Thanks! I Ate It

***Still catching up on the back stories, so this one's coming to you somewhat dry-aged. Helpfully, this episode is pretty damn evergreen when it comes to being interesting! Maybe we're biased, but we think this is such a compelling, smart episode right here.*** It's safe to say that many, if not most, restaurant industry folks have a bad taste in their mouth about influencers. But from day 1, Con...

Hey, friends, here's another aged, fermented episode we recorded just a little while ago! We're almost caught up, stg. Our chronic and perpetual guest, Seattle-based food writer Mark DeJoy, joins us for a sometimes convivial, sometimes somber discussion on sudden restaurant closings, delayed restaurant openings, and the state of food journalism both small and large. The upside of not finding the t...

Life's been busy,, eh! But although this episode was recorded over a month ago, we think it's still both relevant and super cute! Well, you tell us. A month ago I mean this week, we're chilling with Taylor Cheney and Matt Mitchell, co-owners of Yalla on Capitol Hill. They break down their mission to serve delicious handheld Middle Eastern food to the pedestrians of Olive Way, both drunk and sober,...

We're back from a working-too-much hiatus with the hilarious Paul Shanrock, who currently owns Stampede Cocktail Club, until very recently owned Dreamland, and will very shortly own Twist of Fate. This string of ostentatiously fantabulous concept bars took a topsy-turvy path to existence, and Paul leads us through it, starting with his origin story in Reno, an unexpected inheritance, and a few kis...

We're diving deep into the local bartending industry this week! The articulate and very affable Skip Tognetti joins us for this episode, and we're kicking things off with the origin story behind Letterpress Distilling—including the genesis of his Genziana Fernanda, Amaro Amorino, limoncello, nocino, and other craft Italian liqueurs. In the process, Skip tells us about his background in art and des...

We've got one of Meg's favorite podcast guests of all time doing a reprise on Thanks! I Ate It this week. The brilliant and eloquent Uttam Mukherjee and his wife, Aakanksha Sinha, own Spice Waala, serving Delhi- and Kolkata-style street food out of three Seattle locations. Uttam is doing what he does best: talking math and analyzing restaurant data on topics such as why people are dining out less...

This week on the pod, we're joined by local food writer, restaurant pundit, and perennial cohost Mark DeJoy, and it's wall-to-wall local restaurant news this episode. Mark applies his gimlet eye and journaliist POV to current events in the city's restaurant-scape, beginning with Wayward Vegan's newly announced plan to start serving animal products. We also unpack our tender Seattle-born grunge-kid...

This week on the pod, we're hanging out with food/beverage marketing consultant and Sunny Hill co-owner Holly Robinson. The three of us keep it real zero-kilometer this round, with topics including but not limited to PNW veggie gardens, local tinned fish purveyors, Holly's consulting biz Fathom35, whiskey distilled in barrels made from the Northwest's only native oak tree, and the culinary delight...

We're chopping it up with Chris Cvetkovich this week, owner and chef patron of Nue on Capitol Hill. We kick things off with Chef Chris's fascinating backstory, which started with a career in animation and led to extensive world travels and, eventually, a restaurant to showcase all the cool dishes he's enjoyed while roaming around the globe. Along with his colorful scrapbook of a bar-bistro, Chris...

This week, veteran Seattle bartender and booze rep Kayleigh Blome reunites with her old pal and coworker Jeff to chat with us about nonalcoholic and alcoholic drinks, along with the core functions of each, both obvious and obscure. Kayleigh recently switched from the bartender life to being a rep for spirits of all types, so they also tell us about their favorite ingredients for slingin' and then...

It's a Dinnernet Podcas t reunion! Meg's old pod cohost, Seattle-based food writer Mark DeJoy, joins us this week to sesh it out like olden times (that is, last summer). Among other erudite topics, we cover his recent work at Eater and what the company's 2026 reorg means for Seattle restaurants, as well as the diff between a writer and a critic (and an influencer) and where we think food journalis...

It's a very scientific episode of T!I8I, with local coffeemeister James Lim as this week's guest. Since shuttering his Upper Ballard cafe, Watson's Counter, in late 2024, he's been selling beans and canned coffee, teaching coffee workshops, and basking in new dad-hood. We catch up with James, as he car-lectures us on how there's no such thing as a burnt shot and explains the science behind making...

On the inaugural episode of TI8I , we’re chatting with O.G. Seattle-area chef Brendan McGill (Cafe Hitchcock, Seabird, Brucito, Oyster Cellar, many others). Among other delicious subjects, we discuss his recent pivot from fine-diner Seabird to cafe/wine bar Kingfisher out on Bainbridge Island, his luxe new supper club concept, the value of real human connection between staff and guests, and the st...