Our chefs

The chefs who cook in your kitchen.

Every Eats by Nicole chef is a working professional we interviewed, referenced and screened ourselves before they were placed with a single household. These are the people who show up.

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The team

One team. One standard.

Nicole Lee, founder of Eats by Nicole

Nicole Lee

Founder · Sets the Eats by Nicole standard

Nicole built the menu standard every chef here cooks to, and she interviews every chef herself before they’re placed with a household. When something isn’t right, she’s the one accountable for it.

Read Nicole’s story

Chef Sahar Allibhoy preparing a dish

Sahar Allibhoy

Los Angeles

MediterraneanMexicanSouth & Southeast Asian
Great for: adventurous eaters who want bold, fresh flavor

Trained at the Institute of Culinary Education and sharpened in a fine-dining seafood kitchen, Sahar cooks produce-driven food that moves between Mediterranean, Mexican, South Asian and Southeast Asian traditions. Bold flavor, quality ingredients, and menus that stay vibrant rather than fussy.

Chef Lucy Arnell in chef whites

Lucy Arnell

Los Angeles

Certified Nutrition CoachHealth goalsWeight loss
Great for: households working toward a health or weight goal

A Certified Nutrition Coach and Institute of Culinary Education graduate, Lucy trained alongside Jean-Georges Vongerichten and the Sprout LA group. She builds food that feels abundant rather than restrictive, which makes her particularly good with households working toward a health goal who have no interest in eating like it.

Chef Jessica Maidlow

Jessica Maidlow

Orange County

Family cookingWholesome & homemade10+ years
Great for: busy families who want the week handled

Jessica has cooked professionally for over a decade (restaurants from 2015, private kitchens since 2023) and brings that discipline into the home. Her cooking is unfussy and wholesome: fresh, homemade food for families who want the week handled properly.

“Nicole’s team (shoutout to Chef Jessica) made thoughtful adjustments based on our preferences, which made a huge difference.”Khash M., Google review
Chef Michael Turzilli in a client kitchen

Michael Turzilli

Los Angeles

Italian & MediterraneanMacro-consciousHigh protein
Great for: athletes and anyone training seriously

Michael grew up at an Italian family table, graduated from the Institute of Culinary Education with Highest Honors, and spent five years as a private chef in California and abroad. He pairs Italian and Mediterranean roots with macro-conscious menus: the chef for someone training seriously who still wants fresh pasta.

“Chef Michael comes to my home, does the groceries, and cooks everything fresh, leaving me with meal prep for the entire week.”Nathalie I., Google review
Chef Hadiya Pleasant-Jones

Hadiya Pleasant-Jones

Los Angeles

Southern CaliforniaComfort, refinedDietary needs
Great for: family dinners that work around allergies and restrictions

Hadiya cooks Southern California food with real range: home-kitchen comfort executed with refined technique. She designs around dietary needs and lifestyle without treating flavor as the thing that gets sacrificed, from weekly prep to the everyday family dinner.

How the match works

You are matched, not left to choose.

After your consultation we match you with the chef whose strengths actually fit your household: your service day, your dietary needs, the way your family eats during the week. It is our job to know which chef that is.

You then keep that chef. If they are ever unavailable, another chef on the team steps in with your full menu history, so the week does not skip. Once you’re onboarded, we introduce you to your chef by name.

Not the right fit? Tell us and we’ll match you with a different chef, at no charge.

New Jersey and New York City

Our East Coast chefs are being vetted now, to the same standard.

We’re placing our first New Jersey and New York City chefs as households book.


The Eats by Nicole standard

What every chef clears before they are placed.

Letting someone into your kitchen is a matter of trust, so we earn it before they ever arrive.

  • Safe in your home. Background-checked, food-safety certified and covered by food liability insurance, all confirmed before the first cook.
  • Proven in private kitchens. Real in-home experience, photos of their own food, and references we check ourselves, including a private client.
  • Interviewed by Nicole. Every chef is interviewed by Nicole before they’re placed with a household.
  • Your first week, reviewed. We check in with you within 24 hours of your first service, so anything that isn’t right gets fixed.
Start here

Let’s find your chef.

A 30-minute video call to understand how your household eats, what your schedule looks like, and which chef fits. Free to book, no card required, no obligation.

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Not ready to talk? Take the two-minute Find My Plan quiz →