Side Quest: The Blaxicocina Era ft. Tiara Darnell

You just had to be there. When podcast producer-turned-restaurateur Tiara Darnell closed her groundbreaking soul food restaurant, Blaxicocina, in Mexico City, she was forced to ask the same question TK was wrestling with: Who am I after the thing I thought would define me?

Together, they reflect on leaving careers that no longer served them, building community from scratch, the rise and fall of Blaxicocina, and why sometimes choosing yourself means letting an old dream end so a new one can begin. This side quest explores reinvention, creative risk, and the freedom that comes from refusing to keep life on the hardest difficulty setting.

Support the Show ✨Want the full conversation?✨ The complete extended interview with Tiara will be available on Patreon. Support independent audio storytelling and unlock bonus episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and more at: Patreon.com/SecretLife ofTK Leave a Message Call/Text The Secret Lifeline and leave a message for a future episode: ☎️ (929) 551-4363 🎙️ The Secret Life of TK Dutes is hosted and executive produced by me, Keisha TK Dutes. 🙏🏾 Special thanks: Tiara Darnell, Mike Brown (Producer), C. (Engineer), Faybeo’n Mickens (Marketing), Pat Mesiti-Miller (Theme Music), 👉🏾 Follow Tiara online: @Blaxicocina & 👉🏾 Follow Mike Brown on IG: @theartoflettingopodcast 👉🏾 Follow TK on IG: @tastykeish | @philosfuturemedia 👉🏾 Go behind the scenes on Patreon: patreon.com/c/SecretLifeofTK ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★