Posted 04.27.17 / Meet our Team

Meet Our Team – Cathy Houghton

When Cathy Houghton is not serving tables and sharing her knowledge and passion for food and wine, her nose is in the books. Cathy finished her third year of a nursing degree. We couldn’t be more proud of her! Get to know Cathy in the first of our Meet our Team series.

Describe your professional background. Include your schooling and/or where you grew up.

I completed high school in a small town in southern Ontario 1997 and worked various jobs ranging from strawberry picking, chicken catching to bartending in clubs and waitressing in different restaurants. I moved to Sudbury 13 years ago and began a long career in fine dining at Verdicchio’s before deciding to return to post secondary school to obtain my BScN degree. I have just completed my third year in the program.

What is one thing most customers don’t know about you.

I am the youngest in a family of 9 and just became a great aunt last summer.

How long have you been working at Verdicchio? What has kept you here so long?

I have been working at Verdicchios for approximately 13 years. There are many things that have kept me at Verdicchios for this length of time firstly the family is amazing, very welcoming, supportive, and just caring in general. Secondly, the food. How blessed am I that I get to eat unique and homemade food as often as I do? I have expanded my taste buds immensely since first starting here and I love the seasonal menu changes for exploring new foods. Lastly, my work family, all the people I have met, trained and had the pleasure to work with has made a difference in my experience.

Is working in a restaurant anything like we see on reality TV?

Some of the aspects are similar in regards to typical servers or customers but often I find reality TV scripted and they look for issue areas to focus on. Most servers just hope for happy dining experiences for their patrons and smooth shifts with pleasant coworkers.

When you are not working, what do you like to do?

I love being outside as much as possible, spending time in the sunshine, gardening, having bonfires. Spending as much time together with my family and I also have a weakness for Netflix for cheesy chick flicks and good horror movies

Fill in the blank: When I get home after a long shift, I …

get into pjs, grab a glass of wine, and try to talk my husband into a foot rub.

Where do you like eating in this city?

I enjoy eating at the locally owned restaurants for variety. Some of my favorites include, of course Verdicchio’s, Respect is Burning, Laughing Buddha, Ripe, La Bella Vita and Tommy’s Not Here.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In ten years, I see myself as a successful and established full time registered nurse, doing odd travel nursing while spending time with my family and travelling the world.

What is your favourite dish on the Verdicchio menu and why.

My favorite dish on the Verdicchio menu is the Beef Carpaccio. It is amazing. The flavors are just phenomenal and the combination of tender rare beef, arugula, Parmesan, and truffles are heavenly.

 If you were on an island by yourself for one month and you could choose 3 items to take with you, what would you take?

A fishing pole

Book

Blanket

Your favourite movie?

I have several, just too many to choose from: Labyrinth, Dracula, 300, The Notebook, Dirty Dancing, The Princess Bride, Thirteen Ghosts.

Your favourite book?

The World According To Garp by John Irving

Fill in the blank: I can’t start a shift without…

my iced capp and my corkscrew.

Describe one cause that you are passionate about.

Autism Awareness, my niece is on the autism spectrum scale and so I volunteer every year raising money for Autism Speaks by participating in walks and fundraisers within Kitchener area where she lives as well within the Sudbury community.