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Jan. 23, 2025: First we feast

We hear that it’s warming up, but we’ll believe that when we feel it. Today we explore piles of delicious things to warm this extra cold day.

We venture into Northampton to Local Burger and hear how its menu has evolved to center local produce and beef. We speak with Tabitha Salfrank, Joe Igneri, and Lexi Badelucci to help us discover what keeping local has meant for their expanding business, and where they source inspiration for their unlikely burger combinations.

We also invite you to become more familiar with one of Mexico’s most important spirits. On Jan. 24, De La Luz in Holyoke will host a mezcal-pairing dinner, offering folx a chance to educate both mind and palette. We speak with the pair helming the endeavor, Tess Rose Lampert, author of The Essential Tequila & Mezcal Companion, and chef Neftali Duran, about the appeal and nuances of the beverage and what other tasty treats might be included in the event.

And, it’s been an eventful few days since the presidential inauguration on Monday, and Congressman Jim McGovern has much to say about what’s happened so far. We listen to his insights regarding pardons for January 6 insurrectionists, the avalanche of executive orders, and the things that keep him hopeful in these contested times.

CISA Local Hero Spotlight at Local Burger
Mezcal pairing
McGoverning with Rep. Jim McGovern
Jan. 23, 2025

Christopher “Monte'' Belmonte is host and executive producer of NEPM's The Fabulous 413. He was born and raised in Massachusetts and has been a radio host in western Massachusetts for the last 20 years — the last 17 of them as host of Mornings with Monte on The River 93.9/WRSI.
Kaliis Smith is a radio host and producer for NEPM's The Fabulous 413. She was most recently host and producer at The River 93.9/WRSI where she appeared on Mornings with Monte for the Nerdwatch segment and hosted weekday evenings.