A Cuisine Rooted in Beauty (Atherton Living Magazine)

Growing up in Santa Cruz as the son of a fisherman, Lucas Lovelace has always loved food. “The ocean and seafood have always held a special place in my heart,” says the private chef, who creates dynamic and flavorful cuisine for private dinner parties in people’s homes.

After five years in the restaurant industry at Stagnaro Bros. on the Municipal Wharf in Santa Cruz, Lovelace knew his love for food was leading him to a career as a chef. While attending California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, he secured an externship at Restaurant Oceana to work with elite New York chef Cornelius Gallagher. “After working for five years in New York for three incredibly talented chefs, honing my craft, I felt like I was ready to become a private chef and offer food an an experience I was excited about,” he says.

Even after working with top worldwide culinary talent, Lovelace’s biggest inspiration is still close to home. “My Grandma definitely inspired me because every time she cooked I just felt love!”

Lovelace says he tried to be ahead of the culinary trends, yet still have a cuisine rooted in classicism and beauty. “I give thought to every detail, from freshly baked bread to start the dinner to local chocolate from a hidden gem of a supplier to finish the dinner.” His clients have complete freedom to help design the menu. “I present course suggestions, but the client’s suggestions override everything,” Lovelace says. “The menu is a dialogue between the client and I.”

Lovelace offers his chef services throughout the Bay Area to families as well as business clients. “All the dishes crafted for the most part have been born out of the last seven years working as a full time private chef for mainly billionaire clients,” he says. For Lovelace, delivering superb service that encourages repeat business is his goal. “I appreciate people who call me for special occasions, although my favorite clients are the ones who have called me back five or six times and still counting.”

“This is one of my favorite areas,” Lovelace says of Los Altos Hills. “It’s a beautiful place that is very inviting. I also really like how family oriented everything is.”

Interested in private chef services? While most events are planned in advance, he says that depending on the size of the event he can be ready with as little as 48 hours notice.

This article was written by Abbie Burgess, published in Atherton Living Magazine in November 2018. Click here to view the PDF version.