Reader of the Week: Christina Fox of Chicago
right-hand lady to a celebrity chef
By Amy Schroeder
Published: May 20th, 2008 | 10:10am
You’re the personal assistant to celebrity chef and author Rick Tramonto of Tru, Tramonto's Steak & Seafood, and Osteria di Tramonto. What does your job entail?
I manage his appearance schedule, am the graphic designer of the menus, help with his cookbooks (he has five with a sixth coming out in October). And anybody who wants to get to him has to go through me.
How'd you land your job?
It's kind of a funny story. I was working at a job that I didn't really like, but it paid the bills. After about a year and a half of that job, I turned to my coworker and said, "I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to do this." Right then my cell phone rang. It was a guy named Bob, who I used to work with years before at a previous restaurant company. He was working with Rick, who was seeking an assistant. Bob gave Rick my name, and voila! — they called me for an interview. When I hung up, I had a giant grin on my face. My coworker said, "What? Did you just win the lottery?" I said, "Kinda."
What's the best advice you've received?
I think two pieces of advice are tied for best in my book:
1. My mom taught me when I was little that I shouldn't lie. She said, "You never lie just once. You have to keep lying to cover up the lie that covered up the lie that covered up the other lie. It gets too confusing. Just tell the truth, and you'll always be fine." I think she's totally right. Lying takes a lot of energy, and it's not worth it in my book. I'd rather just tell the truth and deal with any consequences immediately and get it over with.
2. Back when I’d just graduated from college, I met this woman who was asking me what I was going do with my life. At the time, I was working as an assistant for a publishing company, with lofty aspirations to immediately become an editor. I was lamenting my woes to her, and she said, "You know, young people always want to immediately advance. We have this receptionist who is perpetually bugging us to give her a promotion. The thing she doesn't realize is that she can't even take a phone message correctly. If you can't do the little things right, why would anybody ever entrust you with more responsibility?" That has always stuck with me, because I think it's very true.
What are your top five favorite books?
1. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson: I read it as a kid but still count it among my favorites.
2. My Name Is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok: I sobbed at the end of this book. My friend Alice and I had a Chaim Potok book club for a while — sadly, we were the only two who ever came to it. Ha.
3. I like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris: It’s hysterical to read, and I love the photos. The recipes are good too.
4. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
5. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.
You were in a band for one week. What'd you play and why'd you quit?
I played keyboards. I had always wanted to be in a band. Some friends of mine had this band I liked, and they asked me to join. I was so excited. My ex-boyfriend was the drummer and also was new to the band. I went to one rehearsal. He bossed me around the whole time, and I thought, “You know, this is never, ever gonna work.” So I made up an excuse about not being able to commit to the rehearsal schedule and moved on. It worked out fine for everybody — keyboards didn't really go with their industrial style anyway, or at least not the way I knew how to play them. I also realized that it's actually really, really, really hard to be in a band. It made me appreciate music even more after that.
How long have you been reading Venus Zine?
I am proud to report that I have been reading Venus Zine since the very beginning. I remember going to a launch party of some sort in the early 2000s in Chicago. It was at a place near the intersection of Milwaukee, Ashland, and Division in Wicker Park. It was so packed. The beer had run out, but we were so excited that people were excited about the magazine that we just paid our money anyway, without getting any beer, and went someplace else. I immediately picked up the first issue and haven't stopped since. I have them all saved, stacked in my living room. When Venus Zine comes, I say outloud to nobody but myself, "Yay, my Venus is here!" Then I run upstairs, start a bubble bath, and get in, reading the whole thing cover to cover. I also think it's the perfect gift to give. I heart Venus Zine.
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Issue #13
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