typically do not leave reviews so when I do it's either absolutely phenomenal or far In comparison…read more Epicurean Escape Catering was by far PHENOMENAL! Matt and Patrick were extremely friendly and the food was to die for! We celebrated our microwedding in Mill Valley and I have always selected new restaurants based on yelps top reviewed restaurants. I figured this would be the best way to go to select a catering option for an area we're not local to or able to try before in person. The reviews did not steer us wrong. We would love to book again after experiencing the food and stellar service. Appetizers: We ordered the heirloom tomato bruschetta which was one of my favorites! The tomatoes were fresh and every bite was memorable! The goat cheese croquettes were to die for and the braised pork shoulder had everyone coming back for more! Dinner: I'm not a huge kale person but we had an amazing kale Caesar salad that had me hoping I could recreate it at home. I honestly don't think there was any left over! It was accompanied by the grilled antipasto platter which complemented the lasagna dinner we had perfectly! The vegetables were cooked and seasoned to perfection! We had the classic bolognese lasagna and red wine braised boneless beef short ribs for our dinner option which were gone in the blink of an eye. Dessert: To top it off, we finished with the mini amaretto panna cotta and blackberry coulis. They were as delicious as they were aesthetically appealing!

Chef Matt and his team are absolutely unbeatable!! If you're looking for someone who is able to…read moreexecute something a bit out of the norm, or even the normalist of things , you will not find anyone better than Epicurean Escape Catering. My husband and I were set on having pupusas for our wedding, and it was a surprisingly difficult thing to accomplish. From all of our efforts and research, pupuserias don't really do wedding catering, and wedding caterers don't really do pupusas, but Chef Matt pulled it off for us on a whole nother level of excellence! When we originally reached out to him, he just said that they could do it, and we were ecstatic. At our first tasting, he had already gone to his local pupusa spot to analyze the timing, and watch the whole process. He hadn't done pupusas before, but had the drive, determination, and confidence to pull it off for us. When our wedding day came, we along with every one of our guests were absolutely blown away by the quality of every bit of food and drinks that they provided us all with. He was able to find the wife of a Salvadoran friend, and her mother, to help him make them all fresh on our wedding day, on a plancha that they were able to bring. The vibe was incredible, the food was impeccable, and even the Salvadorans attending were incredibly impressed. From the yucca fries to the plantain chips, from the guacamole to the curtido, from the coffee to the agua frescas, from the salsas to the amazing service, from the compostable serving ware to the incredible bartender. People still can't stop raving. The pupusas, the dips, the black chili salsa, the coffee, just everything. Kharma worked with us relentlessly over every tiny detail to get all of it right, and everything came together SO beautifully, and went SO smoothly without even the smallest hitch. Chef Matt and the Epicurean Escape Catering team literally made our dreams come true. We cannot recommend them enough!!!

We used Chef Ryan Freebern's services to create a dinner for a party of 12, celebrating our son's…read moreUCSC graduation on June 12th, and couldn't have been more pleased with the results. Chef Ryan and his sous chef, Laura, arrived promptly the afternoon of the dinner and quickly set up in the "limited" kitchen of our Santa Cruz vacation rental. They were both professional and congenial, and, while remaining focused on their preparation, continually interacted with the guests. They delivered a delicious 5-course meal, paired with carefully chosen, wonderful craft beers, at the scheduled start time and with appropriate pacing throughout. Our menu featured an entrée of (fresh local) Broiled Black Cod, Spinach, String Beans and Lentils, which was perfectly prepared and presented. Every course was savored and after the dessert (and third excellent beer) we all had the feeling that comes from enjoying a very special meal. Each guest felt that Chef Ryan went way above and beyond to make sure we were happy. One detail that showed Chef Ryan's commitment to the evening's success was the special dinner menu he printed for each guest with a dedication to the guest of honor. The kitchen was left immaculate, and the chefs were generous with their time afterward. From the first time I called Chef Ryan through the menu planning to the end of our event, he was always accessible and fantastic to work with. The only negative comment I can make is that the fish was so delicious we all wanted more. Yet, after we had finished our dessert duet, we weren't left wanting at all...so, portioning wins and therefore earned the five-star rating!

Wow! Chef Ryan Freebern made several delicious meals for my friends and I. Every bite was…read moreflavorful, perfectly spiced and a joy to savor. He also surprised us with a panna cotta for dessert, served with fresh local fruit. Absolutely the most delicious dessert I have ever tasted, both in the US and abroad. Ryan has the culinary skills to delight your taste buds! I am looking forward to my next dinner party, just to see what he prepares. YUM!

I have nothing but immense appreciation for everyone who is involved with Chef Adair. They catered…read moreour wedding in early September and we heard nothing but enthusiastic compliments for the food. They worked with us throughout the entire process and made sure that the stress on us during the process was limited. They were by far the easiest vendor that we worked with through the process and were always happy to go above and beyond at every opportunity. When you see that they have 5 stars on Yelp, you should totally believe it. There are only positive things to say about them.

We had an afternoon birthday party for 57 people on Aug. 29, and the food was served family style…read moreto 7 tables. The quality of the food was outstanding, but the service was not. The food was supposed to be served in courses, with replenishment when needed. Instead all the food was served at one time, and the lamb chops and filet mignon were only slightly more than luke warm. When several tables asked for more lamb chops, they were told they were all gone, and one guest did not get even one lamb chop. Yet there were lamb chops available on other tables and at least 20 were taken back to Cotati. If the food was served in courses, it could have been served hot. If your service is family style, be sure that you insist that left over food be left on premises. Ours was not and we were told it was thrown away. After several messages to the owner, it turns out the left-overs were put into a refrigerator in Cotati. We went down the next day to retrieve them, and found there was quite a bit left over.

Wow! Veronica rocked out holiday party with some amazing appetizers, delicious dinner items, and…read morephenomenal desserts! Everything was absolutely perfect and tasted great! The appetizers included crab cakes, tiny potatoes with a delicious cheese concoction in the middle, Beef Satay, and more! Dinner consisted of a fresh salad, potatoes au gratin, brussel sprouts, stuffed chicken and pork tenderloin with a cherry glaze sauce to die for. Dessert consisted of homemade cookies, EGGNOG CHEESECAKE, pumpkin pie crumble, and apple crisp stuff. Once again, this stuff was fantastic and worth it's weight in gold!

I love A Gift of Thyme. I own my own business and when business is good, I use A Gift of Thyme so I…read morecan treat myself. It is so awesome to come home to a clean kitchen and wonderful meals to choose from. I super appreciate how the owner honored my desire to eat local as well as organic products. The meals are easy, delicious and I also worked with Veronica on weight related menus. LOVE LOVE LOVE this business.

We've had the pleasure of working with Chef Lela on multiple occasions over the last ten years…read more We've had dinner parties as small as four people and we had a 35 person dinner for my husband's 50th birthday. We live in Texas but always make a point to book Chef Lela anytime we are fortunate enough to make it to CA wine country. The food is always outstanding and we never leave one of her meals even remotely hungry. We love that she incorporates so many fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs from her own garden into our meals. It's also a huge perk that she brings an assistant with her and they do all of the cleaning up at the conclusion of the meal. Absolutely recommend without hesitation!!!

We hired Linda to cook a private dinner for my grandmother's 90th birthday, and she was absolutely…read moreoutstanding. From start to finish, the entire experience was seamless and so special. Every single dish Linda and her team prepared was absolutely incredible. The flavors were perfect, the presentation was beautiful, and it was clear that she uses high-quality ingredients. My family is still talking about the meal! Linda was so much fun to work with during the planning process. She nailed the menu right off the bat and the food exceeded all expectations! Her energy added so much to the evening. She is professional, warm, and made the whole night feel effortless for us so we could focus on celebrating with my grandmother. If you are looking for a private chef who is talented, creative, and a joy to have in your home, I cannot recommend Linda highly enough. She made our family dinner truly unforgettable! Thank you, Linda and team!!

Chef Kel created the most amazing experiences for our multi-generational family reunion. He and his…read moreteam crafted delicious menus, utilized fresh and flavorful ingredients from his local ranch, shared cooking tips, decorated beautifully, left the kitchen spotless, and engaged with members of our group from 6 months to 84 years old. Outstanding communication every step of the way and just an all-around delight to work with.

Chef Alyson cooked for us as we welcomed and integrated our third child into our family. I count…read moreher as a major reason my physical and mental health remained strong. She tailored the menu to meet everyone's needs, and it was just such a relief to have meals handled for this period. She is attuned, responsive, and a really talented cook. I highly recommend her services!!

If you're considering supporting small, independent businesses during COVID, I found a PHENOMENAL…read moreone. Alyson, the brilliant chef behind Nourish, is a gift. She's a talented and gifted cook who creates delectable dishes. Beyond that, she makes you feel truly taken care of. Services begin with a comprehensive interview about food preferences, from favorite cuts of meat to your feelings about pumpkin seeds. She then cooks for your specific dietary needs, whatever they may be - low-carb, vegetarian, high-protein, extra-gluten, etc. She prepares a personalized menu and you get veto-power. (Unless you defer to her choices, which I highly recommend!) On the designated day, she then brings over bags full of AMAZING food, from stews to casseroles to soups and salads. The flavor profiles and creativity are astounding. There's enough to freeze and save for later, depending on how many people you're sharing with. It isn't cheap, but it shouldn't be, and she is worth every penny. If you or your partner need a break from cooking, are tired of eating the same foods, or just want to feel extra-nurtured, Alyson is the Answer. Thank you, Nourish, for the nourishment!!!

Tom and his team catered our wedding up at Cuffeys Cove on the Mendocino coast. We were blown away…read moreby the paella - it was cooked perfectly, on time, and looked absolutely stunning. We ordered the Mixto and vegetarian option for our guests. I personally tried the Mixto and there was tons of seafood piled on. Everyone LOVED the food and we got so many compliments. My fiancé and I were unsure of what to expect because we found Paella Del Reyes on Yelp during COVID quarantine and didn't taste any of the food before our big wedding day. In the end, I'm so happy that we went with Tom. His team did an AMAZING job. Before our wedding day, he answered all of my questions and worked well with our wedding coordinator, gave recommendations on what to order and even helped us reduce the price based on our headcount, and offered many ways to pay. On the day of our wedding, Toms team traveled all the way up from Sebastopol (several hour drive away from our venue), brought all the necessary staff/service and supplies, cooked more than enough food for everyone, and cooked the best paella. Thank you for everything - highly recommend!!

Paella del Reyes is an absolute must try! From start to finish, Tom delivered an unforgettable…read moreexperience that far exceeded our expectations. The paella itself? Phenomenal. The flavors were rich and the ingredients were incredibly fresh, and the presentation was beautiful. You could tell Tom puts genuine care into his craft. Our guests could not stop talking about how delicious everything was. Whether you're hosting a celebration or just want to treat your guests to something truly special, Tom at Paella del Reyes is who you want catering your next event.