Fried Chicken, Ghost Kitchens and a History Lesson with Big Rube
URBAN FIELDNOTES
Eli Kulp sits down with Reuben Harley, AKA Big Rube, owner of Big Rube’s Kitchen, to talk about food, history and reinvention.
Big Rube is a regular host on WIP Radio and has been featured in Philadelphia Magazine. He is famous all around Philly for his pop up kitchens, guest Chef appearances, and most recently, his ghost Kitchen. He has been quoted as Philadelphia's King of reinvention and has been described as a master marketer, photographer, lifestyle guru, fried chicken master and chef. Follow Big Rude on Instagram @BigRubeHarley.
Eli Kulp: [00:00:00] Hey everyone. Eli here. How are you doing? You got Thanksgiving week coming up may is going to be a busy week for everybody out there is such a weird time to have Thanksgiving. I know everybody's out there trying to figure out what their plans are. Same with me still, you know, with so many things going on with COVID.
Our lives are far from normal. So thoughts are out there for people that are unable to have typical family around them. During COVID I know my family is spread out all over the country, so it's definitely going to be a quiet Thanksgiving, but if we all bond together, we'll make it through there somehow some way.
Anyways, you know, the other thing that kind of runs through my head is, you know, all the families that are out there in the United States that are not going to have loved ones sitting at their table because of COVID or for other reasons as well. I mean, You know, life is hard. Things happen all the time to people, but, you know, with COVID it kind [00:01:00] of.
Turns the spotlight a little bit brighter on, you know, those missing family members that won't be around the table. So, you know, I, I don't, I don't lose sight of that when it comes to thinking about, you know, with my family, I'm thankful to have everybody, everybody has been healthy and hopefully everybody stays healthy.
So, you know, if you know somebody who, uh, who's going to have a quiet Thanksgiving, reach out to them and, uh, you know, Hopefully we'll have a better Thanksgiving. So with that being said, I said, uh, let's see here this week, we got Big Rube. Yes, Big Rube. First name is Ruben. He's a well-traveled Philadelphian.
He grew up in West Philadelphia. He was born. They're made there. He wears it proudly, uh, even talks about knowing, uh, Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, as a kid. I'm sure it's a pretty tight knit community back in the [00:02:00] day. So yeah, I brought him on because for a few reasons, I met him when we doing these really fun sandwich battles at high street on market in 2018.
And he brought in his fried chicken sandwich and he won that night and he went onto the championship. And you'll hear about that a little bit later on in the show. But he's very smart. He's very insightful. You know, he did not graduate high school, but he is hustled his way through life and he considers himself a big hustler and.
You know, he talks about he's really smart in the way that he thinks about things and, you know, turning the pages, turning the pages with different chapters in life. He talks about just turning, keep turning, keep turning, you know, when life has you kind of in a bad spot, just keep turning this pages, keep moving forward.
And you know, he's. He's somebody who's just, you know, add a smile on my face the whole time we were talking, you know, he's got [00:03:00] stories for days and we don't get to them all on this podcast, but we do, uh, we do get to hear a little bit and share some of his, his background, his journey. The other reason why we really thought he was.
Great for this. He's not a trained chef per se. He definitely worked in kitchens and, you know, early on that was sort of his income and that's how he stayed out of trouble being in West Philadelphia. But he's not, you know, it's not like a high-end French trained chef or however you want to judge it a chef these days.
But what he is, he's a great promoter and he's a really good with flavors, you know, he knows good flavor and his fried chicken sandwich. Which kind of became his thing and his baby momma sauce. These are things that he has really built up a following for. And he does these pop-ups he's been doing them for quite some time now, different types of pop-ups, but [00:04:00] he has now decided to make a wasn't even in brick and mortar restaurant, these things called ghost kitchens.
And if you haven't heard of a ghost kitchen, you're going to hear a lot more about them because people are really investing in them and when a mutual friend of ours, Victoria Greer reached out to me about big Rube. I was like a hundred percent because I think people really want to know about these ghost kitchens.
Basically they are large warehouses, you know, sometimes older ones existing, or they build them and they put in. Yeah, maybe 10 20, 30, 40 different operators within this building. So it was basically an open floor plan. And then they just put in these different cooking stations and people can cook their food, wrap it up to go, and they have somebody that will be running the food out to the delivery drivers or a pickup spot.
So people can walk [00:05:00] up and pick up the food as well. So it was just an interesting way of looking at things in 2020 with delivery taken off the way it has. And we've seen over a year, the last 10 years, these delivery apps that are kind of coming to market and changing the game for a lot of restaurants.
But now you have these fine dining restaurants doing a takeout and you have all these popups. You have all these, all these different creative ways that chefs restaurant tours, trying to find a way to survive in 2020. So don't forget to order some takeout tonight. And every night going forward, just kidding, but no, seriously, we all really, really appreciate anything you can do to help support the industry.
So, uh, let's get to the show. Thanks as always for listening, you guys rock and happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and we will see you on the flip side.
This is the CHEF radio podcast [00:06:00] .Each week groundbreaking chef talks, chef talks, uh, chef, chef ,cooking, hospitality and environment food. Is that really what it stands for? I never really knew that. Delivered to you straight from the minds of the people who shaped the way we eat. It's hard to believe in the possibility of food, and we're going to discuss spounge cakes. These talks, these ideas and more on the CHEF radio podcast.
All right, everybody. Welcome. Come back to the CHEF radio podcast. Today. We have a, an incredible guests. I'm honored to have him in the studio with us. He goes by the name Big Rube. How are you brother?
Big Rube: [00:06:44] I'm great. I'm great. Thanks for having me.
Eli Kulp: [00:06:46] I'm so excited for this. When, uh, Victoria reached out to me, I was like, you know, you'd be a fantastic guest to have on,
Big Rube: [00:06:54] Oh my pleasure, honor,
Eli Kulp: [00:06:55] Honor to have you in the studio. You're off the beaten path a little bit of [00:07:00] like typically, uh, people who we interview because you're not just a straight chef or restaurant owner. You do a ton of different things. You are a fantastic chef. Don't get me wrong. But you have been described, uh, to have octopus arms and the way that you've continued to, uh, invent and reinvent yourself, uh, throughout your, your life is an incredible story. So being able to sit down in the studio with you and really talk about this, super excited about it.
Big Rube: [00:07:33] Thank you. You know, I call it flipping chapters because, you know, I think, uh, All our lives are a book and we know you just have to keep flipping a lot of people. I say, I tell them you got stuck in a chapter.
And I just say, keep flipping, because you know, it's so many, everybody has interests, goals, passions, but a lot of people don't pursue them. And, um, the. I'm just the opposite, you know, left-handed [00:08:00] born by nature. So I think what my right brain, the creative side, and I just, I just look, just keep flipping them and see what I love and go for it.
Eli Kulp: [00:08:11] I love that. I love that. I mean, so many people. Don't even get out of chapter one sometimes, you know, with their lives and you know, it doesn't seem like you're somebody who lives with regret your youth. You think that you'd do it?
Big Rube: [00:08:24] Yeah. Yeah. I didn't, you know, I had millions lost it, gained it just, it is what it is. My, my whole life is, is breathe in the air and cultivate and through communication and building new bridges.
Eli Kulp: [00:08:39] That was great. Just doing, uh, I was reading a Philadelphia magazine article, uh, on you and, you know, kind of just so the listeners out there can get a bit of a taste of kind of who you are. Um, you were said to be a, a master marketer, a photographer, a father, newspaper [00:09:00] columnist, uh, street style blogger, hot sauce maker, party photographer, and chef.
And you've been quoted as Philadelphia's King of reinvention. So I would sum it up as you're one hell of a hustler and you've, uh, you've been around the block once or twice.
Big Rube: [00:09:18] No doubt. You know, that's my, uh, one of my hashtags hustler 4 real, the number four, because, you know, I always tell people. And when, especially when I do a lot of speaking engagement, when I talked to, uh, the youth and I tell them, I said, well, look.
When you look up the definition of hustler in the dictionary, that's me, they talking about because I, I have no pride in. What somebody thinks, you know, I don't get caught up in what somebody thinks of the end result or what I'm going to do is like, look, this is what I love to do my passion. And I'm jumping off the cliff.
That's what it is because, uh, yeah. [00:10:00] You know, years ago when I picked up the camera and started just going around Philly on my bike and walking around and snapping Candace shots of people's style people thought I was crazy. And I'm like, you just don't know. How old are you when he started doing? Um, that was about 10 years, some 40, almost 47.
Uh, so in my mid late thirties, 36. Yeah.
Eli Kulp: [00:10:24] That's just something you just started a, you decided to start doing one day.
Big Rube: [00:10:27] Yeah, well, I mean, I love, um, my grandmother always collected life magazines and looking at Gordon parks, photos, and, and, uh, and you know, she's a seamstress, so she always made wedding gowns and prom dresses and seeing beautiful women.
And so I always gravitate it. Towards style. And I love, you know, to, um, how a woman shape shapeliness a fashionable silhouette. So I was like, wow, I got this camera. I loved images. And I said, wow, let me start. And, uh, uh, [00:11:00] she, uh, subscribes to the, um, New York times. So watching. Bill Cunningham Collar since I was a kid. So I'm like, well, why not bring that to Philly? You know? And you know, before, and, you know, I had a lofty goal of putting those pictures in the Inquirer, the daily news, and that was a lofty goal, but I said, well, look, let me start with the work first. And I did it, did the blog and. It turns out. Cool.
Eli Kulp: [00:11:30] So let's rewind a little bit, uh, you and I, uh, met in sort of a, a fun, unique way as well.
When I think it was 2018 high street on market, which is one of my places, uh, we decided to do the sandwich battles. I don't remember. How I got in contact with you or how we made the connection, because I think we were just sitting around and people were like, you know, somebody's always out your name. I was like, let's get ahold of him and see what we can do.
And you were [00:12:00] there and you actually, I don't remember who you went up against. So for people out there listening, it was basically a four weeks of, I think we had four different chefs coming in and we're talking about like high end chefs, low, low end chefs, everybody in between. You know, guys that have fine dining restaurants and the goal was to essentially build the best sandwich and the crowd that would there would be there that evening would decide who the winner was and big Rube, you went onto the finals.
Big Rube: [00:12:28] Yeah. Yeah, it was, um, it was great, you know, uh, the semi-finals I was in, um, you know, a, a one net and then two weeks later, the final and, uh, it was great and I lost, you know, listen to the audience. I lost by one vote. That's right.
Eli Kulp: [00:12:43] So close
Big Rube: [00:12:46] to a bruger melt.
Eli Kulp: [00:12:49] I didn't even listen to, I love Johnny Mac. He won. I don't know if a burger is a sandwich though. It's a little bit of a gray [00:13:00] area in there. Right. I mean, he did make it a Patty melt, so I was like, all right, we'll let it pass. But in hindsight, uh, you know, kind of like the, uh, kinda like the election results these days, you know, questions, no doubt about it.
Right? A lot of questions about how that, how the winter was decided. Either way, it was a, it was a ton of fun. Great to meet you.
It was amazing. Like, uh, the people that I knew personally that came out, people listen to me on WIP, follow me. It was just, yeah, that was a compilation. All that for that
That was such a good time. I, uh, I wish we would have had an opportunity to do that again, but we never got around to it. Your story, your story West Philadelphia is where you grew up. You grew up tell them, tell everybody and tell me how, like what, what was growing up in West Philly like for you.
Big Rube: [00:13:59] [00:14:00] Well, um, I moved, I was, yeah, like I said, I was born I'm in West Philly and then we moved to Brooklyn for a few years and I came back when I was 11 years old. So from there on fifties, I've lived at 56 and spruce.
You know, it was the Cobs Creek section of, uh, West Philly and, uh, where everything is going on right now, you know, with the Walter Wallace murder. Um, but you know, uh, two blocks from, uh, the 12th district, 55th and pine. And, um, it was something, it was a, it was family-oriented it, um, uh, it was amazing. I saw a big transition growing up, uh, in West Philly, like two parent households, you smell dinner five o'clock every night.
And then for some reason, in the mid to late eighties, that crack came through and I seen families getting decimated. And I [00:15:00] mean like you went from two parent households to one parent and then that family that worked. I had a job, they'd come asking my grandma for sugar for this.
And I'm like, wow. And then to see the, the internal bitterness on these and my peers, seeing in their heart, how wow. They knew their parent was smoking crack and doing all kinds of things to get the money to smoke crack. And then just seeing them hold that heart, hold, hold the heavy heart. And a lot of them expressed it in violent ways.
You know, I had friends like, Oh yeah, you know, so-and-so got locked up. Oh, they um, in the youth study center now, and eight, they sent them the same games at Glen mills and all that. And I mean, and my grandmother, she ruled with an iron fist. She started ain't happening to you. I will kill you before that happens to you. And that's a [00:16:00] main, whole surroundings.
Eli Kulp: [00:16:01] Strong Black women. And we see that. We see it again, you know, with this election of how, you know, the. There was that really amazing response from the Black community, the Black women, uh, in, you know, that kind of came out to vote and responded and, you know, Black women historically have been, you know, really the backbone of a lot
Big Rube: [00:16:25] of America,
Eli Kulp: [00:16:25] of America and India within your cultures.
Big Rube: [00:16:29] Yeah. I mean, it's.
Eli Kulp: [00:16:31] Your grandmother, what kind of responsibility uh, did she hold and, and making sure that you didn't go the same way as the other one?
Big Rube: [00:16:43] Yeah, because my mom was working all the time and, you know, going through her thing, you know, having my siblings and all that. So, um, my grandmother, she she's an entrepreneur, a seamstress, she and she, uh, worked, uh, [00:17:00] Part-time by then at U Penn as she was an elevator operator.
So they were phasing out their crank elevator. So, you know, she went really full steam, uh, to, um, the seamstress side. And, um, so like, Everybody knew my mom on Ivan street. They just knew her. She like, she ain't playing no mess. So like, I try to sneak at the corner when my friends that you know, was down there hanging on the corner and then like she hear Westboro she'd come on, embarrass me.
And, um, as you see in the, um, the Philly mag, I said, I don't let no, I don't let women touch my ears because that's spot my, my grandma would literally embarrassed me. Grabbed me and put like, dammit, pull my hair off, like show me. And, um, it's just something, because I have a friend, a peer that came home after doing 18 years in prison and he reminded me that he said, [00:18:00] wow, what if my mom was just like your grand mom?
And just held me back from. You know, she, my mom, he was telling me his mom had her own demons and let him do what he wanted, but he needed some to hold him back. And, you know, he got into his stuff, but, and I mean, cried on my shoulders. I ran into him. I was like, wow. He said, Rube. Everybody proud of you keep doing it.
You holding a torch for us because you showed us that it don't have to be that way. We thought it's supposed to be. It's like, no, you can do positive things and set the world on fire and have the world attention to what you doing.
Eli Kulp: [00:18:42] That must feel great to hear that, you know, it also must make you feel very blessed to know that you had, you know, that in your family where a lot of people didn't have, you know, that. What, what did the meaning of food that evolved and changed in those times? Were, were, [00:19:00] were suppers and, and dinners important in your, uh, in your world? Did you have to be home?
Big Rube: [00:19:06] Oh yeah. I mean, that's the family, you know, so, you know, uh, as we talk going on, you know, our culture, our food is what feeds America. What they done bastardizing calling as Southern and soul. So, but I mean, you had that meatloaf, you had the fried chicken, fried fish. Uh, some barbecue, a baked chicken, Mac and cheese, collard greens. I mean, you smelled it. And I mean, we used to actually get in a circle, like, what's your mom cooking?
What's your mOM? Oh yeah. I'm going to tell my mom, I'm doing like, literally those stories. Really? Yeah. Yeah. I'm going over your house and going over your crib. And that, that was real, like, and I mean, and over. The years from the mid eighties to the late night, it just stop it. You, you didn't see that no more. [00:20:00] And that like really, you know, decimated a whole community.
Eli Kulp: [00:20:04] Yeah. You hear the stories and I mean, we've seen the, you've seen the shows and you know, that kind of replicate that and it's, you gotta, you gotta wonder what if, you know, if that never came through, you know, where, where would the communities be today? And where would that culture be today? Um, it almost wiped out a generation.
Big Rube: [00:20:27] Yes it did you know? I mean, there's like, and at the same token, like you saw guys that grew up around me that was getting fancy cars and the women, all that. And it's like, and I got. And I'm willing to be the brunt of all teas and jokes.
Cause I got that because I never dissed and got involved in it. I used to get teased for not going to jail. I'm like, so I said sausage is made for the grill. Not [00:21:00] a party. And I always say, and put that, like, I have guys that still around that, you know, that they turn like, damn Reuben. I remember used to say that like, yeah, I'm like, no.
I said, and my grandmother always told me, like, to be disappointed in someone is the worst thing. So I never want to disappoint them. I'm like, okay, y'all going to do that while I'm going to be over there.
Eli Kulp: [00:21:28] All right, everybody part of the quick break we've got to give this week pro bono shout out. I do have to say, um, some of the best Indonesian food that I've ever had is being cooked right here in Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, to be exact.
It is Hardena. And if you don't know Hardena, you definitely need to find out about them. It is a great way to sort of mix up your eating. If you're, if you're not familiar with, you know, exciting Indonesia, the flavors, they will [00:22:00] rock your world. And what better way to experience what they're doing is ordering their Not Pizza Box as they're calling it.
So it's plethora of fantastic flavors bites. Sambal sauce, everything that Diana and her family are whipping up. And it's a great way to support a local small business. Their story is fantastic. Hopefully I will have them on the podcast someday. So if you're thinking about ordering something, check out Hardena and you will not be disappointed.
All right, everybody. Let's get back to CHEF
Food for you as, as you kind of grew up. And we mentioned that we're not hanging. We can't get, we don't have the time to get into all your, all of your different jobs or, or roles that you've had as far as the food side goes. When did you discover the power of like the chicken [00:23:00] sandwich? Like when was it when you started messing with that and you kind of brought it to market, or you brought to the pop-up, like, what was that? Um, what was that process?
Big Rube: [00:23:10] Yeah, that that's, um, that, that came on a whim because I was, you know, always did bone in chicken, uh, and my different pop ups and chicken and waffle, and that came so easy. So I started doing pop-ups at garage Fishtown. And, um, they don't have a fryer, so, you know, just getting that heat level right.
And, uh, um, the pot that I will bring, it was just too hard. And then just the orders coming in. So I said, man, let me make a chicken sandwich. You know, that's easier. Yeah. And I did dad and him, it was just a home run, you know? And then, you know, I said, well, I have to separate myself. I I've made a, not a make, I know how to do pickling, I made my own pickles.
You know, I came up with the baby mama sauce [00:24:00] already for the chicken. And I said, well, let me come out with a great, you know, mayonnaise based sauce. And I came up with the holler sauce and boom that's those components that separate from any other whats on the market. And it was just, yeah, it was a Willie Mays home run.
Eli Kulp: [00:24:19] Let's talk about, uh, the baby momma sauce. So who does that, your name or somebody named that for you? Like, well, you got slap your momma sauce. So
you got the, I heard that David, that sauce I was
Big Rube: [00:24:35] talking about. Well, I'm a big proponent of, you know, um, Our vernacular, I mean, Black folks, what we call slang, what they call ebonics, which is weird to me, but I'm a big proponent because my grandmother always told me that was survival language. So we can talk like this and you know, it didn't hit mainstream, like, Oh, what are you talking about?
So we were [00:25:00] talking a language within a language. So I always, you know, implore to other Black people like, don't be ashamed of talking slang and this and that. I said, okay, We're and Dave Chappelle was mentioned that we're the most bilingual, uh, people in America. Cause how we have to have those voice settings in so many situations.
So you
Eli Kulp: [00:25:19] say about survival language, are you saying that almost like a subset of the English language so that. Um, is this going back to like slave times?
Big Rube: [00:25:27] Yes Yes.
Eli Kulp: [00:25:28] So then people, it's almost like a, uh, underground language.
Big Rube: [00:25:34] So you can talk in front of, uh, putting together a revolt or, you know, stealing something from the kitchen or whatever.
And you talking in front of the, overseer, the master and they don't know what you saw and about. And you know, so my, this is words from my grandmother telling me, like, no, be proud of their language. So. You know, just coming up with, uh, my flavor component for the [00:26:00] baby momma sauce. And I was like, wow. And not just something else, like baby mama.
And then all my female friends. Why would you do that? Yeah. Yeah. Um, like I said, yeah. So, and I told them in and they got, I said, well, it's a movie called baby mama with Tina Fey. I say, ain't no Black women in that movie. I said, they took our vernacular and made billions off of it. You think I'm not going to make that off our cultural vernacular.
And then they got it, said, well, Rube, you always making, uh, something out of nothing. So, you know what I mean? It just is
Eli Kulp: [00:26:38] a little provocative, you know what I mean?
Big Rube: [00:26:40] Oh yeah. Yeah. My daughter she's like, did you name this after my mom? It was the funniest thing she just said like on the inner sense.
She's like 13 at the time. Like did you name this after my mom. Yeah.
Eli Kulp: [00:26:56] That's great. That's great. So, uh, being a [00:27:00] marketer. And, you know, using that to, you know, these, these popups right. That you would do. So you would, you would have you go to friend's kitchen or friend's restaurant. And at what restaurant was it that you were like taking over on the weekends
Big Rube: [00:27:13] and Just Hosts and, uh, 12th or spruce?
Like I first started pop-ups it was called basically big Rube guest, chef appearance. And I was doing that at Savino cause I shot there. Um, My photography, I shot their, um, their website, the food for their website. So, and just like I told Greg Dodge at the time, I said, look, well, I can, um, I said, I make a mean lasagna.
You can look it up in time magazine. It wrote about it. And he's like, well, why don't you do a guest chef? And then. That one thing, it was like a big sellout. Like it ain't go past two hours. I sold like four trays of lasagna. And it was just like another light bulb theory that I had was like, [00:28:00] wow. Okay, let me, I know all the other restaurantors
you know, calling them like, and everybody was welcoming, like, yeah. Rube, anything like, you know, man, like, so I just started doing pop-ups all over. What year was that? This was 2013, right? Yeah. Okay, cool.
Eli Kulp: [00:28:19] Popups are just kind of becoming a thing, I guess. Or maybe you started that trend too. Jesus.
Big Rube: [00:28:24] So.
Eli Kulp: [00:28:26] What's going on now? Um, you know, you got you're you're, you're onto something new right now and there's this phenomenon that's happening sort of a, um, a sign of our times, so to speak with ghost kitchens now, what is the ghost kitchen for people that don't know what that is?
Big Rube: [00:28:44] A ghost kitchen is a, um, a standalone kitchen in a warehouse full of kitchen.
So people, you know, businesses are able to run there. Uh, kitchens and offer you [00:29:00] their, uh, whatever they have to offer barbecue, um, burgers, whatever, and this kitchen. And it goes through all the food apps, the Uber eats, caviar, grub hub, and everything. So the, um, and you can pull up there at the kitchen and order through the app and they bring it out to you.
Eli Kulp: [00:29:20] Okay. So it's basically delivery takeout
Big Rube: [00:29:22] delivery.
Eli Kulp: [00:29:23] There's no,
Big Rube: [00:29:24] um, headed in front of the, um,
Eli Kulp: [00:29:28] restaurant. Yeah. There's no dining room. There's no facade. So it's, it's basically a warehouse that's broken up into individual individual kitchens. So. I mean, that's exactly what a product of those delivery apps people, somebody was like, okay, I can see how this, we could basically get rid of all the overhead of a typical restaurant, you know, strip it back and just basically create restaurants for takeout only and delivery.
Big Rube: [00:29:57] Yeah.
Eli Kulp: [00:29:58] That's that's, that's [00:30:00] really a mind boggling to me that did, that actually exist, but it is the thing today.
Big Rube: [00:30:05] Here and now, you know, going back, like partnering up with Aaron Anderson, uh, uh, doing this. I was very apprehensive at first because it's like when I do pop ups and you know, people hear me on, uh, WIP sports, um, 94.1 is like, You know, they come to see me to being, you know, my personality and everything.
And I was like, well, I think we gotta start with a brick and mortar first, but you know, he, you know, uh, we talked about, and he was like, well, you know, the way things is gone with COVID and everything let's, you know, Uh, have faith in me let's do these first, and we're going to get to the brick and mortar. So, you know, it's just like, okay, sold me on that. And.
Eli Kulp: [00:30:54] Restaurants are sitting empty now and fine dining restaurants [00:31:00] are doing takeout.
Big Rube: [00:31:01] Yes they are. So, I
Eli Kulp: [00:31:03] mean the whole world is turned upside down right now, especially our industry specifically, because it's a very social industry. We rely on people coming to our restaurants. That's always been the model
Big Rube: [00:31:13] For experience and that's where we give in them.
Eli Kulp: [00:31:16] And here we are looking at COVID counts, just going through the roof. We don't know what even next week's gonna look like in the restaurant industry. Yeah. So anyways, we have these ghost kitchens now, which what we're talking about and what are you, what are you doing? Uh what's what's your, what's your brand?
What do you guys, how are people gonna be able to find you you're opening? I think you said within the month, right? Yes.
Big Rube: [00:31:37] Uh, so it's going to be called Big Rubes Kitchen and it's going to have my four brandss under it, a Big Rubes fred kit, uh, fried chicken first and foremost. Um, Big Rubes Hallah Burger Bar, Big Rubes Philly cheese steak, and Big Rubes breakfast sandwiches.
So, so
Eli Kulp: [00:31:56] you're, you have essentially four brands that this is going to be a [00:32:00] bit of a, I don't know, trial a test is kind of flush them out a little bit. And then you're, you're planning on actually expanding these in a brick and mortars around the city. Yeah. Yes,
Big Rube: [00:32:10] that's great. Yeah, I'm excited because I really, I I've done this, the trial and error with it at all my pop-ups, so that's true. Yeah. With all the, yeah. With all, you know, everything that's on the menu. I didn't roll them out in my pop-ups and they, you know, they, they, they were winners and, and I'm all about giving people premium products. And I know. Everybody is not going to gravitate toward cause you know, most people are price, you know how they look at the price before the flavor.
And I tell people the ones that give me a shot that buy into me. It's like, once you taste it, I got you hooked so well, it's
Eli Kulp: [00:32:51] interesting because you know, that's something that our industry faces all the time that. You know too often, it's about whoever has the lowest, it's a race [00:33:00] to the bottom.
Big Rube: [00:33:01] You know what I mean?
Eli Kulp: [00:33:01] The race to the bottom, to the bottom, rather than, you know, looking at, okay, you're buying good chicken from a good place, you know, antibiotic free, whatever it is, you know, you're using, um, you know, great ingredients, you making your own pickles, you know, all this stuff takes money and okay. Maybe yours is what are you pricing them mat.
For example, like $12.
Big Rube: [00:33:20] Yeah, well, um, yes. Um, well the, um, ghost kitchen, a sandwich and fries going to be a 15,
Eli Kulp: [00:33:27] 15, 10 bucks. Right. Okay. Well, why would I pay that if I can go to Popeye's or KFC and get it for a whole meal deal for five bucks?
Big Rube: [00:33:35] It's not the same. It's not the same. It's not the same to say. I mean, that stuff for, you know, But those places, that thing been frozen for eons and, you know, it was just
Eli Kulp: [00:33:47] made in China,
Big Rube: [00:33:50] then it like, and I had, I, and I, and I record a lot of this, like, and like I was saying, like the social component of you know, like wow [00:34:00] was apprehensive because I'm one-on-one with my customers and all my pop-ups. And I had a young guy when the whole Popeye's sandwich was going crazy. God told me he walked all these blocks, uh, going to get Popeye's said, and I come here. It's the best thing I ever had and all the labels. And I record him saying that he like. Explicitly. Uh Popeye's and, but yeah, it's just like, and you know, it's, uh, from my passion to your mouth, that's, you know, that's what I love giving people, you know, and like I said, 99% of what I make, I eat.
Eli Kulp: [00:34:40] Yeah. So are you doing different variations of a chicken sandwich or cheese steak?
Big Rube: [00:34:45] Yes. mhm.
Eli Kulp: [00:34:46] So you're going to have multiple versions of these things
Big Rube: [00:34:48] down. You want to have the cash fill hot chicken. That's with um, which-
Eli Kulp: [00:34:53] uh, what'd you call it?
Big Rube: [00:34:54] Cashville yeah. John Lee hooker. He always cause that's where he from Nashville and [00:35:00] always said cashville on his record. I love it. So cashville hot. hot. Yeah. Um, we have the, let's grow up sandwich with top where my, uh, big Mac and cheese, you know. Um, the, um, red velvet, uh, chicken and waffles sandwich and a buttermilk chicken and waffle sandwich. Yes. Okay.
Eli Kulp: [00:35:20] You put a piece of waffle on the sandwich or?
Big Rube: [00:35:23] No, between two waffles, pieces of chicken and the drizzle with my cream cheese. Yeah. Uh, baby momma sauce and everything. Yeah. So, yeah. Look, if y'all could see it, you can see his, uh, mouth watering.
Getting hungry anyways. Um, How are people going to be able to know when this launches, how should they, should they follow you on social media?
social media, I'm @chefbigrube on instagram. It's R U B E. R U B E
Chef [00:36:00] Big Rube on Instagram.
Eli Kulp: [00:36:01] You're going to be letting people know what they, yeah,
Big Rube: [00:36:03] We did a taste in a couple of weeks ago was amazing. Like, uh, Uh, people in the industry, the media came out and, uh, we handed out big rooms, kitchen menus and t-shirts and everything. So, you know, and, uh, they are, people listened to me three times a week on a WIP sports radio. So
Eli Kulp: [00:36:24] what do you do at WIP?
Big Rube: [00:36:26] Well, I come on here and I talk about sports and culture and everything that's happened and it's just yeahfree topic and, um, yeah, around like most of the times, like Monday, Wednesday, or Friday between eight 30 and nine,
Eli Kulp: [00:36:40] I am or PM
Big Rube: [00:36:44] morning show.
Eli Kulp: [00:36:45] Okay. So you're part of their morning shift. Okay, cool. So give me an example of something you've been talking about. Uh, this week, when it comes to like sports and culture?
Big Rube: [00:36:54] We told them what I everybody know and that I get down for that but I'm a big Pittsburgh [00:37:00] Steelers fan. So day one. So like almost 20 years ago when I started, uh, on WIP.
And I just let people know, like, look, I'm making this a public awareness announcement. I'm not an Eagles fan. And you know, Oh, they, they rag on me on Twitter and everything. So we were talking about how the, uh, Steelers almost lost to the Cowboys. Sunday. And, um, yesterday we were talking about, um, my grandparents, my maternal and paternal grandfather's and great uncles fought in world war two when, you know, just giving them, you know, a shout out and all the, uh, veterans past, present, and future, but doing this
Eli Kulp: [00:37:42] happy veterans day to everybody out there. Um, can't say enough of how much we appreciate that.
Big Rube: [00:37:50] No doubt. Especially, like I said, especially in a mentioned that how my grandparents and great uncles, they were in a segregated army [00:38:00] and, you know, the stories that my grandfather told me what he dealt with in Italy, in Germany. Uh, you know, like the average person now couldn't deal with that.
No, no, but they had a job to do and it did it. And to find out he had, this is my. Paternal grandfather. He, um, had four medals of honor, but they, they, the army board and saw them at, in 2004 when his funeral like, and you hear that a lot of stories, a lot of Black soldiers there, uh, they only got the metals when they die.
So yeah, we didn't get that respect. Yeah, no. Yeah. The handed to my grandmother at the funeral.
Eli Kulp: [00:38:46] Wow. Well, that's kind of a good segue. I think, you know, we talked about this before we started being Black in America has never [00:39:00] been easy.
Big Rube: [00:39:00] Never
Eli Kulp: [00:39:02] Me being a white male haven't experienced an ounce of what you've experienced over your lifetime. You know, the privilege I've had, you know, that people automatically accept me. They automatically feel safe around me for whatever reason versus the, the racism, the inherent racism, the systematic racism exists today, where you're guilty by Black often and your life is worth less like that notion that your life is worth less because the color of your skin, the reckoning, the America is having.
It's a reckoning, but it's still a battle. I mean, you see it, uh, you see, you know, what's the, you know, the language being used, divisive language, you know, and, and, and demonizing what's happening in cities, urban communities. And, you know, by the pres the sitting president currently and saying, you know, what's happening in these, these inner cities, uh, you don't want that to come to your suburbs.
And [00:40:00] again, like demonizing, you know, the Black culture in ways that, that continues to happen and it's so sickening to see it happen. What do you feel right now as a Black man? Do you feel like we're making progress? Do you feel like you're just sick of it? Like, I mean, the Walter Wallace, uh, shooting, um, you know, two weeks ago here in Philadelphia, like what are these emotions that you go through every day in your life?
Big Rube: [00:40:28] One thing it's a. It's a numbing thing, really? You know, it's because I mean, my own experience, you know, working on Bryn Mawr and having a cop as a 15 year old, uh, you know, hem me up, you know, uh, and that's a slang basically grabbed me up, getting off the train and threatening me and telling me he better not see me around here.
On my way to a 10 plus minute walk to Bryn Mawr college. [00:41:00] That really, you know, it, it, it puts a stain on you, so like, wow, what did I do? You know? And I had a lot of incidents growing up and just being, you know, I, well, my grandmother already, its own far stepped out door said, boy, you know, she didn't say it so kindly, you know what I mean?
She said you were born with two strikes, so what are you talking about? And this is young. Um, she's like, You were born a male and Black in this society and American doesn't have your best interests in mind. And her telling me that and just seeing what I was seeing the end result for my peers, I'm like, wow.
I remember, you know, we just be riding our bikes and like cops would come surround us in cars, like what y'all doing, where y'all up to no good. And it was like, you know, it. It's crazy. Um, to see that that smile turns into a frown because [00:42:00] a lot of people. They hold it in and their hearts get dark and real fast.
Eli Kulp: [00:42:05] And does your childhood evetually get taken by this?
Big Rube: [00:42:09] It does
Eli Kulp: [00:42:10] this feeling that you're not supposed to be here.
Big Rube: [00:42:12] Yeah. And it's, uh, and I had a lot of friends that just gave up on life. Cause it was like what society told me. I'm supposed to be this way. So how am I going to give them the best version, but me and I'm like, no, we want a sport to be thugs, villains, drug dealers, and all that.
And I was, you know, I made my point to be a shining star and be the opposite. And, um, and you know, just saying, I'm glad you said wrecking them because you, you keep piling on it. Ain't nowhere else to pile like. No, I like America has to look within themselves. Like we planted the seed and just where, you know, we was, I guess we was on break, but you know, the podcasts of people telling me, because [00:43:00] I have on my, my Instagram big Rube quotes on life and food for thought, and I put it out there and I just speak, you know, just.
Unabashedly the truth and you know, and a lot of people from like, I affect people from all walks of life and they say, wow, you got to get that message in because yesterday a young man he's from Italian descent and I'm telling him about. You know, uh, history and everything said, wow, I never knew. They said, and I went and did the research and you correct.
I said, well, look, America teaches you to marginalize people that don't look like you. So you can have a step on them and said, well, I'm better. You know what I mean? Because if you do the research to this day, the Black woman is the wet nurse in the Southern States. So you tell me that all these whatever background or they choose their lifestyle, uh, as far as a politician, a business owner.
[00:44:00] And when they not times out of ten, if you from a Southern state, you you're, you was sucking on a Black woman's breasts and then, but the society told you to hate me in the same breath, ain't that something. And I put those things in perspective for people can just like, wow, that's a food for thought moment.
Like, you know, um, how can we in the studio and enjoy the light, this on there without Lewis Latimer, you know what I mean? You stop. And I asked this and this is straight a guy, a bigoted guy was in one of my popups one day. I said, wow, damn you. I said, what do you do? Uh, when you come to a traffic light.
So I stopped. I said, well, you might as well keep going. I said, because if Garrett Morgan ain't come around, you know, To make that traffic light you just go and just risk your life. Like, wow. And that same breath, this guy. We cultivated something on me. It's like, [00:45:00] wow, Rube he said, and my school, they didn't teach me to know about these things.
Yeah. You know? So, you know, when, when we tell the real history about America, the whole totality of it, I think everybody that we're taught the marginalized, somebody to look like me, we'll have a whole different side relief. Yeah. Yeah.
Eli Kulp: [00:45:23] Thank you for saying that very powerful. The 2020, you know, um, you know, the spring of 2020 with the murders of, I mean, more than what we see, but the ones that we hear about, you know, George Floyd being the
Big Rube: [00:45:37] Just a camera on it, the only difference
Eli Kulp: [00:45:40] the camera, you know, the, in some aspects, it makes me proud that this is happening and that, you know, we're, we're taking the time and acknowledging many of us are, but the same time. You see the other side [00:46:00] also rising up and not wanting this to, to happen.
Big Rube: [00:46:04] I think the enter just the energy of great human beings, because that's where we are first. You know, my melanin makes me this dark.
You're a lack of melanin, like, and not like I said, I break it down to the common denominator of what people don't look like is like society has taught you. Okay. Cause of your complexion. You're better than me. It's like, no, it's just a lack of melanin. And my pro rich Mel is like, so, but the thing about it is, but take away and I had this conversation of the day with a great friend of mine.
I said, wow, Whoa, if America one dislike, all these things that they weren't taught about. If you take that away, like the food, how we're talking about food is like, you don't have fried chicken. If you don't have me, you don't have collard greens, red beans and rice, shrimp and [00:47:00] grits, so, okay. Are you willing to take that out your diet just for superiority of me? I don't think not.
The first catering America was chef Hercules, a former slave of George Washington that he didn't want to let go. This is not some, this is reality. This is what it is. You know what I mean? So those things and. Uh, that's why I make a point. And I said, look, it's not soul food, it's not Southern, it's Black folk cooking because every ethnicity has their cuisine, but they reduce minds to just basically ghost my existence out of it.
Like, no, uh, these biscuits that, that was, Oh, Mami on the plantation was making that. That peach cobbler that you love, that you said it's a part of your family, but. This was putting it together. So, you know, and that's the richness of America, you know what I mean? Like a [00:48:00] rock and roll, how many people can honestly say, wow.
Yeah. Black people as rock as Black music. Yes. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Exactly. You know, all these things. It's like no Big Mama Thornton, Chuck Berry. Yeah. Learn up on it. Hey, they, the ones that put this together that was stolen from them, Little Richard man, rest in peace. You know what I mean?
This is all these things in, and once you come to the realization of it, it's not going to be a hate thing. It's going to be a joyous thing is like, wow, this richness was tooken from me, uh, for the sake of superiority because alright go back to food, all those lunch counters that they beat up friends, family of my grant, just all that. Who was cooking that food in that kitchen? That you didn't want a Black person, that's a sit [00:49:00] there and eat, but somebody that you don't like was cooking their food in that kitchen.
Right. Just blame on adult trade. That's the facts of it. Yeah.
Eli Kulp: [00:49:12] Yeah. Well, I appreciate you breaking it down like that.
Big Rube: [00:49:15] Yeah. That's I said life is, um, simplicity, not complexity. Things are so simple. And I always say, when we take our emotion away from things, we can look at the whole picture and totality, and that's what I do.
I take my, don't matter what, what I see that I notice wrong. It's just like, I'm going to take my emotions away from it so I can be able to see it and come up with a solution faster.
Eli Kulp: [00:49:45] That's good, man. This has been great. I really appreciate having, you said I've been a smile on my face the whole time. I really appreciate you taking the time to come in.
I want to finish with our famous 11 question [00:50:00] session, some rapid fire. Okay. Uh, keep it, keep it light around here. All right. So I'm a firearm off you. Just give me your quick answer. The first thing that comes into your head top of your head. All right. Uh, finish the sentence at 11:00 AM. On a Saturday, you can find me
Big Rube: [00:50:19] prepping to currently prepping to open one of my pop-ups to serve you to breast fried chicken ever.
Eli Kulp: [00:50:27] Awesome. At 11:00 PM on a Saturday, you can find me
Big Rube: [00:50:32] at 11:00 PM. I mean, pre COVID, you know, somewhere dining out and just hanging out with people. Uh, it's happened some beers, you know, uh, beers together, you know, just enjoying being social.
Eli Kulp: [00:50:46] All right. Philadelphia Philadelphia's best kept secret. What is it?
Big Rube: [00:50:50] Oh man. It's just, uh, Just culture and D like just the people, the food, the music culture that [00:51:00] came out of here and started here. That it doesn't get that much shine as New York or Chicago where,
Eli Kulp: [00:51:07] yeah. Right. Great answer. Uh, favorite place to go, just to get centered. Just to chill.
Big Rube: [00:51:14] Oh, I like to go down to Riverwalk.
Yeah, Suckyll
Eli Kulp: [00:51:21] Great spot. If you were stranded on an Island, what are the three things you would take with you?
Big Rube: [00:51:27] Some Apple cider vinegar. Uh, some Miles Davis. There you go. Yeah. And, uh, I guess, uh, he has some fried chicken,
Eli Kulp: [00:51:41] Apple cider vinegar. Yeah. Is that one of your secret ingredients of that? Uh
Big Rube: [00:51:49] yeah. Yeah.
Eli Kulp: [00:51:51] Good stuff. Um, so vinegar that doesn't, uh, the Pfizer, the radar.
Big Rube: [00:51:55] Yeah.
Eli Kulp: [00:51:56] Uh, what, what, what is, or what would be your spirit animal?
[00:52:00] Big Rube: [00:52:00] Oh, I love cats. I'm a, yeah. I have a cat.
Eli Kulp: [00:52:04] Sasha. Sasha. All right, cool. Lose your left pinky or become a vegan. What would you choose?
Big Rube: [00:52:11] Um, my brother been a vegan for 20 years.
So why? Uh, I guess become a vegan.
Eli Kulp: [00:52:19] Yeah. Yes, sir. Finish the statement when I was 10. I wanted to be
Big Rube: [00:52:26] man, Reggie Jackson, Reggie Jackson,
Eli Kulp: [00:52:30] man.
Big Rube: [00:52:30] It's my favorite sport actually, baseball.
Eli Kulp: [00:52:34] Cool. What does social media mean to you?
Big Rube: [00:52:40] A new world, because I never wanted to do it. Actually I did. Okay. Yeah. New world.
Eli Kulp: [00:52:47] The best sports memory.
Big Rube: [00:52:49] Well, I mean, I'm a Steelers fan. So the first Superbowl I ever watch was a super bowl 14 when they, uh, when the [00:53:00] Steelers beat the Rams and the super bowl was the first super bowl. So
Eli Kulp: [00:53:04] very cool. All right. Last one. If you could have a power to fix any one problem in the world, what would it be?
Big Rube: [00:53:13] That'd be racism.
Yeah. Yeah. Got it. Got to work because if anybody know before 500 years ago was no such thing. The inception of this, that they called the new world, the continent of America, that's where white and Black codes started. But before that, My ancestors was in England living. They were in Germany because if you know anything about the Mohr's, they were all in Europe, you know, civilizing a European.
So, yeah, that's a part of my ancestry.
Eli Kulp: [00:53:50] All right, man. That's a wrap. Thank you again for coming in to the studio. People keep an eye out for on your social
Big Rube: [00:53:56] media, social media. WIP. [00:54:00] Yeah. You know, the Big Rube's chicken is coming and, uh, I look forward to feed y'all and you know, my moniker, I always say let's grow up,
Eli Kulp: [00:54:09] Let's grow up baby.
Big Rube: [00:54:10] Nice.
Eli Kulp: [00:54:11] All right, man. Thank you so much.
Big Rube: [00:54:12] Thank you so much.
Eli Kulp: [00:54:14] Good luck with everything.
Thanks for listening to the CHEF radio podcast. If you'd like to support the show, please leave us a review wherever you listen to your podcast. It helps others find the show and allows us to continue to make great content. The CHEF radio podcast is produced by RADIO KISMET. Post-production and sound design by Studio D Podcast Production.
And I am your host, Eli Kulp.