Have you ever wondered what the Queen of Kentucky’s kitchens has on her holiday dinner spread? We were lucky enough to sit down with chef + restaurateur Ouita Michel to ask her a little bit about her new venture — Holly Hill & Co. — and get a glimpse into what date nights look like with her husband, Chris. Get ready to dig into the tastiest Q&A you’ve ever read.
Q: How did you get your start in cooking?
A: I’ve always loved cooking. My mom really got me involved in the kitchen. My parents had a big garden + my grandmother was a wonderful cook.
Fun fact: Ouita graduated from UK with a degree in political science, was a part of a winning national debate team + originally thought she was going to law school. We’re quite glad she didn’t.
Q: What is a dish that’s always on your holiday table?
A: For Thanksgiving and Christmas we always make stuffed mushrooms. Another one we do, and this is going to sound weird to some people, is chicken liver pâté. And if we don’t have it, it’s like a revolt. I’m also a big cheese ball fan. In our cookbook, we have one called the “Bourbon white cheddar spread,” but it makes a great cheese ball rolled in pecans.
Q: What are some of your holiday traditions?
A: On Christmas morning we always have a bagel breakfast. We go to Great Bagel + we try to get there before they sell out.
DYK: Chef Ouita has been specializing in southern cooking for 20+ years and has six restaurants across the Bluegrass. She was also chef-in-residence for nine years at Woodford Reserve + opened Midway Bakery which supplies baked goods for her host of restaurants.
Q: What are your three must-dos for out-of-town guests?
A: I think you have to pick a distillery and go. I love Woodford Reserve. I also love that little corridor because you can drive on down to Castle & Key and have lunch at The Stave. And you have to do something with Horse Country — go on a farm tour or visit Keeneland. And off the beaten path, I always love to take people to Berea. Or hiking at Raven Run.
Q: What hobbies do you have?
A: Well I love adult coloring books, I’m a big colorer. But I love traveling, hiking + walking.
Q: Favorite menu item?
A: I am a fiend for fried catfish and love it at Windy Corner Market + Smithtown the best.
Q: What is your favorite bourbon + food pairing?
A: I love bourbon + cheese — that’s probably my two favorites. I like an aged Gouda or a white cheddar — I love those. And then I also think dried fruits — think apricot and nuts. A charcuterie board would be a great pair for bourbon.
Q: What are some odd jobs you’ve had?
A: When I was a kid, I worked as an usher at Rupp Arena. Probably my favorite job was working the concession stand at Shakespeare in the Park in Central Park. It was fabulous. I was serving popcorn one day, I looked up and it was Paul Newman.
Q: Favorite TV Show?
A: Great British Bake Off, I love it. Right now we’re watching the Holiday ones.
Q: Favorite book?
A: Right now I’m reading “Good Business: Leadership, Flow and the Making of Meaning” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. But I love poetry and I love “Clay’s Quilt” and “Southernmost” by Silas House. They are definitely two of my favorites.
Q: Let’s talk about Holly Hill & Co.
A: There were a lot of threads that came together for me over COVID. One of them we have to figure out how to relate our story + how to connect with our guests when they can’t be with us. And there was no way to communicate the larger picture of who we were. How do we celebrate the people who work in these restaurants? How do we tell their story? How do we make them part of our story?
We want to tell the story of our farming families. And we really want to express the fact that our food culture is part of our culture. It’s part of our art. It’s part of poetry. It’s part of craft. It’s part of our culture. We need to celebrate it as part of our culture and not hold it separate — not think of it only as a business.
