Jess Rice

Jess Rice finds joy and purpose in instructing aspiring chefs and home cooks alike. Chef Jess was recently working as a Chef Professor at Niagara College in Canadian wine country, teaching international students from all over the world food theory and classic culinary techniques before moving back to Nashville. Her diverse experience also includes working (literally) every position in a restaurant to traveling all over the world as a private chef to celebrities and rock ‘n roll legends. As a successful restaurateur, she helped shape the local food scene in Nashville with the debut of her raw vegan restaurant AVO and its innovative and flavorful offerings. Jess’ passion for culinary excellence is evident in her diverse roles within the dynamic world of food. She’s excited to share her love for food with our readers at BudgetBytes!

More About Jess

Jess Rice is a chef, educator, and hospitality professional whose career spans nearly every corner of the food world — from high-end neighborhood bistros and award-winning vegan restaurants to bustling food trucks and cozy coffee shops. Known for her creativity, warmth, and deep respect for every role in the kitchen, Jess brings a lifetime of experience and heart to everything she does.

You might know Jess as the founding chef and former owner of AVO, Nashville’s first full-scale raw vegan restaurant, which helped redefine the city’s plant-forward dining scene. AVO quickly became a local favorite and earned the title of Best New Restaurant in the Nashville Scene Reader’s Poll, proving that healthy, sustainable food could be both exciting and delicious. Around the same time, her playful and unfiltered Instagram, @mypoortiredliver, began attracting attention from the food and creative worlds alike — opening doors to collaborations, private chef work, and new audiences who connected with her humor, honesty, and passion for food that tells a story.

Jess has literally done it all: washing dishes, expediting, managing, and creating menus from the ground up. She believes that choosing to work in restaurants isn’t a stepping stone — it’s a career worthy of massive respect. “Any restaurant,” she often says, “is only as good as its dishwashers and runners.” That mindset has guided her as a leader and mentor, inspiring her teams to take pride in every part of the process.

Beyond the kitchen, Jess is a passionate advocate for food access and community well-being. She believes that everyone deserves not just a meal, but the dignity, care, and nourishment that come with it. Throughout her career, she’s partnered with local organizations and food advocacy groups to promote food education, reduce waste, and connect families with resources that make healthy eating more attainable. For Jess, good food should never be a luxury — it should be a right, and one that’s shared with compassion and creativity.

Jess holds a degree from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas (2009) and trained at Matthew Kenney Culinary Academy in Santa Monica, where she developed her passion for health-conscious and creative cuisine. She also studied under Dr. Amy Rachelle in Indonesia, earning certifications in raw and holistic cooking. After years leading restaurant teams, Jess brought her expertise to the classroom, teaching first- and second-year culinary students at Niagara College’s Canadian Institute of Food and Wine. There, she taught Introduction to Food Principles, Culinary Nutrition, and Understanding Quality Ingredients, encouraging her students to think about food not just as a craft, but as a language of care and connection.

Jess’s culinary path has also taken her around the world — quite literally. From 2015 through 2024, she toured extensively as a private chef for Neil Young and actress Daryl Hannah, traveling across the U.S., Canada, and Europe (often with her daughter Velvet in tow, even when she was just two years old!). Jess has also cooked for Pearl Jam on tour in Canada and created raw vegan birthday cakes for Miley Cyrus — proof that her knack for turning dietary restrictions into joyful, crave-worthy food translates from the home kitchen to the rockstar tour bus.

You may have also seen Jess appear on Trisha Yearwood’s Food Network show, “Trisha’s Southern Kitchen,” where she taught Trisha and her sister Beth how to sharpen their knife skills. Her down-to-earth teaching style and sense of humor made her a natural fit for the show — and for anyone who believes cooking should be fun, approachable, and full of flavor.

Jess currently lives with her husband, Grammy-nominated filmmaker Adam CK Vollick, in Dickson County, Tennessee, where they’re raising their daughters Velvet and Bijou surrounded by family, fields, and four-legged friends. A lifelong equestrian, Jess has been riding for over 30 years and now shares her small farm with Jonesy, her heart horse; Chuckie, a retired Thoroughbred; and Play-Doh, a mischievous miniature horse who keeps everyone laughing.

When she’s not cooking or riding, Jess can usually be found doodling or painting, channeling her art school roots; traveling with her family; or watching Survivor (“Jeff Probst, pick me!”).

Through every chapter — chef, teacher, activist, mom — Jess Rice has stayed true to one philosophy: food is about connection. Whether she’s leading a kitchen, teaching students, or helping home cooks find their confidence, Jess believes great food starts with great people — and that every meal has the power to bring us together.

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