Adrianne Calvo

Cooking Up a Culinary Empire

Adrianne originally wanted to be a journalist; however, after a scheduling mix-up at her Miami high school, she was placed in a cooking class rather than a journalism class. But a visit from the culinary department of Johnson & Wales University to her high school changed the course of her life, fueling her determination to become a chef.

While attending Johnson & Wales, Adrianne won many culinary competitions, and after graduating, with the publication of Maximum Flavor, she became the youngest cookbook author (at that time) ever. The book marked her first step into the media spotlight, landing her an appearance on The Montel Williams Show, and five additional cookbooks followed – Driven by Flavor, Fueled by Fire; #MaximumFlavorSocial; Play with Fire; and The A List, a two-volume work.

In 2007, at the age of 22, she opened her first restaurant, Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Bar, in Miami. Inspired by a trip to Napa Valley when she was 18, the restaurant brings a relaxed atmosphere to fine dining, and offers a truly unique “Dark Dining” experience once a month, in which guests are taken on the ultimate sensory experience while suppressing the sense of sight during their meal. Chef Adrianne’s also features Adrianne’s signature line of wine, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon by Adrianne, which is grown and aged in the same vineyards that inspired her namesake restaurant.

Soon after Chef Adrianne’s opened, accolades quickly followed including Miami New Times Best Restaurant, Miami New Times Best Chef, Best Chef for the Floridian Culinary Awards, Thrillist’s 50 Things to Eat Before You Die and 10 Totally Unique Restaurants in America and the 9 Most Romantic Restaurants published by Zagat. Chef Adrianne is also the youngest person to cook for the United Nations and its ambassadors.

In 2019, Adrianne brought her sophisticated yet approachable style to a second Miami restaurant, Cracked by Chef Adrianne. Serious about fun food, the fine-casual restaurant has been featured on Food Network, CNN, and Delish, who declared it “drool-worthy” cuisine. Chef Adrianne also has a thriving online business through Goldbelly that ships fan-favorites like French onion soup, short ribs, delicious pastries and desserts nationwide that are all made at her newest endeavor, Baked by Chef Adrianne.

Beyond the Kitchen

Adrianne is as dynamic in front of a camera as she is in front of a stove. Her memorable broadcast appearances include spots on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox and Friends, The Talk, CNN and Food Network’s Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay.

Adrianne can also be seen on her Emmy-nominated YouTube travel show, Searching for Maximum Flavor, in which she travels the world in search of exciting new ingredients and shows viewers how to incorporate them into their dishes at home. Her forthcoming vodcast of the same name will turn up the heat on celebrity guests who are blindfolded and served mystery meals in the course of being interviewed. Her million+ following on Instagram puts it all together, a combination of mouth-watering food photos, jaw-dropping travel images, lots of laughs and, of course, the occasional oversized margarita.

Adrianne’s mastery of great food and media savvy has led to sponsorships and endorsement deals with some of the world’s biggest brands, including Reebok, Airbnb, Jaguar, Samuel Adams, The British Virgin Islands, Diamond Resorts International, Baptist Health, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Anguilla Culinary Experience, AYS Sports, Casillero del Diablo, Royal Caribbean International, F1, Señorio Mezcal, Scrub Island, Jack Daniels, Got Milk?, Hormel, Amerant Bank, Super Bowl LIV, ChefWorks, Sprint, Crocs, Nissan and Sprint.

What Drives Her

Adrianne founded the Make It Count Foundation in honor of her younger sister Jennifer, who died from a rare form of cancer. “Make It Count” was one of Jennifer’s oft-repeated phrases about our time on earth, and today, those words continue to fuel Adrianne’s mission to give back. The Foundation’s goal is to positively impact the lives of children and teens nationwide, and to deliver on this promise, the organization has aligned with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (where Adrianne is the Culinary Ambassador), Susan G. Komen, Flippany, Cooking Matters, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Easter Seals, and many other non-profit organizations.

Adrianne At-A-Glance

Awards

8 Most Innovative Restaurants in Miami, Best Chef for the Floridian Culinary Awards, Miami New Times Best Restaurant, Miami New Times Best Chef, Thrillist’s 50 Things to Eat Before You Die, Thrillist’s 17 Most Important Restaurants in Miami, Thrillist’s Most Influential Restaurants, Zagat’s 10 Totally Unique Restaurants in America, Zagat’s Top 6 Restaurants Worth a Drive, and Zagat’s 9 Most Romantic Restaurants

Philanthropy 

Founder of the Make It Count Foundation, whose goal of making a difference and positively impact the lives of children and teens nationwide. The foundation has aligned with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (where Chef Adrianne is the Culinary Ambassador), Susan G. Komen, Flippany, Cooking Matters, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Easter Seals, and many other great organizations.

Restaurants, Food and Wine

• Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Bar
• Cracked by Chef Adrianne
• Baked by Chef Adrianne
• Goldbelly
• A Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Cookbooks

• Maximum Flavor Driven by Flavor, Fueled by Fire
• #MaximumFlavorSocial
• Play with Fire
• The A List

Shows

• YouTube: Searching for Maximum Flavor
• Maximum Flavor vodcast launching January 2024