Chef Kriss’ favourite point of view was the kitchen table for as long as they can remember— growing up in Italy with a Slavic, green thumb grandmother meant picking herbs and figs while listening to stories of the old country and watching her every move in the kitchen. The only time she forgot about her cigarettes was in the kitchen, always leaving one lit and unpuffed like an incense by the balcony window the second the smell of onion and garlic touched the air. This relationship fostered a curiosity of history, ingredients and how beings express care in community through growing and preparing food. Their love and respect for the service industry came soon after, with some of their earliest memories in Toronto being at their GodFather’s restaurant Joso’s. 

Since their first bartending job at age 19, Kriss watched every BOH from a shy distance, eventually enrolling in the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition to support their pursuit of balanced health and sobriety-supportive environments. 

For the following 10 years Kriss pursued both front and back of house positions, alongside private lifestyle management for busy families and executives, learning as much as they could along the way. From making fresh ravioli in the Vacanza food truck in Vancouver, to independently operating the waste-free kitchen at Unboxed Market, to nutrition focused care for  implementing systems of efficiency management and  , their experience fostered a versatility and creativity in the kitchen that met their vocation.