Meet Camille Bernardi | Celebrity Private Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Camille Bernardi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Camille, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Growing up I was always surrounded by food and people cooking. I loved the way it brought people together, how it made people happy. It created some of my most unforgettable memories by sitting together at a table, laughing and eating. My dad and I would cook together and make his famous pizza crust to sell to some of the best Argentinian restaurants in LA. He then opened his own restaurant in Miami and I always loved helping him cook. At seven years old, he would give me a piece of pizza dough and I would make my own little pizzas and go around the restaurant handing them to servers. It always made me so happy when they would eat it and smile. That is where my passion started.

Unfortunately, my dad passed soon after and we had to close down the restaurant but fortunately it made my passion for cooking and creating memories even stronger.

As a little girl, I would always tell everyone how I would be a chef someday. In high school I took cooking classes and even got first place in a culinary competition. Once I graduated, I decided I would go to college to get my bachelors degree in Culinary arts and food service management. During college, I worked at a couple of restaurants. I thought that is what I wanted to do but I started to catch myself not enjoying it. I couldn’t understand why. I remember telling the other chefs, “I just want to do my own thing, I want to be creative.” I think it was the repetition, I couldn’t be creative in the kitchen, instead I was “assembling” the same dishes over and over again. I couldn’t even see the expression on people faces. I didn’t enjoy that. It was not was I thought of when I chose to become a chef.

I remember seeing other chefs taking the private chef route, I would see them at different locations, making different dishes every time, decorating them with their style, mixing flavors from around the world. I would see them on boats, in mansions, working for some of my favorite celebrities, artists, athletes and more. I decided to change my instagram profile to say “Private Chef” and slowly started getting people asking if I did events. I worked with a few other chefs and got some experience. It was exactly what I loved doing. I got to create and experience new places and people. I got to challenge myself and I was able to cook in some beautiful kitchens and even on yachts.

When I decided to move back to Los Angeles about 4 1/2 years ago, I started from zero with no clients. I knew It wouldn’t be impossible to start back up and find new clients. I started to promote myself mainly through instagram, and that’s when people reaching out, Luckily many of my clients ended up recommending me to other people and it only grew from there.

Now I am cooking for some of my favorite people and I am so lucky and grateful to have gotten to meet some of the people who helped me grow and get to do what I love.

It hasn’t been an easy road but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I get to bring people together, make people smile, and create unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime for both them and I.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As I said, I strive to make people happy through what I do. I believe as long as you are happy doing what you’re are doing, you can make others happy as well.

I am passionate about what I do and have loved it since I can remember. Nothing is easy but as long as you believe that you can do whatever you set your mind to, you will see how easy it could be.

I feel like what sets my cooking apart is the fact that I love to mix and match flavors, add freshness and acidity to my food and create flavors that explode in your mouth and my you go back for more. I bring my own little twist to everything and mix science with art to create a beautiful and delicious meal.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I always suggest trying the “hole-in-the-wall” or the family owned restaurants. Los Angeles is full of delicious flavors and food. I also recommend eating at Nobu to experience some of the greatest quality and flavors that make you understand there is more to food.

There are beaches and mountains so and beautiful spots of nature and city and they are all equally as beautiful to visit.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I got blessed with an amazing support system including my mom, godmother, and grandma. They have always taken care of me and supported me even through my craziest ideas. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do what I am doing today.

Website: https://ChefCamilleBernardi.com

Instagram: @Chefbernardi

Youtube: @ChefBernardi

Other: tiktok @Chefbernardi