Sip With Me

If Disney World’s Epcot had a Greek pavilion, this would be it 🇬🇷

Since Ioanna is from a Greek island, and also lived on the island of Manhattan, and Aaron married a New Yorker, we have high standards when it comes to our Greek food! This is the spot that never disappoints and will transport you out of the concrete jungle and into a Greek oasis.

We sat down with first-generation Greek-American Co-Owner, Tina Plagos, to hear the incredible founding story of her NYC restaurant. Learn about their iconic blue doors and what makes their pita special!

Hear how they created the “Souvlaki Pitza” and why they still get they get their meat from the butcher every single day.

Tina shares what loyal customers can expect ahead for the restaurant & menu- they are at 3 NYC locations, a location in Florida’s Boynton Beach, and one in Panama City! Combined with their food trucks, there’s Greek food for everyone! We also pitch her on opening in Chicago!

We end with rapid fire, during which Tina shares one of her favorite menu items, cool people she’s met dining, and what kind of Greek wine she likes!

MENU & RESERVATIONS:

https://www.souvlakigr.com/

Beer lovers have spent too many years without a worthy non-alcoholic option. Introducing Years, the revolutionary NA beer approved by Comedian & Years Co-Owner, John Mulaney!

Meet Dan Abel, Co-Founder/CEO of Pilot Project Brewing & Years. We chat about how the NA beer was developed and what you can expect from their Original Pilsner, Classic Pale Ale, and Belgian Wit. There’s literally nothing missing from the taste, texture, and feel of these cold pours.

Hear about their proprietary  maltose-negative yeast and why their brew process is different from the rest. Plus, the story of how John Mulaney came into the fold!

We also chat NA beer trends and what Dan is excited about for the year ahead (literally).

We end with rapid fire, learning Dan’s favorite beer snack and one person he’d love to have a Years Beer with!

SHOP: https://yearsbeer.com/

BREWING PROCESS: https://yearsbeer.com/pages/our-process

SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/yearsbeer/

Let’s tacoBout the tacos that everybody is talking about! Fans love them for their globally-influenced fusions and we love them for their incredibly  delicious flavors, such as Bacon Smashburger, Korean Fried Rice, and Chicken Tikka!

Take a bite into this episode with CEO, Chris Schultz, whom fans of our foodie episodes may remember from our Voodoo Doughnut feature in 2024! He’s back in Chicago, opening Velvet Taco’s 57th store, right here in Wicker Park! The first 57 people in line on March 25th at the new store will get FREE TACOS FOR A MONTH!

Chris tells us how this unique taco concept came to be and what’s behind the Velvet name.

He walks us through the menu, highlighting popular items and their WTF Tacos (Weekly Taco Feature) which includes some of their most fun flavors!

Hear about their expansion plans and a why they landed on Wicker for the newest opening!

We end with rapid fire, asking Chris what flavor is trending, what he likes to drink with a taco, and he even describes us as a taco!

Wicker Park opens March 25th at 1482 N Milwaukee Ave.

ORDER/LOCATIONS: https://www.velvettaco.com/locations/

MENU: https://www.velvettaco.com/menu/

LOYALTY: https://www.velvettaco.com/the-velvet-room/

Welcome to the Sip with Me Awards! In honor of our 200th episode, we are celebrating some of our favorite guests, businesses, and brands! Listen to find out our best behind-the-scenes story, who is most likely to become an A-List celebrity, and what brands we think will be the next big thing by 2027!

Thank you to everyone who has listened and supported us over the last six years. We could not have made it to 200 without each of you.

Cheers & Happy Sipping!

Aaron & Ioanna

AWARD WINNERS

Best Behind-the-Scenes Story: Interviewing Carole Baskin in NYC 

Most Likely to become an A-List Celebrity: Artist Morgan St. Jean

Best meal: Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse

Guest Who Could Host the Show: Melissa Andre

Guest Who Surprised Us the Most: Chicago Literary Salon

Most Unfiltered Guest: Corinne Olympios from ABC’s The Bachelor & Holly Nichols

Rising Star Brand: Local Style Chips & Years beer 

Most Mind-Blowing Conversation: HarvardSmithsonian Astrophysicist Jonathon McDonald 

Small Business to watch: October Cafe

Most Replayed Episode: Lauren Paley 

Most Viral Moment: Sheena Melwani

Rising Star Brand: Local Style Chips & Years beer 

Best New Discovery: Penguin Foot Pottery

Best Advice Given: Noreen Heron- always be authentic and honest with your audience

Best experience: Camp Wandawega

Best show: Paranormal Activity at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

Best drama: Kimbyrleigha and the Anti-MLM Movement

Each of our favorite episodes to do: Affy Tapple & Muriel Fahiron (Creator of Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears)

America is turning 250, and in America’s first national park, there’s so much to be proud of! Dreams can come true in this park, including Aaron getting engaged on the roof of a historic landmark (full story in the episode)!

For its millions of annual visitors, Yellowstone National Park is a place of unity, beauty, and connection to mother nature, unrivaled by anything in the world. As our guest said, “it’s truly wild”.

We sat down with Cam Sholly, Superintendent of Yellowstone, to talk about the importance of our National Park System. He shares some of the public benefits provided beyond their stunning views and majestic landscapes.

Cam talks about his role in overseeing the country’s most popular national park and how his teams handle crowded summers, cold winters, and everything in between.

We discuss the science and research that takes place in the park, including the study of a volcano that lies miles beneath much of the park!

Cam also talks about the Park’s famous wildlife, including their famous bison, wolves, and bears.

We end with a round of rapid fire, learning cam‘s favorite spot in the park, his favorite season, and some of the cool people he has met!

VISIT: https://www.nps.gov/yell/

PARK PASS: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm

ABOUT CAM: https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/management/bios.htm

WILDLIFE: https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/wildlife.htm

JOBS: https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/workwithus.htm

The Chicago Literary Salon is an upscale, ticketed author event series where book lovers gather for cocktails & conversation with writers at the heart of today’s literary scene. Created by Ashley Hasty, the innovative concept has grown a loyal following and featured authors both local and nationally best selling.

We sat down for our own conversation with Ashley about her background and where the idea for a regular author series came from. She shares some of the fascinating stories authors have shared and what you can expect if you attend an event.

Ashley shares who is on her 2026 lineup and explains why the popularity of her author talks extends beyond the books to the conversations and connections made during the evening.

To check out all of the upcoming dates and authors, visit the link below!

TICKETS: https://www.hastybooklist.com/the-chicago-literary-salon

SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/chicagoliterarysalon/

Find your 2026 Aura with us at Aura Candle Bar!

Founded in 2020 by Tom and Linda Pendrey, this transformative candle bar has differentiated itself and garnered a loyal following of repeat customers from around the world. Featuring over 100 fragrance options and scent consultants who will teach you the science behind fragrance and fire, you will leave this experience, literally feeling enlightened!

Tom shares their founding story, including how they landed on Chicago and what some of the entrepreneurial milestones have been.

Kristen, who is Tom and Linda‘s daughter, guides us through what a candle making experience is like and how the team of consultants helps you to discover the meaning behind the scents you choose, and how to blend them into the perfect original fragrance!

We end with what’s trending in the world of candles, including sweet scents and their changeover to a new type of wax! Tom also highlights exciting additions to the business, including an e-commerce platform and the ability to customize your own sugar scrub and some new vessels!

BOOK: https://auracandlebar.com/

SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/auracandlebar/

2:40 Intro & Founding Story

7:30 The Magic of Fragrance

12:00 The Candle Process- What’s Unique at Aura and a discussion of fragrance options

23:50 The Science of Fragrance

26:30 What’s trending in candles & what’s ahead in 2026 for Aura Candle Bar

Join us for one last cheers as we recap 2025 and make predictions for 2026! We chat about a year of podcast highlights and are honest about the lows that come with creating media & content.

Plus, we both make some bold predictions for 2026- from fashion trends, to politics, to AI, hear our super unfiltered hot takes on what’s ahead for Chicago, America, and the world.

Cheers to a New Year and thanks so much for another amazing year of storytelling!

Episode Outline

1:00- 2025 Biggest news story, outfit of the year, and Ioanna’s rare diagnosis

2026 Predictions

8:00- Chicago Bears

10:30- AI

14:30- Remote Work

17:45- Clothing

20:00- Midterm Elections

26:00- Food & Dining

It’s Christmas of long ago, your house is covered in fresh snowfall, and the bright, warm glow of your incandescent Christmas lights peaks through to light up the winter cold.

In this festive episode, we meet Tru-Tone Christmas Lights, the company bringing back the nostalgic glow and timeless magic of vintage Christmas lights.

Learn how partners David Andora & Sean Hunt created their bulbs to capture that vintage glow so prominently featured in your most nostalgic Christmas movies and memories. A heartfelt founding story inspired by childhood memories and Christmases in Chicago!

Dive into what’s trending in holiday lights and hear some of the science behind Christmas lighting!

We end with a lit round of rapid fire, learning their favorite Christmas light color and the best gift they’ve ever received!

SHOP: https://tru-tone.com/

SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/trutonebulbs/

CHICAGO VENDORS

FESTIVE COLLECTIVE

​5 N Milwaukee Ave

INSIDE HOME

1942 W. Chicago Ave

DISTRICT CHICAGO

5430 N Clark St

What do Santa, Suites, and Serenity all have in common? They’re all at Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook Chicago! We’re staying in their signature “Santa Suite” and chatting the holidays with Michelle Marvin, Director of Sales and Marketing!

Michelle tells us about the scenic property, which is surrounded by forest preserve, and has rich historic ties to McDonald’s former headquarters! Hear about the property’s amenities, such as their absolutely insane indoor pool (perf for winter staycations), a full-service spa, and incredible wedding packages (Michelle even likely sold Aaron on scheduling his wedding)!

We also chat about why they are the must-do location for winter and Christmas fun in the suburbs. This year’s fun includes their famous holiday pop-up bar “Prancer’s Pub”, the family-friendly “Deck the Halls” crafting & cocoa events, and of course - THE SANTA SUITE - a North Pole Suite which includes a special surprise from Santa and stunning lake views.

Check out the links below to book a stay, explore the property, and plan your own suburban holiday fun!

HOTEL RESERVATIONS: https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-hotels/en-US/chilo-hyatt-lodge-oak-brook-chicago

HOLIDAY OFFERINGS: https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-hotels/en-US/chilo-hyatt-lodge-oak-brook-chicago/holidays

PRANCER’S PUB MENU: https://www.hyatt.com/content/dam/hotel/propertysites/assets/hyatt/chilo/documents/en_us/dining/hearth-lounge/389115_Prancers_Pub_Menu_Card.pdf

WEDDING INFO: https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-hotels/en-US/chilo-hyatt-lodge-oak-brook-chicago/weddings

SPA: https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-hotels/en-US/chilo-hyatt-lodge-oak-brook-chicago/spa