What is a favorite childhood memory?
Spending summers with my Grandmother, eating her ice box cookies with ice cream on her patio as dusk settled in, making popcorn over a fire in the out door popper. There was no better feeling in the world than waking up to breakfast in my granma’s house; silver dollar sour dough pancakes, real maple syrup, preserves and powdered sugar if you wanted, half grapefruit or cantaloupe, Wyoming sunshine and her barely audible hum as she got everything ready. Her name was Ouita- Big Ouita and I was little Ouita. Every child should have a memory like that, I am so grateful I do.
What is your dream vacation?
6 weeks with Chris and Willa, no agenda and a dead cell phone exploring more of Italy, Spain and parts of France.
What’s one piece of business advice you think everyone should heed?
Your employees are your greatest investment and your biggest asset. Tap into their creativity, and listen as much as humanly possible. You never know where a great idea or menu idea is going to come from.
What new piece of technology has changed your life?
I don’t adapt to new technology very well. I have resisted using an iPhone because I have no patience for touch screens and I don’t want to be interrupted all day long with email messages. One thing I do really like though, is my smoking gun. It’s pretty low tech, you stoke this little blower with micro shaved wood chips, light them and blow smoke into dishes. I love smoking different cheeses, even olive oil and sorghum.