Tip of the Tongue

This episode falls into the “You never know where life will lead you department.” Meredith Mills-Merritt found herself in the beauty business, moving to the business of developing and selling build a ready-to-drink cocktail brand from her mom Leah’s summer recipe. It eventually became her full-time focus. Her entry into the business was guided largely by a desire to build something rooted in family tradition and her own values around ingredient transparency and “better for you” products. That leap has paid off: Southside has grown into 20+ markets and national retailers like Whole Foods and Total Wine in under two years, with 2025 shipments up more than 370%.Beyond the business, Meredith is also co-founder of the Clean Alcohol Collective, channeling her values around transparency into an industry-wide advocacy effort, and she’s spoken about the importance of moderation and building a brand that lets people enjoy social moments without compromising their health goals. Get full access to Tip of the Tongue at tipofthetongue.substack.com/subscribe

Imagine inheriting the house you and your family escaped to charge your batteries every year. You live a busy professional life and yet, you manage to turn your eighteenth century family home into an inn that serves delicious Lebanese foods. The inn’s reputation is such that you have written a book about it, which include many recipes, and a delicious look at the Lebanese table. She is cofounder and president of Skoun, Lebanon’s first outpatient addiction center, and cofounder of Yoga Souk in Beirut. She was raised in Saudi Arabia, has lived in Paris, Beirut, and New York, and is now based in Athens.We speak with the peripatetic Sarah Trad about the renovations of Beit Trad and the new restaurant in Greece that she has planned. Listen. It’s on Tip of the Tongue. Get full access to Tip of the Tongue at tipofthetongue.substack.com/subscribe

Terry Voorhies, her husband, and friends had a weekly dinner together during COVID. They turned their experiences into a memento book of that time. Talk about making lemonade out of lemons, this group stayed mentally and socially healthy by eating together in person on a regular basis during a highly stressful time. Then they memorialized it in photos and a book. It could be a roadmap for survival during the next pandemic. The Cover of the BookLink to Caramelized bacon, These are 2 recipes that are representative of the food that was made and served at these dinners.Caramelized bacon How Easy is That, Ina GartnerDeviled smoked salmon eggs How easy is that, Ina Gartner The Menu One of the WinesI’d love to hear from you, so Please subscribe to Tip of the Tongue, wherever you listen to podcasts.Thanks for listening! Get full access to Tip of the Tongue at tipofthetongue.substack.com/subscribe

Evan Hennessey is a James Beard award winner and a Top Chef champion. His restaurant in Dover, New Hampshire is Stages adjacent to the Living Room, with an ever-changing tasting menu. In 2026 he opened a second restaurant, Topolino, for a more casual experience. Chef Evan Hennessey from New Hampshire Business ReviewChef Hennessey has much on his plate, so to speak. And one of the ways to recover and refresh is to leave it all behind and let nature replenish the soul. He has started a culinary travel company, Finding Thyme, to do just that with new projects surfacing to file away the rough edges of life.There is much to explore. Listen. It’s on Tip of the Tongue.Tip of the Tongue is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Tip of the Tongue at tipofthetongue.substack.com/subscribe

As we continue to think this year about 250 years since 1776 and we examine and celebrate our beginnings as a nation, how can we not talk about our communal table? Nancy Siegel has written a wonderful book about this very thing, called Political Appetites: The Power of Food in Revolutionary America. Whether it is Washington Cake or a huge Election Cake or the Boston Tea Party, food was an important part of forming a new and cohesive nation. Listen. It’s on Tip of the Tongue. Nancy Siegel Federal Cake Election Cake Discount code for preordering the book Get full access to Tip of the Tongue at tipofthetongue.substack.com/subscribe

Marielle Songy has written a new book about the coffee culture of the city of New Orleans. It is part history and part tasting and part exploring all of the ways of coffee.Coffee Culture New Orleans is a book that carries lots of weight, because coffee means so much to New Orleans. It gave the port a good foundation; it helped formed the culture of business as business happened over a cup of coffee; it helped developed the coffee business in the city that sent coffee around the developing country; and it has done so much more. Federal Cake Election Cake Nancy Siegel This QR code will give you a discount on a preorder of the book. Get full access to Tip of the Tongue at tipofthetongue.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to Tip of the Tongue at tipofthetongue.substack.com/subscribe

Marielle Songy has written a new book! Coffee Culture New Orleans. The book explores the history of coffee importation and drinking in the city of New Orleans, and the political and economic impact coffee has had on the city. She talks about the myths about coffee and chicory. And she explores how modern coffee drinking has changed. Listen! It’s on Tip of the Tongue. Marielle SongyMarielle has also been on our podcast about another beverage associated with New Orleans - the absinthe frappé. You can listen to that earlier podcast here. Get full access to Tip of the Tongue at tipofthetongue.substack.com/subscribe

Chef Alon Shaya has written a new book,  Memories of a Good Meal: Recipes of Resilience Inspired by Stories of World War II Survival, full of stories and recipes which represent the sometimes hidden and sometimes forgotten people from World War II. Shaya is a James Beard award winning chef and the co-founder of Pomegranate Hospitality. He is the author of Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israeland his most recent book, written with June Hersh.We talk about his new book and what it means. Listen. It’s on Tip of the Tongue. Get full access to Tip of the Tongue at tipofthetongue.substack.com/subscribe

As we celebrate all things about the founding of America this year, we can look at the contributions of Spain to the founding of this country. One of the places touched by Spain was New Orleans and the territory of the Louisiana Purchase. The influences from France are often noted when speaking of this history. Those influences from Spain are often less emphasized, but the amount of territory that was influenced by Spain was vast and varied. Listen, it’s on Tip of the Tongue.We speak with Begoña Santos, President and CEO of the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute and Antonio Sanchez de Mora of the Archivo General de las Indias Begoña Santos Antonio Sanchez de MoraHere is the ticket link to the opening event at the St. Louis Cathedral. Get full access to Tip of the Tongue at tipofthetongue.substack.com/subscribe