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The Perfect Bite
Sarah Perkins
43 episodes
1 week ago
Your fusion of food and entrepreneurship, The Perfect Bite brings you inspiring conversations with chefs, restaurateurs, CPG brand founders, food tech founders, and more in the food and beverage industry, highlighting their experiences and how they've cooked up something new. From emerging brands to established business owners, you'll learn from the best entrepreneurs in food, beverage, hospitality, and agriculture about how they started their businesses, what problems they're solving, the tough times they've overcome, and their best advice for entering these industries or starting your own business. We end each episode with the world's best and hardest question: What is your perfect bite?
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Food
Arts,
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All content for The Perfect Bite is the property of Sarah Perkins and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Your fusion of food and entrepreneurship, The Perfect Bite brings you inspiring conversations with chefs, restaurateurs, CPG brand founders, food tech founders, and more in the food and beverage industry, highlighting their experiences and how they've cooked up something new. From emerging brands to established business owners, you'll learn from the best entrepreneurs in food, beverage, hospitality, and agriculture about how they started their businesses, what problems they're solving, the tough times they've overcome, and their best advice for entering these industries or starting your own business. We end each episode with the world's best and hardest question: What is your perfect bite?
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Food
Arts,
Business,
Entrepreneurship
Episodes (20/43)
The Perfect Bite
Designing Experiences That Build Belonging with Maryam Ahmed

What makes a restaurant, winery, or culinary space truly memorable? It’s not just the food — it’s the experience.


In this episode of The Perfect Bite podcast, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Maryam Ahmed, founder of Maryam + Company and partner at PLAYTE Kitchen, to explore how experience design, community, and equity intersect across the food and beverage industry.


Maryam shares her journey from hospitality operations and wine education to founding a consulting firm focused on inclusive, impactful experiences. From her work at the Culinary Institute of America’s Copia campus to launching hands-on culinary programming in Napa at PLAYTE Kitchen, Maryam breaks down how thoughtful design can foster connection, belonging, and long-term sustainability in hospitality.


This conversation dives into food as a unifying force, the future of experiential hospitality, and what it truly takes to build spaces where everyone feels welcome.


In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How experience design shapes guest connection in food and beverage
  • Why community and equity must be embedded into hospitality systems
  • The role of education in creating meaningful culinary experiences
  • How PLAYTE Kitchen is reimagining hands-on cooking classes
  • Why authentic and diverse leadership matters in food, wine, and hospitality


You can visit PLAYTE Kitchen in Napa, California and sign up for classes at www.playtekitchen.com. You can follow PLAYTE Kitchen on Instagram at @playtekitchen.

You can learn more about Maryam + Company at www.maryamandcompany.com. You can follow Maryam + Company on Instagram @maryamandcompany and Maryam @goodfriendsgoodfood.


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!


You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!

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3 weeks ago
1 hour 3 minutes 48 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Building a Better Frozen Waffle with Emily Groden

On this episode of The Perfect Bite podcast, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Emily Groden, founder and CEO of Evergreen waffles, the better-for-you frozen waffle brand now sold in more than 8,500 grocery stores nationwide.



Emily’s story is anything but traditional. After graduating from Yale and Harvard Law School, she became General Counsel for The Alinea Group—one of the most innovative and prestigious restaurant groups in the world. But it was pregnancy, motherhood, and a podcast on frozen waffles that sparked an idea that would change her career — and the breakfast aisle — forever.


In this episode, Emily shares how she built Evergreen waffles from her home kitchen into a nationally distributed CPG brand, all while staying true to real ingredients, thoughtful sourcing, and steadfast business and nutrition values.


In this episode, we discuss:

• How Evergreen waffles was born from motherhood and necessity

• The leap from corporate law to food entrepreneurship

• Lessons Emily learned working at The Alinea Group and Tock

• Building a frozen CPG brand with real, whole-food ingredients

• Scaling manufacturing, retail distribution, and supply chain

• Why shooting your shot — even with a cold email — matters

• The challenges and rewards of building a Midwest-based CPG brand


Perfect Bite listeners—get 15% off your Evergreen order on eatevergreen.com with code ‘TPB15’! 


Visit www.eatevergreen.com to shop, learn more, and find store locations with product near you. 


You can follow Evergreen on Instagram at @eatevergreen. 


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!


You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!

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4 weeks ago
48 minutes 29 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Why AI Can Never Replace the Innate Creativity of Chefs with Paul Liebrandt

On today’s episode of The Perfect Bite Podcast, host Sarah Perkins sits down with globally renowned chef Paul Liebrandt — the boundary-breaking culinary artist known for plates that blend British punk attitude with Michelin-level precision.


Liebrandt became a media and industry legend early — earning three stars from The New York Times at age 24, starring in an Emmy-winning HBO documentary, and redefining fine dining with an unmistakable creative identity.


In this deep and unfiltered conversation, Paul opens up about:

🍽 How English boarding school, Chinatown markets, and early memories shaped his palette

🔥 Why chefs must protect creativity in the age of social media & AI

🤖 His stance on technology vs. the irreplaceable “human intuition” of culinary craft

📈 What most restaurant operators misunderstand about marketing today

🧠 The psychology of taste and why diners are really coming to fine dining restaurants

🌍 His experience working across London, Paris, New York and Asia — and where the industry is heading next


Whether you’re a chef, founder, hospitality professional, or creative of any kind, this episode is a masterclass in artistry, excellence, resilience, and staying true to your voice — even in a noisy world.


You can learn more about Crumpet Management and Paul’s work at www.paulliebrandt.com. 


You can follow Paul on Instagram at @paulliebrandt. 


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!


You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!

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1 month ago
51 minutes 55 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Defining the Queer Food Space with Justin Burke

In this episode of The Perfect Bite Podcast, host Sarah Perkins sits down with pastry chef, food writer, and cookbook author Justin Burke, whose debut cookbook Potluck Desserts is redefining what comfort baking — and queer food — really mean.

Justin shares their remarkable journey from self-taught baker and restaurant pastry chef to becoming a nationally recognized voice in food storytelling, and how writing about food through a queer lens unlocked a mission of community, identity, and chosen family.


From pop-ups that unexpectedly went viral, to the emotional process of bringing a cookbook in the queer food space to life over 10 years, to building a platform rooted in authenticity rather than algorithm-chasing, Justin offers wisdom for creatives and entrepreneurs across every field.


In this episode you’ll hear:

• What queer food really is — and why it has nothing to do with ingredients

• The cultural history of queer potlucks and how they shaped Justin’s cookbook

• How to build a creative career without “staying in one lane”

• Why authors and creators should focus on community over competition

• Advice for anyone writing a book or building a brand from scratch


You can purchase “Potluck Desserts” at your favorite local book stores or any national bookstore chains. 


You can follow Justin on Instagram @justintsburke and subscribe to his Substack “Taste This.”


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!


You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!

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1 month ago
1 hour 34 seconds

The Perfect Bite
LIVE! At Katalina’s with The Pancake Ball Queen

In this very special LIVE episode of The Perfect Bite podcast, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Kathleen “Katalina” Day, founder of Katalina’s Café, Columbus’s iconic brunch spot known for its Latin-leaning, Southern-slanted comfort food and 3 million-plus famous Pancake Balls™.


Recorded in front of a live audience tasting Katalina’s delicious menu, Sarah and Kathleen talk about how a tiny corner café turned into a three-location local empire, the story behind her signature dishes, and what it really takes to run a restaurant for 15 years through recessions, pandemics, and changing dining trends.


From Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives to community-driven growth, Kathleen shares her journey of creativity, grit, and heart — all while serving a multi-course tasting menu inspired by her roots in the South, travels in France, and love of Latin flavors. 


In this episode, you’ll hear:

  • The real story behind the famous Pancake Balls™
  • How Katalina’s built a cult following in Columbus
  • What it’s like to be featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
  • How Kathleen blends Latin and Southern influences into one brand
  • The hardest lessons from 15 years in hospitality — and how she keeps going


You can visit Katalina’s locations throughout Columbus in the Harrison West, Clintonville, and Bexley neighborhoods. You can learn more at www.katalinas.com. 


You can follow Katalina’s on Instagram at @katalinascafe and Kathleen at @katalinaday. 


Thank you to the event’s beneficiary Freedom a la Cart for teaming up with us and to our sponsors for the evening, including Middle West Spirits, Rose Bredel, Milligan’s maple syrup and Premiere ProduceOne. 


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!


You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!



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1 month ago
55 minutes 10 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Beth Le Manach's Perfect Bite | How “Entertaining with Beth” Built a Global Brand from Her Kitchen

In this episode of The Perfect Bite Podcast, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Beth Le Manach, creator of Entertaining with Beth and author of Entertaining 101. Beth shares how she turned her love of home cooking and hosting into a thriving digital media brand — from her early days at Scripps and Food Network to building a YouTube channel with over 600,000 subscribers. 

They explore the journey behind Entertaining 101, the art of making guests feel at home, and Beth’s lessons from 13+ years in the creator economy. From surviving long days as a mompreneur to creating content that feels elevated yet accessible, Beth reveals what it really takes to build a sustainable media brand around food, joy, and storytelling.

You’ll learn:

  • How Beth transitioned from corporate media to food creator entrepreneurship
  • What makes content relatable and evergreen
  • The secret to building loyal communities online
  • How to monetize across YouTube, Substack, and books
  • Beth’s tips for stress-free entertaining and creating your “perfect bite”

Grab Beth’s new book, Entertaining 101, now available at Anthropologie, Amazon, and anywhere books are sold.

You can follow Beth on YouTube, Instagram, Substack and more @entertainingwithbeth. You can buy Entertaining 101 and learn more from Beth at www.entertainingwithbeth.com.


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!

You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!

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2 months ago
54 minutes 51 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Catherine De Orio’s Perfect Bite | Her Recipe for Reinvention through Purpose, Culinary Storytelling, and Giving Back

In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Catherine De Orio — food & lifestyle media personality, former host of “Check, Please!” Chicago, executive director of the Foundation for Culinary Arts, and founder of Casa De Orio, a new media brand celebrating la dolce vita.


Catherine’s journey is one of reinvention, resilience, and creativity. From her early years in an Italian-American family where food focused on connection and nourishment, to her transition from litigator to culinary school graduate to national TV host, she shares how she’s turned every chapter into an opportunity to grow, serve, and create.



We dive into how she built a career at the intersection of culinary arts, media, nonprofits and entrepreneurship, how she’s shaping the future of culinary education through the Foundation for Culinary Arts, and what inspired her newest venture — Casa De Orio, a digital platform and lifestyle brand focused on food, design, travel, and finding beauty in everyday life.


In this episode you’ll learn:

  • How Catherine transitioned from law to food & lifestyle media
  • The origin story behind Check, Please! and how it shaped her career
  • How food, family, and heritage shaped her creative voice
  • The mission of the Foundation for Culinary Arts & the “Yes, Chef!” culinary camp program
  • What inspired Casa De Orio & the future of digital lifestyle brands
  • Advice for creatives on trusting your path and finding alignment


To learn more about the Foundation for Culinary Arts and support its mission, you can visit www.foundationforculinaryarts.org. You can follow FFCA on Instagram at @f4cachi.


You can learn more about Casa De Orio at www.casadeorio.com and follow on Instagram @casadeorio. 


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!


You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!

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2 months ago
58 minutes 9 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Logan Neisel’s Perfect Bite | Blending History and Art into Unforgettable Dining Experiences

In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Chef Logan Neisel, the creative force behind North Coast Culinary Group — known for his innovative Prologue Dinner Series pop-ups and private dining experiences in Cleveland.

Logan’s approach to food blends fine-dining precision with personal storytelling, drawing on history, culture, and art to craft meals that are as thought-provoking as they are delicious. From his culinary beginnings to curating one-of-a-kind experiences, Logan shares what inspires his menus, how he brings a sense of art and history to every dish, and why he believes food should make you feel something.


In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How Chef Logan Neisel approaches pop-ups and private dining as immersive art forms
  • The stories and history behind his most memorable dishes
  • How artistry, intention, and emotion guide his creative process
  • Why intimacy and storytelling matter more than ever in modern dining
  • The evolution of Midwest food culture through a fine-dining lens


Want to join Logan for one of his Prologue Dinner Series events? Get 10% off your tickets with code PERFECTBITE here. 


You can follow Logan on Instagram @chef_lone, @northcoastculinarygroup, and @prologuedinner_cle. 


Head to this link to see where Logan will be serving his next dinner in Cleveland.

Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen!


Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!


You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!

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2 months ago
55 minutes 5 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Zubair Mohajir’s Perfect Bite | Reinventing Indian Cuisine in Chicago, on Top Chef, and Beyond

In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Chef Zubair Mohajir, the creative force behind Lilac Tiger, Coach House, Mirra, and Sarima Café—four of Chicago’s most inventive and culture-forward restaurants.


Zubair’s journey is anything but traditional. Born in Chennai, India, and raised in the Chicago suburbs, he went from a career in finance to the kitchens of Jean-Georges, Bouchon, and even Gaggan in Bangkok. His story spans immigration, resilience, mentorship, and the reinvention of Indian cuisine paired with other cultures for a new generation.


He shares how his South Indian roots shaped his culinary identity, how he built community-driven restaurants rooted in collaboration and culture, and how he’s using food to challenge stereotypes about Indian cuisine.


You’ll Learn:

  • How Zubair transitioned from finance to fine dining
  • Lessons from working at Jean-Georges and staging at Gaggan in Bangkok
  • The origins of Wazwan, Lilac Tiger, Coach House, Mirra, and Sarima Café to James Beard nominations
  • How Top Chef changed his perspective as a creative entrepreneur
  • Why collaboration is key in the restaurant industry
  • His reflections on culture, immigrant identity, and culinary reinvention


You can visit all of Zubair’s venues throughout Chicago. To learn more, visit www.chefzubair.com. 


You can follow Zubair on Instagram @zubairmohajir. You can follow his restaurants @lilactigerchi, @mirrachicago, @coachhousechi, and @sarimacafe. 


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!


You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!

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2 months ago
1 hour 21 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Mark Elvidge's Perfect Bite | Paving the Allergen-Friendly Space with Vermont Nut Free Chocolates

When Mark and Gail Elvidge’s son Tanner had a life-threatening reaction to peanuts, they knew they had to make a change. What started as a way to keep their family safe became Vermont Nut Free Chocolates, a pioneering allergen-friendly confectionery brand founded in 1998.


In this inspiring episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Mark Elvidge, co-founder of Vermont Nut Free Chocolates, to talk about building a beloved brand for families with food allergies — and why safe, great chocolate is for everyone.


Mark shares:

  • The origin story of Vermont Nut Free Chocolates (and how early online sales helped them grow)
  • What it means to create allergen-friendly sweets without sacrificing taste
  • How they grew from their home kitchen to nationwide distribution
  • Challenges of cocoa pricing, tariffs, and scaling artisanal production today
  • Trends in allergy-friendly CPG and where the market is heading
  • His advice for entrepreneurs about resilience, “gettoitiveness,” and listening to your customers


If you or your loved ones have ever struggled with food allergies, work in the CPG or chocolate space, or just love entrepreneurial stories (and chocolate!), you won’t want to miss this conversation.


Want 15% off your Vermont Nut Free order? Use code PERFECTBITE at checkout or follow this link: https://www.vermontnutfree.com/discount/PERFECTBITE


You can purchase Vermont Nut Free Chocolates at www.vermontnutfree.com or use the website's Store Locator to find a retailer near you.


You can follow Vermont Nut Free Chocolates on social media at @vermontnutfree.


Learn more about the FARE PACT Alliance here.


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!


You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!

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3 months ago
50 minutes 48 seconds

The Perfect Bite
David Rabie's Perfect Bite | Building Oprah’s Favorite Smart Oven

What if dinner could be fresh, delicious, and stress-free—without hours in the kitchen?


In this episode of The Perfect Bite podcast, host Sarah Perkins sits down with David Rabie, co-founder and CEO of Tovala, the smart steam-powered countertop oven and meal service that reimagined home cooking. From humble prototypes to being named one of Oprah’s Favorite Things, Tovala has grown into a national brand that’s changing the way people cook at home.


David shares the full journey:

  • Growing up with home-cooked meals and discovering the power of food
  • Early career lessons at Veggie Grill and running a frozen yogurt chain
  • The “aha moment” that sparked Tovala’s smart oven technology
  • Navigating Y Combinator as a food + hardware startup
  • Landing on Oprah’s Favorite Things list and scaling nationally
  • Balancing fundraising challenges, consumer trust, and profitability
  • His best advice for entrepreneurs in food tech and beyond


Whether you’re a foodie, a startup founder, or someone looking for smarter ways to cook at home, this episode is packed with insights on innovation, perseverance, and building a consumer brand that lasts.


You can order a Tovala oven and sign up for the meal service at www.tovala.com.

Follow Tovala on Instagram at @tovalafood and your other favorite social media platforms. 


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!

You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for the newsletter on Substack!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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3 months ago
49 minutes 15 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Laura Gardner’s Perfect Bite | Packing Chicago’s Favorite Flavors into Potato Chips

What happens when you mix hometown pride, bold flavors, and decades of CPG experience? You get Local Style Potato Chips, Chicago’s favorite foods reimagined in snackable form.


This week on The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Laura Gardner, founder of Local Style, to talk about her journey from Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo to launching a startup that has Chicago buzzing.


Laura shares how memories of eating Better Made chips with her grandmother and a honeymoon in Japan enjoying unique chip flavors sparked the idea for Local Style, how she brought iconic flavors like Italian Beef, Chicago Hot Dog, Deep Dish Pizza, and Hot Giardiniera to life, and why entrepreneurship in her 40s was the right move.


We also dive into:

  • How Local Style exploded from 12 to 140+ retailers in just four months
  • What it’s like to build a business with your spouse
  • Laura’s viral Local Style packaging dress at the James Beard Awards
  • The power of Chicago pride in food entrepreneurship
  • Her advice for anyone ready to finally take the leap into building their dream


If you love snacks, debating Chicago foods, or entrepreneurial stories full of resilience and creativity, you won’t want to miss this episode.


To learn more and order Local Style nationwide, head to www.localstylechips.com. You also can order Local Style on Here Here Market nationwide at www.hereheremarket.com. 


Follow Local Style on Instagram and Tiktok @localstylechips.


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!

You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for the newsletter on Substack!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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3 months ago
1 hour 40 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Sapna Punjabi's Perfect Bite | Ayurveda, Dal Chawal, and Finding Balance Through Heritage

Food is heritage, healing, and storytelling — and in her new cookbook Dal Chawal, Sapna Punjabi brings all of that to life.


In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Sapna Punjabi — registered dietitian, culinary educator, and founder of beSPICED— to talk about her journey from Mumbai to Texas, how Ayurveda shapes her philosophy of food, and the inspiration behind her debut cookbook Dal Chawal.


Sapna shares:

  • Why she wrote Dal Chawal and how it celebrates Indian food traditions
  • Everyday ways to bring Ayurveda practices into your kitchen
  • The importance of rituals, family, and storytelling in food
  • How she built a business rooted in heritage and wellness


This episode is a beautiful reminder that food is more than fuel — it’s connection, culture, and healing.


👉 Dal Chawal is available now wherever books are sold.


You can learn more about beSPICED, Sapna’s products, Dal Chawal, and her courses at www.bespiced.com. 


You can follow Sapna on Instagram @be.spiced and her YouTube channel. In California? View Sapna’s upcoming book tour dates and locations here! 


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!

You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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3 months ago
53 minutes 17 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Catch The Perfect Bite on Hospitality Bites!

I was so honored to join Colleen Silk on Hospitality Bites! You can listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Captivate. Read more about our chat below:


In this episode of Hospitality Bites, host Colleen Silk sits down with Sarah Perkins, Cherry Bombe member, founder of Perkins Creative Consulting, and host of The Perfect Bite podcast.


Sarah shares her journey from working as the “phone girl” at a pizzeria to building a career rooted in storytelling, creativity, and entrepreneurship. From being ahead of her time in the fashion swap era as a younger, successful startup founder, navigating the tech space, to now finding happiness and success in sharing conversations with strangers turned friends.


Together, Colleen and Sarah explore the heart of the food and beverage industry: connection, storytelling, and the power of personal journeys.

What We Discussed

  • Sarah’s first job in hospitality (and what being a pizzeria “phone girl” taught her).
  • How childhood storytelling and writing shaped her career.
  • The role of food media and consulting in amplifying voices in hospitality.
  • Why human connection is the heartbeat of hospitality.
  • Colleen’s own shift from the front-of-house to food media.
  • The shared values that make the hospitality industry unique.


Episode Takeaways

  • Hospitality is about more than food—it’s about caring for people and creating connection.
  • Storytelling is a powerful tool for elevating food and beverage businesses.
  • Everyone takes a different path into hospitality, and each story has value.
  • Transitioning from hands-on roles to media or consulting can open new creative doors.
  • Passion and community fuel the food and beverage industry.


Chapters

  1. 01:35 Introduction and Background 
  2. 02:12 Early Career and Education
  3. 05:40 Founding the Fashion Rental Startup 
  4. 08:29 Transition to Food and Beverage 
  5. 09:24 Becoming a Marketing Consultant 
  6. 13:32 Podcasting and Storytelling 
  7. 16:46 Challenges and Lessons Learned 
  8. 27:29 Future Goals and Aspirations 


 #HospitalityBitesPodcast #HospitalityEntrepreneur #WomenInHospitality #HospitalityLeadership #FemaleFounders #FoodAndBeverageIndustry #CherryBombe #PerfectBitePodcast #BusinessOfFood #FoodStorytelling  


About Hospitality Bites:

Hosted by Colleen Silk, Hospitality Bites is an honest and restorative space for voices within the hospitality industry. More than just a podcast, it serves as a storytelling platform for changemakers, risk-takers, and hospitality professionals who are approaching their work in innovative ways. Each episode features guests ranging from chefs to advocates and media personalities, focusing on mental and physical health, personal experiences, and the realities of thriving in the hospitality industry and beyond.

New episodes of Hospitality Bites drop every Monday, now proudly under the Walk-In Talk Media umbrella.


Watch the full episode on YouTube the following week.


Want to get involved or learn more? Visit HospitalityBites.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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3 months ago

The Perfect Bite
Chef Dan Jacobs and Billy Zureikat’s Perfect Bite | Over the Line with Food, Sports & Resilience

What do food, sports, and determination have in common? For Chef Dan Jacobs (DanDan, EsterEv, James Beard-recognized Top Chef alum) and Chicago pizza and media entrepreneur Billy Zureikat (Tripping Billy), they’re the foundation of friendship, creativity, and their new podcast Over the Line.


In this episode of The Perfect Bite podcast, host Sarah Perkins dives into Dan and Billy’s incredible stories:

  • Dan’s journey from Door County line cook to co-owner of Milwaukee’s acclaimed restaurants DanDan and EsterEv
  • Billy’s path from ESPN Radio producer to pizza entrepreneur and ambassador raising $75,000+ for the Muscular Dystrophy Association
  • How both navigate life and entrepreneurship while living with chronic illnesses (Kennedy’s Disease and Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy)
  • Why they launched Over the Line, blending food and sports conversations
  • Their thoughts on media, community, resilience, and what it really means to pivot in life and business


This conversation is about more than food — it’s about finding purpose, reinventing yourself, and building community.


You can follow Dan Jacobs on social media @chefdanjacobs and learn more at www.chefdanjacobs.com. 

You can follow Billy Zureikat on social media @therealbillyz and learn more at www.trippingbillyz.com. 

Listen and subscribe to Over The Line on any of your favorite podcast platforms. You can follow the podcast on social media @otlwithdanandbilly. 


If you’d like to learn more and support the causes discussed today, visit www.mda.org (Muscular Dystrophy Association) and www.kennedysdisease.org (Kennedy’s Disease). 


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!

You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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4 months ago
1 hour 3 minutes 38 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Britney Ziegler's Perfect Bite | Disrupting the Hospitality CRM Industry with Panso

What if restaurants could understand every guest and their personal preferences across reservations, private dining, e-commerce, and events — all in one place? That’s the vision behind Panso, the 360 degree hospitality CRM platform founded by Britney Ziegler.


On this episode of The Perfect Bite podcast, I sit down with Britney to talk about her journey from working alongside celebrity chefs and food icons like David Burke, Carla Hall, and Molly Baz, to launching a startup that’s reshaping how restaurants build customer loyalty and future-proof their business.


Britney shares:

  • How her early experiences in restaurants inspired her path into food and hospitality tech
  • Lessons learned from working with celebrity chefs and food entrepreneurs
  • Why she built Panso, a hospitality CRM that gives restaurants a true 360° view of their guests
  • The challenges (and wins) of being a woman founder in the restaurant tech space
  • How restaurants can boost customer retention, loyalty, and growth through smarter data and personalized experiences


Whether you’re a restaurant operator, food tech entrepreneur, or hospitality professional, you’ll walk away with insights on customer experience, innovation, and building a mission-driven business.


✨ Listen now to learn how Panso is helping restaurants thrive in 2025 and beyond.


You can learn more about Panso at www.hellopanso.com. 

You can follow Panso at @hellopanso on Instagram. 

You can follow Britney Ziegler on LinkedIn. 


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!

You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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4 months ago
56 minutes 16 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Sally Ekus's Perfect Bite | Inside the World of Cookbook Publishing & Food Media

What does it really take to get a cookbook published today? I sat down with Sally Ekus, lead of and senior literary agent at The Ekus Group (now a division of JVNLA), to explore the intersection of food, publishing, and entrepreneurship.


Sally has spent over 16 years representing cookbook authors, chefs, food writers, and culinary thought leaders, helping them bring their unique stories and recipes to print. She shares how publishing has evolved from the days of Julia Child and Emeril Lagasse to the era of TikTok food creators, Substack writers, and BookTok trends.



What You’ll Learn in This Episode

  • How cookbook publishing really works today—pitching, proposals, and what agents look for
  • Why an author’s platform and audience matter as much as their expertise
  • The role of Instagram, TikTok, newsletters, and Substack in discovering new food writers
  • The shift from big book tours to digital discoverability
  • Advice for chefs, restaurateurs, and food entrepreneurs who want to publish their first cookbook
  • Why repurposing content (from newsletters to older podcast episodes) is key for longevity
  • The importance of mentorship, patience, and persistence in publishing and entrepreneurship


About Sally Ekus

Sally leads The Ekus Group, a boutique literary agency specializing in cookbooks and culinary talent. With a background in sociology, she brings a unique perspective to agenting—blending negotiation skills with deep care for authors’ stories. She also writes the popular Substack “Not So Secret Agent,” where she offers transparent insights into the publishing world.


  • Follow Sally on Instagram: @sallyekus
  • The Ekus Group / JVNLA: @ekusgroup, @jvnla
  • Subscribe to Sally’s Substack: Not So Secret Agent


Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!

You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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4 months ago
56 minutes 49 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Matt Jennings's Perfect Bite | From James Beard Chef to Hospitality Tech Founder

From a five-time James Beard Award nominee to a tech co-founder reshaping hospitality, Matt Jennings has worn many hats — chef, restaurateur, author, and now tech entrepreneur with MAJC.ai.


In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Matt to trace his journey from his early days in New England kitchens to running celebrated restaurants like Farmstead and Townsman, and to now co-founding MAJC.ai — a platform designed to help restaurants recruit, retain, and develop top talent.


Matt shares:

  • His path from culinary school to opening acclaimed restaurants
  • Lessons learned from scaling teams and building hospitality culture
  • Why the industry needs people-first technology now more than ever
  • How MAJC.ai is creating a community and academy for restaurant leaders worldwide
  • His advice for entrepreneurs about mentorship, failure, and staying mission-driven


If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to transition from chef whites to startup life — and how hospitality can thrive with tech done right — this episode is for you.


To join the MAJC community (for free!) and learn more, head to www.majc.ai. 


You can follow MAJC on social media @majc.ai and Matt on Instagram @matthewjennings. 


Listen to MAJC’s podcasts Restaurant Ready or Serving Success anywhere you listen to podcasts, or watch the episodes on YouTube!


Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube! 


Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The Perfect Bite anywhere you listen to podcasts. 


You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and subscribe to our newsletter here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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4 months ago
1 hour 11 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Chef Chaz Lindsay's Perfect Bite | From NYC Fine Dining to Jackson’s Farm-to-Table Osteria

“Honest cuisine”: That’s probably my favorite phrase now for seasonal or farm-to-table cooking. Thanks to Chef Chaz Lindsay, you can have the most honest, delicious Italian-Mississippi cuisine at Pulito Osteria. Chef Chaz Lindsay went from the high-pressure kitchens of Eleven Madison Park and Colicchio & Sons/Craft to building a soulful, seasonal osteria in Jackson, Mississippi. In this episode, Chaz shares how Italian simplicity, Mississippi produce, and a “people-first” culture shaped Pulito Osteria—where 90% of the vegetables come from local farms and pasta is made by hand daily.


What you’ll learn

  • How a Mississippi kid fell in love with food—and why gumbo, jambalaya, and cornbread still guide his palate
  • Lessons from CIA (Culinary Institute of America) and NYC fine dining: precision, sourcing, and standards
  • Bringing Italy home: seasonality, transparency, and honest cuisine (North Atlantic scallops, Alabama tuna, Two Dog Farm veg)
  • Opening Pulito Osteria in Bellhaven: educating guests on osteria-style menus & family-style sharing
  • Building community: sourcing locally, taking care of staff, and giving back
  • Aiming high: the Michelin Guide American South and what star-level focus looks like in Jackson


Episode highlights

  • Tomato season, passata & basil: why less is more
  • Why guest experience starts with staff lineup & family meal
  • Owning the neighborhood: Pulito, Rowan’s (Chaz’s bar), and a restored 1928 gas-station event space


You can visit Pulito Osteria and Rowan’s (Chaz’s dive bar) in Jackson, Mississippi in the Bellhaven Town Center. 


To learn more about Pulito Osteria, visit www.pulitojackson.com.


You can follow Pulito Osteria on Instagram @pulito_osteria; Chaz Lindsay at @chazzyl; and Rowan’s at @rowansjeffersonst. 


Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube! 


Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The Perfect Bite anywhere you listen to podcasts. 


You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack.

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4 months ago
48 minutes 27 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Joshua Chemparathy's Perfect Bite | Building the First Cold Brew Canned Chai

You’ve had cold brew coffee, but have you heard of cold brew chai? Sinwise Farms founder Joshua Chemparathy has created the first canned cold brew chai and gorgeous canned coffee, all with single origin tea, coffee, and spices from his family’s farm in Kerala, South India. 


It’s hard to believe Josh and I have known each other for about 15 years now, thanks to being in the same co-ed business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, at Santa Clara University. He’s always been so cool, calm, and collected, and now he has the coolest chai around! We chat through how AKPsi shaped us as we entered the real world for our careers, Josh’s family history on the farm, and how he’s reshaping a tradition to share it with a broader Western audience. In a lot of ways, Josh has gone back to his roots—honoring Indian flavors and shaping how they’re served on a more scalable level with his engineer’s brain. 


In this episode

  • From Kerala roots to Bay Area founder: farm memories, flavor, and first omelet
  • Why cold-brew chai (and how it’s different from “chai tea”)
  • Building farm-to-can supply chains: cardamom, coconut, coffee & tea
  • The canning breakthrough, shelf stability, and doing R&D solo
  • Rebranding Sinwise Farms → Kathas and moving from oat to coconut milk
  • Wholesale growth, pricing realities, and the long game vs. “overnight success”


Quick hits

  • Geography: Kerala 🇮🇳 → Bay Area, CA
  • Retail: Specialty grocers + Whole Foods NorCal
  • Product: RTD cold-brew chai & coffee, single-origin spices, small-batch


You can find Sinwise Farms products in Whole Foods stores across Northern California, Berkeley Bowl, Gus’s Market in San Francisco, and other specialty grocers across the Bay Area. 


You also can purchase Sinwise Farms and learn more about the brand’s story at www.sinwisefarms.com. 


You can follow Sinwise Farms on Instagram @sinwisefarms. 


Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube! 


Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The Perfect Bite anywhere you listen to podcasts. 


You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack.

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5 months ago
59 minutes 24 seconds

The Perfect Bite
Your fusion of food and entrepreneurship, The Perfect Bite brings you inspiring conversations with chefs, restaurateurs, CPG brand founders, food tech founders, and more in the food and beverage industry, highlighting their experiences and how they've cooked up something new. From emerging brands to established business owners, you'll learn from the best entrepreneurs in food, beverage, hospitality, and agriculture about how they started their businesses, what problems they're solving, the tough times they've overcome, and their best advice for entering these industries or starting your own business. We end each episode with the world's best and hardest question: What is your perfect bite?