About Vendador
Michelin-Trained Chefs, Sommeliers, and Hospitality Experts in Chicago
Our Story
Vendador was born out of a simple but stubborn conviction in 2020: that important meals in your life shouldn't be confined to a restaurant, and that leaving those walls behind should never mean leaving the standard behind.
Chef Francis Pascal spent years in some of the city’s most demanding kitchens — Japonais by Morimoto, Momotaro, Roister of The Alinea Group — he mastered the kind of in-home dining technique and hospitality that most people only encounter when they go out. During the pandemic, when the world stopped going out, Chef Francis started going to them.
What began as a handful of private dinners for families craving something extraordinary in their own homes became something larger than he anticipated. Four hundred clients and two hundred fifty five-star reviews later, Vendador is now Chicago’s highest rated catering company and has a team of Michelin-trained chefs, sommeliers, bartenders, and servers who share the same belief: that your home is the finest dining room you could reserve.
Vendador became more than a catering company. It is a moving fine dining brigade — bringing everything a world-class restaurant brings to the table, directly to yours. The personalization, the surprise touches, the plateware, the glassware, the technique, the hospitality, the discretion. All of it. So you can be fully present for the moments that matter most.
That conviction has never wavered.
Chef Francis Pascal
Culinary Director and Owner
Formerly of Japonais by Morimoto, Momotaro, and Roister of The Alinea Group, Chef Francis Pascal believes high-level cuisine shouldn’t restrict anyone to the walls of the favorite restaurant.
Life’s most important and intimate celebrations should transpire anywhere for any occasion. And never at the cost of a skillfully plated meal.
By focusing on technique, Chicago’s best private chef showcases locally sourced ingredients with a relentless commitment to hospitality in Chicago’s elite venues and private residences, resetting the standard of special events cuisine with devotion to craft in alternative spaces - with or without a kitchen.
Chef Francis was born and raised in Albania. Before moving to the US, Chef’s experience was one of direct contact with the people who were growing his food. He is inspired by their traditions. His mission is to raise awareness about people’s relationship to the quality of the food they are consuming, with special attention to the ingredients’ journey from farm to table. With tribute to this European heritage, he brings an ever-resilient commitment to hospitality, a genuine desire to give, and a globally-inspired perspective to food innovation that is evident with every bite.
Read more about Chef Francis on LinkedIn
Trusted by
Every person on our team infuses their day with specific, actionable values.
Vendador’s core values are the compass for every decision we make, whether in your home, behind the computer, while receiving deliveries from farmers, deep cleaning the kitchen or how we show up for our online community.
1.
Going above & beyond
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Preparedness
3.
Team above self
4.
Devotion to craft
Our Team
Francis Pascal
Culinary Director and Owner
MichaelAngelo Florez
Chef
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Michaelangelo has been a key figure in Chicago's elite kitchens for nearly a decade, working under renowned chefs at Next (Alinea Group), Boka & Somerset, and S.K.Y./Apolonia/Valhalla. After meeting Chef Francis at Alinea Group, he now divides his time between Stephen Gillanders' kitchens and Vendador, while serving as Culinary Director of El Hongo Magico, a new plant-based taqueria. Raised on Chicago's South Side, Michaelangelo draws inspiration from his parents' Mexican and Texan culinary heritage. His passion for sustainability and hospitality led him to earn a Hospitality Management and Education degree from Robert Morris University in 2018.
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Stella Miller is a hospitality professional with a concentration in spirits and cocktails. Stella has worked at some of the best restaurants in the country including Alinea and Boka. She has a Level 1 certificate from the Court of Master Sommeliers, an American Single Malt Whiskey Certification from the Edinburgh Whisky Academy, is an alumni of Camp Runamok, and was a competitor in Speed-Rack Midwest season 14. Stella's passion for hospitality lies at the intersection of a strong love of knowledge and deep care for her community.
Erinn Fredin
Director of Operations
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Erinn is Director of Operations at Vendador and is the voice behind all marketing, social media, and systems. You’ll see her behind the camera at events. She previously worked at Chicago’s Boka and London’s Silverberry Cafe on the top of Hampstead Health. Erinn grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, and, alongside telling the story of Vendador, is a passionate, professional actress. She can be seen in over 45 commercials and on nationwide network television.
She holds an MFA from The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
For marketing and social media collaboration inquiries, please email hospitality@vendador.com.
Rashad Williams
Server
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With over a decade in fine dining, Rashad brings exceptional expertise in upscale service and team leadership. Their comprehensive knowledge of wine pairings, menu presentation, and dining etiquette enables them to anticipate needs and deliver personalized experiences. Known for warmth and meticulous attention to detail, Rashad builds lasting relationships while continuously refining their craft through industry trends and culinary innovations. Every occasion benefits from their unwavering professionalism and commitment to hospitality excellence.
Jerek Fernández
Server
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Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jerek began his career in hospitality at Seccarelli Ristorante and is now part of the teams at S.K.Y. and Vendador in Chicago. He values creating meaningful connections with guests and providing memorable experiences with passion and authenticity. In addition to his career in hospitality, Jerek is an opera singer, performing on stages across the United States, including the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Andrew Wind
Beverage Curator
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Formerly of Los Angeles’ Duello and Republique, and one of World’s 50 Best Bars Canon in Seattle, Beverage Curator Andrew Wind believes in the power of stories and that cocktails should not only complement the experience, but curate it.
An award-winning bartender, creative, and professional actor, Andrew’s curiosity and passion drives him to seek out interesting ingredients and new techniques that help define and shape the future of cocktails and drinking culture as a whole.
Sergio Martel
Commis
Stella Miller
Bartender & Sommelier
Carmen Chick
Server
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Carmen comes from the small town of Salem, Ohio. Her first taste of hospitality was serving at a small, locally owned burger restaurant - it gave her a strong foundation in guest service and ignited her passion for the art of hospitality. She later refined her skills at 91 Wood Fired Oven.
She now views hospitality as the intersection of her many passions. In her role with Vendador, she employs the same creativity, discipline, and dedication she displays with her career as a symphonic clarinet performer, teacher and instrument repair technician.
Juggy Rawlinson
Bartender & Sommelier
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A Chicago Native, Juggy grew up in a household of service industry professionals, and has worked in restaurants and hospitality for his whole life, earning his level 2 certified cicerone & level 2 certified sommelier accreditations along the way. With over a decade of restaurant management experience, including a number of award-winning establishments such as Joe's Imports and The Duck Inn, Juggy now finds himself spending most of his time as a consultant, supporting other restaurants to get their footing as they establish themselves throughout the city. e always makes sure to find the time to get out and practice the discipline of hospitality he's spend his whole life honing, preferring to serve people in more intimate and memorable experiences alongside the team at Vendador.
Some of Our Purveyors
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Long Island City, NY
Regalis Foods is New York City's leading importer of exceptional, elusive food products. Highlights of their portfolio include fresh truffles, uni, caviar, Japanese Wagyu, wild foraged edibles, and live exotic seafoods.
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Waynesburg, PA
Purebred Farms set out with the simple goal of establishing the best-possible lamb farm. Along the way, they ended up developing a patented system for managing livestock that challenges convention, leads by example and cultivates respect for the source of our food.
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Sturgis, MI
Butternut Sustainable Farm was started by Jon Templin in 2012 on ground which his ancestors farmed for four generations. Butternut Farm's mantra is - "Growing food the responsible way." Jon is making sure his ground will continue to be healthy for more generations to come.
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For more than 35 years, D’Artagnan has been committed to free-range, natural production and sustainable humane farming practices on products from organic chicken to grassfed beef to lamb, heritage pork and other meats. Together with their collection of mushrooms, foie gras and finishing oils, they offer the most flavorful products available on the market.
D’Artagnan partners with independent family farms and ranches who satisfy our quality standards; to never use added antibiotics or hormones, and sign affidavits to that effect. They support these methods so that we can procure the best-tasting, conscientiously raised meat possible.
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San Diego, CA | Portland, OR
Girl and Dug Farm believes products are only as good as the company behind them, and companies are only as good as the employees that comprise them. With a total of 180 acres and about 100 workers, they provide their unique offerings to chefs nationwide including the top Michelin-starred restaurants in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. Their “Lucky Growers” brand serves nearly all Korean retail markets in the US through retail partners and distributors.
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Chicago, IL
Rare Tea Cellars specialize in the finest and rarest teas and ingredients available on planet earth. For over 15 years they have supplied top chefs, hotels, restaurants and mixologists with unique ingredients.