Aimée McElroy, a full-time resident of Asbury Park, previously lived in Jersey City and worked in Manhattan from 1996 to 2014. Her career began in the arts, where she gained experience working in museums and art galler­ies. Her culinary journey started as a creative outlet when she enrolled in night classes at the French Culinary Institute in 2008. Moving her focus on wood fired bread baking and pizza she began traveling extensively along the west coast visiting small wood fired kitchens. This newfound passion set her on a path toward opening her own establishment.

Her professional journey in the culinary world began as a bread apprentice at II Buco Alimentari, NYC, in 2011. From there she worked as a pizza maker at Porta and a bread baker and pizza maker at Talula's, both in Asbury Park, NJ, from 2014-16. With the vision for a wood fired oven and a brick and mortar, Medusa Stone Fired Kitchen was opened in Asbury Park in 2016 by Aimée and then partner Lauren Castellini. Medusa closed in 2022.

In May 2024 Catbird Asbury Park opened, seamlessly merging her artistic sensibilities with her culinary skills, creating a unique dining experience. Aimee's background in sculpture, the arts and hands-on work, combined with her family's culinary influences and elevated dining experi­ences, shape her approach to all things bread and food.