Lombard couple featured in new Food Network series ‘Me or the Menu’

Can a Lombard couple’s marriage survive the stresses of beginning a new meals truck enterprise jointly?

Television viewers will find that out with the new Food items Network docuseries “Me or the Menu” debuting Thursday, June 30. Kathleen Murray and Nate Albert of Lombard are a single of 4 restaurateur partners whose lives in Houston, Brooklyn and Chicago ended up all captured by reality Tv set crews for the 5-episode collection.

“Most likely the most essential point about this present is the in-depth search at the impact of our personalized romance when making an attempt to run a business enterprise collectively,” explained Murray, who was forged on “Me or the Menu” past year not extensive right after she and Albert introduced Saucy Kat, a Wheaton-centered Italian cuisine food items truck.

“It was an on-line job interview, and apparently we did excellent,” Albert reported about the audition course of action.

This isn’t really Murray’s to start with time showing up on a reality Television set exhibit. She briefly appeared in episode 3 of time 11 of the Fox show “MasterChef,” which place Murray on the casting radar of Food Network producers.

But “Me or the Menu” was a unique Tv set production beast. In its place of a studio-bound cooking competitiveness, “Me or the Menu” was an all-encompassing documentary task.

“Owning cameras on me from the minute I wake till the instant I go to mattress, acquiring GoPro (cameras) in the auto and currently being mic-ed up all working day long — it truly delved into the at the rear of-the-scenes of lifetime and what it really is like to run a enterprise,” Murray stated.

“When they initial started off filming, I was so awkward,” Albert reported. “But the more you did it, the extra you acquired applied to it.”

Murray notes that she also has a 9-to-5 corporate position as a chief innovative officer for a technologies corporation. COVID-19 cutbacks past 12 months meant that Albert was laid off from his occupation at a winery, which authorized him to be committed to the foodstuff truck.

Saucy Kat was a way for Murray to convey her adore of cooking and share household recipes stretching back again generations. It also allowed Murray and Albert to steer clear of the comprehensive challenges of running a cafe full time — a luxury not afforded to yet another “Me or the Menu” few, James Martin and Jessica Neal, who run the Chicago cafe Bocadillo Market place.

But Murray and Albert say the planning for foods vehicles is nonetheless major.

“I don’t think folks have any concept of the tension and perform and labor of really like of what goes into developing an event,” Murray stated. “I shell out six hours making my sauce. And then often, I go residence at 3 a.m. in the morning, and I’m again up at 6 to prep the truck.”

Both Murray and Albert are nervously anticipating “Me or the Menu” airing and seeing how their life will be edited and depicted on display. When they were being interviewed, neither had seen a whole episode yet.

“It’s ultimately commencing to sink in. The movie previews are on the internet,” Albert mentioned. “Kathleen has experience with being on Tv set, and I will not. So it is surreal.”