A Chef's Life

Spring onions kick off the season in high gear as Vivian takes a break from penning her first cookbook to prepare a benefit dinner at a training ground for beginning farmers. Even though The Avett Brothers make an appearance, the underdog onion steals the show, playing both star and support.

After being away from the restaurant all summer, Vivian returns to a staff of unfamiliar faces and works to build camaraderie with the newbies while accepting inevitable changes. She also employs an avid home cook to put recipes from her forthcoming book to the test.

As a visit from her editor accelerates book preparations, Vivian reckons with handing over the restaurant reins to John and Justise. A tutorial in "beatin' peas" delivered by a 92 year-old expert is an entertaining and therapeutic history lesson.

Vivian's summer itinerary picks up with a 14-day photoshoot as she preps for a first-time trip to Feast Portland. Before heading out west, Sam Jones and Miss Lillie share old school cabbage recipes that influence the dish she prepares for festival goers. While on the road, Vivian trusts John and Justise to hold down the fort back home.

Vivian can't resist the opportunity to romp around the city before firing up the BBQ cabbage at Feast Portland. The crisp Oregon air and thousands of patient festival patrons make hiccups with her cooking equipment easier to overcome.

At the Carolina Meat Conference, Vivian dubs rabbit "the meat of the future." As a cherished staff member prepares to leave the restaurant, Vivian mourns his loss while anticipating the additional strain.

An up-close-and-personal experience with farm-raised catfish offers Vivian an enlightened perspective on the industry. When a staff member's last day at the restaurant finally arrives, heavy emotions, and fond memories create a bonding moment for the entire crew. It's the holidays and Vivian is crowned Grand Marshall of the Pink Hill Christmas Parade.

Flo and Theo's pre-school class visit the restaurant for a meal where table manners are the focus, but exceptionally slow service makes everyone antsy, especially Ben. When her sunchoke recipe doesn't make the grade, Vivian enlists guidance from an old friend.

A view behind-the-scenes reveals the hot and cold of curing ham. At a New York dinner party hosted in her honor, Vivian serves up a gift of NC seasoning meats –the pig tails, ham hocks, and fatback that give Carolina cuisine its quintessential kick. While in the Big Apple, a visit with her publisher reveals an itinerary certain to make for an ambitious autumn.

Vivian holds a mayo blind taste test and a surprise brand takes top prize. After a new chef takes the reins, her diminishing role at the restaurant becomes clearer. Vivian's long-held vacation plans are stifled by a series of strange events.