Paola Velez
James Beard Award-Winning
Chef, Author & Host
Creating food stories rooted in culture, technique and joy across television, publishing, hospitality and live experiences.
Paola@smallorchids.com
FEATURED IN
FEATURED IN
Professional techniques. Cultural context. No gatekeeping.
Steal This Recipe is Paola’s independent YouTube and Substack platform for cooks who want more than a list of ingredients. Through original recipes, professional advice and candid storytelling, Paola explains how food works, why it matters and how people can make it their own. Pull up a plastic chair.
It’s Time To Steal.
About Paola
Paola Velez is a James Beard Award-winning chef, author and media host whose work explores food, culture and community.
Raised between the Bronx and the Dominican Republic, Paola built her career in acclaimed kitchens before moving into publishing, television, hospitality and social impact. She is the author of Bodega Bakes, chef and co-owner of Bar Providencia, co-founder of Bakers Against Racism and creator and host of Steal This Recipe.
Whether she is developing a dessert, speaking to an audience or building an original media series, Paola creates work that is rigorous, generous and unmistakably her own.
444K+ accounts reached on Instagram in 90 days — 95K+ interactions, the majority from non-followers.
CURRENT WORK
Visit my Bar in Washington, D.C., to try the viral
Baked Alaska Shaved Ice!
Photo by Vina Sana
Providencia
1321 Linden Ct NE, Washington, DC 20002
A nationally recognized Washington, D.C., bar bringing Dominican Salvadoran and Taiwanese influences together through food and drink.
Michelin Guide Rated 2025, Bon Appetit Best New Bar in America
Critically Acclaimed
Bodega Bakes
Paola’s James Beard Award-winning cookbook, inspired by the Bronx, the Dominican Republic and the corner stores that shaped her.
Bakers Against Racism
What began as a bake sale became an international movement, giving professional and home bakers a direct way to support organizations fighting racial injustice raising millions of dollars along the way.
Bring Paola Into the Conversation
Paola works across stage, screen, digital media and live culinary experiences.
Public Speaking & Experiences
Keynotes, fireside conversations, cultural programming, university events, culinary demonstrations and corporate experiences.
Hosting & Media
Television, digital programming, live interviews, judging, moderated conversations and festival hosting.
Brand & Creative Partnerships
Original content, recipe development, campaign concepts, live activations, culinary consulting and long-term partnerships.
Culinary Consulting & Creative Direction
Menu and dessert concepts, product launches, branded dinners, hospitality collaborations and experiential programming.
