Nick Melvin, Doux South All Natural Pickles (Atlanta, GA)
Just like many a person who often spends more time in restaurants than she does cooking, my fridge can have bare shelves, but the door is always filled with condiments. And there are always pickles. Chef Nick Melvin makes some of my favorite storebought varieties under the Doux South brand out of Atlanta, Ga., a family-run company that just keeps getting bigger and better. But Nick’s like a lot of us -- he is pursuing his dream while working another job at Fox Bros. BBQ he loves too, and although I’ve seen him a lot through the years, sweating behind grills or handing out sample after sample at a food festival, I’ve never missed seeing a sincere smile wash over his face in greeting. His passion is work, as you’ll hear, and he’s always working to make sure that the people who cross his path are well-fed, with a side of pickles, of course.