Tipping, Aldi, Diet Coke, and wellness cookies collide in this Sporkful grab bag
This preview is based only on the episode’s published show notes. In a Salad Spinner-style conversation, Dan Pashman joins Deena Shanker and Elazar Sontag to bounce through coffee-shop tipping, restaurant tables, Aldi fandom, iced coffee, soda rivalry, and the rise of cookies as wellness products.
This is a preview based on the episode’s show notes, not a recap of the audio itself. If you like food media that hops quickly between smart, slightly absurd questions, this episode looks built for you. The setup is a "Salad Spinner," with Dan Pashman joined by Deena Shanker of *Bloomberg Businessweek* and Elazar Sontag of *The Washington Post* for a wide-ranging discussion about the habits, myths, and mini-controversies that shape how people eat and drink. The notes suggest a playful mix of service etiquette and food culture: how restaurants decide who gets the worst tables, whether iced coffee is somehow seasonal, and the question in the title—how much you should tip at a coffee shop. There’s also a retail angle with a look at Americans’ fascination with Aldi, plus a brand-and-beverage thread about why Coke Zero may be Diet Coke’s biggest rival. What makes this sound appealing is the range. Rather than focusing on one deep-dive topic, it seems designed as a conversation starter episode, moving from practical dilemmas to broader cultural observations. The mention of “the latest wellness product: cookies” hints at some skepticism and humor around food trends, which may be a draw if you enjoy commentary that doesn’t take the industry too seriously. Best fit for listeners who want a lively panel chat about everyday food decisions, consumer behavior, and the strange logic of modern eating culture.
About this episode
<p>How do restaurants decide who gets the worst tables? Why are Americans obsessed with the German supermarket chain Aldi? And should iced coffee only be consumed in hot weather? We get into all that and more in our Salad Spinner! Dan is joined by <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/ASznQGEjaUE/deena-shanker" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deena Shanker</a>, who covers food and health for <i>Bloomberg Businessweek</i>, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/elazar-sontag/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Elazar Sontag</a>, food critic at <i>The Washington Post.</i> They discuss why Diet Coke’s biggest rival may be Coke Zero, and weigh in on the latest wellness product: cookies. </p> <p>The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell.</p> <p>Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to <a href="https://siriusxm.com/sporkful" rel="noopener noreferrer">siriusxm.com/sporkful</a>. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage with the SiriusXM app.</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>