I came across Gmarket from an internet search - and thought wow ALL five stars?!? And my experience…read morewas absolutely the same!! I wanted to plan a birthday dinner at my home and hadn't worked with a private chef before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The short of it is I was blown away by Frank and his team from start to finish!! Frank was very responsive after my first inquiry and subsequent (read: MANY) requests. He proposed an amazing menu while accommodating several severe allergy requests. I changed the number of guests several times, which he also just rolled with. And then (!), I realized I REQUESTED THE WRONG DATE. A major error on my part. I don't recommend doing that, but Frank was also somehow able to accommodate my date change. I was incredibly grateful for that!! The dinner itself with Chef Charley was INSANELY DELICIOUS. We had an amazing round of starters, followed by a multi-course dinner and dessert. Everything was just SO, SO good. So flavorful. Cooked just perfectly. And there was plenty of food for all of the guests. (I was worried that maybe there wouldn't be generously sized portions, but this was not the case whatsoever.) On top of that, Chef Charley himself was an awesome guy and I really enjoyed working with him. We spoke before the dinner to run through everything, he helped make the dinner layout look gorgeous with some extra props I wasn't even expecting, and his cleanup job was A+. Icing on the cake for an incredibly talented chef!!! I am truly looking forward to my next opportunity to work with Frank, Charley and their team again!

BELIEVE THE HYPE. We are a difficult crowd to impress and Gmarket soared above our expectations for…read morea 15-person Thanksgiving extravaganza. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to host our loved ones at our home. We trusted Gmarket at the helm and we are very grateful and glad we did. This team is professional, responsive and cares about their work in a way that translates to the table. Exceptional food. Our guests were heard singing the praises throughout diner, on repeat. We were a rowdy bunch and Chef Bobby and his crew knew how to handle us. By the end of the night, it felt like we were all celebrating the holiday together. We are grateful to Gmarket for the memories and I am looking for another excuse to get a caterer!

My boss gave my wife and me a private dinner with Brian at home as our wedding present…read more Best. Wedding. Present. EVER. Brian arrived promptly at 5:30pm as agreed, and over the ensuing five hours, he whipped up a wicked four course meal while we sat back and enjoyed the show. Blackened shrimp with Creole remoloude...finger lickin' good. Jumbo lump crab cake with spiced Dijon lemon vinaigrette...heavenly. Seared baby lamb chops with mascarpone mashed potatoes and rosemary butter cream sauce...saliva inducing. Dark chocolate molten cake with quad berry sauce and lemon vanilla whipped cream...it's so fluffy I'm gonna die! In addition to his ridiculously tasty food, Brian's personality is electric. Talking to a stranger for five hours in your home would normally be awkward, but not with Brian. He had us rolling on the floor laughing with stories from his crazy life and cooking for A-list actors and athletes. He was also very inclusive of us in his cooking...explaining what he was doing all along the way and asking us to taste this and that at each stage of the meal's preparation. We highly recommend Brian for all your cooking and entertaining needs!

Well, in spite of the anonymous peach who posted the 1 star review, I somehow managed to be brave…read moreenough to book Brian to cook as a surprise birthday present for my girlfriend. The food was excellent, the conversation was a blast, and I would (and will) recommend him to everyone I know.

Chef Pamela Anne catered my family's Christmas lunch and did a phenomenal job. The food all tasted…read moredelicious, and the best part is that it's all homemade instead of restaurant catering. She put a lot of time coming up with a menu for me, and even printed out festive cards for the guests. She is very transparent with pricing and leaves you receipts. I will definitely be working with her again!

Chef Pamela took great care of my entire families meal needs for several months after my wife had…read moremajor surgery. She provided all our daily meals "breakfeast, lunch and dinner" for 7 days a week. The variety of food choices she supplied us to pick from weekly as well as making many dishes we asked for was wonderful, there was nothing she was not able to make for us. The food was delivered to our home in individual containers for all the different food selections which we would then warm up in the mirco-wave accordingly. The food was fresh and cooked perfectly. She provided the receipts for all the purchases each week and the pricing for her services were more than fair. I would not hesitate again to call on Chef Pamela anytime for my catering needs or if we just need help with meals again. She was a life savor!! Keep up with the great home cooking for us all!

Chef Angela and her assistant Pam provided our family with a wonderful crab boil we will never…read moreforget. Her attention to detail and passion about culinary arts was evident in every part of the meal she created for us. We enjoyed every morsel and detail. We also appreciated how flexible she was working with what we had at a secondary home! Thank you!!!! We will DEFINITELY see you again!

Chef Angela and her Sous Chef, Tamara, were fantastic! We celebrated a bachelorette getaway and…read moretried to make it super special during Covid and hired Chef Angela for the event. They were on time, brought everything, including dishes, table clothes, cloth napkins, flowers etc , served really good food and then cleaned everything up beautifully! Both of them were super friendly and personable and Chef Angela was easy to communicate with before the event. We could not have been more pleased! Thank you for creating such a special evening for the bride-to-be!

Oooh how much we love Chef D'Andre. Last year around this time, my now husband and I were looking…read morefor a Chef to create a plant-based menu for our wedding in June 2023. Thanks to Thumbtack, we stumbled upon this incredible human being. Since we preplanned with our Chef well in advance, we formed a great relationship with Chef DeAndre over time. There were a few hiccups regarding delayed communication, however, Chef did mention that was because he was going through a business expansion phase at the time. He was still professional and was very transparent during his shift in business. Chef D'Andre lol, if you are reading this, know that from the very first moment we tasted your delectable creations during the menu tasting, we knew we had found something extraordinary. The attention to detail and the exquisite flavors that you infused into each dish were nothing short of exceptional. Our guests couldn't stop raving about the array of flavors that graced their palates, and many said it was the best plant-based meal they ever had. Moreover, you took the time to listen to our preferences and dietary requirements, ensuring that every guest had a memorable dining experience. You have left an indelible mark on our hearts and taste buds, and we will undoubtedly cherish the memories of your exceptional cuisine for a lifetime. You are an outstanding chef, and we wish you continued success in all your culinary endeavors.

Had Chef back a second time to cook for my mother and her friends. He did a fantastic job as…read morealways. He is very communicative and works to make sure everyone is pleased... Cooking for older people with dietary needs can be tricky but he was willing to try and did succeed. He even made a dish i saw online and wanted to try! See you in 6 months for the next soiree!!!!

This is my 2nd review of Hel's Kitchen and I still cannot express just how lovely they are to work…read morewith. We were originally working with Hels for a 200 person wedding that was to happen 9/26/2020. Well as we all know, that changed due to COVID and while it could have been awful in deciding what we wanted to do, Hels and all of our vendors made us feel so confident in our new plan: 50 people in our backyard. After planning and re-planning and having 3 back up plans just in case, not a beat was missed by Linda and her team. Not only did I have full confidence in them working with our coordinator I had full confidence in stepping back as a bride and just letting them do what they are great at - catering. Our guests are still talking about the food - and that is NOT typical for a wedding. Truly, some of the best food many of us have ever had. From appetizers, to service to plated meals of chicken & steak - Hels is the choice you should make for your next event (big, small or anywhere in between). It's not easy having strangers in your home, but at the end of the day Hels was like family & we are excited to hire them over and over again for any events we plan!

Hel's Kitchen catered our dinner for 29 people on Xmas eve. I didn't love all the food, but I'm…read moregiving five stars because every person I interacted with there was so nice, responsive, and competent. I would absolutely recommend them, I'm thrilled they are here in Northbrook. As for the food, taste is so subjective and it is hard to please all the people with every dish. Everyone thought the Thai chicken skewers with peanut sauce were delicious. The Mediterranean chicken was also very good (loved the artichokes). The sweet potato mini pancakes were also a hit. The Tangine vegetables were too bland. I like more flavor, spices. To their credit, they use very little salt. The bourbon chicken skewers went untouched. The Jerusalem salad desperately needed dressing, it was also untouched (but of good quality). Having them cater saved us days of time preparing and cooking, it was well worth the money. They are super organized and, as I mentioned above, great people to do business with. We'll certainly try them again now that we know what we like.

My wife and I recently had a baby and have been in the home taking care of her. We frequent the…read moregreat pizza joints all over Chicago but haven't been able to do so because we are home with baby. We received a surprise gift from a friend who had Brian of "Magic by the Slice" come to our home and produce an evening of laughter, interaction and Brian's own creation of Pizza! When Brian arrived, the whole night began with watching him, like magic, make his awesome pizza with unique and healthy ingredients in our kitchen. It is not often you get to see someone actually make the pizza you are eating. Brian brings all the ingredients - FRESH. You will watch Brian open each ingredient and tell a unique story about the cheese or how he hunts down the finest tomatoes to showing you a cool way to cut the onions. You will watch him load those ingredients layer by layer right into your pizza. Once he placed his creation in the oven, we looked around and the kitchen was cleaned! That blew us away because he takes pride not only in making his pizza but he takes CARE of your kitchen and leaves it the way it was when he arrived. Brian had us laughing and interested in every aspect of making our evening and experience a night we won't forget. "Magic by the Slice", hosted by Brian, will be here again this summer with our whole family and we can wait for the SHOW portion of Brian's great service. His pizza tastes wonderful. It's full of flavor and ranks right there in our list of great pizza experiences in Chicago!! I would recommend this if you have a family of children who would be captured by Brian's friendly, funny and interactive spirit! I am glad to be a part of those who reviewed this unique business!! Thank you Brian for everything and see you in August!

Great pizza, especially his signature pizza. Crust is awesome. Magic By The Slice is good for…read moreparties or just having Brian make a pizza for you.

That Special Event catered a fundraiser at my home in Hinsdale. Jerry was amazing. His and the…read morestaff's attention to detail made the evening enjoyable and memorable for everyone. The team is professional, the food was delicious and the presentation was both creative and beautiful! I highly recommend Jerry and his team.

When I realized I misjudged the amount of food needed for my party and the amount of time and help…read moreI needed, Jerry drove over with a team of 3 additional people who, IN ONE HOUR, pulled everything together. I had the most elegant charcuterie board ever. I will never do another event without them will let them handle everything. I was relieved, impressed and delighted at the same time. This team is talented and has customer service down to a science. Thank you all for making my event so special.

Awful! Chef Leslie is completely unprofessional. Her cooking is a best mediocre. Her attitude is…read morecompletely unprofessional. She did not follow through on her commitment to me and I would not recommend her under any circumstances. There are so many other personal chefs out there who are more talented and know how to treat a customer right. Find someone else!

Chef Leslie is the blessing that our family needed. We are two busy professionals, who struggled to…read morefind time to grocery shop and cook meals for our family. With freshly made, organic meals prepared according to our preferences, we come home, quickly reheat our food, and just like that, dinner is served. Chef Leslie is always finding new recipes for us to try, and her cooking is simply delicious. It's obvious that Chef Leslie is passionate about her skill, and we feel very fortunate to have found her.

I had the pleasure of having The Kitchenette project cook for my birthday dinner…read more It was 10/10 experience. Chef Tim made everything fresh at our home, all the dishes were beautifully plated and tasted phenomenal. Chef Tim made a dinner menu that was seasonal and very flavorful. He took his time to discuss and explain each of the courses that we ate. Lastly, he made sure to clean up everything that was used (plates, silverware and cooking materials). I would highly recommend him for any event!

Chef Tim and crew helped create the most perfect dinner party at our house this past weekend. From…read morethe upfront menu creation to the final product, it was top-notch. Our guests haven't been able to stop talking about the multi-course dinner, which consisted of some very unique dishes that were absolutely delicious. His team, including a bartender, were incredibly nice, accomodating and made the night even more special. I highly recommend Chef Tim!