Chelsea Marie, Chef

Chef Chelsea Marie's love of food began early, growing up in her family's restaurant, Clay's Texas Pit BBQ, with locations in La Jolla, Encinitas, and Las Vegas. The sight of massive barbecue pits and the smell of smoky mesquite, alongside her grandmother's award-winning pecan, sweet potato, and apple pies, ignited a passion that has never faded.

She went on to attend Le Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, CA, graduating with a 4.0 GPA. She then built her experience working at a high-end restaurant in Laguna Beach, assisting with catering events, custom menu planning, and overseeing a corporate dining facility's baking department.

In 2013, Chef Chelsea Marie launched her personal chef career, cooking privately for families with diverse tastes and dietary needs. Her work has spanned catering for private events — including the film set of The Marlin Cowboy — and teaching cooking classes to children at a mental health counseling center to help build kitchen confidence.

Today, Chef Chelsea Marie serves as Executive Chef at Friedmans Appliance, the most rewarding chapter of her culinary journey yet! She brings together her family roots in barbecue, classical training and years of diverse experience to create dishes rooted in quality, creativity, and community. Every plate tells a piece of her story — because as Chef Chelsea Marie will tell you, her secret ingredient is always love.