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Artwork for Special Sauce

Special Sauce with Ed Levine

Ed Levine
Pizza
Thanksgiving
Food Industry
Food Insecurity
Martha's Vineyard
Cooking
Seattle
Teriyaki
ICE
New York City
Leftovers
Food Culture
SPICES
Cooking Tips
Pasta
Grilling
Kamala Harris
Chocolate
Immigration
Turkey

Serious Eats' podcast Special Sauce enables food lovers everywhere to eavesdrop on an intimate conversation about food and life between host and Serious Eats founder Ed Levine and his well-known/famous friends and acquaintances both in and out of the food culture.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes467Founded11 years ago
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FoodArts

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Artwork for Special Sauce

Latest Episodes

Are Yemeni coffee shops the next big thing? On this reheated episode from 2025 serious eaters will meet Mokhtar Alkhanshali who has braved gunfire and jail and AK-47s as he tries to bring single origin Port of Mokha Yemeni coffee to the world. His st... more

This week on Special Sauce Dr. Dana Small, a professor at McGill University and one of the leading experts on the neuroscience of food decisions, and longtime friend of the podcast Pete Wells of The New York Times join us to explain how the pleasure ... more

How does a family business survive more than a century of selling smoked fish, bagels, and candy? Russ and Daughters' Niki Russ Federman explains all.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

If there is a smarter or better TV critic than The New York Times's James Poniewozik I have yet to come across him or her. So when I was dying to talk to someone about The Bear's moving final season I rang up James and he graciously agreed to come on... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Dana Small
Canada Excellence Research Chair in Brain and Metabolism, McGill University
McGill University
Episode: Loving Food Can Actually Be the Secret to Eating Less of It
Niki Russ Federman
Co-owner of Russ and Daughters
Russ and Daughters
Episode: The Russ and Daughters Story
James Poniewozik
Chief television critic, The New York Times
The New York Times
Episode: The Bear's Final Season with the NYT's James Poniewozik
Kenji López-Alt
Author, culinary writer, Serious Eats contributor
Serious Eats
Episode: Burger Madness Part 1 with Kenji and George Motz
George Motz
Hamburger America founder, filmmaker, burger expert
Hamburger America
Episode: Burger Madness Part 1 with Kenji and George Motz
Matt Flegenheimer
Staff writer at The New York Times
The New York Times
Episode: The Knicks: Orange and Blue Skies, Baby!
Chris Crowley
Former Serious Eats colleague, Knicks fan
Caper
Episode: The Knicks: Orange and Blue Skies, Baby!
Mateo Kehler
Co-founder of Jasper Hill Farm
Jasper Hill Farm
Episode: Mateo Kehler: The Cheese Visionary Behind Jasper Hill Farm
JJ Goode
Food writer and author; hot dog expert guest on the show
Freelance / Serious Eats contributor
Episode: A Hot Dog Reheat for Memorial Day

Host

Ed Levine
Host of the show and founder of Serious Eats

Reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars from 499 ratings
  • Political show

    This is not a cooking show. Way too many politically based opinions. Its more of a left leaning news program. I just like food too bad your waisting my time with your agenda

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    jloy oyster
    United States4 months ago
  • Using your platform for good

    Thank you to Ed Levine and the podcast team for being one of the few “fun” podcasts out there for shining a light on ICE and making sure the truth is told about their inhumane and unlawful tactics. We need more brave people in the media using their voices to highlight the ways in which the most vulnerable members of our community are being targeted.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    meownisota
    United States9 months ago
  • these reviews make me lol

    Giving this show a 5 stars for getting Zionists and folks who wish discussing food could really be apolitical (or rather that it would leaning more to their own views/beliefs) BIG mad!!! It’s very funny and I haven’t even listened to the podcast yet! But I loveeee to see whiny adult baby reviews, always an incentive to listen!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    txhxy j
    United Statesa year ago
  • LA look at New Orleans

    Look how long it took New Orleans to come back. It was the chefs that bought New Orleans back. Building back will take years. And a lot of people moved away to never to return.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Bsbooker
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great show

    Very much enjoy the show but, enough with the pizza already!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mgd1961
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many appreciate the depth of interviews and the human stories behind food careers.
Some express frustration with political topics and host interruptions.
Listeners praise the show for its fascinating guest mix and thoughtful conversations about food beyond recipes.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#53
United States/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#77
Canada/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#178
United Kingdom/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#166
Australia/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#191
Italy/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#8
United Arab Emirates/Arts/Food

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Loving Food Can Actually Be the Secret to Eating Less of It
Q: Dana, can you summarize the key distinction between the high road and low road in reinforcement signaling and why that matters for understanding eating behavior?
Dana explains that the high road is driven by taste and flavor at the mouth, while the low road involves dopamine signaling after metabolism, and that both pathways interact to shape eating behavior, with metabolism sometimes driving the learning and cravings.
Loving Food Can Actually Be the Secret to Eating Less of It
Q: Pete, how did you first get interested in the link between pleasure and dieting, and what did you discover about your own weight journey?
Pete describes his weight gain while restaurant critic work and the turning point when curiosity about pleasure led to questioning traditional dieting narratives, ultimately highlighting the role of enjoyment in sustaining healthier choices.
A Pie Reheat for the 4th of July
Q: Do you have a go-to karaoke song you'd want as a final note?
Her preferred final listening moment would be a Dolly Parton song on her last day, with light-hearted exchanges about karaoke choices reflecting her love for Dolly Parton and classic American music.
A Pie Reheat for the 4th of July
Q: What is the overarching message you want your book to convey?
She emphasizes that the book is about perspective and conversations; food can reveal tender truths about people, and the goal is to spark friendship and connection through storytelling and pie.
A Pie Reheat for the 4th of July
Q: What pies are you going to be making or serving or eating at your Thanksgiving?
Stacey suggests starting with home-state pies and describes a few favorites like New York apple pie with coffee cake crumble, Alabama peach blackberry with pecan crumble, and a Rainier cherry pie with a potato chip crumble, highlighting how these recipes balance tradition with creative twists.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Special Sauce

What is Special Sauce about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show blends culinary culture with personal storytelling, featuring intimate conversations between a renowned food writer-host and a rotating lineup of chefs, journalists, critics, and industry insiders. Episodes often pivot around craft traditions (bagels, biali, and other iconic foods), culinary history, and the people behind food brands, while frequently weaving in broader social topics such as immigration, labor, health, and policy. Listeners can expect deep-dive technique discussions, first-person career journeys, and candid takes on media, technology, and ethics in the food world. The format stands out for its wide-ranging guest roster, long-form conversations, and a willingness to blend food obsession with timely cultural issues,... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Special Sauce?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Special Sauce:

1. Good Food
2. Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio
3. Bon Appétit
4. The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters
5. Food with Mark Bittman

How many episodes of Special Sauce are there?

Special Sauce launched 11 years ago and published 467 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Special Sauce?

Recent guests on Special Sauce include:

1. Dana Small
2. Niki Russ Federman
3. James Poniewozik
4. Kenji López-Alt
5. George Motz
6. Matt Flegenheimer
7. Chris Crowley
8. Mateo Kehler

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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