From the kitchen —
notes, recipes & stories.

There's a special kind of magic that once lived at 311 West 17th Street — the kind that filled the air with laughter, the warmth of familiar faces, and the unforgettable aroma of cuisine crafted with love. That was Sueños — my dream made real, thanks to an extraordinary team and the most incredible patrons any chef could ask for.

What made Sueños so special wasn't just the food — it was the people. Our guests weren't just customers; they became family. You shared your stories, your celebrations, your time, and your love of food with us. You made opening our doors every night worth every ounce of effort.

When Sueños closed its doors in 2014 — just two months after the birth of my first son, DJ — I turned my focus to motherhood, and later welcomed my second son, Charlie. My boys filled the space in my heart once held by the hum of the kitchen and the rhythm of service. They've grounded me in gratitude and reminded me what connection and nourishment truly mean.

Today, I'm beyond grateful to bring those flavors and that spirit back to life — this time in Vero Beach, and on very different terms. Mas Sueños operates as a personal chef meal preparation service for a select number of households here on the Treasure Coast. Each Thursday, clients receive a seasonal menu; orders are available for Monday or Thursday pickup between three and six-thirty, just off Route 60 on 43rd Avenue. The menu changes every week.

Through each chapter of this journey — chef, mother, mentor — I continue to live my dream: creating connection, community, and joy through food.

Traditional Mexican cooking begins by awakening ingredients through fire — chiles toasted on the comal deepen in flavor before becoming sauces and moles. The heat transforms them: bitterness softens, smokiness opens, complexity that no raw ingredient could offer emerges from the char.

A table set with five moles. Tamales wrapped in banana leaves, folded by hand alongside a family who had been making them this way for generations. Some meals stay with you — not just in memory, but in how you cook from that day forward.

There are things a recipe cannot teach — the pressure of a hand on a grinding stone, the smell of a chile at the exact moment it's ready to come off the comal, the patience a dish requires before it gives itself to you. Those things come from people. From watching, and being trusted enough to try.

A selection of press from over the years — reviews, profiles, and coverage from Sue's time in New York and beyond. More scans being added.

Every event begins with a conversation. The menu below is a point of departure — a sense of range, season, and what's possible. Reach out to begin planning yours.