In 2024, just a day before his family was set to sell their home in Bernal Heights, Nat Talbot faced an unexpected challenge when his father, prominent journalist and author David Talbot, suffered a stroke.
This incident thrust the 31-year-old Nat into a caretaker role alongside his older brother, Joe Talbot, who is known for directing ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco.’
Together, they are navigating the responsibilities of caring for their parents and managing the family mortgage.
While Joe focuses on his film career, Nat has discovered his true passion in the culinary world, specifically through his pop-up pizza venture, Fatty Natty’s, located at Charlie’s Cafe on Folsom Street.
The unique name comes from a childhood nickname given by a friend and reflects Nat’s fun-loving personality and stocky physique.
According to Nat, “Everything changed when my dad had a stroke.”
He quickly found himself applying for numerous jobs, including gigs as a rideshare delivery driver and a parking valet.
As they faced financial hardships, friends supported the family through a GoFundMe campaign that has raised an impressive $120,000 to assist with medical and living expenses for Nat’s mother, Camille Peri, who is also a writer.
Sitting on a bench in Precita Park, just a few blocks from his childhood home, Nat fondly reminisced about his adventurous youth filled with bike rides and music-making sessions at the nearby Precita Center.
He noted that his upbringing was heavily influenced by a love for music, movies, books, and, of course, food.
He discovered his passion for cooking during a memorable summer camp experience in San Francisco where he learned to create a simple yet delicious pasta dish with lemon sauce and prosciutto.
This early exposure to cooking encouraged him to enroll in the now-defunct San Francisco Cooking School, where he honed his skills through various internships in local restaurants.
Nat joyfully recalled his time spent working as a line cook at a restaurant on 18th and Valencia, where he experienced the fast-paced environment akin to that depicted in the hit show, ‘The Bear.’
He admitted, “Some chefs were crazy assholes, but you learned from them.”
Although Nat enjoyed the challenges of a traditional kitchen, he eventually experienced burnout and began dreaming of owning his own restaurant.
Inspired by an East Oakland entrepreneur who began his food business from home during the pandemic, Nat envisioned a similar path for himself.
He reminisced about the first time he visited the entrepreneur, saying, “I remember pulling up to an alleyway at his gate. He came out with a plate of food, and I was like, ‘I love this.’ I would love to just sell food out of the fucking house.”
Thus began Nat’s foray into food sales about three years ago, as he started promoting his weekly menu on Instagram.
Initially, he crafted elaborate dishes, featuring items like ribeye steak, scalloped potatoes, and lobster tails.
However, he soon realized that his extravagant menu was not sustainable financially, admitting, “I wasn’t making any money. I wasn’t making shit.”
A subsequent trip to New York City brought clarity, prompting Nat to focus on simplicity in his cooking.
Adopting the philosophy that less is more, he settled on pizza, drawing inspiration from Chrissy’s Pizza—a Brooklyn-based operation that gained popularity after selling pizzas from a small apartment.
Determined to perfect his craft, Talbot delved into the science of pizza-making, utilizing resources like pizzamaking.com and experimenting with dough recipes in his home kitchen.
Before his father’s stroke, he was already dedicated to creating a New York-style pizza recipe, eagerly sharing his creations with family and friends.
As he adapted to his new reality, Nat had a pivotal encounter with his father during a spring walk through Precita Park.
David wished to visit Charlie, the owner of Charlie’s Cafe, an iconic local eatery.
It was a heartfelt reunion as Charlie embraced David and exchanged words of encouragement.
Seizing the opportunity, Nat expressed his desire to sell pizza from Charlie’s Cafe, and to his delight, Charlie enthusiastically agreed.
Nat began selling his pizza at Charlie’s Cafe in March, scheduling sales for Thursdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m., until he sold out of his delicious offerings.
“I’m making enough right now where I don’t have to work a job. But my main goal is to build this up so I can take care of my parents full-time,” Talbot shared optimistically.
He is also receiving invaluable support from La Cocina, a Mission neighborhood organization that assists aspiring home cooks in launching their culinary businesses.
Reflecting on his journey, Nat Talbot expressed immense gratitude for the backing he has received from friends, family, and the local community during this challenging time.
image source from：https://missionlocal.org/2025/06/nat-fatty-natty-talbot-pursues-pizza-dream-to-aid-ailing-dad/
