Radio Cherry Bombe

Today’s guests are Chef Mehreen (Reenie) Karim and up-and-coming media mogul Alice Ma. The two join host Kerry Diamond to talk about “Picky Eaters,” the new social media food competition show hosted by Reenie and produced by Mad Realities, the modern media company co-founded by Alice.

They discuss the making of the show, how they snagged guests like Padma Lakshmi, Reenie’s experience on Gordon Ramsay’s “Next Level Chef,” and how Alice (and friends) almost bought a copy of the U.S. Constitution. 

Cherry Bombe’s Farmers & Makers weekend

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It’s the final episode of Jubilee in July! This special series features conversations from our annual Cherry Bombe Jubilee, held this past April at The Glass House in New York City. 

We’re closing with the keynote conversation between Nara Smith and Sophia Roe, introduced by Ella Quittner. Sophia chats with Nara about her debut cookbook “Homemade” (out on October 13th), her unique video style, her love of fashion, motherhood, and more. 

Then, we’ll hear a solo talk from Karen Akunowicz, award-winning chef and owner of Fox & The Knife and Bar Volpe in Boston. Karen shares her powerful story of showing her daughter what it means for a woman to take up space with strength and intention.

Thank you to Whole Foods Market and Airbnb Experiences for supporting our show.

Click here for more information on Cherry Bombe’s Farmers & Makers event. 

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More on Nara: Instagram, pre-order the "Homemade" cookbook

It’s Jubilee in July! This special series features conversations from our annual Cherry Bombe Jubilee, held this past April at The Glass House in New York City. 

Today, we’re sharing a Jubilee keynote conversation on the legacy of Edna Lewis, the legendary chef and author many regard as the godmother of American farm-to-table cooking. This year marks the 50th anniversary of her landmark book, “The Taste of Country Cooking,” which celebrates local ingredients, seasonality, and Southern traditions. 

Culinary historian and author Toni Tipton-Martin joins Edna’s niece Nina Williams-Mbengue for a conversation with Chef and podcaster Adrienne Cheatham. They are introduced by Chef Adé Carrena of iLéWA Foods.

Then, we’ll hear a solo talk from Mariana Velásquez, author of the cookbooks “Revel” and “Colombiana.” Mariana shares the deeply personal story of finishing “Revel” as her marriage ended, and how rewriting the book helped her rediscover her voice and the joy of gathering around the table.

Thank you to American Express and Resy for supporting our show. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers – not of Resy – and do not constitute professional advice.

Click here for tickets and more information on Cherry Bombe’s Farmers & Makers event. 

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More on Toni: Instagram, "The Taste of Country Cooking" 50th Anniversary Edition

It’s Jubilee in July! This special series features conversations from our annual Cherry Bombe Jubilee, held this past April at The Glass House in New York City. 

Today, we’re sharing Kerry Diamond’s keynote conversation with Rita Sodi and Jody Williams, the acclaimed chefs, restaurateurs, and partners behind some of New York City’s most beloved restaurants, including Via Carota, Buvette, I Sodi, The Commerce Inn, and Bar Pisellino. The conversation is introduced by Deanna Ting, managing editor of Resy’s editorial team.

Rita and Jody join Kerry to talk about their favorite produce, the beauty of simplicity, and how their different cooking styles complement each other. They also discuss their self-taught paths to the kitchen, how they met, their culinary partnership with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and their Via Carota Craft Cocktails line.

Then, we’ll hear a Jubilee solo talk from Zahra Tangorra, chef and author of the memoir “Extra Sauce.” Zahra shares what “extra sauce” means to her: pleasure, survival, big swings, messy joy, and living with as much flavor as possible.

Thank you to Veuve Clicquot and Airbnb Experiences for supporting our show. 

Click here for tickets and more information on Cherry Bombe’s Farmers & Makers event. 

Click here to order The Game Changers issue of Cherry Bombe magazine.

Click here for more information on Cherry Bombe memberships.

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More on Deanna: Instagram, website

Today we’re kicking off Jubilee in July, a special series featuring conversations from our annual Cherry Bombe Jubilee, which was held this past April at The Glass House in New York City. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing some of the wisdom, stories, and inspiration from the Jubilee stage.

First up is Jenny Nguyen, founder of The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon—the world’s first sports bar dedicated entirely to women’s sports. Jenny sits down with Adrianna and Olivia Maher, sisters and co-hosts of the “House of Maher” podcast, to talk about the origin story of The Sports Bra, the power of creating spaces where girls and women feel seen, and why small changes can make a big impact.

Then, we’ll hear a solo talk from Ifrah Ahmed, chef, writer, founder of the Somali culinary pop-up Milk and Myrrh, and author of the cookbook “Soomaaliya.” Ifrah shares her journey from Mogadishu to Seattle to New York, how her mother’s cooking helped preserve her connection to Somali culture, and why documenting recipes and family histories matters now more than ever.

Thank you to Airbnb Experiences for supporting our show. 

Click here to order The Game Changers issue of Cherry Bombe magazine.

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More on Jenny: Instagram, The Sports Bra, invest in The Sports Bra

Today’s guest is Alex Snodgrass, the blogger, bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and mom behind The Defined Dish. Alex is also the founder of SideDish, a line of sauces and vinaigrettes. 

Alex joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about her fourth cookbook, “Everyday Eats,” out this August; what it takes to build a CPG brand today; the challenges facing food bloggers in the AI era; and how The Defined Dish came to be and what the Whole30 program had to do with it.  

They also discuss Alex’s recipe North Star–“Can I make this on a Wednesday night?”--and why Ina is such a big inspiration to her. 

Click here for Alex’s Brothy Saffron and Lemon Fish Over Rice recipe from “Everyday Eats.”

Thank you to Whole Foods Market for supporting our show. Click here for more information on our Supper Club Series. 

Click here to order The Game Changers issue of Cherry Bombe magazine.

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More on Alex: Instagram, The Defined Dish, SideDish, "Everyday Eats" cookbook

Today’s guest is Lois Freedman, one of the most powerful women in the restaurant industry. Lois is co-CEO of the Jean-Georges restaurant group, the company led by world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten that includes more than 50 restaurants in 12 countries and more than 1,000 employees. This year marks Lois’s 40th anniversary of working with Jean-Georges. 

Amazingly, this is Lois’s very first podcast. She’s been very low-key throughout her career, but fortunately for us, agreed to come on the show and talk about her remarkable career. 

She and host Kerry Diamond discuss Lois’ time as a chef, her move to front-of-house and what that unlocked, her love of to-do lists, why Jean-Georges calls her Madame No, plus advice for opening restaurants and keeping them open. You will learn a lot from Lois, whether you work in hospitality or another industry. 

This episode was recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center. 

Click here for the 2026 Cherry Bombe Power List 

Thank you to American Express and Resy for supporting our show. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers – not of Resy – and do not constitute professional advice.

Thank you to Veuve Clicquot for supporting our show.

Thank you to S. Pellegrino for supporting our show. Learn more and follow the 2026–2027 competition at sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com. 

Click here to order The Game Changers issue of Cherry Bombe magazine.

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More on Lois: LinkedIn, Jean-Georges restaurants

For today’s show, we’re airing our first joint episode with She’s My Cherry Pie, Cherry Bombe’s baking podcast hosted by Jessie Sheehan. Today’s guests are Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes, the founders of Levain Bakery, the beloved New York bakery known for its signature thick cookies. Levain started as a small bread shop on the Upper West Side in 1995, and has since grown into one of the most recognizable bakeries in the country, with more than 20 locations and fans lined up for their famous chocolate chip walnut cookies.

Connie and Pam join host Jessie Sheehan to talk about how they met while training for triathlons, how their bread business began with the support of Anthony Bourdain, and how a call from then-New York Times columnist Amanda Hesser helped put their now-iconic cookie on the map.

Connie and Pam also talk about their memoir, “Levain Bakery: A Story of Friendship, Community, and Cookies,” and why community has always been at the heart of Levain.

Thank you to Nonino & Fisher & Paykel for supporting our show.

Thank you to S. Pellegrino for supporting our show. Learn more and follow the 2026–2027 competition at sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com. 

Click here to order The Game Changers Issue of Cherry Bombe Magazine.

Sign up for our free She’s My Cherry Pie & Radio Cherry Bombe newsletters at cherrybombe.substack.com

More on Levain: Instagram, website, "Levain Bakery" book

Today’s guest is Rachel Karten, the social media strategist, writer, and creator of the must-read Substack newsletter Link in Bio. Rachel, a Bon Appétit alum and Cherry Bombe 2026 Power List honoree, is one of the smartest people thinking about social media today.

Rachel joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about what’s happening on Instagram right now, why follower counts don’t mean what they used to, and why short-form video matters so much for brands, restaurants, and media companies. She breaks down how social platforms have changed, and how doing less—but doing it with intention—can be a smarter way forward.

Plus, Rachel shares her thoughts on Substack, Facebook’s possible comeback, the pressure to be everywhere, and some of the brands and restaurants doing social media right today.

Click here for the 2026 Cherry Bombe Power List 

Thank you to American Express and Resy for supporting our show. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers – not of Resy – and do not constitute professional advice.

Thank you to Whole Foods Market for supporting our show. Click here to sign up for the Supper Club Series waitlist in Miami on June 23rd.  

Click here to order The Game Changers issue of Cherry Bombe magazine.

Sign up for our free Radio Cherry Bombe newsletters at cherrybombe.substack.com

More on Rachel: Instagram, Link in Bio

Today’s guests are Ligaya Mishan and Tejal Rao, the co-chief restaurant critics at The New York Times. Ligaya is based in New York City, while Tejal is based in Los Angeles, and together they’re bringing a fresh perspective to one of the most influential roles in the food world. Ligaya and Tejal are also featured on Cherry Bombe’s 2026 Power List.

Ligaya and Tejal join host Kerry Diamond to talk about their childhoods, the foods that shaped them, and how they each found their way to writing and restaurant criticism. They share how they’re approaching this new era of criticism—one that takes into account emerging audiences and cuisines, the end of anonymity, and the physical and emotional realities of eating for a living.

They also discuss The New York Times’ 100 Best Restaurants in New York City list, why it’s always a conversation starter, and what it means to think about a list as a portrait of a city. Plus, Ligaya and Tejal talk about the Los Angeles restaurant scene, menu storytelling, the cities they’re excited about right now, and why restaurants still matter as spaces of hospitality, connection, and community.

Click here for the 2026 Cherry Bombe Power List 

Thank you to Whole Foods Market for supporting our show. Click here to sign up for the Supper Club Series waitlist in Miami on June 23rd.  

Click here to pre-order The Game Changers issue of Cherry Bombe magazine.

Sign up for our free Radio Cherry Bombe newsletters at cherrybombe.substack.com

More on Ligaya: Instagram, NYT profile