Chef Amanda L

Chef Amanda’s culinary philosophy is simple: food should make people feel cared for.

It’s a belief that has shaped her career, from Michelin-starred kitchens in Paris and San Sebastian to a humble but unforgettable moment in a bustling sandwich shop. She still remembers the day a revered (and intimidating) chef came in for lunch, and she served him a perfectly simple BLT—good bacon, ripe heirloom tomatoes, and freshly baked onion herb bread. His reaction? “It felt like my mother made it for me.” That was the kind of cooking she always aspired to—food that speaks to the soul.

A Boston native with deep ties to Nantucket, Amanda’s love of food started at home, learning from her mother, a gardener and talented cook who turned humble ingredients into feasts. From fried zucchini flowers to freshly foraged quahogs, food was always an art form. That passion led Amanda to restaurant kitchens during college, then to Paris for formal training, and finally across Europe, where she honed her skills in Michelin-starred kitchens from the Dolomites to Provence.

Vegetables are her greatest love—there’s nothing better than tender Romano beans from her garden tossed with chili crisp. But ice cream is a close second. Whether it's almond sorbet, brown bread ice cream, or a perfectly balanced rice gelato, she delights in recreating flavors from her travels. And, of course, there was that one time Julia Child ordered her black raspberry ice cream and asked for extra berries on top—a moment she’ll never forget.

Amanda has cooked for legends (including a victorious all-female Chopped-style battle judged by Anthony Bourdain) and earned a Food & Wine Best New Chef nod approximately “one trillion years ago.” These days, she finds joy in the calm before the kitchen storm and cooking for guests who are down for an impromptu tasting menu of whatever’s best that day.

When she’s not in the kitchen, she’s reading, gardening, foraging for mushrooms, or spending time with her favorite two teenagers—who lovingly roast her for her go-to phrase every time she serves them a plate: “This is NOT my finest work.” (She swears, sometimes, it actually is.)

Next on her travel list? Istanbul and Mexico City, where she’ll no doubt be hunting for inspiration, the perfect seeded rye, and a cardamom croissant that rivals the one she had in Copenhagen.