About Tripping Vittles
“Food is memories.” – Jose Andrés
I grew up in Minnesota. We traveled every year to the Rocky Mountains, and those travels were the beginnings of my love for food and adventure. We ate Escargot and Champagne when camping on mountain tops in Montana. My Dad and I caught the fish we ate from streams that ran through those mountains. We met people who were different than us and we learned from them. Those adventures formed who I have become.
“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” – Mary Oliver
When I was old enough I went to college and got a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from UW-Stout. My roommates and I would throw lavish dinners before we would go home for the holidays. We would plan fun nights out using the money our parents sent for necessities like toilet paper on visits to Wisconsin Supper Clubs. Until you have been to a Wisconsin Supper Club you have no idea that you would forgo toilet paper for a Manhattan and a slab of prime rib.
“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” – Madeleine Albright
I have worked in every facet of the Food Industry – from busing tables and doing dishes to managing a large wholesale food distribution company. I have loved every single job I’ve held in the food business – some more than others, but they have all taught me valuable lessons.
I am passionate about my friends and family. We plan our time around traveling, food, and drink. I read cookbooks like others read mystery novels. A road trip is the ultimate good time for me.
“I’m a big believer in winging it. I’m a big believer that you’re never going to find the perfect city travel experience or the perfect meal without a constant willingness to experience a bad one. Letting the happy accident happen is what a lot of vacation itineraries miss, I think, and I’m always trying to push people to allow those things to happen rather than stick to some rigid itinerary.” – Anthony Bourdain
We are living in precarious times. So much has changed, including me. Though one thing stays constant: my love of breaking bread with people – learning about who they are through the food they eat, the places they live, and the drink that makes them giggle!
“Food is our common ground, A Universal Experience.” – James Beard
I love all people. I believe if we took the time to acknowledge the privilege we have as white Americans, and if we are willing to break bread with those that we have wronged and listen to their stories, we could possibly – one day – fix this broken world. Tripping Vittles is my way of trying to do my little part.