“Honest cuisine”: That’s probably my favorite phrase now for seasonal or farm-to-table cooking. Thanks to Chef Chaz Lindsay, you can have the most honest, delicious Italian-Mississippi cuisine at Pulito Osteria. Chef Chaz Lindsay went from the high-pressure kitchens of Eleven Madison Park and Colicchio & Sons/Craft to building a soulful, seasonal osteria in Jackson, Mississippi. In this episode, Chaz shares how Italian simplicity, Mississippi produce, and a “people-first” culture shaped Pulito Osteria—where 90% of the vegetables come from local farms and pasta is made by hand daily.

What you’ll learn

• How a Mississippi kid fell in love with food—and why gumbo, jambalaya, and cornbread still guide his palate
• Lessons from CIA (Culinary Institute of America) and NYC fine dining: precision, sourcing, and standards
• Bringing Italy home: seasonality, transparency, and honest cuisine (North Atlantic scallops, Alabama tuna, Two Dog Farm veg)
• Opening Pulito Osteria in Bellhaven: educating guests on osteria-style menus & family-style sharing
• Building community: sourcing locally, taking care of staff, and giving back
• Aiming high: the Michelin Guide American South and what star-level focus looks like in Jackson

Episode highlights

• Tomato season, passata & basil: why less is more
• Why guest experience starts with staff lineup & family meal
• Owning the neighborhood: Pulito, Rowan’s (Chaz’s bar), and a restored 1928 gas-station event space

You can visit Pulito Osteria and Rowan’s (Chaz’s dive bar) in Jackson, Mississippi in the Bellhaven Town Center. 

To learn more about Pulito Osteria, visit www.pulitojackson.com.

You can follow Pulito Osteria on Instagram @pulito_osteria; Chaz Lindsay at @chazzyl; and Rowan’s at @rowansjeffersonst. 

Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube! 

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