Street Style: Meet Leigh Orleans

Few chefs ever get the chance to cook on a national stage, but Leigh Orleans has done it twice. Today, the Hell’s Kitchen alum and Chopped champion has brought her fiery culinary talent and private chef business back somewhere much more personal: right here in Alexandria, Virginia, just a few doors down from where her story first began.

A true Alexandrian, Leigh grew up off the George Washington Parkway. Her love for food started early.

"I was a swimmer, and I just loved to eat," Leigh laughs. "My mom put me and my sister in cooking classes as the solution to try to teach us how to be healthy human beings. It was supposed to be a practical life lesson, but I completely fell in love with it instead."

Despite that early spark, a career in the kitchen wasn't on her radar just yet. Raised in a family of finance professionals, Leigh naturally followed the familiar blueprint—earning a business degree from UNC Chapel Hill and stepping straight into wealth management at Wells Fargo Advisors in Charlotte.

"I did it because I felt like I could build a career out of it," she says, "not because it was filling my cup."

The turning point came when her college sweetheart—and now husband—Elliot, an Army helicopter pilot, was stationed in Savannah, Georgia. The two had met on spring break in college and after years of long distance, Leigh made the move to Savannah. They got married that same week.

That move sparked an unexpected crossroads. Leaving Charlotte also meant leaving her job, as remote wealth management was virtually non-existent in 2018. When local finance positions turned up dry, Leigh pivoted hard and took a job waitressing, complete with a slightly exaggerated resume. "I was a terrible waitress," she admits with a laugh. "Definitely not my calling. Huge respect for front-of-house!"

Struggling with what to do next, she gave herself an ultimatum: find a job in six months or finally go to culinary school. The push she needed came while shopping at a boutique with her husband’s aunt, who spotted Leigh admiring a set of measuring cups.

"I'll buy those for you if you go to culinary school," the aunt said. Leigh took the hint.

"It wasn't really about the measuring cups,” Leigh says. “I think I just needed someone to give me that vote of confidence and tell me I should do this."

Leigh Orleans

Self-Styled

Shoot Location: Hummingbird Bar & Kitchen

Photography: Renée C. Gage

Leigh enrolled in culinary school in 2020, spending two years mastering classical technique. As her skills grew, so did her desire to start her own private chef business.

"When I was working at Wells Fargo, I made a private Instagram account that I didn't tell anybody about," Leigh says. "I just posted the food I was cooking as a hobby to keep track of my recipes. In culinary school, I finally made the account public to share what I was doing and start taking little private chef jobs."

She hoped opening up the page might land her a few local dinner parties. Instead, it handed her an opportunity chefs across the country could only dream of. During her final semester, a producer stumbled across her account—which still had under 1,000 followers—and invited her to apply for Hell’s Kitchen.

“I thought it was spam at first,” she laughs. “I was scared out of my mind, but I had nothing to lose. I was 26 with no brand, so at the very least, people were going to know I could cook."

That leap of faith landed her a coveted spot on Season 22, plunging her into high-stakes dinner services alongside seasoned chefs with decades in the industry. But what Leigh lacked in restaurant mileage, she made up for in raw talent, sharp intellect, and quiet grit. She didn't just hold her own—she outcooked, outmaneuvered, and outlasted almost the entire field, powering through to a stunning sixth-place finish out of 18 contestants.

Her powerhouse performance earned her the ultimate badge of honor from Chef Gordon Ramsay himself. Upon her elimination, the notoriously tough Master Chef handed her a moment of validation that stays with her to this day: "I don't think I've ever come across a chef who got up to speed as fast as you have."

"I owe Hell's Kitchen so much, if not everything," she says.

Chopped followed in late 2024, presenting a completely different arena. To Leigh, Hell’s Kitchen was war, and Chopped was a game–one she had unknowingly spent her entire life training for. 

Growing up, Leigh watched the show religiously with her parents, routinely testing her quick-thinking instincts by predicting what the chefs would build out of each mystery basket. When she finally stepped into the iconic Food Network kitchen herself, that lifelong practice paid off: Leigh conquered the clock, mastered the mystery ingredients, and walked away a Chopped champion.

While national television proved her talent under pressure, Leigh’s heart ultimately belonged to a more intimate stage. Today, she channels that TV-tested mastery into her bespoke private chef business.

Her versatility is where that expertise shines. Whether crafting bespoke multi-course dinner parties, catering intimate corporate retreats, traveling as a private chef, or whipping up weekly hyper-specialized meal prep, Leigh designs every detail to deliver maximum impact. 

"I like food that feels like a complete sentence," she says. "Rich, vibrant, and balanced. I want people to leave thinking, 'That was different,' in a really, really good way."

Her kitchen philosophy is deeply personal, too. Following a thyroid cancer diagnosis and subsequent autoimmune conditions, Leigh mastered adaptive cooking.

"Because of my own health journey, I'm very well-versed in cooking for dietary restrictions," Leigh explains. "I can make a mean gluten-free dish or eliminate whatever is needed. It’s just one of the reasons people should hire private chefs instead of eating out—I can guarantee you’re actually going to be able to eat the food and love it."

Now, Leigh’s journey has come full circle. When her husband's military career opened the door to relocate back to Northern Virginia, she jumped at the chance to put down roots right where her story began. Today, she lives on the exact street where she grew up—right across the street from her parents.

"Living somewhere else made me appreciate how amazing Alexandria is," she says. "As an adult, there's so much to offer here. It's surreal to be back on the same street with the same neighbors."

Much like a Chopped mystery basket, Leigh’s path handed her an improbable collection of ingredients—from a high-stakes career in finance to Gordon Ramsay’s high-pressure line. But what sets her apart isn’t just her TV-tested grit or her master’s-level craft; it’s her innate ability to turn every challenge into pure, unforgettable hospitality. Bold, candid, and undeniably talented, Leigh Orleans isn't just cooking exceptional food—she's creating moments, reclaiming her roots, and serving up the absolute best chapter yet.

ABOUT LEIGH

Your neighborhood: Collingwood (Fort Hunt, depending on how specific) 

Your hometown: Alexandria, VA!

What would surprise people about you? I don’t like soda, and my coffee order is a decaf Americano, black

Favorite movie: O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Guilty pleasure: Van Leeuwen or Tillamook ice cream

Latest binge-read: I recently binge-read The Woman in the Window!

Bucket list travel destination: Anywhere in the Levant (the food!!)

What would your walkout song be? You Only Live Once by The Strokes

Favorite motto/quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” — Churchill

STYLE

Define your style in three words or less: Elevated casual

The go-to piece in your wardrobe: The simple square-neck tank top I own in 16 colors:)

Favorite trend: Looser Pants! Bye skinny jeans!

Beauty product you can’t live without: Ulta Green Tinted Sunscreen and Thrive Mascara

Boots, heels or sneakers? White sneakers

WELLNESS

Go-to way to de-stress: Working out! 

Favorite way to stay active: Recently, kettlebells and long walks

Wellness goal: I was a swimmer my whole childhood, and I want to get back into the pool more!

Want to try: Oof, I’ve tried a lot of Wellness trends haha. Maybe more kinds of facials!

Proudest wellness achievement: Becoming Cancer-free!

HOME

Favorite room in your home: The Kitchen, naturally

Antiques, modern, or a mix? A mix! We were lucky to inherit many beautiful antiques from family

Last item you bought for your home: A living room sofa (but we are renovating so… A LOT recently)

Favorite way to entertain: Have an intimate-sized group over for dinner and wine

Clutter-free or well-lived in? I strive for clutter-free:) 

Next planned purchase: A living room area rug and a new king mattress

ALEXANDRIA

What do you love about Alexandria Stylebook? Learning more about other people in my community/hometown! 

Favorite spot in Alexandria: The bike path

Your go-to shop and food spots and events: Even though I lived here for 18 years growing up, I just recently moved back, so I am excited to explore everything that has changed and find new favorites!  I am so open to recommendations! 

SEE ALSO: Street Style: Meet Anne Marie Koch