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Special Sauce with Ed Levine

Ed Levine
Thanksgiving
African American Cooking
Cooking Tips
Cookbooks
Harlem Seafood Soul
Soul Food
Southern Food
Food Industry
Chocolate
Chinese Cuisine
Kenji Lopez-Alt
Deb Perelman
Leftovers
Hamburger
Cacao Beans
Bean-To-Bar Chocolate
Sichuan Cuisine
Family Gatherings
Cranberry Sauce
American Hamburger Culture

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.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes447Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
FoodArts

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Artwork for Special Sauce

Latest Episodes

This week we're reheating one of our favorite recent episodes on the ongoing struggle between ICE and the immigrant-driven food cultures of major American cities. LA Taco's editor-in-chief  Javier Cabral explains how and why his website became one of... more

On part 2 of our revealing and refreshingly honest conversation with three of the best food critics in America, Hannah Goldfield of The New Yorker, Bill Addison of The Los Angeles Times, and Elazar Sontag of The Washington Post, all three are not fee... more

Are restaurant critics dinosaurs in the age of social media? We discuss that and more in part one of our critic's roundtable with The New Yorker's Hannah Goldfield, The Washington Post's Elazar Sontag, and The Los Angeles Times' Bill Addison.

Learn ... more

This week Pete Wells and I talk about our mutual worst food enemy, our addiction to sugar. Pete explains how the hidden added sugars in many packaged and processed foods just compound our dietary problems. We also talk about how the mixed messages we... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Bill Addison
Restaurant critic for The Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times
Episode: Are Restaurant Critics Obsolete? Part 2
Hannah Goldfield
Restaurant critic for The New Yorker
The New Yorker
Episode: Are Restaurant Critics Obsolete? Part 2
Elazar Sontag
Restaurant critic for The Washington Post
The Washington Post
Episode: Are Restaurant Critics Obsolete? Part 2
Pete Wells
Former New York Times restaurant critic who transformed his approach to food and diet after a health scare.
The New York Times
Episode: Food Critic on a Diet, Part One: The NYT's Pete Wells
Mark Strausman
Chef and restaurateur, known for his Italian cuisine and efforts to preserve the biali
Marks Off Madison
Episode: The Magic of the Bialy
Stephanie Breijo
Food reporter for the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
Episode: Can Restaurants Survive In 2026
Tim Carman
Food reporter and writer for the Washington Post
Washington Post
Episode: Can Restaurants Survive In 2026
Manolo Betancur
Owner of Manolo's Bakery, an immigrant activist
Manolo's Bakery
Episode: ICE Comes to Charlotte
Kathleen Purvis
Former food editor of the Charlotte Observer, food writer and historian
Charlotte Observer
Episode: ICE Comes to Charlotte

Host

Ed Levine
Founder of Serious Eats and host of Special Sauce, Ed Levine is known for his deep connections to the food industry and engaging storytelling. He brings a thoughtful yet humorous perspective to conversations about food and culture.

Reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars from 492 ratings
  • 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 States4 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 States10 months 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 Statesa year ago
  • Misrepresentation and political platform

    I recently discovered this podcast, Special Sauce and I was thrilled to find it. However,I was disappointed to see that it took a political turn with the episode featuring Kamala Harris. I appreciate podcasts as a form of entertainment and education and prefer to keep them free from political discussions, unless of course it is a podcast idefined political. I felt like Ed Levine is using his much deserved culinary credentials as a means to promote a political preference . I didn't like it. I app... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Juliaaaaaaaaa
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Many find the host's storytelling to be genuine and inviting, creating a relatable atmosphere.
Some listeners express frustration over the integration of politics into food discussions, preferring a focus purely on culinary topics.
The podcast shines a light on important social issues through food conversations.
Listeners appreciate the diverse and engaging range of guests featured in episodes.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#51
United States/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#50
Canada/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#205
United Kingdom/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#95
France/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#112
Australia/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#131
Italy/Arts/Food

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Food Critic on a Diet, Part One: The NYT's Pete Wells
Q: Why not calorie counting?
Pete discussed how numbers don't motivate him and he finds calorie counting complicated and not sustainable, preferring a behavioral approach instead.
Food Critic on a Diet, Part One: The NYT's Pete Wells
Q: Why did you choose to dramatically change your diet instead of doing what me and a few other food writers have successfully done, starting a regimen of a GLP-1 drug?
Pete expressed that he hadn't made significant efforts to lose weight previously and felt he needed to make a serious change after being told by his doctor to do so.
Special Sauce Reheat: Hamissi Mamba and Baobab Fare
Q: What was it like for Hamissi and Nadia to leave their native country and build a new life in Detroit?
Mamba recounts that their journey was driven by a necessity for survival, facing various cultural shocks and challenges upon arrival, yet ultimately finding a home in Detroit.
Leftovers Reheat with Kenji and Deb Perelman
Q: Do you have an approach to leftovers that you do year after year, or are you into experimenting with your leftovers?
Kenji enjoys turning leftovers into new meals, while Ed prefers them for just one or two meals before moving on to new dishes.
Turkey Day Reheat: Kenji and Stella Parks Take Calls from Listeners
Q: How can I reduce the amount of sugar without compromising taste?
Stella advises using toasted sugar to lessen sweetness or adding more salt to enhance flavor profiles.

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 podcast explores the intricate relationship between food and culture through engaging conversations with renowned chefs, writers, and food industry insiders. The topics often traverse not just food itself, but its connections to societal issues, political landscapes, and personal narratives, making each episode rich with context and meaning. Listeners can expect to hear stories that celebrate both the joys and challenges within the culinary world, providing a multifaceted look at how food shapes and reflects broader cultural dynamics. Unique episodes frequently address current events affecting the food industry, such as immigration and health, intertwining personal stories with critical social commentary.

Where can I find podcast stats for Special Sauce?

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How many listeners does Special Sauce get?

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How many subscribers and views does Special Sauce have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Special Sauce has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

How many episodes of Special Sauce are there?

Special Sauce launched 10 years ago and published 447 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Special Sauce?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Special Sauce?

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What guests have appeared on Special Sauce?

Recent guests on Special Sauce include:

1. Bill Addison
2. Hannah Goldfield
3. Elazar Sontag
4. Pete Wells
5. Mark Strausman
6. Stephanie Breijo
7. Tim Carman
8. Manolo Betancur

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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