Hibernation Season

Summary

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Kennedy Saves the World – "Hibernation Season"

Host: Kennedy
Guest: Jimmy Failla
Date: December 1, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this lively and personal episode, Kennedy welcomes comedian Jimmy Failla back from his Thanksgiving travels to talk “hibernation season”—that special time of year when comfort food, family, and finding humor in the strange quirks of American cities take center stage. The two friends swap hilarious stories about Thanksgiving feasting, road trips, and urban oddities, all through their shared lens of freedom, gratitude, and irreverent wit.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Thanksgiving on the Road—San Francisco & West Coast Adventures

• Jimmy’s Thanksgiving Itinerary:
  • Jimmy details his “West Coast swing” for Thanksgiving: San Luis Obispo for stand-up, Vegas for the weekend, and unexpected experiences in San Francisco.
    • [01:22] “We flew west for Thanksgiving because... I had a stand-up show in San Luis Obispo on Friday… Vegas on Saturday and Sunday. Here we are now Monday.” —Jimmy Failla
• Defending San Francisco:
  • Despite the city’s reputation, Jimmy and Kennedy agree its beauty and culture persist, especially outside its roughest neighborhoods.
    • [02:09] “What makes San Francisco cool is still there…. I think San Francisco is probably in a better place than Portland is.” —Kennedy
    • [02:41] “Portland just quit. You know, I have family that actually live in Portland and they're too wed to the idea of their insane ideology.” —Jimmy Failla
• Urban Humor & Grit:
  • Jimmy paints a comedic but real portrait of San Francisco’s Tenderloin district.
    • [03:07] “Most of Frisco was combined to the one, obviously the Mission area, you know, the Tenderloin. And if you do drive through it is very tender.” —Jimmy Failla

2. Thanksgiving Dining: Traditions and Urban Oddities

• Dining Decisions:
  • Jimmy skipped his beloved prime rib tradition to honor the turkey holiday, eating at Boudin (sourdough haven) and later at his favorite Pine Crest Diner. He describes the unique atmosphere—open-air chaos meets classic diner.
    • [04:37] “Thanksgiving at the Pine Crust, it was... you just eat in this magical diner inside a fishbowl because everybody's looking at you while they shoot up and stuff. And there's a romance to that if you're a good family man like myself.” —Jimmy Failla
    • [05:38] Kennedy acknowledges the bittersweet reality: “If you're shooting up and selling your... on Thanksgiving, like you're not in the best era of your life.”
• Gratitude & Perspective:
  • The two reflect on the importance of finding gratitude, even amidst urban struggles.
    • [05:57] “You have to be grateful for the moments that you have when you're together. You know, it's like on the inside looking out, just enjoying some sweet, sweet grub.” —Kennedy
    • [06:07] “This conversation began with us. San Francisco is actually not that bad nowadays. And it ended with me eating turkey in an open air heroin market.” —Jimmy Failla

3. The Brined, Buttered, and Smoked Turkey Saga

• Kennedy’s Culinary Adventure:
  • Kennedy triumphantly shares her brined, Traeger-smoked turkey story, crediting Jimmy’s wife Jenny’s detailed recipe.
    • [06:40] Kennedy gives the step-by-step:
      • Brined turkey with garlic, citrus, fresh herbs, brown sugar, apple cider, and extra salt in a five-gallon bucket.
      • Added compound butter under the skin for extra flavor and moisture.
      • Smoked it for six hours until perfection was achieved.
    • [08:00] “It was by all accounts, the most delicious turkey that any of us had ever consumed... Traeger should really sponsor us because our affection for Traeger is so genuine.”
• The Emotional Labor of Feeding Others:
  • Kennedy highlights the love and intention behind preparing a holiday meal:
    • [11:01] “For food nurturers, like that's why Thanksgiving is so important... It is our way of showing people how much we love them.”
    • She describes the effort and precision put into every dish: perfect mashed potatoes, cupcake-tin mini Dutch apple pies, and perfectly timed courses.

4. Post-Thanksgiving Feasts: Stand-Up, Road Food, and Family Traditions

• Jimmy’s San Luis Obispo Show & Epic In-N-Out Run:
  • After a successful Friday stand-up show (with his son Lincoln opening!), Jimmy recounts their late-night ritual: ordering “three 4x4s” (quadruple cheeseburgers) each at In-N-Out—lettuce-wrapped for “dignity.”
    • [12:12] “We order three of them a piece. 12 hamburgers a piece. Now there's no bun. It's served on lettuce. Because I'm not an animal. I'm not going to eat the bun, okay?”
    • [13:49] “It was the greatest thing. We ate 12 hamburgers each.”
• Travel Traditions and Celebrating Regional Food:
  • Kennedy praises the joys of indulging in local specialties when traveling, echoing appreciation for shared experiences (and calories).
    • [13:49] “There's something to be said for just diving into regional food wherever you are. And that's one of the best things about going on the road…”

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Memorable Quotes

• On West Coast urban identity:

  • “I live in New York, so I really can't point the finger at another city as I'm getting chased by a pantless time traveler on the 1 train.” —Jimmy Failla [01:38]

• On San Francisco’s reputation:

  • “It's really easy for everyone to poop on San Francisco. But… I know it's still in there... what makes San Francisco cool is still there.” —Kennedy [02:09]

• On Thanksgiving in a rough neighborhood:

  • “Thanksgiving at the Pine Crust, it was... you just eat in this magical diner inside a fishbowl because everybody's looking at you while they shoot up and stuff.” —Jimmy Failla [04:37]

• On the turkey prep:

  • “Gently massaged it under the skin of the turkey, all over, up and down, up and around in the crevices. It was its own form of erotica.” —Kennedy [07:47]

• On food’s emotional role:

  • “That's why Thanksgiving is so important. Because it is our way of showing people how much we love them.” —Kennedy [11:01]

• On American gluttony (humor):

  • “One meal at a time, America. We can do this. I love Amen. Make America fat again.” —Jimmy Failla [14:25]
  • “Hibernation season is here. We'll shed it all for bikini season. But not today, Satan.” —Kennedy [14:33]

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Notable Segments & Timestamps

• Jimmy explains his Thanksgiving travel circuit and San Francisco's reputation: [01:15–03:55]
• Discussion of urban decay, humor, and gratitude in tough cities: [04:04–06:25]
• Kennedy's detailed Traeger turkey adventure and discussion of food and love: [06:40–08:58]
• Appreciation for food nurturing and Thanksgiving meal perfection: [11:01–11:54]
• Jimmy’s post-holiday stand-up show and In-N-Out burger challenge: [11:54–13:49]
• Closing banter on hibernation season and loving America’s gluttonous traditions: [14:25–14:44]

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Episode Tone and Takeaways

Warm, irreverent, and heartfelt, this episode blends Kennedy and Jimmy’s sharp humor with honest appreciation for both America’s foibles and its feast days. Their playful banter, observation of urban oddities, and commitment to food, family, and freedom make “Hibernation Season” a relatable and uplifting listen—perfect for anyone needing a laugh (and maybe a recipe).

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Transcript

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[Kennedy]

Hello and welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the World. It's Monday. After a long and fruitful weekend. I was worried that we were going to lose Jimmy Fayella to a San Francisco hobo farm and we wouldn't see him again. But here he is back on the east coast where he belongs. To Jim. Happy, happy Cyber Monday to you.

[Jimmy Phela]

Today is a big deal. Millions of Americans as we speak, losing their identity to an Albanian hacker. I mean, what's not to love? You get a cheap microwave, you wind up buying a jet ski in Ukraine. I mean, what's not to love?

[Kennedy]

Oh well, going into deep debt, that's our thing. So how was San Francisco? How is, how was your west coast swing?

[Jimmy Phela]

So this is what the fail has had to do. Just so everybody's up to speed. It was amazing. I had, we flew west for Thanksgiving because I had as you know, a stand up show in San Luis Obispo on Friday. So I was in slow on Friday, Vegas on Saturday and Sunday. Here we are now Monday. But to start with the initial question, how was San Francisco? I love San Francisco. You know, everybody talks about it's a mess and you know, it has its pockets. But I live in New York, so I really can't point the finger at another city as I'm getting chased by a pantless time Traveler on the 1 train and be like, you know, those people need to, to get their city together. You know, that's the one, the one thing. So it was glorious and it was as you know, San Francisco's warmer in November than it is in like July. It was like 60.

[Kennedy]

It is arguably, you know, other than Florida, the most temperate climate in the country because it is pretty much like 60 degrees, a light breeze, usually sunny. The, the clouds are somehow charming and it's really easy for everyone to poop on San Francisco. But I guess it makes me so sad because I know it's such a great town and I know it's still in there. Like, what makes San Francisco cool is still there. I think San Francisco is probably in a better place than Portland is.

[Jimmy Phela]

Oh yeah, Portland just quit. You know, I have family that actually live in Portland and they're too wed to the idea of their insane ideology. Like San Francisco, they are capitalist at heart. Okay. They make. There's a lot of money there, like the Presidio. It's really nice. They don't want to live in a hellhole. So at some point they will intervene for their own well being. And it seems like they've done that a little bit.

[Kennedy]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Phela]

Most of Frisco was combined to the one, obviously the Mission area, you know, the Tenderloin. And if you do drive through it is very tender.

[Kennedy]

They should almost call it the succulent.

[Jimmy Phela]

Loin because that's a lot of tenderized and sucked in any way you want to say it. Roll them up. If you've ever seen the mov vacation, if they had cut through San Francisco, the tenderloin is roll them up territory. Roll them up.

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[Jimmy Phela]

So that being said, the aesthetic of the city. So still gorgeous. I love the hills. I love it all. I went to the Coit Tower. The one thing I will tell you though is because no one is in that city on Thanksgiving, it's. It was completely empty. They actually told me when I got to Union Square that I had to mug myself. They're like, sorry, there's nobody around to do it. But other than that, I loved it.

[Kennedy]

It was great. It's self service.

[Jimmy Phela]

Amen.

[Kennedy]

So put your wallet. Put your wallet where you can access it and just go ahead and take it and run away.

[Jimmy Phela]

I love it.

[Kennedy]

Thank you, sir. So where did you guys end up eating? Because as. As we discussed last week, Jenny Fala gave me her recipe, which I have to give you a full update on the greatest turkey I've ever had.

[Jimmy Phela]

But where.

[Kennedy]

Where did you guys enjoy Thanksgiving? Because I. I know that you were kind of going back and forth about your favorite prime rib spot, but is it a sacrilege to consume prime rib on a turkey holiday?

[Jimmy Phela]

I do think so. So we skipped the house of prime rib. Although we drove by twice, longingly we went.

[Kennedy]

I love that we had.

[Jimmy Phela]

We had a.

[Kennedy]

Torture your son.

[Jimmy Phela]

I know. And because it was just the three of us and we had nobody to host, we actually had a double Thanksgiving. So we ate early in the day at Boudin, which is on the wharf. It's fantastic. They make sourdough everything. It's insane. Really good stuff. But because again, I'm a TV host and I'm a radio host. You gotta go for it. It's Thanksgiving. So I did take them to the diner at 11pm that night. Surrendered. Do you know the Pine Crest Diner is my favorite diner in the world? It's on Geary street in San Francisco, just off of Union Square. And it really is. They. At 11:00pm it turns into Caracas. And they have like this controlled chaos thing where there's cops on every corner, but it's open air prostitution and drug use and everything. And you just eat in this magical diner inside a fishbowl because everybody's looking at you while they shoot up and stuff. And there's a romance to that. If you're a good family man like myself. Yeah, you have to. Thanksgiving at the Pine Crust, it was.

[Kennedy]

Well, you also have to be grateful for an oasis like that, for a gem in a part of the city where, you know, it's like people are struggling. If you're shooting up and selling your. Your coolie on Thanksgiving, like you're not in the best era of your life.

[Jimmy Phela]

No, you're not.

[Kennedy]

So you have to be grateful for the moments that you have when you're together. You know, it's like on the inside looking out, just enjoying some sweet, sweet grub.

[Jimmy Phela]

It could be. It could be worse. But what I love so much about this moment of, you know, we're coming to this moment of clarity, if you will, is that this conversation began with us. San Francisco is actually not that bad nowadays. And it ended with me eating turkey in an open air heroin market.

[IKEA Advertiser]

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[Kennedy]

At least you're being true to a city that you know and love.

[Jimmy Phela]

Amen. So back on the east coast, the woman had a Traeger and needed to smoke a turkey. Can I hear a little about that? Because I got your victorious text and I was so happy.

[Kennedy]

Okay, so. So Jenny walked me through the whole thing. I had. I've brined the bird in the past, but Jenny gave me the full recipe which included smashed garlic, sliced oranges and lemons, fresh herbs, brown sugar, apple cider, lots of salt. So I did that and I did not have a pot big enough for the turkey, so we had to use a five gallon bucket. And I had to clean out the five gallon bucket, poured everything in there, and I was like, this is the only thing that would work. Took out a shelf from the fridge and somehow fit it in there. And it had 24 perfect hours to brine. And then I read on one of the Traeger sites to use compound butter that was the only thing that Jenny didn't have in her recipe. So I added the compound butter, which was like chopped fresh herbs, garlic, salt and pepper with soft butter, you know, gently massaged it under the skin of the turkey, all over, up and down, up and around in the crevices. It was its own form of erotica.

[Jimmy Phela]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

And then that baby then did a nice rub on the top that she went on the Traeger for six hours. And, you know, it was like, is it done? Is it done?

[Meundies Advertiser]

Is it 165?

[Kennedy]

Is it 162? I think I could take it off now and let it rest for 20. It was by all accounts, the most delicious turkey that any of us had ever consumed. It was so good. And I credit Jennifer for that recipe. And also, I know we've joked about this, but Traeger should really sponsor us because we. We have had so many verbal love letters to that device, to that company, that I feel like they should repay us in kind because our. Our affection for Traeger is so genuine. But I have never tasted a turkey like that. With the brining, the butter, the thyme, the smoke. It was utter perfection. Like I froze what I had left of the turkey. To make turkey soup in a few weeks when it's one of those rainy, sad days and you need, like something home cooked with pure love.

[IKEA Advertiser]

Good.

[Kennedy]

In order to carry you through.

[Jimmy Phela]

I feel like I'm on a webcam called Only Foods. That's what I took about gold in them hills, you know?

[Kennedy]

Oh, yeah.

[Jimmy Phela]

You just had women just talking about succulent recipes.

[Kennedy]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Phela]

How many? You'd have my tokens. You know, I'd be.

[IKEA Advertiser]

I'd be.

[Jimmy Phela]

I'd be took. I love that. And let me just one thing, though. Because the act of smoking that turkey and as. And as evolved as it was, it really gives you a different relationship to the meal, doesn't it?

[Kennedy]

Yes.

[Jimmy Phela]

Very involved.

[Kennedy]

Don't go anywhere more. Kennedy saves the World right after this.

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[Kennedy]

Yes, but for food nurturers like that's why Thanksgiving is so important. Because it is. It is our way of showing people how much we love them. Because I spent hours and days looking at different recipes for I got a potato ricer for the mashed potatoes and the potatoes were just perfect. And I just made sure that every single recipe I went over and over and over. So when it was time to execute, it was timed perfectly so everything came out at the same time, was ready to go, and it was warm and plentiful and we were absolute gluttons. And then I only had one pie tin that I used for the pumpkin pie. So for the Dutch apple pies, I made them in a cupcake tin and made mini Dutch apple pies that were so goddamn good.

[Jimmy Phela]

Can I just add my own exclamation point to the food talk then, please? So Thanksgiving comes and goes, but Friday night we're at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo. We do a nice sexy eight o' clock show. It's sold out, they're great. Lincoln opens the show, does a just a phenomenal job.

[Meundies Advertiser]

That's amazing.

[Jimmy Phela]

I love that we sat down and we just cooked up like four or five jokes for him to tell and just threw him out onto the stage. Like House of God introduced him. He got a big, you know, big reaction and he just line by line, just perfect execution at a great time. So the show was great. I brought them on stage at the end for the Q and A. We're feeling Good. So we go to In N out Burger. Now me and Lincoln do something In N Out Burger. It's called a 4x4. It's a quadruple cheeseburger. Okay? We order three of them a piece. 12 hamburgers a piece. Now there's no bun. It's served on lettuce. Because I'm not an animal. I'm not going to eat the bun, okay? I'm going to eat my 12 cheeseburgers with dignity. No one ringing us up believed it was going to happen. Like people were genuinely concerned for us as we, as we plated this meal. But we ate it and it was so. You talk about magically delicious. It was the, it was the greatest thing. It was. We ate 12 hamburgers each. And literally if we didn't have to get the Vegas like because we left like two hours later, drove to Vegas, we would have ate, we would have eat a fourth. A fourth four by four, which I was told was a state record. Like the guy at the register who was so stoned, do you know can you picture who's working a San Luis Obispo in and out cash register at 11 o' clock on a Friday night?

[Kennedy]

Oh yeah.

[Jimmy Phela]

You know what? President Trump once said, they're not sending their best. Okay, that's not the in and out varsity. And he had so many comments and so much to say, but it was just the most glorious thing and I didn't get to nurture it and cook it over a 12 hour window like you did. But I promise you I appreciated it just as much. It was so.

[Kennedy]

That is, that is beautiful. But there's something to be said for just diving into regional food wherever you are. And that's one of the best things about going on the road is like an in n out is the absolute sweet spot and I cannot wait to get back there to enjoy it. The world, the world has to find its mind because it lost it this year. But you know we're going to find our way back to sanity and we are going to celebrate every. Stop eating like we just got out of prison.

[Jimmy Phela]

That's all it is. One meal at a time, America. We can do this. I love Amen. Make America fat again.

[Kennedy]

Let's do it, Jim.

[Jimmy Phela]

Love it.

[Kennedy]

Hibernation season is here. We'll shed it all for bikini season. But not today. Satan. Jimmy, you're the best. Can't wait to see you back in studio.

[Jimmy Phela]

Gobble, gobble.

[Kennedy]

This has been Kennedy Saves the World along with Jimmy Phela. I'm Kennedy. Listen ad free with a Fox News Podcast plus subscription on Apple Podcasts and Amazon Prime. Members can listen to this show ad free on the Amazon Music app. Oh, go ahead and leave me a review while you're there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy Saves the World on the Fox News Podcast Network. This is Ainsley Earhart. Thank you for joining me for the 52 episode podcast series the Life of.

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[Jimmy Phela]

Hope, comfort, understanding of the greatest story ever told. Listen and follow [e-mail] or wherever you listen to podcasts.