The Perfect Bite

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 in an Italian-American family where food focused on connection and nourishment, to her transition from litigator to culinary school graduate to national TV host, she shares how she’s turned every chapter into an opportunity to grow, serve, and create.



We dive into how she built a career at the intersection of culinary arts, media, nonprofits and entrepreneurship, how she’s shaping the future of culinary education through the Foundation for Culinary Arts, and what inspired her newest venture — Casa De Orio, a digital platform and lifestyle brand focused on food, design, travel, and finding beauty in everyday life.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How Catherine transitioned from law to food & lifestyle media
• The origin story behind Check, Please! and how it shaped her career
• How food, family, and heritage shaped her creative voice
• The mission of the Foundation for Culinary Arts & the “Yes, Chef!” culinary camp program
• What inspired Casa De Orio & the future of digital lifestyle brands
• Advice for creatives on trusting your path and finding alignment

To learn more about the Foundation for Culinary Arts and support its mission, you can visit www.foundationforculinaryarts.org. You can follow FFCA on Instagram at @f4cachi.

You can learn more about Casa De Orio at www.casadeorio.com and follow on Instagram @casadeorio. 

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!

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 thought-provoking as they are delicious. From his culinary beginnings to curating one-of-a-kind experiences, Logan shares what inspires his menus, how he brings a sense of art and history to every dish, and why he believes food should make you feel something.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Chef Logan Neisel approaches pop-ups and private dining as immersive art forms
• The stories and history behind his most memorable dishes
• How artistry, intention, and emotion guide his creative process
• Why intimacy and storytelling matter more than ever in modern dining
• The evolution of Midwest food culture through a fine-dining lens

Want to join Logan for one of his Prologue Dinner Series events? Get 10% off your tickets with code PERFECTBITE here. 

You can follow Logan on Instagram @chef_lone, @northcoastculinarygroup, and @prologuedinner_cle. 

Head to this link to see where Logan will be serving his next dinner in Cleveland.

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!

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-Georges, Bouchon, and even Gaggan in Bangkok. His story spans immigration, resilience, mentorship, and the reinvention of Indian cuisine paired with other cultures for a new generation.

He shares how his South Indian roots shaped his culinary identity, how he built community-driven restaurants rooted in collaboration and culture, and how he’s using food to challenge stereotypes about Indian cuisine.

You’ll Learn:

• How Zubair transitioned from finance to fine dining
• Lessons from working at Jean-Georges and staging at Gaggan in Bangkok
• The origins of Wazwan, Lilac Tiger, Coach House, Mirra, and Sarima Café to James Beard nominations
• How Top Chef changed his perspective as a creative entrepreneur
• Why collaboration is key in the restaurant industry
• His reflections on culture, immigrant identity, and culinary reinvention

You can visit all of Zubair’s venues throughout Chicago. To learn more, visit www.chefzubair.com. 

You can follow Zubair on Instagram @zubairmohajir. You can follow his restaurants @lilactigerchi, @mirrachicago, @coachhousechi, and @sarimacafe. 

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!

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 Free Chocolates, to talk about building a beloved brand for families with food allergies — and why safe, great chocolate is for everyone.

Mark shares:

• The origin story of Vermont Nut Free Chocolates (and how early online sales helped them grow)
• What it means to create allergen-friendly sweets without sacrificing taste
• How they grew from their home kitchen to nationwide distribution
• Challenges of cocoa pricing, tariffs, and scaling artisanal production today
• Trends in allergy-friendly CPG and where the market is heading
• His advice for entrepreneurs about resilience, “gettoitiveness,” and listening to your customers

If you or your loved ones have ever struggled with food allergies, work in the CPG or chocolate space, or just love entrepreneurial stories (and chocolate!), you won’t want to miss this conversation.

Want 15% off your Vermont Nut Free order? Use code PERFECTBITE at checkout or follow this link: https://www.vermontnutfree.com/discount/PERFECTBITE

You can purchase Vermont Nut Free Chocolates at www.vermontnutfree.com or use the website's Store Locator to find a retailer near you.

You can follow Vermont Nut Free Chocolates on social media at @vermontnutfree.

Learn more about the FARE PACT Alliance here.

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!

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 national brand that’s changing the way people cook at home.

David shares the full journey:

• Growing up with home-cooked meals and discovering the power of food
• Early career lessons at Veggie Grill and running a frozen yogurt chain
• The “aha moment” that sparked Tovala’s smart oven technology
• Navigating Y Combinator as a food + hardware startup
• Landing on Oprah’s Favorite Things list and scaling nationally
• Balancing fundraising challenges, consumer trust, and profitability
• His best advice for entrepreneurs in food tech and beyond

Whether you’re a foodie, a startup founder, or someone looking for smarter ways to cook at home, this episode is packed with insights on innovation, perseverance, and building a consumer brand that lasts.

You can order a Tovala oven and sign up for the meal service at www.tovala.com.

Follow Tovala on Instagram at @tovalafood and your other favorite social media platforms. 

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 the newsletter on Substack!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 shares how memories of eating Better Made chips with her grandmother and a honeymoon in Japan enjoying unique chip flavors sparked the idea for Local Style, how she brought iconic flavors like Italian Beef, Chicago Hot Dog, Deep Dish Pizza, and Hot Giardiniera to life, and why entrepreneurship in her 40s was the right move.

We also dive into:

• How Local Style exploded from 12 to 140+ retailers in just four months
• What it’s like to build a business with your spouse
• Laura’s viral Local Style packaging dress at the James Beard Awards
• The power of Chicago pride in food entrepreneurship
• Her advice for anyone ready to finally take the leap into building their dream

If you love snacks, debating Chicago foods, or entrepreneurial stories full of resilience and creativity, you won’t want to miss this episode.

To learn more and order Local Style nationwide, head to www.localstylechips.com. You also can order Local Style on Here Here Market nationwide at www.hereheremarket.com. 

Follow Local Style on Instagram and Tiktok @localstylechips.

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 the newsletter on Substack!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 her debut cookbook Dal Chawal.

Sapna shares:

• Why she wrote Dal Chawal and how it celebrates Indian food traditions
• Everyday ways to bring Ayurveda practices into your kitchen
• The importance of rituals, family, and storytelling in food
• How she built a business rooted in heritage and wellness

This episode is a beautiful reminder that food is more than fuel — it’s connection, culture, and healing.

👉 Dal Chawal is available now wherever books are sold.

You can learn more about beSPICED, Sapna’s products, Dal Chawal, and her courses at www.bespiced.com. 

You can follow Sapna on Instagram @be.spiced and her YouTube channel. In California? View Sapna’s upcoming book tour dates and locations here! 

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 visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 journey from working as the “phone girl” at a pizzeria to building a career rooted in storytelling, creativity, and entrepreneurship. From being ahead of her time in the fashion swap era as a younger, successful startup founder, navigating the tech space, to now finding happiness and success in sharing conversations with strangers turned friends.

Together, Colleen and Sarah explore the heart of the food and beverage industry: connection, storytelling, and the power of personal journeys.

What We Discussed

• Sarah’s first job in hospitality (and what being a pizzeria “phone girl” taught her).
• How childhood storytelling and writing shaped her career.
• The role of food media and consulting in amplifying voices in hospitality.
• Why human connection is the heartbeat of hospitality.
• Colleen’s own shift from the front-of-house to food media.
• The shared values that make the hospitality industry unique.

Episode Takeaways

• Hospitality is about more than food—it’s about caring for people and creating connection.
• Storytelling is a powerful tool for elevating food and beverage businesses.
• Everyone takes a different path into hospitality, and each story has value.
• Transitioning from hands-on roles to media or consulting can open new creative doors.
• Passion and community fuel the food and beverage industry.

Chapters

1. 01:35 Introduction and Background 
2. 02:12 Early Career and Education
3. 05:40 Founding the Fashion Rental Startup 
4. 08:29 Transition to Food and Beverage 
5. 09:24 Becoming a Marketing Consultant 
6. 13:32 Podcasting and Storytelling 
7. 16:46 Challenges and Lessons Learned 
8. 27:29 Future Goals and Aspirations 

 #HospitalityBitesPodcast #HospitalityEntrepreneur #WomenInHospitality #HospitalityLeadership #FemaleFounders #FoodAndBeverageIndustry #CherryBombe #PerfectBitePodcast #BusinessOfFood #FoodStorytelling  

About Hospitality Bites:

Hosted by Colleen Silk, Hospitality Bites is an honest and restorative space for voices within the hospitality industry. More than just a podcast, it serves as a storytelling platform for changemakers, risk-takers, and hospitality professionals who are approaching their work in innovative ways. Each episode features guests ranging from chefs to advocates and media personalities, focusing on mental and physical health, personal experiences, and the realities of thriving in the hospitality industry and beyond.

New episodes of Hospitality Bites drop every Monday, now proudly under the Walk-In Talk Media umbrella.

Watch the full episode on YouTube the following week.

Want to get involved or learn more? Visit HospitalityBites.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 stories:

• Dan’s journey from Door County line cook to co-owner of Milwaukee’s acclaimed restaurants DanDan and EsterEv
• Billy’s path from ESPN Radio producer to pizza entrepreneur and ambassador raising $75,000+ for the Muscular Dystrophy Association
• How both navigate life and entrepreneurship while living with chronic illnesses (Kennedy’s Disease and Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy)
• Why they launched Over the Line, blending food and sports conversations
• Their thoughts on media, community, resilience, and what it really means to pivot in life and business

This conversation is about more than food — it’s about finding purpose, reinventing yourself, and building community.

You can follow Dan Jacobs on social media @chefdanjacobs and learn more at www.chefdanjacobs.com. 

You can follow Billy Zureikat on social media @therealbillyz and learn more at www.trippingbillyz.com. 

Listen and subscribe to Over The Line on any of your favorite podcast platforms. You can follow the podcast on social media @otlwithdanandbilly. 

If you’d like to learn more and support the causes discussed today, visit www.mda.org (Muscular Dystrophy Association) and www.kennedysdisease.org (Kennedy’s Disease). 

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 visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 food icons like David Burke, Carla Hall, and Molly Baz, to launching a startup that’s reshaping how restaurants build customer loyalty and future-proof their business.

Britney shares:

• How her early experiences in restaurants inspired her path into food and hospitality tech
• Lessons learned from working with celebrity chefs and food entrepreneurs
• Why she built Panso, a hospitality CRM that gives restaurants a true 360° view of their guests
• The challenges (and wins) of being a woman founder in the restaurant tech space
• How restaurants can boost customer retention, loyalty, and growth through smarter data and personalized experiences

Whether you’re a restaurant operator, food tech entrepreneur, or hospitality professional, you’ll walk away with insights on customer experience, innovation, and building a mission-driven business.

✨ Listen now to learn how Panso is helping restaurants thrive in 2025 and beyond.

You can learn more about Panso at www.hellopanso.com. 

You can follow Panso at @hellopanso on Instagram. 

You can follow Britney Ziegler on LinkedIn. 

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 visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.