Chef Kristian Niemi--"Welcome to Cola"

I have been in Columbia for a little less than a week, beckoned by sweet stories my mother would tell me about the place, the infamous southern hospitality, and the chance to do something like 99Knives.  So far, nothing has disappointed.  Cola (I only just learned that this is what the city is sometimes called) is a lot of serious fun. I'll admit, I am a market girl and I like fresh food and knowing my growers. I took a swing by USC's market last week and then Saturday, I went through the Soda City Market and grabbed some stuff to take back to my hotel (we will see if I have the same positive attitude about the city after a week or so of apartment hunting, but I digress).  There was so much to see and so little time Saturday, but I was able to make a record of who I saw and who I wanted to be involved in 99Knives.

It is chefs like Chef Kristian Niemi of Rosso Trattorio Italia and Bourbon here in Columbia.  We asked him because when we put out the post for this and told people that we were looking for chefs to support a good cause and get involved in some good clean fun, his name came up...a lot and he responded pretty quickly with two words, "I'm in."  We are glad to have him in and we are looking forward to talking with him and a lot more chefs in the area, letting you know how they do what they do, and how you can come out and watch them work for some good food for a good cause.