The Perfect Bite

Sarah Perkins
  • 5.0 (5)
  • FOOD
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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 tough times they've overcome, and their best advice for entering these industries or starting your own business. We end each episode with the world's best and hardest question: What is your perfect bite?

  1. 2D AGO

    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 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 business around that belief that has lasted a decade. QED stands for "quod erat demonstrandum,” Latin for "Thus it has been proven." It's a punctuation mark at the end of a mathematical theorem, and for Emery and her co-founder Chef Brian Landry, it was a declaration: They weren't going to talk about doing things differently. They were going to prove it. In this episode, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Emery for a conversation that covers the full arc of a remarkable life in food, hospitality, and community. From growing up in New Orleans with a mother who accidentally served potpourri-garnished fish, watching Hurricane Katrina reshape her entire future, teaching French and Spanish in New Orleans public schools through food, and co-creating a culinary scholarship program and micro-loan fund for Louisiana farmers, Emery arrived at restaurant ownership not because she wanted to, but because she realized it was the only way to do things the way she believed they should be done. QED’s first restaurant Jack Rose is a love letter to New Orleans—maximalist, warm, full of sequins on a Saturday night. And when COVID hit, instead of closing the doors on their team, Emery spun up a telehealth customer service operation in less than a week to keep every single employee working. The image of a sous chef navigating electronic medical records, and a grandmother in New Jersey sending cookies to a Nashville bartender who helped her reset her iPhone, says everything about the kind of organization QED is. In this episode, we cover: Growing up in New Orleans with a grandmother whose house always turned into a partyWhat makes New Orleans cuisine unlike any other regional food in AmericaHurricane Katrina, Princeton, and the city that shaped everythingTeaching French and Spanish through food and why leaving teaching was one of the hardest decisions she's ever madeMINO (Made in New Orleans): the culinary scholarship program she co-createdMicro-loans for Louisiana farmers and the milk farmer who started it allMeeting co-founder Chef Brian Landry and being wooed into entrepreneurship she didn't wantWhat QED stands for and why they chose the nerdiest name possibleSpinning up a telehealth customer service company in less than a week during COVIDThe "be nice or leave" policy and how she enforces it gracefullyNine restaurants in ten years and what comes nextBrian Landry's upcoming cookbook: Recipes paired with profiles of Bayou Bar musiciansWhat people get wrong about Southern food and why it deserves more respectHer advice for women and minority founders being underestimated: take great pleasure in itThe best advice she's ever gotten: Ask people outside your industry Find Emery and QED Hospitality: Instagram: @emerywhalen, @qedhospitalityWebsite: www.qedhg.comVenues throughout New Orleans, Nashville, and Kentucky Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube! You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter!

    54 min

  2. MAR 26

    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 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 would eventually make it the number one premium sauce in the country. In this episode, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Eric for one of the most candid, educational, and genuinely fun conversations The Perfect Bite has ever had. Eric doesn't sugarcoat anything— not the $3.2 million personal loss he absorbed when his first brand, New Leaf Iced Tea, went through hard times, not the shareholder battle that forced the sale of Rao's, and not the very specific competitive mindset he brings to a category he has now shaped twice. What makes Carbone Fine Food special isn't just the branding. It's all about the product. Open kettle cooking. Italian tomatoes from southern Italy. Monthly taste sessions with chef Rich Torrisi. Eric personally tasted every single batch in year one, logging 100,000 miles on United without leaving the country. That obsession with quality is the moat and he knows it! This conversation covers the full picture: The origin story of building Carbone Fine Food from a handshake deal with Chef Mario Carbone to shelves in five months, why the brand's marketing flywheel is PR, event, and social rather than TV spend, how Costco became their biggest trial driver, what he thinks about the premiumization of pantry staples, and what's coming next, including a brand new Italian chili crunch launching in July that he previewed for the first time right here on The Perfect Bite! There's also a conversation about tariffs, board dynamics, founder lessons, and what it actually means to stay unapologetically true to your brand in a world where every trend is trying to pull you somewhere new. If you love Carbone Fine Food, the Carbone brand, work in CPG, or are building anything of your own, this one is unmissable. In this episode, we cover: Growing up in a big Irish family where food meant togetherness20+ years in beverage and how the fundamentals of CPG are simpler than people thinkFounding New Leaf Iced Tea, losing $3.2 million in 2008, and rebuilding in his fortiesThe call that led to meeting Mario Carbone—and saying yes immediatelyBuilding the brand from scratch: recipes, branding, co-packing, and shelves in five monthsTasting every single batch in year one and logging 100,000 miles domesticallyMonthly taste sessions with Rich Torrisi and why consistency is the real productThe marketing flywheel: PR, events, and social over TV spendCarbone Beach, Post Malone, Alex Cooper, Jimmy Fallon and pop culture authenticityWhy Mario Carbone is a superpower advantage6,000 Costco demos planned for this year and why trial is everythingHousehold penetration growing from 0.08% to 4% in two yearsThe premiumization of pantry staples and how generational shifts are driving itWhy he refuses to add fiber or protein to the sauce ("Add a piece of steak")EXCLUSIVE: Italian chili crunch launching July 2025! Look for the green and red flavorsHis take on tariffs, Italian tomatoes, and solving for quality no matter whatPicking the right board and why smart advisors beat cheerleaders every timeStaying frugal on someone else's money: flying coach and staying at Fairfield InnsHis advice for new foundersWhat's next, including a potential return to his original brand, New Leaf Find Carbone Fine Food: Website: carbonefinefood.comAvailable at most major retailers nationwideInstagram: @carbonefinefood Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube! You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter!

    49 min

  3. MAR 19

    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 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 warehouse. Just a network of volunteers, a powerful app, and a mission that is quietly changing how Chicago thinks about food waste and food access. Podcasthon is the world’s largest annual charity podcast event in mid-March. Podcasters around the globe are releasing episodes to support non-profits and causes they believe in.  Jake and Sarah discuss how a Shabbat dinner tradition and seven years working at 412 Food Rescue in Pittsburgh led him to bring this food rescue model to Chicago — and what it took to build it from scratch in just a year and a half. Jake is one of those founders who isn't doing this for the glory. He's doing it because he saw a disconnect — a city full of food and people going hungry — and realized his background in supply chain and logistics was exactly what was needed to bridge it.  In 2025 alone, Chicago Food Rescue completed over 1,100 rescues, moving more than 250,000 pounds of food and providing the equivalent of 208,000 meals across 44 nonprofit community partners. This conversation covers the mechanics of how food rescue actually works, the difference between food rescue and food banking, what it has looked like on the ground in Chicago as SNAP access was threatened, and why Jake believes hunger is not a supply problem — it's a logistics problem. It's also just a really lovely conversation about what it means to show up for your community, build something from nothing, and let the work speak for itself. In this episode, we cover: Growing up with Shabbat dinners and the family table that shaped his relationship with foodHis corporate career, early volunteering in Pittsburgh, and finding 412 Food RescueBuilding emergency food response infrastructure during COVIDWhat makes food rescue different from food banks and food pantriesHow the three-way coordination between food donors, volunteers, and nonprofit recipients actually worksThe Chicago Food Rescue app — and how it removes every barrier to volunteering2025 by the numbers: 250,000+ pounds of food, 208,000 meals, 1,100+ rescuesWhat happened in Chicago as SNAP restrictions tightened — and why food rescue is only part of the solutionHow one organization saved $40,000 in food costs and hired a caseworker because of food rescueHis advice for anyone starting something new: just start, even before you have it all figured out How to get involved: Download the Chicago Food Rescue app (Google Play or App Store) to volunteer or set up a food rescueFor more information and to donate: chicagofoodrescue.orgInstagram/Facebook/LinkedIn: @chicagofoodrescue_Want to become involved with Podcasthon? Head to podcasthon.org Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube! You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter!

    51 min

  4. MAR 12

    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, 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 Sarah Perkins sits down with the full executive team behind Tuyyo Foods 2.0 for a conversation that covers everything: Growing up with food as an act of love, building brands that push back against tired stereotypes of Latino culture, and why three solo founders decided that coming together was the boldest move they could make. Stefanie spent nearly a decade at Whole Foods before launching Tuyyo's original agua fresca mixes, a better-for-you answer to Kool-Aid, inspired by her grandmother's grapefruit tree and her love for the powdered drink format.  Regina left a legal career in human rights to found Nemi Snacks after being struck by how underrepresented and stereotyped Latino food was on American grocery shelves — and how a nopal cactus chip could change that.  And Jocelyn launched Todo Verde in LA after years as a social justice professor and chef, bringing taco seasonings inspired by real Mexican flavors to a market that had settled for cornstarch and mild spice packets for way too long. They met through trade shows, DMs, and a shared fellowship. The merger idea was planted on an airport ride back from Texas, and within months it was a reality. No big buyout. No waiting around. Just three women who decided to grow better together. This one covers the exciting stuff and the real stuff — what it actually takes to merge three companies, how to communicate with co-founders when things get hard, what it means to keep showing up for your community in a moment when so much feels scary, and the single Mexican tablescape vision that has retailers buzzing. In this episode, we cover: How food showed up as love in each of their families growing upStefanie's journey from Whole Foods and The Honest Company to founding Tuyyo FoodsRegina leaving law to create Nemi Snacks and finding nopal farmers in MexicoJocelyn's pivot from social justice professor to chef, cookbook author, and Todo Verde founderHow they each met and what planted the seed for the mergerThe nitty gritty of merging three CPG brands — attorneys, operations, finance, brandingWhy they landed on Tuyyo (spoiler: "tú y yo" means you and me)The Mexican tablescape vision: chips, agua fresca, taco seasoning, and a new mole paste coming soonHow they're showing up for their communities right nowWhat fills each of their cups — and how they've built a culture of vulnerability together Connect with Tuyyo Foods: Website: tuyyofoods.com (launching soon with all products + store locator!)Instagram: @tuyyofoodsNemi Snacks: @nemisnacksTodo Verde: @todoverdela Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube! You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter!

    54 min

  5. MAR 5

    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 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 home. Casual. In this episode, Rachel gets real with host Sarah Perkins about the winding, messy, beautiful road that got her here — from baking box-mix birthday cakes in high school, to getting fired (her word, not ours) from a PR job at 25 with 10K Instagram followers and a big dream, to building a brand that now reaches millions of people who just want to eat well without it feeling like a chore. We talked about it all: the moment Jordan convinced her to start a recipe blog instead of selling overnight oats on the streets of Manhattan (truly iconic), what she's learned as an investor in 25+ CPG brands through grt sht Ventures, and why she is not launching new cadootz! flavors quite yet—even though everyone keeps asking. Rachel also gets candid about navigating fertility challenges in public, the pressure of running a platform where it always looks like you have it together (she does not, and she'd like you to know that), and why she thinks "balance" is kind of a myth—but also why that's okay. This one is for the founders, the creators, the parents trying to figure out how to feed their families something better, and honestly anyone who's ever been told no and had to figure out what comes next. In this episode, we cover: How getting fired was the best thing that ever happened to Rachel's careerBuilding a food and lifestyle brand from scratch in the early days of Instagram + influencersWhat she learned about brand partnerships — then vs. nowLaunching cadootz! and her cookbook More, Please! in the same week (accidentally)Working with your spouse: the real talk on what it's like and how they make it workInvesting in 25+ CPG companies through grt sht Ventures and what she's seen go wrongWhy she's going slow and steady with cadootz!'s retail strategyOn sharing the hard stuff online: fertility, overwhelm, and keeping it realWhat fills her cup: heated sculpt classes and a really good SancerreHer closing advice for anyone thinking about putting themselves out there Connect with Rachel: Instagram: @rachlmansfield (no "e" in Rachl!)Website: rachlmansfield.comSubstack: @rachlmansfieldcadootz!: @cadootzsnacks | cadootz.comPre-order More, Please! at rachlmansfield.com Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube! You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!

    48 min

  6. FEB 26

    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 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 to open — and close — a restaurant. Liz shares her journey from Chicago wine professional to opening the beloved Spanish wine bar Vera, the lessons learned from entrepreneurship, and how she now helps hospitality professionals design more balanced careers through consulting, education, and her concept of the “hospitality hyphenate.” This conversation covers: Becoming a sommelier and working in Chicago restaurantsOpening and running a Spanish wine bar focused on sherryThe realities of restaurant ownership and closing a businessTransitioning into consulting and hospitality techBuilding Aldea Hospitality and coaching industry professionalsThe rise of non-alcoholic and dealcoholized wine and Liz’s refocus on these productsCreating sustainable careers in hospitalityWhy community and mentorship matter in entrepreneurship Whether you’re a restaurant owner, beverage professional, or founder in food & beverage, Liz shares practical advice on building a creative career that evolves over time. To learn more about Aldea Hospitality, visit www.aldeahospitality.com. You can follow Liz on social media @mendezmusings. Subscribe to Liz’s Substack The Luncheonette! Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!  You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!

    1 hr
  7. Say Hej Hej to Swedish Hot Dogs | How Amelia Eudailey Built the Hej Hej Pop-Up Brand

    FEB 19

    Say 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 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 built a loyal following through pop-ups, catering, and creative storytelling—all before opening a traditional restaurant. Amelia didn’t follow a typical culinary path. After working in tech and startups, she pivoted into food, working as a line cook at the famed Octavia, and began testing her concept through pop-ups while still working full-time. Today, she’s growing Hej Hej into a recognizable food brand while exploring the future of brick-and-mortar, merchandising, and community-driven hospitality. This episode is a candid look at building a food business from scratch and learning through experimentation. In this conversation, we discuss: Launching a Swedish hot dog pop-upWhat makes Swedish hot dogs and food so specialTransitioning careers into food entrepreneurshipTesting a concept before opening a brick-and-mortar spaceBuilding a brand through pop-ups and communityRevenue streams beyond a brick-and-mortarUsing Substack and social media to grow an audienceDeciding when (or if) to open a permanent spaceStaying creative while building a sustainable business Amelia’s story is a reminder that there’s no single path into the food industry — and that entrepreneurship often starts with simply trying. TPB listeners, we have a special code for you to grab Hej Hej merch or Swedish candy mixes on Hej Hej’s site! Use code ‘PERFECTBITE’ on www.chefhejhej.com for 15% off your order of $25 or more through March 15, 2026. To learn more about Hej Hej and find out about future pop-up dates, visit www.chefhejhej.com. You can follow Hej Hej on social media @chefhejhej. Subscribe to Amelia’s Substack Hotdog Hustle! Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!  You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!

    54 min
  8. How to Build a Career in Ever-Changing Food Media | Chandra Ram’s Playbook for Adaptability

    FEB 12

    How 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 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, working at Food & Wine, and now running her own independent publishing and consulting work, Chandra shares what it takes to stay adaptable in ever-changing food media. This conversation explores: How to build a career in food media todayWhy there’s no single path into the industryTransitioning from traditional media to independent workCookbook writing and editorial strategyBuilding a portfolio career across platformsWhy showing your work matters more than waiting for permission Chandra’s story is a reminder that sustainable careers are built through experimentation, adaptability, and consistently putting your work into the world. Whether you’re a writer, chef, founder, or creative entrepreneur, this episode offers practical insight into building a career that evolves with you. Subscribe to Chandra’s Substack Another Bite with Chandra Ram! You can learn more about her past work and purchase any of her cookbooks at www.chandraram.net. You can follow Chandra on Instagram @chandrasplate.  Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube! You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!

    1h 1m
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About

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 tough times they've overcome, and their best advice for entering these industries or starting your own business. We end each episode with the world's best and hardest question: What is your perfect bite?

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah Perkins
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sarah Perkins
  • Show Website
    The Perfect Bite

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