Melissa Jones

What a special night working with these 2 geniuses. Michelin Star Chefs, Nic and Jacob who started with pop ups and now have a beautiful restaurant in Oceanside, 24 Sunset, serving Chinese cuisine at a different level but staying true to the cultures traditional style. The passion they have for what they do shows in every dish and preparation for the dishes. Thank you gentlemen for a lovely evening sharing your passion with mine. I’ll see you soon, please visit them. You won’t be disappointed. .

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Such a cool night. Thanks to my helpers, Lizzy from Piazzaza, my girl who is so amazing and efficient and beautiful I should add, and my husband for helping out at the Bar, his spot! Thanks to Phillip, I look forwards to working with you in the future

What a magical 2 days working with truly “Good People”. Chefs Adam and Niv and friends who worked so hard to create these beautiful dishes, all from scratch! The dishes were created from their hearts and memories of their childhood. When you create meals that you had growing up and remember having them as a child, then recreate them for a dinner to share with a community, there’s nothing better and more meaningful. It was a pleasure to work with them and I definitely look forward to this group returning. Like many other chefs I am grateful to work with at The Ecology Center, I always feel each experience brings me such joy and growth because I get to take home something new from each Chef. It is always an honor

I regret to inform you that due to unfortunate circumstances with the availability of the Garden we were hosting this dinner on, we will have to postpone it until September sometime. A new date will be released as soon as it is confirmed. Charlie, who is an incredible farmer/Gardener at IGH farms, runs his own space as a non-profit but is a part of The Growing Experience in LB. He donates to the seniors in the community as his contracts states. However, he has been challenged with a loss of control from the director as to what events he does in his space which has affected our dinner. I was donating a portion of the proceeds to his garden and there were many people involved who have been put off from this. I will continue to persevere myself. I don’t know the person controlling this and am not personally involved, nor do I think she understands the multiple people that are affected by this so I will continue to support Charlie and look forward to working with him in the future for more dinners. I learn lessons from setbacks, be patient, see it as there is a reason that we may not understand that ends up opening more doors. From this I have already met several people looking forward to collaborating with me. The effort, time and monetary loss from working on this will come back as a blessing soon. Thank you all who were supporting me on this dinner. Look for the rescheduled event and more dinners, brunches and events to come. 💜

My tomatoes are popping up again. 2 years ago I planted them in one spot, they never flourished. Last year I suddenly saw a patch of them growing down the pathway from where I originally planted them. They grew so tall and abundant and absolutely delicious. I’m excited they are back again! My miracle

Friday Night’s Community Table Dinner at was another epic experience. First off, these 3 gentlemen together are a force to be reconned with, individually. Chef Paddy on the left is handing off the paddle with kudos to this young man in the middle, Chef Aiden and of course our head honcho Chef Doug. It always feels good to be around iconic human beings that become your mentors. No matter how old or young they are the education is priceless. This young man, Chef Aiden from &Sea, rocked the house with his spice filled dishes. He loves spices and knows how to combine them creating bold flavors and beautiful dishes. From as simple yellowtail crudo, to his embered beet with roasted carrots over a fresh ricotta. One of the best bbq pulled pork I’ve ever had, no joke, I make pulled pork all of the time and is a staple for my clients but this was spectacular. We’re still eating the Rosemary Potatoes, such a simple dish but always delicious. Finishing off with a Smoked Stonefruit Pavlova with a drizzle of white Balsamic gastrique. I’ll be visiting this kid soon. Thanks again, see you for farm tours! &sea

Dinner is coming up soon! there are a limited amount of seats available. Click the link in my bio to purchase your tickets. Let’s get ready to party Long Beach

This week I spent the time teaching a group of 3rd-7th graders with the Sankofa Academy, a summer program with Ground Ed in Long Beach. They provide gardens in the Elementary schools throughout Long Beach teaching them how to garden and harvest fruits and vegetables. My kids had the opportunity in their school to experience this wonderful lesson and brought home many items from the garden throughout the past couple@of years. This time I was able to be a part of that program working with the kids, teaching them how to make Chowchow using Green Tomatoes. I was able to share some history of the dish how to make different versions of it along with how to use it many dishes. Thank you Karen Taylor, the founder of Ground Ed, for not only building this program but for the collaboration. I look forward to more lessons with the children in this program.

It was so wonderful to work with Chef Reyna again from Rancho La Puerta in Mexico. She is so kind, talented and beautiful. She combines ingredients like a floral arrangement. The dishes were so flavorful, I can’t wait to visit her spa in Mexico and the cooking school she runs. Thank you again for a great time!

Another bites the dust. We’re on a roll and in a good place. Years of being a baseball kid, he decided to play soccer only and we were grateful to find a good program, a great team with great coaches allowing him to embrace his passion for this sport. This kid is going to go places, God willing 🙏🏼 He’s also a smart kid, funny and has a kind heart, all the things that matter

Congratulations again boys, great job 🏆🏅

What a great time working with Chef Davin from The Plot restaurant and his team at The Ecology Center. When I say these chefs I have an opportunity to work with are such cool, kind people, it is no joke. I could not be more grateful to meet such wonderful people I get to learn from and who trust me to assist. Thank you Chef, it was a great time. Can’t wait to visit you at your restaurant or restaurants 😁

Getting ready for this amazing dinner I finally get to launch in Long Beach. Using local ingredients, from local farms, with a great team. We are excited to jumpstart these outdoor events, cooking over fire, serving delicious food for our community and friends joining us. Get your tickets by clicking on the link in my bio or copy the link from the flier. Looking forward to seeing you all soon!! Happy Summer

I hate to say we’ve been so busy but we have and I’ve not posted this special day for my big beautiful girl who is now in Middle School. What a great journey throughout the Elementary years, now on to the next chapter of our lives. 2 middle schoolers, lots of patience, sacrifice, understanding, love, support and wine for the next few years. I am so proud of her and her brother. They make me smile, laugh, fill my heart with love and frustration. But what a learning experience for me to undergo this in my later years with grandchildren who I will always be proud of. She has a great group of friends, a social butterfly. Congratulations, much love ❤️

Sweet and spicy marinated chicken wings, sofrito cabbage and garlic rice. Not too sexy looking but sometimes sexy is in the flavor. Feeding kids after a workout

An abundance of beauty gathered together to display the local ingredients provided by this farm. It’s fun to be creative in such a simple way.

Squash Blossoms, stuffed with a ricotta and blended sunflower seed mixture. So simple and delicious. Don’t forget the herb cream sauce, what a wonderful combination. Thank you Chef Sara for a great night with great food. It was fun to work with you again

So proud to announce my pop up Community Dinner is ready to go. Scheduled for July 27th at IGH Garden in LB. I am happy to be collaborating with 2 great people who promote sustainability, organic, and have the love of creating delicious meals. Please join us for this special evening with great food and a beautiful ambience. Gather your friends and family and enjoy the journey with us. Let’s get this party started…

I would be remised if I didn’t share this evening of an incredibly amazing group of innovative, talented, kind and fun chefs to work with. These guys are no joke. This crew is the most hard working team and a pleasure to be with. I continue to grow in this space I appreciate so much. I am grateful🙏🏼

A great weekend of soccer with this team. Today was the championship game and the boys came out winners. We are so proud to be a part of this team and organization. It was worth the day off from school. Looking forward to more celebrations, hard work pays off. This team has great talent, good attitudes and a bright future. Go premier🏆⚽️

When you have the freshest, best quality ingredients it’s easy to prepare them and amplify their natural beautiful existence. Especially for a beautiful wedding on the farm.

The lovely gentleman Charlie from IGH farms in LB gave me his beautiful Swiss Chard he grows. His story is truly worth learning about. The farm grows beautiful produce. Finding out about this little gem has inspired me and a great team to do a farm to table community dinner there in July. Utilizing beautiful fresh produce without transforming it too much and supporting small farms is the best way to live, eat, and share. I am excited to work with Roman and Lizzy from to create a beautiful dinner utilizing produce from small local farms. Keep an eye out for the information soon.

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Celebrated my baby girl yesterday. This young lady is a wonderful example of what it takes to work hard, be determined, and stay focused. She graduated from HS a year early so she could go to college and get her degrees. I love that my other babies got to witness this and look forward to their turn. She worked 2 and 3 jobs to support herself along the way. She moved back home to LB during Covid, took her classes online, and transferred to CSULB. It can be done! Too many people drop out or find it too hard, but with a clear mindset, a positive attitude, and a strong work ethic, anything is possible. Also, surrounding yourself with the right people is crucial. She has a beautiful group of friends. We could not be more proud 🥰❤️🥳

It's a late post, but never forget to show appreciation for our teachers. We love them and will miss them. Our last year in Elementary so I showed my love by making them lunch. Pesto pasta grilled veggie and chicken salad, a platter of fruit with fresh picked strawberries from , fresh made ricotta and foccaccia and a double chocolate brownie with a berry compote.

Mother's Day Brunch served at . A beautiful day with delicious food by our creative Chef. Every day is a new day working with him.

My mother's day breakfast made with love from my babies, my girl babes 😜 homemade gifts, nothing better for as long as I can get them. a nice relaxing day at home with my loves

Serving Taco Thursday. Let's switch it up a bit. Fresh fish tacos, caught yesterday, fresh ground blue corn tortillas, vegggie off the farm. Creme frache and Salsa Roja to top it off. Come and see us every Thursday!

I had a great time helping teach a cooking class at . Besides my love to produce great dinners at dinner parties, I love teaching. Chef Tina was amazing orchestrating this dinner with great chefs and a group of students. I am so happy I will have an opportunity to start teaching classes here soon.

Another beautiful dinner at . Private dinner parties are available in this space that is filled with such calmness, feeling the vibes from the land and field of farm fresh produce and fruit growing around you. Rain will not stop us! Check out the fun and educational events going on here.