My husband and I had the chance to experience a dinner by "Cuisines By Lela", Private chef, Linda McCullough, last night. I cannot rave about Linda and her staff enough Her food is exquisite from appetizers to dessert ... absolutely delicious with such attention to detail and presentation. Her stories between courses were engaging and endearing ... talking about the recipes she still uses who were her grandmother's and how she procures herbs and veggies from her own garden..... loved it all !! And the food THE BEST SHORT RIBS I have ever tasted. Every epic bite was so full of rich flavor All the food was THE BEST EVER AND the house was left immaculate, everything cleaned and left better than how she found it I cannot recommend Cuisine by Lela more highly. A dining experience you won't soon forget !!! read more

We've had the pleasure of working with Chef Lela on multiple occasions over the last ten years. 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!!! read more

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We hired Linda to cook a private dinner for my grandmother's 90th birthday, and she was absolutely outstanding. 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!! read more

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What an epic amazing culinary experience! Chef Lela (Cuisine by Lela) knocked it out of the park for us on Saturday night. Lela was our private chef as a surprise for my husband's 70th. She arrived, took over the kitchen at our Airbnb and what an evening for our small group of 8. Service and attention to detail was impeccable. Her assistant, sweet Sophie was great too, working side by side prepping, setting table, pouring wine, filling our water glasses, cleaning. Beautiful bites (Ahi poke, French onion cups & lamb meatballs) were fantastic to start. Description of each was so interesting, how she incorporated items from her personal garden and edible flowers too. Our amouse bouche - scallops with carrot top pesto was great. Salad - tender greens with crispy prosciutto, creamy cheese on toasted crostini with a delicate dressing. The main course wagyu ribeye tender with a perfect slight char with baby potatoes, asparagus and broccolini. Finally chocolate torte with fresh berries and vanilla gelato. Chef had a beautiful voice and sang an opera birthday song to my hubby!! Presentation of each dish and stories went hand in hand throughout the evening. Why dine out when you can enjoy an intimate excellent culinary adventure at home or away! Lela was so easy to work with. Suggestions with the freshest seasonal ingredients, last minute changes and great personality. We can't wait to have her and Sophie for another dinner sooner than later. Bravo Chef Lela & Sophie read more

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I wish I could give 1000 stars to Chef Lela and her wonderful team! She cooked for us for a girls' trip to Sonoma and this was hand's down one of the best meals I've ever had! We decided to do a bite night and all of the courses were amazing. She used fresh ingredients from her garden and you could taste the love, warmth and thoughtfulness that went into each dish! She had such a lovely anecdote for each course and that made the meal that much more special! Her team was also so attentive and so hardworking! They also left the house so clean after they finished. I wish Chef Lela had a restaurant so I could enjoy her food every week! read more

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OMG! Chef Linda and her team were like a dream. As soon as we could smell her delicious food we knew we were in for a treat. Professional, clean/tidy and above all STELLAR food. I especially loved that her food is healthy and garden fresh as she grows most of it in her garden or sources from the farmers market. read more

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I wish I could get married again just so I could eat Chef Lela's food all over again. Chef Lela and her team were absolutely PHENOMENAL. We had an intimate city hall ceremony followed by a lunch in a rented venue and hiring Chef Lela and her team was probably the best decision we made for the entire weekend's wedding festivities. It's been a month since the wedding, and we STILL have guests raving about the food. I cannot tell you the number of times our guests have commented on how incredibly delicious and fresh the food was. I've had guests say they're sad that they can't just go to a restaurant and re-experience the food they ate that day. First off, the food is FRESH. I'm no food snob, but you can taste the quality of the ingredients. The tomatoes were some of the best we've ever had and our short ribs...I still dream about them. The variety of the selection, from a farmers' market tasting board, grilled bacon cheese sandwiches, short rib, pesto pasta, a phenomenal salad, dip, ahi poke nachos...EVERY single dish was fantastic and a 10/10. Staff was unbelievably kind, generously packed up all our food after the event, and the portions were huge. We all felt absolutely spoiled by the quality of the food and the service and I promise that you will have zero regrets!!! read more

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I don't think I'm going to get over the magnificence of the dinner we had tonight. Six of us for my husband's bday. There wasn't one thing that wasn't mouth watering in presentation and taste. If you're thinking about hiring a chef, but don't know who to hire - I PROMISE you, you won't be sorry. The reviews I read were amazing but the result exceeded expectations. Beyond her talents , Lela is an amazing , vivacious, fun and funny person. Hannah was a fabulous assistant, and they made the perfect "A" team. I want to come back for the food and their company ! Thank you again ! Too full to go to sleep !! read more

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Lela & her team are INCREDIBLE! She cooked us a meal at our BnB in Sonoma and it was one of the best meals I've ever had in my life. Not only is she an amazing chef, she is hilarious & such a treat to be around. 10000% recommend! read more

Cuisine By Lela - The only thing I remembered to take a picture of--the flourless chocolate torte! - Personal Chefs Near Me

Linda made my birthday dreams come true. She was easy to work with, communicated everything clearly, and made us all feel so special at dinner. Moreover -- some of the best food I've ever had. It was a trip of foodies from NYC and SF and we wanted to have dinner at our AirBNB after a day of wine tasting. Well -- Lela came and blew us all away. Multiple people said her cooking was the highlight of the trip. She also made us quiche for breakfast the next day, which was equally delicious. It's worth noting I have celiac and was nervous about having everything be gluten free. Lela managed to do it without any of us noticing, which is remarkable. Gluten free crostini, cheesecake, quiche, everything! read more

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Lela hosted a 30th birthday party for my daughter. Each dish was so well crafted with unique ingredients. She was attentive to our dietary restrictions. A night to remember! read more

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Everything! Exceeded all expectations. A flawless multi course dinner for a family birthday. The food was amazing, one of the best salads (beet and citrus) I have ever had. Our Chef was on time with perfect organization, her assistants were great too, and they cleaned up in record time! read more

Holy cow you guys! You are not mentally nor physically prepared for this culinary experience. But I implore you to do it anyway. Everything from the table setting to the excellent communication to the mind blowing food is incredible. My family and I recently booked Linda for the second time and it was just as good as we remembered. Impeccably balanced ingredients in EVERY bite. I am not exaggerating. We were full to the brim and could not stop devouring the bounty she prepared for us. Her assistant Hannah is incredible too. What a dynamic duo. If you're looking to spoil yourself, celebrate a special occasion, or just eat really amazing food, then you need to book Cuisine By Lela today! We are already brainstorming ideas for when we can eat her food again! Thank you so much for the wonderful memories chef! read more

Chef Lela made us the best dinner Saturday night. Dinner for 12 with her family pork chop recipe to dazzle everyone's taste buds. They were out of this world. A must for all. read more

A night to remember in Sonoma with the most amazing food and presentation !! Thank you Lela for a fantastic time! Recommend to all!!

Absolutely one of the best meals of my life...seriously! The quality ingredients, beautiful presentation and wonderful narratives! Thank you for your excellence! read more

Chef Lela and her assistant Brittany did an amazing job on our meal while we were in Napa. She was easy to work with and quick to respond to my questions. We ate at multiple good restaurants during our trip, but nothing compared to our meal by Lela and Brittany! read more

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Best meal I've ever had. I genuinely mean that. We say a lot of things in life that we don't mean, but I 100% mean this. She is fun, caring, and loves what she does. Cannot recommend highly enough! read more

Best birthday dinner experience. Incredible pairings, amazing staff, and delicious bites.

It would be most unfortunate if you come to the Napa Valley area and don't have Chef Lela prepare you dinner at your house!!! We had an incredible dinner experience!!! Chef Lela and sous chef Hana are truly the most professional and talented chefs. They prepared an amazing dinner that our entire group enjoyed!!! Thank you Chef Lela and Chef Hana for such a great experience. We hope to have you prepare a meal for us again!! read more

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Absolutely loved Chef Linda from Cuisine by Lela! Delicious food, personalized menu, wonderful ambience, excellent presentation, easy to work with, talented gardener, chef and overall just a very friendly and creative person! Our group of 7 ladies enjoyed the experience and were all amazed with such a fabulous dinner. I would highly recommend! read more

There is good food, great food, amazing food... and then there is chef Linda!!!! Her food is simply out of this world. She is a fun loving, easy going chef who creates an amazing food experience!! She met the expectations of even the pickiest eaters in our group. My family of 12 adored her and her team. We booked her for two nights in a row...one 4 course meal and a family style meal the next night. I'm already thinking of the next event just to taste the food again. If you can....it is worth EVERY penny! read more

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Chef Lela & Hannah prepared a fantastic birthday dinner for our group of 8. Every single dish was prepared with special thought and care. Chef grows many of the items in her garden and we could taste them in every dish. We Can't wait to return just to have Chef Lela cook for us again. read more

Once again Linda has simply outdone herself. Leaving all my guests in complete awe, with the magic that she brings to the table. Using the bounty of her incredible garden we had a meal that has been talked about already for months. This small covid gathering needed something special. After months of isolation and doing without, we hired Linda KNOWING this meal was just what we needed to end our summer feeling NORMAL... like any other summer. The fact that Linda was able to make us forget about covid for even just a few hours witg her magical kitchen abilities I'm serious, if you want to wow anybody, call Linda. If you want to simply have the best meal you've had, call Linda. Our family meals will never be the same and no matter how many tomatoes I grow, they will never taste as good as the ones from Linda's garden. read more

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Chef Lela is incredible! Every single course was more delicious than the last. Lela and Hana are a great team! Truly the best food we have had in Napa. 10 out of 10 experience! read more

One of the BEST meals I have ever eaten. She was amazing and top notch! Thank you For a fabulous and memorable evening!

Chef Lela and Brittany were amazing! We were a private party of 5 celebrating a friends 50th birthday. Chef prepared a special 5 course meal for us, one of the best meals we've ever had! I highly recommend this over going to a restaurant! More than 5 stars! read more

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Love love love food by Lela ... We hired Lela for our small wedding event of 16 people and 2 kids . She was super easy to communicate with, super helpful on menu choices, and catered to what we needed and wanted. I would absolutely hire her again if we have another event. The food was beautiful and super tasty . She exceeded my expectations and I would highly recommend her services. The whole family loved it ! Thanks Lela ! read more

Cuisine By Lela - Personal Chefs Near Me

Sonoma County boasts many private chefs but Chef Lela is by far the best. Chef Lela and her staff are professional, organized, and very, very talented. Everything that was served at my birthday party was delicious, from the little bites to the short ribs. I could go on and on about how amazing the food is, but you will just have to see yourself. I highly recommend booking Cuisine by Lela for your next event. read more

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Let me start by saying, Chef Lela is AMAZING! I planned my birthday girls weekend getaway in the Napa/Sonoma area this past November, we were a group of 8. I wanted to surprise my guests and hire a private chef to come to our rental and prepare dinner. After looking at tons of chefs and catering companies, I selected Cuisine by Lela based on her amazing reviews. I made the right choice! I started my planning about 7 months earlier and Chef Lela was always responsive and helpful. I was able to work with her to plan a wonderful menu. She even created a special pasta dish I requested. She took note of my love of truffle "everything" and made sure to include it in the meal. Chef Lela and her Sous Chef Hana showed up on time and promptly began preparing our delicious meal. Everyone was excited for all of the delicious smells that began to fill the house. From beginning to end everything was perfect! Chef Lela explained each course and the source of the ingredients, some from her own garden! It was not only just a dinner, but a true culinary experience. I consider myself a foodie and I could immediately tell the Chef Lela has a passion for food and truly enjoys creating works of art on a plate. Every bite of food was divine! Now to the good stuff....The meal... EVERYTHING was delicious: **Beautiful Bites** Ahi Poke Tartare Bites- So fresh and delicious, the right amount of seasoning. We cleaned the plate! She even brought out seconds. Steak Tartare Toasts- Perfectly cut and seasoned and the added truffle was divine. The perfect bite. Mini Lamb Meatballs- So well seasoned and the cucumber ribbons added the perfect balance. **Amuse** What they eat in Heaven-Homemade/handmade butternut squash ravioli- to die for! Thanks Hana!! I could taste the love in each bite. **Salad** Honey Roasted Beet Salad- Amazingly fresh! Chef Lela even added bacon and the fried goat cheese ball was so good. **Main Course** Bone in Beef Short Ribs-They were so tender and fell off the bone, no knife needed! You can tell they were braised for a long time and cooked the way only a good short rib could. The red wine reduction was delicious. **Dessert** OMG Carrot Cake-So delicious, the homemade ice cream was a great addition and Chef Lela even added a birthday candle and sang Happy Birthday! Chef Lela and Hana were such a delight! Chef Lela was so personable, funny, and had such a great energy about her! All of my guests were wowed by not only the amazingly delicious food but by the service, she truly made my birthday special. I live in Florida but have been telling everyone I know in the San Francisco area that if they need an amazing chef to not hesitate and reach out to Chef Lela. I love to travel and have dined at some of the best restaurants in the world and I can hands down say this was one of the best meals and experiences I have ever had! All of my guests were so impressed and could not stop raving about how wonderful everything was. Thank you Chef Lela and Hana for making my birthday so special and that dinner a night to remember. read more

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Chef Hana created an incredible birthday dinner for our group in Guerneville! From menu planning to clean up, Chef Hana was prepared, professional and a pleasure to work with. The meal was SO delicious! I can't wait to plan my next event with Chef Hana! read more

Linda is the best chef I have worked with. I have known her for years. She never disappoints. The quality of her food and designs are excellent. I recommend her for every occasion. PS. Whoever took my review down or repaired somewhere else. I am not okay with that. read more

After much research on private chefs in Sonoma, I hired Chef Lela for a milestone birthday in Sonoma at a VRBO, for ten adults and three children. Two weeks before the dinner, I texted her to finalize the menu, and she texted back that she could no longer do my dinner due to her mother's illness out of state. While I understand the need to take care of one's family first, she should have given me a heads up before I contacted her. She said she was just about to text me about her mother when I texted her that morning. I felt left in the lurch. Fortunately, I was able to hire another private chef who was terrific. read more

I hired Hana (Linda's asst) to cater a Sunday morning brunch for my Golden 30th Birthday, not only did they knock it out of the park with the most tasty amazing food they were also willing to customize the menu to accommodate my "golden" themed party. My friends and I have very discerning tastes and are big foodies from SF, they were all so impressed by the farm fresh cuisines and local seasonal produce cocktails. Every detail was absolutely perfect! They arrived early, let themselves in and cleaned the kitchen without making a peep (everyone sleeping from long night of drinking). Our menu included truffle eggs, champagne poached salmon, tropical fruit, brown sugared bacon, crepes, white peach bellinis, heirloom bloody Mary's, and probably more I'm forgetting.... Yummmm! BIG emphasis on gorgeous presentation, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM to anyone looking for delicious food & exceptional service. read more

Cuisine By Lela - Personal Chefs Near Me

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Chef Lela hosted our group at her private event space to celebrate a birthday. The only thing better than the space was her food and service. We were truly catered to for 3+ hours as we dined on the best things her garden could provide. Rumor has it that she is going to start hosting these from her private event space and I can only say run, don't walk, if you have the opportunity to dine. I'm not a food porn guy - so I don't have pictures. Others in our group do and will likely post - I simply put my phone down, and savored the early October late afternoon sun, and the sensation of every tastebud popping at once. Truly a perfect evening. read more

Our dinner with Linda, the head chef at Cuisine by Lela, was exquisite. I couldn't have asked for or expected anything more perfect. Her dishes were positively sublime. We had her at a house we rented near Sonoma for a special celebration--just 8 of us for an unbelievable dinner that none of us will soon forget! Her passion (says she) is what she calls 'beautiful bites', these lovely little appetizers she serves before the meal... each one had easily 25 ingredients in them and were so complex, delicious and unusual; they elicited ooohs and aaahs from our group with each bite. She's a true artist. I've never had anything like them. She followed those up (if that's possible!) with an unbelievable soup, salad and 2 different entrees for our group--each course was perfect in every way--mixing of flavors, textures, presentation. She's a hidden gem that could easily be working in a Michelin-starred restaurant, but we were so fortunate to have her all to ourselves for a night. I cannot recommend her enough. She's AMAZING. read more

I loved working with Linda and her team for my wedding! Since the first phone call with Linda, her passion for food was evident! She only uses the best ingredients and her dishes are so inventive and delicious! She was able to tailor the menu to our exact specifications (some guests were gluten free or vegetarian). She worked with us to create a menu that everyone could enjoy! On the day of the wedding her team was exceptionally organized and knowledgeable about the food they were serving. It was a huge relief for me to know that every catering detail was being taken care of! The whole wedding went seamlessly due to the hard work of Linda and her team. My guests said that this was the best food that they have ever had at a wedding (a lot of them even said that it wasn't "wedding food" but amazing restaurant quality food). People are still talking about the food months later! Trust me, book Linda and check off catering from your "to do" list! read more

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Incredible chef and great personality. Thanks for taking care of us and providing amazing food!! Would highly recommend when in the area

AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING! That's all I can say. I think I'm still full from it. It was out of this world. We hired Chef Linda for an 8 course food/wine extravaganza for my 40th birthday for 12 people. She came with her two assistants to the mountaintop estate we were renting for the weekend and cooked everything on-site. They bring everything, plates, dishes, etc. and clean everything up. Such a beautiful presentation and the food out of this world. It was by far the best meal we had on our trip and we had some pretty tasty meals (dinner at a very nice restaurant in Yountville to not name names) Here's what we had: Beautiful bites: Blistered Broccoli Bites, Ahi poke tartare, peaches and cream, Greek salad bites - all incredible & beautiful like she describes Bacon & Eggs salad - one of the yummiest salads ever What they eat in heaven pasta - now I know why it's called that...so true! Miso Glazed Sea Bass - so darn good Duck Fat Tenderloin - do I need to say more? Strawberry Shortcake - one of my favorite desserts ever Brownie Cake - decadent Farm to table dining at it's absolute best! If you are deciding between chefs, there's no decision to be made. Linda is the bomb! read more

Chef Lela made our wedding meal for 12 guests magical! Divine food, presentation and wonderful service by her staff! Look no further for catering around the Sonoma area! We started with "beautiful bites" of ahi in wonton rice crisps with a touch of wasabi cream, grilled cheese with carmelized bacon and balsamic drizzle, and lobster rolls. Great with champagne toast to the bride and groom! Next course-"what they eat in heaven pasta" with blistered homegrown tomatoes, fresh corn, cheese, paperadelle, fresh basil--yes it was heavenly! Salad course-little gems lettuce, pickled red onions, beautiful shrimp in a fantastic salad dressing. Ok we were full, but the entree was next--rib eye with roasted potatoes and sea bass in a miso glaze on sticky rice that melted in your mouth! And though we said we had no room for dessert--no one turned down the creme brûlée with the perfectly carmelized crust of sugar--so delicious! Thank you for making the wedding day dinner so perfect for a perfect day! read more

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