Special Sauce with Ed Levine

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Susie Essman Reheat: An Oldie but a Goodie

This week on Special Sauce we go way back into the Internet time machine (2015!) with the brilliant Susie Essman regaling us with hilarious stories about her years of due

Oct 2
35 min

Meherwan Irani: Indian Street Food Evangelist

James Beard Award-Winning chef and restaurateur Meherwan Irani has written 'Number 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World', a book that celebrates the Indian street food he

Sep 25
40 min

ICE in Chicago: Still Destroying Food People's Lives

After reading about ICE's ongoing appalling treatment of an Argentine-born Chicago chef Carlos Cantatore in the new online food publication Ravenous, I invited Ravenous'

Sep 18
32 min

Restaurant Reservation Insanity

This week on Special Sauce, reporter Heather Haddon and columnist Adam Chandler of The Wall Street Journal give us the lowdown on why securing a restaurant reservation i

Sep 11
35 min

Dolly Parton: Working Class Food Hero

There are quite a few beautiful Dolly Parton remembrances that have been published since her death, but only one that talked about Dolly's love of food and the many contr

Sep 4
36 min

'The Elephant in the Room' Revisited with Tommy Tomlinson

This week the terrific writer and podcaster Tommy Tomlinson gives us a poignant and hopeful update on his lifelong battle with his weight. Thanks to GLP-1 drugs he has lo

Aug 28
41 min

Why Are Goldbud Peaches the Best?

This week on Special Sauce we talk to Goldbud Farm's Chuck Mansfield, who happens to grow the best peaches in the world. He'll even tell serious eaters how he does it.

Aug 21
42 min

The Big Cheese: A Movie About Cheesemongering

This week on Special Sauce we take a deep dive into the world of cheesemongering with two of the stars of the documentary 'The Big Cheese', Adam Jay Moskowitz and Courtne

Aug 14
41 min

Reheating Ramen with Sho Spaeth

On this reheated episode of Special Sauce, former Serious Eats editor and writer Sho Spaeth talks to us about his book, Homemade Ramen, a 2026 James Beard Foundation Book

Aug 7
45 min

Reheating Some Yemeni Coffee

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

Jul 31
44 min

Loving Food Can Actually Be the Secret to Eating Less of It

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 t

Jul 24
42 min

The Russ and Daughters Story

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

Jul 17
43 min

The Bear's Final Season with the NYT's James Poniewozik

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 Th

Jul 10
45 min

A Pie Reheat for the 4th of July

Here at Special Sauce we love pie in all its forms: we love shepherd's pie, apple pie, key lime pie, lemon meringue pie, and our absolute favorite, peach pie. And given t

Jul 3
27 min

Summer Burgers Part 2: Kenji and George Motz

This week on Special Sauce serious eaters get to eavesdrop on part 2 of my hilarious and informative conversation with burger mavens Kenji and Hamburger America's George

Jun 26
37 min

The Collective Joy of Knicks Fans

As one of the millions of long-suffering Knicks fans I am still basking in the afterglow of the team's historical and magical run. I decided I had to devote another episo

Jun 19
35 min

Burger Madness Part 1 with Kenji and George Motz

With grilling season underway I felt the time was right to talk burgers with Kenji and Hamburger America's George Motz. We talk burger history, burger cooking methods, an

Jun 12
29 min

The Knicks: Orange and Blue Skies, Baby!

As one of the millions of long-suffering New York Knicks fans, I decided I had to devote an episode of Special Sauce to the the team's amazing playoff run. Joining me on

Jun 5
45 min

Mateo Kehler: The Cheese Visionary Behind Jasper Hill Farm

This week on Special Sauce we talk to Mateo Kehler, the cheese visionary behind Jasper Hill Farm. Mateo and his brother Andy, carpenters by trade, pooled together their

May 29
40 min

A Hot Dog Reheat for Memorial Day

I have written thousands of words about the joys of eating hot dogs, so when Memorial Day rolls around, this serious eater's thoughts immediately turn to the humble frank

May 22
46 min

Chart trend

Position in the Food chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#31#60JulAugSepOct

#12

all-time peak

626

days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Special Sauce with Ed Levine ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 3, 2026).

#60 ▼ 15 Food US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

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.

meownisota · Nov 2025

I am a huge fan of this podcast. I so appreciate the episodes about Gaza, farm workers rights, and other critical issues. At the same time, I love the joy that shines through in this podcast, as found in the episodes dedicated to chocolate chip cookies and pizza. Hope Special Sauce continues on forever!

hawaiigal67373 · Jul 2024

I’ve been following SeriousEats for a long time. The podcast is a great way to get insights on cooking, but also hear from chefs and cookbook authors.

hoangelos · Aug 2023

I had to unsubscribe to this eventually, even though I love the guests, because of how much I dislike Ed’s interview style. He cannot get through a conversation without somehow spotlighting himself. It’s tone deaf, disrespectful and annoying when guests have much more interesting stories that I haven’t already heard 100 times.

elizavolps · Mar 2021

I’d hope the new 2.0 version would improve things, but it’s only gotten worse. •Ed still interrupts his guests and drones on about “when I started Serious Eats...” •The volume is still too low •It’s very NYC-centric •The ask Kenji segment isn’t organized: it’s just Kenji rattling off way too much info way too fast without staying on point •Recycled video content doesn’t translate well for radio, plus I’d rather have new content •Ed’s new voiceovers are done in the most high pitched condescending voice •Sasha Marx’s voice isn’t radio friendly •More Stella Parks and Daniel Gritzer are what’s needed •Most of the guests are great

ParadigmQ · Nov 2019

I have been a listener for years because of the quality and diversity of the guests. However, Ed’s need to always turn the conversation to himself..”when I started Serious Eats...” has become just too boring. Many other food podcasts to enjoy.

LaSignora3 · Oct 2019

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.