About this season
A character-driven documentary and cooking series that takes viewers inside the life of Chef Vivian Howard, who, with her husband Ben Knight, left the big city to open a fine dining restaurant in small-town Eastern North Carolina.
Episodes (10)
1. Onions and Avetts
Aired 10 September 2016 • 30 min
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 Lomax Farm in Cabarrus County, NC. Even though The Avett Brothers make an appearance, the underdog onion steals the show, playing both star and support.
2. My Watermelon Baby
Aired 17 September 2016 • 30 min
After a summer away, Vivian returns to the restaurant and a staff of new faces. She also asks a favor of an avid home chef: test her cookbook recipes.
3. Peas, Please
Aired 24 September 2016 • 30 min
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.
4. Stand by Your Cabbage
Aired 1 October 2016 • 30 min
Vivian’s summer itinerary picks up with a 14-day photoshoot as she preps for a first-time trip to Feast Portland. Sam Jones and Miss Lillie share old-school cabbage recipes that influence what Vivian prepares for the festival.
5. Cabbage's Last Stand
Aired 8 October 2016 • 30 min
Vivian explores Portland, Ore., prior to preparing the BBQ cabbage for Feast Portland.
6. Rabbit
Aired 15 October 2016 • 30 min
Vivian demonstrates rabbit processing during a visit to the Carolina Meat Conference; and is depressed at the prospect of losing a cherished staff member at the restaurant.
7. More Than One Way to Skin a Catfish
Aired 22 October 2016 • 30 min
Vivian learns about farm-raised catfish; and a staff member's last day at the restaurant arrives.
8. All Sunchoked Up
Aired 29 October 2016 • 30 min
Flo and Theo's pre-school class visits the restaurant, but slow service makes everyone antsy. In other events, Vivian turns to an old friend for help when a sunchoke dish doesn't work.
9. Heavenly Hocks
Aired 5 November 2016 • 30 min
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 North Carolina 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.
10. Mayo - The Mother Sauce
Aired 12 November 2016 • 30 min
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.