Colada Shop co-owner and Bresca partner Daniella Senior; Taqueria Del Barrio Chef/Owner Anna Bran Leis and Dining Traveler founder Jessica van Dop DeJesus return for a deep dive into what it means to be a Latina in the U.S.
[2:30] As a young lieutenant in the Marines, Jessica is mistaken for a “lower rank girl.”
[3:22] Daniella is mocked for her strong Dominican accent, despite speaking multiple languages.
[10:28] Anna works three times harder than her white, male counterparts.
[16:20] Daniella adjusts to being the only woman in the room.
[22:34] Anna says women can come together to create instead of compete.
[25:49] Anna is told her husband will leave her if she doesn’t wear make-up and do her hair.
[28:47] Jessica says male celebrities can look like crap but women are expected to be perfect.
[34:45] Jessica feels the pressure of looking “perfect.”
[32:18] Daniella feels the pressure of going to the supermarket in 5-inch heels.
[40:40] Daniella doesn’t walk into the walk-in cooler without a paring knife in her hand.
[42:32] On deployment, Jessica kept her 9mm handgun everywhere for surprising reasons.
[44:25] “You’re just a woman.”
Mary was born and raised in New York City where her family owned restaurants. Instead of eating dirt on the playground, she ate duck blood, beef tripe and pork belly. She cut her teeth at The Mandarin Oriental and The Ritz-Carlton hotels, working with Barbra Streisand, Vanessa Williams, Michael Stipe, LeVar Burton, Jane Krakowski and others. Mary founded Girl Meets Food in 2009 as a cover for her debilitating addiction to fried chicken and was named Washington Post’s “Favorite Local Foodie.” After 13 years in hospitality, she started freelance writing for USA Today, The Washington Post, Eater, Washington City Paper, and more. Today, she provides digital marketing for hospitality clients as a content creator who’s contently creating content.