I’ve never taken the traditional path. Not once. I barely graduated high school thanks to an unrelenting distaste for gym class rules. I’ve been to seven universities and don’t have a degree. I had my first baby before I was married. I was 24, not a child - but nearly a child. I have wanted to be 27 different things; a veterinarian, a rock star, an interior designer, a therapist, a baker, a child psychologist, a cheese shop owner, a champagne only bar owner, a book store owner, a fashion designer, a model, an author - just to name a few.
My house, how I parent, how I dress, what I drive; none of it is typical. And I don’t care what people think. Creating an image for public consumption has never driven my decisions, not once.
I care more about the connections I have than the car I drive, and that doesn’t always translate to a living. I want to put as much love into the world through words and food as I can and sometimes I forget that I also have to pay the bills.
But, I’ve managed. I work to make a life for myself and my four children. My words and food have always been a side gig, something I try to chip away at in my free time. This year I get to pull my passions out of the back seat and try to make them the driver.
A strange blur of courage, stupidity, and opportunity; and I’ve made the leap from safety and security to a complete unknown that’s anchored in passion. A restaurant where I can infuse each recipe with the ideas, creativity, and love I have for life. My experiences, past and present, represented in the gingery punch of the peanut dressing and the smooth green-specked sauces.
I can talk to you through my food. I can teach you through my food. I can give each of you a tiny bit of my heart - through my food.
I hope you come. And I hope you can taste it.
Fėte open at the the Silos, 810 E. 1st St., Dayton. Operating hours: 4-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
”But First, Food” columnist Whitney Kling is a recipe developer who lives in southwest Ohio with her four kids and a cat. She is usually in the kitchen creating something totally addictive — and usually writing about it.
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