Culinary radio show Lick the Plate coming to Michigan

Grand Valley State University alumnus David Boylan is bringing his popular San Diego-based culinary radio show, “Lick the Plate,” to his home state of Michigan.

Originally from Royal Oak, Boylan, ’88, has interviewed more than 150 chefs, restaurateurs, growers, brewers and other culinary professionals over the past three years. After maintaining connections across Michigan, Boylan said he is thrilled to be bringing his show to the Great Lakes State.

“On regular trips back to Michigan over the past 10 years, I’ve seen first hand the explosion of the culinary and related industries statewide,” said Boylan. “It’s great for the communities where it is happening. It gives neighborhoods a sense of identity, excitement and pride that make people want to live there and thrive.”

From chefs and farmers to the vendors who supply them, “Lick the Plate” will feature a wide range of guests from across the state. Besides culinary backgrounds and experiences, guests share everything from their individual journeys, music memories and dream concert lineups to where they eat and drink around town and in-depth looks into their establishments’ menus.

“There are so many great stories out there and ‘Lick the Plate’ will enable listeners to really get to know my guests,” said Boylan. “Michigan is well on its way to becoming an international culinary destination and it’s my goal to help that effort along and bring the state the attention it deserves.”

Coming from a heavy marketing background, Boylan credits the positive direction of the early years of his career to his advertising and marketing classes at Grand Valley, which he said provided the real-world experiences of working with Grand Rapids advertising agencies to form real marketing campaigns. Boylan said his film and video production classes were also a large influence on his professional career.

“Lick the Plate” is able to move to Michigan thanks to a recently secured sponsorship from the Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA). The show is also in talks with radio stations and sponsors in Detroit and Grand Rapids ahead of a November 1 launch date.