Crying Onion provided a wonderful dinner for my small party of 6. It was really easy to work with Chef Andrew - he gave some options that I could choose from, and then we brainstormed a few other options together based on our preferences and dietary restrictions. He was easy to contact and answered my multiple questions prior to the event day. On the day of the dinner, he showed up promptly and the dinner left every one of us stuffed until the next day! The dishes he created were both familiar and new (for example, our group had never had fried anchovies before). He was pleasant in conversation the entire time. Chef Andrew truly was a pleasure to work with and I will certainly recommend him for any private event you may have in the future. read more

Crying Onion - Personal Chefs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've always said if I won the lotto I'd hire 2 people immediately: 1) a hair stylist to come to my home to blow-dry and style my crazy curls daily 2) a personal chef While I did win $7 in the lotto a few weeks ago (or most like lost $3) it's not quite enough to cover either of those splurges. However, it turns out that you don't need to win the lotto to hire a personal chef. You just need to know Andrew from Crying Onion. I'm absolutely hopeless in the kitchen...so hopeless that I've even managed to mess up a frozen pizza just by sticking it in the oven. My husband and I used to eat out and order in most nights, but that became more difficult after having our daughter. For awhile we tried Meez Meals*, which is basically healthy cooking for dummies. I was a huge fan for 6 months, but between work and motherhood found myself not having time for the very little time it takes to cook the meal and clean it up. And so I searched the millions of reviews on Yelp for some sort of cooking service that would be affordable and healthy.... I came across Crying Onion's reviews during my research. I got hungry just reading the reviews, but noticed Andrew's business was more for dinner parties and catering. I was about to give up and resort to eating cereal for the rest of my life when I checked out Crying Onion's website and noticed they offer vacuum sealed ready-to-heat meals. I very eagerly reached out to Andrew within minutes to get more information: * How the process works: He has a long list of entrees that covers all the food groups, but is open to other ideas as well. * The cost: Depends on the meal, but I've found most of my meals come to $11-12 for 1 meal (order for 2 to keep the costs down). The portions are pretty big so I usually end up eating the leftovers for lunch the next day. Andrew also requires an order of $225 for delivery, which takes up most of the room in my freezer, but not a huge deal since I don't make it to the grocery store too often. * The timing: Andrew needs about a week to prepare everything and then drops it all off ready to stick in the freezer. I've gotten 2 deliveries from Andrew (both enough for about 3 weeks) and I'm a huge fan. It now takes me no more than 3 minutes to "whip up" one of his meals and there's absolutely no clean-up involved. Most importantly the meals are very tasty! I haven't "cried" (pun intended) over a Crying Onion meal yet, but absolute favorites include the butternut squash pasta, kale and soba noodles, and mushroom pizza. I also travel frequently for work so my husband (who's even more pathetic in the kitchen than I am) is happy to have a meal that he can easily defrost and heat up in 3 minutes. Now if only Andrew styled hair...I'd be one happy girl. * http://www.yelp.com/biz/meez-meals-chicago#hrid:eZGPQX1l3b5jCP1GhVRKGA read more

I hired Crying Onion for my friend's bachelor party last weekend. It was for seven people, and it did not disappoint! Since I live in Austin and was visiting Chicago for the wedding, Andrew worked with me to find a place to host the meal. I kept the bachelor in suspense the whole day, and I asked him if he'd be able to guess what I had arranged for dinner. And, of course, he was unable to do so. Upon arriving to dinner, a beautiful table was waiting for us, and a slow parade of delicacies emerged from the kitchen, one more delicious than the other. Several of my friends are accomplished amateur cooks in their own right, and Andrew was able to impress and delight them. It was a very memorable way to celebrate the occasion. Now, if I could just figure out how to replicate those crawfish pot stickers... read more

I used crying onion for a recent small get together. Andrew was really great about answering all questions and had no problems offering customizations to the menu. I was so happy I was able to find someone that offers catering services for such a small group instead of the minimum 15 person orders that other places can require. All guests loved the food so much. read more

I didn't even have a Yelp account, but I made one to talk about Crying Onion. We hired Drew and Crew for our wedding this past October, and it blew everyone's collective mind. From the initial meeting to the night off, Drew helped us nail exactly the wedding dinner we were looking for. Let's start from the top: As people were filing in and mingling before the ceremony, my dad was following around a plate of the most delicious, homemade, mini sausages known to man. He was helpless against their powers. Meanwhile, people were getting lost in a presentation of cheeses that made Versailles look like a campground bathroom. We're talking next level classy, folks. Then, for dinner, full grown adults tasted fried chicken the way it should be for the first time in their lives. The breading was light and just crisp enough, and the chicken itself was moist as all get out, without being greasy. I'm not kidding. It was unreal. Plus, Chef Andrew wrapped the wedding party's servings in bacon, thus melting our brains and hearts simultaneously. On top of that, there was an amazingly addictive salad, and I don't even like salad! Touché, Chef. As the night wound down, a fairly intoxicated crowd found salvation in a platter of midnight snacks that Diddy probably would have written a song about if he'd been there. Duck quesadillas. Pulled pork sliders. Veggie quesadillas. It was almost too much, BUT IT WASN'T. All in all, we ate over a pound of meat per person because people could not stop, try as they may. The central theme of this writeup is that, throughout the night, Drew and his entire staff were total professionals. No one was ever asking for something they didn't have, and without a wedding planner on hand, the kitchen did more to run the show than anyone else. So if you don't want your wedding to suck, I would hire Crying Onion. A+++++. Great Buyer. Great Seller #1 eBayer. Would recommend!!! read more

For my birthday dinner, I wanted to have a chef cook in our home for 10 of my closest foodie friends. I wanted a regionally-themed menu--one course for each of the three states my dearest friends hailed from--and Andrew worked to create a reasonably priced amazing menu based solely on regional cuisine and the memories of favorite dishes that I shared with him. The first course, an homage to New Jersey, were mini handmade bagels served two ways: with quail's egg, bacon and cheese on one and the most delicious lox and cream cheese on the other. He followed this with a tomato sorbet and mozzarella amuse bouche that no one will ever forget. The sorbet was so flavorful it was like an explosion of the very best part of every tomato you've ever enjoyed. The second course, the homage to Maryland, was of course a crab cake and it was about 99% lump and claw meat with 1% seasoning and bread crumbs... exactly how it should be! Everyone gobbled theirs down so fast we must've set a record. The third course was "Chicago Porkapolooza", which featured braised pork belly, cast iron pork tenderloin, and the best smoked spare rib anyone had ever had. He finished the evening for us with a delectable apple tart with cinnamon ice cream. Andrew was flexible, fun, creative, and took amazing care of my guests. He made this one of the best birthdays I'll ever had. And at about $45 per guest, you couldn't beat that price at any comparable restaurant. Highly recommend. read more

We had the Crying Onion host a dinner party last weekend, and it was worth every penny. The food was widely varied, used high quality ingredients, and was consistently delicious. I would sell one or both of my children to have those carnitas tacos again, and would commit far more heinous crimes for another taste of the chocolate cake. Biggest complaint was that he eventually left at the end of the night, and is not still preparing meals in my kitchen today. Will definitely hire again. read more

Andrew was the private chef for one of my close friend's birthday dinner. There were 5 of us, including Andrew. Not only was the food delicious, but Andrew was extremely intelligent, funny, and respectful. He cooked and served at the pace we set. He took care of the dishes, told us interesting stories about New Orleans (that we asked for- he didn't just ramble), and he even brought recipes for the dishes we ate. I absolutely recommend Mr. Spear. He was outstanding and I can't wait to hire to him for a special occasion in the future! read more

My wife and I were married in Sonoma at a house we rented and thought it would be a little more memorable and meaningful to cook the actual wedding dinner ourselves for the small group of 16 family members and close friends that were able to join us. I know that sounds like a horrible idea, but my wife and I are actually quite decent in the kitchen, usually turning out something more than palatable. Plus, we love the photos of my wife plating the beef wellington in her wedding gown. All of that said, when we were finally back home we both agreed that if there was anything we would have done differently about our wedding, we would have had someone else do the cooking, prep work, clearing, and tending to the dinner party. So... with that in mind, I thought it would be a nice surprise for my wife on her birthday to get a little taste of hosting a big family dinner without the usual work involved. I started looking up private chefs and came across Chef Andrew and the Crying Onion. Chef Andrew made this way too easy. He added a couple of choices to his regular menu after my rambling email about my wife's usual likes and dislikes and we had the whole thing planned in a single phone call and a handful of emails - wine pairings and all. He arrived promptly at the time he said he would and after a couple of awkward moments - all due to my feeling odd about having another person cooking in my kitchen - he was fast at work creating the *second* most memorable meal of my life (second only to that wedding dinner I prepared in my tux alongside my beautiful bride) ... Panko Fried Goat Cheese Salad with mache and heirloom tomatoes Seared Scallops with saffron prosecco reduction Farmer's Market Mushroom Pizza with heirloom tomato sauce Baby Octopus with shaved vegetables and sweet chili sauce Green Herbed Skirt Steak with candied fennel, fava bean puree, and rhubarb cherry sauce Every dish was absolutely amazing. The presentation was professional and artistic. The food was delicious and perfectly spiced. The dinner could not have been more wonderful. My wife says we may as well not celebrate anymore birthdays and my brother says that he absolutely refuses to host a family dinner ever again. After the final course was served, he was quick to getting the kitchen back to better than it probably was when he arrived condition and graciously answering a barrage of questions from all of the amazed guests. Without a doubt, I do not think I could possibly go elsewhere for this sort of need should it arrive in the future. Well done, Chef Andrew, and Thank you for a most memorable meal. read more

Andrew was absolutely amazing! We were planning my bachellorette party in Chicago and trying to find a place with a semi-private space to do a brunch/shower. After looking into several restaurant options that were sub-par or wanted a $3,000 minimum for 10-15 people, I found Crying Onion on Yelp. It was PERFECT. My sister and I were able to do all the planning via email (very helpful since she lives in Colorado, and I know this sounds weird, but Andrew is one of the few "wedding" vendors I've worked with who hits "Reply All," a small thing, but it's amazing how much easier it makes things!). Everything from planning to execution was amazingly easy - he sent us a sample list of menu items and we just selected a few that we wanted, paid a deposit via google wallet and he showed up on time on the day of the event and got to work. He was friendly but unobtrusive and the food was amazing. I would hands down use Andrew again for any event and made sure that he left me some cards so I can recommend him to friends. If you ever need a personal chef for any event, go with Andrew and Crying Onion, you won't be disappointed. read more

I've been looking for a personal chef to prepare ready to eat meals for my family of 4. After researching several businesses on yelp I was most excited about crying onion given the good reviews. I emailed them with my interest and asked for more information on ready to eat meals. A week went by and no email response or call back so I decided to give them benefit of the doubt and tried to reach them by phone. I left a detailed voicemail and told them I sent and email and didn't receive a response and would like more information. Two weeks have passed and no response!! It boggles my mind when small businesses have such terrible customer service. I called Chris from "my private chef" and he returned my call within 4 hrs, that's customer service! read more

As you can see, Chef Andrew can cook...but did you know he makes a mean hot sauce? It packs huge flavor and the perfect amount of heat. I put it on everything. Do yourself a favor and get a few bottles. The eggs, pizza, and tacos that await you in the future will thank you. http://www.cryingonion.com/sauces.html read more

A+++! Affordable and most importantly - DELICIOUS! We hired Andrew to cook for ten of us for our mom's 70th birthday and he was extremely accommodating from the beginning. He came to us with some wonderful menu options but with many 'cooks in the kitchen' deciding on the menu - he was happy to incorporate some of our family's favorite dishes. The air-conditioning was broke and he still worked with a smile. You can not go wrong with Crying Onion! read more

Crying Onion does a fantastic job. I recently needed a caterer to provide appetizers for my wife's surprise party. I narrowed the search with a bit of Internet research and then contacted several businesses. I could not be happier with the service and food Crying Onion provided. Andrew, of the Crying Onion, worked with me to create a menu of various items that complimented the theme of the party. He was straight forward with me regarding the costs of my options. The prices were, in my opinion, extremely fair and reasonable. On the day of the party, Andrew arrived over an hour early to setup. He was present throughout the event. The food was fantastic -- MANY people complimented it and asked who provided it. Andrew was warm and friendly to our guests when appropriate but completely unobtrusive when people were not approaching him. Although I had no connection to Crying Onion prior to this experience, I would recommend this caterer to anyone hosting an event. Most importantly, its chefs create delicious food. On top of that, you will receive remarkable service from a phenomenal team of highly professional individuals. read more

We had so much fun at Crying Onion for my sister's bachelorette party. Chef Andrew couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating. And the tapas we had were SO DELICIOUS. The timing of the food was great. Chef Andrew had an awesome flatbread ready for us just after we arrived and then the rest of the dishes came out just when we were ready for them after that. We enjoyed helping when we could, but Chef Andrew did most of the heavy lifting and prep. The space was very cool. We had a smaller party (9 people), but it could definitely fit a group at least three times that comfortably. Highly recommend C.O. read more

Wow!! We had a great time last night at a Crying Onion dining event! Jerk chicken sliders, crab, lamb stuffed fried jalapeños, fried okra, pork jowl pizza, rhubarb tart with organic ice cream. There's a few courses I'm probably forgetting, but our whole group was extremely satisfied and impressed! read more

I have been unsuccessful trying to get in touch with the CO number and email listed on their website. Tried multiple times.

I found Crying Onion on Yelp and needed an in-home chef for a dinner party with short notice, when another chef was unavailable. Thank goodness Chef Andrew had the date available! Chef Andrew is personable, a great chef, accomodating and works with your budget! I can't say enough about our experience. The food was delicious, he was prompt, friendly, and gave great service. The clean up he does after he whirlwinds an amazing meal is impressive on its own. All of our guests were thrilled and it made for a wonderful evening. My husband never wants to throw a party without Crying Onion again and I agree! read more

A truly excellent personal chef experience. We came across Andrew Spear and Crying Onion via a friend's recommendation and we couldn't have been happier with the decision. I'm a picky eater and Andrew took the time to customize each of our six courses to my liking, which if you ask my grandmother, is a very hard thing to do. On top of this our chef was patient, calm under pressure, and happily involved some amateur chef's at my party in a couple of awesome knife-work demo's. All in all he made for a great experience which we are looking forward to doing again. read more

Crying Onion catered an event at a recording studio party that I went to in May and it was one of the best catered events I've ever been too. The food is exceptional. Drew takes dishes that you already know and love and takes them to another level. I've had the pleasure of trying some of his other dishes since the party, and every time I walk away more impressed. Two of my favorites were his puffy chicken tacos and butternut squash ravioli with a butternut squash marinara. PHENOMENAL! He makes everything from traditional Southern and Cajun, Sushi, Mexican, Italian, you name it. There's nothing he can't cook. I would highly recommend him for any event, big or small. read more

Oh my goodness...what a treat to have Andrew as our chef for the evening! On top of being so friendly, he made us a full 5+ course meal that was to die for. One of my girlfriends hired him for my bachelorette party of 12 women and it was the perfect way to start the evening. I would recommend him 10x over to anyone who is interested!! read more

I found Andrew on Yelp while planning a bachelorette party for 12 women in downtown Chicago. He was extremely easy to work with and starting discussing the event with me 6 months in advance! Here was the menu we came up with per Andrew: Cheese board | fresh baked crackers | accompaniments Puff pastry | roasted seasonal market vegetables | Iberico cheese | fresh herb oil Panko fried goat cheese | mache | heirloom tomatoes | citrus vinaigrette Fresh rolled taglietelle | light pesto | fried artichoke hearts Miniature crab cake | gnocchi | roasted tomato sauce Fresh fried donuts: classic glaze | chocolate peanut butter | saffron glaze From his presentation and charm to the incredible food and professionalism, Andrew with the Crying Onion is definitely the way to go! You will not be disappointed! read more

Andrew helped me host a birthday dinner party for my husband. He was amazing! He Created a delicious menu (& was open to edit requests), was attentive to questions pre event, arrived on time, was personable with guests and me, cooked a delicious meal, and left my kitchen cleaned-up. The menu was superb, with multiple courses, and everyone enjoyed their meal! I didn't worry for a moment and could enjoy dinner with our guests. His services were an amazing value, too! I've already recommended him to friends and will definitely work with him again in the future. read more

Chef Andrew was fantastic. It was my girlfriend's birthday and Andrew provided dinner/cooking class for the 4 of us. He was on time, personable, and fit right in with the laid back environment. As far as the food, it was very good. He provided a bunch of menu options beforehand, and was flexible in accommodating my choices. He helped make the evening as easy as possible for us by serving all the food and collecting the dishes, in addition to providing recipe cards for each dish. I would definitely recommend chef for someone else interested in a dinner party or a cooking class. The price was better than most other classes that I found and the quality was excellent. A good time had by all. read more

I'd hire Andrew again in a minute. Here's why: 1. Easy to work with. We did all the meal planning over the phone and email. I gave him some general direction - spring/seasonal, five courses and he came back with excellent suggestions. 2. He left us with a clean Kitchen. Not a crumb to be found. 3. We had 8 meat eaters, 1 vegetarian, and 1 fish-only. Andrew was able to modify and supplement the menu so everyone had a delightful plate at each course. 4. We sat on the porch while he prepped the meal and salivated. A very relaxing and enjoyable way to start a meal. I'd hire him again vs going out, it was a much more relaxed atmosphere for everyone. No risk of annoying other diners or being annoyed by them. 5. And the obvious - the food was delicious. I'll remember the lamb for the rest of my days. Yummmmm. read more

Prepare to be impressed by Andrew Spear's Crying Onion!!! This is my 3rd experience with Andrew's cooking and I can't stop bragging. He is a pleasure to work with planning my events making it easy and a joy - always on time and so professional. He uses fresh, quality ingredients while presenting the dishes in creative ways. His pesto is addictive, Asian won-ton wraps deliciously light, fresh greens with goat cheese/shaved onions/chopped oranges/cranberries mouthwatering. Did I mention the mouthwatering homemade white chocolate oreo bread pudding? Yummmm. All our guests (over 60 people) enjoyed our buffet. Andrew is so communicative via email, prepared when he arrives (on time), excellent presentation and exactly the cost he quoted. I am thrilled with his food and service. We will be using him again in the future when the opportunity arises. read more

I have been meaning to write a review here for Andrew because this is how we found him-all the other great yelp reviews!! My family hired Andrew for our mom's 70th birthday. We rented out the kitchen/party room in my apartment building and he came to cook. He was absolutely outstanding. The food was all unique and delicious and he was super chill and accommodating. We gave him an idea of what we wanted and he surpassed our expectations-everything was fresh, interesting and spectacular! I would highly recommend him!!!! read more

Andrew from the Crying Onion cooked an aphrodisiac menu as one of the events for a bachelorette party I attended. Besides making amazing food and handling a bunch of tipsy girls chattering non-stop around him, he is absolutely adorable and very nice. Fried goat cheese and beef with a fig sauce were two of my personal favorites. I'd definitely recommend Andrew if you're looking to host a party. read more

I hired Andrew for a surprise dinner party for my husband. I had a little bit of difficulties getting responses from him prior to the event because he was extremely busy and was in the process of hiring an assistant. After the event was booked, Andrew did a fantastic job. I ordered the tasting menu where he selected the ingredients and the picked the items on the menu. All the courses were great and very tasty. He left the kitchen clean and organized, just like before he got there. I would recommend Andrew to anyone who is looking to have a great dinner party with friends or family. read more

I have had a few experiences with Crying Onion and all of them have exceeded my expectations. Drew is a great chef and his support staff is always friendly and engaged while maintaining an expected level of professionalism. I have been to several parties he has catered and sampled several delicious dishes he has prepared. Duck confit Quesadillas, cheesecake lollipops, Steaks cooked to perfection, lobster bisque, a variety of hand rolled raviolis in savory sauces, oysters, sushi, lasagna, mussels, poboys, bbq pork sandwiches, the list goes on. I've never had anything I didn't like. So I decided to hire Crying Onion to cater an industry party that I threw at work. It was pretty simple and casual. I didn't need anything too fancy, but Drew pulled out all the stops. Everything that he presented to the guests was great. Everyone kept coming up to me and asking me who made the food - that it was wonderful. My boss even asked me to get 3 of his recipes from him (and said nothing about you know, the bar, the guest list, the decorations, or anything else I set up). His food was the hit of the party. I will hire him again. The only reason I didn't give him 5 stars is because everyone else did and I think he should maybe expand his dessert selection somewhat (even though every dessert he's made has been good). That's it! Hire Crying Onion! read more

I am not a regular "yelper" but Chef Andrew deserves every moment of praise I can give him. Chef Andrew is absolutely incredible. Look no further if you are looking for an in home dinner or catered event. We have hired Andrew twice now. The first time was several years ago (2013) for a dinner party where he wowed us with a Provençal-themed menu for a friends' birthday celebration. He was personable and interacted with us at the perfect level and his food was delicious! Since then several friends have also hired him with nothing but phenomenal experiences. I most recently hired him again (12/2016) to cater for our annual holiday party for over 60 people. Andrew rose to the challenge of my request for a Swedish smorgasbord in honor of Santa Lucia day. His spread was INCREDIBLE! I was beyond impressed with his willingness to work with my menu requests and recipe suggestions and he put his own wonderful spin and flare into some tried and true family recipes that were just out of this world. My husband and I are huge "foodies" and have eaten at some of the top restaurants in the world. I can say without a doubt that chef Andrew and the crying onion is of high quality and well worth every dime! The best part of working with Andrew is that he is FLEXIBLE. I cannot tell you the number of companies that I reached out to who were not willing to attempt regional cuisine or who could not provide a sample menu within my budget. When you hire Chef Andrew you are partnering with him, which is what I love most about The Crying Onion. He takes incredible care to ensure that your event is what you imagined it to be. Look no further. You have found your next dinner party chef/caterer! read more

Chef Andrew is the best! The quality of food was superb and he was so helpful with planning a dinner party for 8. I can't recommend him enough. read more

Hosted Mother's Day Brunch for 10 at my house. Never hired a chef to cook at my house previously. Best Mother's Day decision I've ever made. My wife, mom and mom-in-law didn't spend a second in the kitchen. We all enjoyed 1st class food for a reasonable price without the hassle of having to find a brunch spot for 10 including some very impatient children. Speaking of which Andrew made special "kids meals" and was able to accommodate a dairy allergy in my family. If I'm hosting, I'm never cooking again on Mother's Day. Thank you Andrew. read more

I have used caterers in the past, but was a bit dissatisfied by the amount of preparation that was required once the crew of three arrived at our home. Shrimp dish was great- rice, so so. Beef was just O.K.- breads - not satisfactory. Probably would not invite back... read more