A MUCH-DESERVED SHOUTOUT TO MY PARTNER IN CRIME

When Sarah Gordon married me on March 30, 2019, she did far more than take on my last name.

She took on a complete crazy person.

I’m a bit obsessive about supporting local, and that desire has only increased as the Restaurant Hoppen podcast has grown. The more friends I make in the industry, the more I want to support them. It’s a snowball that grows exponentially as it powers down the hill… and Sarah just rolls with the punches.

And as our second anniversary approaches, I want to recognize her. I’m well aware of and appreciate the sacrifices she’s made for me, but I want the public to be aware of how awesome this woman is, too.

To be clear, I love her for far more than the following reasons. She’s stunningly beautiful, completely selfless, and more thoughtful than anyone I’ve ever met. I could spend the next 813,449,211 words describing the reasons I love my wife, but this is a food website, so I’ll skip ahead to those.

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve expressed a desire to go to a local restaurant and Sarah has resisted. Same goes for a weekday afternoon when we had dinner plans and I saw an eye-popping Instagram post from one of my favorite joints. Just like that, our plans change. No problem.

She’s flexible and understanding beyond belief. While she grew up as a conservative eater, she doesn’t blink when I suggest ordering an appetizer of octopus or a taco with lengua (beef tongue). I’ll never forget the first time we went to Dario’s Brasserie years ago when I wanted to try the Beef Tartare. While I can’t even imagine how many red flags shot up in her mind at the thought of eating raw beef, she agreed, and we’ve shared a number of tartares, crudos, and other raw preparations since then. She’s willing to try all manner of cuisines, even ones I don’t imagine she’d ever consider if she wasn’t my partner.

She’s patient with me as I take photos of every dish before we dig in—something that could easily annoy the bejeezus out of a less-understanding partner—and has often even reminded me when I forget.

Because of my love of local, I’m extremely hesitant to visit fast food restaurants or chains. I prefer to put my money into independently-owned places, and I can’t even remember the last time we visited a restaurant with more than two locations.

That’s very weird and unique. It also complicates things; we rarely eat from a spot that’s quick or convenient. In fact, our meal plans for the week are often crafted around spots I want to show love to and new places I’d like to highlight.

No problem. She goes with it.

She does all this, mind you, to support a hobby. While I hope to someday make some kind of job out of this passion, I’m not there yet. But that doesn’t matter to Sarah. She thrives on seeing me happy and supports my side hustles.

This means giving up a lot of time. Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with Sarah, and we get our share of quality time together. But between researching podcast guests, operating a website, reading about and researching restaurants, and writing a book, I dedicate multiple hours every day to my side passions. Plus, eating out as often as I do typically isn’t great for one’s figure, and I devote time every day to intense cardio to stay in shape. That time seriously adds up.

Sarah never complains.

This woman is seriously incredible. I don’t think you could’ve created a more perfect person for me, and I thank God every day that He brought us together.

The point is, most partners wouldn’t put up with all the asterisks that come with being with me. They’d grow tired of my side hustles and attachment to local businesses and request that I change.

Not Sarah.

There is no me without Sarah. My podcast, whatever influence I have—that’s all because of her.

So while it may be my name on all the social media posts and podcast episodes, I want you to know it’s not just me. I have an amazing partner behind me who empowers me to do things I wouldn’t have believed possible before I met here. 

Cheers, Sarah. Here’s to two years. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me, and I’m stoked for what year 3 has in store for us.