A Bay Area Personal Chef Q&A with Chef Toni on how strong client relationships create exceptional service.
If you’ve worked with Chef Toni, you already know how special she is. Since joining our team in 2023, Toni has become a core part of what we do. She is dedicated to her in-home clients and is always ready to jump in when big gigs need extra hands.
After receiving her culinary degree from the Art Institute of California, she landed her first cooking job at Levi Stadium.
Eventually, Chef Toni turned her career focus to working with clients on a much more personal scale. Her attention to detail and kind nature make her a perfect fit for families with special dietary needs. Chef Toni loves using fresh, seasonal ingredients to create bold and delicious comfort foods.
We sat down with Chef Toni to talk about her journey as a personal chef, the dishes she loves to make, and how she cares for herself even during busy seasons.
The Heirloom Chef: What do you love most about being a personal chef?
Chef Toni: I love the intimacy between chef and client. You learn the family through their palate. Creating menus based on what they like as well as finding new dishes to add to my own weekly dinners.
The Heirloom Chef: Is there a dish you especially love making for clients?
Chef Toni: Nothing specific but it’s nice when the client goes back to a dish they liked so much from weeks or months ago and want it again.
The Heirloom Chef: What’s your favorite part about being part of this team?
Chef Toni: We’re a family. We don’t see each other every day, but when we do get to hang together, it’s always easy going. We genuinely enjoy ourselves.
The Heirloom Chef: If you weren’t cooking for a living, what would you be doing?
Chef Toni: Before I found cooking, I wanted to be a math professor. It was my favorite subject in school.
The Heirloom Chef: Sweet or savory?
Chef Toni: Savory.
The Heirloom Chef: How do you take care of yourself during busy seasons?
Chef Toni: SLEEP. Also, there is always a day where I recharge. I don’t check my messages or emails. I will laze around and read books.
The Heirloom Chef: What’s one way food brings people together that you never get tired of seeing?
Chef Toni: The joy and happiness it always brings. I’m always appreciative when others are enjoying themselves while eating. People are happier when they’re full.
