Team

Team

Chef Craig Salandra

My name is Craig Salandra, and I have been passionate about cooking for over 35 years. I attended Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago in 1983 and have loved all the great opportunities I have had since then. I have worked in restaurants like O’Fame Italian and in the hotel industry as a banquet chef at the Embassy Suites O’hare. I have spent most of my career in catering with companies including Jim Gouth’s Chicago Caterers, the Sears headquarters, and Motorola headquarters. 

My most recent work has been with the Compass Group as a back of house lead at various Chicagoland corporations. I love my work and have been thrilled to work directly with all the customers at Chefs Most Wanted Catering to create tasty food and a seamless experience for all of you!

Chef Charra-Nicky Lehman

Chef Charra is a Cake Designer and Personal Chef. Her passion for cooking and baking started long before her 26 years in the industry- beginning her career when she joined the US Army. In 1996, while serving, she had the honor of working side by side with the US Culinary Olympic Team prepping and hosting a banquet at the Pentagon.


Her career continued in Florida where she worked for Disney and in 2001 earned her degree at the Florida Culinary Institute. Disney helped her develop creative dishes in a fast-paced environment.


Chef Charra then took her skills to Windsor Country Club, working at the club houses and private homes creating dishes with exceptional ingredients. Exploring into the baking part of the industry, she began designing wedding cakes at Publix Bakery.


Then relocating back to the Chicago area, Chef Charra continues her career as a Cake Designer at Mariano's Bakery and a Personal Chef at Chef’s Most Wanted.

A person is decorating a plate of food with a flower.
A chef is preparing food on a wooden table.
A pan of shrimp and rice with a wooden spoon on a wooden table.
A table topped with bowls of seafood and bread
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