IT ALL STARTED WHEN…

Nicole and Forrest met in Tremont, an up-and-coming neighborhood in the Summer of 2007 situated in Cleveland, Ohio.  Nicole had recently earned her Master's of Science degree from Case Western Reserve University in Nutrition and Forrest was a hard-working chef cooking at several different restaurants in Cleveland.  They both share the same passion for quality food and hospitality.  Together their lives have been centered around food culture; through work, wellness, travel and pleasure.  

Nicole's passion for wellness began at a young age as a competitive figure skater.  Her talent on the ice paved the way for her first job after high school as a professional figure skater for Disney On Ice.  During her skating career, she learned the importance of fueling her body with healthy foods to keep her body energized and strong throughout many performances around the world.  When Nicole retired from figure skating, she turned her attention towards education and completed two degrees, a B.S. in Dietetics and M.S. in Nutrition.  With a passionate heart and hungry stomach, Nicole enjoys living a healthy lifestyle and eating Forrest's nutritious home-cooked meals.  

Forrest grew up in southern California where fresh seafood was caught daily and the Mexican food culture was everywhere.  As a child, he loved learning about his Italian and Spanish heritage from his grandmothers, mostly by watching them move gracefully around the kitchen.  When the Food Network became popular, Forrest was glued to the television and loved trying out new recipes with his family.  The kitchen quickly became a place of happiness for Forrest at home and as he learned the ins and outs of the restaurant business.  Forrest's first cooking job was at the age of fifteen at an Italian restaurant that was making pastas and sauces from scratch.  Later on, Forrest jumped on the opportunity to relocate to the Midwest. Although leaving behind sunny California was a tough decision, Forrest enjoyed all of the new cooking experiences he was having in Cleveland.  He held down multiple cooking jobs with a goal of learning as many new cooking techniques and recipes as possible.  While in Cleveland, Forrest cooked at fine dining restaurants such as Rocco Whalen's Fahrenheit and Michael Symon's Lola.  When Symon opened a new restaurant in Detroit, Roast, Forrest relocated to Michigan to work at this meat-house style restaurant.  He also worked at other Detroit area favorites such as The Forest Grille in Birmingham where he worked under Brian Polcyn (School Craft College professor) and honed his skills in Charcuterie and French cooking styles.  

Forrest now resides in Northern Michigan's beautiful town of Traverse City with his wife Nicole and their French Bulldog, Mochi.  Let Forrest, A Food Studio be your next culinary desination!

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