My culinary career began with a little white lie and an interview over a shot of Grand Marnier in Richmond, Virginia. I sat across from my former boss and culinary mentor, Ed Vasaio, in the middle of the day, in a dark, tattered booth at Oregon Hill’s favorite Italian eatery, Mamma Zu. I was filled with a bit of fear in my bones—and a whole future ahead of me. At just 20 years old, I found myself in very “adult” surroundings, where it was mandatory to be 21 to work.

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On my first day, I was only allowed to hand-squish tomatoes for marinara and slice garlic for the sauce. Little did I know, I was building this beautiful marinara for several dishes and hundreds of people who would be served that night—and throughout the next three years I worked there. Starting as a prep cook, I eventually ran the AM kitchen and later the evening shifts. I fell in love with it all: the smell of braising pork osso bucco, calves’ liver frying in the pan, the constant calloused hands from hours of chopping.

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Then came the thrill of service: the hustle and bustle of chairs sliding out and the next couple sliding in. Cigarette breaks in the back of the restaurant—when you could still smoke indoors—were spent on a vintage car seat. Sometimes we’d slam a Moretti or Budweiser while venting about the pace of the night. Like the marinara sauce, that place became the foundation of my culinary career.

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Next stop: New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. Not to say it was a waste of time, but I’ve since learned that the only way to truly push forward is to get in there and learn through experience. I knew from the beginning what I wanted—I wanted to be the Boss. I was naturally driven to leadership and engaging with a team. Never a fan of solo sports, I excelled in team activities. The kitchen needs a solid team and a solid leader—that was for me! I graduated NECI at the top of my class and started the next chapter in Charleston, South Carolina, at FIG restaurant. Under the guidance and mentorship of James Beard Award winner Chef Mike Lata, I stepped into the real world of intimidating, talented, and devoted employees. I was constantly overwhelmed and star-struck at the same time.

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FIG was unlike anything else back then. Driven by local foods and sourcing the majority of its ingredients from farmers and fishermen, the restaurant spearheaded sustainability in the Lowcountry. I was part of something magical and fierce. I worked hard—I had a nervous stomach every day before walking into the kitchen, which kept me on my toes and eager to prove myself. I worked every station, every shift, and learned quickly. But when I got too big for my britches, I got fired. Chef Lata told me I needed to be somewhere I could run my own kitchen and lead my own team.

And so began my journey into the world of being an Executive Chef. I started my first business, Empanada Mamma, traveled, and kept searching for the right “home” in the kitchen.

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Skipping over a few bumps in the road, I landed at Warehouse—my very first big-time chef job. There was TV, Food Network, Chopped, and Bravo’s Top Chef (Season 14). What a ride. The highs, the lows, and so many amazing dishes created over five years. I opened my own spot, built an amazing team, and made beautiful food. Eventually, though, it was time to throw in the kitchen towel. After 15-plus years in the kitchen, I decided I needed a break and sought a new chapter in the shrimping business.

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I started working for Cindy Tarvin, owner of Tarvin Seafood in Mount Pleasant, SC. From the moment I met her, I looked up to her. A tough entrepreneur and mother to all, Cindy was “the shrimp lady.” She warned me the work was dirty, hard, and not what I was used to. I told her, “That all sounds very familiar.” I was in heaven. White shrimp boots caked in shrimp and fish guts, hands dried and withered from the saltwater—I loved it. I had to get on a boat. I had to see what it was all about. I had to catch my own shrimp. My first trip out was with Captain Donnie Brown on one of the Tarvin boats, The Carolina Breeze.

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For the next three seasons, I was a shrimper. I was the only female shrimper on the creek and spent most of my time working on the Miss Paula, with occasional trips on the Breeze. I went to Sea School, graduated with my OUPV Certified Captain’s License, and one day hope to revisit life on the water—and maybe in the mountains.

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My heart led me to Montana in 2022, where I took a culinary job that, not a year later, led me to start Mountain Provisions. Mountain Provisions is a Private Chef and Culinary Consulting Company with a bright future ahead. My business partner, Josie Smith, and I are learning as we go—loving, laughing, and creating beautiful culinary experiences in private homes, at farmers’ markets, and on farms all over the Gallatin Valley.

 

We travel, we cook from the heart, and we can’t wait to see you at the table!