~ Bios

Chuck Goldstein grew up in Southern California where his family exposed him to a variety of difference cuisines. "It seemed like my parents were trying some new recipe about every evening for dinner. Thanks to my family, I grew an appreciation for such a wide variety of great food. And you'll see that love for the eclectic in our menu."

Marci grew up in Memphis where her mother was known as one of the best ethnic food chefs in the city. She studied interior design and was one of Lord & Taylor's top stylists in Houston. You can see that interior design talent in our unique catering presentations at Heart & Soul.

In 1984, Chuck came to the Memphis area where he met Marci. He lived in Memphis with family where one of his chefs took him to Tunica where he was first introduced to authentic southern cooking. "I remember cooking chitlins out back at our house. We'd raise and kill our own chickens. That's an experience you'll never forget. It's how I became the Southern chef I am. I haven't forgotten my roots," said Chuck.

In the mid-'90s, Chuck and Marci opened a soul food restaurant on Lamar. The food was such a hit in the community that customers were begging for Chuck and Marci to offer catering services. What made their food such a hit? It was innovative. To do this day, Chuck and Marci travel every six months to a new city or country known for its culinary innovations. They talk with the best, bring these innovations back to Memphis, and then find unusual ways to make these creations their own. And so their eclectic menu is an amazing blend of national and international cuisines. 

Michael Francis was born and raised in Memphis, TN. He found his passion for cooking at a very young age, watching his mother and grandmother prepare the basic southern cuisine and watching Julia Child every day of PBS. After playing college baseball, he felt that the culinary field was the career he wanted to venture into. He was a graduate of the Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach, FL in the top of the class. Michael ventured back to Memphis, and bases a lot of his food knowledge and creativity to the late Bistro 122. Being in the culinary field, changing jobs is a norm. Michael has owned and operated his own restaurant in Hot Springs, AR, was a Research & Development Chef for a management/consulting firm, the cuisine was vast-fast food to fine dining. Lastly, he was a chocolatier at Dinstuhl’s Candy. Michael has now found his chosen path catering at Heart & Soul Catering. He strives on taste, presentation and service to each and every guest and Heart & Soul Catering has provided him with the creative outlet that he was searching for to fulfill his passion. Through his many years and experiences, Micahel loves to work with all types of cuisine. He enjoys fusing cuisines together, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Caribbean, French, Italian, Spanish and of course Southern American, all can be mixed and matched to create something new and exciting. The most attractive aspect of Heart & Soul Catering is being able to create and imagine, we have no set menu. Every event and client we encounter is different and each have different wants, concerns and themes. We are able to devise and create menus that will suit each function.