The One With Jon and Sondra Solish

Summary

For Love and Chocolate – Episode: The One With Jon and Sondra Solish

Release Date: March 26, 2025

Introduction: Celebrating Love and Sweet Adventures

In the season finale of the inaugural season of For Love and Chocolate, hosts Tommy and Tara Gallop (affectionately referred to as Mrs. Truffles) kick off the episode by reminiscing about their recent trip to the Catskills. Tommy shares a humorous anecdote about accompanying his mother-in-law to the airport, setting a lighthearted tone for the episode.

Notable Quote:

Tommy Truffles [00:24]: "You know, I've been in love with the same woman for 49 years. My wife ever finds out, she'll kill me."

Mrs. Truffles adds warmth to the conversation, praising the picturesque setting of their cousin Jeremy and Anne Marie's wedding in Coxsackie.

Notable Quote:

Mrs. Truffles [01:00]: "I have never seen a more beautiful, stunning, picturesque place for a wedding."

The hosts express their love for nature and announce their plans to take a break from the podcast to explore the stunning coastline up to Oregon, with Big Sur as their first destination.

Mailbag Segment: A Heartfelt Tribute

Transitioning to their cherished mailbag segment, Tommy and Mrs. Truffles share a heartfelt letter from a listener named Alicia Isaacs. Alicia expresses immense gratitude for the podcast, crediting it for guiding her toward finding and nurturing lasting love. She even composed a song dedicated to the hosts.

Notable Quote:

Mrs. Truffles [02:50]: "Dear Mr. And Mrs. Truffles, I'm writing to you today to express my most heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for your podcast."

Tommy enthusiastically introduces the song, inviting Adam Haagen to perform it live on the show. The couple's rendition of Alicia's song, infused with sweet melodies and harmonious chords, delights both hosts and listeners alike.

Notable Quote:

Tommy Truffles [04:15]: "Alicia, Alicia, Alicia. I can't even tell you how moved Mrs. Truffles and I were to see your song."

Introducing Guests: John and Sandra Solish

The episode then shifts focus to the special guests, John and Sandra Solish, a couple celebrating 28 years of marriage. The Solishes share their unique love story, beginning with their chance meeting at John's law firm. Amidst the backdrop of riots in 1992, Sandra recounts the moment their eyes met, igniting an undeniable attraction.

Notable Quote:

Sandra Solish [11:08]: "I just fell in. I remember the look extremely well, even though we were smiling and then it didn't stop."

John humorously reveals his flirtatious nature and the initial uncertainty about Sandra's reciprocation of his interest. Their playful banter adds charm to their narrative as they navigate the early stages of their relationship.

Notable Quote:

John Solish [13:00]: "And he had a smile, and I gave him a smile back. So now fast forward. We're there. We're sort of doing this give and take of very reserved, flirty, kind of a respectful."

From Flirting to Forever: The Solish Journey

John and Sandra detail their journey from playful office flirtations to a committed relationship. A pivotal moment occurs when John, determined to address their mutual attraction, boldly asks Sandra, “What are we going to do about this attraction we have for each other?” This candid conversation leads to their first kiss and subsequent deepening of their bond.

Notable Quote:

John Solish [23:58]: "So I said, what are we going to do about this attraction we have for each other?"

Their spontaneous decision to marry was influenced by John's professional aspirations and the desire to present a unified front as Sandra transitioned into her role as his partner. They recount their intimate, non-traditional wedding at a yoga center, emphasizing their commitment without the trappings of a formal ceremony.

Notable Quote:

John Solish [30:32]: "And I was his secretary. So I said to him, I said, if we're going to be married, we need to do it now."

Keys to Lasting Love: Relationship Wisdom from the Solishes

In the latter part of the episode, John and Sandra offer invaluable advice to couples seeking enduring love. They highlight the importance of:

1. Authenticity: Allowing each partner to be themselves without undue demands or restrictions.
2. Communication: Openly expressing feelings and avoiding assumptions about each other’s thoughts.
3. Respect: Valuing one another’s perspectives and handling disagreements with grace.
4. Emotional Intelligence: Managing emotions to prevent hurtful words from leaving lasting scars.
5. Supportiveness: Being each other’s confidants and advocates, fostering a strong emotional bond.

Notable Quotes:

Sandra Solish [33:22]: "Let the other person be themselves. You know, I'm not demanding a lot of stuff of, you know, don't do this or don't do." John Solish [34:33]: "If I'm feeling some way about something, it's important for me to say, hey, I'm feeling this way right now."

Their reflections underscore the significance of mutual respect, effective communication, and the ability to navigate conflicts without damaging the relationship.

A Sweet Farewell: Gift Bags and Final Thoughts

As the episode concludes, Tommy and Mrs. Truffles present John and Sandra with a romantic weekend gift bag, filled with white wine, champagne truffles, homemade body butter, and a romantic candle. This gesture symbolizes the episode’s celebration of love and the sweet connections formed through shared stories.

Notable Quote:

Mrs. Truffles [36:00]: "This is a little something that we call a romantic weekend in a bag. And we like to send all our romantic couples home with a beautiful gift bag."

In a heartfelt goodbye, the hosts express their gratitude to listeners for supporting the first season and tease exciting plans for the upcoming second season, promising more enchanting love stories and expert advice.

Notable Quote:

Mrs. Truffles [37:38]: "I can't wait for second season to get more advice from our learned experts and to share more journeys and everlasting love with you."

Conclusion: A Season of Love and Memories

For Love and Chocolate wraps up its first season by celebrating the enduring love of John and Sandra Solish, offering listeners both inspiration and practical wisdom for nurturing their own relationships. The episode seamlessly blends personal anecdotes, heartfelt tributes, and insightful discussions, embodying the podcast’s mission to explore the sweet complexities of love through the lens of fine Swiss chocolate and meaningful connections.

Transcript

[Tommy Truffles]

From deep in the heart of Beverly Hills, you found for love and chocolate with Mr. And Mrs. Truffles.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, welcome back to the podcast.

[Tommy Truffles]

Welcome Back to you, Mrs. Truffles. You know, I just got back from a pleasure trip. Yeah. I took my mother in law to the airport. Ha ha. You know, I've been in love with the same woman for 49 years. My wife ever finds out, she'll kill me. Doctor, he told me I had six months to live. I told him I couldn't pay my bill. He said, okay, you have another six months. Why am I telling these jokes?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Mrs. Truffles, I think you just got back from. From the Catskills.

[Tommy Truffles]

I got back with the Catskills. I got back with you from the Catskills.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yes. And yet, strangely, I haven't been telling any funny jokes.

[Tommy Truffles]

What a trip that was. We went to my first cousin Jeremy and his beautiful wife Anne Marie's wedding in Coxsackie in the Catskills. And it was incredible.

[Mrs. Truffles]

It was so beautiful. It was Shangri La. I have never seen a more beautiful, stunning, picturesque place for a wedding.

[Tommy Truffles]

Just the. The hills and the pond and the flowers.

[Mrs. Truffles]

The flowers. All of the flower arrangements were made from the flowers that were growing on this property.

[Tommy Truffles]

It was just.

[Mrs. Truffles]

And there were flowers there I've never seen before. They were stunning. And there was a pond with swans on it.

[Tommy Truffles]

Yep.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I mean, you can't make this stuff up. It was out of a dream.

[Tommy Truffles]

Yeah, out of a beautiful dream. And it's gonna be such an incredible summer. Right? Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, we love being out in nature.

[Tommy Truffles]

We do. December is no exception, is it?

[Mrs. Truffles]

No. We're gonna take a little time off from the podcast, go exploring our beautiful coastline all the way up to Oregon.

[Tommy Truffles]

That's right. Well, our first trip is gonna be Big Sur again, which we can't get enough of.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yes. And we're gonna go visit with our good friends Rita and Mike up in Oregon.

[John Solish]

Yes.

[Tommy Truffles]

And you know, somewhere along the line, maybe we'll find a wedding or two that we can crash, because I love weddings.

[Mrs. Truffles]

We love nature, we love beauty, and we love love. And we love weddings.

[Tommy Truffles]

Yeah, we do. So anyway, that's all fine and good, but you know what I think, Mrs. Truffles? I think you know what time it is.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I think I know what time it is.

[John Solish]

Mailbag.

[Tommy Truffles]

Well, Mrs. Truffles, why don't you tell us what we have in the mailbag today?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, why don't we take a look and see?

[Tommy Truffles]

Okay.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, Mr. Truffles, we have a letter. It's More than a letter. Oh, wow. This is really special. Okay, listen to this.

[Tommy Truffles]

Give me.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Dear Mr. And Mrs. Truffles, I'm writing to you today to express my most heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for your podcast. I have listened to every episode numerous times and have gained so much from them because of your helpful insights and perspectives, along with the great advice from your wonderful longtime married couple. I now know that I am on the right track for finding my special someone. Not only do I have confidence in my direction, but I now know how to nurture love and how to make it last. You have so inspired me that I wrote a special song just for you. I hope Adam can make beautiful music for my lyrics, and this song will make you smile. Love, Alicia Isaacs.

[Tommy Truffles]

Oh, my goodness. That is so sweet.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Look at this song.

[Tommy Truffles]

I can't believe it. Adam, I hope you're up to the task.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Wow. Let's see what Adam can do. Let's see what you can do, Mr. Truffles. Okay, well, bring it, boys.

[Tommy Truffles]

Mm, mm, mm. Alicia, Alicia, Alicia. I can't even tell you how moved Mrs. Truffles and I were to see your song. It just. It makes us so happy to feel the love. And now we want to share it back with you. In the heart of Beverly Hills, where love sweet melodies chime. Mr. And Mrs. Truffles tell tales that intertwine. Intertwine Swiss chocolate drinks to love's enduring embrace. That podcast unfolds in a harmonious space. Oh, yeah. Ooh, wait for it.

[Sandra Solish]

Mmm.

[Tommy Truffles]

Okay. Wait for it, wait for it. Mmm. Love and chocolate. A sweet rendezvous with tales of love and laughter ensue. With Tommy and Tommy Zara as our charming hosts, let's savor each moment with a champagne truffle toast.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh, my. You guys brought that to life. Adam and Tommy Truffles. You guys are. Thank you, Alicia, for giving them such a beautiful song to work with them.

[Tommy Truffles]

That was so fun to do, and Adam crushed it, as he always does, but, yeah, Alicia, thank you. You know, it's so clear that your way of expression is through song, and. And we so appreciate that. And for a lot of people, that is their. Their way to express things. I. I know that John Williams, composer of, you know, incredible movies like Star wars and Jaws and ET And Close Encounters, he used to compose on the golf course. And actually, I saw him one day, he was thinking the Riviera, and he was just hitting balls, and he was composing in between, and it was so fascinating. And that brings me to our next guest, our next couple. Just right Next to the studio, there's a beautiful home. And out from the top window, I used to hear, both of us would hear these, this delta blues, these rib guitar riffs that were so incredible. And if I didn't know better, I mean, I would have thought it was some, you know, 20 something year old, like a real music student who was just kind of working on his craft. No, no, it was our new dear friend, John Solish, a very learned. A very learned attorney who we found out later that that was his way of just kind of calming himself so that he could prepare for trial, you know, work on his briefs. But his music is incredible.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So tell us a little bit about our next guest.

[Tommy Truffles]

Okay, Mrs. Truffles. From the desert to the sea. All the way from Rhode island by way of Arkansas. Meet the king of Chile and the queen of everything. Creating spice that's been enjoyed in many corners of the world. I mean, if that's not a setup, I don't know what is.

[Mrs. Truffles]

That's their words.

[Tommy Truffles]

Yes, those are their words. And guess what? We're going to hear more of their words when we come right back with John and Sandra solish. For over 40 years, toyshare has been a staple in the Beverly Hills community. Like so many other families in the community, our family has had a long standing love affair with toyscher chocolates. Over the years, we formed traditions and memories around these extraordinary Swiss chocolates and the enchanting wonderland of fantasy truffle boxes inside our store. Today, our family is proud to be carrying on the toyshoe tradition in Beverly Hills. Well, welcome back, everybody. Gotta tell you, Mrs. Dreffels, I don't know what you're putting in the, but I'm feeling very good right now. My whole body is really warm.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I put real roses in it.

[Tommy Truffles]

Is that what it was?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yes.

[Tommy Truffles]

Okay, well, the reason I'm giggling is because our guests who were sitting in front of us, they had two questions. Well, actually it was a statement. One was, I'm not signing a release, and the other was, can I drop an F bomb? So with those things on the table, how can that. It's just gonna be a party, Mrs. Truffles.

[Mrs. Truffles]

It's gonna be a party.

[Tommy Truffles]

We're gonna say hello now. John and Sandra Solish. Welcome, guys.

[John Solish]

Thank you.

[Mrs. Truffles]

We're happy to be here, guys. It's so nice to have you here. We can't wait to hear your special romantic story. How long have you been married? You're allowed to count with your fingers and toes. What year were you married? In 96. So you were married in 1996?

[John Solish]

Yeah, I think so.

[Sandra Solish]

I think that was it.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Wow. What's the math on that, Mr. Charlotte?

[Tommy Truffles]

I think that's 28 years.

[John Solish]

28.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay, lovely. I am excited to hear. How did you first meet?

[John Solish]

Would you like to start?

[Sandra Solish]

Well, so we were in the same office together. She worked for one of my tenants. I'm a lawyer. We were sort of flirting a long ways.

[Mrs. Truffles]

You were flirting a lot. Was that allowed?

[John Solish]

Well, my interview, the day that I came for the interview, I came in with my girlfriend. I was going to do the interview for this job. For this job.

[Mrs. Truffles]

And what was the position?

[John Solish]

Legal assistant.

[Mrs. Truffles]

A legal assistant.

[John Solish]

After the interview, she and I were just gonna go and do our thing. While we were sitting there, he walks past and he stops in his tracks. He says, hi, how are you? I said, I'm fine. How are you? And he goes about his business. He comes back, looks, stops, and he says, you have a great day. I said, you too. Well, I get the job. And then I learned that he was actually on his way to the men's room. So when I get the job, I'm looking for that handsome guy. I'm like, where is that guy that was so handsome? I thought, well, geez, maybe he was a client, because I hadn't seen him. Well, it turned out he had gone on vacation.

[Mrs. Truffles]

But he worked at the firm where.

[John Solish]

It was his firm.

[Mrs. Truffles]

It was his firm.

[John Solish]

It was his firm.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So he was the big chief.

[Sandra Solish]

So this is the story that day. So that was the day that the riots were going on.

[Mrs. Truffles]

1992, right? Yeah.

[Sandra Solish]

Looking out of my office, my window to the east across la, there are about a dozen fires that were just smoldering, just burning, you know, big red flames.

[Mrs. Truffles]

In Brentwood, you could see the fires.

[Sandra Solish]

I saw the fires across the city.

[Mrs. Truffles]

How tall was your building?

[Sandra Solish]

We were on, like, maybe the. What, 15th floor?

[John Solish]

Yeah.

[Sandra Solish]

And so I looked out and I saw these fires, and they weren't tending them, so they were just burning to the sky across la. I just thought, man, we just got to do better. I mean, this is just terrible. You know, the people are rioting. And so I just walked past and I just wanted to be friendly. I did. I didn't really. And I wanted to just say something friendly or something, but then we looked into each other's eyes. I mean, I just fell in. I remember the look extremely well, even though, I mean, we were smiling and then it didn't stop.

[Tommy Truffles]

Well, clearly she was attracted to you.

[Sandra Solish]

I just meant to be sort of friendly and positive. I don't think I'd really looked at you very closely when I started that look. And the look, I just sort of fell into that look. And I still remember her eyes. We just looked at each other, and we just. I mean, I've always felt that sometimes you can recognize a person that's gonna be important in your life before you actually know who they are. You know that there you can click and you sort of get that something's gonna happen. And I just had that feeling, like, a lot.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Wow. Yeah. No, we hear that a lot in these interviews. We do.

[Sandra Solish]

I remember it very strong, very strongly. I remember where she was sitting. I remember her friends sitting with her.

[John Solish]

Well, I'm very flirtatious.

[Tommy Truffles]

Okay, so you know that she's interviewing for a position.

[Sandra Solish]

I had no idea what she was doing. She could have been a client. I didn't have a clue.

[John Solish]

He had no idea. So I get the job. I come back, I'm looking for him, can't find him. All of a sudden, about two, three. Three weeks later, he pops, oh, my God, there's that guy. So I set to flirting, like, every time I see him. Hi, how are you?

[Mrs. Truffles]

So when he was just being friendly before, did you feel like he was flirting with you?

[John Solish]

Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Okay.

[Mrs. Truffles]

You didn't see him as just trying to do, like, a friendly gesture.

[John Solish]

It was not a hello, how are you? It was a hi, how are you?

[Mrs. Truffles]

We know the difference.

[Tommy Truffles]

Yeah, I can hear it.

[John Solish]

Yes, we do. We know the difference.

[Tommy Truffles]

Yes.

[John Solish]

And he had a smile, and I gave him a smile back. So now fast forward. We're there. We're sort of doing this give and take of very reserved, flirty, kind of a respectful. Kind of respectful, because in the office. So we want to be respectful. We want to be very careful about what?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Very professional. Yes.

[John Solish]

And I remember going to his receptionist and saying to her, you know that John Solish is really nice. And she said, no, girlfriend, he ain't nice. She said. She said, said, no, girlfriend, he ain't nice. He likes you. She said, I've been here for six months, and that man has never said boo to me. I was like, wow. Okay.

[Mrs. Truffles]

And how did that make you feel?

[John Solish]

I look? Game was on.

[Mrs. Truffles]

All right.

[John Solish]

Yeah, Game was on. I'm like, okay, so he's not nice. He's just flirting. You know, I'm up for the challenge.

[Tommy Truffles]

Okay. It's getting hot in here, sweetie.

[John Solish]

Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Truffles.

[Tommy Truffles]

Oh, my God.

[John Solish]

I started putting it out there. Every time I see him, I Pull out the big guns. Hi, how are you? I now I'm more focused on my makeup and my hair and what I'm wearing. One day he complimented me on something I was wearing. Whatever I said, he wasn't sure what I meant by it. So he started to explain himself. And I said, I'm just kidding. So now I'm in a panic. So I called my girlfriend up, and I said, jan, I've been flirting with this guy in the office, but I'm not sure if it's just from my end.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Even after what his receptionist had said to you, you're still not really sure?

[John Solish]

I think I got a yes even after eating.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Were you getting mixed messages from him?

[John Solish]

Yeah, I really was because he was. He was more reserved than I was. He had to be more careful because this was his firm. He was the partner. So he had to be very careful in how he approached me. So I called my girlfriend, and I'm like, jan, I think I'm making a fool of myself. I'm flirting with the sky. And I thought he was flirting back because I'm basing it on what his receptionist said. So my girlfriend says, slow down. She says, I've been in a lot of office romances, and there are several ways that you know that someone is interested in you because you have to be very reserved about this. I don't even remember what they were. It was the only one that I remembered. And the way his office was, it had a spiral staircase. You walk in, you have the lobby, and then you have a spiral staircase. And then he had his second floor. Well, my dad sat right at the top of the second floor. So whenever I heard his voice, I would make an excuse to come down the stairs.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Was his office located?

[John Solish]

His office was way in the back, first floor.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay.

[John Solish]

And that was the lobby. So when he came into his lobby and he was talking to the receptionist about his messages and meetings, I could hear him. So I would make an excuse to come downstairs to make my presence like Pavlovian, right? So when I told my girlfriend this story, she said, if he's interested, he will search you out. Don't go finding him.

[Mrs. Truffles]

And I'm like, smart lady.

[John Solish]

Okay. So this particular day, when we sort of solidified the attraction, there was no doubt. I heard him come in, and I almost came downstairs, and I remembered my girlfriend. Don't move. Don't move. Stay here.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Stay here.

[Tommy Truffles]

Heal.

[John Solish]

Heel.

[Mrs. Truffles]

We want her to come on the show and help us answer your mailbag questions.

[Sandra Solish]

I had no idea any of this.

[Tommy Truffles]

He had no idea.

[John Solish]

Sure enough, he goes to his office. And my girlfriend, she had me laughing. She says, you know, he used to try because his library, his firm library, was upstairs. And he used to pretend that he was going to the library and he would go up with books and writing pads. And then he got rid of the books and he would only go up with a writing pad. And she said, and now he just goes up with nothing.

[Tommy Truffles]

He just doesn't need any props anymore.

[John Solish]

He doesn't need any props. But tell him what you told me. When I told him I was doing that, he said, well, I used to talk extra loud to make sure that you.

[Tommy Truffles]

I bet, I bet all the time.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Pavlovian training him too. So he's like, if I speak, a beautiful woman comes down.

[Tommy Truffles]

But you never came down though, right? You didn't come down?

[John Solish]

I didn't come down. I used to always come down, but once my girlfriend told me not to.

[Tommy Truffles]

You stopped coming down?

[John Solish]

I stopped coming. It was only that one time.

[Sandra Solish]

I did a lot of research then.

[John Solish]

So this was the night that we connected. This one particular night that I didn't go down. He like hot sauce?

[Sandra Solish]

I still do.

[John Solish]

Collects hot sauces from all over the world. Wherever we go, wherever we travel to, he will bring home hot sauces.

[Sandra Solish]

I have a whole refrigerator just for hot sauces.

[Tommy Truffles]

Really?

[Sandra Solish]

Yeah. A separate refrigerator.

[John Solish]

He ordered this box of hot sauces, okay, from the place called Mojada Mobeta. And I thought, what does he know about Mojada Mo?

[Tommy Truffles]

Better. Wait, this is not the night, is it?

[John Solish]

This is the night.

[Tommy Truffles]

The night.

[John Solish]

Now, one thing that impressed me about him, because we are extremely non traditionalists, we are so off the beaten path. We're just not your basic people. We move by the beat of our own drummer.

[Tommy Truffles]

Got it.

[John Solish]

And in saying that our first lunch date was at a Mexican stand.

[Sandra Solish]

We went to Gloria's.

[John Solish]

We went to Gloria's. So I'm standing at the receptionist desk talking to my girlfriend, and we're trying to figure out where we were going to go to lunch. And John comes by and he says, what are you guys talking about? My girlfriend is laughing her ass off because he never says boo to her. But all of a sudden, he's in her conversation, he's talking to both of us.

[Mrs. Truffles]

How long had you been working there? By this.

[John Solish]

By this time, two months.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay, so two months in, he's ready to finally make his move.

[John Solish]

He said, what are you guys talking about? Well, we're trying to come up with a place for lunch. He Goes, yeah, me too. He goes back to his office. He comes back and he goes, well, I've decided where I'm going to go. And I said, good for you. Now, mind you, my girlfriend has already told me he likes me and that he's been flirting. And I said, good for you. And then he says, would you like to come? And I'm like, oh, oh, shit, this is a date. I look at my girlfriend and she goes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So she just sort of shoos you in his direction.

[John Solish]

She just shoos me, go, go, go, go. Because he was so apprehensive and concerned. And both my girlfriend and I are jokesters and shit talkers from way back. As we were leaving, she said to both of us, I'm going to be timing you. So now he's like, oh, I'm limited. Now we go to lunch. Our very first date.

[Mrs. Truffles]

It's just the two of you?

[John Solish]

It's just the two of you.

[Tommy Truffles]

Like a date?

[John Solish]

Yes. Because I was aware, we were both aware of the attraction at that point.

[Tommy Truffles]

Right.

[John Solish]

Although it wasn't a formal date. It was the two of us going out.

[Tommy Truffles]

It was crossing that line. It was crossing that from polite to I'm interested.

[Sandra Solish]

It was the funkiest place you could have possibly gone.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Why did you choose that place?

[Sandra Solish]

Because I liked it and I knew the owner and it was a little Mexican restaurant in a parking lot in west la. But it's just the funkiest little place and food was really good.

[Tommy Truffles]

You already mentioned that. You guys kind of marched to the beat of your own drum. Right. And so for John, clearly he's interested in you, but it was, you know, I guess for you, not really a risk. You're going to lunch, you got this attractive woman that you know is probably interested.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh, she, like to be fair, yes. She wasn't just attractive, she was beautiful. And he was kind of gobsmacked by her from the moment he saw her. He's playing it cool. Like, cool as you could be, but in the meantime, you're feeling the fire.

[John Solish]

Pretty dapper. He's. He was pretty. He was pretty handsome.

[Tommy Truffles]

Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Right. So, I mean, you guys are physically attracted, but it's just like, can you get the little dance?

[John Solish]

I mean, not to say he's not handsome now, but, you know, so he's 11 years older than.

[Mrs. Truffles]

A little bit older, but not like a crazy older. Yeah.

[Tommy Truffles]

And still gobsmacked.

[John Solish]

Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh, yeah, he was, obviously. I mean, he showed us the picture. He saw the picture. She was stunning. I mean, she's still very beautiful, but I mean, thank you. He must have been jaw dropped.

[Sandra Solish]

The first thing that happened was the night of the hot sauce that she started this.

[John Solish]

Oh, that was because at this time, we had established, okay, something is going on here. And let's take this further. That day at work, his receptionist, at this point, started keeping track for me. Your boyfriend's not coming in. Your boyfriend's gonna be late. Your boyfriend's this.

[Tommy Truffles]

Oh, that's so good.

[John Solish]

You know, your boyfriend's in court today. You know? But we were confidants. She told me everything. I told her everything. So now here is that day when he came, and I wanted to come downstairs, and I had to heed what my girlfriend had said. So I waited, and then he came upstairs with a pretense of having me send something to someone. Can you send this to this person?

[Tommy Truffles]

You are a piece of work, sir.

[John Solish]

So while he was talking to me, I brought up the hot sauce. I said, what is this box? Because I didn't know what was in the box. I said, what is this box? Mojara mo betta. He said, I collect hot sauces. Would you like to see them? Wow. And I said, absolutely. So he said, you know, can you send this to this person? And I knew it was BS So I pretended to send it to this guy. I immediately go to his office. He had an associate in his office. And when I knocked at his door and he said, come in, he saw me. He shooed the associate out. Get out. So I went in, we sat, we talked. At some point, I said, let's go look at the hot sauce. So we go out.

[Mrs. Truffles]

He invited you to come look at his hot sauce collection. And you're like, wow, that is the weakest line any man has ever used on me. But. But I'm already all in.

[John Solish]

I'm in. I'm in 100%.

[Tommy Truffles]

You have me at mojada mo. Better.

[John Solish]

We go look at the hot sauce, and he brings the box into his office. Now, mind you, while we're standing here and I'm asking him about all these different flavors and all these different hot sauces, you know, he's kind of moved closely, and we're rubbing elbows and shoulders, and I'm like, okay. So we're standing side by side looking at the hot sauce. Oh, God, I remember this so vividly. So then we take the box, and we go back into his office, and this is where it gets hot and heavy. Hot and heavy. So we're sitting there, and I'm on the opposite side of him, his desk and we're just sort of doing the small talking. I'm not good at that. I don't do small talk. I'm. I get to the meat of any conversation I'm having. I want to talk about real. So this was making me a little uncomfortable of this little small talk. Finally, I said, so, what are we going to do about this attraction we have for each other?

[Tommy Truffles]

You did not.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Good for you, though. You're just like. Enough of this dance.

[John Solish]

What. What's happening?

[Tommy Truffles]

Wow, John, what did you. What was your. I mean, you're blushing now.

[Sandra Solish]

I'm blushing beet red.

[Tommy Truffles]

That's.

[Sandra Solish]

I was beat red then.

[Tommy Truffles]

My God, she called you out on it so hard.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay, so I also. I just want to kind of back up, so I want to hear a little bit more what John has to say about his end of this dance. Okay, so.

[Sandra Solish]

Well, I definitely remember her saying that to me because we certainly were attracted to each other.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Were you just waking up in the morning going like, oh, my God, I'm going to see her today. What do I do? How do I play it cool? At what point did you know that she was also into you?

[Sandra Solish]

Well, when she said that, that, you know, the first thing I thought was, well, at least it's not just me. We're each feeling something.

[Mrs. Truffles]

But you've been feeling it since the first moment you connected eyes with her.

[Sandra Solish]

Yes, I felt something really strong.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So you're playing it cool. You're a couple months in now.

[Sandra Solish]

Well, my first reaction is I said, look, I don't think it'd be a good idea. I think it would be bad for both of us.

[John Solish]

Okay, so this is what happened. So I said, what are we going to do about this attraction we have for each other?

[Mrs. Truffles]

The plot thickens.

[John Solish]

The plot thickens. He was like, I don't know. And I said, I tell you what. And I take a piece of paper and I write my phone number. 310-835-9035. That number is so old. That was 33 years ago. I wrote that number on a piece of paper, and I pushed it toward him, said, here's my number if you're interested. And he said, you know, and my life is very scheduled. I don't know when I would find time. And that's when I wrote my number on the piece of paper, and I slid it towards him, and I said, here's my number. If you're interested, you'll find time.

[Tommy Truffles]

Ooh.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh, snap.

[Tommy Truffles]

Is hot. That's so good.

[Sandra Solish]

Actually, what actually happened was, even Hotter, though.

[John Solish]

What happened? Adam, close your ears. So we sat there after I said that, then he had two visitor chairs. He came and he sat beside me, his hand on mine. And we're sitting here. We're talking. My brain doesn't allow minutia. It's like, get to the grit of it. Just do it and be done. I kept leaning into him, and he kept leaning back, and I kept leaning in, and he. And finally I said, look, either you're gonna kiss me or I'm gonna leave.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Wow.

[Sandra Solish]

So it's dark outside, and the building reflected the dark back inside. So you see the lights of the city out there. And she walks over, and she's looking out the window. She just said that to me. And I thought, I either am going to kiss her now or she's called my bluff. It's not going to happen. So I walked across the room, and we kissed on the lip.

[John Solish]

And then the next day, we decided to go out. He's like, do you want to eat? I said, no, we need to go someplace quiet, and we need to sit and talk. I don't want anybody around. We need to sit and talk about where we go from here. So I was going through my own stuff. He was where he was. Let's go someplace quiet. He had a white BMW at the time, and we sat in the. We sat in the back seat because he was having his passenger seat repaired, and he had no passenger seat.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So he was chauffeuring me around like an Uber driver.

[Sandra Solish]

Yes.

[John Solish]

So we had plenty of room to steam up the car windows.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So was that your first makeout session?

[John Solish]

That was our first makeout session. Besides the kiss in the off, that was a Friday night. That Monday, he comes to work, and he walks past me and he says, should I get a room?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Wow. From. From, like, just keeping it in a folding pattern. Everything he could do to hold it all. Oh, the floodgates had opened.

[John Solish]

I have to be quite honest. I was on a mission. This is what. If you're interested, then I'm gonna call your bluff, and you're gonna either stand up or sit down.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Right.

[John Solish]

It's gonna be your choice, because I'm not playing games.

[Tommy Truffles]

Not playing games.

[John Solish]

I'm not playing games. Either you're interested or you're playing. So here we were. I'm like, come on.

[Tommy Truffles]

It's all good.

[John Solish]

Oh, my Lord Jesus. He said. He said, should I get a room? I said, only. Only if you're prepared to. Three times. Oh, we're not meant for your podcast.

[Tommy Truffles]

No, no. This Is all good.

[Sandra Solish]

I'm sure at the time they had a bunch of these kind of cheesy motels that rented by the hour places.

[Tommy Truffles]

Okay.

[Mrs. Truffles]

No, no, no. Just for the sake of the podcast, we just say you took her to a nice hotel.

[Tommy Truffles]

You were in the Four Seasons.

[John Solish]

I talked so much crap. But I was so nervous when it came. I was like, what have I gotten myself into? Am I ready to run with the bulls? I just. So that's where we were. Well, basically within seven months of us dating, we were living together. Together. You made me leave my happy home. We were the talk of the office.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I can imagine.

[John Solish]

It was so much fun.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Did you hear about Sandra?

[John Solish]

I did.

[Tommy Truffles]

You know what? There was a lot of heat, but.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh, my God, I could tell something was going on. I know. She's so pretty, though. Who could blame him?

[Tommy Truffles]

She's so established and.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I know.

[Tommy Truffles]

And Pretty Woman, she's like Diana Ross.

[Sandra Solish]

Well, no one believed it because I wasn't the type.

[John Solish]

No, he wasn't. That's why. This is why everyone knew that something was going on because he was extremely unapproachable. But I would just walk and go into his office. Every will, I would come up to him and talk to him and antagonize him and all he would do is laugh. So everyone knew. So now let's fast forward.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay, so at that point, you guys knew. This was. You were all in. This was on.

[John Solish]

We were all in.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So from that moment, how long until the marriage proposal took place?

[John Solish]

There was no marriage proposal.

[Sandra Solish]

We just got married.

[John Solish]

We just got married.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay, wait a minute. No, no, no.

[John Solish]

I'll tell you how.

[Mrs. Truffles]

At some point, somebody brought up the idea.

[John Solish]

As I say, what had happened was he was dissolving the partnership and he was merging with an extremely conservative firm in Texas.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay.

[John Solish]

And I was his secretary. So I said to him, I said, if we're going to be married, we need to do it now. Because when you go in as a partner with this firm, you don't want to go in with your little girlfriend as your secretary. If we're going to be married, you need to present yourself as a professional. And I'm your wife. Some of his long term friends, known them for a really long time and they haven't huge yoga foundation.

[Sandra Solish]

It's the White Lotus Foundation.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay.

[Sandra Solish]

So he, he founded the oldest yoga center in southern California in 1965.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Where is it located?

[Sandra Solish]

Larchmont.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay.

[Sandra Solish]

I started going in, doing yoga there. We became very close friends.

[John Solish]

So I, we called him up and we're like, so what are you doing this weekend? We're gonna come up and have you marry us. Actually, they pick our wedding date.

[Sandra Solish]

They wanted it to be the winter solstice. Right.

[Tommy Truffles]

December 22nd.

[John Solish]

December 21st.

[Tommy Truffles]

21St.

[John Solish]

It was me and him and our dog. We went to Santa Barbara. We were there at their cabin. We went up there on a Friday night. They married us, I think, on a Saturday night. We hung out, we went to dinner, we came back and we went to work. There was no honeymoon. There was no celebration. Rumors started flying. Are you guys married? No. Are you guys married? No.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Why were you denying it?

[John Solish]

It. It was none of their business. It was none of their business.

[Sandra Solish]

I'm not big into formal ceremonies anyhow. I don't really like them.

[Mrs. Truffles]

You're a real hippie, aren't you?

[John Solish]

I am. This was just perfect for us. I wore a long floral sundress and I got a dried flower halo. Those are our wedding pictures.

[Mrs. Truffles]

What was like the first little trip you took? The first little romantic getaway?

[John Solish]

Mexico.

[Mrs. Truffles]

First little getaway was to Mexico. Where did you go?

[John Solish]

Las Hares.

[Sandra Solish]

Las Hares.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Was that just like, really liberating to be away from all of the.

[Sandra Solish]

Yes, yes. It was actually really great.

[John Solish]

It was liberating and it was really sort of surreal for me because I had never traveled until I met him.

[Sandra Solish]

Remember, they had a pool where the iguanas swam in the water with you? They had an island. The iguanas swam with you? Yeah.

[John Solish]

But then after that, that was 93. And then in 95, he took me to Paris and London, traveled in different cities in England.

[Mrs. Truffles]

And then kind of a honeymoon for you, or was that before the marriage?

[John Solish]

Before the marriage, it was a pre.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Honeymoo can do the honeymoon first.

[Tommy Truffles]

Yeah. What's becoming glaringly obvious to me with all the couples that we sit with is that love is so unique and so different for everyone. It's not a one size fits all. Thinking about these 30 plus years together could distill it down and give advice to young couples starting out. What's the special magic ingredient that keeps it fun? That keeps the romance going, the love going, the trust and respect?

[Sandra Solish]

Well, I would start by saying, you know, let the other person be themselves. You know, I'm not demanding a lot of stuff of, you know, don't do this or don't do. I mean, and so when we're together, it's just kind of enjoyable, you know, it's just. It's fun to be together.

[John Solish]

My take is, you know, people are often Saying, respect, respect, communication, communication. But these things are really important. Picking your battles, you know, you can't fight about everything. And I think what we do as humans is we get a thought in our head and we assume, because this is what we're thinking, this is what the other person is feeling. If I start thinking, yeah, well, she thinks this and she thinks that. That's all in my head. And it may have nothing to do with what's going on in his head. If I'm feeling some way about something, it's important for me to say, hey, I'm feeling this way right now. So communication, respect. You know, it's okay to be angry because we're all going to disagree. We're all going to get mad. But learn how to be mad with each other. Learn how to discuss your disagreements without insulting, without hitting below the belt. Because words. You can't take them back.

[Mrs. Truffles]

You can't take them back.

[John Solish]

You can't take them back. It's like a person who's drunk and then they say something to me, and then they say, oh, I was just drunk. No, baby, all that alcohol did was get rid of your inability ambitions.

[Sandra Solish]

That she won't let me say anything. That's mean. Some of our early fights, we'd have a disagreement about something and I would. I would say something that was ugly or. And she would just absolutely not allow it. Like, just, you know, time out, stop. You know, you cannot. I think I have learned emotional intelligence. She has a lot of it. I think that she does. Yeah. And I think she's kind of like steadied me of like, hey, don't go there. Don't. Things that you can do. You can make a lot of mistakes. When you're upset about something and how you deal with another person. When you say mean things, those mean things stick. I mean, you don't forget them.

[Mrs. Truffles]

You can't take them back. Just like she said. I have always abided by that. Because somebody says something mean to you in a fight, can't make up later, but you can't. They can never undo what they said. You know, on some level, they think.

[Sandra Solish]

That there are things that I don't forgive in my life I just have never let go of. I also think there's some great in our relationship between us. If either one of us would ask the other one, would you make me, you know, this, do that, or whatever, we'll just do it.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh, lovely, right?

[Sandra Solish]

Like, we don't go, like, why do I have to? I mean, it's just like, okay, you want me to get that? You know, yeah, okay, fine.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Absolutely. That's so beautiful. Well, thank you guys so much for sharing your wisdom and your.

[John Solish]

And your very intriguing story.

[Mrs. Truffles]

This is a little something that we call a romantic weekend in a bag. And we like to send all our romantic couples home with a beautiful gift bag. I know that you're a white wine girl, so I gave you a beautiful bottle of white wine. There's champagne, truffles.

[Tommy Truffles]

We also have Mrs. Truffles body butter. Homemade body butter in there. Sandra. Sandra's getting in there.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So we also have in there a beautiful romantic candle. Fire candle. I think you'll love the candle. When I smelled that, I thought you guys, guys would really like that.

[Sandra Solish]

It's fantastic.

[John Solish]

Well, I'm so happy that we were able to finally do it.

[Sandra Solish]

Pleasure to hang out with you guys. Really.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Wow.

[Tommy Truffles]

That was really fantastic. Thanks again so much, you guys. And we'll be right back with more For Love and Chocolate. This podcast is being brought to you by Beverly Hills Toyshare Chocolates of Switzerland. Beverly Hills Toyshare at 371 North Camden Drive in Beverly Hills, has been serving up truffles, pralines, dipped fruits, marzipans, and our world famous chocolate bars for over 40 years. So next time you're in Beverly Hills, why don't you come by and visit or shop [e-mail] I'm so glad we had this time together. Just to have a laugh or sing a song.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh, Mr. Truffles, gonna cry. That was so much fun.

[Sandra Solish]

It was.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Those two are. Oh, amazing story. So this is our final episode of the first season and I think that was a great way to go out.

[Tommy Truffles]

Oh, completely. Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, it has been a wonderful first season. We thank you all so much for tuning in and giving us a reason to come back every week and do it again.

[Tommy Truffles]

It's really been super special.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Please stay in touch with us.

[Tommy Truffles]

Yeah, absolutely. Go to our [e-mail].

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah, you can write us letters there and stay in touch. Visit our store, visit our store. We'll be in there making ice mochas.

[Tommy Truffles]

Yes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

We will be back before you know it with our second season of For Love and Chocolate.

[Tommy Truffles]

And when we come back, we're gonna have some amazing guests and so much more, not to mention our in house experts.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yes. I can't wait for second season to get more advice from our learned experts and to share more journeys and everlasting love with you.

[Tommy Truffles]

That's right. Well, we're gonna miss you guys so much. But we won't be gone for long. So until next season, say goodbye, Mrs. Truffles.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Goodbye, Mrs. Truffles. Don't forget to write.

[Tommy Truffles]

This show is brought to you by Beverly Hills Toyscher Chocolates of Switzerland, home of the world's first, first and finest champagne, Truffles. Join us next week for more adventures in everlasting love.