Asbury Park, New Jersey – In an era of increasingly curated online personas, chefs Chuck Cruz and Hailee Catalano offer something remarkably genuine. Their Friday night dinner series, initially blossoming on TikTok and now a consistent draw for thousands of viewers, isn’t about aspirational gastronomy or meticulously styled food photography. It’s about the simple joy of cooking – and sharing that process with a warmth that feels increasingly rare online.
Cruz and Catalano’s journey began not in a gleaming, professional kitchen, but in the fundamentals class at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, in 2012. Their first encounter was less than auspicious. Cruz, arriving two hours late on the first day, immediately challenged the chef instructor. Catalano, observing from the sidelines, initially pegged him as an intensely skilled, perhaps even arrogant, culinary prodigy. “He’s probably a really intense, so-good-at-cooking, like, chef guy,” she remembers thinking.
The reality, as Cruz readily admits, was quite different. His pre-culinary school experience consisted of stints at The Cheesecake Factory and a Chinese buffet. While Catalano had already honed her skills through high school cooking competitions, Cruz found himself grappling with basic concepts. “I was going, what the hell are mother sauces?” he recalls, laughing with Catalano at the memory of orientation. “Hailee knew all of them. I was like, damn, how does she know that?”
This disparity in experience proved to be the foundation of a perfect partnership. Paired as station partners, they naturally gravitated towards helping each other. “When we were paired together, we would both try to help each other out,” Catalano explains. “It was fun. [I realized] he’s not intense. He’s just a goofy, funny guy.” That initial connection blossomed into a romantic relationship in 2014, and they subsequently navigated the demanding world of restaurant kitchens together, first in Chicago (Catalano’s hometown) and then in Jersey City, often working side-by-side on the same station.
“We’re just good at cooking together for some reason,” Catalano observes. “The dynamic is hard usually, working with someone in a high-pressure situation. But we always just know where the other person is going.” This intuitive understanding extends beyond the professional realm, shaping the relaxed and collaborative atmosphere that defines their online presence.
The transition to TikTok began for Catalano in 2020. Initially skeptical – “At first I thought it was just the dancing,” she says – she soon discovered the platform’s potential for sharing her culinary passion. Her account quickly gained traction, amassing nearly two million followers. The creation of @2peoplecooking, their joint account, solidified their appeal. Their videos aren’t about complex techniques or unattainable ingredients; they’re about the comfort of a shared meal, the joy of experimentation, and the unpretentious beauty of everyday cooking.
The couple’s approach stands in stark contrast to the often-hyper-produced content that dominates food-focused corners of the internet. As The Cut noted in a recent profile, they’ve managed to avoid the “snark” and criticism leveled at many other TikTok food creators. Their content feels authentic, a genuine reflection of their relationship and their shared love of food.
For Cruz and Catalano, cooking and creating videos have become intrinsically linked to their quality time together. “When we compare to how we used to cook together in high stress, nowadays—and we still enjoyed it then—the way we get to cook together, now it really is our time of enjoyment and spending time together,” Catalano says. “It’s been our hobby for so many years, and really it’s just like having a partner to be nerdy and hobby with, that’s what we like to do.” Their shared “nerdiness” extends to a playful obsession with regional hot dog variations, a tradition they embrace whenever they travel.
Even their Valentine’s Day traditions reflect their down-to-earth sensibilities. Their first Valentine’s Day as culinary school students was spent at Burger King, a location unexpectedly adorned with Valentine’s Day decorations. “And I was like, this is the perfect Valentine’s Day for me,” Catalano recalls fondly. “A chicken sandwich and a slushee at a plastic pink tablecloth at Burger King.”
The couple’s success isn’t simply about recipes; it’s about connection. They’ve tapped into a desire for authenticity and simplicity in a world saturated with carefully constructed online facades. Their kitchen in Asbury Park, New Jersey, a space that includes *two* fully functioning cooking areas (as highlighted by Dwell magazine), isn’t a sterile, high-pressure environment like the one depicted in the television show The Bear. It’s a haven of creativity, collaboration, and genuine enjoyment – and viewers are invited to share in that warmth, one Friday night dinner at a time. On , they even shared a glimpse into celebrating Chuck’s birthday with fried chicken wings and a Christmas broccoli casserole, further solidifying their relatable and inviting online presence.
