When I was a young line cook I cooked for Lady Gaga once.
I’ve always been a sweet and savory cook, so when her ticket came in it needed to be modified to vegan. Which was one of my special interests back then. 1/6
The meal went great—And when it came time for dessert I didn’t want to opt for just a scoop of sorbet. (Which would have been the easy way to close out a vegan table)
But I tried my best to give her a elevated vegan dessert using vegan components from the in-house lineup
2/6
When it hit her table within minutes she asked to see the cook that made the dessert.
Me and the server were all giddy cause (LADY GAGA SAID WHAT!?)
And when I tell you she was nothing but a ray of encouragement and was so respectful and acknowledged what I did for her 3/6
She asked me to sit briefly at the booth with her to chat
And even floated the idea of me joining her on tour to cook for her (I was a recent newlywed so I wanted to stay home with my husband—but what an adventure that would have been.)
Her positivity and respect 4/6
Shaped a portion of my self-esteem as a chef.
I felt seen for the first time in a long time. In a job where I was a fly on the wall (but also a tournant lol)
It was a wonderful memory that I hold dear, as I cheer for Lady Gaga from the sidelines 5/6
I even took a selfie of myself cause of how i felt that day (just of me tho— cause I don’t believe in disturbing celebrity guests when they are dining or trying to live normal lives)
Anywho, the stories are real. She’s the best. 6/6
Since I went viral, let me introduce myself—Hi! I’m Chef Paola Velez, author of Bodega Bakes, award-winning chef, bar owner, & TV personality. You’ve seen me on shows with Selena Gomez, Zooey Deschanel, & Chopped on MAX.
Thanks again for reading my story! It’s nice to meet yall!
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh