From Restaurant Kitchens to Airline Catering: A Conversation with Jo Rittey

I’ve spent much of my life in kitchens, but not all of them have looked the same.

Some were small, like Union Hill Kitchen in Atlanta, where every inch of space mattered. Others were enormous, like the airline catering kitchens where we prepared thousands of meals a day. Each came with its own challenges that taught me something new.

Recently, I sat down with Jo Rittey of Conversation with a Chef to talk about that journey. We covered everything from opening my own restaurant to the unexpected turns that took me into airline catering, along with a few moments that reminded me just how much this profession has shaped my life and how I view the world of food.

We also talked a little about my latest book, What the Pan Remembers, a collection of essays about food, memory, and the ordinary moments that have a way of staying with us.

I enjoyed the conversation, particularly because it took me back to experiences I hadn’t thought about in quite some time.

Funny how that happens. You spend years moving from one kitchen to the next basically going from moment to moment only to discover that some of the stories have been following you all along.

Read my full interview with Jo Rittey at Conversation with a Chef.

And if you’re curious about the stories that eventually made their way onto the page, you can explore What the Pan Remembers here on The Other Side of the Stove.

-Chef