I met Danny at a work social event and we hit it off. My annual non-denominational no-stress holiday gathering was coming up and I really wanted to take a break and enjoy the party rather than spend my evening in the kitchen. So I thought why not see if Danny can put his money (or food) where his mouth is and let Cogito Ergo Saute deliver the goods. We emailed ahead of time to establish a menu within my budget and timeline that would work for my gathering, having a few veggie eaters attending. My guests, my husband, and I were blown away. Menu: Maple Chipotle Cashews for noshing, Truffled French Fries, Leek & Black Truffle Arancini, Grown-Up Tomato Soup, Mini Grilled Cheeses, Brown Shugga Brownies, and alcoholic and NA Hot Spiced Cider. There was a ton of food, everyone had plenty to drink and eat. He was brilliant working in my small, galley Hill kitchen, and his staff was friendly and accommodating when passing the food. If there were questions about timing of things or amounts of food, they were tactfully addressed, and we found an easy way to keep my two small dogs from being underfoot for him in the kitchen but around for the party. My only tiny critique was that there could have been more discussion ahead of time about what kind of dishes we'd supply versus what he would supply. The cups he brought for the hot cider ended up being used for the soup because I was having my guests use mugs and glasses for their beverages and didn't have anything appropriate for the soup. We are friends and get along well but I can see how some folks might find his personality "prickly" and his socializing lacking. He does a great job of preparing the food and presenting it. It was made quite clear in the contract that is his priority. I didn't pay him to schmooze and chat up my awkward friend in the corner. Final verdict: Danny did what he promised to do: prepare and serve delicious food and drink. For the first time in years I was able to enjoy the evening with my guests instead of splitting my time. I had no qualms tipping him and the staff for a job well done and I'm looking forward to booking him for a taco party for my next birthday. read more

Top notch food and top notch professionalism. Danny arrived promptly and immediately began to work in our kitchen. I was amazed by how little fuss needed to be made as he seamlessly transitioned into using our kitchen and the items that we had to prepare his meal. What can I say about the meal other than it was top quality and beat anything that we would've eaten had we chosen to eat out. Every course exceeded our expectations. Both Chef Danny and Remy were very professional and made for good company. I highly recommend them. read more

I just had the pleasure of working with Danny again for a brunch event at a clients home in Annapolis and WOW was it amazing. He never disappoints. After working with other chefs in the area, there is NO one else I'd trust with my clientele. Thanks Danny - great food, great job as always! read more

CESaute - the best bolognese - Personal Chefs Near Me

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We just had an amazing meal with Danny. It was a special meal to celebrate two special occasions. Every course exceeded my expectations. - Friends of the Cullins. read more

It pains me to write this, but after thinking long and hard about it, decided that I would have liked to see my own review before deciding to go with CESaute. Please read this through because I want to be as fair as possible to Danny. First, the good stuff. Danny is a nice guy, very funny, and is a fantastic chef. He is professional, open to collaboration, engaged in the process, and overall excellent to work with. Now onto the part why that doesn't equate to 5 stars. My husband and I wanted to host a party with about 50 guests, and Danny said that he absolutely did that kind of event, had everything covered etc. He had awesome reviews on yelp, so that sealed the deal. However, the day of did not go as we expected at all. The biggest issue was simply that we did not receive what was ordered. I would say about 70% of what was promised was actually delivered. Certain menu items either never materialized, or if they did, it was enough food for maybe 10-15 people, not the # that was promised. Besides that, though, there were other issues. The website says that they clean up your kitchen afterwards. Which they sort of did. But, I had to rewash all but 1 pot/dish/tray because of visible food still on them. I also had to clean off the side of my fridge, parts of my wall, and one cabinet which just had a couple chunks of food stuck to it. Not a huge deal, but my expectations were set such that my kitchen would be sparkly and I would have nothing to do. That is definitely not what happened. Here's the important part of the review: I raised these issues to Danny, and he could NOT have been nicer about it. He immediately issued me the small refund that I asked for, plus a gift certificate for his future services. He was prompt and professional, was super bummed that he didn't exceed our expectations, offered to make it up to us. Honestly, he truly handled it extremely well. Which goes back to the very first line in this review... that it pains me to write this. We all have bad days, and all we can hope for is that people own up to them, which he completely did. At that point, I had decided against writing the review because he truly did own up to what happened. But what tipped the scales for me was actually something that I discovered yesterday. I was talking to a friend of mine who went to the party. She said she was talking to the "sous" chef and the people who were passing the trays, and they all said they had never done this before. They were friends of Danny's, and he had just asked them to help out that night. Okay, so the people who Danny brought with him AWESOME, and this is nothing against them, but seriously? I know tray passing isn't that hard, and that the "sous" chef in the kitchen might have been a good cook in his own right. But I was led to believe that this was a team of people he regularly worked with. Not just some friends he would recruit for the night, who had NEVER done this before. Learning that started to make some sense though. It explained why he was teaching them how to open wine bottles right before the event, and why the pots weren't cleaned properly etc. So in the end, that's why I decided to write this review. Not because of the food which could have gone better, or the cleaning which he apologized for, but because I think he should have passed on our business, instead of trying to just wing the night of with some friends of his. Had I known that would happen, I would have gone with a more experienced team for the type of party we had. Because I think Danny probably shines in smaller settings. From reading the reviews, it's clear that he's a talented chef with a lot to offer. So if you want to use him for a larger party -- and I wouldn't necessarily say that you shouldn't -- just keep these points in mind when setting your expectations. read more

Danny is fantastic. He cooked for 4 of us and first of all, is so easy to be around, but seemed to know exactly when to be a presence, and when to be in the kitchen. Aside from having a great personality and instincts for the mood of the evening, he's a fantastic chef. Everything he served was top quality ingredients, great food and a little surprising without being pretentious. He delivers a restaurant quality meal that you would find at Blue Duck or the like, but in the comfort of your own home. I can't recommend him more highly. read more

We had a girls' trip planned in DC, and we wanted our last night to be the highlight of our trip. We looked at several private chefs in the area, and we chose Danny after 'interviewing' top choices. It was the BEST decision. After we agreed on a date/time, Danny sent several choices for cocktail hour appetizers and 4 courses for dinner. We made our choices, and worked out final details the week prior to our trip. Danny was exactly on time, and he brought everything he needed to prepare for our dinner. We began the cocktail hour and Danny and Nicole took turns bringing out our choices. He even included his truffle popcorn (delicious) as a bonus. Our appetizers included shrimp cocktail, arancini, and cheese/charcuterie platter. SO good, and at that time I knew we made the right choice. Dinner was served next. Danny had printed our menu, and he had placed one at each setting. We had chosen the title, and it became a keepsake, but it also allowed guests to read the description of each delicious course. To sum up, Danny served 10 wonderful women who are life-long friends, and we all agreed this dinner was the most enjoyable part of our trip. If you want to host an unforgettable event, you will want to contact Danny!! read more

We were fortunately able to book Danny for New Year's dinner party. He created a personalized menu for our foodie guests that was spot on. From the canapes all the way through to the cheese platter, every person was impressed. He shared knowledge about cooking and dining with the adults as well as my curious 6 year old who couldn't seem to leave the kitchen while he was prepping. We wanted a seamless, delicious, memorable dinner and were very lucky to have Danny to give us that. I have and will continue to recommend Danny to anyone looking for an exceptional evening with great food and great company. read more

I recently attended two of the Chef's Pop-up events and had a fantastic time and the food was EXCELLENT. I particularly loved his unique pairings found in the following dished to be exemplary: (i) the fall squash bisque, which included three types of squash (kobucha, acorn and butternut), topped with arugula goat cheese puree and lamb sausage; and the (ii) sea salt and caramel gelato that was topped with a bacon, bourbon and caramel sauce. These two dishes highlighted for me his unique gift to really prepare flavorable, memorable dishes. I look forward to dining with CESaute again soon and highly recommend him to others. read more

Danny is amazing! I've never hired a personal chef, but wanted to host a dinner party without having to worry about all the prep and clean-up by myself . (Novel idea, right-- actually ENJOY your own dinner party!?) I found CESaute through a simple Google search for local chefs. His website got me. I could feel his personality and passion for cooking. He is witty, liberal, and has clear culinary education and experience. So, I emailed and he responded within a few hours. We chatted, and I knew he was the right guy! He listened to what I wanted, and got back to me with a PERFECT menu for my party of 10. Winter squash bisque, Jenna's salad, Sherry-braised beef short ribs, and flourless chocolate cake.... All absolutely DIVINELY prepared, and presented with such class. He helped me select wine pairings, and even surprised us with a shrimp risotto an amuse bouche. (I told him i hated risotto and he was convinced I'd never had a good one... and he was right! Now, thanks to Danny, I am a risotto fan :) ). My guests are still lusting over the short ribs, and we are all convinced we can never eat another salad in life that is not presented in a perfect parmesan frico cup. Dinner really was perfect. I don't often write reviews, (unless I have a horrible hotel experience) but I do read them. Its likely that if you are reading this, you need someone to tell you this guy is good and well-worth the money, right? Well this is me-- telling you that this guy is good and well-worth the money. I encourage you to hire Danny. You will not be disappointed with CESaute. His food is superb and his personality and level of professionalism is just the icing on the cake. I promise! ;). Bon Apetit! read more

Danny is a professional and truly, an asset in the kitchen. He catered cocktails and apps for nine and that's no easy call when half the room has higher than high expectations. His manner and food are divine and his flexibility, unusual and professional. Highly recommend Danny for your next party. read more

I was fortunate enough to have Danny create an intimate dinner for two. He was gracious, charming, meticulous, and very serious in the kitchen - a consummate professional. Detail oriented, creative, and great with improvisation. It was apparent in our first meeting that Chef is passionate about his vocation - but seeing him work is another thing altogether. And the food! It's probably impolite to make some of the noises we made while dining - needless to say, everything was delicious and very memorable. For future events, I will always consider CESaute first and look forward to enjoying Danny's cooking again! read more

CE Saute provides extraordinary cuisine and service of a seemingly bygone era. Whether it be a formal, six course Christmas dinner for ten, a cocktail party with high-end hors d'oeuvres and desserts for 20, or a backyard barbecue with ribs for 50, Danny B. and Company will serve your needs like no other. I should know having hosted these events and many others with tremendous success and Danny at the helm. Moreover, Danny B's prices are affordable, his attitude's flexible and his personality is charming. So if you want the best personal chef service Washington, DC has to offer, check out CE Saute. read more

Danny provided myself and a few close friends one of the best meals I've ever had in my life. Danny came prepared with the tools he'd need (I have a bit of a bachelor's kitchen), and was able to prepare a bisque, a salad (I'd never had baked cheese before!), and two entrees including salmon sliders (the sauce was delicious!) and a pasta Bolognese. I was very eager to try the latter, as I'd never had a true Bolognese sauce, and it's a literary character's (James Bond) favorite item. The bisque was life changing, and something that has motivated this committed microwaver to improve his kitchen and try his hand at cooking a little more. FIve stars. read more

Danny's food is beyond excellent!!! His attention to detail is impeccable! The food itself was enough to knock your socks off but he went completely out of his way to make sure each guests experience was perfect, like we were in a 5 start restaurant. The creative and unique sauces were my favorite part, like an explosion of flavor in your mouth! I HIGHLY recommend Danny for any event, he will take care of you and your guests like no other read more

I have hired CESaute for three events, and the service, food and execution have been fabulous. Creative menus, working with constraints around diet, spice-tolerance and within my home kitchen, it has all been superb. I just hired Danny to lead a fun lunch and food Jeopardy! session at a senior staff retreat and it was incredible. read more

I cannot speak highly enough of my experience with CESaute. Danny is a talented and thoughtful chef and business owner. When a last minute change to my dinner party guest list required the addition of vegetarian option, Danny was at the ready with solutions. However, it should be noted that even the vegetarian in attendance couldn't resist tasting the delicacy that is Danny's Bacon Jam. Lord have mercy. CESaute has mastered the art of client consultation and menu planning. The food we were served was innovative and the presentation impressive, leaving many of my guests wondering 'just how did he do that'? Instead of slaving away in a hot kitchen to prepare a mediocre meal myself, I was able to enjoy the company of dear friends in absolute confidence that each course would be better than the last. By the time the evening came to a close, our hearts and bellies were full. And, what's better, my kitchen was spotless! The next time you find yourself with a need to entertain (read: impress), do yourself a real favor and let the experts at CESaute make you look good. You won't regret it. read more

Wow! I was at a fundraiser a couple weeks ago and this catering company blew me away. I do most of my business in NYC and have been to my share of catered events, fundraisers, weddings, etc. It was such a pleasure to have amazing food and attentive staff who seemed to enjoy what they were doing and enjoy serving at the event, it rounded out a magical evening. The kabob, steak tartare and risotto were amazing, and everything else was my favorite. Perfectly balanced, well rounded and DELICIOUS. I can't say enough... I wish CESaute traveled to NYC for special events... Hmmmm. read more

I don't know where to begin.....perhaps with some background. I do not cook. I have the world's smallest kitchen with few to no cooking utensils. But I have thrown countless, truly AMAZING dinner parties because of CESaute. Owner Danny Boylen is not only a truly talented chef, he is a charming individual. I typically leave the whole menu up to him and ask that he give me a list of which wines I should purchase. His planning is meticulous, but he's also able to be incredibly flexible spur-of-the-moment depending on how full guests are or which dishes we are enjoying the most. I once asked Danny, on the spot, to create a gluten free, vegan dish from the menu he had already developed. Not only did this not phase him, he took it as an exciting challenge, and that guest was treated to a meal she still talks about today. I also have often had more guests present than I was anticipating and it has never been a problem. Danny simply goes with the flow. Portions are perfectly sized, perfectly flavored, and perfectly presented. Danny serves each dish with a brief explanation and allows people to ask questions. He pours wine if a glass is empty. He cleans as he works and has always left my kitchen spotless. The best part: he labels and leaves leftovers. In short, because of CESaute, I host the world's greatest dinner parties. And I don't cook. read more

I have been to two of Danny's events in the past month. Both were great "experiences". I use the word experience rather than events because that seems to be what Danny really brings to the table: an experience. Layering in great food, friendly and timely service and transparent professionalism to an event really maximizes the overall experience. For both events (mainly because of their size of 30-50 people) I was surprised they had this level of professionalism and quality of food paired with great service. Normally I would expect mediocre catered food left out on a table OR a host(ess) running around sweaty and crazy (not socializing or enjoying the event). Never a good experience! Having Danny and his team taking care of everything really added to the experience of each event. The staff assisting him was great as well. They seemed to do a great job with timing and anticipating the needs of the crowd. As the appetizers were winding down and people started looking around all the sudden a server would appear with the next round of food. Timing was always on point. Speaking with the hosts for these two events I was also really surprised to learn how affordable of a service he provides. It is great to know that a professional, personal chef is available for events where you would not normally expect them. A great touch that created a much better experience for everyone involved. read more

THANK GOD we chose Cogito Erto Sauté!! The food and service we received from Danny was top notch, better than other events and weddings I have been to where I know were twice the price. Their food was amazing, everyone at the party RAVED about the food, how good it was, the variety, etc. I was told at least a dozen times "best catering food I've ever had". Besides the food being amazing, Cogito Erto Sauté (especially Danny) was so so so so so so great to work with. He was so accommodating and really really knows his stuff. Our venue was a little tricky and had to be turned between VIP reception and general ceremony, we also had a totally of 3 bars in different areas... This was no problem for Cogito Erto Sauté, they made everything run seamlessly! I would recommend Cogito Erto Sauté over and over and over again... food A+ Service A++ read more

I apologize about the brevity of this post since it doesn't do CESaute justice - the meal and dining experience that Danny whipped for us during his Hits & B-Sides party (part of his Supper Club program) was one of the best culinary experiences I've had in the city. Simply put, Danny and his staff whipped up one of the most incredible meals I've ever had in D.C., as well as a fantastically intimate environment to enjoy it in. read more

I had the pleasure of attending a gathering catered by Cogito Ergo Sauté. It's easy to taste food and say, 'okay, that's good,' but when you find yourself going back to the serving dish repeatedly, or waiting for the server to make her rounds again, you know you're eating something special. From the Swineapple Antojitos made with pork shoulder (and I rarely eat pork) to the Jerk Risotto Fritters (with their savory and subtle heat) and the Sea Scallop Ceviche Taco, you have a winning menu. Chef Danny Boylen was also welcoming, willing to describe what was going on with the flavors in a dish. The event was made whole by the food, the drink. And I forgot to mention house-made mango, honey and sea salt sorbet accompanied by cognac caramel sauce. My mouth waters remembering it all. read more

My children surprised me for my 70th birthday with an evening meal created and cooked by Chef Danny. I may never stop smiling. First, I eat no meat or chicken. According to them, Danny spoke with my daughter-in-law for a while and she shared what I like and my food constraints. In an hour he called back with a menu made just for me. From the Brussell Sprout Soup to the melon enhanced Gazpacho, all the way to the chocolate and caramel dessert, which was AMAZING, this menu was extraordinary. I cannot say how good the tuna was, the salmon was perfect, and everything was perfectly seasoned and spiced. I have lived a long time, but I will NEVER forget that afternoon/evening. In addition, Chef Danny was spotless both while he cooked and as he prepared to leave. He shared each dish with us in terms of how he created it. In all, I only hope I can get to do this at least one more time. He gave us beautiful copies of the menu to take away--- and I am getting mine framed! read more

We have used Cogito Ergo Saute on two occassions to prepare special occassion dinners at our home. Not only was Danny extremely receptive to my finicky palete but he went above and beyond to create a truly exquisite experience. I highly recommend CESaute if you are looking for a unique way to enjoy a fabulous meal in the comfort of your own home! read more

Danny and his team prepared a lovely dinner for my parents' 60th wedding anniversary on Sunday night. Prior to the event the communications were spot on. He arranged for the rentals, the cake, etc. We have a family member who works with a wine company and he worked with her on the pairings. I can NOT say enough about how great the entire event went. It was seamless from start to finish. This was SO much nicer than going to a restaurant and the food was most surely better. Everything was plated perfectly, served nicely and the evening was just lovely. I give Chef Danny my highest recommendation. read more

Delicious! I had a family meal, when Danny cooked food leftover from a previous event. I had no input into the meal, but I was very pleased with it. My personal favorite was the curried soup and the spicy salad - lots of flavor, with a good presentation and delicious wine to go with it. read more

If Yelp would let me, I'd give Danny 6 stars. The occasion to have him was meant to be a nice, relaxing, and romantic dinner for my wife and I to enjoy. What I imagined to be a great meal ended up being the best meal my wife and I have ever had. The 5-course meal that Danny custom designed and prepared fresh for us was full of such amazing flavors, aromas, and sensations that I'm not sure I'll be able to enjoy anything more until I have Danny over again for the next special occasion. read more

Danny was awesome - really personable, knowledgeable about the food he was cooking and the wine pairings he set up. Food was WONDERFUl!! Lovely tapas-like meal with lots of small plates - the artichoke soup was especially velvety and delish! Salmon tartare, duck tacos and hanger steak sliders also standouts. read more