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 Patricia Blake McNamee, a Greenwich native and the youngest of 9 children, explored her cooking interests when she started taking cooking classes in Manhattan at Cordon Bleu and with Italian super chef Marcella Hazan. Determined to broaden her culinary talents, Patty enrolled in the New York Restaurant School and later worked for Weight Watchers Magazine and Gracie Mansion Restaurant in Greenwich, Connecticut. She also worked as a junior chef at the venerable Homestead Restaurant in Greenwich in the beginning years of her career.
Cooking has always been a passion of Patty's, but not necessarily a lifetime ambition. This changed in 1989 when she was forced into survival mode when a divorce from her husband of 15 years left her in a financial tragedy. Patty created her catering business out of adversity and necessity. At 40 years old with three small children, no college degree, and loads of debts, Patricia Blake used her anger and pushed through by doing what she loved to do. Cook. "Maids Night Out" was formed in 1989 in which she delivered meals right to people's doorsteps. Patty worked day and night from her house with a tiny kitchen, one stove, and four burners trying to keep up with the incredible demand.
One year later and without any advertising, her business had grown strictly from word-of-mouth to a point where she could move her business to an official kitchen separate from her residence. She took out a loan, purchased more kitchen equipment and changed the name of her operation to Patricia Blake Catering in 1990.
Today, Patty continues to grow and expand her business and recently relocated her operation to Darien, Connecticut. Her new facility is a 1,100 square foot space on Tokeneke Road. A survivor in every sense of the word, Patricia Blake has built a solid and prosperous business that she knows and enjoys. Her three children are all college educated and living productive lives and Patty is happily re-married to accountant Jack McNamee.
Patricia Blake McNamee is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the Darien Chamber of Commerce.
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