The Tuesday before Thanksgiving I had to run product over to Sonoma County. When I am over there, I like to stop for lunch at the new Amy’s Kitchen Drive Through. The fries are some of the best I have ever had, by far the best “fast food” shakes, and the Amy’s Burger with cheese is fantastic and you don’t have to worry about the ingredients!
I was Amy’s Kitchen’s first employee. Years ago Andy and Rachel Berliner hired me out of the small health food store where I worked in Petaluma. We had many conversations about food and cooking. I was really young and they had just introduced their first product, the original Amy’s Pot Pie. Because Andy and Rachel value relationships, and have grown their business doing things a little differently, they thought it was a good idea to offer me a job working on product development. I had no training, not even a cooking class as experience, just a love of food and cooking.
Last week, while waiting in line to place my order I saw Rachel behind the counter. I hadn’t seen Andy or Rachel for many years, so it was really wonderful having a chance to reconnect. She immediately grabbed a phone and called Andy so we could chat on the phone. Rachel told me they sell crazy amounts of my Mac and Cheese, it is one of their hottest items, even at the drive through! She introduced me to a couple of the staff as Amy’s first employee and the maker of the mac and cheese and some of the burgers. Thinking back to those early days (our office was in the milk barn on their property in Petaluma), I don’t know that any of us ever imagined how far they would go, it really is incredible. For me, the work I did for Amy’s Kitchen has always been a great source of joy and pride, especially when I walk a freezer aisle and see my “babies” on the shelf. I am very grateful for the experience and knowledge I gained working with Andy and Rachel. Sitting here thinking about it now, I realize how it helped bring me to where I am today, working on recipes, helping people maneuver their way through the weekly shares and eat better. You just never know where life will take you!