Chantelle’s culinary journey began in Trinidad, enriched by East Indian and Afro-Caribbean flavors. Trained at Johnson & Wales in Miami, she honed her skills at San Francisco’s Nopa, embracing organic, seasonal cuisine. Her dedication to local food systems deepened through her work with Miami’s Urban Oasis Project, promoting food sovereignty and community empowerment. Now in Mendocino County, she partners with local farmers to craft menus that celebrate the area’s bounty.

From fine dining to community-driven food initiatives, her background spans top restaurants, sustainable food projects and outdoor dining of every kind. Plant-based cooking is a real strength, not an accommodation: she was a founding chef of a plant-based, pay-what-you-can café long before Mendocino.

Along the way

Restaurants & hospitality

From San Francisco’s Nopa to Miami’s BLT Steak and The Betsy Hotel, Chantelle honed her craft in fine dining, open-fire cooking and refined, ingredient-driven dishes.

Urban Oasis Project

Committed to food sovereignty, Chantelle played a key role in Miami’s Urban Oasis Project, connecting communities with fresh produce, urban farming and food education.

Love and Vegetables

As a founding chef of Love and Vegetables, a pay-what-you-can pop-up café in Miami, she championed plant-based, locally sourced meals accessible to all.

Pop-ups on the coast

Through the year she cooks pop-up dinners with Caspar Bread & Wine: seasonal, farm-driven menus at the community table.

“There’s lots of fresh food accessible on the coast — there are amazing local farms here. It sparks joy for me.”
Chantelle, in Word of Mouth Mendo, Spring 2024

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