The Perfect Bite

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 and hospitality media company built on the premise that the food world deserves the kind of serious, insider, character-driven storytelling that business gets from Puck, that sports got from The Athletic, and that Hollywood gets from Vanity Fa...

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 tagline born from a dad sneaking Oreos to his kids to finally make it happen. Chimene Mayne-Ross is the CEO of Killer Brownie, a gourmet brownie brand born out of Dorothy Lane Market, the legendary Dayton, Ohio specialty grocer her father built, t...

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 chef-turned-CPG-founders in the food industry. Joe Sasto is the founder of Tantos pasta chips, co-founder of Ripi Foods frozen pasta, author of “Breaking The Rules,” and a familiar face across Food Network, Top Chef, and Netflix competitions. But what...

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 nearly 15 years building one of the most distinctive voices in food media. Over 1,000 bylines. Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Rachael Ray Every Day. Managing editor of Chrissy Teigan's Cravings. Ina Garten's cell phone number on hand. And a cook...

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 most celebrated kitchens in the country, including Gotham Bar and Grill, Le Bernadin, and the Ritz Carlton Philadelphia, mastering the art and science of pastry. And then she was diagnosed with Celiac disease. The flour she had been bre...

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 co-founder of QED Hospitality, a nine-restaurant group with locations across New Orleans, Nashville, and Kentucky that is doing something increasingly rare in the hospitality industry: Putting people first, actually meaning it, and building a...

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 zero to over $130 million through the register, adding an average of 156,000 new households every single month. And before that, Eric ran Rao's, where he took it from the number six pasta sauce brand in America and set the foundation that w...

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 rescues fresh, perishable food — produce, baked goods, prepared meals — from grocery stores, corporate offices, restaurants, and events, and delivers it directly to community organizations that feed people in need. No physical location. No wareh...

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, Regina Trillo, and Jocelyn Ramirez did when they merged their three beloved brands - Tuyyo Foods, Nemi Snacks, and Todo Verde - into one powerhouse under the Tuyyo Foods umbrella. And the food industry is paying attention. In this episode, host S...

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 investor, and now founder of cadootz!, the kids' snack brand that's checking every box health-conscious parents have been begging for. Oh, and she's doing most of it alongside her husband Jordan, while raising three boys and renovating a 90-year-old...

From sommelier to restaurateur to hospitality consultant, Liz Mendez has built a career rooted in community, beverage expertise, and reinvention. In this episode of The Perfect Bite , host Sarah Perkins sits down with Liz Mendez, founder of Aldea Hospitality, to talk about building sustainable careers in the restaurant industry, the rise of non-alcoholic beverage programs, and what it really takes...

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 Sarah Perkins sits down with chef and entrepreneur Amelia Eudailey, founder of the cult-favorite pop-up concept Hej Hej (pronounced “hey hey”!). Known for its Scandinavian-inspired hot dogs, Swedish candy, and playful menu, Hej Hej has...

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 sits down with food writer, editor, cookbook author, and media entrepreneur Chandra Ram to talk about building a career that evolves with the industry instead of resisting it. From restaurant PR to leading Plate Magazine for over a decade, wor...

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 Susannah Schoolman, founder of Tourlami, to unpack how deep culinary experience can become a real competitive advantage in entrepreneurship. Susannah shares how her background as a classically trained pastry chef revealed a major gap in the plan...

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 Perkins sits down with Mindy Crosato, founder of Decadent Creations, Collective Kitchen, and Collective Market in Hillsboro, Oregon. Mindy shares her raw, honest entrepreneurial journey — from a personal rock-bottom moment at age 20 to becomin...

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 finding the right investors can be just as challenging. On this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Nate Cooper, founder and managing partner of Barrel Ventures, to talk about what it really takes to build, fund, a...

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 for a $10 Starbucks gift card through Tuesday, January 20, 2026 ! You can fill it out here . Thanks!  Now back to the episode! Setting a table is about more than plateware and linens—it’s about intention, connection, and creating a sense...

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 sits down with Benno Nelson, co-founder of Five Corners Beverage Company, a Chicago-based brand crafting deeply flavored, globally inspired non-alcoholic canned drinks for adults. Benno shares how his journey into sobriety — paired with a l...

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 fro...

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...

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 re...

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 , a...

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 cor...

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 jo...

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 i...