There are some people you can go years without seeing and the minute you reconnect, it feels like no time has passed.

That was Chris.

When Chef Chris Noble sat down with me on Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast, it felt less like an interview and more like picking up right where we left off.

Because behind all the restaurants, all the titles, and all the years in this business, there’s a story that starts long before any of that.

And sometimes, no matter where life takes you, you find your way right back to what you love.

There are some conversations that feel easy from the very beginning.

This was one of them.

Sitting down with Chris on Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast felt like reconnecting with an old friend and realizing just how much history is still there.

The North End Bistro days.

Blue Aqua.

All the paths that kept crossing over the years.

That’s one of the things I love most about this industry.

You don’t just build a career.

You build relationships that stay with you.

Chris’s story didn’t start in a restaurant kitchen.

It started at home.

Growing up in New Orleans, Sundays were spent watching cooking shows with his dad. Writing down recipes. Learning from legends. Spending time together in a way that made food feel like something more than just a meal.

It was connection.

It was family.

And you can still hear that in the way he talks about it.

Like so many people in this business, Chris started in the dish pit.

At 14 years old.

Walking two miles down railroad tracks just to get to work.

And from there, he worked his way up.

That matters.

Because there is something different about someone who has done every job in a kitchen. Who understands what it takes at every level.

You earn it.

And that stays with you.

One thing that really stood out to me was Chris’s HVAC chapter.

He had a backup plan.

He built a business.

He did what made sense.

But he wasn’t happy.

And I think so many people can relate to that.

Sometimes you do the practical thing.

But the thing you love never really lets you go.

And for Chris, that pull back to food was always there.

On Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast, you could hear it in his voice.

That energy.

That passion.

That sense of being exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Because this business is not easy.

It’s long days.

It’s pressure.

It’s constant movement.

But when you love it, it’s worth it.

Now Chris is stepping into something new as executive chef at Figaro’s Martini Bar and Kitchen.

And what I love about this opportunity is how hands-on it is.

Building the kitchen from the ground up.

Designing the menu.

Creating something from nothing.

That’s a dream for a chef.

And the menu reflects that.

Mediterranean influence.

A wide range of options.

Something for everyone while still feeling intentional.

And I have to say, I cannot wait to go.

One of my favorite parts of the conversation was when we talked about food trends.

Chris has explored all of it.

The techniques.

The innovation.

The experimentation.

But what he came back to was something simple.

Cooking from the heart.

And that’s what people remember.

Not the trend.

Not the technique.

The feeling.

The story.

The care that goes into it.

There is a lot ahead.

Lunch service.

Oyster Sundays.

New concepts like Beck’s Oyster House.

And you can feel the momentum.

But more importantly, you can feel the foundation behind it.

Experience.

Passion.

And a real understanding of what people are looking for.

This episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast reminded me of something important.

The best chefs are not just the most skilled.

They’re the ones who care.

The ones who carry their roots with them.

The ones who keep learning.

The ones who find their way back to what they love.

And that is exactly who Chris Noble is.

Watch and listen to my full conversation with Chef Chris Noble and hear the story behind a career built on passion, resilience, and heart.

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ABOUT CAROL ERICKSON

Carol Erickson has owned Red Arrow Diner since 1987 -- four locations across New Hampshire, open 24/7. She started Beyond the Plate to tell the real stories behind the people who make New England's food and hospitality scene what it is. Not just what's on the menu. What's behind it.

Red Arrow Diner: redarrowdiner.com  |  @redarrow24diner