Food Introduced Us

What’s up my Eaters! I hope you are all well.

I am so excited to introduce you to this week’s guest that I can hardly stand it.

Food introduced us, but curiosity is what led to this conversation.

A few months ago, I was being interviewed by Slow Food Atlanta as part of their Snail of Approval process. Three women were there to interview me. Two arrived first. Their names were Katie and Sydney.

A few minutes later, the third woman walked through the door.

She was petite, brunette, and soft-spoken. Her demeanor was pleasant but quiet. Yet almost immediately, I found myself curious about her.

It wasn’t anything she said.

It wasn’t what she was wearing.

It was her presence.

Although small in physical stature and reserved in demeanor, she somehow seemed to command the room. I remember thinking to myself that she was the living embodiment of the old adage, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”

Her name was Mary Margaret Cozart.

The interview lasted more than an hour. We talked about food, farming, community, sourcing, and the responsibility we all share in building a better food system. Afterward, I prepared a dish for the panel to taste.

I remember being nervous.

I remember noticing how engaged Mary Margaret was despite being one of the quieter people in the room.

And I remember watching all three women absolutely bust down on my dish.

A few weeks later, I saw Mary Margaret again at the Slow Food Atlanta Snail of Approval recipients dinner. Once again, she stood out.

She wasn’t trying to be the center of attention. She wasn’t the loudest voice in the room.

Yet somehow she possessed a confidence and self-assurance that naturally made me want to know more.

I could tell there was more to the Mary Margaret story.

At the time, I didn’t know she was a singer-songwriter.

I didn’t know she worked at Kimball House in Decatur.

I didn’t know she was involved with Shell to Shore, helping connect Atlanta restaurants to oyster shell recycling efforts that support Georgia’s coastal ecosystems.

All I knew was that my curiosity had been piqued.

And when that happens, I tend to start asking questions.

After a little internet sleuthing and more than a few minutes spent wandering through social media, I decided to reach out.

Thankfully, she said yes.

A few days later, Mary Margaret and I connected over FaceTime.

And y’all…

The rabbit hole got deeper.

One of the first things I learned was that Mary Margaret doesn’t lead with the fact that she’s a musician.

In fact, she intentionally avoids it.

As a singer-songwriter, that surprised me.

As a storyteller, it intrigued me.

When I asked her why, she didn’t talk about albums, performances, or accomplishments.

Instead, she simply said:

“I’d rather introduce myself as a person.”

Honestly, I respected that.

As someone who has spent years trying to convince people that I am more than “the barbecue guy,” I understood exactly what she meant.

The more we talked, the more I realized that music was just one chapter of a much larger story.

That story, perhaps surprisingly, begins with food.

While attending the University of Georgia, Mary Margaret developed a deeper interest in cooking and food culture. What started as necessity became curiosity. Cookbooks became companions. Food writers became teachers.

Eventually, that curiosity led her into bakeries, restaurants, and ultimately across the Atlantic.

After graduating, she spent time working in restaurants, farms, and homes throughout Europe. In Italy, England, and France, she immersed herself in cultures where food remained deeply connected to place and community.

As she described her travels, I found myself thinking about a dinner I attended several years ago featuring Phil Rosenthal.

During the event, I asked Phil what the single best bite was that he had experienced during all of his travels around the world.

Without hesitation, he replied:

“Italy is the best bite.”

Ever since that dinner, I’ve wanted to make my way back to Italy.

So when I learned that, of all the places in the world Mary Margaret could have chosen to immerse herself culinarily, she chose Italy, I became even more excited about our conversation.

Because food has a funny way of revealing what’s really in a person’s heart.

The answer, as I would soon learn, had very little to do with Italy itself and everything to do with the way Mary Margaret approaches the world.

She is curious.

The kind of curiosity that causes someone to walk into a bakery and ask for a job.

The kind of curiosity that leads someone across an ocean to work in restaurants, tend orchards, care for livestock, and cook for families they’ve never met.

The kind of curiosity that inspires someone to join a food advocacy organization and volunteer for a conservation nonprofit.

It was the lens through which she viewed the world.

Eventually, that journey brought her back home to Atlanta and to Kimball House in Decatur, where she now works as a server.

The more she talked about her work, the more I realized that every road in her story seemed to lead back to the same destination:

People.

That sense of community is also what drew her to Slow Food Atlanta.

Rather than simply observe from the sidelines, she joined the Snail of Approval committee and became involved in helping shape the organization’s future.

That same spirit of stewardship also led her to Shell to Shore.

As Atlanta’s Shell to Shore Restaurant Ambassador, she helps connect restaurants to oyster shell recycling efforts that support the restoration of oyster reefs along Georgia’s coast.

The more she explained the mission, the more fascinated I became.

Not just because of the environmental impact.

But because it represented yet another example of food connecting people to something larger than themselves.

By this point in our conversation, I was officially a fan of Mary Margaret.

Not because she was a singer-songwriter.

Not because she had traveled through Europe.

Not because she worked at one of Atlanta’s most respected restaurants.

I was a fan because she seemed genuinely committed to leaving every community she touched a little better than she found it.

Whether through hospitality, advocacy, conservation, or music, the motivation always seemed to be the same:

Connection.

Community.

Stewardship.

One thing that stood out to me throughout our conversation was Mary Margaret’s ability to see and celebrate the people around her.

At one point, when I asked who she would most like to share a meal with, she surprised me by suggesting that I might belong at that table.

I laughed and quickly tried to redirect the conversation, but the comment stayed with me.

Not because it flattered me.

But because it revealed something important about her.

Mary Margaret pays attention.

She notices people.

She values the work others are doing.

And perhaps most importantly, she isn’t afraid to encourage them.

That kind of generosity is becoming increasingly rare.

Food introduced us.

Curiosity started the conversation.

But what I found most compelling was something much simpler.

Food has a funny way of revealing what’s really in a person’s heart.

Maybe that’s why her words from earlier in our conversation kept coming back to me:

“I’d rather introduce myself as a person.”

By the end of our conversation, I felt like she had done exactly that.

In Mary Margaret’s case, that heart is rooted in stewardship, community, curiosity, and a genuine desire to leave the places she touches better than she found them.

And I have a feeling this won’t be the last time our paths cross.

Until next time my Eaters, stay curious. Remember, you can always come see me or my team at the Peachtree City Farmers market every Saturday. You can also learn more about Mary Margaret at the following link.