Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Votano.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always believed that food is one of the most powerful ways to connect—with people, with culture, and with yourself. My story began long before culinary school. I grew up all over the world—Hawaii, San Francisco, London, and New York—each place leaving its own flavor on me. My dad, who was born in Calabria but immigrated from Rome, used to take me to the markets in London on Saturdays. That’s where I learned that food was about far more than what was on the plate; it was about emotion, discovery, and love.
I started working in kitchens as a teenager in San Francisco, and though I originally studied journalism in college, I quickly realized I wanted to tell stories through food instead of words. That led me to the French Culinary Institute in New York City, where I trained classically before cooking at places like One Market Restaurant in San Francisco and The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables.
From there, I moved into leadership roles—becoming the Corporate Chef for James Beard Award–winner Michelle Bernstein, the opening chef at Fooq’s, and later launching DIRT, Miami’s first truly health-conscious, chef-driven café. That concept helped pave the way for wellness-forward dining in the city, influencing brands like Pura Vida and Carrot Express, and became a reflection of my own shift toward balance and holistic living.
Over time, my wellness journey deepened. Like many chefs and entrepreneurs, I learned the hard way about burnout. Between raising two teenagers, running kitchens, and constantly creating, I realized I couldn’t pour from an empty cup. That led me to explore mindfulness, meditation, sound healing, and natural self-care—tools I now consider just as essential to my success as my knives. Today, I bring that same philosophy to how I cook, lead, and live: grounded, intentional, and centered on well-being.
My personal life has been just as defining. I was married to a Mexican chef for 15 years, and the influence of that time—his culture, the warmth of family meals, and the soulful simplicity of Mexican cooking—became a deep part of my culinary voice. As a mother of two incredible teenagers, I balance my work as a chef, writer, and consultant with being present for them. They’ve grown up alongside my career—sometimes literally doing homework in restaurant kitchens—and they’re a huge part of my why.
Over the years, I’ve expanded my work beyond the kitchen, serving as Director of Culinary Operations at Wynwood Yard, Head of R&D for Reef Technologies, and Head of Culinary for Remy Robotics, where I helped bridge the worlds of food, technology, and sustainability between Miami, Brooklyn, and Barcelona.
Today, my career is focused on high-level culinary consulting and business development for restaurants, hotels, and food brands. I also curate private chef experiences for celebrity and high-net-worth clients, design elevated event tablescapes, and write two newsletters—Nicole’s Global Palate and Flavor & Founder—that explore food, travel, wellness, and creative entrepreneurship. My website, nicolevotano.com, features original recipes and curated maps of where to eat in my favorite cities, and my first Amazon cookbook, Flavor-First, Fuss-Free, brings my easy, flavor-forward philosophy to home cooks everywhere.
The thread that ties it all together—whether it’s cooking for my family, writing about a faraway market, or helping a client bring their concept to life—is the belief that food connects us. It’s where stories, culture, and emotion come together in their most delicious form.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not a smooth road—but I don’t think it’s supposed to be. My path has been full of twists, challenges, and reinventions, but every obstacle has taught me something essential about who I am and how I want to live.
The early years were intense. Working in kitchens is demanding for anyone, but especially for a young woman trying to earn her place in a male-dominated world. I learned to hold my ground, speak up for myself, and lead with both strength and empathy—something that still defines my leadership style today.
When I became a mother, the balancing act reached a whole new level. There were nights I’d leave a kitchen at midnight, come home smelling like fire and olive oil, and still pack school lunches before falling asleep. It was messy and exhausting, but it also taught me resilience, focus, and perspective. My kids grew up watching me build from scratch, and they’ve seen firsthand that passion is powerful—but boundaries are essential.
The biggest turning point came after opening a massive food hall project where I wrote over 400 recipes in just six weeks. I gave it everything—so much that I ended up in the hospital from sheer exhaustion. That moment changed everything for me. It forced me to reevaluate how I was working, why I was working, and what success actually meant. I realized I could no longer measure my worth by how much I produced or how many hours I worked.
That was the beginning of my wellness journey. I started focusing on balance—meditation, sound healing, nourishing food, movement, and intentional living. It changed how I cook, how I create, and how I lead. I still bring the same fire and creativity to everything I do, but now it’s grounded in purpose, not burnout.
Entrepreneurship still comes with its own beautiful chaos—raising capital, managing teams, and learning when to pivot or let go—but I’ve learned to see challenges as redirection. Every detour has led me closer to the kind of work that feels aligned: soulful, sustainable, and built on genuine connection.
We’ve been impressed with Nicole Votano Culinary Works, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business has evolved as I have. Today, I run a boutique culinary and hospitality consultancy that helps restaurants, hotels, and food brands define their flavor identity, streamline operations, and tell their story in a way that feels both strategic and soulful.
What I’m known for is blending creativity with practicality. I’ve spent over two decades in every corner of the culinary world—opening restaurants, leading operations, developing menus, building food tech systems, and designing experiences that make people feel something. That experience gives me a unique perspective: I can see a concept from both sides—the chef’s heart and the business owner’s lens.
Beyond consulting, I work as a private chef for celebrity and high-net-worth clients, designing globally inspired, wellness-forward menus that feel elevated yet deeply personal. I also curate event tablescapes that merge food, design, and storytelling—because I believe how something looks and feels is just as important as how it tastes.
Through my newsletters, Nicole’s Global Palate and Flavor & Founder, and my website, nicolevotano.com, I share the other side of my work: writing, travel, and creative entrepreneurship. My Amazon cookbook, Flavor-First, Fuss-Free, is a reflection of my philosophy—good food should be both approachable and artful, with an emphasis on balance, beauty, and joy.
What sets me apart is that everything I do—whether it’s a consulting project, a private dinner, or a brand collaboration—is rooted in connection. My goal is to help people and businesses build things that feel alive, purposeful, and full of flavor.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is connection—through food, through people, and through purpose.
Food has always been my language, but what drives me is what happens around it: the conversation, the laughter, the sense of being seen and cared for. Whether I’m cooking for my kids, designing a restaurant concept, or setting a table for a private dinner, what I really want is to create moments that make people feel something.
My family, especially my two teenagers, anchors everything I do. They’ve grown up alongside my career, seeing me navigate long hours, risk, and reinvention. I want them to know that success isn’t about perfection—it’s about authenticity, resilience, and choosing joy, even when life gets chaotic.
Wellness has also become a non-negotiable part of what matters most. After years of burnout and overworking myself into the hospital, I realized that peace, health, and creativity are all connected. These days, I protect my energy like I protect my recipes—with care, intention, and a little magic.
At the end of the day, what matters most is living a life that feels aligned—with love, with purpose, and with flavor.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nicolevotano.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechefnicole/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chefnicolevotano/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevotano/
