‘The kitchen was always the place where I could survive in,’ said Mike carter, executive chef at Down North Pizza in Philadelphia
Mike Carter, 37, is the executive chef at Down North Pizza in Philadelphia. After spending 12 years in and out of prison, Carter turned his life around. He experimented with ingredients he could buy at the prison commissary, like ramen noodles and Cheez-It crackers for the crust, then barbecue sauce and pre-cooked sausage on top. He called it “jailhouse pizza.” With no fresh mozzarella, tomatoes or basil readily available at the penitentiary, he had to improvise.
“There’s a big stigma. They’ve been dehumanized for so long,” said Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, the founder of Down North Pizza, which also offers housing above the restaurant to employees, as well as pro bono legal services. “We focus on humanizing individuals, and allowing people to see that they should not be defined by a mistake they made.”He said he hopes to reduce recidivism in the surrounding Strawberry Mansion neighborhood, and minimize the stigma associated with incarceration.
“I’ve been out in the world earning my keep since I was 14,” Carter said, explaining that he was in “survival mode,” and when he had difficulty making money, he turned to crime.in Philadelphia, and worked at a catering company for a few months. From the time he was a child, Carter said, he had a strong culinary instinct. He always wanted to become a chef.“My kitchen IQ was always above and beyond,” he said, noting that his cooking aptitude is embedded in his DNA.
Carter started working again in various restaurants, including a pizza shop. A colleague introduced him to Abdul-Hadi in 2021, and he offered Carter a job at Down North Pizza.Carter has been laser-focused on growing his culinary career and supporting his colleagues. He trains and mentors every cook that steps into Down North Pizza.Advertisement
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