Chef Melissa Petitto

With a Jewish mother and an Italian father, Melissa Petitto was raised around an eclectic collection of food. With two seemingly diverse cultures that center life around the kitchen, Petitto gained an early appreciation for food and its impact on a person’s life.

Graduating from Johnson & Wales University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Nutrition in 2004, Petitto received the top honor of Apprenti Cuisinier. In order to enhance her skills and opportunities, she furthered her education at Emory University Hospitals with a dietetic internship. Upon passing her registered dietician’s exam, Petitto made the move to New York City to pursue her career goal of becoming a personal chef.

After twelve years in the city, Petitto has become the personal chef she had envisioned herself to be with an A-list clientele. She has worked with Lucy Liu, Gwyneth Paltro, Christy Turlington, Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams…just to name a few.

In recent years, she has traveled to teach cooking classes. Traveling to South Carolina to work at the Hilton Head Health Institute, a premier weight loss spa, where she lectures, presents food demonstrations, and consults with individual clients in attendance. Her recent move to Santa Barbara, CA is the next adventure she is extremely excited to embark upon.

Cookbook writing is the next goal that Melissa has undertaken. With three titles under her belt, An Apple A Day, 30 Minute Paleo Meals, and Red Hot Sriracha, her fourth that she collaborated on with Hilaria Baldwin, The Living Cleary Method, came out at the end of 2016.