Sophie Nau is a freelance writer, editor, and foodways researcher with a background in television production (Netflix, IFC, Comedy Central) and the pastry kitchen. She cut her baking teeth with the James Beard nominated Rustic Canyon Restaurant Group, launched the pastry program at Chulita and was assistant pastry chef at La Petite Grocery in New Orleans. Her most recent endeavor was helping to open wine bar Bar Pomona in the Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans.

As a writer, she profiles chefs and tastemakers and explores the intersection of food/wine and archive. She has conducted research for museum exhibits and has developed recipes for restaurants and a gardening book. She leads writing workshops in evoking the senses, and has co-curated a live reading series showcasing some of New Orleans’ best literary talent. She’s always game to put together an event or project, especially ones that highlight the goings-on of the cities she has called home (her native Los Angeles, New York, and Nola).

Her essay “I Carry My Weight in Groceries” was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2021.

She is a graduate from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied screenwriting, and from the MFA program in creative writing at the University of New Orleans. She also has tasted her way through WSET Level 2.

Her substack, Culinaria, is a place to explore and question what we’re eating. She is currently working on a novel.

Contact: sophieanau (at) gmail.com.