Meet the Pittsburgh chef cooking for some of the NFL's biggest names during the draft

With the NFL draft just a little more than a week away, a small army of local companies is part of the process to make all the magic happen. One of those local companies is Michael's Manna, which will be cooking food for some of the NFL's biggest names. 

Inside a North Side kitchen, Michael Pattillo moves with purpose. As the owner of Michael's Manna, he spent Tuesday morning getting a catering event ready for clients. While it may look like organized chaos to the untrained eye, it's a place of zen for Pattillo.

"This is therapeutic to me. Most times I'm in here with my music and I'm just going about it, I can think through what I have to do for the rest of the day," Pattillo said.

Next week, his craft will be called upon for the NFL draft. He's one of about 30 food and drink services picked to be part of the event.

"Basically, I'm acting as the private chef for the commissioner and Nike and ESPN," Pattillo said.

This is the biggest stage Pattillo has had in his career. He's not nervous about the cooking. Just like the draft prospects, he's spent more than 20 years developing his skills, and this is his moment to shine.

"Maybe in the past, he's never ever wanted to meet the chef before, but this time he comes out and says, 'who's the guy that was cooking for me?' That would be exciting. I would love that. That would make this whole experience worth it," Pattillo said about cooking for the NFL commissioner.

What's making him sweat this week is the plan to make sure next week runs smoothly.

"So that next week is just purely execution," Pattillo said while working in his kitchen.

Just like a calm quarterback leading a two-minute drive, Pattillo will be looking to serve up a winning recipe.

"I think ultimately, I just love what I do," Pattillo said.

With this now on his resume, Pattillo hopes this can lead to more catering opportunities and help grow his spice line that he also plans to get out during the draft.