Casey and Patrick met ten years ago at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. They started dating just before their 8-month externships where they flew to opposite ends of the country, Patrick at the Greenbrier in West Virginia, Casey at Bouchon in Yountville, California. They returned to school and graduated with honors in the culinary program.
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For one year, post-graduation, they remained at the school to work as Managers in Training at the Continuing Education department where they assisted in teaching classes to home cooks and were assistants to professional certification exams, including the Certified Master Chef exam.
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Remembering the beautiful bounty of produce in California and the rising culinary scene in San Francisco, they packed Casey’s 2005 Hyundai Tucson with everything they owned and immersed themselves in the fine dining scene. They were fortunate to move up the ranks at Michelin-starred restaurants like Quince and Acquerello and the outstanding Jane Bakery. Several years later, they had the opportunity to be co-executive chefs together at Spoonbar restaurant in Healdsburg, California, focusing on hand-made pasta and refined but relatable cuisine.
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They wanted to bring the confidence and experience they had gained back home (Casey grew up an hour north of Dayton) with the mindset that you don’t need to spend a ton of money or time making a dinner you feel good about.
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So they returned, with the intent to provide provisions for the down-to-earth home cooks and to give them the tools they need; to be a grist for the mill.