The Perfect Bite

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...

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 though...

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...

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 Fre...

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 nation...

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...

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 he...

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...

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 st...

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 fo...

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 rec...

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...

“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 epis...

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...

On this episode of The Perfect Bite , host Sarah Perkins sits down with Belinda Kelly and Venice Cunningham , the sister duo behind the Simple Goodness Sisters , authors of the new cocktail recipe book Drink Your Garden . Belinda and Venice share how they went from corporate jobs in tech to creating the world’s first cocktail farm , launching a mobile bar business, and building a thriving CPG bran...

What do you get when you mix Michelin-starred training with playful storytelling, rubber duckies, and dry ice? For Chef Donald Young , the answer is Duck Sel —Chicago’s most whimsical private dining and popup experience. In this episode of The Perfect Bite , host Sarah Perkins dives into Don’s journey: from growing up with a plain palate in the Midwest to training under iconic French chefs (like R...

On this episode of The Perfect Bite , host Sarah Perkins sits down with Chef D’Andre Carter and Heather Bublick , the duo behind Soul & Smoke, one of Chicago’s most beloved barbecue brands. From staging at Moto under Chef Homaro Cantu to running underground dinners, private catering, and eventually pivoting during the pandemic to launch Soul & Smoke, D’Andre and Heather share their remarka...