This week on In The Weeds Podcast, Spike sits down with Chef Katarina Petonito—the force behind The Duck & The Peach, La Collina, and The Wells. Kat gets real about:

Growing up in Germantown, Maryland with a Filipino mom and Italian dad, and how food was always part of the family hustle.

The path from CIA to Nantucket summers, DC kitchens, and finally running her own teams.

Why she believes in taking ego off the plate and leading with collaboration.

Renovating a fixer-upper while raising a toddler (yes, she admits to plenty of McDonald’s runs).

Her journey from industry burnout to finding balance with a women-led collective.

Along the way, Spike and Kat swap war stories about first jobs, pepperoni sauce, school lunches, dolphin trainer dreams, and why Southern hospitality really is that nice.

Pull up a chair—this episode is a reminder that behind every menu is a chef who fought hard to rewrite the rules.

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DC Central Kitchen is an iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. The organization provides hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while creating living wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed. To learn more, please visit dccentralkitchen.org