Paula McDade

Chef

Paula was born in Chuncheon, South Korea to a Korean mom and a Scottish-American dad. They moved to Northern VA when Paula was 4 years old. Always a creative, Paula chose cooking as her medium. Paula’s cooking is inspired by her Korean roots, the diversity that surrounds her, and the beauty of seasonal produce.

In 2006, she attended the French Culinary Institute in NYC. She worked in both pastry and savory kitchens. She trained in the country’s best kitchens, including Gramercy Tavern in New York and Quince in San Francisco. Both restaurants have earned Michelin stars and James Beard awards.

Paula has always had an interest in entrepreneurship. Her first foray was McDade Fare, a private event and high-end catering business which was established in 2016. In 2014, she joined the team at Luke’s Local in San Francisco, a fledging meal delivery service. At Luke’s, she sharpened her entrepreneurial skills.

She started at Luke’s as the in-house butcher and eventually the Executive Chef. Luke’s Local opened their first brick and mortar grocery store in Cole Valley in 2016. Their second location in Cow Hollow opened in 2020. Paula was involved in all facets of the Luke’s Local Market business.

In 2022, Paula moved back to Virginia in hopes of starting her own freelance chef business. She hit the ground running, as a private chef. She hopes to share her the love of her craft into people’s homes and take their special occasions to the next level.