Attentive, professional, impeccable in every way.
Simply put, we take great pride in every single detail of our exceptional work.
We love what we do and we hope you can feel it from the first taste to every thoughtful touchpoint.
Our consistent track record, industry knowledge and experience are what sets us apart.
We honor the Earth and the health of our community by using sustainably sourced, ethical, and organic products whenever possible.
our team takes great pride in the exceptional results we provide for every client.
Jonathan Bailey
Executive Chef
Witty and wildly creative – Jonathan learned to cook from his southern grandmother Hattie, who taught him how to make homemade bread, confections, and southern delicacies at an early age. He began cooking professionally at 15 – working in Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese, and Indian kitchens – honing his love for food into an art of world cuisine.
Post college, Jonathan’s culinary adventures took him from Prague, where he helped open the first vegan restaurant in eastern Europe, to Washington D.C. – where he worked under Nora Pouillion at America’s first certified organic restaurant, Restaurant Nora. Eventually, Jonathan landed in Los Angeles, serving as Chef De Cuisine for John Sedlar of Saint Estephe and Rivera before joining Urban Palate.
Today, Jonathan loves exploring Los Angeles’ broad ethnic food scene, gathering inspiration with his wife, son and daughter in tow.
Ginger De Leon
Director of Events
Ginger is a born and raised Los Angeleno. After studying visual design and merchandising and applying her skills in the retail world, she brought her passion for creativity to Urban Palate. Her artistic nature is evident in every event she produces, from styling food stations to her hand lettered menus and signage. As an event manager, her focus on details and her keen eye for design ensures that every client experiences a truly spectacular event.
When she’s not working, Ginger enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She is a self-taught artist and DIY crafter who loves painting custom designs on jackets and crafting the occasional child size millennium falcon out of cardboard.
Marie Orellana
Director of Business Development
With over 15 years of experience in the catering field, Marie Orellana is an experienced business development professional with a proven track record in elevating catering businesses sales and marketing. A strategic thinker with a knack for identifying growth opportunities, fostering client relationships, and driving revenue.
In addition to her business development skills, Marie has a long background in event management and production, working with clients such as Live Nation, USC, Gensler, and Disney.
In her free time you can find Marie enjoys fine dining, traveling to exotic lands or her native Ecuador, or hanging out at home with her dogs Jax, Rocket, and Lola.
Geoffrey Bernstein
Founder
Geoffrey founded Urban Palate in 2005 and over the past 15 years has successfully grown his start-up into a premier Los Angeles boutique catering and events company. Behind the scenes, he combines his love of great food, good humor and creativity with a dedication to excellence. Geoffrey’s attention to detail and his cultivation of a core team of professionals help him to manage a full-service operation that consistently produces extraordinary events. His commitment to creating delicious customized cuisine and impeccable design focused experiences resonate with his wide-range of corporate, wedding and experiential clients.
Recently locating the UP offices to the Arts District section of downtown LA, Geoffrey outfitted a full-service kitchen and tasting room to plan, create and serve exceptional food and unique experiences that feed off of the amazing energy of the rapidly expanding Arts District. When Geoffrey is not at the office, he can be found on a cycling bike, in the boxing gym or going to a local LA restaurant with family and friends.