Rob Lee: Welcome to the Truth and Horror. Your source for conversations that connect arts, culture, and community. These are stories that matter. And I am your host, Rob Lee. Except no substitutes. Today I am joined by an award-winning content creator and event curator behind Charm City Table, Baltimore's popular food and beverage blog with more than ten million impressions per month and a passion for bringing communities together through food. Today's guest has become a trusted voice in Baltimore's culinary scene, highlighting the people, places, and stories that shape the city's food culture. So please welcome to the program, Simone Phillips. Welcome to the Truth in a Sorry.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Thank you. Thank you, Ross. Thanks for having me.

Rob Lee: Thank you for coming on. It's like you got to kind of like coerce to get the person Like, I am ready. I got you. I'm warmed up.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Yeah. Of course, of course.

Rob Lee: So one of the ways I like to open up these conversations is letting the guests introduce themselves in their own words, letting the subject really cook. So tell us about yourself. Who are you? What do you do and what's important for the listeners to know about you?

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Yeah, well, hello, everyone. My name is Simone Phillips. I run, and this is my my whole life at this point. I run a uh food restaurant and pro Baltimore platform um on social media called Charm City Table. I started it in 2017 as a hobby. It was really a way to journal all of my dining experiences and my you know, food festivals was a big thing for me back then. It still is, but I just I didn't I always tell people I didn't eat out a whole lot growing up, like go out to the restaurants.

We had, you know, golden corral and IHOP and things like that at the church, but it was never like exploring Baltimore's dining scene. So when I graduated um from college and moved back uh to Baltimore, I just started exploring the food scene in Harbor East, South Point, then further into the Inner Harbor and further into Canton, and I think I just really fell in love with all of the options. Like we know we have great seafood and things like that, but you could find almost any food at the time that I could think of right in that downtown vicinity, and that just that's what sparked, you know, that interest for me.

I just thought, wow, Baltimore has all of this and I can kind of show people. Well, at the time, like I said, it was very personal, so I was like, I'll document my experiences and if people happen to find it, that would be great. You know, that was really wild tension. But I I say at the time, like for it to have just been pictures and my reality wasn't as big of a thing, it took off pretty well. Um I think I got like a thousand followers in the first month and I was like so blown away. And um yeah, from then I just kept up with it. Twenty twenty happened, so that was COVID and you know, that's when I realized how you know, at the time like when I was doing it back in twenty seventeen up until twenty twenty, it was very much a hobby. I was doing it for fun and and posting every day and just being kind of like a nerd about the food scene, learning about the industry, learning about different types of food, learning of the stories of restaurant owners, and then COVID happened and things shut down, and then that's when I became more of an advocate for small businesses and small restaurants and sharing the openings and closings and when people would pivot to their takeout models just to stay open, and I think that's when people really started catching on. I thought I think that's when I saw like I always had like steady growth, but that's when I saw like exponential growth, like I would get thousands of followers and millions of views, um, during that 2020, 2021 era, and then in 2022, I decided to go full time, so by then I started getting brand deals, I started getting small consulting contracts to you know, bring like, you know, some engaging things to the restaurant and dining space. I did a lot of restaurant food curation for festivals. Um so I decided to go full time with you know the kind of uh revenue that I was bringing in, and that's what I've been doing ever since. Um since then a lot of food writing, so I'll write uh for local publications and I've done a few national publications as well doing like roundups of Baltimore food scene.

So yeah, I'm just having having fun. Recently went to James Beard Awards, you know, we have Baltimore at four semifinalists. For those who don't know, it's uh uh precisious food award here in the US. And I think people call it the Oscars of the Food World.

So if you're in the restaurant industry and you're serious about your crap, you know all about the James Beer Award, so it's really an honor to go to Chicago and represent Baltimore and be in that space with the best in the country. So yeah, that's where we're at now.

Rob Lee: Yeah, I've I've been able to have two of our local winners on this podcast during the time I've had Spike on Yeah, I've had Spike on.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Oh, awesome. And I've had F &B on after he won for like. Oh yes, yeah, the cock sales, yeah.

Rob Lee: And it was right after that too, and I was like, Yes.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Yeah, I love that. That's exciting.

Rob Lee: And so so going back, uh it was one thing that really stuck out and and congratulations on making it the full time thing over the last few years.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): That's uh Yeah, thank you.

Rob Lee: That's sweet.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Yes, It's definitely um, you know, c clearly you can see me running around even like uh it's very busy, but like I said, I'm like a it's my life. Like I'm so passionate about it and um you know, anybody who's connected to me, friends, family, like they're I feel like everybody's kind of involved in it and so like it's i it's the brand and it's also you know, my life at this point.

Rob Lee: I can just see it now. You said I had a group text. Anybody in the network available for empanadas at noon. I think Yes, truly, yeah.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Today's one of those days I was like I know I knew I had this shoot and they always give a ton of food, but I know I had forty things to do, so I did it solo and then they started bringing out that food. I'm like, everybody's gonna be so upset. I'm gonna have leftovers and I can drop them off to my siblings. But I'm like, who wants cold I mean, my siblings, but who wants cold crab legs and cold oysters and cold salmon and grits and you know, animals.

Rob Lee: I mean, you're describing like luckily I've I've eaten way too much today, but I'm like, all right. You know, you said grip. I'm a f I'm a lover of grits.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): So you know. We have surprisingly, you know, Ms. Playing is a is a chain. Um so you'll go here sometimes and it's amazing. You'll go here sometimes and it just very much feels like I don't know, cheesecake factory or something like it's not terrible, but it's not like, oh but today it was ac extra delicious. I don't know if I was hungry or what, but I was like, oh my god. Like we're we're both in it. today. I'm glad people are missing it. Yeah.

Rob Lee: And it's funny because you actually answered two questions. Like I said, when you let the guests cook, you get two questions knocked out. Um so one of the things that that that stood out to me well, actually let me go back. Um this is the thing I was gonna mention. You t we talk about sort of the twenty twenty to twenty twenty one era, the same thing kinda happens here where I started this podcast in twenty nineteen and some traction, it was fine, it was cool. And then when we get to like that twenty twenty, twenty twenty-one, and then kinda into twenty twenty two, but I think the momentum was already there from the previous years. Mm-hmm. You know, just exponential growth.

Um, just different people. I was just available to stream and I was doing so many interviews. So, like, you know, 2022, I did almost an interview a day, and then I wrapped up that year with a crazy like creative mornings where I was just like, Oh, this is how high this can go, and it was that maybe that inflection point of is this gonna be the full time thing and what does that look like, or is this gonna be something that I put a lot of time in, but the growth preceded that.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, I think that's that's how it is for for me. And and I felt like for any creative. That's what I I kind of love about Baltimore outside of all of this is that the you know, they're for creative entrepreneurs, the growth if you're you know, if you're doing it, you're out there, the growth can be um exponential and it depends on what you want to do with it, whether you want to scale or whether you want to keep it your, you know, part time or passion project. I think there's just so much potential here in the city, which you know is is great for kind of what we do creatively.

Rob Lee: Yeah, it it's finding where you sit and it goes back to I'm gonna echo a thing that D. Watkins said before I move into this next question. It's just like you gotta run your own race. And you know, it's just like this is what fits for for what I like to do.

I'm like very passionate about this and it does bring in some some income and it does satisfy the soul, if you will. But also this don't come with insurance. So my vocal cords go out and it's like, oh no, I know.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): This is that's the thing. Staying out of pocket for for life. is the name of it. Okay.

Rob Lee: I'm like, hmm, I'll make some different choices.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): That's actually a great point you bring up. I'm gonna need some of your tips for not going hoarse because I'm typically like I'm very introverted. If you look at my content, I'm behind the camera. Um, because of different projects this year, I'm trying to put my face and stuff out there. But I will say all this speaking engagements I've had this year. I've gone horse three times this year from talking. Wow.

Yeah. So like I even went horse like a couple days ago, I'm glad it's back. I don't think I can not that I could sing, but I don't think I could hit any high notes or go higher or lower than this.

Rob Lee: It's a passion. It's a passion that it's attacking your vocal. Oh no. Yeah so like I need to figure out some channel meal. I need to figure something out.

Rob Lee: So one of the things in your bio that that stuck out that I thought was really interesting was you have a humanitarian approach to storytelling. So could you say more about what that means?

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Yeah, um well I think my approach with um you know the places and the people that I've feature on my platform I think of it from all ends. Um from the influencer, content creator, blogger, whatever you want to call yourself my end of thing. Sometimes folks can get too caught up into oh my gosh, I want to be invited to my next thing or um you know I really want to please the restaurant owner because if I say I don't like something they're gonna be mad. And while I do take that into consideration 'cause they're you know they're people and they have feelings and you know, especially as a creative and an artist. Um

you can be very sensitive about your work and and what you produce. But you know, there's also the people who are spending their money or taking off of work or they see something they get really excited about visiting and um I really want to think about them too. Um so that's kind of what I mean when I take a that humanitarian kind of approach. I

want to think about the everybody from the service worker the the people who are serving and bartending and you know busting the tables to the management and ownership of the restaurant and then on the other side think of the people who are just consuming this as everyday people about to drop their money on a restaurant visit and experience. So I take all of those perspectives into consideration when I make my content. So you know that means if I didn't like something sharing it why I didn't like it without necessarily being like this is nasty. No one should go here, you know, or um you know or just the restaurant for instance if a restaurant isn't the best 'cause you I go to so many places not every place can be the best meal or the best food I've ever had but really taking the time to learn about the restaurant and learn about the the stories and think about the good things that I can highlight on my platform. And that includes yeah the people but also inside of the restaurant is it a picturesque restaurant um you know some people do go to restaurants for vibes. So if

if I can access something that I can highlight that is a feature of the restaurant. You know just being open minded about what that looks like because not everybody wants the same thing. Um and then also being mindful so for instance, you know there'll be some drama, there's always drama in the restaurant space is hospitality. But if somebody isn't tipping their staff or paying their staff on time to be mindful not to highlight those places or you know glaze over the very real things that happen in the industry. I never want to just turn a blind eye to the to real things like that. So that's that's kind of what I mean.

Rob Lee: No that's that's good and indefinitely I I have a couple more questions in that territory but I want to table those for right now see what I did.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): And come back to those in a second.

Rob Lee: Um intended I'm I'm big pun.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Somehow it's it's doubled right there. I i it's also I'll say that's I I've recently changed some some aesthetics with the beard I have these glasses and one of my friends was like all right Malcolm XL I was like I'll take it. I I'll take it Malcolm XL.

Rob Lee: so it's so much so and like I said I want to come back to to that but I think you know setting this this sort of piece is really really interesting. So I've always I've had trouble with the word influencer. Much like I I have recent trouble with the word like podcaster. I think over time the the meaning's gotten flattened um and it's gotten shifted.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): And it really doesn't align. It's like I do a podcast I perhaps 'cause uh I've I've seen like when I get those those grants or different pieces of money it's like it has me listed as an influence. I was like not an influencer. And not in a pejorative way but it's just like I do something that's a l a little bit different. And so how

do you feel about the term influencer or just having a platform that is in that class of being influential. Yeah I uh you know this it's been a journey 'cause I've been doing it for so long. At this point I feel like um I would say uh let's start at the beginning. I would say at

the beginning the term did make me feel a little uneasy. Um and in a lot of ways I I wanna say it still does, but I I think I have to, you know, it's my full time gig. I kind of have to almost like working for in any industry. You kind of decide whether you're gonna kind of take up the mantle and like run with it or um kind of shy away from it. So for me um and seeing all you know this is all encompassing. I'm I'm every day I'm waking up, I'm doing this work. I'm reading to see where just industry is this is a multi billion dollar industry, the influencing space. And you can do

it on a larger scale, go very corporate and very big bucks with it, or you can keep it very local passion project supporting local. And there's a hundred things in between. So I feel like the for me the term influencer has has become just a uh not just but a you know just something I've c I feel like I have personally come to better terms with as this is a r this is the industry. This is what it's considered and um that's the it is what it is is kind of my mentality I think these days. But I I'll say I kind of wrestle back and forth with it because I don't know. I just feel like it's a weird word for what we do. I don't I don't I don't know if it necessarily it is such a broad term you know what I mean like technically a podcaster can be an influencer and also a guy who is you you know building houses on TikTok and he's gone viral. He can eventually sell

tools and wood and things things like that. And then it comes to me I'm supporting local restaurants and local businesses but also taking big corporate brand deals when when it's it fits. So I don't know I just I I feel like that that's just the word but unfortunately fortunately whatever came out of it and I roll with the punches I guess.

Rob Lee: I think I think it makes sense. It's yeah it it simplifies it for broad it's like when you are applying to a job, right? And you're like this is the internal title and this is the external title. The internal says that you know I'm Lloyd podcast wizard but externally it's just like this is a guy with a microphone. It's like hey you understand me a little bit you know Yeah.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): But I feel like it's always cliche but I really do feel that there's so many people who influence that like writers you know like a like a D Watkins, you know, um writers and advocates you know people who are handling social justice issues um people who have you know who are out here as directors of especially a Baltimore creative theme theaters or you know just some things like that. They do influence heavily the spaces that they're in and what comes into the consciousness of everyday folks. So I just feel like that that term um in and of itself can mean so many different things that it almost means nothing. But yeah it it's one of those things where you know this it is what it is We're influencers.

Rob Lee: don't do that. But in that right I think that you're you're poking that sort of there's a a dampening of it but then also it's somewhat um really refined or confined

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): rather as to who can do what and how they can do it. So talk a bit about maybe the misconceptions that you know you you see or that you experience specific to you know Trump City table. But like sort of what are those misconceptions around it because I mean I've seen my man Guy he he's like the you know he's a he's on a show my man guy he's on the show. There's rumors that he ain't eating those foods and stuff. It's just like yeah you kinda put the fork there but you're not really eating it. Oh T V magic about the misconceptions about it. There's totally misconceptions. Yeah

so like we're all yeah we're hitting on on my main point uh that I kind of always bring up is that it's a people job and a people career um just like most jobs and most careers and with people and when with an industry that's not fully shaped um like you know you know like a media job like journalism or something like that. It doesn't have a ton of rules and regulations because it's so relatively new I always like people to keep in mind that means anybody can join. Anybody can create a platform be you don't even have to be great at it. You can be decent at it and you know call yourself an influencer and you can be a scammer but you could also be a thoughtful person or you know somewhere in between and that is you know just like any like a lawyer. you know, you could

be a lawyer and you could be a wonderful defense attorney who's very passionate about their clients and you could be a jerk who's just here to get people's money and get them out of your face. You know, it's just that's really the best way I can describe the influence and space. But it that also encompasses so many things because I think as a local influencer and me going full time in 2022. I was able to

do that because I could replace my income and I felt like there was a lot more earning potential. But that doesn't necessarily mean millionaire. I think a lot of the huge misconception that's people ought to hear influencer and if you're doing it relatively successfully and getting the engagement that you're rich. And I think I

would consider myself to still be middle class. Um and I'm grateful that I can make you know a decent amount of money. You know I'm I'm making six figures doing this work but it's you know I would say that was a journey to get there, you know, from twenty seventeen to twenty twenty two to get there and um and that's some people's case but that's not everybody's case. You know, some people could be doing this forever and not making any money or just making enough to get not just but 'cause it's always great to to make a little extra cash but to go on vacation you know it's vacation money but they still have the full time job and um I think you know that that's with people here influencer they're automatically especially in the food space they're thinking like Keith Lee purchase a house and a car and a you know big ball and and I think that is a misconception and I also think the misconception in general is that influencers might lie or whatever you know whatever they come to the table with and I think people have to remember it just like it's a industry and an economy like everything is with that has a range and it you know top to bottom and it just could be a multitude of things.

Rob Lee: I agree. Um I see the same thing in a in the podcast space like you know in the last three years I've been teaching podcasting. Um just helping out that next like gen of like you know this is how you do this is how I do it and this is how I would share of a ma a pathway for you to do it. And it's just you know

when I started off it was with high school kids. It's like yeah I'm gonna do a Joe Rogan thing 'cause I can monetize it. That's like spelling spell what monetize means first and then we can

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): talk and I I go full professor with it uh uh you

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): know but that's true yeah and like for the podcast world they'd be in Joe Rogan and you know over here being like a Keith Lee it's like they automatically like that's people's and it's it's good that you know you're able to see somebody's reach that level of success but um not everybody who's podcasting is do hitting you know doing Joe Rogan deal.

Rob Lee: No obviously and but the thing about it it's giving sort of that extra context too like you know especially someone who's considerably younger before I move into this next thing it's just like you know Morgan's pushing 60. He had a T V career

he had a television career TV career, UFC sort of announcing career and also in the radio so like having and a stand up career. So it's like all of these different streams are potential like followers and people who are invested. So someone is just jumping off with a new podcast that's gonna try to rip off what he's doing. Right I'm gonna do the same thing. It's just like you don't have a base.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Yeah right who's gonna listen you know who how do how do you get people to do something that they've never done before you know what are you doing to get yeah their attention.

Rob Lee: But you're starting from scratch. Good luck. Let me tell you how to turn your mics on, you know

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): and

Rob Lee: But it is a thing where the the online piece it's almost like you can't trust anyone on the surface online because when you you mentioned sort of there's variances. I almost said you can have a a a passionate good natured scammer. I kinda want that to be the mix like there's a

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): very variance. But, you know, you know I I look at fitness content and weight listing and all it's so many like griffs and scams out there. It is yeah.

Rob Lee: And it's just like yeah this ain't how that works. Oh everyone's a coach now. Everyone's a coach. Everyone's a personal trainer. What's your certificate oh you don't have one. Yeah. So it's not to say that you need that but there's a certain credential or background that requires extra scrutiny especially online because Yeah. can separate people from that money real quick.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): I know. Yeah and I would say you I don't know if it's unique to the restaurant space but I you know I've been doing this what is that math I guess nine years and in those ti it during this the span of of the time I've been doing it, you know, I always think where do my passions lie and it definitely lies in the Baltimore local restaurant scene while I do other things and while I'm I'm always looking to, you know, how can I diversify content, I feel like I always want to keep it um you know, relative somewhere in the restaurant space, especially keeping it pro Baltimore. And I think um where I have seen a shift in the last I would say even two or three years um is that people who are doing other things like they'll start off trying to be I don't want to call any I don't want to say anything specific and people think I'm talking about them. that.

Rob Lee: I don't call them about it. I pay attention. Yeah. So and so that com Yeah like somebody will be a I don't I'm trying to make something up um a chess influencer.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): I don't know anybody who does that. But they'll start off and the engagement isn't hidden like they thought they would it's hard to grow an account so they'll jump over into food and um start talking about food in restaurants or just you know being nice highlighting these spaces in these small businesses as as kind of a catalyst to get um their other stuff kind of popping and get those invites that they're looking for, get those those numbers up. Um so that's that's also I feel like a a thing too uh to for peop you know a misconception or just something that I don't think everyday people expect. Like I know they think everybody can start it and people will pop up if it gets the algorithm right people will pop up in their feed. Um and I don't think you necessarily have to have you know world class experience to talk about food but I think that you know I think people um assume that a lot of people assume that content creators, influencers, whatever straight up are liars, but I think a lot of it um comes from like inexperienced or novice. Like a lot of people just simply you know I just want good food. I you know this will do well. This will help me. People everybody

loves you know fried food or specifically I'm a b obvious black person, but everybody loves soul food so let me go ahead and you know post these couple Soul food spots to go ahead and get my chess influence and career off. Um so I I always think people should do like if they if they really like someone's content or they feel like you know it looks good or you know just take a quick scroll of people's page to actually see who you're following and maybe where their passions and things like that lie because you just you simply don't know why what someone's intentions are of posting online. Not that they're necessarily horrible but they just might come from a place they're not coming from a place where they're trying to be honest. They're coming from a place where they're trying to get a platform or whatever. So this is something to keep in mind.

Rob Lee: I I see it with podcasts all the time where folks will start up there doing you know I'm playing with buttons. I don't know why. You're you're doing chess I'm saying buttons that's

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): all be a weird here but it's like you you're he trying to get this button company off the ground and then suddenly it's like hey I'm doing a podcast with different fashion people and you're trying to build that out but really the goal is to send people to you know your master class or your button making class and and I'll share this before moving into sort of this this next question. I recently went to one of my buddies um his establishment and he was working with a an influencer um you know in that space and he was saying he was like I think that relationship with the influencer harmed his business more than helped it because of the influencer's brand was kinda a little bit of that kind of grifty and it's just like on the surface this looks like it's amazing but in actuality it impacted it and I was honest with him because the only thing I really owe folks is honesty. I was like when I saw you know this influencer there, I looked with a little side eye and he was like yeah a lot of people told me that same thing. He's like I'm glad you shared

that with me. And Yeah. I find that a bad review or bad endorsement or what have you can think a business. A good one can make it going TV I know yeah.

Rob Lee: So that's in that vein of those those sort of shifts over the years.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): That's so true. That's so true. I yeah on the I feel like I have millions of conversations at this point with people in the influencing space who want to be influencers who are aspiring um to do something with content whether they've already started but out or or they're doing and I always tell people to think about their brand voice and so that stuff really matters especially right now because everybody is making some sort of content. Like so your your brand does need to stand out but wh what ways is it standing out? I I think that's usually the

question nowadays because even though I and that's it's I really feel lucky but I also feel like it it benefited me to be mindful and not you know shoot for virality to stick to what my brand voice kind of stands for and what it represents to create something sustainable and I don't think that's what people always think about and I and it's like you said it can you know you can build a a voice that feels sleazy or just you know just not right for the audience or they're drawing the wrong they're drawing an audience is there to nitpick or you know whatever whatever it might be. Um so that is that's also a huge part of what the space feels like from the inside and out.

Rob Lee: It's extractive in some ways where you can tell someone is chasing the bag and you know I'm you what I look at food related content is like hey what's this new place? You know what's the was it what do they have there and I'll put some context in how someone's describing it but I'll tell you the thing that catches me and I like that you touched on this very early back in the the pod you you give something that's thought out. You don't give sort of man this is nasty because there is some person that popped in my algorithm that's local and you can tell which places he likes. And then every other place is nasty like this is out of ten. I was like bro.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Yeah. what do you make you know you'd be surprised and it can vary. You don't know because you don't know that person. Like it they're paid and now there's something you know delicious whereas okay well I paid for it myself I can use this for engagement and say it's nasty so people click on it and think I'm the honest person. So sometimes it is very much that like it's that straightforward I mean not straightforward actually dishonest but you know what I mean. Like it's black and white for some people like that. And then for others um you know they are trying to be authentic and really do their thing so it's it's all of it.

Rob Lee: How do you with brand partnerships, brand deals, event curation how do you decide who you say yes to that's a big thing like you know I do this people will reach out and I can kind of see when they lead with it, hey this would be really good for your platform I'm sure I book all of my guests. I'm sure this you know was

best for my platform. I'll consider it, you know, and look into not to sound like I'm always appreciative but people come with a pitch and I try not to be weird and gatekeepy but I can't do everything all the time. So I have to be very discerning of what I say yes to and it has to be alignment. And it has to be a fun conversation which I'm glad we were able to get together and have this conversation. So how do you determine who you say yes to

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): um it depends on what it is. Uh you know Charm City Table is is very much a business so I do have income goals for myself. So I do try to um you know think of of of Chom City Table as you know my brand voice and what I'm passionate about but then also think of it as in a way um kind of a billboard out to the Baltimore and the D and D like you know I've really built a strong um loyal engaged audience uh over the years. Um and so if something new is coming into town um like for instance I've been doing these campaigns with Dashin um a convenience store you know they're really trying to up their I don't want to say their competitor and get in any sort of trouble but they're trying to up their like food and the drink options so while it's like you know it's not going to be fine dining or whatever seems is seemingly super casual. It's still food, it's still approachable food and so that's that's something that I would say yes to um as something to highlight and advertise for money but then like there are so many things that I say no to especially if it's not in food and restaurants or like a festival like um you know sometimes I'll get you know I'm a content creator and influencer so so I'll get some brand um partnerships to sell or promote um products like lights and tripods or just equipment kind of like that and I'm just like well you know I'll never say never but that's just not the tone of of my content. I'm not teaching other creators how to make content so it's just what it makes sense for me. So I think I just try

to do what makes sense. You know if it's food and restaurant related I'm not too heavy handed these days. Um but if it's something like I absolutely can't stand um like a food like a local like a chain, not even a local chain, like a national chain is something that I absolutely hate. You know, I won't work with them if they're under fire for you know they're controversial at the the moment or they did something terrible for their employees again I'll pass on it. Um but I yeah and locally um locally you know I get so many comps, you know, asks to come in so I'm pretty selective about those if I'm very much interested in the restaurant like I usually will try to visit it myself and then if I like my experience I'll come back in and do a bigger sheet with the the restaurant where I've probably more options so I know I would speak about um the food but I I get so many of those that I don't I don't even think I see all of them at this point. Um so it it really is

just kind of thinking about what I my brand speaks to which I want to show Baltimore's food scene and all of its diversity and all of it's you know all of the options whether that's really expensive or very affordable um and whatever else and whatever else kind of fits into that model you know that's kind of how I approach it.

Rob Lee: This is me saying this. This is not you saying it just the context.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Yeah you know so this podcast is brought to you by Arby's the best chain and me meat.

Rob Lee: not at all it's terrible. It's terrible but but but I like that you you broke that down for us 'cause it it informed me in some ways that like I know food, I know how to talk about food. I have good conversations with chefs and such. And I look at food culturally. However I would be a terrible food like journalist. I kind of epicurean journalist. That's the terminology I use.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): I'm a marketing person. And um I because not because I don't have taste. I have really good taste. However I'm a creature of habit. So I'm like, oh I I just

want that little circle right there of the menu. Oh the rest of it? I don't care about that. Just this one thing. No one's gonna learn anything from this.

It's just like Rob likes this one thing. Oh he came back and he likes the same thing. Yeah that's I think that's a yeah big part of being a food is trying to be open minded and try a little bit of everything. Even if you've never tried it before or you know you've already not you've already tried the best but you know what you like and they're showing you can get a doubled egg at one place and it's just how you like it and then a double egg from another place and you're like why would you do this? You know?

Rob Lee: I used to do I used to do A B testing. Um once upon a time there was gonna be a spin off that was going to be a food related podcast and my my co-host at the time we would talk about like how you you you test and I was just like well he's like yeah I want to just have pizza at every place and I want to just do that and I I know what I'm doing right and and I try not to sound like a jerk but I'm down for the conversation. And I was like you can't have your favorite slice from each place unless that's the aim. But if you're judging each place, you gotta have the same slice at each place. So every place has to have pepperoni. Otherwise you're grading it on a curve

that they can't satisfy. And he wasn't getting it. He was just like nah I just want to have the best slice. I was like you just want free pizza you just say it.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Yeah right oh my gosh tell me about it. I feel like that way about all the bloggers these days. I'm like if you just want free dinner, you know, cool you'll post a video for free dinner, but yeah just say that you don't have to pretend like this is what

Rob Lee: And the thing is, here's the thing from moving too I got like three real questions left. Uh one of the things in it like I'm always super appreciative of any of the sort of collaborations, partnerships, deals that I've had I I had the I had you know that one thing with ceremony where I had a signature coffee and I was like the truth in this art blend hell yeah. And and then I had that um I had a co a signature cocktail on foragers menu for a long time for like three years. It was it was just a smoky

old fashion called the Rob Leaf asked for it by name. It's like damn this is this is fire. And then I had that signature waffle at Waffe in Hamden before they they went out of biz and people dug that and I'm like, oh no these things are really cool and I you know i i I try not to be too like just I should get these things or anything along those lines but like those things feel good. Those things feel like oh yeah there's collaboration and it's relationship that's there and being involved and it's like this feels natural. This feels authentic versus well I'm a person that's speaking to this audience and I had a certain followership and this is just a marketing ploy.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Yes exactly yeah I think I do try to lean into what's feels natural or fits in my brand. Um but that I feel like I I say that but that's ha it's also the definition has kind of evolved over the years. And so um I feel like if a great opportunity comes my way, I do try to really think if it will fit before I just automatically say um yes or no. Um so I I do try to be thoughtful but I I feel like the idea of um what I would consider what fits as evolved over the years and that's either way like some things I would have done years ago that I would probably never do now on the brandale side and then the things that I get presented that I'm like okay um you know I'm not gonna do it but I probably would have jumped at the opportunity you know early on.

Rob Lee: You have to see that progression. Um I I follow that that same thing and in these these sort of actually last two questions I'm gonna move back into 'cause we we we've never really left Baltimore in this conversation if we're keeping it honest. But if I can move back into sort of the Baltimore uh portion the the connections, right? So beyond sort of content creation, you've been

involved in the civic side of things including um the National Aquarium's advisory board and the Baltimore Banners Creatives and Residence program, how do those like community engagement opportunities and partnerships sort of shape what you do like do you think about it even that much harder like I've really got to be on this Baltimore thing because now connected to these institutions that have Baltimore in their approach and in their name and their historic. Yeah.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Well I think it's kind of uh I don't know that's a good question. I think that like I said when I was starting out and I I this is this is a piece that I kind of struggle with communicating so maybe it's good that I'm talking it out here. Um so what if if it comes out choppy please edit this out but um I feel like I chose Baltimore as you know the focal point of my platform even when I started by calling it Charmed City Table and as I've continued to grow, you know I'm a hundred K, 200K mark and you know hopefully we continue to grow um I always think if you know Baltimore is the focal point um is that uh not necessarily is it limit limiting but will people understand that the intention is to keep it Baltimore without feeling like I didn't you know level up or like take it to the next level and that's always a uh a piece that I think I kind of struggle with um well not even struggle with but try as far as communicating it to my audience and to people um that don't really understand it because the big brand partnerships I think they understand it at this point because they know the case. Um but I feel like like kind of I said the chess influencers will come in and start doing food and so it feels like oh m they might be covering the same places that you know Simona's covering and um I just you know I really want it to I you know I always just want Baltimore to be the focal point and that piece is intentional. Um so I I don't know if if I articulated that the way in which I'm really trying to but um yeah I think working with the Baltimore banner as a creative and resident and working with the aquarium on their advisory board for voyages. Um I think it's just one of those things that is alignment. Like I I feel like because I've made Baltimore my focal point those institutions have reached out. Um so and and they allow me, you know, because they have big voices in the city and those voices kind of reach out into the world I think they kind of being connected to those sorts of institutions allows me to then connect out into the world so you I can kind of bring my Baltimore brand to the world and take these larger bigger um partnerships whether it be travel or whether it be working with you know a Verizon or Comcast or you know some of those bigger brands that I've had the opportunity um to work with. Yeah.

Rob Lee: Yeah reach out to your homies at uh you know extended Comcast or what have you I need that lower discount. I need that comp on my bill that'd be but but but I I I feel you on that and you know I look at the same thing where I I've been told by some people directly and thank you for sharing your insight there. Um and it came out well, by the

way, so bravo to you. Um, Because the thing that happens is I've been told this uh verbatim, like, well, you're a black person and you you're talking to this community, we really want to tap into that community. I'm like, oh, you're not even hiding it. It's like, no, we're having a real conversation. It's like fantastic. And I start looking at

it and I try to think of pathways that add legitimacy to it, but also I'm very much an independent. No one is asking me to do this. I'm seeking out folks and reaching out and all of that. So when someone floats out, because there was maybe a year or two and it's like you're not from Baltimore. It's like I am from East Baltimore. I I grew up in West Baltimore, Lafayette projects, the whole thing doesn't even exist. The places where I lived at don't even exist anymore. But it's sort of this thing of that poking that authenticity and sort of that connection, and I'm like, yeah, I'm from here. It it's it's a thing. And but also

I'm not limiting myself because at a point when I started like branching out and hitting other cities intentionally, I was splitting it into two separate things the truth in this art and the truth in this art beyond, and I really you know reached out for some insight on would this impact the brand would this killer brand. And the feedback that I got was you're the brand. So whatever you're doing, and people are gonna

follow what you're doing, and that was in 2022, right? Uh a couple months ago, I did the interview with um like the president, the president Micah, and we did the interview in person, and I was just like, Man, I probably was a little bit nervous, these interviews in person. She was like, the only way this year works is to you. And I was like, Well, well, well damn, you know, it was it was just cool to hear that, especially amid I see I see some uh I didn't get a father's day gifts. I see some people that might be parents uh parents too. A lot of copying going on out there.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): It's like the whole thing. Yeah, that's all we can do a whole other podcast about the copycats and the creative.

Rob Lee: The whole line table.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): It's like literally Beamore Tables, like I hear you.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): You're trying to, yeah. I remember I had a uh, you know, it happens every now and then a couple of content creators and bloggers. Um, you know, I'll do I'll come up with these ideas for roundups and then you'll see them published somewhere else under someone else's name um uh a week later, and it's like I know that you didn't come out with that on your own, but I guess, you know, invitation is the highest form of flattery. Uh but um yeah, it kind of goes back to you to your other point about uh, you know, being Baltimore and you know, put that potentially being limited. You know, my kind of rationale is people don't really ask say that or question that for people in major cities, like as a as a creator, you know, a food creator, restaurant creator, New York, you know, there's so many creators in New York who are able to talk about local New York restaurants and and the people behind them, but then they tr they're traveling to you know, um Europe and Africa and and having all these dining experiences there, but we still know them as that guy who does the New York scene reviews or you know, how like so it it that's kind of how I think about it. I think people just have to qu you know really check their own perception and ideas of what Baltimore is and you know, not think of it as as a place that you have to play it small, like you can be in Baltimore, you can take Baltimore to the world because like you said, you are the brand. So that's that's really how I look at it.

Rob Lee: See, you you you didn't you you didn't crush it, you didn't knock out the last question. So I want to move into the rapid fire questions, and then I got the sage-like advice, and um you might know one of them, but I'm not gonna give it to you first because I uh I don't like people feeling they can beat my game. This is about me.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): I'm nervous, we'll see.

Rob Lee: Okay, uh so what would you say your number one tip is for someone exploring a new bar or a new restaurant? What is your number one tip?

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): My number one tip for exploring a new bar or restaurant. First of all, I think I would say to look it up and see if what they have on the menu is something that you actually like, know yourself and know what you like before you ooh and ah a video or a photo. Um because I feel like that is how you have the the best experiences. Like for me. I'm I love trying new

things. I'm very open minded. Um so I and I I try a lot of food. So I'm uh while I love a dod bar, please don't get me wrong. Love one, you know, love you know the typical bar food. Um if I'm excited, if I want to

try a new space, I'm always looking for something like unique and creative and that's me, like a a a solid cocktail menu where someone has taken time and curated a menu for us to taste. Like that's what I prefer. But if you're the type of person who just is like, I need a Roman Coke with a line and some chicken wings, and that's like your go to, and that's that's what's gonna satisfy you. Lean into that. I mean, there's you know, there's so many options that fall under your own personal umbrella, and then it's those those you know, you Monday you feel like being spontaneous or open minded, maybe try something new. So my thing is always just know yourself

and know what you like before um you think about going to a new bar or restaurant that's you know uh that's everything that's viral that has a lot of likes does not mean it's it's going to be your thing.

Rob Lee: That's that's the thinking that I was having. I I run into this sometimes. I'm like, damn it, I was influenced versus I was informed.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Yeah, yeah. I think what you do is more being inform informative than you know, it just comes through in that way versus you know, I make fun of them come with me as I blah blah blah. It's just like this is a script. This is fine. Right. It's very scripted, very chat CPC.

Rob Lee: So let me let me hit you with the the the next the next couple because rapid fire, we gotta we gotta peel through 'em. Um yeah, just go. Favorite ice cream flavor. See? Oh.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Oh man. Um It's hot. It's hot right now. I'm gonna have to just go honey grand 'cause I love Charker Brothers Honey Graham. That's like my favorite I love graham crackers. So I feel like that's a weird thing to like, but a honey, grand crackers, like as a child, I was like my snack. What a weird, yeah, what a healthy snack for a child. But I the fact that they even have a honeygram ice cream is like they put my childhood in ice cream form. Yeah. So that's yeah, that's my favorite.

Rob Lee: All right, we're gonna we're gonna talk about it right now. Here's a collaboration and no one asks for, no one will ask for. This is gonna be a collaboration with me, you it's gonna be the branding for you, the talking for you, and all of that good stuff, and it's gonna be small Teddy Gram esque um image.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): of me. Yeah, I had some last night. It's going to be me as a grand crack of Tutty Bear, Okay. But it's like a brothers ice cream. Boom. It's it's so good, yeah. Have a soup of me. That's right.

Rob Lee: That's such a ridiculous thing to say. Yeah, I'm a Teddy Graham person, so to have um I mean, human teddy gram sounds a little crazy. That's not the right word I'm looking for, but that's that is crazy actually.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Um Animal Morgan bear, so it just it works. It works in every way. It's like, look, I just see all of it, you know. Right.

Rob Lee: Um so what is is we all live online and we all put too much information online. Um is there something about you that many people who follow you have no idea? Like it's a big thing about you, but they just don't know that you'd be willing to to share on a podcast.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Um something they know about something they don't that they just don't know.

Rob Lee: But it's a big thing for you. It's like yeah, I'm really into this. Like you can have a black belt and karate, but no one knows. You're like, look, that's a lot of discipline.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Uh I have I feel like those there's so many things. I I don't I don't post too much of my personal life on my platform. So I I think I'm very family oriented. I feel like if that doesn't necessarily come across because

it's not something I share, but my family means the world to me. Um I'm really into film. I guess that's starting to peek out a little bit because I do post um I put I have a partnership with warehouse cinemas, but I also work very closely with Parkway Theater, um the independent film space. Um so if anybody's looking to submit their vertical videos for Maryland Film Festival, this is my plug to do that because I this will be my second year curating that.

Rob Lee: We should talk because I do a movie podcast outside of this.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): I Oh, do you? I do. Yeah, I think he's a movie person. Yes, I'm I'm a little bit behind on you know, some of the big movies that have come out this summer because I've been traveling and stuff, but I'll catch up.

Rob Lee: And uh we'll send the link to you. I'll do the link to you. I'm gonna be expecting you knocking on the door to come on a talk movies with me. Yes, I would love that. It's so fun. Yeah, I I do I love film a lot. I love independent film, I love the blockbuster films. It's just it's love dumb m movies and like real cinematic.

Rob Lee: So you keep talking, you're gonna give me another rapid fire question to ask you.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): So here's here's the last rapid fire question I'll I'll be I'll behave.

Rob Lee: Uh so this is gonna be somewhat it could get you in trouble but it won't, I don't think. What is something what is what do you think is missing, right? From like the local food scene. Like either it was here and it's gone or you've seen it you're like, that'd be really good. We should have more let's say Turkish food or more African food or a certain type of cuisine.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): I guess yeah yeah I I don't know. Um I was my question is not necessarily the type of cuisine. I think the question for me uh becomes because like I am able to be a part of uh the process of like some of these like um national brands and I get to do some travel now for to try restaurants, you know I have partnerships California and I've got Chicago recently in New York. I think what's missing from the Baltimore food scene that could really take it next level is is the service ac aspect. Um I think there are friendly people in Baltimore and that's not what I'm saying. So I'm not saying the service is you know the people who are behind it are rude or nasty like that's not what I'm saying. But service when I think about it um at a higher elevated level it's more harmonious and you know the folks are like paying attention to the diner and seeing what's missing from the table or you know how to create you know just a memorable experience um that that feels cohesive and feels like it's an art form and it in and of itself um service. So I feel like if Baltim that's what's missing from

Baltimore. I think we have we see places like Charleston, um or even the speed of a Cafe dear Leon or even the leisure of an equity uh those are those are the ones that kinda stand out for me where you remember the service that you had but a lot of places it's it's either forgettable um and just not memorable or you know it's just not up to smell. So I I think that's a he I think it's 'cause we have the food, we have the great food. So if we could nail the service, I think the world would be talking about Baltimore's food scene. And I and we have time to get there but I think you're right. I think you're right there.

Rob Lee: And the the touch on Cafe Dear Leon is really great because I go there probably three times a week in the morning. I want to get coffee there on the weekends then it's just like yo, where's my crab joint and I something as simple as like I said I'm a very noticeable individual have you and I'm glad people don't see me in the morning. I'm hoochie daddy out 'cause I'm going to the gym and th

they every person there knows me. They're like, oh Robert you which do you want your um your uh Japanese ice tea ice coffee and it's like yes I do. And it's always with the name and it's not this is sort of that small attention to detail which means like oh I'll go and do a longer walk so I can go over there to make that part of the beginning of my day. And the same thing extends to Lama San the other location. Yeah. And they're like, oh Robert you're over here too I'm like I don't even know you how do you know I am it's like oh you're in a handbook. Oh well damn that's that's something Exactly services great here.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): That's exactly what I'm talking about. So yeah so like we can really up our game in that arena for sure.

Rob Lee: Alright now we're here to the last portion, last piece of business for the day. The sage like advice. So way safe like advice it's just it's really advice it's sort

of a question with a bit more depth to it but it's something that really individually I think you can answer here. So here we go. There's an influx of content creators and very an expertise, niches and interests. We and we were kind of touching on that earlier earlier. I think you know I think think of the podcast boom there's so many podcasts and it's easy to get lost in that sort of digital world. It's like wow I'm absorbed. So how has Charm City Table succeeded and why and what would you impart upon someone who wants to branch out and get into authentic humanitarian oriented sort of content creation around food. What advice would you share being authentic amidst all of this all of the scammers, all of the

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): games I think Sharm City Fables answer your first question has has succeeded because I think I took my time with it. I'm I'm um I'm like a person who likes to move at my own pace and my own pace can definitely vary. So probably slow at some people's feet or rapid fire depending on the day or the season. Um but I show like I allow myself the space to take my time and to really um think out and be thoughtful about my approach. Um and it and knowing when I need to be in that space and knowing when I need to like go rapid fire go full speed of he full speed ahead. So I think that's really um the success is listening, learning and kind of creating in a way that makes me feel uh the most comfortable and the most fulfilled um and I think for people coming into this space I'm always just like while you're you're starting out kind of how I did it doesn't have to be three years, you know, from twenty seventeen to twenty twenty, it doesn't have to be that long, but really just take some time at least a year and really think about what you want to do for your brand voice and just the the style and approach that you want to have because everybody is doing something a little bit different. It does get to be the wild wild west at this current

point in time. So if you can really think about the ways in which you want to stand out in the things that feel real and authentic to you. You I feel like it's easier to communicate that to your audience and have your grand voice come across a certain way. Um so that would be um my sage advice to really take your time and create and not necessarily chase virality of the next hot thing but look within yourself and think about what you like to do 'cause or what you're passionate about 'cause I feel like that's the piece that's going to stand out versus you might you know the fiftieth person posting the same sandwich. Like, yeah, it's nice to be invited, but you know, I I I feel like I see that with new creators. Like I'll see them kind of I'm trying not to curse, but like complain about the the numbers, you know, their low engagement but not but not realize that, okay, you you're the same per you've posted the same noodle dish that fifty other creators have posted this week in the D M B area from the same restaurant because you were all at the same event. I'm like, okay, yeah, you can go for the event and post the noodles. Assume that won't do well 'cause you're the fiftieth person, but then make sure you're

going out and creating something that does make people stop scrolling and want to hear what you specifically have to say. Yeah. Um so yes, that that would be my I don't know if it's sage advice. No, it is you know, so it's something to think about when you're in the space.

Rob Lee: I think it's the sage flavored advice from my eyebrows.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): It it almost feels like that moody foodie episode of Bob's burgers in some ways. Like oh so you so okay, yeah, this is that much like you're just doing the same thing. And yeah that I think that makes sense and I I'll close on saying this before I just you know sort of do the shameless plugs because we shameless plug on this podcast. Um the it's in that vein of you know I used to joke about it even in the podcast class I teach. I was like, yeah everyone's gonna do their you know Jada Pinkett, Will Smith, entanglement thing or what have you. I was like you're gonna do the one that's so original when you get to the two hundredth version of it. No one cares. Do something that you care about and you know go from there.

Like if I'm doing that, I'm like, all right, let me just do a versus of her movies versus his movies. I would play that game and make it into a bit. And it still can kinda touch on it but yeah let's just put a mic

in front of us and just barbershop talk. That's like this is low effort. You're not you're doing it not timely and you're going to get you into your advice and you're just putting it out there because it feels evergreen and I need to, you know, hit my um I need to hit my my deadline. Like you're not a journalist. You're just talking about what's viral. It's fine. Yeah exactly.

Rob Lee: That's kind of old man take.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): No, no that this is really not an old man think. I think it's something to really think about, especially if people feel like the market and I know you see it in the podcast world, but people are feeling like it's oversaturated and everybody, you know, new there's a new person on the block every day. It's like well, you know do you want to be the person who's just in the crowd and and being another person with a podcast mic or a phone who's shooting restaurant content or do you want to stand out, you know, which one is it? I feel like you do have to pick a lane and and stick with it because you can't then complain that y people haven't picked you out from this No one's discovered me.

Rob Lee: Oh my God. Yeah this like blob of of the same type of concept It's just unseason noodles.

Rob Lee: That's all you are It's just unseasoned noodles.

Rob Lee: So Thank you so much. I think this was just this is all that I hoped it was gonna be and I I I had a great time and thank you for being the upon this podcast.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Yes, thanks for having me. I'm glad we finally got to do this. I feel like it's been a little bit in the making.

Rob Lee: We got it. We got it and uh so there's two things I want to do as we close out here. One, I wanna thank you again for just coming through, making the time, being warm, being open, all that good stuff. And two, I want to invite and encourage you to share with the listeners where they can follow you as if they don't know where to follow you, but if they where they can follow you Yeah. All of the stuff.

Simone Phillips (Charm City Table): Yes, please. Yes, please follow me um everywhere, but especially on Instagram. We're uh Charm City Tables. Well we have Baltimore's nickname, Charm City, and then table like the dining table. We're on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Spreads. YouTube Shorts. And um, yeah, also like I I said, I I helped curate some vertical videos for the Maryland Film Festival. So now submissions are open and you can submit I mean any sort of film, short film, feature film, whatever, but you could also my part specifically uh handle the vertical video world. So if you're a content creator or somebody who creates really cinematic things in the vertical format piece, please go ahead and follow Maryland Phillips as a little submit there.

Rob Lee: And there you have it, folks. I want to again thank Simone Phillips from Charm City Table for coming on to the Truth in this art and spending some time with me and sharing a bit of the story behind her journey with Charm City Table. personal insights, and thoughts around content creation, event curation, and food. And for Simone, I am Rob Lee, saying that there's art, culture, and community in and around your neck of the woods. You just have to look for it.