chow with chaz

Tag: life

  • Chow with Chaz 2.0

    What is Chow with Chaz? Chow with Chaz is my second attempt at a blog after PYSO. If you have read both, thank you!! That means the world to me. Chow with Chaz started after a trip with some friends to Nashville. I enjoyed planning out our culinary adventure, and they all seemed to really enjoy indulging in what I planned. This led to me reviewing places I went and things that I ate. While that is a lot of fun, it came with a few issues. The first is that I eat at a lot of the same places, so it is sometimes hard to come up with new content. Secondly, I remember to take pictures of the meals about three percent of the time. Lastly, I wait too long to write them, so I forget things.

    I don’t think the people that read this really care about those three issues because they are all friends and family that are incredibly supportive. Though it may be a pipe dream, I would love to one day get paid for this. Writing and food are two things that I have been passionate about for a very long time, and I just think it would be so incredibly cool to make money combining those two things. I mean I did major in Communications for one semester, so I do kind of know what I am doing.

    Why share all of that? I share that for two reasons. First, I am going to shift what I right about in Chow with Chaz. My first few ideas are to really focus on the emotions surrounding food. The feelings certain dishes give me (not talking food poisoning from Anthony’s), the experiences that happen at a particular bar or restaurant, or the conversations had over a great (or terrible) cup of coffee. Growing up I loved Bizarre Foods and No Reservations. The reason I loved those was never what they were eating, but the story behind the dish and the people preparing it. There is so much that goes in to a dish outside of the taste. I want to focus more on those things. I am not Anthony Bourdain, so it will be my thoughts and feelings for now. Maybe it grows to include others, that would be great. I would also love to hear what the people that actually read this want me to write about. So, leave a comment on the Facebook post or on the blog with the topics you would like for me to share. Full transparency, I forgot my second reason for sharing that. That’s why you write outlines kids.

    The new iteration will be more vulnerable. This means more grammar errors because there is no chance I go back and read what I wrote. I love writing. I mostly like sharing my writing. It makes me extremely uncomfortable to read what I wrote. It is a moment of vulnerability when I post it, then it’s out there and I do not have to see it again. I love you all. If you have made it this far, props. I hope you all like where this goes and if not, just be kind when you let me know.

  • Best Meals of 2025…kinda

    Behind the scenes and a look into my brain (I hope you’ll continue reading!). I started this with the intention of doing a Top 5 of 2025. As I started, I didn’t make it past one as it represented so much for this year. So I am going to share that reflection with you all. Short tangent, I am drinking a Chocolate Chip Cookie Latte from Seed Coffee…if you’re in Knoxville, you need this drink!! This was a really big year for me. 2024 was very much a transition year for me. It was my first full year living in Knoxville. I was still finding my bearings (I still am to an extent), I was searching for a job, and was splitting time between my parents’ house and Kelsi’s. I spent time substitute teaching and eventually working fully part time at an incredible elementary school was some of the most passionate and incredible faculty. This was such a rewarding experience and I love you all at Rockford. However, in April I finally found full time employment in Knoxville. It took A LONG TIME, and so to celebrate Kelsi and I went to JC Holdway. As I continue to reflect, this is my 1A meal of the year, it was going to be number 1 but a second and much different celebratory meal will be second. As you can see, we celebrate with meals. This time at JC we kinda went all out. It was the best meal of my life. It was by far the most money I have ever spent on a meal and I did not regret a single cent. I don’t remember everything we had, but I remember it all being incredible. To be able to do that was such a blessing. Thank you so much to my parents for supporting me as I searched far and wide for a job, thank you to Kelsi for your patience while I was a broke boy and thank you to Jeni for taking a gamble on me. That meal was all of that being celebrated and it was done with the best food I have ever eaten. So it would be virtually impossible to beat…but I am going to have a 1B. Finding employment allowed Kelsi and I to being searching for a place to live. It started with us looking for places to rent and ended up with us owning a “whole damn house” – Kelsi. Our first night we had 1B…Marco’s pizza. A few hundred dollars less than JC. No tableside service. No fancy cocktail made by someone else. But the first of a lifetime of pizza Friday’s in our new home. That is something that could compete with JC Holdway. Marco’s may not be mentioned by Michelin like JC, but when shared in a place you can call home with the person you love most has to be the best meal of any year.

    If you have made it this far, yes we do accept housewarming gifts! Kidding, kinda. Love you all!!