Foodie fanatic Gretchen Cothron is a Tampa native whose family moved to a five-acre farm in Shady Hills when she was in the 5th grade. She grew to love gardening with her father and caring for the animals they would use for food. After high school, she moved to Manhattan to attend AADA, and then spent years traveling as a performer, not being able to enjoy the food surrounding her for fear of gaining a pound.
Gretchen later returned to Tampa and attended St. Petersburg College and University of Tampa, studying forensic science, criminology and law. She founded screamingforsunshine, a non-profit that fights wrongful convictions. Gretchen is leaving Tampa this summer to attend University of Miami Law School, and to found the South Florida Innocence Project.
Through speaking engagements Gretchen has had the opportunity to travel across the country again, this time without a fear of eating. She now carefully plans her dining experiences prior to any trips. Just last year she had the pleasure of epicurean indulgences at the chefs tables of Sideberns, Minibar and Aldea. She writes about the many wonderful meals she has had while traveling, as well as her adventures in organic gardening and kitchen experiments at home.
email: [email protected]