Meet Our Chefs

I’m a little salty, but I try for charming.

I love: Jesus, salt air + sand, my people and I AM HERE for Grey’s Anatomy and New Girl.

I’ve learned a thing or two about southern cooking, keeping my table full and my heart open, parenting in less than ideal circumstances, and starting over after I thought I had it all figured out. But the truth is, we never ever get it all figured out, right? Right. I’m glad we agree.

A few years ago, I found myself smack dab in the middle of an early mid-life crisis. I quit my 13 year career as a creative director and I didn’t know who the hell I was anymore. But I instinctively knew what I needed to do.

I needed to feed people. I needed to be able to show love in ways that made sense to me. My knives and cast iron pans were almost as good as my therapist’s couch and I was lucky enough to have friends and family that didn’t mind being fed so that I could recover.

I think I opened my doors at LEAST every other Sunday night for months and months. Food was flying out of my kitchen. People were sitting around my piano or on the floor with a guitar. Friends brought their pups and things were chaotic and perfect. Feeding people was how I could love and how I could forget and how I could stay connected when I so desperately felt alone.

I discovered that investing in other people in whatever way I could allowed me to heal more quickly and thoroughly than if I secluded myself hoping that people would come to ME. {and they did come… but it’s such a reciprocal thing, you know? I don’t think they would have/could have come if I didn’t do the work to keep the heavy door to my heart open.}

I started catering and baking for friends and family and then stumbled onto food blogging when my friends kept asking me for recipes. Then I managed a restaurant bakery and catering department in a super trendy downtown spot. (That was a crazy baptism by fire right there…. I learned SO MUCH) From there I helped start a small new restaurant, making all of their desserts, handmade pastas, soups and such before I took another trip around the blogging/teaching sun on my own. I thought I was done with professional kitchen life… but noooooo. I was recruited to manage the large scale wholesale bakery/culinary kitchen/catering departments for a local farm to table company! I met so many amazing people there that I still love to work with today.

But ultimately I have always known that my passion is in food and lifestyle writing, teaching others to cook and creating welcoming environments for others to have special in-home culinary events that celebrate amazing food and their community. THIS is what makes my heart just go all pitter-patter!

So thank you from the bottom of my heart for stopping by to hang out for a bit. Let’s just pretend you’re sitting around our table sharing a meal… take your time {and your shoes off} and stay for a bit.

I sure do love you. (especially YOU!)

-Abbye

Emily comes to us with a lifetime of experience and a whole lot of southern hospitality and charm. She was raised in a family full of culinary experts from the barbecue pit to the bakery. While living in Nashville, she owned and operated the Nashville Tea Room and has extensive experience in catering and restaurant management. When she and her husband Ron moved their family to Wilmington, fate put her in the same commercial kitchens as Abbye for a while and they have been making food magic together ever since. She is the mother of two handsome boys and two gorgeous girls (and one sassy pup), loves to serve others in her church and neighborhood and definitely keeps us all sane and laughing.

Emily is one of our chefs and our events director! (basically she does all the things and does them all well)

Meet Executive Chef Allegra!

 

Lora + Abbye met while working together in a farm to table company here in Wilmington. (the same place we also met Emily! And Keala! And Caroline!) Lora was slinging gelato and gorgeous chocolates in the kitchen next to where Abbye was slinging bread and a million cakes.

Lora has a wonderful husband, Steve and gorgeous daughter, Alaina who is busy in graduate school and traveling the world! Lora and Steve live in downtown Wilmington where Lora is also involved in weekly community dinners with
Northside Food Co-Op.

Chef Lora is one of our in-home personal chefs, one of our catering managers and regularly chefs for our private chef dinner parties! If you’ve had her food, you are one of the lucky ones!

Meet Chef Caroline! She is a beautiful soul that we all love dearly and MAN can she make us laugh like no other! Caroline + Abbye have known each other since they were basically babies and are so grateful that they are able to work together now! 

Caroline grew up in Wilmington and went to culinary school at Cape Fear. She worked in and managed kitchens for years until Abbye finally wooed her to the S+C team as one of our personal chefs. She is a powerhouse in the kitchen and we honestly don’t know what we would do without her. She also chefs for private dinner parties, manages large caterings with ease and is the best gift-giver in all the land.