Authentic Experience
About Us
A lifelong devotion
With over 50 years of culinary mastery, Chef Nelci Vieira’s journey began in the kitchens of Minas Gerais, a region celebrated as the soulful heart of Brazilian home cooking. Her craft matured in Goiás, where she built a life, raised a family, and refined the flavors that define her heritage.
After nearly two decades of becoming a part of the Bay Area community and honing her skills in mainstream Brazilian steakhouses and pizzerias, Chef Nelci is finally realizing her lifelong dream: a kitchen of her own.
Founded by Chef Nelci Vieira, whose culinary journey began in the kitchens of Minas Gerais, a region celebrated as the soulful heart of Brazilian home cooking, Nelci’s Kitchen is the realization of a lifelong dream.
There is no Secret
Authentic Hospitality: We welcome guests with genuine Brazilian warmth, treating every visitor like a guest in our own home.
Artisanal Integrity: We prioritize traditional methods, from high-protein flour for 72-hour cold-fermented dough to the precision of backyard-style grilling.
Culinary Heritage: Our kitchen is built on the 50-year legacy of Chef Nelci, ensuring every recipe carries decades of expertise and soul.
Quality Sourcing: We bridge Brazilian tradition with California’s best, utilizing premium organic ingredients and local farm produce.
Communal Spirit: We designed our space as a connector—a dedicated environment for shared moments and local community.
Vibrant Energy: We bring “Alegria” (joy) and passion to every interaction, ensuring a dining experience full of life and color.
Transparent Craft: We believe in the details, combining technical excellence with meticulous ingredient sourcing to deliver superior, consistent products.
What We Do Best
We offer a curated selection of menu options perfected through decades of expertise and technical rigor.
Brazilian Grill
From hand-trimmed steaks to traditional chicken hearts—each cut is prepared using time-honored techniques from the South of Brazil to ensure peak flavor and texture.
Artisanal Pizzas
Precision-engineered dough meets California-sourced ingredients. Experience a superior, airy, light-textured crust crafted with high-protein flours and patient, traditional methods.
Chef Nelci’s Signature Recipes
A curated selection of soulful Brazilian classics and Italian-inspired pastas and salads, crafted from Chef Nelci’s fifty-year collection of family recipes.
How We Meet You
The Dining Experience (Dine-In): Our space in downtown San Mateo is designed to be a strong point of connection, offering a warm environment where communal spirit and Brazilian “Alegria” come to life over a shared meal.
Artisanal Quality at Home (Delivery): We have optimized our technical processes—including our high-hydration, long-fermented dough—to ensure that the integrity and flavor of our pizza remains superior even when delivered to your doorstep.
Bringing the Grill to You (Catering): From large-scale professional gatherings to intimate backyard-style celebrations, we provide full-service catering that brings our signature flame-grilled meats and Chef Nelci’s heritage recipes to your special events.