Eye Level

On today’s show, Alison Roman joins Elly in the studio. Alison is, of course, the writer, cook, and cookbook author behind Dining In, Nothing Fancy, Sweet Enough, and her newest book, Something from Nothing. She’s also built one of the most influential independent food platforms out there, from her wildly popular newsletter and Home Movies series to First Bloom, the tiny grocery store she opened in the Western Catskills in 2023 (and is now bringing permanently to New York City). Today we talk about Alison’s evolution from recipe developer and food writer to, increasingly, food entrepreneur: what she’s learned from stocking shelves, selling other people’s products, and launching her own tomato sauce. We cover this, her business pursuits, and her thoughts on so many topics on this episode of Eye Level.

But first, Elly and Matt discuss the state of indie retail in America. Things are getting interesting. They also give their thoughts on QuinoWow quinoa popcorn and TAST!EZ sour cream and onion cheese curds.

Subscribe: Apple, Spotify

Follow: eyelevel.cpg

Subscribe: Eye Level newsletter

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

Athletic Brewing is the best-selling nonalcoholic craft beer brand in the United States, and founder and CEO Bill Shufelt is spending 2026 pushing it into places beer has traditionally owned. Matt talks with Bill about where Athletic is growing now: grocery shelves, bars and restaurants, and the NFL, where the brand is the nonalcoholic partner of MetLife Stadium, the New York Giants, and the New York Jets, with Drake Maye and Dak Prescott signed on as athlete-owners. Bill also gets into how Athletic keeps its product pipeline fresh, why the company just hired a career alcohol marketer as CMO, and what he’s learned about scaling, raising capital, and defending a category leader now that the big brewers have shown up to the NA party.

But first, Elly and Matt talk about the state of nonalcoholic beer, wine, aperitivo, and everything in between. They also give their thoughts on two products: Baris chocolate-dipped frozen raspberries and Pretzelized. A pretzel and pita chip hybrid.

Subscribe: Apple, Spotify

Subscribe: Eye Level: The Newsletter

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

On today’s show, we have Peter Rahal in the studio. Peter is the founder and CEO of David Protein, the protein company that has become one of the buzziest and fastest-growing brands in food. Peter previously cofounded RXBAR, famously building the brand around its radically simple packaging and ingredient list before selling the company to Kellogg’s for $600 million. In 2024, he came back to the category with David, with a value proposition built around protein. Today we talk about what Peter learned from building and selling RXBAR and what inspired him to get into the category again. We get into his obsession with product and nutrition, his very distinctive approach to marketing, and what Peter thinks of GLP-1s. What does David’s explosive growth tell us about where the American diet is heading next? We talk about all of this as well as Peter’s exceptional track record and so much more.

But first, Elly and Matt talk about their big plans for this very new show. They also give their thoughts on a couple products in the market, Wild Monkey and Riff.

Subscribe: Apple, Spotify

Follow us: eyelevel.cpg

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