Melissa Petitto, RD, was raised around an eclectic collection of food in Birmingham, Alabama. With two seemingly diverse cultures that center life around the kitchen, Petitto gained an early appreciation for food and its impact on a person’s life. Attending Johnson & Wales University, Melissa Petitto was afforded the opportunity of working for The Governor’s House Inn as the bed and breakfast chef and at Cooking Light magazine in the test kitchen. To enhance her skills and opportunities, she furthered her education at Emory University Hospitals with a dietetic internship. Upon passing her registered dietician’s exam, Petitto made the move to New York City to pursue her career goal of becoming a personal chef.