Melissa came to our rental on AMI and cooked a 5-course meal for my husband and me to celebrate…read morethis birthday. The food was absolutely fantastic! The BEST all-around meal we've EVER had... and we are hard core foodies! Chef Melissa is professional and truly an expert in the kitchen mixing wonderful flavors and textures to make the meal outstanding. Working with Chef Melissa was super easy before we arrived to the island. I communicated with her via email with her responses to all emails easily within the hour. She is VERY attentive to her customers and communicates very clearly her needs and expectations on coming into the home to cook. I cannot wait to hire her again to cook for us the next time we're in the area! You will NOT be disappointed! Trust her and she will create the most exquisite menu around!

I reached out by email and was directed to the company's website. After looking through it, I…read moreshared some constructive feedback because, in my opinion, it didn't seem customer-ready. Instead of being open to the feedback, the response was immediately defensive. When we spoke, I was also surprised by how expensive the pricing was. While everyone is free to charge what they believe their services are worth, customer service should still be professional and welcoming. Unfortunately, I was met with an attitude from the very beginning of our conversation, which made the entire interaction uncomfortable. Because of that experience, I decided not to book. My family has hired private chefs for every vacation we've taken in Florida, and we've always had wonderful experiences. First impressions matter, and this one left me feeling completely turned off before we even had a chance to discuss the menu or the event.

Chef David was so professional and at the same time personable he also helped us customize a menu…read morethat satisfied everyone. I did a lot of research in finding a private chef, and I found him different in the fact that other chefs had other people come to the house whereas David appeared himself and gave that personal touch - in my research, the other chefs would bring the food and have some of their staff serve it, whereas Chef David prepared everything fresh and cooked it to perfection- It was all done in a timely manner, and he not only prepared, but cleaned up afterwards - I will always use him in the future and can't wait to plan another event for family and friends. Thank you, Chef David.

My brothers and sister and I and our spouses (eight people) have been flying to Florida annually…read morefrom all over the US to celebrate with our mother, age 103, near her place in Venice. This year we hired Chef David to come to our vacation rental in Nokomis to create three dinners every other night during our week there. He worked with us to develop an amazing menu for each of the three meals, arrived with all the ingredients, prepared and beautifully plated each course (appetizer, salad, main and dessert), and left the kitchen spotless. A delicious experience! When we come next year we hope we can work with him again. He is a gem!

Sarasota Catering did an amazing job providing excellent food and attentive service for a family…read moreevent. The staff arrived on time and worked nonstop throughout the day and into the late evening. They were friendly, professional and gracious. The strolling hor d' oeuvres were presented beautifully and perfectly prepared. The bartender kept up and was knowledgeable. Our dinner was a high point and beautifully executed. We had several options so I went with the grouper. The picture came out kind of flat because of the lighting but it was delicious. Our drinks were never empty and we had to ask for nothing.

We had a 70th birthday party and invited the neighborhood to the pool pavilion. Sarasota catering…read morebrought a huge grill and made the best hotdogs, hamburgers and chicken skewers. They had all the sauces and fabulous sides. The desserts or different types of baked goods that were wonderful. Their staff helped clean up as plates were used and everything went very smoothly. I highly recommend them.

Truly excellent dinner - food was exquisite, presentation was first rate. Would highly recommend…read morefor any private party

We had the absolute pleasure of having Chef Bruno Wu cook for us in our home, and it was quite…read morepossibly the best meal I have ever had! Every dish was incredible--from the fried deviled eggs, potstickers, and fried shrimp with goat cheese to the perfectly cooked miso sea bass, wasabi mashed potatoes, and green beans. And to top it all off, a decadent dark chocolate cake with homemade vanilla bean ice cream! Chef Bruno not only prepared everything to perfection, but he also took the time to explain each dish, some of which were his own family recipes. The timing of the meal was flawless, and he left the kitchen even cleaner than when he arrived. If you're looking for a unique and unforgettable dining experience, I highly recommend Chef Bruno Wu!

They catered a party for us consisting of 24 people. Charged $60.00 per person for Mahi Tacos…read more Other food was chicken skewers, salad, rice, fruit board, beans and key lime pie. Beer and wine served and paid by consumption. Did not disclose up front the price of Mahi or additional labor. Charged $6.00 per beer so I suggest you buy your own beer and wine. Final cost was $163.00 per person!! You better get a concrete cost per person before you sign the contract. Buyer beware.

I needed to provide lunch for the guests attending my grandfather's memorial over the weekend. I…read moredon't live in the area so I started looking around at multiple places and reading reviews. I found Nellie's and saw on their website they cater funeral's and figured they should work. I called and spoke to Kathy and from the moment we started speaking I knew I was in good hands. I had no idea what to serve or what I needed. She asked a lot of questions and we settled on finger sandwiches with a couple of salads. I set everything up with her over the phone and she promptly e-mailed me the proposal. The day of the memorial I needed the food to be delivered early while I wasn't at the church. Their delivery person arrived on time and all the food was perfectly packed for the luncheon after the service. When it came time to eat, everyone loved the sandwiches and the salads. We had a potato salad and a pasta salad made with orzo. I didn't feel like eating, but I had a few bits of the potato salad and it was HEAVEN. I wish I had more of an appetite, or even the ability to take food home it was so good. The sandwiches were really great too and none of them were even close to being soggy, even after sitting in the fridge for a couple of hours. I would highly recommend Nellie's Catering for a future event. Kathy was a dream to work with and I didn't have to worry about the anything. It was nice that one task for the memorial went smoothly without a need to check up on it or worry about it. I can't thank them enough for the great customer service, and more importantly the exceptional food.

Interesting place We…read morewere heading someplace else for dinner which was unexpectedly closed and were convinced to try Poki Joe's by none other than Joe himself. It is the off season and very slow, which made us the only customers during our visit. Friendly people, interesting place. I like collecting things, for example restaurant visits, so I was particularly impressed with the old vinyl records and photos covering the walls, and a small beer can collection. 50's music was playing. They offer both sandwiches and dinner entrees, I went with what they call their Big Ass Cheeseburger. It was pretty big at 9 oz, and came with 2 sides. The sides were also big. All my food was very good and only took about 10 minutes. Unfortunately there was a kitchen smell we didn't like. I got used to it, my wife not so much. That threw off her desire to eat so we brought most of her food home. Poki Joe's has mainly been a catering business for many years, only infrequently operating as a café. That changed a few months ago. They are definitely still a catering business but also operate the café. The café is open every day except Sunday, and on Sunday is open for special events.

Made a reservation for 9 with a 2 hour notice, no problem. Started with the Greek Cesar Salad…read more.. Best I've ever had! Ordered Fettuccine Ala Poki (bacon &a mushrooms) OMG! So good!!! Wait staff was so accommodating! Are you looking for fun music, very nice wine/beer selection, nice people and GREAT food... This is your place! The owner came out, sat with us & had great conversation! Thank you "Poki" Joe for a great night!

What can I say! Claudie's is such a gem of a restaurant, owned by a truly gracious couple from…read moreFrance, the food is prepared and served with love and a touch çof European elegance. So today with two friends we had their lunch/brunch menu - the selections are crazy wonderful AND there is a warm and pastry salad bar with the option! Some standouts from our selections - my salmon, creme cheese, tomato crepe was sensational (lots of fresh ingredients stuffed to the max), Rick's quiche lorraine was delicious and John had a perfectly prepared cheeseburger with a side of handcut, homemade french fries (yummy). I really did not need the delicious cookies and apple tart but both were a perfect touch to the meal. This restaurant is just off Fruitville (where Millie's used to be), it is kind of tucked in and behind the office park located at Fruitville and Beneva (to get to Claudie's we accessed off of Beneva) - lots of easy parking once you arrive at the restaurant. This is a must try for foodies in Sarasota/Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch/Venice who want to support local businesses AND have a great meal at a great price. Claudie's has a bit of everything going for it!

Lovely spot- spacious and clean decor. Super friendly and helpful staff. AND…read morethe food is superior quality and lovely styling. Highly recommend this for breakfast, brunch or lunch. Will not break the bank when dining here. J

We held our rehearsal dinner at the Riverhouse for my son and daughter-in-law's wedding the next…read moreday. About 30 guests were in attendance. We chose this venue because of it's location in proximity to the wedding (Baker's Ranch), the price, the menu, and mostly because of the room itself and the views of the sunset over the Manatee River. When we first met with Cindi many months ago, she already knew the time of sunset on March 9. That speaks for itself. We set the end of cocktail hour to coincide with that time, and worked everything backwards from there for the rehearsal. The sun cooperated on the day of the event and everything was magical. We choose an open bar, appetizers, and a menu of about five entrees. The food was all very good, but I wouldn't call it excellent. The mahi-mahi was a tad too done. The brisket was close to excellent. I didn't have the island tacos, but heard they were a hit. The coconut shrimp was perfect. So a mix. Appetizers were generous. We selected "premium level" beer and wine and liquor for the bar. Mostly I was happy with that choice - good beer and liquor, except I felt that the Chardonnay options brought it down a notch. We asked for a slightly better Chardonnay, and the best we could get was still not so great. Wine lovers need a little more value in an event like this, and a better white would help to improve the overall value of the premium selection. The venue and the staff are the reason the rating is high. Cindi was very helpful and accommodating from the time we first met in the fall, but really showed her professionalism on the night of the event. She and her team were friendly and helpful, paying attention to detail and flexible in meeting our needs. Big kudos to the staff!

Absolutely amazing. Working with the Riverhouse was like a dream come true for my out of town…read morewedding. I had so little time and flexibility, but Cindi and the team at the Riverhouse consistently went above and beyond to make everything so easy and perfect with me. I cannot imagine what my wedding would have been like without them. They are FANTASTIC and I whole-heartedly recommend this venue to all my friends and family. The venue is beautiful, food is delicious, and the people are amazing.