Since we were having a small, 9-person wedding (including 1 vegetarian), we wanted to hire a personal chef for our rehearsal dinner and wedding (+ bartender/waiter for the wedding). We reached out to Chef Joe DiMaio from Chainey Briar Chef Solutions (and a few other companies) after reading the Post & Courier article that highlighted local chefs in the Charleston area.
What immediately stood out to us about Chainey Briar compared to the other companies was Joe's responsiveness and professionalism. He was happy to get on a call with us to get a feel for our palate, and gave us some sample menus that we could use as a jumping-off point since we weren't initially sure what we wanted.
He created a completely custom menu for both dinners, and was happy to accommodate any changes we requested. He incorporated a version for vegetarian guest for each course.
While he will typically serve his meals on bamboo dishware, we wanted to rent tableware for our wedding. He helped us determine what size plates to rent, as well as how much of each type of silverware we would need. He also assisted us with the schedule/timing of how long we would need to anticipate for each course during the wedding.
During both the dinners, Chef Joe was a MACHINE at getting the courses prepared and served. His level of organization and efficiency is unmatched, and everything was served on time. Chef Joe also helped us cut the wedding cake that we brought separately.
For our wedding dinner, we also wanted to have a bartender/waiter, so Joe brought a trusted assistant that he had worked with before (Mike). Mike was phenomenal: he surprised my husband with a set of glassware that I had bought for him by discreetly making drinks in them and serving them to us. He also managed to make the drinks better than the recipes I provided - I can't replicate how well he made them!
Now for the most important part - THE FOOD! Everything was insanely delicious and sizably portioned. My husband said he felt like he was being fed like a foie gras duck after our 5th course... but it was our 5th course. ;) NO ONE went hungry those nights!
All in all - we would hire Chainey Briar Chef Solutions again in a heartbeat. Joe and his team exceeded our expectations in every way and I absolutely would recommend him to anyone! read more