Inclusivity in an Exclusive Club feat. Sarah Thomas of Kalamata's Kitchen

Wine Connoissaurus Rex

Inclusivity in an exclusive club. In this wide-ranging conversation with a “recovering sommelier”, Sarah and I discuss everything from being a sommelier at Le Bernardin to the reason behind her children’s book series – Kalamata’s Kitchen – and her approach to creating an inclusive space in an exclusive world. We could have talked for another two hours and hopefully one day we will get the chance to speak again. That is the beauty of wine and food, it is such a connecting experience. Sarah and her team are doing big things with their storytelling. As the Kalamata’s Kitchen pledge states,

"I promise to keep my mind open and my fork ready, to try each new food at least two times and share what's on my plate when someone doesn't have enough."

Be sure to give Sarah and Kalamata’s Kitchen a follow on IG and grab their books from their shop at www.kalamataskitchen.com.

We need more of this in the world. Enjoy the interview.
What was in my glass: Tenuta Guado Al Tasso Vermentino
What glass held my wine: Riedel Vinum Sauv Blanc

About Sarah Thomas: The former sommelier at acclaimed New York City restaurant Le Bernardin, Sarah Thomas is now the co-founder and Chief Imaginator at Kalamata’s Kitchen, where she brings together her lifelong passions for both food and books. The daughter of two south Indian immigrants, Sarah grew up in the rural town of Somerset, Pennsylvania, and was surrounded by food from a young age. Her parents very much kept their Indian culture alive through the food they cooked, and Sarah would spend summers in Kerala visiting her grandparents, forming some of her earliest food memories. Sarah’s love for food is what eventually led her to the hospitality industry, and after working at various bars in Pittsburgh, where she lived at the time, she obtained the prestigious Advanced Sommelier certification. Along with food, books also played a special role in Sarah’s upbringing. Like many first generation kids, Sarah grew up with what she felt were two conflicting identities, with her strong Indian heritage seeming to contrast against the mostly white rural town where she lived, and books became a way for her to escape into another world. Through her storytelling work with Kalamata’s Kitchen, Sarah hopes to create a confident character that other children of color can see themselves in, while also encouraging all kids to look at different foods and cultures with a sense of curiosity and compassion.

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