NICK SOLARES
CREATIVE EXECUTIVE · CULINARY STORYTELLING · MEAT & RESTAURANT CULTURE
CMO · Creative Director · Brand Ambassador · Writer · Photographer · Broadcaster · Live Presenter
Premium & Natural Meats · Dry Aging · Wagyu · Culinary Storytelling · Brand Strategy · Creative Direction · Video · Live Performance · Producer Education
PROFILE
Expert in meat and restaurant culture with two decades of experience creating editorial, visual, video, branded, and live culinary experiences.
Creative culinary executive combining subject-matter expertise, creative direction, editorial credibility, photography, video, international travel, live performance, and brand strategy. Specializes in translating premium meat, producers, restaurants, craftsmanship, and culinary culture into compelling stories, content, education, and experiences.
Currently Chief Marketing Officer & Brand Ambassador at Pat LaFrieda Meats. Previously Founder & Creative Director of Meat Life Media, Creator & Host of The Meat Show for Eater Video, and Restaurant Editor at Eater NY.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
PAT LAFRIEDA MEATS
Chief Marketing Officer & Brand Ambassador | 2023–Present
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Lead creative marketing, brand positioning, communications, content, and experiential initiatives.
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Develop brand narratives around quality, provenance, craftsmanship, heritage, and culinary excellence.
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Represent the brand with chefs, restaurants, consumers, media, and industry professionals.
MEAT LIFE MEDIA
Founder & Creative Director | 2018–2023
Founded a creative production, consulting, events, and media company focused on meat, restaurant culture, culinary storytelling, and experiential marketing.
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Developed editorial, video, photography, live events, tastings, education, and branded experiences.
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Created and produced Meat Life.
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Hosted Beef Loving Chefs for the Texas Beef Council.
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Hosted the 2018 veal producers' conference.
SELECTED CLIENTS:
North American Meat Institute (now The Meat Institute) · Texas Beef Council · Olive Fed Wagyu Japan · Wagyu of Japan · DRYAGER · Otto Wilde Grills
THE MEAT SHOW — EATER VIDEO
Creator & Host | 2015–2018
Created and hosted Eater's internationally traveled exploration of meat and restaurant culture.
Combined travel, reporting, photography, culinary knowledge, interviews, and live presentation; generated tens of millions of online views.
New York Emmy Nominee · 2016 & 2017
EATER NY
Restaurant Editor | 2014–2018
Covered New York restaurants, chefs, hospitality, and culinary culture through editorial, photography, and multimedia storytelling.
SERIOUS EATS
Columnist & Critic | 2007–2014
Restaurant criticism and food journalism focused on restaurants, cooking, meat, and culinary culture.
BRAND AMBASSADORSHIPS
PAT LAFRIEDA MEATS — CMO & Brand Ambassador | 2023–Present
DRYAGER — Brand Ambassador | 2020–Present
OLIVE FED WAGYU JAPAN — Brand Ambassador | 2018–2023
OTTO WILDE GRILLS — Brand Ambassador | 2018–2023
CREATIVE DIRECTION
PAT LAFRIEDA — BIG APP FOR MEAT
Creative Director
Produced by Zero Point Zero Productions.
Apple Lifestyle App of the Year · 2012
INTERNATIONAL PRODUCER EDUCATION
JAPAN
Extensive travel focused on Wagyu producers, production methods, regional traditions, craftsmanship, and the premium beef market. Conducted live educational programs for Japanese meat producers focused on American consumer tastes and the U.S. premium-beef market.
ARGENTINA
Experience with beef production, cattle culture, producers, traditional practices, and the international beef market.
IRELAND — THE BIG GRILL | 2016–Present
Ten years of live culinary education, tastings, demonstrations, interviews, and performance with chefs, producers, brands, and meat professionals.
UNITED KINGDOM — MEATOPIA UK
Live culinary education, demonstrations, and engagement with producers, chefs, meat professionals, and food brands.
International experience: Japan · Argentina · Ireland · United Kingdom · United States
LIVE PERFORMANCE & CREATIVE PRACTICE
Live Tastings · Culinary Demonstrations · Dry-Aging Education · Producer Education · Brand Activations · Hosted Dinners · Conferences · Panels · Moderation · On-Camera Presentation · Culinary Festivals
Brand Storytelling — Product, provenance, craftsmanship, people, and place.
Editorial & Photography — Writing, restaurant criticism, photography, interviews, and visual storytelling.
Video & Broadcast — Concept development, hosting, on-camera presentation, field production, and culinary storytelling.
Experiential — Tastings, live events, demonstrations, conferences, panels, and brand activations.
MEDIA & CREDENTIALS
TWO-TIME NEW YORK EMMY NOMINEE
The Meat Show — 2016 & 2017
PUBLISHED PHOTOGRAPHER
The New York Times · New York Post · Eater · Serious Eats · Zagat · Grub Street · Time · Newsweek · Wine Spectator
VIDEO & BROADCAST
The Meat Show · Meat Life · Beef Loving Chefs
CORE EXPERTISE
Meat & Restaurant Culture · Premium & Natural Meats · Dry Aging · Wagyu · Culinary Storytelling · Creative Direction · Brand Strategy · Editorial · Photography · Video · Experiential Marketing · Live Performance · Producer Education
POSITIONING
An expert in meat and restaurant culture who turns culinary expertise into stories, content, brands, and experiences.
Creative leadership + culinary authority + editorial credibility + international producer knowledge + live performance.