I’ve loved to cook for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are Sundays at my Italian grandparents’ home—sauce simmering on the stove, a roast being carved by my Nonno, and the sound of family gathered around the table. Cooking for others still brings me back to those moments of warmth, connection, and joy.

In 2020, newly divorced and settling into my new home in Wells, Maine, I found myself missing that sense of togetherness. With my daughters away at college and my life suddenly much quieter, cooking for one felt lonely. Erin French’s memoir, Finding Freedom, sparked something in me. I wondered if I, too, could open my home and create a supper club where people could connect over good food.

In 2022, with a newly renovated kitchen and a little courage, I hosted my first supper club on my late Nonno’s birthday for good luck. It sold out in under an hour—and Chez Shay was born.

More than three years later, I’ve served close to a thousand meals, welcomed incredible people into my home, and built a community that has become like family. The laughter that grows louder with each course, the conversations sparked between strangers, and the joy of seeing people connect around my table—that’s what keeps Chez Shay going.