At first glance, Big Kids looked like the kind of party your younger self would have begged your parents to attend. Balloon animals floated above cocktail glasses, martinis shared the table with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and a magician drifted from conversation to conversation. The evening carried all the familiar details of childhood nostalgia dressed in grown-up clothes.

More than reliving childhood, Big Kids reflects the flavors and experiences that we’ve marinated in our whole lives. Life Thru Food founders Micho Hanna and Zach Amato ask creatives one question: What does your life taste like? Chosen artists develop dishes tied to family, travel, friendships, or milestones, turning dinner into something much bigger.

For Hanna, food has always been its own language. His father, a chef and restaurant owner, taught him that the dinner table could be a place where stories are passed down, traditions take shape, and people come together. He grew up with the philosophy that a meal could hold meaning far beyond what was on the plate.

The seventh Life Thru Food installment reflects his father’s lessons. Hanna and Amato saw a natural connection between two worlds: Life Thru Food builds stories through what people have tasted while Quell Creates builds stories through what people seek to experience.

For Sokoll-Ward and ElSherbiny, a life of creativity exceeds a single title or role. Sokoll-Ward works in creator marketing as Lead Sales Engineer at Traackr and ElSherbiny does luxury buying and merchandising at Threads Styling. In their spare time together, they built Quell Creates, a studio focused on branding and content.

Quell represents a new kind of creative freedom for ElSherbiny.

"My work has always been creative in different ways, but Quell is the first thing that's felt completely ours and limitless," ElSherbiny said.

Their story began the same way many meaningful ideas do: two friends and a meal. Sitting inside an Italian restaurant in Tribeca, Sokoll-Ward and ElSherbiny found themselves talking over garlic-heavy bruschetta about the kind of creative company they envisioned. 

Years later, focaccia bruschetta with fried garlic returned as the opening course of their Life Thru Food dinner, offering their story’s roots as the appetizer. The second course, God Bless Nediva’s Mother, paid tribute to Sokoll-Ward’s childhood meals, pairing chana masala and garlic naan with crispy Brussels sprouts and turkey meatball arancini.

Popcorn chicken and crispy shoestring fries with “MSG Dust” followed. The playful comfort food reflected Quell’s belief that creativity does not have to feel serious to hold meaning. Sometimes, people connect over the things that simply bring joy.

Dessert was the most familiar dish of the evening: PB&J. ElSherbiny’s longtime childhood favorite, reimagined with tahini peanut butter and date jelly, celebrated a nostalgic sandwich through her Egyptian roots.

Each course revealed another piece of Sokoll-Ward and ElSherbiny’s story, showing where their creativity has taken them and where it began.

After seven volumes, Amato still finds discovery at the heart of Life Thru Food.

"Everyone has layers of stories and experiences that shape who they are that you would never suspect from viewing them from the outside," he said. "Two people could be from the exact same place with a similar upbringing but have drastically different menus.

"Looking across the rooftop, different cultures, backgrounds, and creative paths converge around one table. Strangers quickly found common ground through conversations about food, memories, and the stories behind each dish.

"I find it so awesome to see people enjoying our creations while also learning about someone else's life," Amato said. "It's a built-in relationship starter."

For Quell, connection serves as the engine behind brand development and momentum. 

"What's most exciting is that Quell keeps evolving," Sokoll-Ward said. "We like following ideas that genuinely excite us and seeing where they lead.

"Quell’s next chapter includes new collaborations that blur the lines between branding, experiences, content, and products. Both founders hope to keep building a creative community rooted in genuine relationships.

"I know 'community' is an overused word," ElSherbiny said. "But at the end of the day, it's really all we've got. Life is about human connection, understanding each other a little better, and being present with the people in front of you. If Quell can create more of those moments, then I feel like we're doing something."

Life Thru Food continue to host intimate dinners throughout New York, with upcoming volumes announced on Instagram at @life___thrufood, while Quell shares new collaborations and projects through @quellcreates. ∎