Adam Small and his team were recommended to us by a family member who also used his services for her wedding. We could not be happier with the recommendation as the appetizers and entrées were absolutely stunning -- both in flavor and aesthetics! Our biggest difficulty was choosing dishes from his diverse catalog of offerings since they all sounded delicious. He was also very accommodating and made various adjustments to account for particular food allergies that some of our guests had (without compromising on flavor at all). For appetizers, we chose: - Pepper-Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna (Seka Hills EVOO, Sicilian Pesto, Herbs) - Ratatouille Tarts (Puff Pastry, Seka Hills EVOO, Parmigiano Reggiano) - Pistachio Flatbread (Onion, Burrata, Honey, and Chili Oil -- this one was a extra-huge hit with all guests) For dinner, we started with a Local Harvest Salad (Farm Vegetables, Fruit, Vinaigrette, Cheese, and Nuts -- plating was particularly beautiful for the salad), and had three entrée options: - Wagyu New York Steak (Imperial American Wagyu, Roasted Vegetables, Marinated Portobello Mushrooms, Potato Galette, and Red Wine Jus) - Signature Duck (Mary's Crusted Duck Breast, Hind-Quarter Confit, Potato Cake, Charred Vegetables, and Duck Jus) - Roasted Butternut Squash with Cannellini Beans (Charred Vegetables, Marinated Portobello Mushrooms, and Saffron-Rosemary Broth) Throughout our entire wedding and afterwards, guests were telling us how impressed they were and that it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding! He and his team arrived right on schedule, set up (including silverware and plates) cooked and served outstanding food, provided extremely attentive service, and then cleaned up, leaving the kitchen absolutely spotless (while also deftly navigating a brief power outage!). We cannot recommend Adam Small Cooks highly enough! His food, attention to detail, and service are truly next level. Thank you again for making our wedding so special! read more

Adam Small Cooks - Local Harvest Salad (Farm Vegetables, Fruit, Vinaigrette, Cheese, and Nuts) - Personal Chefs Near Me

Chef Adam was amazing!!! We celebrated a friend's birthday with 6 people at an Airbnb in Sonoma. We had a six course menu (see below for details) that was excellent! For the vegetarian in the group (me) he was able to whip up a wonderful dish when everyone else was eating halibut. Every single dish was a stand out and the group was so happy with how everything turned out. This was a wish of the birthday girl - to have a private chef and to spend time with her girlfriends. She was blown away by the experience. The 6 course meal included: Fried Baby Artichokes: lemon aioli, herbs, chili oil Flatbread: preserved truffle, pistachios, onion, burrata, honey, chili oil Ash Roasted Beets: kimchi honey, pistachios, ravigote, feta Charred Zucchini Agnolotti: fried sage, brown butter, lemon, pepper, parmigiana Seared Halibut: fennel-potato salad, herbs, haricot vert, preserved truffle champagne sauce Under-Baked Chocolate Cake: Italian meringue, Luxardo cherries, cocoa nibs Also, our kitchen was left spotless! Thanks again Chef Adam for giving us the perfect first day of our trip! read more

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Adam recently prepared an amazing dinner for ten in Sebastopol. What a treat it was for everyone! Adam was super easy to work with when planning the menu and the entire meal was simply delicious. It will be one of the meals the family talks about for years to come. Adam provided everything except the wine and glassware. I couldn't have asked for a better culinary experience! Thanks Chef Adam! read more

I hired Chef Adam for a birthday celebration dinner for 9 people. A few days before the dinner, Chef Adam suggested different type of wines to pair with the food. He and his assistant Rob were punctual and brought all silverware and dishes to include flowers for the table. Chef Adam prepared 5 well presented amazing dishes packed with flavors. He also explained every dish as they were being served. The kitchen was left spotless. Thank you Chef for such fantastic food and making our evening so much more memorable! Menu: Ash Roasted Beets, Flatbread, Smoke Butternut Squash Soup, Lamb/Halibut, Sri Lankan Crème Brûlée. read more

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Hired Adam to host an intimate business lunch at the winery I work at in Calistoga. He was incredibly professional and an absolute pleasure to work with. His culinary skills are outstanding. The food was great and paired perfectly with the wines. I truly can't say enough about the quality and creativity he brings to the table. Looking forward to booking him again soon! read more

Adam Small was hired for my bachelorette party. I wasn't part of the hiring process / menu selection, but I was lucky enough to be a recipient of this perfectly executed and delicious meal. Adam and his assistant arrived on time, brought flowers for the tablescape and all their own cutlery and plates. We also did a wine pairing with our meal. Adam plated and served each course, and washed and cleaned everything afterwards. The kitchen was spotless when they left! We had the duck and it was AMAZING. First course: a flatbread with truffle, burrata, pistachios and honey Second course: a salad with fennel, strawberries, and pine nuts Third course: snow pea agnolotti (this was delicious) Fourth course: duck two ways, breast and confit with purple polenta. The duck was amazing - the confit was delicious. The duck breast was the best I've ever had. Sometimes duck breast can be thready because it's cooked rare, but Adam's duck breast was rare and tender Fifth course: a perfectly set creme brûlée with a spicy cinnamon I would not hesitate to hire Adam next time we're in Sonoma. The meal was excellent, the service was impeccable, and the professionalism was top notch (we had some guests dancing on tables and that didn't interrupt the dinner service flow.) read more

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We hired Adam to prepare a business dinner for 12 in our home, and it was a phenomenal experience in every way. The food was delicious, sophisticated, and beautifully plated. Adam and his assistant brought EVERYTHING and left the kitchen spotless upon departure. I would recommend Adam to even the pickiest foodie friend and look forward to hiring him again! read more

We celebrated a 50th wedding anniversary where Adam and team provided amazing services. Our family thoroughly enjoyed every single part of the evening. Adam and team executed perfectly from the appetizers, to the champagne toast, to the amazing main courses. Whether people had the Osso Buco, Salmon, Vegan, or Vegetarian options everyone was thrilled. Most of all the guests of honorsaid it was beyond what they could have imagined and were over the moon with excitement. I'm looking for excuses to use them again soon! Thank you Adam and team! read more

My friends and total of 8 women got together in May to celebrate our 40th birthday. So to make it special and to treat ourselves we decided to hire a private chef to prepare dinner. I was assigned the task to find someone. I'm so glad I found Adam. He was delightful to work with. He took time to explain to me what the process was like, he asked questions about what kind of food each women liked so he could come up with a custom menu. He was prompt at arriving the day of event at the Airbnb we had rented. He set up the dining table and placed a beautiful bouquet of flowers. We had 7 courses and it was the best food I've had this far. My friends were raving so much about the food. Do yourself a favor and just hire him. These Yelp reviews are legit. I know I will be contacting him again in the future. Thanks Adam read more

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Chef Adam curated an incredible dinner for 6 for a private event and he went above and beyond for the group despite quite challenging food restriction of our guests. He has an amazing followup and followthrough along with very thoughtful paperwork and prep as well as advance prep for the menu and setting clear expectations that got the guests really excited. Chef Adam is incredibly consistent with his plating and the food was served in impeccably beautiful setting. Super grateful to Chef Adam who went above and beyond and highly recommend to private and intimate dinners for special guests. read more

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Adam came out to our place for a birthday dinner. And I'll start this by saying I don't like most food. Im a super picky eater, but it wasnt my birthday or my menu selection, so when gazpacho was on the menu.. I thought, oh no, I don't like tomatoes or cucumbers. BUT Adam showed up to impress. Not only did i eat my whole bowl, but I finished the left overs as well. Every thing that he created was absolutely delicious. So food wise its a clear choice choose him. He also showed up right on time, he is a one man show, which I know from experience is a huge deal. He brought in everything he needed, made an amazing multi course dinner, packed up while we were still eating and left the place clean. The work it takes to even carry in the things he brought was impressive. The most important part, was he was beyond nice and respectful. He was professional and genuine. He even made a beautiful centerpiece. Im looking forward to hiring him again. Because I absolutely will be doing so. read more

Adam Small Cooks - Adam after dinner. - Personal Chefs Near Me

Adam was such a pleasure to have as a private chef! Our party had a 5 course meal and every course was magnificent. I honestly don't know where I can get the same quality of food at a restaurant. His attention to detail and how he narrate each dish made it such a great experience. He even helped with wine pairings for each course to tie it all together. Will definitely reach out to him again. read more

I wanted to do something special for my partner's birthday, but really didn't want to go to restaurant with the all the Covid restrictions and automatic service charge for a larger party (10 people). One of my friends recommended Adam Small and I am so glad to have found him. We spoke ahead of time, and he designed an amazing 8 course menu with some unique ingredients that I never heard of! I went for more smaller mains because Adam mentioned so many great dishes and I couldn't decide. 1st course: Fall squash tart with fennel pollen and pomegranate. 2nd course: Aged cheddar hoe cakes with charred tomato jam and black garlic aioli. 3rd course: Market salad with ash roasted onion dressing. 4th course: Ste Jorge mac & cheese with piquillo peppers and anchovy bread crumbs 5th course: Duck confit agnolotti with creamed chick peas and crispy shallots 6th course: Fennel pollen dusted King salmon with caper relish and candied delecata squash 7th course: Balsamic-honey glazed fried chicken with ginger lime-scented sweet potatoes 8th course: Sri Lankan cinnamon creme brulee and banana cream pudding with roasted graham crackers We all felt like we were on the show of Top Chef as Chef Adam explained each course before serving, except no one had to pack their knives and go! Every course was fabulous, and I think everyone had different favorites - Mine was the fried chicken. One other bonus was he recommended wine pairings for each, but I was able to buy them myself at retail cost not restaurant cost! Most importantly, he cleaned up after as if they weren't even there! If you want to do a special dinner party, I highly recommend Adam Small Cooks! (P.S. We forgot to take a picture of the desserts, trust me, they were decadent!) read more

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We had Adam cook our anniversary dinner, as we just got new puppies and were looking for something special at home. Adam was very well prepared and came on time, plus he was very easy to work with. He cooked a 5 course meal for us. 1st course:  Smoked Butternut squash soup.   2nd course:  Trout Roe & Charred Onion Dip 3rd course:  Ash Roasted Beets salad  4th course:  Herb Roasted Lamb Loin 5th course:  Port Poached Pear He brought everything with him and set the table up very nicely for us. All the dishes were very high quality with great presentation and we really enjoyed them. I'd recommend Adam's services to anyone! read more

Adam Small Cooks - Personal Chefs Near Me

Adam cooked a wonderful 5 course meal for eight of us a few weeks back. Everyone said that this was some of the best food they ever had. Adam is a delight to have around; he pays great attention to all details, including superb place settings, flowers, and service. Recommend him very highly and we look forward to having him back soon!! read more

Adam came to our home wedding and was absolutely perfect! He and his team took care of everything and the food was some of the best food I've had read more

Adam Small Cooks - Black Cod and filet mignon! The best ever! - Personal Chefs Near Me

Adam made an incredible dinner for two couples during a recent trip to Sonoma. He came to our Airbnb and made an amazing 6 course tasting menu. He brought everything in and provided amazing service and his food was insane. One of the best experiences, we've had and a big highlight to the trip. read more

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Adam is amazing. Our meal was so thoughtfully prepared and was absolutely delicious. He is very professional but also friendly, so if you're nervous about having someone in your house while cooking, don't be! We had a great time with Adam and I couldn't recommend him more highly. (He also left the kitchen cleaner than he found it in our Airbnb)! Thank you so much- we will never forget our meal in Cali! read more

Just had all of friends in Napa for my wife's 40th celebration. Planning was so simple and the food was fantastic. He was flexible and accommodating. Exactly what we were looking for. He was also very accommodating to some of the dietary restrictions within our group. If we are back again would call again in the future. read more

I had just about given up searching for a caterer for my husband's 50th birthday party (about 35 family and friends) when I came across Adam's Yelp page. What a stroke of luck! The experience was top notch from start to finish. He was responsive, flexible and helpful during the planning phase, offered exciting menu options, and was even kind enough to reschedule the date when COVID interfered with our Plan A. Of course the most important part is the food! Everything he served was delicious, vibrant, beautifully composed and elicited so many compliments. The tomato tart was a smash hit, the salmon tender and flavorful and the burrata with chickpeas downright addictive. But the ash roasted beets were the star of the show. Adam and his assistant Rob were beyond professional. I hope we can work together again in the future. read more

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We had a great 60th Birthday Party event for 8 at our house recently and the entire event run by Adam exceeded the high expectations I read about in other reviews! The food was extraordinary and beautifully presented. Every guest commented how great the food was. Beyond that, Adam is a real pro and a pleasure to work with. We had 2 guests running late and he was patient and flexible with the start time for food. He saved the day by helping with a cork from a 2000 Bordeaux wine and kindly offered to open wine for us. I hope we can use him again and would give 6 stars out of 5 if I could. read more

Adam cooked an absolutely FANTASTIC dinner for about a dozen of us to celebrate my husband's 50th B-day. I am a passionate foodie, love to cook, and have been to lots of great restaurants over the years, but this was my first time hiring a private chef. I was nervous--it's an investment and I really did not know if we'd be disappointed. I was SO HAPPY with the decision to hire adam for our dinner. He made the process easy. I loved the hors d'oeuvres section of the night, which he designed sort of "custom" for us... that really made the night very fun and sophisticated. Sit-down dinner was wonderful, all the food felt original, looked beautiful, and tasted delicious. Nothing was fussy, all the food had soul. Highlights were salmon jowl, ash-roasted beet (the best beet ever), and the duck. No misteps even with so many courses! Adam brought an assistant to help with service, plus all the dishes and service items. We had a splendid time, very memorable, and found the kitchen clean after the evening was finished. What a treat! Not to mention they were super nice and easy to work with. We did our own fancy cocktails to start and Adam gave some good suggestions for wine pairings. We opted to bring in a birthday cake in place of his dessert because birthday (and did hors d'oeuvres instead). Oh and Adam dealt beautifully with the food needs of my vegetarian and gluten-free guests. Hire Adam, you will be thrilled. read more

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Chef Adam curated the PERFECT meal for me and my 10 guests at our rental property in Sonoma! It was so easy and wonderful working with Adam. From my initial inquiry to (sadly) parting ways, the experience was seamless. Chef Adam went above and beyond in making our evening extra special. He brought fabulous floral displays to go along with his perfectly placed tablescape. He and his assistant, Rob, also served us wine that we pre-purchased during each course! I cannot recommend Chef Adam enough and am looking forward to having him over the next time I am in Sonoma!! read more

I found Adam here on Yelp and the 5 star reviews did not steer me wrong. I reached out to learn more about his services for an intimate birthday dinner with close friends and family. Adam was responsive and shared helpful details of what to expect. I reserved the date and we exchanged emails leading up to the event to finalize the menu, headcount, etc. The evening of the dinner was nothing less than spectacular. The food (every single course) the service, and the experience was more than me and my guests could have ever imagined. I highly recommend at least one dinner experience with Adam - you will not be disappointed and will undoubtedly book more! I certainly plan to! read more

When you think of a personal chef you make some assumptions: stuffy, overly fanciful, financially out of reach, etc. Well- that is not the case with Adam. In planing my birthday dinner I reached out with the number of guests and budget in mind and bashfully asked if he could accommodate us on that budget. The answer was yes and of course. Adam truly created a magical dinner for six people. His specialty is Northern Italian, but he can do all things! His food felt like the best blend of Italian and French with a California twist and all served with his genuine southern boy hospitality. My requests were something with peas, pasta (of course), and no red meat or avocado (I'm allergic.) Adam created a truly magical dinner. Appetizer of basil pea purée served on crostinis and tomato gazpacho shooters while we drank champagne. The main course was pistachio pesto trumpet pasta with Parmesan cheese. YUM. Adam was such a fun host and make the night feel so special. We will for sure be using him again! read more

Adam cooked for a party of eight for my wife's birthday. His food was terrific - refined and expertly presented - and a hit with all. The beets were memorable, and on my list to try and (roughly) replicate. He and his server were gracious and extremely helpful, and jumped to take over the special cocktails I was making and to bring out the extra cakes I had ordered. From start to finish, a really great experience working with Adam. read more

We hired Adam to prepare a 6-course dinner for 16 as part of a wedding celebration weekend. Adam was absolutely amazing throughout the entire process. Not only was the food innovative, delicious (that savory budino!), and beautifully plated, but the service during the meal was outstanding. Adam and his team made everything so easy, and we would love to hire him again. All of the five-star reviews are warranted. read more

BOOK. THIS. CHEF. Adam was a great communicator from the beginning as we planned our experience for a group of 4 traveling to CA from NC for vacation. He was able to meet our dietary accommodations easily while providing an incredible 5 course meal. Adam's culinary skills are legit and the dishes he created were unique takes on local fresh ingredients. He brought everything he could possibly need, even the dishes and flatware. Adam even brought some wood chips and a blow torch for some of his culinary creations that night! We didn't have to lift a finger and Adam was wonderful to talk to. He explained every dish as he was cooking and answered all of our questions. He's easy going and completely unpretentious. An expert Chef that was chill and professional all at the same time. He also gave great wine paring recommendations so we were able to pick up some bottles from local wineries we visited to go with the meal. Loved this experience so much and loved Adam! Big thanks to him for adding a special touch to our vacation! read more

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Wow! What an amazing experience all around! Adam was so lovely to work with and very attentive towards our food sensitivities. The food wowed us and all our guests, every course was so thoughtfully prepared and plated. Perfection from start to finish! read more

Adam Small Cooks - Personal Chefs Near Me

Chef Adam cooked an amazing meal for a group of 8 of us in Sonoma. Each course was delicious. He was also able to accommodate our specific requests. Chef Adam was professional, timely, and left the kitchen cleaner than when we got to the house! If you are looking for a personalized private gourmet meal, look no further! read more

We had the most amazing dinner with Adam Small Cooks for my mom's 70th birthday! Adam supplied the full table scape, wine pouring, and a superb meal. We would recommend him again and again! read more

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Adam is the real deal! The meal he cooked for us was delicious. Each course had a long list of ingredients that came together subtly but perfectly - it was obvious that Adam cares deeply about his craft. He also worked with a few food restrictions in a way that made everyone feel they had a special dish for every course. Beyond the food - Adam was fun to talk to, did a great job explaining the dishes, and left the kitchen absolutely spotless. I am definitely looking forward to the next opportunity I get to hire Adam. read more

Adam has now cooked for us twice and I cannot praise him or his food enough. Many menu choices, often reflecting the best of California, and all expertly prepared and presented. He is incredibly well prepared and leaves the kitchen better than he found it. He leaves the host with nothing to do but enjoy the evening. Adam, thank you!! read more

Adam recently prepared a birthday dinner for my wife and a handful of our guests. From the start, he was a pleasure to work with and very responsive. Menu planning was easy and he was open to small adjustments to accommodate both food preferences and allergies. On the evening of the event he brought everything with him (dishware, cookware) and also brought flowers as a gift for my wife which was a really sweet touch. His food was truly incredible. He exceeded our expectations and executed one of the best meals we've ever had! Everyone who attended was incredibly impressed and agreed that the food was fantastic. I would absolutely hire him again (and hope we have the chance to do so soon!) read more

WOW! I can't say enough good things about our experience with Adam! He helped me curate a perfect 6-course meal for my husband's birthday during our recent trip to Healdsburg. Each dish was incredible, packed with flavor, and plated beautifully. We felt like we were eating at a 5-star restaurant within the comfort of the home. Adam brought everything that we needed and by the end of the night, it didn't even look like someone had been in the kitchen. His level of service and quality of food is unmatched. We will definitely work with Adam again on another trip to Healdsburg and highly recommend that you work with him as well! read more

I hired Adam for my wife's 40th at an Airbnb we rented for a group of 10. He was prompt, responsive, super clear, flexible etc. Everything was easy leading up to the event. On the day of, they showed up with everything, got the food ready and rolled with our time constraints. The dinner service fantastic. And all 10 of our guests raved about the food. While there was a clear winner in terms of a dish (duck agnolotti) all the courses were fantastic. I highly recommend Adam and would gladly hire him again. read more

Overdue review; I hired Adam and his assistant, Rob, to host a dinner for 9 in February 2022 and they made me look awesome! :) Adam was fairly responsive and we were able to pull together a menu and contract within two days. He ran into some traffic day of but called ahead to let us know. It wasn't a problem because he built plenty of buffer time in. During the event, Adam and Rob were attuned to our timing and had everything ready to roll when we wanted to start appetizers, and later, dinner. Everything was beautifully presented and tasted great (I had no idea carrots could be so interesting), and they were happy to answer questions. They also left the kitchen cleaner than they found it. They left everyone buzzing about what a great experience it was. Thank you, Adam and Rob!! read more

Adam was amazing! His food was outstanding. He and his team came to our wedding and made an amazing meal, and cleaned up the entire kitchen when finished. Heard from numerous people it was the best steak they've ever had. Filet was awesome, Black Cod, and we did artichoke appetizers and smoked salmon. Definitely the best! read more

We had a private birthday celebration and I don't think I've ever had such delicious food! One of, if not best, dinners ever!

We hired Adam for a private dinner on 12/9/2022. We cannot say enough good things about our experience with him. He prepared 5 fantastic courses for 6 of us. Everyone at the table was impressed with each course. Our party had some dietary restrictions, but he offered a creative menu and fantastic alternative dishes for the members of our group who needed it. We are already hoping to get him on the books for our next visit to the Napa/Sonoma area. I definitely recommend him if you're looking to hire a private chef! read more

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