In memory of Stephanie Jackson

I'd like to dedicate this week's email in honor of the late Stephanie Jackson.  A stalwart of our industry, someone I had the honor and privilege to work with at Aurify Brands years ago, and who many worked with at Union Square Hospitality Group and Eleven Madison Park.

Anyone who ever knew or worked with Stephanie would whole heartedly agree that she was a glowing light and someone who made everyone around her better, happier, and more passionate about what we do.  

This month marks 3 years since her passing.  I was grateful to have her husband, Dan Jackson on the podcast.  Dan is a super-talented chef in his own right and an

amazing father of 3 beautiful children.  

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Recipe:

Soft Cooked Egg Mayo

A super simple recipe I love that results in a much richer and creamier mayo.  

I remember traveling through San Sebastian and having crab with mayo, and the mayo somehow was ridiculously more rich and creamy than anything I had ever tasted. I'm pretty positive they used boiled eggs.  Either way, this one def did the trick for me.

👉 Check out the recipe for Soft cooked egg mayo here.

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Watch & Listen: The meez Podcast 🎙️

Dan Jackson on Loss, Resilience, and the Unexpected Path to Osteria Georgi + Quickfire

I had Dan Jackson on what was supposed to be a quick Quickfire episode. We hadn't talked in five years. But the conversation immediately went where it needed to go—talking about Stephanie, his late wife, and one of the most incredible people I've ever worked with. Dan is Executive Chef and co-owner of Osteria Georgie in Chapel Hill, raising three kids on his own, and about to open his second restaurant. This one's about grief, resilience, and what it takes to keep building when everything changes.

What we cover:

• Stephanie's career at USHG and the award named after her
• Navigating restaurant ownership (esp. as a widowed father of three)
• Going from one restaurant to two (and why that's terrifying)
• Chapel Hill's restaurant scene and chefs to know
• The smash grilled cheese press Dan uses at home

👉 Listen now: Chef Dan Jackon on the meez Podcast

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Chef Feedback 🔥:

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‍Chapel Hill Restaurant Scene

Chef Dan Jackson shares the chefs of Chapel Hill he looks up to the most. (Side-note, when we googled best chefs in Chapel Hill on the show, Dan's name came up at the top, too!)

👉 Watch or listen to Dan's take here

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Hot Take🤔🌶️:

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The Air Fryer

Chef Kim Floresca and I discuss the mystery of the air fryer. Which, spoiler alert, is basically just a very small convection oven with faster airflow. What's your take?

👉 Watch the clip and chime in on LinkedIn or Instagram

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💬 Want to Be a Guest on The meez Podcast?

If you’re building at scale or wrestling with hard zero-to-one problems worth talking about, I’d love to hear from you.

Apply to be a guest or nominate someone we should talk to.

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