Restaurant Week: The Moth Podcast

Summary of Restaurant Week: The Moth Podcast

by The Moth

30m•January 23, 2026
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Overview of Restaurant Week: The Moth Podcast

This episode of The Moth — hosted by Chloe Salmon — celebrates the people behind restaurants with two true personal stories from Moth stages: Trevor Craig’s coming-of-age story from a Pittsburgh Story Slam and Shanae’s origin story of Shawnee’s House on Staten Island. Both pieces explore identity, community, resilience, and how food and service spaces become sites of belonging.

Episode structure

  • Intro: theme of American dreams and a nod to restaurant workers.
  • Two live Moth stories:
    • Trevor Craig — told at a Pittsburgh Story Slam (theme: “Bold”).
    • Shanae — told at a NYC Mainstage (theme: “Only in New York”), representing Staten Island and Sandy Ground.
  • Short interview with Shanae about her restaurant and heritage.
  • Closing credits, production notes, sponsor reads, and Moth pitch-line info.

Story 1 — Trevor Craig (Pittsburgh Story Slam)

What happens

  • Trevor leaves home during college (tells parents he has a job in Des Moines), escaping a Mormon, non-drinking household while he’s secretly (but not actually secretly) gay.
  • Takes work at a Japanese steakhouse (no Japanese staff, initially homophobic environment).
  • Starts in the cash office, gradually becomes a server; faces slurs and harassment from kitchen staff.
  • Pushes back strongly against slurs, wins respect and allyship over time; kitchen staff begin to defend him.
  • Leverages his personality and identity to be assigned lucrative tables (bachelorette/gay groups), earning big tips — but sometimes runs into trouble for over-serving.
  • Encounters a violent homophobic customer who is physically removed by the manager (Marco), solidifying his place in the restaurant “family.”

Outcome / Afterward

  • The restaurant becomes a chosen family; Trevor never pays for a meal there again.
  • He has since left restaurants and now works as a regional director of operations for a large independent lab company testing food for nutrition and safety; he still hosts Pride parties and remains a foodie.

Story 2 — Shanae (Shawnee’s House, Staten Island)

What happens

  • Shanae opens a soul-food boutique restaurant in Stapleton, Staten Island, during the pandemic (grand opening June 5, 2021). She’s an eighth-generation descendant of Sandy Ground, one of the oldest continuous free Black communities in the U.S.
  • Grand opening draws ~400 people (unexpected), but subsequent days and months are slow. She tries many community-focused events (paint-and-sips, book readings, music video shoots) to keep the business alive.
  • A filmed clip lands on TikTok and community Facebook groups, bringing attention and foot traffic. A New York Times critic (Pete Wells) who had visited during a late-night meal returns, profiles her, and awards two stars — dramatically raising the restaurant’s profile.

Outcome / Interview highlights

  • Shanae sees her work as honoring ancestors and elevating soul food storylines beyond stereotypes.
  • Signature recommendation: the “chuchu platter” (a sampler: catfish, shrimp, whiting, jerk chicken, oxtail, wings, ribs) and the macaroni & cheese.
  • Shawnee’s House becomes a source of community pride and recognition for Staten Island history.

Themes & key takeaways

  • Restaurants and kitchens are emotional ecosystems: work, survival, identity, chosen family, and community intersect.
  • Resilience and adaptability: both storytellers persist through hostility, slow business, and the pandemic by leaning on creativity and community.
  • Storytelling amplifies food and culture: Shanae’s family history and Trevor’s candidness about identity helped create belonging and business momentum.
  • Small acts of allyship (managers, coworkers) can be transformative and protective.
  • The power of modern media (TikTok, press) can rapidly change a small restaurant’s trajectory.

Notable lines & moments

  • Trevor: “I haven’t paid for a meal since.” (a light, bittersweet punchline about being adopted by his restaurant family)
  • Shanae: “I’m the eighth-generation direct descendant to the first free Black man to purchase property on Staten Island in Sandy Ground.” (ties her restaurant to place and legacy)
  • Shanae’s menu pitch: the chuchu platter and her macaroni & cheese — recommended as can’t-miss dishes.

Practical info & recommendations

  • Visit Shawnee’s House (Stapleton, Staten Island) to try the chuchu platter and mac & cheese. Expect hospitality and a story-driven meal.
  • If you dine out, thank and tip restaurant workers — the episode emphasizes their central role.
  • Want to share a story? Moth Pitch Line: themoth.org or call 877-799-MOTH (877-799-6684).
  • Check themoth.org for Mainstage tour dates (the episode mentioned a spring tour themed around the American Dream).

Production & credits

  • Host: Chloe Salmon.
  • Stories produced/directed by The Moth team; Shanae’s story directed by Chloe Salmon.
  • Producers credited in the episode: Sarah Austin-Junesse, Sarah Jane Johnson, Mark Sollinger; executive producer: Leah Reese Dennis.
  • Sponsors read in episode: Blue Apron, Alma, RK Zero Proof, AutoTrader, Mint Mobile.
  • All stories are true as remembered by the storytellers. Visit themoth.org for more details and pitching instructions.