I often have had good conversations with my entertainment assistant Carl Snyder. Plenty of times we get some good ideas rolling around. We once had a late-night car conversation about how food brings people together. We talked about how food is different than music or movies in that everyone takes in food. Not everyone is an avid listener of music or watcher of movies but everyone has to eat. Bringing food to a social gathering is a surefire way to draw in more people, it attracts people.
   Carl and I both grew up watching the Travel Channel. Whether it was Man vs Food or Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives, we ate up food shows. We were especially drawn to Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich in America. It was great seeing the sheer variety of sandwiches, restaurants and people on this show. A part of us wished we had opportunities like these hosts, being able to tour around, trying all sorts of food.
   We found an opportunity to live this out on a local level. At the beginning of the school year, my entertainment assistant Snyder and I started Taste Talks food reviews for the Purr. We were excited to start this.
   Our first review sits fondly in our hearts. It was a rainy night and Southway Pizzeria was packed. I had to wait for a table to be cleaned for us to sit in. When Carl sat down in the booth with me, we both giggled uncontrollably out of excitement.
   I made the decision to exclusively review Reubens and go on the hunt for the best Reuben in the valley. While I did not get to try every one, but I still had my fair share. I had a wonderful experience being exposed to so many restaurants and people.
   In a way, we were living out those television shows that we grew up on. We were going from joint to joint trying the latest eats. We even had our friend film us for a video Taste Talks. This gave us a taste of what that the Travel Channel experience was like.
  Taste Talks has been a special opportunity for me and I can’t wait to see where it will go in the future.