Shows / The Perfect Bite
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…
Episodes
- The Perfect Bite
How Rye Bunny's Jon Sybert and Jill Tyler Walked Away From a Decade of Success to Build Something Better
After a decade running Tail Up Goat, one of DC's most celebrated tasting menu restaurants, Jon Sybert and Jill Tyler did something most restaurateurs would…
- The Perfect Bite
How Donnie Madia Changed the Way Chicago Eats
This episode is sponsored by Vermont Nut Free Chocolates. Get 20% off your order through December 31st with code PERFECTBITE at vermontnutfree.com. This…
- The Perfect Bite
Hill Top Hospitality Rewrites the Rules of Utah's Food Scene
This episode is sponsored by Vermont Nut Free Chocolates, your new favorite 100% tree nut and peanut nut quality chocolates. Get 20% off your order through…
- The Perfect Bite
How Dominique Leach Brought Fine Dining to Chicago BBQ
Chef Dominique Leach is a pit master, fine dining veteran, food entrepreneur, community builder, and the woman behind one of Chicago's most celebrated barbecue…
- The Perfect Bite
Black Lagoon's Erin Hayes and Kelsey Ramage on Spooky Cocktails
They rented a cursed venue in Toronto with a leak and a fire alarm. They put everything they had into it. And by the end of the first week, there was a line…
- The Perfect Bite
In the Mood to Bake with Alex George of Lily P Crumbs
She named her brand after her geriatric dog. She started her Instagram account while in chemotherapy and called it Cooking with Cancer. She photographed her…
- The Perfect Bite
Chef Kevin O'Donnell on Freestyle Italian Cuisine in Newport
He was sixteen years old, court-ordered to an alternative school in Rhode Island, looking for a way to pass the time. A retired Johnson & Wales chef named Andy…
- The Perfect Bite
Ashok Selvam on Ravenous and the Food Media Renaissance
About six weeks after winning the James Beard Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award, Ashok Selvam was laid off from Eater Chicago. He had been there for over a…
- The Perfect Bite
Jaju Pierogi: 10 Years of Polish American Pride and Dumplings
Their grandfather worked at his Polish deli until he was 87. Their uncle is 75 and still running it. Nobody in the family told them the business was a good…
- The Perfect Bite
Avishar Barua on Agni, Joya's and Honoring Columbus
Just because a dish is well executed does not mean it has to feel stuffy. And just because you have culinary school training and a Michelin-starred kitchen on…
- The Perfect Bite
Mira's Manny and Gina Ocasio Are Putting Buffalo on the Culinary Map
Some things feel like fate. Manny Ocasio was working at Zahav during a rare lunch service when Gina walked in looking for her friend. They barely spoke. Months…
- The Perfect Bite
Takeaways: The Savory Protein Bar the World Needed | Ash Baxter
She spent six years evaluating CPG founders from the other side of the table, sitting in boardrooms at TRUFF and Erewhon-backing growth firms while secretly…
- The Perfect Bite
Yama Seafood: 50 Years of World Class Seafood | Nobu Yamanashi
Kingo Yamanashi bought his first bluefin tuna for a dollar from a recreational fisherman. He did not have a refrigerated van. He did not speak English. He did…
- The Perfect Bite
James Beard Winner Chef Sarah Thompson Brings Coastal Mexico to Vegas
She didn't want to move to Las Vegas. She moved anyway for a restaurant that was supposed to open March 16th, 2020. And then she stayed, kept pushing through…
- The Perfect Bite
Zingerman's Bob Bennett on Culture and 22 Years of Leadership
Some people spend their careers looking for the right place. Bob Bennett found his 22 years ago and never looked back. Bob Bennett is the head chef of…
- The Perfect Bite
BLiS Gourmet on Great Lakes Caviar, Wild Flavors, and Giving Back
Because life is short. That is what BLiS stands for. And after 23 years of bourbon barrel aged maple syrup, wild Great Lakes caviar, smoked soy sauce, fish…
- The Perfect Bite
Rita Sodi and Jody Williams: Iconic Food, Life and an Empire of Community
Some restaurants feel like places. Via Carota feels like a person. Warm, unhurried, deeply intelligent, and completely unconcerned with trends. That’s not an…
- The Perfect Bite
Norman Fenton's Cariño is a Love Letter to Mexico, Family, and Purpose
You can taste the love someone puts into their cooking. And the opposite is true too. Norman Fenton is the Michelin starred, James Beard nominated chef and…
- The Perfect Bite
BONUS EPISODE: LIVE! From the 2026 James Beard Awards Red Carpet
On June 15th, 2026, The Perfect Bite went live from the red carpet of the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. As an official…
- The Perfect Bite
Foodbevy: Building a Community of 5,000 CPG Founders
Some people learn about the food industry from the outside. Jordan Buckner learned it from all sides at once, and then built the community he wished had…
- The Perfect Bite
Laura Scherb: Food Photography, Cookbooks and Community
In a world full of AI generated images, there is still nothing quite like a photo that makes you stop scrolling and say: Is that for real? Laura Scherb is the…
- The Perfect Bite
Adrienne Cheatham: From Top Chef to Top Food Podcaster
Some people spend their entire careers supporting others before they finally step into the light themselves. Adrienne Cheatham spent eight years at Le…
- The Perfect Bite
From Broken Back to MasterChef: The Chef Out West Story
He broke his back snowboarding, got stuck on his couch, and found the Food Network. Thirteen minutes after submitting his MasterChef application, a producer…
- The Perfect Bite
Vinnie Cimino on Building Cleveland's Best Restaurants
If you have been sleeping on Cleveland, Chef Vinnie Cimino is here to wake you up. Vinnie is the co-founder of Cordelia, one of Cleveland's most beloved…
- The Perfect Bite
Diaspora Spice Co.: Spices, Farmers and a New Cookbook
Some brands set out to sell a product. Diaspora Spice Co. set out to change a supply chain, honor a culture, and bring the most potent, story-rich spices in…
- The Perfect Bite
Caper is Reinventing Food Media | Max Tcheyan
What if food media got the Puck treatment? That's the question Max Tcheyan asked and Caper is the answer. Max is the CEO and co-founder of Caper, a new food…
- The Perfect Bite
Killer Brownie on 500% Growth and Living a Little | Chimene Mayne-Ross
Some brands feel like they were always meant to be national. Killer Brownie is one of them. But it took a 40-year journey, a nurse-turned-founder, and a…
- The Perfect Bite
Joe Sasto on Breaking Rules and Building a Pasta + CPG Empire
He hated pasta as a kid. Now he's the self-proclaimed Prince of Pasta, the Ruler of Rigatoni, the Sultan of Spaghetti, and one of the most exciting…
- The Perfect Bite
Big Dip Energy | Alyse Whitney on Food, TV & Being Yourself
What is Big Dip Energy? You’re about to find out! Alyse Whitney is a food journalist, cookbook author, Netflix judge, and certified Dip Queen who has spent…
- The Perfect Bite
Free of Gluten, Full of Life | Chef Monica Glass
What do you do when the thing you've dedicated your entire career to becomes the thing that's making you sick? Chef Monica Glass spent years working in some of…
- The Perfect Bite
Emery Whalen Has Nine Restaurants and One Big Mission
Some guests walk into a conversation and immediately make you feel like you've known them forever. Emery Whalen is one of those people. Emery is the CEO and…
- The Perfect Bite
Carbone Fine Food on Becoming America's Fastest Growing Pasta Sauce | Eric Skae
Eric Skae is the CEO and co-founder of Carbone Fine Food, the fastest growing pasta sauce brand in America. In just five years, Carbone Fine Food has gone from…
- The Perfect Bite
Chicago Food Rescue on Fighting Hunger Differently | Jake Tepperman
In this special Podcasthon episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Jake Tepperman, founder of Chicago Food Rescue, a nonprofit that…
- The Perfect Bite
Three Founders, One Mission: The Merger Changing Latino Food | Tuyyo Foods
What if instead of waiting for a big brand to buy you out, you just built something bigger on your own terms? That's exactly what Stefanie Garcia Turner…
- The Perfect Bite
Rachel Mansfield on cadootz!, CPG Investing & Doing It All
Rachel Mansfield is one of those people where listing her titles doesn't even do her justice — OG food blogger, recipe developer, cookbook author, CPG…
- The Perfect Bite
The Hospitality Hyphenate: Lessons in Restaurant Entrepreneurship with Liz Mendez
From sommelier to restaurateur to hospitality consultant, Liz Mendez has built a career rooted in community, beverage expertise, and reinvention. In this…
The Perfect BiteSay Hej Hej to Swedish Hot Dogs | How Amelia Eudailey Built the Hej Hej Pop-Up Brand
When I say Swedish hot dogs will change your life, it’s true! And they did for techie turned chef Amelia Eudailey. In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host…
The Perfect BiteHow to Build a Career in Ever-Changing Food Media | Chandra Ram’s Playbook for Adaptability
How do you build a lasting career in food when media, platforms, and business models keep changing? In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins…
The Perfect BiteA Better Vegan Butter | How Susannah Schoolman Engineered Plant-Based Ingredients for Professional Kitchens
What does it actually take to build a better ingredient for professional kitchens? In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with…
The Perfect BiteFrom Rock Bottom to Pastry Queen: How Mindy Crosato Built Decadent Creations & A Commissary Kitchen
What does it really take to build a food business from the ground up — and keep it alive for over 16 years? In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah…
The Perfect BiteMINI BITE—Inside Food Venture Capital: Nate Cooper on Investing in the Next Generation of CPG
This week’s episode is our first ever MINI BITE! You get to learn so much in a shorter episode length. Enjoy! Building a food or CPG company is never easy—and…
The Perfect BiteSetting the Table for Success with Kira Corbin
Thanks for being a supporter of The Perfect Bite! I’m gathering info about what you love about the show on this quick survey—I’m picking 5 random recipients…
The Perfect BiteWhy Non-Alcoholic Drinks Deserve Complexity with Five Corners’ Benno Nelson
What if non-alcoholic drinks were just as complex, cultural, and satisfying as craft cocktails? On this episode of The Perfect Bite podcast, host Sarah Perkins…
The Perfect BiteDesigning 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…
The Perfect BiteBuilding 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…
The Perfect BiteWhy 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…
The Perfect BiteDefining 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…
The Perfect BiteLIVE! 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…
The Perfect BiteBeth 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…
The Perfect BiteCatherine 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!”…
The Perfect BiteLogan 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…
The Perfect BiteZubair 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…
The Perfect BiteMark 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…
The Perfect BiteDavid 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…
The Perfect BiteLaura 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…
The Perfect BiteSapna 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…
The Perfect BiteCatch 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…
The Perfect BiteChef 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…
The Perfect BiteBritney 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?…
The Perfect BiteSally 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…