Stories from the doers and dreamers leaving their mark on the Midwest.

About the show

No Paul Bunyan. No Sasquatch. Just real stories from the people making the Midwest what it is right now. Every week, Russell Nicolet sits down with a doer, a dreamer, or the occasional actual legend, and gives them room to talk.

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Midwest Legends Episode #39: Famous Dave Anderson – Family Fry Bread, Hayward, and the Best Barbecue – Midwest Legends

This week on the Midwest Legends Podcast, Russell sits down with the one and only founder behind the Famous Dave’s franchise, Famous Dave Anderson! Dave’s story began with humble, Midwest roots. As the son of Native American parents, he got his entrepreneurial start at the family’s fry bread stand. With influences from both his mother’s talent for customer service and his father’s obsession with southern barbecue with the right ingredients, it’s no wonder that Dave ended up as the face of one of the most popular American barbecue chains! Tune in to hear the story of Dave’s love of barbecue, how the name “Famous Dave’s” was originally a misprint, and how to be successful, you must prioritize making people happy. Don’t miss this episode!

1. Midwest Legends Episode #39: Famous Dave Anderson – Family Fry Bread, Hayward, and the Best Barbecue 01:13:37
2. Midwest Legends Episode #38: Kirby Puckett Jr. – Jump on my Back, Teammates, and His Father's Legacy 53:38
3. Midwest Legends Episode #37: Jack Morris – Pitching, 9th Inning Talks, and A Helicopter Domino's Run 58:10
4. Midwest Legends Episode #36: Tom Kelly Pt. 2 – Managing the Twins, Puckett, and The '87 World Series 59:05
5. Midwest Legends Episode #35: Tom Kelly Pt. 1 – Learning to Play Ball, Carew, and The Big Leagues 54:35

About the host

Russell Nicolet has deep Midwest roots and never found a good reason to leave. He’s the founding attorney at Nicolet Law, which means a lot of people in the region know his face from a billboard before they ever hear his voice.

Midwest Legends is the other side of that. Every week he sits down with somebody worth listening to, and then mostly gets out of the way while they talk.

He’d rather ask the questions than answer them, which is why this is the shortest section on the site.

Partner with us

We work with a handful of sponsors at a time, mostly businesses our listeners would recognize from their own main street. If that sounds like you, tell us what you have in mind.