JODY WILLIAMS AND RITA SODI
CHEF AND OWNERS, VIA CAROTA
October 2022
Meet Rita Sodi and Jody Williams. Yep, it’s the revered duo behind some of New York City’s favorite West Village restaurants (not to mention their various outposts abroad). Whether it’s a mountain of buttery scrambled eggs at Buvette, a hearty plate of spoonbread at Commerce, an afternoon aperitivo at Pisellino, or much-coveted mille feuille layered lasagna at I Sodi, Rita and Jody have created a world that celebrates soulful honest food that’s beautiful to look at for sure, but truly even better to eat. Since 2014, Via Carota has transported us to dreamy old-world Italy, where you can go any time of day for their now-iconic towering Insalata Verde or any number of simply perfect seasonal plates. And now, on the eve of the much-anticipated release of their cookbook Via Carota: A Celebration of Seasonal Cooking from the Beloved Greenwich Village Restaurant: An Italian Cookbook, the pair take a moment out of their busy schedule to answer a few questions. Let’s toast to that, shall we? Saluti, Rita and Jody!
Follow Via Carota @viacarota
Who are you?
Jody: A work in progress.
Rita: New York. Fiorentina. Cook.
What’s on your mind?
Jody: Where are my keys…?
Rita: Living upstate & working downstate.
Where are you right now?
Rita: In the kitchen.
Jody: In the other kitchen.
Photo Credit: Gentl & Hyers
When did you start?
Rita: Sunrise.
Jody: When the coffee’s ready.
Why do you do what you do?
Jody: Because I love it, so far.
Rita: I do what I do because I believe in it.
What is your favorite meal to eat?
Jody: One that starts with Rita’s fried artichokes and a negroni.
Rita: It changes with the seasons… right now it’s bowls of ribollita.
What is your favorite meal to cook?
Jody: Every holiday & every celebration.
Rita: Anything that involves lighting a fire.
Wise words
Jody: “Chi va piano va contano” — Go slow to go fast.
Rita: “Conosco I miei polli” — Know your chickens.
Photos courtesy of Via Carota, unless otherwise noted