Deborah was born and raised in Atlanta. She stayed in town for college, majoring in Hospitality Administration at Georgia State University, but after graduating, she moved to New York City. Her first job after college was at Le Parker Meridien Hotel as Room Service Assistant Manager. She moved on to Event Manager with Starr Restaurants, and then worked for Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse in New York for six years.

In 2015, Deborah and her husband moved back to Atlanta to be closer to family. Before joining our team at Atlanta Personal Chef Service, she worked with Fifth Group Restaurants, overseeing their group dining sales team and eight Atlanta locations.

Deborah’s love of food informs her choice of career. “I love to eat everything!” she shares. “I like to be very open-minded and exploratory in my dining experiences. I think living in NYC for a decade definitely helped feed that desire.” Since moving back to Atlanta, Deborah’s favorite restaurant dish she’s had is the curry soup with tossed noodle at Food Terminal.

Deborah spends her free time with her husband and two children, usually somewhere outside, like the park, pool or mountains. She also has her Level 1 certification from the Court of Masters Sommeliers, so she enjoys learning about new wines and drinking it.

Early in his career Tai worked at the Mint Julep Bistro in downtown Columbia, South Carolina, and later spent a year as a baker for the Charleston Place Hotel. He came to Atlanta to work with Richard Blais on his wildly successful Flip Burger concepts. Working his way up in the kitchen, Tai was eventually promoted to executive chef of the newly opening Flip Burger in Birmingham, AL. Tai cites Chef Jason McClure as the most influential chef in his career. McClure inspired Tai through his passion for food and for serving people. Under his tutelage, Tai learned molecular gastronomy, flavor building, and flavor pairing on a chemistry level.

Chef Tai loves cooking Thai food, lasagna, manicotti, vegetable tien, osso bucco, and many other dishes. He loves eating pad Thai, sushi, yakitori, tacos, fish and chips, cauliflower, burgers, and pasta. In his free time, Tai is often working out at the gym or he’s at the stove working up new meal plans. His light-hearted philosophy is, “Live hard, laugh loud, love deeply, and be yourself”

Chef Marty was born and raised in central Los Angeles in the middle of the city’s head-spinning culinary diversity, which inspired and informed his palate from a young age. An amazing dinner at chef Nancy Silverton’s seminal LA restaurant Campanile was the fuse that lit his passion to create wonderful culinary experiences and pursue a career in the field.

He began his career at Joachim Splichal’s Patina Catering Group, working on both private parties and major events such as the Oscars and the Emmys. He then became cheese monger at Joan’s On Third in LA, followed by four years with Lulu Powers Food to Flowers as Event Coordinator. After relocating to South Florida, Marty worked as head chef at Someone’s In The Kitchen Catering in Palm Beach, creating and implementing menus for both high profile events and private parties.

After two close shaves with major hurricanes, he decided to move to Atlanta in the fall of 2017, where since arrival he’s been the Chef/Kitchen Manager at Atlanta caterer Post Exchange Catering.
Marty’s favorite chefs are Louisville’s Edward Lee, who fuses his Korean roots with a New Southern sensibility, and LA’s Roy Choi, famous for his Korean/Mexican combinations.

He’s very excited to have settled in the Atlanta area, loving its mixture of big city bustle and sophistication and Southern charm and kindness. He finds the food scene here inspiring and revelatory, loving everything from Ramen at Umaido in Buford to a wonderful, creative meal at chic in town spots such as 8ARM. In addition to the Atlanta food scene, he enjoys Piedmont Park, the High Museum, and long walks with his three dogs on the Beltline.

Marty’s greatest happiness comes from providing people a consistently special dining experience. He’s truly grateful to be one of the fortunate people whose passion in life aligns with their profession. He greatly looks forward to sharing that passion with the clients of Atlanta Personal Chef Service.

Chef Keiko grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, where she learned to bake and cook with her family. Her mom taught Keiko and her brothers math skills through baking as young children, and when they were a little older, they each had to cook dinner once a week as a chore. But Keiko loved the chore, and she started asking her brothers for their spots in the weekly lineup. “I just knew it was my passion and where I could thrive in,” Keiko reflects.

Chef Keiko earned a bachelors degree before she continued her education in Paris, France, earning both a Cuisine and Pastry Diploma from Le Cordon Bleu, Paris in December 2019.

Many chefs have had an influence on Chef Keiko, especially those who she trained under at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris. She describes Chef Caussimon as “the most organized and cleanest chef that I have ever worked under. He creates the most magnificent dishes and it looks like the kitchen was never used.” She also learned from Chef Caals, who kept it light in the kitchen with his great humor, and Chef Olivier Guyon, who was Chef Keiko’s all-time favorite influence. Her experience ranges from restaurants, to catering, to front of house positions as well.

Chef Keiko enjoys making sauces, soups, fish dishes and pastas. She also has a sweet tooth, and enjoys making pastries, tarts, layered entremets, cookies and cinnamon bread.  

Keiko traveled frequently as a child which led to a love for trying different cuisines. When she’s eating out in Atlanta, she loves Flower Child. When she’s not cooking, Keiko enjoys catching up on her Bravo shows or watching movies, as well as hanging out with her boyfriend and friends, grabbing drinks or a bite to eat.

Chef Gizzy is a passionate Chef that is native to Atlanta, Georgia. She has been cooking in professional, fine dining kitchens for the past 10 years after graduating from Le Cordon Blue College of Culinary Arts. While developing her craft she formed valuable relationships with many Chefs in Atlanta. She worked for Kevin Rathbun, Linton Hopkins, and under the various talented Chefs at Fifth Group Restaurants. Recently, she was on Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen Season 18. While Ramsay’s name carries a lot of clout, she is most inspired by Chef Mossimo Bottura’s take on classic Italian cuisine. They even had caviar together in France! Gizzy focuses on local, seasonal ingredients to create technically executed and flavorful dishes in an array of cuisines that include; Southern American, Modern European, Tex Mex, Cajun, and Mexican. She loved to make and eat fresh pasta dishes and snacking on charcuterie boards with different funky cheeses. One of her favorite casual spots to dine is Food Terminal because of their specialty in Asian street food. The Grandma BBQ Pork and Garlic Bone Marrow Noodle soup are to die for. Her favorite upscale restaurant is Umi in Buckhead. She highly recommends their Omakase Menu. In her free time, you can find Gizzy tending her garden. While not a natural green thumb, she is getting better each season with the help of her father. She grows a variety of different herbs and vegetables such as; heirloom tomatoes, zephyr squash, and bell peppers. Gizzy is a fun-loving and versatile Chef who loves spreading joy through her food.

Chef Micki grew up grew up on a peach farm in Warner Robbins where she worked every summer as a child, picking peaches, shelling beans, canning the summer’s produce and working the produce stand. Micki’s dad was the cook of the family, and she was always in the kitchen with him.

Chef Micki studied at Le Cordon Blue and the San Francisco Baking Institute. She started her Atlanta culinary career at Pricci with the Buckhead Life Group as a line cook in 2009. Micki then moved on to help open Table & Main, part of the RO Hospitality Group in Roswell, where she was the sous chef for three years. During that time, she was in charge of all desserts and made specialty cakes on the side. When RO Hospitality expanded to open Osteria Mattone, she became the pastry chef for the company. From there, Micki took a job at Restaurant Eugene as executive pastry chef working under Linton Hopkins, Jason Paolini and Aaron Russell.

Later she headed up the pastry department in the newly opened Linton’s in the Garden inside the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, including a la carte, cafe, weddings and events. She stayed with the Garden for four years until she took time off to travel and volunteer in Asia.

The refined classic style of chefs Claudia Fleming and Alice Waters has shaped Chef Micki’s own style of cooking. She enjoys cooking all types of cuisine. “Classic southern comfort foods and Italian cuisine are bred into me,” she shares. “My extensive travels in Asia have inspired my current passions in the kitchen.”

When she’s the one ordering the food, she loves the Oyster Service at Kimball House, and her favorite Atlanta restaurant is Ticonderoga Club, “for its unpretentious vibe, and unique and thoughtful menu.”

Micki loves to travel and hike, and she volunteers with The Humane Society. During 2019, she spent time in Northern Thailand, working with Burmese refugee women. She taught them hospitality skills so they could go on to receive a formal education and improve their lives. She also volunteered with Vietnam Animal Welfare as the sous chef of their vegan café.

Lauren (aka Chef Goodie) grew up in Augusta, Georgia. From wanting to cook stone soup she saw in kindergarten to her first job as a hostess at Applebee’s, Goodie has always served and loved to cook. “The turning point was when I was serving in grad school and convinced the restaurant GM to let me cook. I haven’t looked back since!” Chef Goodie shares.

Chef Goodie received her undergraduate degree in Graphic Design and Japanese, and went on to get her Masters in Business Administration. When it comes to her culinary education, she is “self-taught, fourth generation, school-of-hard-knocks trained.” Goodie worked for an extensive period of time in the university system of Georgia doing operations and training while also maintaining a chef role. Previous to this experience, she worked in a few locally owned restaurants. She more recently entered the private chef role with a client in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Chef Guy Anderson, CEC, was Chef Goodie’s mentor. “I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor that pushed me to hammer down who I am as a chef, a manager, a leader and a curious cook,” she shares.

Chef Goodie loves preparing everything for Japanese style hotpot from scratch. She loves sharing food and the community of the cooking experience. When it comes to her own food preference, Japanese wins again, along with Korean food. And her love of shellfish means her favorite Atlanta restaurants are Watchman’s and The Optimist.

When she’s not in the kitchen, Chef Goodie can be found outside either foraging for wild mushrooms and plants, or going hiking and camping. She is also a Star Wars fanatic and loves electronic music festivals and traveling out West.

Chef Carolyn is the rare soul who was born, raised, and still lives in Atlanta. She grew up cooking with her family every week, and food has always been a big part of her life. Julia Child was an important inspiration for Chef Carolyn. “My mom and I would watch the PBS show she had with Jacques Pépin,” she remembers. “The love that she had for food was so inspiring. Knowing that it’s all trial and error—that no one is perfect at everything, and that’s okay!”

Carolyn got her start in the food industry as an apprentice at a country club in upstate New York. She attended Le Cordon Bleu, and worked for W Hotels for six years, working her way up from a dishwasher and line cook to a pastry chef for the entire hotel. She also worked her way around Fifth Group Restaurants for almost nine years, starting at Lure as a line cook. She worked at two South City Kitchen locations as sous chef and graduated to executive chef at The Original El Taco.

Chef Carolyn has a hard time picking her favorite foods to cook, but Asian is definitely at the top. “I just love to cook food that people will enjoy,” she enthuses. “I like to whip something together with whatever I have in the fridge and make it taste good!” When it comes to her personal eating preferences though, it’s all about the snacks, and especially anything with cheese. But she also loves sushi, Korean bbq, and the Shrimp a la Plancha at The Optimist.

Carolyn has three dogs that she confesses she probably loves too much. She likes to spend time with friends and family, which usually revolves around some sort of food. She loves movies—nerding out on all things Marvel and Harry Potter. True crime podcasts fill up all her time while driving, cooking and cleaning, with My Favorite Murder being her all-time favorite.

Chef Jacob, who works on our events team, is an Atlanta native. His father, also a chef, brought him into the culinary world at a young age, and his first job in the industry was as a cook for a Georgia Tech sorority.  Jacob also credits Chef Paul for teaching him how to be a chef.

Pork chops and steak are two of Jacob’s favorite dishes to cook, and he loves to eat a good carne asada. If he’s eating out in Atlanta, Jacob’s top pick is The Optimist. He also enjoys gardening, photography and taking care of animals.