TASTE Matt Rodbard

Emily Sundberg has a knack for writing stories that get people talking. The freelance writer and mind behind the business newsletter Feed Me has an expert eye for trends in the food space and beyond, like the return of whole milk and the rise of the “shoppy shop”—you know, those cute, curated grocery stores that all seem to carry the same made-for-Instagram products. We’re thrilled to have her on the podcast to forecast the drink of the summer, the current state of founders in the direct-to-consumer space, and much more.

Also on the show, Aliza and Matt predict the biggest foods and drinks of the summer. What will be the next Dirty Shirley? 

MORE FROM EMILY SUNDBERG: Feed Me [Substack]Wellness Is Dead. Long Live the Martini  [New York Magazine]Welcome to the Shoppy Shop [New York Magazine]


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Here’s a bonus episode from our recent conversation with cookbook authors Eric Kim and Ali Slagle, live at Rizzoli Bookstore in NYC. Eric is a New York Times Magazine columnist and the author of the best-selling book Korean American. Ali is a recipe developer, consultant, and author of the best-selling I Dream of Dinner. Stay tuned for future episodes recorded live at Rizzoli. Subscribe to our newsletter for all of those details.

MORE FROM ERIC KIM AND ALI SLAGLE:4 Books Eric Kim Can’t Live (or Cook) Without [Epicurious]The Secret to Mastering Your Cocktail Order [NYT Magazine]3 Perfect Grilled Cheese Recipes [NYT]This Fuss-Free Cookbook Has Eased My Weeknight Dinner Angst [BA]

Dan Frommer is the founder and editor in chief of the The New Consumer, an influential publication that covers the intersection of technology and consumer brands—and many of these brands live in the food world. We wanted to have Dan on the show to talk about some recent grocery store news and trends including Graza vs. Brightland, and to find out how the celebrated tech journalist started scrutinizing the canned foods aisle. We hope you enjoy this super entertaining talk with Dan. 

MORE FROM DAN FROMMER:Can Canned Beans Have Their Tinned-Fish Moment? [TNC]Foxtrot has a New CEO. What’s Changing and What Isn’t? [TNC]A New Premium Card for the Erewhon Set [TNC]This Week’s Tiniest Social Media Drama Is About Olive Oil [NYT]


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Wylie Dufresne is a legendary force in the New York City chef world. As the owner of wd~50, he pioneered a form of cooking, sometimes called modernist cuisine, and brought it to worldwide attention. And now he’s turned his attention to pizza with the opening of Stretch Pizza on Park Avenue. In this lively conversation, we talk about Wylie’s pandemic pizza project that went to the next level. We also discuss cookbooks and our shared love for the New York City shop Kitchen Arts & Letters. I hope you enjoy hearing from Wylie as much as I did. 

Also on the show, we had the amazing Korean author Han Kang in the studio to talk about her fiction, including the International Booker Prize–winning novel The Vegetarian, and how food plays a role in her writing. 

MORE FROM WYLIE DUFRESNE:The Chef Who Invented Fried Mayonnaise Will Open a Manhattan Pizzeria [Grub Street]Wylie Dufresne Finds His Ultimate Challenge [Resy]Wylie Dufresne Says He Is Forced to Close WD-50 [NYT]

Sandro Roco is the founder of Sanzo, which has been our go-to flavored sparkling water of choice. We wanted to invite Sandro into the studio not only because we are big fans of his cans of lychee- and calamansi-spiked bubbles. We like the way he runs his business, as well as the story of how he bootstrapped this company in one of the most crowded categories in all of grocery: beverages. We also talk about how he was able to get Jeremy Lin to appear on the Sanzo can. It was so cool getting to know Sandro a bit better. I hope you enjoy this episode. 

MORE FROM SANDRO ROCCO:How to Raise $1.3M in Venture Capital with Sandro Roco [YouTube]From Nuclear Engineer to Cult-Favorite Seltzer Founder [Eater]


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Andrea Nguyen is back on the podcast to talk about her latest—perhaps even greatest—cookbook: Ever-Green Vietnamese. Andrea is a prolific cookbook author behind favorites like Vietnamese Food Any Day and Into The Vietnamese Kitchen. Her latest book dives deep into Vietnamese food’s rich palate of plants from the land and sea, offering up ingenious recipes for things like homemade vegan fish sauce and a Grand Slam bánh mì breakfast combo. It’s such a fun, craving-inducing conversation, and we hope you’ll enjoy it. 

Also on the show, we catch up with cookbook author Colu Henry to talk about her latest book, Colu Cooks: Easy Fancy Food, and life in Canada.




MORE FROM ANDREA NGUYEN AND COLU HENRY:Viet World Kitchen [Official]19 Andrea Nguyen Recipes for Bao, Banh Mi, and Beyond [Epicurious]TASTE Podcast 114: Andrea Nguyen [TASTE]The Emilia-Romagna Issue [TASTE]Easy Fancy Snacks to Impress Your Guests [Vogue]