Private chef services built around how you actually eat.
Founded in Los Angeles by chef Nicole Lee. Today a vetted team cooks in homes across Los Angeles, Orange County, New York City and New Jersey — held to the same standard in every kitchen.
From restaurant kitchens to four metros.
I came up in restaurant kitchens, learning the part most people never see: the prep, the discipline, the execution behind every plate that leaves a pass.
From there I enrolled in culinary school full time. I went on to work with Wolfgang Puck Catering on some of the largest events in the city — the Oscars, film premieres — where the standard is exacting and there is no room to improvise your way through service.
Then I began taking on my own private clients. Cooking in someone’s home is a different craft entirely: you are not feeding a room, you are feeding a family, and you learn quickly that the details matter more, not less.
That work grew faster than I expected. Today Eats by Nicole is a team of chefs cooking to the same philosophy the brand was built on, and I run all of it. We started in Los Angeles, added a chef in Orange County, and we are actively expanding into New York City and New Jersey.
Along the way I have cooked for high-profile private clients, and I won Food Network’s Supermarket Stakeout. None of that is decoration. It is the standard every chef on this team is measured against — and the reason I am comfortable sending them into your kitchen instead of going myself.
Food should never be the obstacle.
Nutrition is one of the largest inputs into how a person actually feels, and most people know it. What they don’t have is the time — to plan it, shop for it, cook it, and do it again four days later.
That is the whole proposition. Personalized, seasonal, genuinely nutritious food, cooked in your kitchen, so the hours you were spending on it come back to you. Time for the work you need to do and the people you want to be with, without food standing in the way.
For dinner parties and events the aim shifts slightly, but the belief underneath is the same: food is one of the few things that reliably brings people into the same room. We build the menu so you get to be in that room too.
It was never meant to be about me.
I’m Nicole — the founder and chef behind Eats by Nicole. I started this with one goal: to help people eat better, stress less, and enjoy food that fits the life they’re actually living.
What began as my own love of cooking is now a team of private chefs cooking to the standard I built. That is the part I care about most — that it feels the same in every kitchen we walk into.
Vetted, insured, and trained to cook the way we cook.
Letting someone into your kitchen is a matter of trust, so we earn it before they ever arrive. Every chef is a working professional we interview, reference and screen ourselves — and every one of them cooks to the same standard, so your week does not depend on which chef is on your calendar.
- Professional kitchen experience, verified. We interview every chef, review their work, and call their references ourselves.
- Background-checked and ServSafe certified. Safe hands in your home, and safe food handling in your kitchen.
- Insured before the first service. Every chef provides proof of general liability coverage before they cook for you.
- Consistent, whoever is cooking. Chefs cook to the Eats by Nicole philosophy and are reviewed on the work, so the food does not change when your chef does.
One team. One standard.
Three ways we cook for you.
In-Home Weekly Meal Prep
A chef comes to your home on a set day, cooks a week of meals around your household, and leaves your kitchen exactly as they found it.
- A new menu built around your household every week
- Shopped, cooked, portioned and labeled in your kitchen
- Allergies, dietary needs and goals built in, not worked around
From $450 a week, plus groceries billed at cost.
Dinner Parties
Multi-course dinners cooked and served in your home — anniversaries, birthdays, and the evenings you’d rather spend at the table than at the stove.
From $135 per guest family style, or $160 per guest plated — plus groceries at cost.
Boutique Event Catering & Brand Activations
Chef-led, seasonal menus for private celebrations, wellness events and brand activations. Curated for the occasion and served start to finish.
Quoted per event, by menu and guest count.
Four metros, one standard.
Los Angeles
Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Sherman Oaks and across the Westside.
Orange County
Newport Beach, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Laguna and the surrounding coast.
New York City
Manhattan and the surrounding neighborhoods.
New Jersey
Alpine, Wyckoff, Bergen County and northern New Jersey.
Real clients. Real reviews.
“I was unsure what it would be like having a stranger cooking in our home, but the experience has been professional, friendly and warm in all respects. We love all of the food.”
“Nicole made the entire process seamless… the meals are delicious, creative, and tailored perfectly to our preferences. It’s a top-tier experience with people who truly care about their clients.”
“I tried meal prep delivery companies, prepared meals from grocery stores, and ordering healthy on Uber Eats. Eats by Nicole is by far the best option — absolutely delicious and nutritious.”
Before you book.
Do you cook in my home, or deliver food?
In your home. Your chef shops, cooks everything fresh in your kitchen on your service day, portions and labels it, and cleans up before they leave. Nothing is prepared in a commissary and driven over.
How is this different from a meal delivery service?
Delivery gives you someone else’s menu, cooked days earlier, at scale. We build your menu around your household — how many of you there are, what you actually like, how you eat during the week — and cook it fresh in your kitchen.
What kind of food do your chefs cook?
Clean, seasonal, genuinely flavorful food, with an emphasis on nutrition and high-quality ingredients. Not diet food, and not the same five dishes on repeat — menus move with the season and with what your household actually wants to eat.
Who are the chefs, and how are they vetted?
Every chef goes through a five-stage vetting process before they can be matched with a household: a structured interview, a portfolio review, professional references we call ourselves, and a 100-point scorecard they have to clear. Before a first service we require a background check, ServSafe certification and proof of general liability insurance.
Which areas do you serve?
Los Angeles and Orange County in California, plus New York City and New Jersey. If you are just outside a service area, ask — we will tell you honestly whether we can cover you well.
Who buys the groceries?
Your chef does. Groceries are billed to you at cost, so you are paying for the food itself and not a markup on it.
How do I get started?
A 30-minute video consultation. We talk through how your household eats, your schedule and your goals, and recommend the plan that fits. It is free, there is no card required, and there is no obligation.
Let’s talk about your week.
A 30-minute video call to understand how your household eats, what your schedule looks like, and which plan actually fits. Free to book, no card required, no obligation.