Beyond the Plate

I was born in Modena, Italy, a beautiful town just north of Bologna, where fast cars and great food come from. As soon as I was old enough to ask for more Parmigiano on my pasta, my grandmother had me helping her in the kitchen. From making tortellini and lasagne to crostate, we did it all together. Our days often included last-minute trips to the local grocery store or fresh markets in the town square. Summers spent at her house were not only memorable, but incredibly filling.

In my early twenties, after my grandmother passed away, cooking and baking stopped feeling like a hobby and started feeling like a necessity. I didn’t just want to learn how to cook. I felt like the tradition had to continue, and that feeling pushed me to put my foot in the door and see where the food world would take me.

I started out working in catering and as a barista at Wiltshire Pantry, where I met Susan Hershberg, a legendary leader and mentor. There, I learned that good food means nothing without good service. Hospitality, attention to detail, and actually caring about the people you’re feeding matter just as much as what’s on the plate.

From there, I moved on to Butchertown Grocery, working under Chef Amanda Johnson. This is where I learned the many layers of laminated dough, pastries, and breads, and also how important it is to go to bed early. We started days at 4:30 a.m. and worked until early afternoon. That job shaped my pastry foundation, but more importantly, it’s where I realized that while I enjoyed pastry, bread had fully won me over.

Soon after, a new state-of-the-art commissary was opening next door called Haymarket, and I dove headfirst into the bread program. The space was huge, the equipment was a dream, and the chance to focus entirely on bread felt unreal. I worked under Chef James Bridges, a true sourdough wizard. When James joined, the bread team became unstoppable. We were making breads that made people stop and say, “Why would anyone settle for table bread?” Learning from James was sometimes tough, partly because of his thick British accent, but his work spoke louder than words. I learned quickly, listened carefully, and grew more confident in my craft every day.

After almost two years, Chef Amanda reached out and asked if I’d come back to Butchertown Grocery, this time to lead my own department. Bread department. I said yes without hesitation. I took everything I had learned and started putting my own stamp on the program. Leading bread production there was challenging, exciting, and incredibly rewarding, and I stayed in that role for over a year.

Later on, Chef James reached out again, this time about a bakery that hadn’t opened yet in New Albany called Cultivated Table and Sip House. The idea of building something from the ground up was hard to pass up. I had creative freedom, my own menu, and room to experiment. We hit the ground running with sourdough, English muffins, biscuits, and more, and soon we were at the farmers market every Saturday with lines out the door.

At first, it felt like a dream job. Over time, reality set in. Expectations shifted, menus changed without warning, last-minute events became the norm, and eventually the environment started to take the joy out of the work. After a lot of consideration, I stepped away. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it reminded me why I started baking in the first place.

At the end of the day, baking has always been about care, tradition, and intention for me. It’s about honoring where I come from, feeding people well, and making something meaningful with my hands. That’s the kind of work I’m committed to, and it’s what continues to guide me forward.