Tending the Fire

From restaurants to specialty shops and locally grown produce, area businesses are responding to Wilmington’s evolving palate.

Meet some of the women contributing to the area’s vibrant culinary scene – from CHRISTI FERRETTI helping to preserve a fellow chef’s original vision to

 KAT PEREZ demystifying Spanish cooking techniques to MICHELLE LYON-HEATHERLY providing the greens at The Green House.

Here are excerpts of recent stories from Feast Unwrapped, a sister publication to WILMA magazine. To sign up for the weekly Feast Unwrapped email newsletter (as well as updates on the annual Feast Wilmington food and drink event), go to FeastWilmington.com.

When Smoke on the Water owner ALLAN MIDDLETON lost his business partner JAMES SMITH last August, he suddenly found himself facing a multitude of challenges.

Smith, who also owned two Fork N’ Cork locations, was the boots on the ground so to speak, while Middleton, a real estate agent, had little to do with day-to-day operations. After Smith’s death, Middleton was determined to keep the restaurant afloat, and his staff was eager to preserve Smith’s legacy as well, but Middleton knew that the leadership structure was going to need attention.

Middleton’s son Maxx was also on board to help see things through, but with both having limited hands-on restaurant experience, the Middletons quickly found themselves in need of expert consultation to steer the restaurant through turbulent times.

“CHRISTI FERRETTI was the first person I thought of,” Allan Middleton says. “She’s so well known for excellence in everything she does and thrives on challenge.”

It’s a precarious position, preserving a chef’s legacy while steering a restaurant toward a successful future, yet time and time again Ferretti has pushed herself to take on new roles and expand her knowledge of the industry.

As the face of Pine Valley Market for over two decades, Ferretti, who co-owns PVM with wife KATHY WEBB, has grown the gourmet market and deli to include a full-service catering operation booking over a hundred events each year from corporate events and weddings and large fundraisers.

She also serves as the lead local chef for Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington’s (GLOW) celebrity chef fundraisers each year, working alongside some of the biggest names in the industry to help them source ingredients and prep for service.

“I originally met Christi through her work with GLOW and always felt that if given the opportunity I’d love to do some type of collaboration with her,” Allan Middleton says.

Ferretti first came on board as a consultant in January and later joined on as a partner.

“I’m very hands-on, and I’m a problem solver, a fixer – maybe to a fault,” Ferretti says.

She has enlisted the help of well-known Wilmington chef JESSICA CABO, formerly of East at the Blockade Runner, to help with menu updates and overall kitchen management.

“We’ve preserved the majority of James’ recipes – his methods and his sauces,” Ferretti says. “This will always kind of be his space, we’ve just made some tweaks to provide a better dining experience for the guests and to make things more functional for the kitchen staff.”

Admittedly, having a leadership role at two very busy eateries has not been easy for Ferretti.

While she relies on seasoned staff members at Pine Valley Market to help with the day to day, she remains very much involved there as well as at Smoke.

“It’s important that owners have a presence in their restaurants,” Ferretti says. “This restaurant is now owned by two families, and it’s important for guests to be aware of our commitment to great service. Sometimes that means bussing tables or putting out fires, and sometimes it’s just about connecting with guests and fostering hospitality.”

To view more of photographer Matt Ray’s work, go to mattrayphotography.com.

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