Chef Lilly Gjekmarkaj Lilly Gjekmarkaj

Nataline (Lilly) Gjekmarkaj was born in a small town in Central Albania called Elbasan. Nataline’s deep appreciation for Mediterranean cuisine was developed at a young age where her Chef mother, Dila, exposed her to different dishes. Nataline went to college to study Economics but her long passion for cooking never disappeared. She continued catering part-time after graduating from college and one day even brought her homemade recipes to her restaurant Byrek & Baguette in Seattle.