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ALUM Spotlight Missy Ferraro Mercer '95

There is always something delicious baking in the ovens of this alum's kitchen, a kitchen that serves two side-by-side restaurants she owns and manages in the Cloverdale neighborhood of Montgomery, Tomatino's and Cafe Louisa. Missy's experience is quite impressive, from working pastry to being a line cook at Spago, a famous Bay Area restaurant, to helping La Jolla Restaurant launch itself in Montgomery's refined East Chase shopping center. As if running two restaurants wasn't enough, you can also find Missy leading cooking demonstration classes at Williams-Sonoma. A successful career never tasted so good!

Q. Where did you receive your training as a chef?

A. I received my training at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco.

Q. What all was involved to complete this training?

A. The California Culinary Academy has a 16 month intensive Culinary Arts program that was 8 hours a day, five days a week of a combination of lab (hands-on) and lecture classes that became progressively more advanced. By the end, each student went on a four week internship either in the U.S. or internationally that usually was unpaid. Upon returning, we had to prepare a whole report on the experience including recipes and evaluations from the Executive Chef. Hopefully, you were able to move throughout the kitchen. After this, the student was only in advanced production classes with no more lectures, all hands-on and in a very competive environment. You just hope that something you make stands out and is unique and different but most of all tastes good! 

We had a lot of projects throughout the program on topics such as purchasing, catering practices, sanitation, restaurant law and accounting. We also had to start our own business and plan every aspect from labor, inventory, furnishings and equipment.

The certification I received was an AOS degree or Associate of Occupational Studies-Emphasis on Culinary Arts. The professors at this school represented some of the best chefs in the field, completely professional and secure in their place in the kitchen. They were from all over the world and brought something new and different to each class. 

When you go to school in a so-called "food" city referring to San Francisco, New York, L.A., etc., you are obviously serious about this business and take full advantage of all the famous chefs around (if you are lucky enough to land a spot in one of these kitchens). But, once you get in you have got to be serious and realize there are other young aspiring chefs just like you waiting to get a foot in the door and get a chance to stand next to Wolfgang Puck, Michael Mina, Julian Serrano just once and learn something. 

Q. You have a degree in finance from Auburn. Has that benefitted your culinary career?

A. My degree from Auburn has benefited my career greatly. Because, not only do I know how to prepare things in the kitchen, but I can also break those costs down and am able to analyze them for profitabillity.

Q. Please tell more about the two restaurants you own and manage in Montgomery, Tomatino's and Cafe Louisa.

A. Tomatino's is a pizzera that specializes in gourmet pizza and calzones made from the finest ingredients using some organic ingredients and freshly made wheat or regular dough. All the vegetables are cut by hand and are purchased daily. We also purchase high quality meat for our toppings. It's a true "Italian" pizzeria.

Cafe Louisa is the bakeshop next door to Tomatino's that can be considered many things, from a coffee shop serving locally roasted free-trade organic coffee to a great place to enjoy healthy sandwiches and homemade soups at lunchtime. But, we also have a staff of bakers that make everything from cookies, muffins, scones, artisan breads and gourmet desserts to either eat-in or special request for pick-up.

Q. Any advice to students or alumni who might be considering a culinary career?

A. Any advice that I have to anyone seeking a career in this exciting field is not to think that you will come out of school and be a "famous" chef. Also, go and work for the best in the business and be serious about hands-on learning. It takes years of hard work and dedication. The payscale starts out low but with due dilligence you will progress to earn just as much as any other career.

Photography by Rus Baxley