It may not surprise any of you that at my core, I am a hopeless romantic. A glass half full kind of girl that just wants to believe kindness and love for each other is what pulls us through and makes any of this worth it. And yes, I do always cry at the end of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” when Holly is reunited with Cat in the rain.

I like to think that the more we embrace love, the stronger we are; emotion and recognizing our passions is not a weakness as perhaps past theories would have us believe. I really felt that during my conversation with Chef Adrienne Cheatham this week.

Adrienne has the ability to pull you into whatever she’s excited about, whether it’s moderating a talk about the great Edna Lewis at Cherry Jubilee, or in her James Beard-nominated cookbook “Sunday Best,” a love letter to her family and all she has learned to put your best effort forward on the table, no matter the day or occasion.

She also has been such a podcast inspiration for me. She and Chef Joe Flamm launched The Chef’s Cut this past year, and their candid conversations about what’s really going on in kitchens has skyrocketed to the top of the food podcast charts. She just launched the Eating History podcast with her husband Stephen, and they’ll be deep-diving each season into a different food. The first eight episodes? Pizza, of course!

I recognize that I write about laying your love out loudly during Pride Month. This is such an important reminder each year to love and respect all of our neighbors and to give them the chance to do the same with whoever they love.

Love gives us the courage to tell our stories and take chances. Hell, I moved 350 miles deeper into the Midwest for mine. Enjoy this week’s episode and know that I love you all!

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Hello everyone! So happy to be back after the most wonderful, gorgeous week in New Mexico. If you haven’t been, please go. There’s a lovely cat at the Los Poblanos Inn & Farm named Mouse who will climb into bed with you if you let him.

One of my biggest takeaways from NM wasn’t just a break and time to relax with my sweetheart. It was the absolutely bold, incredible colors you saw everywhere you looked. There’s a reason the region is such an inspiration for artists, like Georgia O’Keefe. Everywhere you turn, there’s a red rocked mesa, a hunter green tree line, the terracotta of the pottery, and even the food. We noshed on saffron yellow diver scallops and bright pink passion fruit pearls on the most stunning gazpacho you’ve ever seen and tasted.

It felt very fitting for my conversation this week with Josh Gale, the founder of The Chef Out West. Josh led a life like many, taking the safer route in corporate tech sales even though it wasn’t his passion, and had trouble finding areas to express himself. Then came an accident that changed everything and he has boldly dedicated himself to maximalist dishes and recipes ever since.

Josh and the inspiring scenes and people of New Mexico reminded me that life just passes by to those who watch from the sidelines. Who don’t take the chance to try a new project, or climb the tall, scary ladders into the ancient cliff dwellings (yes, we did do that!). You want to make life happen and happen for you—not just to you.

Find your colors this week and embrace them as the painter does the brush. Your masterpiece is still underway!

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A little housekeeping: I’ll be taking the week off next week to enjoy the stunning foods, culture, and desert landscapes of New Mexico! There will not be an episode or newsletter released. I can’t wait to see how inspired I feel with some R&R and hope you all feel the same for this holiday weekend. XOXO

When I went to college in the Bay Area, I didn’t realize there was a way of being “Midwestern.” I certainly was lovingly teased for an accent I didn’t realize was there, coaxed into saying certain words. And I remember an instance or two when I was asked to chat with hostesses at restaurants during long waits. “Go do your nice Midwestern thing.” By the way, I find Californians to be lovely people, so I didn’t realize there was a way to be “Midwestern Nice.”

I discussed this with my wonderful guest this week, Chef Vinnie Cimino. Vinnie is born and raised in Ohio, and also adventured outside the Midwest for school, only to return home and open two of the best restaurants not only in the region, but the country. He has been nominated for a third James Beard award this year, and we’ll find out together in a few weeks in Chicago if they finally decide to give Ohio some hardware!

I was fascinated by his team’s philosophy that their mission is to be “Midwest Nice.” That everyone who enters their spaces and joins them for a meal is given the kindness, respect, and comfort they deserve.

We did make the point though, and maybe this is the Chicago in me, that Midwest nice doesn’t just mean we’ll roll over for anyone. We’re not doormats. We want to provide you with a good time and be kind (even at my own kitchen counter) because we’ve all worked so hard to just be recognized as good enough. We don’t want anyone else to feel the same.

My Midwestern roots aren’t about being Jello (though, there is a salad or two at every holiday with that as a primary ingredient). I was imbued with the sense that there will always be tough times throughout life, and we can get through them with grit, hard work, and the people around us. And our specialty? Doing it with a smile on our faces.

For my Real Housewives fans, here’s a little callback. As Dorinda Medley says, we don’t just “make it nice!” We make it Midwest Nice.

Enjoy the episode and I’ll be in touch with you all in June!

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Every time I hop in here to say hello, I feel like I’m reminding everyone about how much is going on in our world. And yes, a lot can feel like a complete sh*t show! But the moments I get chatting with founders who are focused on changing what is wrong with our systems brings me so, so much joy and hope.

Sana Javeri Kadri, the founder of Diaspora Spice Co., started with a mission focused on the equity of South Asian farmers when she was only 23 years old. She saw multiple problems with how we procure our spices, from the quality and mixing of types of spices around the world, to how farmers are cared for and compensated. She’s been on that mission for nine years now and isn’t stopping anytime soon.

When I hear stories like Sana and Asha’s (the Diaspora recipe editor and co-author of the brand’s eponymous cookbook!), it gives me hope that there are people who still want to help others just because they think it’s the right thing to do. And there are so many studies that prove that the more we help and care for others, do something to make them smile, it helps our mental health too. And the better our mental health is, the more we can support others! That’s the beautiful kind of cycle I want us all to push forward.

Diaspora reminds me that it only really takes one person to start a revolution for good. Likely, if you have thought of that problem, others have too. They just haven’t had the confidence or right resources to do so.

If there’s something little you can do this week that pushes forward causes that matter to you, do it. Share about an organization doing good on your social media, donate, volunteer, talk to friends and family, or hell, start your own efforts. That’s the kind of spice we need to add to our lives right now. ♥️🌶️

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As the spring showers start to disperse and the warm sun peeks through, there’s that hint of summer in the air. My favorite time of year. Everyone is breaking out their best sundresses for the farmer’s market, running on forest trails, and taking in these special few months of weather that taste like pure honey.

And there’s always a lot going on in the summertime in any city, from music festivals, to yard sales, to outdoor movie viewings. There’s just so much to do. With such limited access to gorgeous temps that aren’t too extreme in the Midwest, it feels like there’s so little time to do it. Enter: balancing FOMO and JOMO.

When we were younger, FOMO looked like not going out with your friends to the hottest bars one weekend because you were sick. Now, it’s worrying you won’t get to experience even that little taste of freedom we had with summer vacations as a kid. And JOMO, well, that’s for when we’re just plain tired of everything and need to lay on the couch.

This week’s guest, Max Tcheyan, has mastered FOMO for his new food media brand, Caper. You want to get behind the paywall for all the interesting food and hospitality stories you won’t find anywhere else, and get invited to rap battle style underground cooking competitions not open to the public. You want to have fun again.

My challenge to us all, so that it doesn’t feel anxiety-inducing or such a chore: Instead of leaning into the sad side of FOMO, encourage yourself to try something new, like booking the reservation at the fancy restaurant you haven’t been to yet or even simply mastering your pizza oven this summer. Get ahead of the FOMO before it ever even strikes.

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This past Tuesday, my grandmother Evelyn turned 91 years old. As we caught up on the phone, the strong prairie woman she is, she mentioned multiple doctors have told her, “You are not a normal 90 year old.” What a compliment!

It’s made me think what has Evelyn done during these nine decades of her life that have led her to such a long, beautiful tenure on this Earth. She loved to swim and started at a young age, one of the best exercises you can do for most of your life (I like to think she handed that down to me!). She’s a farmer’s wife and still finds herself in the garden, checking in on the hostas. And she raised nine kids over about two decades, not an easy feat!

And in addition to keeping herself moving and going through some of the hardest mental and physical conditions any human can, I never saw her deny herself a sweet treat at a celebration. She wasn’t the woman who said, “Oh, no cake for me,” to focus on her figure or health. And despite all her responsibilities, she also made time for her quilting retreats, that were just for her. To me, that is real balance.

I think that’s what it means to live well. To work hard and allow yourself the play. To save for retirement, but also not deny yourself of an adventure across the world.

It’s hard for us to not swing one way of the pendulum too much. And that’s what this week’s guest Chimene Mayne-Ross reminded me too. She works so hard to uphold her family’s legacy as the current founder of Killer Brownie, but she and her husband make sure to take trips and have their quiet time in the morning before heading into the office together.

It’s the grain bowl lunch with a brownie treat later. The giving your all at a project followed by a weekend on the couch watching The Real Housewives. Whatever your version of balance is, go ahead—live a little.

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When you’re eating a dish or playing around with a new tech product, have you wondered, “How did someone think of this?” I often think about how someone first came up with the foods we love the most now. The answer is simple, followed by many complex steps: curiosity.

If we all just mimicked what someone told us to do or what has been done before, we’d never see any innovation in our world. I love that this week’s guest experiences a sense of curiosity on a regular basis, and we’re all receiving better snacking and cooking options because of it.

Joe Sasto accidentally left a tray of cooked pasta out from an event while heading up a Beverly Hills Italian restaurant. He had attempted to fry dried pasta previously to experience his favorite food in a new way, but seeing the dried out cooked pasta gave him an idea to create the first pasta chips. With help and belief from his serial entrepreneur cofounder Sean Knecht, Joe set out to create Tantos pasta chips, and then Ripi frozen pasta, and so much more yumminess in the pipeline.

It took a matter of wanting to try something new, having the curiosity and drive to pursue it, and the complementary skills and belief of a strong partnership. Now Joe is a chef turned CPG founder who is so ahead of the game.

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but if you don’t have any, it may kill your business—not to get too serious. Inspiration can be in the most unexpected places, whether when taking a walk on a sunny day, visiting an art museum, or while checking out what other folks in your industry are doing. Observe with an open mind, receive the idea, and make it your own.

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This past September, I found myself in downtown L.A for Cherry Bombe’s Cherry Jubilee conference (I’ll be at the NYC edition next week!). As I was mingling with my fellow food gals, we had the chance to listen to a few incredible talks.

Then Alyse Whitney took the stage. The most vibrant, beautiful, colorful person in any room. And she spoke about the body shaming she’s faced over the years and her focus on “Good Fat.” She embraced who she is and what she looks like and stands for, damn be to anyone who would tell her otherwise.

I felt a wash of inspiration and understanding fall over the room. How scared each of us is deep down with how other folks see us and if we’re good enough. And Alyse reminded us adult women that we’re enough and we all have something special to offer. We just have to be brave enough to own it and put it out there.

Even as someone who regularly shoots my shots with strangers for this show, puts out consistent posts of my face on social media, this definitely doesn’t come naturally to me. I joke that I wish podcasts were still just in audio form so I wouldn’t have to worry about dolling myself up to chat to my illustrious guests in my own kitchen.

When I had my own startup, one of my team members asked me confusedly why I wasn’t more excited to do television segments. “It’s just part of the job,” is what I’d say.

And the more you put yourself out there, the more confidence muscle memory you make. It somewhat becomes easier, but not totally. And I think if I was completely comfortable and didn’t have any anxiety about my performance or doing well, it would mean I don’t care.

So my request for you this week: Ask yourself where you’ve been holding yourself back out of fear. Take some deep breaths and tell that gorgeous person in the mirror you can do it. And just … try. I promise that the more you do it, the more good luck you create for yourself.

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It’s no question that our society has entered an era of “meh.” It’s why words like “quiet quitting” or “ghosting” even came into existence. It’s because there’s so much going on that trying hard just feels too hard.

But when you take in a new piece of art or try a dish at a restaurant and you can tell the folks are actually trying their best? Holy cow, mind blown.

For me lately, it’s been watching “Project Hail Mary” and tearing up at the stunning colors on screen while the theater was absolutely silent; feeling the pain, rage, and courage listening to RAYE’s new album “THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE’“; and seeing the stunning photos taken by the Artemis II team of sides of the moon we’ve never traversed.

All the cool girls are effortless, but I love trying hard. I love putting all my passion eggs in one basket. And that’s why I loved chatting with our guest for this week, Chef Monica Glass.

Monica was diagnosed with Celiac disease about 17 years ago as her world-class pastry career was taking off, working with greats like Eric Ripert at Le Bernadin and Deborah Racicot of Gotham Bar & Grill. The thing that brought her work together was slowly killing her from the inside out: flour.

Monica didn’t lower her standards, didn’t feed into the stereotype that just because something is gluten-free it’s worse. She made it better, and all free of gluten. Guests started raving about her pastry creations, not even realizing they were made without flour.

She took this new way of life and didn’t tell herself to just give up and go with something “meh.” She started Verveine Bakery + Cafe and her own gluten-free flour line, WLDFLR. And in two years since the restaurant’s opening, she landed on the semifinalist list for the James Beard Awards this year.

That’s trying hard. That’s having high standards. That’s cool.

And that’s my inspiration, and I hope yours, that putting your best foot forward, even if it’s not your absolute best everyday, can result in major moments. That’s what we’ll all remember, in between the times we just want to give up and put out slop. Keep going.

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In our ongoing “unprecedented times” that have now just become the precedent, culture has dove into nostalgia like never before. Reboots of movies, TV shows, even early aughts pop stars are in the news every other week (and yes, I am amongst the Millennials seeing Hilary Duff’s comeback tour this summer).

And while these pop culture returns act as our emotional security Beanie Babies, there’s a deep need to recognize the history that has shaped us and bring that into our zeitgeist. The generations before us that made the first iterations of our favorite recipes, the base of the music we blast to get through our silly little spreadsheets, or even just the lessons of how to better treat our fellow human beings.

They laughed and sang and struggled for us to have the livelihoods we have now. This is where innovative leaders and restaurateurs like Emery Whalen come into play.

Emery grew up in the Big Easy of New Orleans, falling in love with cooking and food as she helped her grandmother in the kitchen. As she got ready to leave for college at Princeton, she pictured a future that included a stint living in Paris. Then, Hurricane Katrina hit.

Emery quickly recognized that New Orleans is not only home, but a huge part of her identity. Her work since has focused on helping the city rebuild after tragedy, and also finding ways she can help fuel the future while respecting the past that got her and the region where it is today.

From public school teacher incorporating food into her lessons, to scholarships sending New Orleanians to culinary school and micro loans to farmers, to now nine restaurants throughout the South under her hospitality group QED, Emery has poured her heart and soul into the place that has given her so much. She and her cofounder Chef Brian Landry even took a step during COVID to keep their staff working while helping others that actually left me speechless—and for a semi-professional yapper, this is quite the feat.

I hope that you’re inspired by Emery’s story and the singular mission she brings into her work and life. To honor the history and people that came before you while building a legacy and future you can be proud of.

So yes, we may be living through chapters of the history book that are really hard in the moment and for us to look back on. But I ask that you think of the days ahead and how you can make them better. That’s the real comeback story. Hey, maybe they’ll even make a TV show about it.

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If you’ve been following along with TPB for some time now, you’ve probably picked up that I’m a little more on the touchy-feely side of things and less about pure “hustle culture.”

But that doesn’t mean that I’m against ambition and working as hard as you want for your dreams. In fact, that’s one of the biggest takeaways I get from every conversation with these incredible founders on the pod. It’s not about trying less, but about trying your best and being a good person while you’re at it.

And lately, we’ve seen a good number of folks who want to be the best but aren’t being so kind about it in pop culture (hello, Oscars shade!). That’s why I was really chuffed to speak with Eric Skae, cofounder and CEO behind the iconic Carbone Fine Food brand.

Eric teamed up with Major Food Group’s Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi, and Jeff Zalaznick to bring the flavors of the almost-impossible-to-get-into restaurant to your kitchen. Their pasta sauce really is my go-to now.

And as you listen to my conversation with Eric, he really has the mentality of a competitive athlete. As he says, he’s always looking forward, never back. But he does it with honesty, kindness, and conviction that the brand is going to win its category. And a guy in this position did not need to engage with my comments or messages on LinkedIn! He did it because he genuinely likes to connect with others.

Fun fact about me: I was a competitive swimmer up until college, adding in some track in high school. I never went to state. I didn’t set any records. In fact, one season, I couldn’t compete at all as I recovered from shoulder surgery, mostly swimming on my back. But I always showed up and put my best into every practice.

And if you want to be the best in your category, if you want to win and be on top, I really believe in you. Below, you’ll learn about one of the most important muscles you need to flex over and over again to build momentum: your storytelling flywheel.

I believe in shooting for the moon, the stars, or wherever you want to go (even to a planet far away with Rocky, my Project Hail Mary stans!). Just make sure you’re staying true to yourself and always, always do it with love and kindness to others.

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We always hear the phrase, “It takes a village.” But to have a strong village, you have to be willing to be a good villager to others in return.

To show up. To give back. And to not do it just because you expect something back. That’s how we’ll continue to help each other build the communities and businesses that shape our lives for the better.

One of the strongest villagers I know is Jake Tepperman. He decided to start Chicago Food Rescue a few years ago, taking his learnings from a food rescue organization he was apart of in Pittsburgh and applying it to the city he calls home.

Jake never questions whether the work he does will pay off. He just does it, day after day. He now has an expanding team and an ever-growing group of volunteers helping rescue and transport mostly fresh items of food across the city to those in need, reducing food waste in the process.

In 2025 alone, the CFR team has rescued 250,000 lbs of food for 208,000 meals over 1,100+ rescues. And all it takes is maybe 30 minutes to an hour of driving!

I’ve been inspired by Jake to join Columbus’s food rescue organization and have enjoyed the few trips I’ve done so far. I connect not only with the great restaurants and businesses donating fresh food, but also the folks on the other side who are grateful for a delicious meal. It makes me feel a different kind of connection with this still new-to-me city I now call home.

If you want to be a strong founder, friend, partner, villager partner, anything in this life, it takes showing up time and time again. Building trust and reliability with those around you. It’s the only way we can grow better together.

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To put it simply, building anything by yourself is hard. I don’t know anything you can do alone without some level of support.

There’s a magic that happens when you team up with others and you’re actually on the same page. An alchemy. A true marriage of the minds and souls.

It’s so easy in business to think we have to just fight for ourselves and our brands. The capitalistic mentality that there has to be a “winner” in a category, instead of realizing coming together makes us all so much stronger.

I was blown away by this level of collaboration that has happened the first quarter of the year with the merger of Tuyyo Foods, Nemi Snacks, and Todo Verde.

This wasn’t some big box brand gobbling up another growing company, in fear they can’t innovate fast enough.

This was three solopreneurs, three Latina founders turned friends, who looked at each other and said, “What if we were better together?”

No IPO. No giant acquisition. But three separate brands rooted in culture and community, in celebrating the foods that make Latin America so special, who make even more sense together.

This version of Tuyyo Foods is the full Mexican tablescape. A flavor fiesta coming together everyday in your kitchen.

This is the future of mergers and growth. Not waiting for someone else to tell you when you can make moves. Or that you have to be a certain size to do something.

But having the total agency to just make the decisions yourselves. This is an act of strength and loving resistance.

Take that spirit with you the rest of this week. You get to choose your timing. You get to choose your pivots. You get to write your story.

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One year ago, I launched the first episode of The Perfect Bite. Today, Episode 50 was released.

Why did I even start The Perfect Bite last year? My mission for my work is to help founders in the F&B space tell their best stories.

I’ve always loved helping others find the people, places, and bites that will change their lives for the better. Whether this was after college on the editorial team of Where Chicago magazine (RIP), to the last few years acting as a marketing consultant for food brands and startups, this is where I’ve always felt my happiest—when I can help others share how special they are with the world.

Food connects all of us. It is the singular language that we speak wherever you come from. It brings us joy and comfort, and is my absolute favorite way to show love to others.

And we all have our own perfect bites. Those recipes, memories, dishes on trips, something so delicious that every time we think about it, it makes us smile.

That’s why I started The Perfect Bite. To share the stories of the kindest, hardest working folks building businesses that give the most delectable forms of love to whoever they serve. For us all to remember we can do hard things—and be inspired to take our own leaps. And to know that even if we each have our own incredibly unique perfect bites, it’s a question you can ask anyone and they’ll have an answer.

And if we’re talking about inspiration, you’re going to love our guest . She faced a complete crossroads in her career about a decade ago and decided nothing was going to keep her down. She now is not only an incredibly successful food creator, but also a cookbook author, manager of a venture fund that has invested in over 25 brands, and has just launched her first snack brand, cadootz!

So as we enter the second year of this mission together, I’d like to hear your perfect bites and for you to ask someone this over the dinner table soon. Leave your answers in the comments!

Love,
Sarah

P.S—I’m testing how I send my post newsletters via beehiiv. All content is still free, but you do need to be subscribed to read the full post! If you subscribe on Substack, you are subscribed as one of my free subscribers on beehiiv! Thanks for understanding!

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In the past five years post global pandemic, we’ve watched the culture of community change drastically.

Some folks are now out of the house more than ever. Others are still embracing their inner homebodies that got to flourish for months on end in lockdown.

And yet despite our varying levels of sociability, we all require community and a sense of creativity to survive. How many studies have we seen that tout friendship and community increase our longevity?

Someone who I met recently who really lives and breathes this philosophy is , founder of Aldea Hospitality.

We met cohosting an event with beCo in Chicago that was all about celebrating the hospitality community, providing new outlooks on how to enrich their lives outside work, and performing it in a “late night” format that embraced creativity in all kinds of ways.

Liz is a community member who not only knows how to reflect culture in all of her experiences (from sommelier, to wine bar owner, to now consultant and coach for folks building hospitality businesses), but also helps shape it herself.

She recognizes not only do folks in food & bev need additional creative outlets outside their work to fill their cups emotionally, but also fiscally.

Words like “moonlighting” and “side hustle” are falling to the wayside as folks universally are looking to build careers that look more like portfolios to show off all of their personal brand facets. Liz calls it being a “hospitality hyphenate.”

Let’s embrace how we can each find our own “hyphenate” lanes—not only for ourselves, but to enrich the communities and culture that literally give us life.

Liz Mendez’s Perfect Bite

Liz Mendez entered the hospitality industry with a specific mission: to tout beverages’ power to bring us together.

Liz fell in love with the ritual of tea time as a kid with her grandparents, enjoying the hospitality of offering an iced tea or lemonade when neighbors came for a visit. She turned this ritual into a career, becoming a sommelier, then wine bar owner with her husband Chef Mark Mendez.

When Liz and Mark had to say goodbye to their standout wine bar Vera in Chicago, she was dead set on becoming a partner to those in hospitality to help build their own businesses.

Through her philosophy of becoming a “hospitality hyphenate,” she’s helping folks recognize they can support and express themselves through multiple creative avenues—and monetize them.

Enjoy my conversation with Liz below—I know you’ll walk away inspired.

Watch on YouTube

Listen on Apple Podcasts

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To learn more about Aldea Hospitality, visit www.aldeahospitality.com. You can follow Liz on social media @mendezmusings.

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Storytelling Secret Ingredient: How to Capture Culture

Becoming a culture capturer is not only about building your brand’s own culture, but about reflecting the culture your ideal audience is already apart of. It’s all about paying attention to cultural shifts in your industry and within your audience and responding to them. Here’s how:

• Observe and reflect: What trends are you emerging online, in your industry, and with your audience? Where is there fatigue? What conversations are happening behind the scenes? Those are your moments to act as a culture sponge and then share what no one else is talking about. Spread it far and wide, and folks will think “Finally, someone is talking about this!”

• Name shifts before they’re obvious: It’s easy to hop on a trend or new topic when many other folks have already been talking about it. Own and announce shifts you’re noticing on the early end, even if it’s scary. You become a trusted voice when you enter the conversation earlier.

• Build your community through your shared reality: When someone captures culture well, people feel understood, more connected, and less alone. This how you build loyalty fast for your brand! It’s not just about talking about what you want to talk about—but about what your audience feels and experiences themselves.

Storytelling secret ingredient: Be a culture capturer. Pay attention to what’s shifting in your industry and help your audience see themselves in that moment.

Culture Cheerleaders

Take a cue from these F&B brands who not only help reflect culture, but are leading the way with their own culture shifts!

• Farmer Lee Jones of The Chef’s Garden was always ahead of his time. Farmer Lee and his family decided to start growing their produce based on what chef’s wanted and needed in the ‘80s—for flavor and nutrition, not just yield. Now, most restaurants prescribe to the “farm to table” philosophy to work with the freshest, most local ingredients.

• The Zero Proof is leading the way with elevated non-alcoholic options, acting as an online marketplace to help you discover something new, delicious, and without alcohol. Brands like Zero Proof are only going to continue to grow as more folks lean away from drinking alcohol, and ZP’s social account does a great job sharing their own insights into the industry.

• Josh Chemparathy (a good college pal and former pod guest!) has built Kathas by Sinwise Farms, the first cold brew canned chai. He not only is setting a new tone for how folks get to know and drink their chai, but is honoring his South Indian culture in a new twist—a combination of setting and reflecting culture.

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Thanks to social media, the world is more “algorithmic” than ever. We see the same news and recipes and trends over and over again. So when something truly unique appears, it’s even more special than it used to be.

Enter Hej Hej, the Swedish hot dog pop-up you never knew you needed. As I was walking around ’s Jubilee conference in September (yes, the one you all know has changed my life), I stopped in my tracks at Amelia’s table.

“What the heck is a Swedish hot dog?” I thought. Amelia and I got to chatting and I was convinced to try a sample. I bit into the mini frankfurter on a sourdough lobster roll bun and my eyes fully rolled back into my head.

I fell in love with all the wacky toppings on this messy, unique snack, from the fried shallots and house made dill pickles, to yes, cheesy pommes aligot-style potatoes and cold shrimp salad. It just … works!

It also opened my eyes to what Swedish food can really be—and in Hej Hej’s case, all through Amelia’s lens. This is not the pickled herring plate I used to recoil from at my grandparents’ farm!

My conversation with Amelia was as fun and different and joyful as that bite. So today, we’re leaning into our weird and how to stand out in a sea of sameness. Don’t be a ballpark hot dog—be a Hej Hej!

Amelia Eudailey’s Perfect Bite

Say “Hej Hej” to Amelia Eudailey! A self-described “Gemini tech chef,” Amelia realized SF startup life wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. As she sought her next chapter, she leaned on her passion from “the womb”: food.

Amelia grew up in Denver, but would often spend time with her Swedish family members, visiting in the summers with a warm greeting of “hej hej”! She wanted to give that joy to others, but not through traditional Swedish bites that most Scandinavian restaurants serve.

Thus, the Hej Hej hot dog was born, a twist on the Swedish street snack “tunnsbrödsrulle.” Through her pop-ups in the Bay Area and now New Mexico, Amelia is connecting with customers in her own tradition—with quality, modernity, and classic Swedish warmth.

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TPB readers and listeners, we’ve got a special code for you to grab Hej Hej merch or Swedish candy mixes on Hej Hej’s site! Use code ‘PERFECTBITE’ on www.chefhejhej.com for 15% off your order of $25 or more through March 15, 2026.

To learn more about Hej Hej and find out about future pop-up dates, visit www.chefhejhej.com.

You can follow Hej Hej on social media @chefhejhej.

Subscribe to Amelia’s Substack, !

Storytelling Secret Ingredient: Own Your Niche

Behold, the Hej Hej! What other hot dog do you know has shrimp salad, fried shallots, and pickles in addition to good ol’ ketchup and mustard?

Standing out is so much cooler than fitting in—and a smarter marketing strategy. Here’s how you can own your niche and break through the ever-present noise.

• Choose a lane: Especially in food & bev, it can be easy to want to increase your SKU list quickly or try new dishes constantly. Get known for being really, really good at one or a few things. Then test branching out. Think of your brand and offerings like this: “We are the go-to for ___ who love ___.”

• Don’t lead with generic qualities: Make what makes you different your hook! Sure, quality ingredients are part of who you are, but what makes you really stand out from others? That’s going to come from your own story, your perspectives and inspirations, and how you’re approaching your product or offering in a way outside the norm.

• Don’t let growth dilute your individuality: Expansion doesn’t mean downplaying your uniqueness or wackiness for the sake of trying to appeal to a larger audience. It means finding replicas of your original audience customer profiles in new places! It’s all about evolving while sticking to your core so that you continue to strengthen your brand, not blur it.

Storytelling secret ingredient: Lean into what makes you different and special! The right audience isn’t looking for the same ol’, same ‘ol—they want something specific done well.

Category Carvers

Blending in is not an option for these F&B brands. Grab your inspiration from these accounts who are shamelessly themselves, then make it your own!

• Belinda Kelly + Venise Cunningham, the Simple Goodness Sisters, aren’t serving up generic, sugary cocktail syrups. They’re creating flavors like Marionberry Mint, Orange Vanilla, and Rhubarb Vanilla from their very own world’s first cocktail garden! These syrups let you think outside the typical cocktail glass.

• Fly by Jing burst through the chili crisp scene with its unique branding and taste—loud, vibrant, and uncensored! The product’s flavors are bold, and so is everything about the content, merch, and even the clapbacks to Internet trolls! Jing Gao created a chili crisp that could honor her Szechuan roots while being totally herself.

• In less than a year, Local Style Potato Chips have become the defining chips of Chicago and the city’s iconic food flavors. When I asked founder Laura Gardner if she’d ever consider replicating the Local Style flavor playbook for other cities, she said she couldn’t imagine it because the brand’s roots are so Chicago. LS owns what it serves and isn’t trying to appeal to anyone else!

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In our ever-changing world, it’s important to strengthen your adaptability. After all, whether it’s learning a new platform or hack for your business, it’s Darwinism at its finest—you have to evolve to survive.

That may sound very serious, but it’s true for any career. As meditation apps like my beloved Headspace tout, the only constant is change. The only thing you can count on is impermanence.

I was delighted to speak with one of my food media icons who is really a master at being a career and storytelling chameleon: Chandra Ram. You may recognize Chandra from her decade and a half heading up Plate Magazine and the last few years with Food & Wine.

I first saw Chandra moderating and judging a pitch competition at Chicago’s UTILITY Conference two summers ago, holding her own with Tom Colicchio, Kevin Boehm of BOKA Restaurant Group, and Paul Needham of The Infatuation. We got to chatting between panels and I was curious to learn more about the woman who helps share other people’s stories so well.

These days, Chandra is continuing to help others with their own storytelling, but she also is leaning into her own voice on her Substack, . Her pieces highlight all the smart ways you can use your leftovers in more upscale manners than simply throwing them into nachos and tacos (but she loves that too!), and reading each note is like catching up with a friend you’ve known for decades.

What I’d love for us to all take away from Chandra is her ability to show all her colors and play into different strengths when called for, whether it’s her own pieces or helping write and edit on behalf of the culinary luminaries in her circle—all while staying true to herself and helping others sound like themselves, but better. It’s not about losing yourself in different channels or stories, but highlighting all of your unique facets.

Chandra Ram’s Perfect Bite

Chandra’s entire story shows what a chameleon she has been throughout her entire career, even before she became the magazine and cookbook maven we know her to be today. Growing up in an Indian and Irish household with a mother who adored trying new dishes, Chandra learned how to blend and balance culture and cuisine at an early age.

As she tested different roles in food throughout her career, each step led her to the work she would become known for at Plate Magazine, Food & Wine, and the cookbooks she has written, including Indian Instant Pot Cookbook, the James-Beard nominated Korean BBQ with Chef Bill Kim, and The Eiffel Tower Restaurant Cookbook with Jean Joho.

Chandra has proven time and time again that she can help tell any author’s story and keep it true to their ethos—whether with her own works or while assisting others. I can’t wait for you to listen in on how she got to where she is today and what version of Chandra is coming next!

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Subscribe to Chandra’s Substack ! You can learn more about her past work and purchase any of her cookbooks at www.chandraram.net. You can follow Chandra on Instagram @chandrasplate.

Storytelling Secret Ingredient: Embrace Your Storytelling Chameleon

From editor and moderator to James Beard-nominated cookbook author, Chandra proves how you can do it all while staying yourself.

Like changing our wardrobe for different gatherings, it’s important to know how to show up in different marketing channels and for your unique customer profiles. It’s all about learning how to evolve while staying recognizable.

Here are a few ways you can think about how to show your different storytelling colors while staying true to your core perspective:

• Think about your storytelling format: A Substack newsletter versus a TikTok video versus a live interview panel are all going to require different formats. Think not only about length and time, but which pillars of your storytelling you need to lean into to keep that channel’s attention. Your Substack is a great place to lean into lengthier pieces and play with your words. For a live TV segment, you have to condense your top messaging points into just a few minutes. And on social, it’s all about which platform you’re on in terms of your hooks and caption elements. The story stays the same—you’re just switching it up based on what works well for that format.

• Choose different language and themes based on your audience members: You can think similarly about how you speak to your different customer profiles. Email newsletters allow you to get into the nitty gritty of segmentation, sending different types of messages based on what that audience member type needs to hear to buy into your brand or service—whether that’s education, emotional messaging, the overall vision, or your own story. It’s harder to segment your messaging on wider platforms, so that’s where it’s important to provide content that regularly supports all of your messaging pillars.

• Build a portfolio of stories: This is where we get into your portfolio of stories behind your main mission. Just like you need to rotate messaging to reach your different audience members on different formats, you need a portfolio of stories to tell so that you’re not inconsistent. Think of rotating between: your origin story and pain points, current work, exciting new developments, industry observations, customer reviews and UGC, and what you’re thinking for the future.

Storytelling secret ingredient: Adapt your storytelling without losing your core identity. Different channels and audiences require tweaks, but always stick to your voice and main mission pillars.

Strategic Shape-Shifters

These F&B brands know how to evolve their messaging, platforms, and storytelling without losing their core identity:

• I always think of former pod guest Chef Ed Porter when I think of someone who sticks to who they are and their brand, but knows how to change his messaging and language based on where he’s showing up. Ed is a renaissance person through and through. What he focuses on when he’s on a show like Netflix’s “Pressure Cooker” and how he chats on his own podcast Taste Music Hear Food are going to be different based on the format and audience he’s talking to—but at his core, he’s always going to be Ed and stick by his values.

• Fishwife is another brand that you always know is Fishwife, even when they’re doing collaborations, are focusing on team stories, or are integrated into other creator’s content. Sometimes they’re the main character, but they’re also comfortable being the backup singer—showing up as themselves in different settings and proving they can be adaptable.

• Local Columbus non-profit Freedom a la Cart understands when to lean into their different messaging based on whom they’re talking to. The non-profit provides workforce development programming for survivors of human trafficking and also operates as a lovely coffee shop, staffed by said survivors to give them experience. The FALC team understands that their mission focuses on a really heavy topic, so they rotate between highlighting their survivors, their impact, and their delicious bites on their social media. You can listen to my chat with CEO Paula Haines here!

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If you listen to The Perfect Bite, you’ve heard me say this time and time again: The best founders are building businesses based on problems they’ve faced themselves.

1. It’s a problem you inherently understand and know that if you face this, other folks probably do too.

2. You’re not going to burn out as easily on the hard work of building the business because you’re so passionate about fixing the problem.

This is really where the “vitamins” versus “painkillers” differentiation comes into play. I’ve built a "vitamin” before, a “nice-to-have” business that had benefits to both sides of the marketplace, but wasn’t an issue that desperately needed to be solved, making it very difficult to grow. That’s why it’s so great to speak with founders who really know why they’ve started their businesses and what big problem it’s going to solve for others—like Susannah Schoolman.

Susannah launched Tourlami, a better vegan butter company, just a few years ago, but has been developing her product for well over five years. She has created the first vegan butter for professional kitchens in the two forms that professionals actually cook and bake with: Higher and lower butterfat content based on the items you’re making.

When I asked her what her storytelling secret ingredient is, she said it’s her passion when she speaks to other folks in the kitchen because she’s been there. Wanting to tie in her personal lifestyle with an actually high quality product for the pastry chef career she was born to do! She knows what questions are going to come up, how to answer them, and show how her product is better than anything they’ve tried on the market.

So this is your sign: If you’ve been thinking of launching something yourself that fixes a problem you’ve faced, there’s a big chance you’d be helping out a lot of other folks too!

Susannah Schoolman’s Perfect Bite

Courtesy of Tourlami

I met Susannah through a mutual friend and is she a boss or what! At the height of her career as a pastry chef, having worked for b.patisserie and the famed Hart Bakery in Copenhagen, Susannah realized she wanted to live a plant-based lifestyle—which didn’t exactly go with all the butter and eggs she was working with all day everyday.

That’s how she came up with Tourlami, her plant-based butter line that gives professionals the quality they desire in their bakes and cooking applications, without using any animal products. If someone can and should do something … why not you?

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You can learn more about Tourlami at www.tourlami.com. You can purchase Tourlami for your own kitchen at Chef’s Warehouse locations across the U.S and Canada and on Webstaurant Store.

You can follow Tourlami on social media @tourlami and Susannah at @itsschool_man.

Storytelling Secret Ingredient: Relate to Your Customers

Susannah relates so well to her customers because she spent most of her career in professional kitchens—just like them!

There’s a reason you can’t get enough of your favorite musical artists. Yes, they may now be superstar performers selling out arenas, but their lyrics and music are something you connect to. And they feel it too. This is how you should think about speaking to your target audience.

Here’s your playbook on how to structure your next banger of messaging:

• Be open and honest: You’ve started your brand with a specific mission and vision for how you’re going to solve a problem. Talk about it loud, proud, and often! You built it because you know others need it too.

• Think about who you’re talking to: There’s a high likelihood you yourself would be the perfect customer for your solution—it could be the whole reason why you started your business! As you continue to build out your ideal customer profiles, include yourself as one of the characters—and dive deeply into how other brands and their messaging have connected to you. Your audience will likely respond how you did!

• Hold a mirror in front of your audience: Have great customer testimonials, reviews, and user generated content you can utilize? Put it out there! Include this in your email marketing, social media campaigns, and throughout your site. The more folks see someone like them enjoy a product or service, the more they’ll want to try it too. Like will then continue to attract like, expanding your audience to the ideal customers.

Storytelling secret ingredient: Talk to your audience like you’re one of them because, well, you are! You have so much in common with your ideal customers—they just need to learn there is someone like them out there with the solution they need.

Relatability Experts

The founders behind these F&B brands know exactly who they’re talking to—they’re just like their audience!

• Most award-winning chefs don’t become tech founders—but Matt Jennings did! Former pod guest Matt started MAJC with Andy Coughlin to provide resources and a sense of community to founders and operators in the hospitality industry. When we chatted, he mentioned that his reason for starting the platform is because it’s something he wished he had all those years in kitchens.

• ’s upcoming cookbook “More, Please!” is filled with over 100 recipes for cooking easily, quickly, and healthily for your family. She was feeling the stress of dinnertime with three kids and all the ventures she works on, and knew others felt the same. And yes, this is a hint that she’s coming to TPB :).

• Another former podcast guest (and my absolute favorite chocolate), Mark Elvidge, started Vermont Nut Free Chocolates almost 30 years ago with his wife Gail because they couldn’t find any allergen-friendly chocolates for their son with a nut allergy. Now, they have one of the largest brands in the free-from space, still creating the same products from decades ago, for nut-allergies and for those who just like great chocolate!

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We’ve somehow made it to the last few days of January, 2026. And my god … what a year and month alone it has been. When the news is a never-ending stream of sadness and rage-inducing content, the things that keep me going really lead back to humanity caring for one another. For opening ourselves up and letting us see all the magical bits that make up each of us.

That’s what I really took away from my conversation with Mindy Crosato, founder of Decadent Creations and the Collective Kitchen + Market outside Portland, Oregon, this week. We met at (you guessed it) ’s conference this last year, and it just felt so easy to open up about our hard times and also our goofiness together. After all, she is from Portland—she knows how to keep it unique, weird, and wacky! Leaning into herself and what her gut was telling her ultimately led Mindy to a beautiful career and role as a community leader.

It’s something so special that I think all people and brands need to embrace. What makes you fun and silly and different? We’re all tired of picture perfect content and already over what slop is coming from AI. Let’s show off what makes us humans, together.

Mindy Crosato’s Perfect Bite

You’re going to love my episode with Mindy Crosato—who doesn’t love a gal who doesn’t take herself too seriously? What she does take seriously is her beautiful sweet treats from Decadent Creations in Hillsboro, Oregon, building a community of handmade food creators in her commissary kitchen Collective Kitchen, and leading the future of food founders in the Pacific Northwest. You’ll totally connect with Mindy’s moment of hitting rock bottom and realizing she needs to lean into her own voice to find the right path.

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You can learn more about Decadent Creations at www.decadentcreations.com and visit the bakery and the Collective Market in Hillsboro, Oregon.

You can follow Decadent Creations @decadentcreationspdx, Collective Market @collectivemarketpdx, and Mindy @mindcrosato.

Storytelling Secret Ingredient: Lean Into Your Humanity

Real moments with Collective Kitchen + Market, Hillsboro, Oregon

I love how brands are getting so much more real again on social media. You may have noticed how much more “behind the scenes” content is getting published. It gives audience members the chance to really connect with you and the folks on your team—and it makes us all feel a little closer if we see silly or “oopsie” moments, or even how hard it is to bring something together. I’ve noticed a much higher engagement rate with my client’s work when the founders get on camera and share their story—sometimes as much as 3-5x higher engagement than other posts.

At the same time, don’t be performative about it. I love how Rachel Karten of really highlighted that in her piece this week on brands wanting to “post like humans.” Be yourself—not just for the sake of engagement or trends, but because it’s what’s going to build an actual long-term relationship with your audience and customers.

• Lean into your distinctive voice—not only should you understand your customer profiles and how they like to connect, but the “character” and personality behind your own brand.

• Don’t worry about being perfect—but have some level of strategy as to why you’re posting what you’re posting. Is it to give fans a sneak peek at the day in your life so they can really get to know you? Or do you need to focus more on a specific goal right now with your content?

• If your brand is much more about luxury, serious topics, or being subdued, own it! Don’t be goofy or silly for the sake of others doing it—there’s nothing I dislike more than brands jumping on social media trends just because everyone else is doing it. If it doesn’t actually fit your brand’s core principles, you don’t have to do it.

Storytelling secret ingredient: Own who you really are—and celebrate it! You’ll find your tribe from there.

Your New Brand Besties

I’m so into how these food, hospitality, and bev brands show who they really are:

• Recent pod guest Five Corners Beverage turns any hard moments into a learning lesson with some giggles. You can read + listen to more about how Benno + Shelby approach their online presence here!

• The more Martha Stewart posts, the more real she gets. And yes, I know—she’s Martha, she’s perfect! But I like that she also is great at sharing little moments from her farm, isn’t afraid to voice her opinions, and shows off her pets. You’ll then notice the difference between the Martha Stewart brand account, which is all about elevating the everyday.

• Fellow former pod guest Fox in the Snow shows a lot of moments behind the scenes with the team and what an average day in the cafes is like, all while keeping it *aesthetic.*

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I’m full of words. Hello, I’m a semi-professional yapper who actually likes talking to people through a mic! In fact, it may be genetic, passed down from my attorney father who used to make up stories about woodland creatures to help me fall asleep—and can the man write a lengthy text message or what? Love you, Dad!

While life can be more fun with flowery, witty language, there is something to getting to the point. For avoiding the word salad we see so much of these days, circling real issues, missions, or purposes. That’s what I really took away from my conversation with CPG investor Nate Cooper. In fact, it’s The Perfect Bite’s first “Mini Bite” episode because the man is so good at just stating what he feels, thinks, and has experienced, without going down rabbit holes as I tend to do. So, I’m going to actually stop myself now, let you listen to and read Nate’s story, and learn how to apply brevity to your own storytelling secret ingredient repertoire below. Enjoy!

Nate Cooper’s Perfect Bite

Nate Cooper was born into the food business—and really did everything in his power to avoid it until he realized he can be helpful to founders in the space. Now, Nate heads up Barrel Ventures, focusing on investing in fixing our broken food system and leading the charge in CPG products that will change our lives for the better. One of his better risks? Olipop, now a multi-billion dollar venture. Nate breaks down how food founders should be approaching investing, the categories he has his eye on, and why niche audiences are the key to winning in the long term.

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You can connect with Nate on LinkedIn or email him at nate@barrelvc.com. You can learn more about Barrel Ventures and its portfolio companies at www.barrelvc.com.

Storytelling Secret Ingredient: Cut Out The Fat

Our attention spans are shorter than ever now. Just like in journalism, try to grab your audience’s attention as soon as possible with your brand storytelling!

• For videos: Provide a genuine, exciting hook in the first 3 seconds—think a mind-blowing fact about your product, story, or industry.

• Balance straightforward statements with creative language: Language without adjectives or imagery is just plain boring and robotic. Just make sure you’re getting to your facts quickly when writing or else you’ll lose your reader (like by the end of this bullet point!).

• Edit yourself and have one other person look at your work before posting: Always start off with more and trim down from there—then get someone else’s opinion to trim the fat even more. Brain dump and cut what isn’t needed!

Storytelling secret ingredient: Don’t bury the lede—get to the point as quickly as you can with your messaging!

Statement Makers

These F&B brands grab your attention quickly and let you know what they’re all about right away:

• Olipop’s story website page is a masterclass in quick explanation: three sentences at the top simply explaining the problem, the mission, and how the product does it.

• Britney Ziegler of Panso is quick, clear, and upfront about what her marketing and CRM platform does to support the hospitality industry. Check out her elevator pitch here on TPB and listen to our full chat together here.

• I love how Banza set up its Instagram profile description. You’re forced to think creatively and briefly given the character count and they do a great job at getting their top 3 points across in those short lines.

Thanks so much for being part of The Perfect Bite’s journey. Feel free to respond to any of these messages with thoughts on how I can improve my storytelling in the future or if you have any guest ideas!

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