get my my attention a lot because the process was very, very long. One day I was watching videos on YouTube and one lady was making sourdough bread. And I say, I want to make that because that was, that was interesting for me.

And yes, I start making sourdough bread and I think now I, I can say that my, my bread is, is, is good. It is what I, now I, I get what I, after six years now I have the sourdough bread that I was looking for a long time. And yeah, that's why I, my mix with Arabia in Mexico, we don't, we don't eat a lot of bread like, like that one.

But it's like, I always say I do what I like to do. I know.

[01:08:09] Michael Zarick: Would you, would you say that that is like the main thing on the menu that is wholly you?

[01:08:15] Omar: Yes. Yes. Because, because to be honest, uh, I think it took me a lot, a lot of time.

[01:08:25] Michael Zarick: Mm-hmm.

[01:08:25] Omar: A lot of breads too, that I bake. The fierce one, the first bread, it was a rock.

Mm-hmm. But any, anyway, we eat it. Uh, and I think if you Luz, uh,

[01:08:40] Michael Zarick: I, she, my, my grandfather was a, a prolific baker, I would say. Like, not that he was famous or anything like that, but he was always in the kitchen baking. And he all, everyone in our family know knew him as like the bread guy. So in 2019 and 2020, I started baking sourdough bread a lot.

Um, as a sort of like, homage to him in a lot of ways. So it's, it's, and we are our own biggest critic when it comes to the food we make. Uh, and it's so cool to see the progression of your bread over time. Yes. For yourself and for you. I think,

[01:09:14] Omar: yes. And actually when I, when I go to tables and, uh, talk to people and it is, it is something that I feel really good when they come back and say, oh, I start making sour dough bread 'cause of you.

I said, oh, that, that means a lot to me.

[01:09:33] Amanda Gibson: Do you guys, do you sell the starter?

[01:09:36] Omar: No, not yet. Not yet. My me,

[01:09:38] Amanda Gibson: I can, can I have some of your stuff? Yeah, yeah. Yes.

[01:09:40] Omar: Yeah.

[01:09:42] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. I'll add it to mine. And I love like a little like history, like along the way. Yes. That would be fun. Yeah. 'cause I have some from Amelia's too, so I can just like add it in.

You

[01:09:50] Michael Zarick: got the Indianapolis starter? Yeah. In,

[01:09:52] Amanda Gibson: call it Indy. Um. I love. So I feel like there was like a lot every like country has like fermentation somewhere, like within their history. But then whenever I walked in here, I was like, like if you look up there, you saw like all the like bread books that, like that like I would read.

So it was just like interesting to, I was just saying that it was interesting that whenever I came here, the first couple of times I was, uh, I was impressed by their menu, but then like I started looking around, I was like, this is kind of strange that they have like sourdough, like on their, on their menu.

Um, and then up there they have some, some books that I, I've also read, um, yeah, to like help with my own like sourdough journey. Um, but it was just like interesting. And so what Omar said, like, uh, that he does what he wants and he makes what he wants to put on the menu. So like there's, you don't, currently you don't have any rice or chips.

And I feel like when people say like, this is a Mexican restaurant, they're like, oh, can I get some like chips and salsa? They're like, Nope, we don't have that here. We have sourdough bread. Yeah, we have sourdough bread. That's.

[01:10:53] Michael Zarick: Well, I'm so excited to eat. Yeah, thank you so much for sharing and thank you for getting on camera.

That's very brave of you. Ah, thank you.

[01:11:01] Amanda Gibson: Probably perfect

[01:11:02] Michael Zarick: first of many. Yes.

[01:11:06] Amanda Gibson: Thank you so much. Yeah, Oh, , I do have a

[01:11:08] Michael Zarick: question for both of you. Yeah. Um, here, let me just, just hold it. You don't have to put it on. Can you tell me which of the dishes in front of us is your, you already said what your favorite is.

[01:11:18] Amanda Gibson: Yes.

[01:11:18] Michael Zarick: Uh,

[01:11:19] Amanda Gibson: did I get your favorite?

[01:11:21] Omar: Not that we're, because

[01:11:22] Amanda Gibson: this is, this is what I, this is what I put.

Oh,

[01:11:24] Omar: my favorite is that one. I, I, I. I don't know. Every day.

[01:11:30] Amanda Gibson: Every day. I feel like you shouldn't eat this every day. I feel like this is like a, if you ate it every day, it's like clog arties. Oh, but I saw that you added, uh, fruit. Yeah. Huh? Yeah. Can I have it, can I order that too? Yes. I haven't tried it yet.

[01:11:47] Luz: No, but, but you like tomorrow, right?

Yeah. Uhhuh.

[01:11:50] Amanda Gibson: Okay. Yeah.

[01:11:51] Luz: Yeah.

[01:11:51] Amanda Gibson: What do you make your own? Yes. You make your own? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Wait, give that to Amanda's. Tell me, tell me more. You gonna pour something out of the bottle? Tell me how, what's the process of making it? I actually don't know. Wait, I do know. Tell me. There's a lot of it, there's a lot of ingredients in it.

Chamoy is like

[01:12:08] Michael Zarick: the, the peppers like sauce.

[01:12:11] Omar: It's,

[01:12:11] Michael Zarick: do you put it on like fruit and stuff?

[01:12:12] Omar: Tam, there's tamarind in it, right? Mm. She doesn't. Oh, okay. Chao is actually a, it is a Japanese sauce, is it? Yes. Oh. But then in Mexico we, we changed a little bit. We add, because it's, it's, yes. Chao Japanese, uh, um, from

pros pr, it's a pro sauce. Mm-hmm. Uh, but then in Mexico they add cus uh, I usually mine, uh, peaches, visco, uh, tahin salt.

[01:12:59] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. Okay. And, uh, pro, well, now I really want to try it. Now you're making your own chamois. Okay. Uh, pots and pans, they did like a, um, manata, like icebox pie and they made their own chamois.

So I saw like the process, and it takes a while mm-hmm. To like, make,

[01:13:14] Omar: so you have to boil everything and blend. Do you

[01:13:16] Amanda Gibson: use dried or is it all fresh? Dried. Dried. Okay.

[01:13:18] Omar: The prunes dried, but the peaches they fresh.

[01:13:21] Amanda Gibson: So the other interesting thing about them is

they both worked in the restaurant industry, but neither of them worked in the back of house. They both were, he was a bartender and she was front of house. So I just think like that's another, like, just like, uh, an applause for them. Yeah. Because like, not only did they work in the kitchens, but like, they're like making this, and they were recently named one of the best restaurants in Indianapolis by Indy Monthly, right?

Is that what it is? Uh, Yelp. Yelp And Yelp too. Ooh, congratulations. I didn't know that one. Yeah.

[01:13:52] Michael Zarick: I'm so excited. So more

[01:13:53] Amanda Gibson: people should be here. Should be eating here. Okay.

[01:13:57] Michael Zarick: All right. Okay. We're gonna cut the video. We're gonna eat food and then we'll come back

and wrap it up. Oh, okay. Is that okay? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That works. That, yeah. Then we can have like a closing to the podcast.​

Action. And we're back. Well, uh, Amanda and I and Amanda's husband just finished, uh, eating all of your food and it was so amazing. Thank you. Luz.

[01:14:20] Luz: Thank you.

[01:14:21] Michael Zarick: Uh, but Amanda told me that the name Macizo has a meaning behind it. So I would like to ask you what that means.

[01:14:28] Luz: So Macizo, if you translate literally to English, it would mean a story.

[01:14:34] Michael Zarick: A story.

[01:14:34] Luz: No. Um, study.

[01:14:37] Michael Zarick: Oh, sturdy. Got it. Sturdy. I got it sturdy. That one. Sorry.

[01:14:40] Luz: Okay. So it's, it's sturdy. Um, so Macizo is something that is well done, that is compact, that it has, um, um, that is strong.

Uh, it has no holes that it's just complete. That is Macizo. Also Macizo in Mexican islan. They use it whenever they are gonna, whenever they are working and they say We are gonna do it Macizo, that means we are gonna do it right. We are gonna do it fast and we are gonna do it just one time the best way possible.

So that is what Macizo, and if you look at the menu, we always, we also like to write it with a plus signs and then izo. So plus signs in Spanish Reads as much. So it's Mas Izo, which breaks the full work in two words. Yeah. That means to do more. Yeah. So, and that's what is always to do more

[01:15:30] Michael Zarick: amazing.

Mm-hmm. And the food was also so amazing. I am so happy right now. We had the, that uh, pear, the pear bread, uhhuh pear cake pancake

[01:15:39] Amanda Gibson: here.

[01:15:41] Michael Zarick: Pear cake. It's

[01:15:42] Amanda Gibson: fair pound cake, fair

[01:15:43] Michael Zarick: pound cake. So many words.

[01:15:44] Amanda Gibson: Yeah.

[01:15:45] Michael Zarick: With ice cream on top. I was like, oh, that's so my favorite thing in the world is like bread pudding. Oh, actually.

So both of those things really evoked bread pudding to me. So they were very delicious. Thank you so much for having

[01:15:55] Luz: us. No, thank you. I

[01:15:56] Michael Zarick: really appreciate

[01:15:57] Luz: it. No, I'm so glad that you decide to try almost the whole menu, not you still have things to try. I'll

[01:16:03] Michael Zarick: come back and I'll get the rest. Um, but Amanda and I are gonna wrap up, but thank you so much for having us.

[01:16:08] Luz: No, thank you.

[01:16:09] Amanda Gibson: So her dad is, um, a, I don't know if you would call him like a ceramicist.

[01:16:14] Luz: but he makes these little.

[01:16:17] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. Yeah. Um, he makes, um, like little

[01:16:19] Luz: clay figures

[01:16:20] Amanda Gibson: clay, so he makes them, he fires them and he like glazes them and paints 'em and does whatever.

[01:16:26] Luz: Yeah. Everything is, uh, handmade.

[01:16:28] Amanda Gibson: Yes,

[01:16:28] Luz: yes.

[01:16:28] Amanda Gibson: But there's, um, that's what I want her to show you around the corner.

Mm-hmm. But then he also brought me back like this little tiny, um, nativity scene and what they're dressed up like from where? The town that you're from. Yeah.

[01:16:40] Luz: I don't remember which one you bought, but, so his business is to make. Activities with Peruvian kids and not only Peruvian, because now I learned that he also takes some cultures from Chile and Uhhuh.

He has one from Alaska. His version of that activity in Alaska,

[01:16:56] Amanda Gibson: I think you told me that it's like the, where you grew up or where he grew up. Uh, we,

[01:17:00] Luz: is it start like that? The one that I have here? That really big one? Mm-hmm. That's how. Traditional people dressed in my myself.

[01:17:10] Amanda Gibson: Okay. Yeah. I think that's what I have too.

But he brought it for me and I dropped.

[01:17:13] Luz: Dropped

[01:17:14] Amanda Gibson: off and the cow

[01:17:15] Luz: lost his

[01:17:15] Amanda Gibson: ear.

[01:17:16] Luz: So, but mainly his businesses are just making activities with different things, peria things. All of them are dressed like differently because he pay attention to the attire and everything. That's what he does. Yeah. And I always super proud of that because I always say that that's how.

She got paid for my feeding for my closet and how I learned English because I had to pay for my classes, so.

[01:17:43] Amanda Gibson: Perfect. That's awesome. Okay. Yeah. Thank you. Uh,

[01:17:48] Michael Zarick: Amanda.

[01:17:49] Amanda Gibson: Okay. Okay. Bye.

[01:17:53] Michael Zarick: So we just finished eating food. Mm-hmm. How do you feel?

[01:17:55] Amanda Gibson: I feel pretty good.

[01:17:56] Michael Zarick: Yeah?

[01:17:56] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. This

[01:17:57] Michael Zarick: your fifth time here or something? I don't.

Oh, you said fifth time making a video. We're talking, been here many, many more times. I was so blown away. It was wonderful. And I, I, I think I agree with you where I feel like them telling me the story of the food, like made it actually taste better. Mm-hmm. Um, because I was like, oh yeah, this is like her, her mom's soup.

Yeah. And I can like picture myself being sick and eating it.

[01:18:17] Amanda Gibson: I mean, well, and like, this is one of the, that I told you like many reasons why like, wanted you to come here. But I feel like this is like one of those spots where it like, just like really showed me like the impact that I have on like making videos and like choosing the places that I go to is not just because like.

The food is good and they worked really hard to get to where they are. But also, like, I, like her parents came and like, I had dinner with them and like, they brought me a gift. They brought me like a whole block of cheese and like, just like little things like that where I'm like, this is like, I wanna be here.

Yeah. And it makes me like, feel, like, makes me feel good about like what I did. Yeah.

[01:18:49] Michael Zarick: And on and on. A Patrick's podcast. Patrick Armstrong podcast. Andrea. Uh. That's right, Andrea, sorry.

[01:18:56] Amanda Gibson: And who?

[01:18:57] Michael Zarick: Andrea. Uh, uh, she said something about you that I thought was so interesting about how you are so locally focused and locally you're like, when you talk about supporting local businesses, that is what you do because you're not just going to a place once you're going back, especially if you enjoy it like you do here.

Like you are supporting them in every way that you can. It is not just making a video for them, but if you find a place you enjoy, you are returning to that.

[01:19:24] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. I'm glad that you brought this up, like on record too, is that, um, we just talk about like how a lot of like influencers, like they just go to a place and then they never return it and like lose even like made the joke about like.

Some people like will come on and, and like make a video and they're like, I can't believe I've never had this before. How did I ever live? I'm gonna die if I never have it again. I'm gonna have it every day. And she's like, I've never seen them ever return. And then they died and she's like, they must be dead.

But I do, I mean, to talk to that too, I always like try to see like both sides. Like there's some places that like, I absolutely loved the food. Like there was a Burmese restaurant on the south side. I'm just not really on the south side as much to return. Yeah. It's

[01:19:58] Michael Zarick: like a 35 minute drive. Yes.

[01:20:00] Amanda Gibson: But like you, you put your.

You definitely like put your money where like what you are invested in want to stick around.

[01:20:08] Michael Zarick: Yeah. Yeah.

[01:20:09] Amanda Gibson: So, and yeah, I feel like as an influencer we do showcase. Like, it's not like great for the algorithm to like show the same video over and over again, but like in reality like these places aren't going to be around.

If you only go there like one time, they're going to be there because you're continuously like, it's not about like first time visitors. It's nice to meet new people, but a lot of, these restaurants like they started because they wanted to meet. Like their neighborhood and their community. So you can't, they can't meet you.

They can't serve you unless you like come back.

[01:20:40] Michael Zarick: Yeah. Um, okay. Well we've been going for a really long time, so let's, uh, wrap it up. I have two more questions for you. Okay. You know what they are?

[01:20:48] Amanda Gibson: Yeah.

[01:20:48] Michael Zarick: Um, the first question is from the previous guests, Sierra Nuckols. She asked, when was the last time that you felt truly loved by a community?

[01:20:58] Amanda Gibson: Um, I do, I feel like there's more surface level. Like I feel like for me to have, this is a new thing for me to feel like I have to, uh, be in community. Like I feel like I need to know those people, but I don't think that's necessarily true. I think that's just like a negative thing that like I may have to like work through.

But like, obviously like coming here, that's like, I feel like a sense of community. Um, and when people like come up to me and they like ask me like, are you Amanda? Like, do you, I like, they say basically like, thank you for like what you're doing for like the small businesses that you're like working with.

And I feel like that's like a sense of community that like, that also like doesn't feel that way because I don't really know those people and I feel like they have a perception of me of what I choose to put online, but. And this is like such a long time ago ago, but I was thinking about like when my husband and I were about ready to get married and just like the amazing, like the different parts of my life, like were all represented coming to our like wedding.

And it was just like freaking weird to like look around and be like. This person knew me at birth and this person just met me last week. But like, they're all like important like pieces of my life. So I felt community in that. And then also when we had our son, a lot of, people like came together to like make sure we were taken care of right after.

Yeah. And I feel like if something were to happen now, like I feel like I would have that community and, but it would be shown to me. But nothing like that has happened.

[01:22:20] Michael Zarick: That makes sense. Thank you for sharing. I loved your answer. One last question and then we'll wrap up. Uh, what question would you like to ask the next third space Indy guest?

[01:22:31] Amanda Gibson: What fictional, what fictional, or not fictional. What food would you want to eat out of? Like a movie or a TV show or something that's like not real, like a not in real. It's not in real life.

[01:22:40] Michael Zarick: Hmm.

[01:22:41] Amanda Gibson: If that makes sense.

[01:22:42] Michael Zarick: Yeah. So like, if I'm eating like.

Like a Krabby Patty type thing? Yes. That's like the first thing in my head. Yeah. I don't know if that's my answer, but

[01:22:51] Amanda Gibson: my, I think my answer used to be a Hook. Did you ever watch that? Oh, like with all the

[01:22:55] Michael Zarick: like colorful food? Yeah, the,

[01:22:57] Amanda Gibson: but then I watched it again recently with my son and I was like, that actually looks disgusting to me.

So it would be Bob's Burgers, because I would love to actually go in and be in that cartoon and like actually go, because he seems like he cares. So much. Did

[01:23:09] Michael Zarick: you, do you watch Bob's s Yeah, I'm aware of Bob Burger. You know they have like a Bob's Burgers cookbook.

[01:23:12] Amanda Gibson: Yes. But I would, that's not his, but I would love to like actually meet Bob because he seems like he's like one of those people that just lives like, thought so thoroughly about what his burger recipe is and just a small family business that is trying every single day to like make it.

Mm-hmm. I would love to try his burgers and fries.

[01:23:31] Michael Zarick: There's an anime. I haven't really watched a lot of the episodes, but it's called like. Eat in the dungeon or something like that. It's about these adventures. Like

[01:23:39] Amanda Gibson: looking over at my nerdy husband, do you know that? And now he doesn't know. I know that.

[01:23:42] Michael Zarick: Or some they like go, these adventures go into a dungeon and they have like this little dwarf man with him who's obsessed with cooking the creatures they kill.

So they like, dang, they like, they so they kill like whatever monster. And then he like chops 'em up and like they make this beautiful looking food. So there's so much, I've only watched a couple of episodes, but you're like, dang, that actually looks really amazing. Or like any of those. Miyazaki films, Uhhuh, the way they evoke food in those movies is like so gorgeous.

Do you ever watch

[01:24:07] Amanda Gibson: Avatar in the Last Airbender? Mm-hmm. Uh, it's fun like having a kid who's like watching these things. And so like they had kanji or I guess they call it juke in in there. Yeah. And so that was also like fun to like make that with. My kid. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. We didn't even talk about how I get to take my kid to all these places and I didn't realize that was like a unique thing either.

It's like people, they're like, and you're introducing your son, and I'm like, he still eats chicken tenders.

[01:24:35] Michael Zarick: Anyways. That was a question. Sorry. Thank you much. Thank you much.

[01:24:38] Amanda Gibson: Thank you much. Thank

[01:24:39] Michael Zarick: you so much for one, for coming on, but also inviting me here and, and setting up this for the people. Amanda set up this entire ordeal.

She, or put in a food order ahead of time. She obviously has a relationship with the owners, but she put in some serious work and I really appreciate it. Um, but for the people who may not know. Hm. Which I doubt there are many of. Can you let the people know where they find can find you?

[01:25:04] Amanda Gibson: Uh, amandainindy on all things TikTok, Instagram.

I started Facebook recently. Mm-hmm. Uh, and Oh yeah. And I've tried YouTube,

[01:25:15] Michael Zarick: trying YouTube.

[01:25:16] Amanda Gibson: Yeah. And you can find me in the dms of pots and pans in Ash & Elm. Currently

[01:25:21] Michael Zarick: just,

[01:25:22] Amanda Gibson: Hey, Amanda. Yeah. I mean, some people do that, they're like. They ask questions. Yeah. And I'm like, you know that this is not Andrea or this isn't Clarissa, just so you know.

[01:25:30] Michael Zarick: That's so funny. Well, uh, thank you again for coming on, and for the rest of you, uh, you can find me at thirdspaceindy.com or at Third Space Indy on Instagram. Or YouTube. I never shout out YouTube, but you can do that too. Uh, thank you so much for City Rising

for sponsoring this podcast and thank you so much to the local artist Jennasen for allowing me to use your song Scared Rabbit as my intro music.

Uh, that's pretty much it. Thank you so much. And thank you so much to Macizo for hosting us today. It was so wonderful. I'm so happy we did this. Uh, see you in the next one. Goodbye.