I hired Chef Bernard to cater a special birthday party for my wife during Memorial Day weekend. Our experience was a culinary and personal delight. Every aspect of our dealings with Chef Bernard was exemplary. I would recommend him enthusiastically to anybody who wants to celebrate a special occasion (or for any other reason) with a memorable meal comparable to that you would enjoy at a Guide Michelin three star restaurant but served in the comfort of one's own home. We planned a luncheon for a party of eleven. Chef Bernard sent us a robust menu containing a vast array of choices suitable for either a three or four course meal. We could select from a cornucopia of appetizers ranging from the familiar to the exotic, a salad selection that spanned the garden, a complete array of entrees including fish, chicken and beef, and a scrumptious lineup of desserts. His pricing was fair and fully disclosed. Chef Bernard assisted us in making the selections. He also accommodated us late in the process when we had to change the entrée choice because of a dietary restriction of one of our guests. Chef Bernard arrived at our home on time. He brought with him virtually everything he needed to prepare the meal. We only had to provide the dishes, glassware and silverware and have a working oven and cook top. He permitted us to watch him prepare the meal. It was comparable to watching a cooking show on television, but it was live and one could speak with the chef. Each of the three course we ordered was excellent. The salad was savory but sweetened gently with a "mystery" fruit. The Chicken Provencale made us recall the best dinners that we had enjoyed when we traveled to France last summer. The Chocolate Chambord Birthday Cake was the piece de resistance, perhaps the best cake we had ever eaten, matched by its elegant and festive appearance. In addition to his exquisite cooking and baking, Chef Bernard is extraordinarily personable. He shared with us his fascinating background, not precisely what one would expect of such a talented chef. If you are looking for an in home dining experience to remember, you could not do better than contacting Chef Bernard.. read more

Our (My Fiance and I) first encounter with Chef Bernard was on our third date during a cooking class at L'Academie de Cuisine. Chef Bernard created a relaxed and entertaining environment which allowed the date to thrive while learning how to prepare fantastic duck inspired dishes. The date was a success and in large part due to Chef's vibrant personality coupled with his vast experience. My now fiance still reflects on our date night and recalls how she wasn't monitoring our duck sauce properly when it began to burn...Chef quickly identified the source of the odor and came to her rescue. This story continues to bring us joy as we reflect on our time with the Chef. While pondering methods to "Pop the Question" I remembered how fond my then girlfriend was of that epic cooking class. I reached out to Chef and requested pricing/availability for a private romantic dinner on the BIG night. Chef worked with me to develop an amazing 5 course menu coupled with wine pairings based on the menu selection. Chef arrived at my residence several hours prior to my fiance arriving to begin meal preparation. The Chef and I shared stories while he prepared the food. When my fiance arrived she was extremely surprised to have the Chef in her kitchen. The 5 courses were nothing short of spectacular...Chef was gracious enough to make 2 additional courses for us on our special night. Every dish was prepared to perfection and beyond my expectations. That Pineapple though.......I still have dreams of being reunited with with those flavors. Truly AMAZING! Chef's professionalism, punctuality, and ability to work in a confined kitchen allowed me to focus on other tasks which lead to one of the most memorable times with my fiance. I could not have been more pleased with the outcome that night. The Chef was amazing, the food was superb, and she said, "YES!!". Many thanks to the Chef for all the memories and photos that he took throughout the night. We look forward to future encounters!! read more

The very BEST personal chef dining experience..ever! After speaking to a few other Chefs, it was very clear that Chef Bernard would be the one to cook for my parent's 50th anniversary celebration, for 16 people. Chef Bernard was out of the country the day I contacted him and he called me back within hours to discuss the dinner. (a few times!) After speaking to Chef, I was instantly impressed with his professional business manner. From the beginning to the end,Chef was nothing but perfection in every way. Chef Bernard's personality is exactly what you want when hiring a private chef. He knew exactly when to time each course and knew when to ask each guest about their personal preferences. He made a plate for our two guests that arrived a little after we started and took the time to explain each appetizer and when to eat each piece. They were very impressed! He even took the time to take our children's hands and walked them to the kitchen to give them their own personal dessert, which was over and above his duties. He spent time talking to my parents, family and guests as everyone asked him questions about his cooking. Robert assisted Chef Bernard and he was such a pleasant part of the night as well. Chef Bernard is a kind, confident and top-notch chef. Every guest has said how they loved his food and many said they will hire him to cook as well. We will certainly hire him for our next special occasion. We have no doubt that Chef Bernard can handle anything all while providing the most incredible food. It was very apparent that the ingredients were the best quality. His herb-crusted beef tenderloin was outstanding, but so was everything we ate. Chef Bernard made every person feel special. He was the talk of our family and friends the next day as we gathered together. He was a critical part of the success of our celebration. Thank you Chef! Erika read more

I had to take the opportunity and share with the Yelp community how much we enjoyed and appreciated having Chef Bernard as our "Personal Chef" for a private dinner event at our home. From the moment that we were introduced, through the scheduling and menu selection process, to the actual event itself - Chef Bernard was a consummate professional and very patient with us. His amazing cooking talents were only outdone by his personality and charm. He is incredibly easy to speak to and all of our guests connected with him immediately as they enjoyed his cooking demonstrations. Chef Bernard can turn any dining event into a masterful culinary experience. Once we selected the menu options from his endless list of choices, Chef Bernard did all of the grocery shopping, all of the food preparation, and he brought his own cooking tools (mixers, processors etc.). By the time our guests arrived, the amuse-bouche and first appetizers were ready for everyone to enjoy. What we appreciated most during his cooking demonstration were the the various "chef-secrets" that he shared to make cooking fun and easy. He also shares all of his recipes and he enjoys a glass of good wine just like the rest of us. :-) The balance of food was outstanding...which was particularly important since we chose to serve Beef Wellington. He added a truffle-sauce which I cannot begin to describe how wonderfully tasteful it was. But the soufflé dessert left us all speechless. Even though he thoroughly explained it to us (twice) - I still cannot understand how he was able to rise the soufflé so perfectly high. As stated by others on Yelp, I would recommend Chef Bernard enthusiastically to anybody who wants to celebrate a special occasion with a memorable meal in the comfort of one's own home. read more

We first met Chef Bernard at a wine tasting and appetizer pairing at Briar Patch Bed and Breakfast. We were so impressed by his finger foods that we asked for his card to consider him as our caterer for our rehearsal dinner. Chef Bernard met with my fiancé and my parents at our house to discuss our ideas and offer suggestions and we ultimately settled on finger foods with wine pairing as appetizers followed by a salad, main course entrée, and desert. His prices were very reasonable for such a unique dinner event. Chef Bernard worked with Three Fox Vineyards to pair the wines. The finger foods included some of our favorites from the first time we met him and a few new items including mini pirogues which impressed my future in-laws. As it turns out, he had never made pirogues before, but rose to the challenge by Skype-ing with his Polish sister-in-law to learn a great-grandmother's recipe. Chef Bernard prepared gluten and dairy free versions of the finger foods to satisfy the dietary restrictions of my future in-laws, and they were so delicious that folks without dietary restrictions enjoyed them as well. The portions were generous throughout all the courses and the presentation was excellent. The desert, fruit salad with mint syrup, was surprisingly delicious. It is obvious that Chef Bernard takes great pride in his work and loves to see people enjoying his food; he even included a bonus appetizer because he had a creative idea. All of Chef Bernard's staff was friendly and professional. We would highly recommend Chef Bernard for any culinary event. read more

AMAZING from start to finish -- literally! We hired Chef Shalia (who trained alongside Chef Bernard and purchased his business from him in 2020 upon his retirement) to prepare a private dinner for our family in our home on NYE. We had a total of 12 guests -- all family members -- who are foodies and tough critics! We all absolutely loved everything that Chef Shalia prepared for us. The entire experience was excellent! The food presentation was exquisite! And the entire meal was flavorful and superb! We had coconut shrimp and brie onion mushroom bites as our appetizers. Then we had a sitdown formal dinner starting with a salad that had a phenomenal homemade red wine vinaigrette. We all practically licked our salad bowls! As our entree, we had filet mignon with a creamy peppercorn sauce and poached lobster with herb butter, and risotto with mushrooms, onions and truffles, as well as roasted aspargus and shaved brussels sprouts with pomegranate and pepitas. Everything was PHENOMENAL!!! My side of the family is from Hawaii and we all agreed that the coconut shrimp was the best we've had -- it was so flavorful and crispy! And the homemade sauce she served it with was delicious! We all also LOVED the risotto! And the filets and lobster were cooked to perfection! I will absolutely request Chef Shalia's services again and look forward to enjoying more of her amazing food! She was professional and personable and her assistant Ebony was also a pleasure to meet and have in our home. I highly recommend Chef Shalia! read more

What an awesome evening we had with Chef Bernard celebrating a very special birthday! Originally looking for a private room at a restaurant, my husband decided to call Chef Bernard to see if he would be willing to cater an 89th birthday celebration for his father based on the Yelp reviews. The goal was an evening where our kids could be included in the dinner, yet free to leave the table when they became too restless and where no one was hoping up to clear plates and cook. Chef Bernard was immediately attentive to my father-in-law's birthday wishes from the wine, to cheese to the dessert. My father-in-law was able to customize the menu to enjoy exactly what he wanted for his birthday. To say "he got it all right" would be an understatement. Chef Bernard communicated extremely well, was professional and was flexible, understanding the dynamic of young and old in our family. We enjoyed watching him work as much as we did the food, which was excellent. He was warm and extremely pleasant to have in your home for a day. He even let our five-year-old daughter watch and ask questions as he worked and was firm to tell her when it was time to go! I would highly recommend Chef Bernard for your next dinner party, family celebration, whatever it may be. It was a truly wonderful experience. My father-in-law greatly appreciated all he did and continually remarked on how it was a night to remember! read more

We first sought out a personal chef to improve our daily diet for health reasons. Chef B has been delivering meals to us weekly for a year now. Not only have we lost weight and lowered blood pressure, but have have enjoyed spectacularly delicious meals! We actually set the table and sit down to enjoy family meals that beat any of the best restaurants we used to frequent. The diversity of meals is impressive and the only repeat dishes are those we have specifically requested. We eat at home now and find we actually are saving money and eating MUCH better with Chef B's weekly meal services. Chef B has also catered large scale events for our business including a reception with hors d'oeuvres for about 500 people. We received numerous compliments about the Chef B. The food was beautifully presented and his serving staff were excellent. Chef B also prepared an amazing Thanksgiving dinner for 15, giving us easy to follow re-heating and presentation directions. Even my mother was impressed! He recently catered an outdoor graduation party for about 50 guests. He arranged for serving staff, tables, linens, plates, etc. and presided over the grill offering a tasty variety of meats and vegetables, along with a sumptuous buffet. We were hoping for left-overs but everyone kept going back for seconds and thirds. I highly recommend Chef B and his weekly meal services and catering services!!! read more

He is distinguished by the breadth of his culinary skills: A review from a vegetarian My husband surprised me for my birthday by inviting my friends over for a delicious meal prepared by Chef Bernard. Chef Bernard was more than willing to accommodate our specific wishes for a vegetarian meal and he did this with flair. He prepared a fully vegetarian meal (I am vegetarian) with vegan alternatives (one friend was vegan), and even brought some non-veg appetizers for the rest. While I hear that he prepares lavish and delicious non-veg food, I can vouch for Chef Bernard that he does vegetarian cuisine justice. His dishes were among the most delicious and inventive that I have tasted. He served appetizers, the main meal and dessert. Aside from the excellent food, we found his presence to be wonderful at our party. He is a very interesting, sympathetic and pleasant person. While serving appetizers, he tirelessly kept things moving for our guests, popping out from the kitchen with new, different delicious morsels. He performed a cooking demo and served our meals with flourish. Finally he cleared our plates as we sat and talked at the dinner table and brought our desserts, which were no less creative and tasty! My husband and I plan to bring Chef Bernard back again for a family reunion. read more

I am remiss for not having written my review sooner!! I have been enjoying Chef Bernard's cooking for 2 months and each meal is better than the last- I have not yet had a meal that was less that outstanding. As a busy professional, I don't have time to cook but I really love good food. At the end of a long day, I just want a delicious, healthy meal and the idea of takeout is just not appealing. I subscribe to Chef's weekly meal service. The ordering process is easy and actually exciting- I am always eager to see the week's menu selection. The delivery process is painless and the price point is a bargain considering the convenience and quality of food. At the end of a long day, it is so nice to come home and not stress or worry about what I will have for dinner. Portion sizes are fantastic- not too much, not too little, and between the entree and a recommended pairing/side dish, I can serve a meal for 2 or I can take a half portion for lunch at the office. I have shared Chef's meals with friends and family and everyone has raved about how delicious each dish is. The flavors are bright and crisp and the variety is exciting and never boring or routine. Hiring Chef was the best decision I've made in a long, long time! Thank you Chef! read more

Chef Bernard, LLC and Chef Shalia well deserve a five-star review for food and service. My husband and I have been using this personal chef service for weekly home meal delivery for six months and have been wowed by the imaginative and delicious meals. We started with three meals a week and now do six a week because we are so happy with the excellent quality of the food and the flavorful dishes. We care very much about eating healthy meals and have various dietary restrictions. Chef Shalia is extremely helpful in accommodating our dietary restrictions, and we know that we can count on her using olive oil for cooking and lots of vegetables. Chef Bernard and Chef Shalia have excellent recipes and the cooking is top notch. For example, this past week we had a gorgeous dish of salmon with creamy corn sauce. The corn sauce had no cream but was still luscious. And for those of us who want an easy time, the meals are easy to reheat! It is also wonderfully convenient that the weekly meals are delivered to our home at the beginning of each week. This is much nicer than having a personal chef take over your kitchen for a whole day to prepare meals for the week. Finally, the prices are excellent. I highly recommend Chef Bernard, LLC and Chef Shalia. read more

I have been using Chef Bernard's personal chef services now for six months, and I'm hooked. I researched the web for chefs in the DC area who specialize in the heart-healthy Mediterranean Diet and finally found Chef Bernard. He works with another chef of the same healthy mindset, Chef Matt Finarelli, and together they create absolutely fabulous meals without using heavy fats and oils. Food is packed with substantial flavor and nutrition. The menu for the week comes out on the Friday before, food is currently delivered the following Tuesday, and the portions are sufficient enough to oftentimes take leftovers in for lunch. One thing that always amazes me is how good the vegetables and grains are because many different seasonings and vegetable combinations are used to perk up flavor. Poultry, fish, vegetarian and beef dishes often have an international theme to them. Best of all, I don't have to cook dinner! Food is pretty much ready to go after a little heating. I just freeze what I don't use and always have food readily available for another time. And an added side benefit: my cholesterol has gone down considerably. Highly recommended service. read more

Everything made from scratch and delicious! Living far from my elderly parents, but wanting to share a Thanksgiving dinner with them, yet keeping time free to help them with higher priorities, I hired Chef Bernard to provide a Thanksgiving dinner. This is the second time I have hired Chef Bernard, and he exceeded my expectations once again. Recipes were twists on the traditional, giving us the comfort foods we look forward to each year, but with Chef Bernard's flair. Everything was moist, delicious, and very well seasoned with a great use of herbs. Portions were more than ample for the four of us that I was able to pack up leftovers for my parents to enjoy on other nights! I look forward to hiring Chef Bernard again in the future. I just wish he was local for me. Our menu included: * Bourbon-brined and apple wood smoked turkey with Traditional Gravy * Sage stuffing * Fresh cranberry relish * Balsamic-Glazed Roasted Root Vegetables * Mashed Potatoes with Fennel * Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Tarragon * Pumpkin Raisin Muffins * Sage and Honey Cornbread Muffins * Pumpkin pie read more

Is it possible to give more than 5 stars? Chef Bernard deserves endless praise for being the pinnacle of professional, accomodating, and truly the MVP of our successful event. Our organization held a sit down dinner for a number of high profile guests in an old fashioned mansion, and despite the quirks of the antiquated layout of the building, Chef Bernard was understanding of our circumstances every step of the way. Though we made all sorts of odd requests, he never made us feel as if we were inconveniencing him. He made what would've been an extremely difficult event to pull off exponentially easier, and I highly recommend him to anyone looking for not only high class presentation, but also incredibly flavorful food! (I personally loved the salmon and the quail eggs! Thanks for letting even the organizational staff like me try your amazing cooking, Chef!) We also asked him to provide bar service, and he and his two servers did a wonderful job. His staff are just the nicest people and working with them in the back was so enjoyable. I really can't recommend him enough! read more

We booked Chef Shalia for both weekly meals and for a baby shower. All were a resounding success -- great food, reliable service at a fair price. For our baby shower -- with twenty guests -- Chef Shalia showed up well organized with a helper to perform kitchen tasks as well as serving hors d'oeuvres before lunch. Chef's first challenge was our need to accommodate some fussy eaters and a vegetarian. Chef's solution was to create absolutely exquisite appetizers and entrees that delighted everyone. Her second challenge was our finicky oven which she took in-stride with a positive "we can take this hill" attitude. Next was a power outage which the cranky oven did not tolerate well. So, we collaborated and, showing both resilience and a terrific sense of humor, Chef Shalia powered-on with style and grace. In the end, the guests raved about the food and service while my pregnant daughter-in-law and I basked in both relief and pride in a party well executed. Chef Shalia even left my kitchen in even better shape than she found it. HIGHLY RECOMMEND !! read more

I wish I could give twice as many stars, Chef B is exquisite in all regards - his food is amazing and his company is just as special. We heard about Chef B through word of mouth and initially worked with him for a girls' weekend in Annapolis--we were completely blown away by the food and the experience, and between those in attendance that evening, we have since booked Chef B for innumerable birthdays, wedding celebrations and other special occasions. This man is a culinary genius and has an extremely interesting life story--truly inspirational. Everything he prepares is out of this world, but in my experience, there are several things that you cannot forego when selecting your menu: mushroom/goat cheese bruschetta, mussels served in a butter sauce on a spoon, samosas, squash soup, and there is some decadent, volcanic chocolate dessert that I'm pretty sure I have done nothing in my life to deserve, and probably never will. I can't wait to have another occasion worthy of booking Chef B, he is the best. read more

If you ever need a wedding catered or any other really nice event, and you would like a caterer that (1) is fantastic to work with - friendly, professional, reliable, flexible; (2) makes absolutely delicious and sophisticated food in generous quantities and with beautiful presentation; (3) is extremely good value for money, cheaper than all other caterers we reviewed in the same price range, and (4) is very organized and will get you a crew of extremely friendly and fun staff as well as a very professional bartender and a perfect equipment order with no omissions, then... go with Chef Bernard! He catered our wedding on August 1 and it was the best decision we made. Many people said it was the best food they'd ever eaten at a wedding, plus the staff was really friendly and a pleasure to work with. And we didn't tell our guests, but Chef Bernard is also very inexpensive! A wonderful choice, merci beaucoup Chef Bernard! read more

My wife hired Chef Bernard for a birthday wine-paired dinner party. When it was over we could't decide which was more delightful: Chef Bernard or the meal he prepared! Chef took a look at the wines we were serving and worked with us to develop a menu that pared with them. Before our guests arrived we had a great time chatting with Chef as he prepared the meal. And oh, what a meal! From delicate appetizers to the tastiest lobster I've ever had to the most delicious piece of tenderloin to a decadent dessert. Every morsel that he prepared was absolutely outstanding. He did a wonderful job of presenting and explaining the passed appetizers before the meal and discussing the plated dishes with our guests during the meal.Of course by the end of the evening Chef was having a glass of port at the table with us. We'll definitely be hiring Chef Bernard again. read more

I enjoyed a fantastic Provençal Bistro Cuisine class last night at L'Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, MD. I loved, loved, LOVED taking this class with Chef Bernard! His recipes were both simple and absolutely delicious, and he guided us through our cooking adventure with finesse. He demonstrated cooking techniques and skills; gave us some 'secrets' to getting the dishes just right; bravely tasted our food and offered suggestions and reassurance; and gave us encouragement and confidence to create these dishes in our own kitchens. Throughout the class, I also immensely enjoyed his stories. Chef Bernard's personality is bright and his sense of humor is delightful. All of these ingredients melded together for a wonderful evening of cooking. I left with a smile on my face, memories of a great time, and I will seek out more classes with Chef Bernard! read more