I’m Paola Velez, and I’m here to bake the world a better place.

An Award Winning Afro-Dominican Chef, Activist and Author, born in the Bronx, N.Y and currently based in Washington, DC

Let's Collab

Photo by Farrah Skeiky for Food and Wine Magazine

ABOUT

Paola Velez

CHEF-OWNER OF PROVIDENCIA, DŌEKÏ DŌEKÏ , FOOD MEDIA PERSONALITY, FOUNDER SMALL ORCHIDS INC, BAKERS AGAINST RACISM, COOKBOOK AUTHOR  

Paola Velez is an award-winning chef, author, and community leader whose work spans the kitchen, television, and international advocacy.

She is the chef-owner of the celebrated Washington, D.C. bar, Providencia, the playful pop-up concept Dōekï Dōekï, and the founder of both Small Orchids Inc. and the global baking movement Bakers Against Racism. She is also the former editor and host of Pastries with Paola for Food & Wine and a BNC scout, mentoring the next generation of culinary talent.

Raised between the Bronx and the Dominican Republic, Velez infuses the vibrant flavors of her heritage into refined, inventive dishes. Her signature pecan-plantain sticky buns from Doña Dona and La Bodega Bakery, helped earn her recognition as one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs and Esquire’s Pastry Chef of the Year among many other accolades. Her debut cookbook, Bodega Bakes, won a James Beard Foundation Media Award in 2025, underscoring her reputation as a trusted voice for the culinary industry.

A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu and alumna of chocolatier Jacques Torres’ pastry kitchen, Velez has also served as a U.S. culinary diplomat, sharing America’s diverse food traditions with audiences around the world. Television viewers know her from HBO Max’s Selena + Chef and What Am I Eating? with Zooey Deschanel, where her playful, approachable style shines.

Now based in the D.C. area with her husband, Vélez continues to champion creativity and social impact through food, inspiring cooks and communities everywhere she goes.

Photo by Jennifer Causey for Food & Wine Magazine

As Seen In

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As Seen In ☀

  • James Beard Foundation Media Award - Emerging Voice in Books (2025)

    Cherry Bombe Humanitarian Award (2025)

    Bon Appétit 9 Best New Bars in America - Providencia (2025)

    RUSA CODES Notable Books List (2024)

    Eater D.C. Bar of the Year - Providencia (2024)

    Daytime Emmy Award Nominee -Outstanding Culinary Program for Selena + Chef (2024)

    Food & Wine Best New Chef (2021)

    Hola USA Top 100 Latina Powerhouse - Culinary Excellence (2021)

    The Art of Plating Rising Talent Finalist - (2021)

    InStyle 50 Women Making the World a Better Place - (2021)

    Cherry Bombe Person of the Year - (2021)

    FSR Rising Star Chef - (2021)

    Time Out Magazine Woman of the Year - (2021)

    Washington Business Journal Diversity In Business Award Winner - (2021)

    Webby Nomination - Bakers Against Racism & AJ+ - (2021)

    Emmy Nomination - Bakers Against Racism & AJ+ - (2021)

    Taste Of the South Taste 50 - (2021)

    Washingtonian Magazine Heroes of the Crisis - (2021)

    Ayuda DC Champion of Change - (2021)

    RAMWDC Double Finalist Nomination - (2021)

    James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef Finalist - (2020)

    Esquire Pastry Chef of the Year Winner - (2020)

    RAMWDC Pastry Chef of the Year Winner - (2020)

    Thrillist Local Heroes - (2020)

    Food 52 Quarantine Awards Winner - (2020)

    Washingtonian Magazine 100 Best Winner - (2020)

    Dine & Diaspora 31 Black Women in Food Winner - (2020)

    RAMWDC Pastry Chef of the Year Finalist - (2019)

  • Crate & Barrel
    Haagen Dazs
    Madewell
    Wrey & Nephew
    CITI Taste of Tennis
    Butter of Europe
    Levain Bakery
    Rachel Antonoff
    Presidente Beer
    Capital One
    Boursin
    Tilit NYC
    American Family Insurance
    Dolcezza
    Great Jones
    HomeGoods
    Nordstrom
    Citibank
    Got Milk
    Lexus
    Urban Outfitters

  • InStyle

    The Daily Show

    The Washington Post

    FOOD52

    Food & Wine

    Esquire

    People Magazine

    People en Espanol

    Washingtonian

    Dwell

    Men’s Journal

    Star Chefs

    Time Out

    The List Are You On It

    Yale University

    NPR

    Inside Hook

    WTOP

    DC Refined

    Wall Street Journal

    WAMU

    TODAY show

    Thrillist

    Vice

    Richmond Magazine

    The New Yorker

    Black Food Folks

    Culinary Institute of America

    ICC

    AJ+

    Smithsonian

    Cherry Bombe

    The New York Times

    Zagat

    Forbes

    Cheddar

    District Fray

    Here & Now

    BizJournal

    Huff Post

    Washington City Paper

    The Daily Beast

    Good Food KCRW

    Eater National

    The Tamara Hall Show

    The Washington Post

    Bake From Scratch

    MOFAD

    ADWEEK

    DCist

    WBUR

    Robb Report

    Refinery 29

    Remezcla

    The Cut

    New York Magazine

    Share Our Strength NKH

    James Beard

    Food Network - Chopped Sweets

    Eater DC

    Kennedy Center

"Paola Velez Is the Empathetic Leader the Industry Needs" - Kat Kinsman,” - Kat Kinsman, Food & Wine

"Paola Velez Is the Empathetic Leader the Industry Needs" - Kat Kinsman,” - Kat Kinsman, Food & Wine

"Paola Velez is not just one of the most skilled young bakers and dessert creators in the country...she’s a leader when it comes to innovating new modes of activism, from registering voters to raising money for social justice." - Jeff Gordinier, Esquire

"Paola Velez is not just one of the most skilled young bakers and dessert creators in the country...she’s a leader when it comes to innovating new modes of activism, from registering voters to raising money for social justice." - Jeff Gordinier, Esquire

"If we had to pick a person of the year for Cherry Bombe, it would definitely be Paola Velez. She is the co-founder of Bakers against Racism, a global bake sale that raised almost $2 million this year for causes related to Black Lives Matter... her passion, drive, and sense of self worth have won out time and time again. " - Cherry Bombe

"If we had to pick a person of the year for Cherry Bombe, it would definitely be Paola Velez. She is the co-founder of Bakers against Racism, a global bake sale that raised almost $2 million this year for causes related to Black Lives Matter... her passion, drive, and sense of self worth have won out time and time again. " - Cherry Bombe