The Splendid Table turns 30

I cannot believe it has been a decade since I went to the 20th anniversary program for The Splendid Table. At that time, Lynne Rossetto Kasper was still hosting the radio broadcast, which debuted in 1995. Kasper received numerous accolades for her work on the show, including two James Beard Foundation Awards.

Francis Lam (also a James Beard Award winner) has been the voice of The Splendid Table since 2017. The show continues to help cooks become more confident in the kitchen. The stories also show listeners how food connects us to culture, memory and community. Lam was a guest on Minnesota Public Radio today as The Splendid Table celebrates another milestone. He offered holiday cooking and hosting tips in his conversation with guest host Catharine Richert, while also talking about the show’s legacy.

Lam said that he was a listener for years before turning to food writing and eventually taking over hosting duties from Kasper. He loved the “stump the cook” segment of the show, where Kasper would get a list of ingredients from a listener and find a way to make a dish or meal out of them. Lam also recounted how he came to take on the hosting duties, starting as a guest on the show, eventually asking him to take on some hosting duties in what amounted to a secret, extended audition.

The Splendid Table is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025 with a live show at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul this Friday, December 5th, at 7:30 p.m. If you are in the area and want to catch the show, you can buy tickets here. The show features a star-studded cast of Minnesota’s top chefs, including James Beard Award winner Sean Sherman, Diane Moua (whose restaurant was named Food & Wine’s top restaurant of 2025), James Beard Award winner Karyn Tomlinson, and Jamal Hashi.