Making it easy for people to eat well is my calling in life.
As a Private Chef, I want to make sure you and your family have healthy, yummy food to eat at the end of a busy day. Cooking what you want to have for dinner is something I put my heart into.
As a Caterer, I LOVE to give parties. When someone would like to have a gathering, I come in and we create a fun, festive feast together for their guests and them to enjoy—anywhere from 2 people to 200. I can handle everything from appetizers, to linens, to wine glasses, to party favors.
Sourcing local, seasonal ingredients is important to me and easy in a place like Santa Cruz. I have relationships with many local farms and artisan producers.
Working for Disney Studios for many years, I felt creatively at a crossroads. After entering and placing in a grilled cheese contest, I was inspired to take it professional. I graduated from California School of Culinary Arts Le Cordon Bleu program in Pasadena in 2000.
I worked as a Chef for Fetzer Vineyards in Mendocino with John Ash as my mentor right out of school. I had the joy of working with Emeril Lagasse at many events there during that time and enjoyed their 5-acre organic garden.
As a Sous Chef at Soif in Santa Cruz, I enjoyed the first year of the restaurant being open and then I moved back north.
I helped build & opened Barndiva in Healdsburg as Executive Chef. We received SF Chronicle 4-stars and were on Michael Bauer’s Top 100 List for 2005.
Then I moved south again and was the Executive Chef Costanoa, helping to create Cascade Restaurant.
Craving a change from the restaurant scene, I followed many area chefs to Google, where I ran a vegan gluten-free cafe for a year.
Currently, I have my own company, by Marisa, in Santa Cruz. I cook for private clients and enjoy catering for all kinds of events, from 2-200.