About Us
Why Violet?
Why Violet? Violet is a feisty wildflower that blooms in the winter, finding sunshine while others sleep. Violet is a beautifully balanced hue, bringing together opposite ends of the spectrum. Violet is the hopeful scent of spring. To us, Violet means all things joyful and juicy, wild and free.
Stella Lee
ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER
Originally from East Los Angeles and raised between Los Angeles and Orange County, Stella Lee brings a unique blend of creativity and hospitality to Violet, shaped by a background in fashion design and professional DJ-ing. Years of reading a crowd and understanding its energy have honed her grace under pressure, flair for conflict resolution, and ability to inspire teams. A former server and floor supervisor at Zinque, Stella joins us as Assistant General Manager at Violet Bistro. You can't miss the smiles and sunshine she brings to Glendon Avenue. She looks forward to meeting you!
Samantha Chihuahua
SOUS CHEF
Born in Dallas, Texas, Samantha Chihuahua moved to Veracruz at the age of four, where her relationship with food began almost immediately. By five years old, she was already cooking, immersing herself in traditional Mexican cuisine and building live wood fires from scratch. Her family quickly took notice, often saying her food had healing qualities. Through years of moving between Arizona and Houston, cooking remained Samantha’s constant, a source of joy, grounding, and purpose. After high school, she formalized her craft at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School, refining skills she had been developing since childhood.
While apprenticing at a country club in Houston, Samantha cooked for the Bush family before finding her way to Tallula’s, where she worked alongside Chef Jeremy Fox of the Rustic Canyon Group and former Violet chef Brittany Cassidy. Outside the kitchen, she enjoys spending time with her German Labrador, Nyx, making candles and soap, and caring for her plants. After nearly five years cooking at Violet, Samantha says what continues to drive her is a simple goal: to make people feel good from the inside out through thoughtful, nourishing food.
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Max Anderson
HEAD CHEF
Born in London, England, Chef Max credits his parents, both actors, for his career path. As a child, he was a star gymnast, competing for his borough. In his teens, Max discovered street-boarding and quickly rode his passion to eight national championships and two world championships. He later worked as a skatepark designer before helping his Mum at her agency. A copy of The Big Fat Duck Cookbookbecame the inspiration for Max's journey to becoming a chef. He began at a pub in Esher, fell into a kitchen job, and soon after attended the Leith's School of Food and Wine in London. He went on to work with many legendary British chefs, including Jean Philipe Gravier at Le Petit Nantais in Hampton Court.
In his free time, he still loves to skate, play guitar, and watch anime.
Jesse Brune
DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & COOKING SCHOOL
Chef Jesse Brune brings years of hospitality expertise, lifestyle media, and culinary instruction to Violet Bistro and Cooking School. After graduating Le Cordon Bleu in 2006, he dove right into television as a food and wellness expert. He has co-starred in Bravo's Workout, Food Network's Private Chefs of Beverly Hills, and OWN's Emmy-winning Home Made Simple. He has been a featured expert in countless magazines, television shows and books.
As a chef instructor, Jesse has led courses at Epicurean Culinary School and The New School of Cooking. He's catered private events all across the globe, and consults with small hospitality professionals and small businesses. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband and their two kiddos. Jesse shares Violet LA's founder Dana Slatkin's passion for culinary education and community enrichment, bringing his effervescent joi de vivre to everyone he meets.
Holly Delormeau
GENERAL MANAGER
A proud Francophile with a degree in Art History, Holly brings curiosity, storytelling, and an eye for detail to everything she does. Violet's self-described Kindness Enthusiast, she is known for declaring "treat o' clock" at any time of day, believing joy is the essential ingredient behind magical hospitality. With over a decade in the industry, Holly joined the Violet family in 2020 as a server; now she leads our ever-growing team with empathy and encouragement. She's always dreaming up ways to make Violet your Paris away from home!
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Dana Slatkin
FOUNDER
Violet Los Angeles founder Dana Slatkin always dreamed of opening a delightful neighborhood gathering place, like the ones where she spent so much time while studying and working in Italy and France. Born in Los Angeles, Dana is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley and The Culinary Institute of America. She trained with chefs Georges Blanc and Michel Guèrard at their eponymous Michelin three-star restaurants in France, patissier Pierre Hermé at Fauchon in Paris, and David Bouley in New York City.
Dana moved back to Los Angeles to become General Manager at L'Orangerie. In 1994, she helped launch the Beverly Hills Farmers Market, later using the name and inspiration for her own line of snacks and baked goods, which she sold to airlines and supermarkets for a decade. Dana's first cookbook, Summertime Anytime: Recipes From Shutters On The Beach, was published in 2008 by Clarkson Potter. As the Beverly Hills Farmgirl, she ran a cooking school and shop for twelve years. She is a mother of three, a board member of the Berkeley Food Institute, a classical pianist, and an avid crosswordist.
