Photos courtesy of Pulito Osteria, by Andrew Welch Photo.
Chef Chaz Lindsay received his training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, cutting his teeth at some of New York's best restaurants, as well as on Italy's countryside—all before finally opening his own restaurant in his hometown of Jackson.
When Chef Chaz Lindsay first envisioned opening a restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi, he imagined it to be the kind of neighborhood staple where you could expect to find familiar faces at every table, where the hostess calls you by name, and the chef waves from the open kitchen.
“Not quite Cheers, but a place where people run into friends and neighbors,” he said, “A place to gather and enjoy a nice meal.”
Lindsay grew up just around the corner from where his restaurant, Pulito Osteria, is now located, in the historic Belhaven neighborhood. He attended Murrah High School, and at the age of fifteen, went to work at a local pizzeria. But it was later while working as a line cook for seasoned Jackson restaurateur Grant Nooe that Lindsay caught the culinary bug. “I liked the fast-paced restaurant service,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Pulito Osteria, by Andrew Welch Photo.
After a brief stint at a traditional university, Lindsay realized that his future would be best served by attending culinary school. “I decided if I was going to do it, I would go to the best school possible.” He attended The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. “I had a fascination with New York and wanted to explore more fine dining options.”
After graduating from the CIA in 2011, Lindsay spent the next sixteen years working, and learning, in award-winning restaurants around the country and abroad. In New York, he worked as a sous chef in Tom Colicchio’s taproom at Colicchio and Sons and his flagship restaurant, Craft. At only nineteen years old, Lindsay spent what he describes as the hardest year of his life at the Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, named Number One of the "World’s 50 Best Restaurants" in 2017. “I learned a lot there,” he said. “I learned to work harder, faster, and cleaner.”
Photo courtesy of Pulito Osteria, by Andrew Welch Photo.
Chef Chaz Lindsay
Burned out by the fast-paced city life, Lindsay made a move to a rural village in Italy, an hour and a half from Rome, where he was chef at a small farm restaurant. “The restaurant was only open a few days a week, and when it was opened, I cooked. On the other days, I worked on the farm.” Though Lindsay was inspired by the seasonality and hyper-local cuisine of Italy, the experience taught him that New York-style Italian food was where his heart lay. “It was fascinating to me to realize that Italian restaurants in New York are much more interesting than those in Italy. I think that was more of an influence on me.”
“It was fascinating to me to realize that Italian restaurants in New York are much more interesting than those in Italy. I think that was more of an influence on me.” —Chef Chaz Lindsay
After a year in Italy, Lindsay moved on to El Paso, hoping to eventually make his way home to Jackson. “It has always been my plan to open a restaurant here.”
When the Westin Hotel opened in downtown Jackson, Lindsay accepted the position of sous chef at the new restaurant, Estelle—which is where he met Jonathan Webb.
Originally from Jackson, Tennessee, Webb came to Jackson, Mississippi as a student at Millsaps College. And he never left, spending the next eighteen years working at restaurants in Mississippi’s capital city, bartending and managing some of the area’s most notable establishments. Webb was managing the bar at Estelle when he met Lindsay. The two got along instantly and saw eye-to-eye when it came to the restaurant world.
[Read Sophie Nau's story about Creole-Italian food in New Orleans, here.]
Together, they opened Pulito Osteria on January 31, 2023—bringing Lindsay’s dream to fruition. Lindsay is the chef/owner while Webb serves as the general manager/partner. The restaurant is located in Belhaven Town Center, an entertainment district in the Belhaven neighborhood. With restaurants and a brewery, the neighborhood serves simultaneously as a destination and a neighborhood gathering place. “They had what turned out to be the perfect space in the perfect location,” said Lindsay. “I wanted Pulito to be a fixture in the neighborhood, where guests feel comfortable.”
With interiors designed by Mary Ferris Sanders, Pulito Osteria has a familiar, comfortable ambiance, mixing vintage art and rugs with warm wood tables and lighting that provides a soft glow. An open kitchen in the back of the restaurant connects guests with those preparing their meals.
The ever-changing menu is in a traditional Italian format, with antipasta, pizza, primi, secondo, contorni, dolci, and cocktails. “Some of the verbiage may be unfamiliar to some, so we work to educate our guests,” says Lindsay. “Our food is very approachable and sharable.” This isn’t eat-and-run food. It is meant to be shared and savored, eaten at leisure over good conversation.
Photo courtesy of Pulito Osteria, by Andrew Welch Photo.
The antipasta options are designed to provide something for nibbling while waiting for everyone in a party to arrive. Each option on the menu is thoughtfully prepared and presented to whet the appetite for what lies ahead. Paired with a specialty cocktail from Webb’s innovative menu—many of which feature interesting bitters and botanicals—the scene is set for a memorable experience.
On my trip to Pulito Osteria, my dinner companion and I each enjoyed a Rosolio margarita made with rosemary-infused tequila, bergamot, lime, and honey. We shared an antipasta of tuna crudo, garnished with Castelvatrano olives, capers, pepper relish, crispy shallot, and lemon.
While pizza is not the main focus at Pulito, the wood-fire pizza oven turns out perfectly baked pies with traditional and seasonal offerings. The pasta dishes (primi) are listed by shape, which is traditional in Italy. All pasta (except the gluten-free options) is made fresh daily in-house. We chose the risotto served with rock shrimp, preserved lemon, and green garlic.
Main dishes (secondo) include a variety of proteins from steak and veal to seafood. “We use mostly cold water wild-caught Atlantic seafood,” said Lindsay. Portion sizes are generous and meant to be shared. At the suggestion of our waiter, we chose to share the braised short ribs topped with horseradish gremolata.
The chef treated us to two side dishes (contorni)—roasted carrots drizzled with a tahini sauce, and Brooklyn brussels, both sourced from local farmers, as are most of the vegetables served in the restaurant.
An array of tempting desserts (dolci) completes the meal. The strawberry rhubarb crisp was our choice, served with a scoop of house-made vanilla bean ice cream.
Pulito Osteria is open Tuesday through Saturday from 4:30 to 9:30 pm, and the bar closes at 11 pm. The menu is seasonal. See sample menus at pulitojackson.com.
