Meet Michelle Vallejo | Private Chef/Upscale Caterer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Vallejo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

After attending Johnson & Wales University for Culinary arts, I started working in some of the finest hotels in the area. I worked at The Setai, The Ritz, and Faena just to name a few. I was working at JW Turnberry when the pandemic occurred and all restaurants were forced to close.

With that, I needed to figure out a way to continue to provide for my family. I love preparing delicious and beautiful food, it is my passion. Even during the shut down people needed to eat, so I brought my food to them through private catering and prepared meal food delivery .

I found out I was pregnant with my second child all while taking my son, who had been just diagnosed with autism, to daily therapies. I needed to focus on my son, my pregnancy, and find a way to earn a living. So my dream of being self- employed became a reality. I had my husband’s support, my mother to help with childcare and my sister cheering me on. Sublime by Chef Michelle was born through my love for delicious food and people.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

I am a private Chef that brings a different type of experience to your home be it a nice intimate dinner or a catered event, our service is customized to every client. Ibring a fine-dining experience into your home, providing fresh, high quality food throughout the duration of the party, our food quality and bespoke service is what makes me stand out as well as the eye for details.

I believe what sets my business apart is how I work with my clients to develop a menu and presentation that complements any theme or occasion. I truly get to know my clients and often celebrate many family milestones and holidays with them through food. I can prepare private dinners for 2 or feasts for 200 and still provide an intimate feel. I shop for the freshest and best ingredients, never comprising quality.

I am where I am today in my business thanks to the support and recommendations of my clients, and a lot of hard work. I worked extremely hard to make a name for myself as a private chef. I shopped for all necessary ingredients, prepared and packaged the food, and personally delivered every meal myself. My first year I did deliveries twice a week providing meals for seven days to approximately 60 people. I would start at preparing food at 7 am and would finish all deliveries by 10:30 pm. Many times my young son would accompany me on deliveries. In addition to that, two days a week I was preparing meals in my client’s homes and on weekends I usually had private dinner parties both Friday and Saturday nights. Sundays were spent sleeping and getting organized for the week ahead. Keep in mind, I was pregnant this entire time and my daughter decided to arrive a few weeks early. One of the hardest and more challenging pieces of my business was learning how to shop. I am very particular about the foods I use and I had to develop a system to reduce the hectic pace. I am much better at this now.

I have learned that sometimes you have to say no, that my training and my time are valuable and that the 20+ years I have spent working in Luxury hotels and prívate Clubs are what helped me to hone my skills and provided me the experience and eye for detail. I have also learned that no matter how difficult and dark things may look at times, there is a brighter side.

It can be better, it takes courage and a strong will to make it happen but it is doable. That is always best to be kind and that my story is not only about the Chef I have become through the 20+ years in the culinary field running kitchens, it is about overcoming a very difficult time, reinventing myself to make the best of the worst situation possible and run a successful business as well as finding a way to still do what I love while providing my son, who has high functioning autism, and my daughter the mom they need.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take her to the beach and make a day out of it, do a picnic or get a day pass to a beachside hotel so we can enjoy the amenities and have a nice relaxing day Then we would go on a day of excursion probably Brickell City Center and surrounding areas we will probably need a couple of days to do this.

And then just relax the rest of the time and go to some good restaurants like Fuegos in Faena is a must. Also some good French food and la Boulangerie in the roads in Miami. I love French food and Argentinian food.

I love Faena, I love it’s vibe, the people, the theme,everything. Its one of the best places i have worked at and I have great memories from my time there, so whenever I go to Miami Beach I make sure to include a visit there.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mother, Gemma, without whom I could not have accomplished anything. She helped me with the kids, she is my taste tester, my portion controller, my dishwasher, my prep Sous chef and delivery companion. My sister, Maria,who has become my right hand woman in executing events, and my husband, Jorge, who has always been there to cheer me on and supporting my dream. He goes along with every crazy idea of mine. My awesome son, Arturo, is the fuel and the reason I decided to keep going with my business even after restaurants re-opened after the pandemic. I have the best of both worlds. I have the food world and my family. As a female and minority business owner I can enjoy making my own schedule, and I can be the best chef for my clients and the best mom for my children. It is a dream come true!

Instagram: SublimebychefMichelle

Linkedin: Michelle Vallejo

Facebook: SublimebyChefMichelle

Other: Phone number 30533013316