Overview of 913. — Ella Quittner (Talkhouse)
This episode of Talkhouse (hosts Chris Black & Jason Stewart) features food writer and author Ella Quittner discussing her new cookbook, Obsessed with the Best. The conversation ranges widely — Ella’s bench-testing approach to finding “the best” of pantry staples and restaurant dishes; food media, DTC cookware and meal-replacement trends; her background (Wall Street → food writing); personal life anecdotes (pregnancy cravings, domestic life, airport and travel stories); and book-promo pop-ups in LA and NYC. The tone is conversational and anecdotal, mixing concrete food recommendations with broader cultural commentary.
Key topics covered
- Cookbook concept
- Obsessed with the Best: head-to-head testing and reporting back on “best” versions of common foods/dishes.
- Pop-up events to promote the book (Quarter Sheet, Etra, local restaurants serving dishes from the book).
- Food testing & bench-testing culture
- The value of methodical taste-testing versus chaotic sampling; Ella embraces both.
- Travel and food hacks
- Bringing sushi to the airport, mixing soda flavors at Coca-Cola 360 machines, Air France meal selection debate.
- Running, music, and performance
- Discussion of Harry Styles’ running routine (running to dance/trance music — “trance might, Nirvana won’t”).
- Food media and influencers
- Bon Appétit / Claire Saffitz references, the era of glossy food media and how culture shifted.
- “Comp culture” — restaurants or products being comped for writers/influencers and ethical questions around that.
- DTC cookware and consumer trends
- Retrospective on the mid-2010s push for “yassified” cookware (salmon-colored sets) and newer brands (Maiden, Great Jones).
- Concerns about non-stick coatings (PFAs) vs. convenience.
- Meal replacements / “liquid salad”
- Discussion of modern meal-replacement products (Soylent-era parallels, “fiber daddy” liquid salad pouches) and cultural need vs. backlash.
- Personal & familial anecdotes
- Pregnancy life: cravings (Honey Nut Cheerios), Delta pajama collection, dog Mouse, and being a low-energy “passenger princess.”
- Family: dad’s “grottage,” sister working as a prison psychologist; husband’s travel anxiety stories.
Notable quotes & funny lines
- “Trance might, Nirvana won’t.” — on why runners choose electronic/dance music over grunge.
- “I let Jesus take the wheel.” — Ella on improvising Coca-Cola 360 fountain mixes.
- “Comp culture” — phrase used to describe the normalization and complications of being given free products/services as press.
- “Obsessed with the Best” — the book’s core premise: exhaustive comparisons to declare the best version.
Guest snapshot — Ella Quittner
- Profession: Food writer, cookbook author.
- New book: Obsessed with the Best — a concept cookbook built on intensive testing to find the “best” iterations of everyday dishes.
- Background: spent years on Wall Street (raising capital for private equity funds), barista experience, magazine internships; transitioned to food writing.
- Life notes: based in the West Village, spends time in LA, pregnant at time of interview, owns a dog named Mouse.
- Promo: book available where books are sold; pop-up events at Quarter Sheet and Etra (plus collaborations with restaurants).
Main takeaways
- Bench-testing and comparative testing provide cultural value in food writing: people still want someone to do the legwork and report the best.
- There’s tension between convenience (meal replacements, liquid salads, instant solutions) and a growing nostalgic/analog backlash (homemade, slow food, record-player-era vibe).
- Food media and influencer culture has shifted from aspirational snippets (a cappuccino photo) to a demand for multi-dimensional celebrity/hobby narratives — sometimes to absurd extremes.
- DTC cookware boom produced both useful products and a flood of trend-driven, low-durability items that ended up on resale marketplaces.
- Promoting a cookbook today is collaborative and often social-media driven; pop-ups and restaurant collaborations are effective tools to create buzz and sell books.
- Personal anecdotes (pregnancy cravings, airport weirdness, anxious travel companions) humanize writers and give context to their food perspectives.
Practical recommendations / action items
- If you want to follow Ella or see the book live:
- Buy Obsessed with the Best at bookstores/online.
- Follow Ella on Instagram for pop-up announcements and collaborations.
- Check local listings for pop-ups at Quarter Sheet, Etra and other restaurant collaborations.
- Food and restaurant tips mentioned in the episode:
- Squirrel Dinner — famous chicken liver (recommended).
- Roast Duck by Paul Ord (LA) and other duck spots in Thai Town / Little Armenia.
- Northern Thai Food Club — noted as a go-to in LA for quick, satisfying meals.
- Max & Helen’s — classic diner vibe (lineups may be long).
- Travel/food hacks:
- Bring your own sushi to the airport to avoid relying on airline food.
- Experiment with Coca-Cola 360 fountain mixes if you enjoy playful beverage combos.
Quick episode highlights (for skim readers)
- Opening banter: travel, Air France meal jokes, sushi airport hack.
- Memorable anecdote: man cutting hair with shears in JFK bathroom — everyone leaves him alone (airport-espionage vibes).
- Deep-dive: Ella describes the book’s bench-testing approach and how she markets it via restaurant pop-ups.
- Food-culture critique: DTC cookware wave, Bon Appétit nostalgia, meal-replacement trends, and comp culture ethics.
- Personal color: pregnancy confessions (Delta pajamas, honey nut Cheerios), family portraits (dad’s “grottage,” sisters), husband’s travel anxiety/pilot-story.
- Closing: where to see Ella — book availability and pop-up events.
If you want a single-line summary: a candid, food-forward conversation about obsessive taste-testing, the modern food-media landscape, personal quirks (pregnancy, travel), and where to find the “best” bites Ella recommends.