Chef Laura was an absolute pleasure to work with from start to finish. She helped us thoughtfully curate a menu for our team holiday dinner (party of 8), accommodating a few dietary restrictions with ease and creativity. Communication was quick and seamless throughout the planning process, which made everything feel effortless. Most importantly--the meal was delicious. Every dish exceeded our expectations, and it was such a treat to relax and enjoy an amazing dinner together. We're already looking forward to working with her again in the future and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a fantastic private chef experience. read more

I highly recommend Chef Laura of Custom Creations! I hired her for a dinner party for a group of eight highschool girlfriends. Everything was perfect...she was so friendly and easy to work with leading up to the event, very accommodating with various diet restrictions, etc. She arrived to our Airbnb in Sonoma and worked her magic in the kitchen while we could simply enjoy each other's company. She set the table and cleaned up as well, and even created a little menu card. Her food was beautiful and artistically presented as if we were at a fine dining restaurant. All so fresh and delicious. Loved our charcuterie board to start, her roasted asparagus salad with arugula, frisée, fennel, shaved egg, manchego cheese with white balsamic vinaigrette was incredible, as was her black cod over glazed baby vegetables. I would love to hire her again, what a treat that was! Thanks so much, Laura, you were a joy to work with and are so talented! read more

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laura is the consummate professional. From our initial conversation I knew I was in expert hands. She stepped in with only a few weeks to go when our other chef "disappeared". Not only did she help us devise a perfect French-inspired menu to suit our tastes but was able to easily accomodate our vegan guests. Day of she arrived fully prepared and on time and had our kitchen and home smelling delicious when our guests arrived. The appetizers were an instant hit and every course after. Her service was discreet but open and friendly - I only hope she is available for our next soiree. PS. She also left the kitchen spotless and dishes cleaned and dried. read more

Laura was amazing as the chef for our 10-people dinner party in our small San Francisco apartment. She helped me craft the menu and gave me a clear sense of what to expect on the day of. She was gracious throughout and left the kitchen cleaner than she found it. Had the rich and well-prepared burrata, beef shortrib entree, and lemon tart dessert. I enjoyed getting to know Laura and will work with her again in the future! Highly recommend reaching out if you have a public event you'd like to hire a chef for. read more

I hired Chef Laura for my 30th birthday dinner, and it was truly the highlight of the celebration! She cooked a 4 course Italian-American dinner menu for 8 people. She was a delight to work with throughout the entire process - from me reaching out to her until the end of the meal. The experience was exceptional -- she was very responsive about all my questions, the meal was beautifully balanced, and perfectly tailored to our preferences. Every dish was delicious and all of us absolutely loved her food. Beyond the food, Chef Laura brought such warmth and professionalism to the evening. She handled everything seamlessly -- from setup to cleanup -- and left the kitchen spotless. I would 10/10 work with Chef Laura again on future private dining experiences! Chef Laura - Thank you again for a memorable night. read more

Laura was an amazing chef to work with for a business celebration event at my home. She was really easy to communicate with and very helpful in coordinating the details for the party. Laura even helped me managed the party rentals which made things so much easier for me. The summer inspired buffet was absolutely delicious and laid out beautifully. It was enjoyed by all the guests. We really appreciated that the server Gino was there to take care of the setup of tables, place settings, glasses, buffet, passing hors d'oeuvres as well as cleanup details. Everything was so well coordinated from start to finish by the two of them. That really allowed me to take in the event and spend quality time with our guests. Highly recommend Laura and Custom Creations for your private event! read more

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Laura is the chef for your private event you are looking for. She cares a lot about the event experience, was very responsive via email/text and professional in every way. Then the food... amazing!!! The presentation was wonderful and it tasted delicious. She prepared us a burrata appetizer, spinach salad with apples walnuts and blue cheese, roasted eggplant ravioli, spice crusted pork tenderloin and chocolate lava cake for dessert. Laura suggested extra staff to help server our large groups and brought Olivia with her who was so thoughtful and attentive. Our wine glasses were full all night. At the end of the night they left everything spotless and bagged up the trash, recycling and compost separately. Truly a treat of an evening thanks to Custom Creations. read more

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Having Chef Laura for our event, you could not ask for a better chef to cook for your event! The food was amazing and the guests ringed praise on the food and Chef Laura being there so everyone can relax and enjoy themselves. As the hosts, we cannot be more happy as we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as we did not have to lift our fingers and could host and entertain our guests. You can have a chef for your event but you must have chef Laura at your event. A chef who is professional, friendly, and passionate for her food and presentation. read more

Chef Laura is 5-Stars/A+. From our first interaction she was very responsive and very professional. We hired Chef Laura to do a bachelorette dinner with 8 ladies and it was AMAZING. She was so easy to work with to do the planning and her execution surpassed my expectations. I have worked with private chefs in the past and she is definitely top-notch and I would highly recommend. We had a coursed dining experience prepared by Chef Laura and she was amazing prepping and explaining each course. We started with a great charcuterie and cheese board along with toast points with fig jam and burrata cheese; the meats on the board had a great selection and the cheeses as well and it was bountiful. The fig with burrata was spectacular and went very well with our wine pairing (that we provided). Then we moved to an amazing seared scallop, followed by a great salad, main was ossobuco which was so tender and the wilted spinach was great not to mention the saffron risotto that is laid on top. We finished the evening with her famous almond cake and now know why it is famous. I would highly recommend Chef Laura, you will not be disappointed. All of our group had very positive comments on the dinner and it was the highlight of our weekend. read more

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Excellent job done by this chef. Very professional at all steps in the planning, day of the event and fantastic clean up afterwards. Food was delicious and beautifully served and Laura's pricing was very competitive--looking forward to using her again for our next event. Ernie read more

Laura is AMAZING! I'm a new homeowner and was excited to have a housewarming party for my friends and family to help me warm my home. My event was the weekend after Thanksgiving so I didn't want to serve my guest similar food or food that was heavy. I wanted something unique yet delicious. My good friend recommended Laura to cater the food for my event. After I did a tasting with Laura, I was sold. The food was beautifully served and delicious! The day of my event, Laura arrived two hours early to prep and set up. When my guest arrived they could not stop talking about how good the food was. Everything was set up so elegant and beautiful. The food was flavorful and delicious. Laura is exceptional! I will definitely hire her again for my next event. read more

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Cannot find enough superlatives to describe the wonderful wedding brunch Laura created for our October celebration. Of course, I'd known and appreciated her for years as the head chef at Aperto, my favorite local restaurant on Potrero Hill. When it came time to select a caterer for our wedding, was grateful she'd shared her contact information. She was responsive, personable and totally organized. She took care of needed rentals, helped us plan our space, and provided 2 terrific helpers. Everyone loved the food, especially us. The cake was a work of art and delicious. You will be happy if you find her. read more

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Wow! Chef Laura really impressed us. Food quality, plating, and service were excellent. She's very easy to work with - provided sample menus, answered questions, and accommodated our food allergies, too. Food was served on time, beautifully presented, with plentiful portions. She's great with kids and dogs. And the kitchen was spotless when she left. Highly recommended. read more

WOW 10/10! There is not one bad comment we can say about Chef Laura. She is a phenomenal chef, came prepared, and was so professional. A casual, but special dinner for my Dad's 70th birthday was taken to the next level by Laura! She was flexible with allergy requests, and when we made numerous additions to her menu (which all turned out fabulous) she was open and on it! The custom printed menus were such a nice touch too! I can confidently say we would book Chef Laura again for another special occasion and recommend her to anyone who is in need of a private chef or caterer. Thank you again, even weeks later we are still talking about the experience and how much we all enjoyed it! It would not have been so special without you and your services! read more

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I had a fabulous dinner for 14 with an opera singer at my home in July and from the very first email correspondence till the end of the evening of the event Chef Laura was professional, easy to work with and without ego. From the moment she arrived I felt completely comfortable letting her take over in my kitchen with very little instruction. Her food was delicious & service was spot on with plating to serving and clearing & cleaning. My guests were all Very pleased As we're all "foodies". I would hire her again in a heartbeat Thank you Chef Laura for making our evening special!! read more

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Chef Laura and her team proved the epitome of professionalism, providing seamless, dynamic service on the day of our wedding reception. Laura was proactive, present, and creative throughout the planning process and worked tirelessly to bring our vision to life. A month later and we are still receiving rave reviews about the food! Although, I anticipated Laura's dishes would be well received because I have attended several events that featured her fare and was impressed each and every time. I will not hesitate to call her for any and all future events! read more

Chef Laura recently did several meals for my mother's birthday trip. She went above and beyond with each meal, and was super fun to work with and hang out with too! The food was fantastic, and each meal was unique. She is easy to work with, creative, and makes amazing food. You won't be disappointed, I highly recommend her services! read more

Laura is a phenomenal chef. She was easy to communicate with and helped us create our intimate wedding dinner that accommodated our varied allergies. She is detail-oriented and passionate about her craft, and we are so glad we found her. As others have pointed out, she left the kitchen cleaner than when she first got in. Get the pork belly if you can. It was delicious! read more

This review is written by my wife: Chef Laura is truly amazing!! My daughter and I worked with Chef Laura for my daughter's Bridal Shower Luncheon which we held on our daughter's lovely deck. Not only was Laura easy to work with during event planning, she also had great ideas for the menu and drinks. We needed rentals for everything and she took care of that. The passed appetizers and the 4 course served luncheon were absolutely delicious. Laura had asked for each person's food allergies and the dishes were prepared accordingly. The presentation was beautiful and everything was served at a perfect pace. Everyone made compliments about the meal. Because we held the whole shower outside, we continued to sit around the table for games and gift opening, several hours. Laura never rushed us, and, in fact, waited till we were done with gifts to serve the delicious APPLE TARTINE for dessert. Chef Laura brought Stella to help and she was wonderful. When Laura and Stella left for the day, the kitchen was totally clean and the rental dishes were packed, ready to be picked up by the rental company. In all, we felt like we were dining in a fancy restaurant and we would love to have Chef Laura prepare the food for our next party. read more

Laura created a region-specific menu for our Italian wine dinner. And the results were spectacular. All of our guests commented on the food, from the appetizer to the sous-vide filet to the dessert. If you're planning to host a dinner party, I can highly recommend Laura and her team. Speaking of her team, Tim was incredibly helpful in ensuring that everything ran smoothly for our 10-person dinner. Thank you Laura! read more

Laura is a star! She was super easy to communicate with and the food was amazing! I made the mistake of not confirming food preferences for our guests so we were surprised when 2 out of our 10 guests were vegetarian. She handled that curve ball perfectly and made up a veggie pasta on the fly. I would 100% call her again for a dinner party. Thank you Laura! read more

My wife and I were looking for a personal chef to come into our home to cook a special anniversary dinner for us and our family. We looked around on Yelp, read the reviews and decided to contact Laura. From our first contact through her leaving our house the night of our dinner, everything was spectacular. When we spoke, we reviewed our likes, the theme for the dinner and the likes and dislikes of our guests. Laura came up with the exact dinner we wanted. Because of the size of our group and the fact that we wanted a served dinner, Laura brought a server with her. They arrived when they told us they would, we introduced our kitchen and where everything was located, and then Laura and Tim took over. The food was delicious. The presentation was beautiful. Laura would serve the last plate and explain the dish. After dessert we were able to leave the table and spend time with our guests. When Laura and Tim left every dish and glass was washed. The kitchen was cleaned and everything was put away. We wanted a special evening, and it far exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend Laura for her talent, professionalism, presentation and ability to put us at ease. read more

Chef Laura did an amazing job last night! I was trying to plan a surprise mini birthday party for my friend who was a new mom and couldn't go out. Chef Laura created a beautiful dining experience for us at the comfort of my friend's house. The 6 course custom menu was absolutely delicious, not one thing on there we didn't like. Thank you again Chef Laura! read more

Custom Creations - Personal Chefs Near Me - Oakland, California

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Laura was outstanding. I hired her for a private dinner celebrating my wife's birthday. Four course dinner for four of us -- the food was phenomenal, she's highly responsive, easy to work with and a world-class chef. My in-laws are vegan and Laura was able to create a menu that accommodated their dietary needs but was still 5-star restaurant quality. Would recommend her to all family and friends if you're looking to have a memorable, delicious private meal or event. Note -- she was also very conscious and safe in terms of her approach and protocol with COVID-19 considerations. 5 stars all around. read more

Fabulous evening with chef Laura! My husband who is super into wine was excited about the idea of creating a custom menu for an intimate birthday celebration focused around some very special wines. I'm so grateful that we found Laura. She was amazing to work with from the start - she was responsive and organized, understood the vision and suggested many amazing options to pair beautifully and showcase the wines. The final result was fantastic - the food was outstanding! Out dinner party guests felt like they were attending a Michelin starred meal, and we all had a great time. We will definitely hire Laura again! read more

All the food was excellent. The warm pear on the salad was perfectly prepared, neither too hard or too soft. The pasta had tremendous flavors and the braised short ribs were so tender we ate it with a fork. Laura was a pleasure. Although she was super busy (and possibly stressed...as I would be), she was outwardly calm and even answered some questions from our guests. It was a great evening, we look forward to doing it again! read more

Chef Laura did an amazing job for our event last night. We were having a team dinner and decided to make it a more casual event instead of a restaurant. We found Chef Laura and held it at our house. The food was awesome, everyone loved it. Chef Laura did a great job with preparing, timing and engaging with everyone. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a great night and meal. Thanks Chef Laura for making it a great night. read more

Custom Creations - Personal Chefs Near Me - Oakland, California

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Chef Laura went above and beyond, exceeding our expectations! We hired her to cater our wedding and we were very happy with how everything went. We had some specific ideas for what we wanted and some menu points we didn't know much about. Chef Laura was extremely helpful, accommodating our ideas and making great suggestions throughout. We had a special request of spam musubi bites, which Chef Laura made perfectly, alongside several other delicious passed apps. For mains, we had Korean beef short ribs and miso marinated black cod, both amazing. We had an amazing ginger creme brûlée for dessert and even got strawberry-lychee jam for guests to take home. Really everything was delicious! Also, the service was wonderful. Chef Laura hired a second server named Tim, who was very attentive, kind, and professional! read more

I found Chef Laura through Yelp for a mid size dinner party I was intending to have in December. Chef Laura was very easy to work with even when the date had to change and the guest list was a challenge with multiple dietary restrictions and changing numbers. The night of our party it all went off without any trouble. The food was delicious and our guests raved. I will definitely call her again. read more

My wife and I recently hired Laura for a 5 course dinner at our small wedding. We were more than happy with the whole experience. From start to finish, she was extremely easy to work with. She accommodated our every request, and gave us thoughtful suggestions. She even made wedding favors for us! She also took care of all the rentals we requested. She even cleaned the kitchen before she left! It was also very appreciated that she took all the necessary precautions to keep both herself and our group safe in terms of covid. As for the food - everything tasted amazing! There was literally not one dish that we would have changed at all. We were honestly blown away by the quality of every course Laura brought out. I was amazed that she was able to bring her own ingredients in and using a kitchen that she had never seen before, create such delicious dishes. When each course was presented, she explained what each dish was and made sure our water and wine glasses were full. We had never used a private chef before, but based on this experience, we would be more than happy to do it again. And when we do, Laura will definitely be the first and only person we call. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend her to anyone who is looking for a top notch dining experience in the comfort of your own home. read more

Chef Laura is professional, friendly and her food is absolutely delicious! We recently booked her for a private birthday dinner, and from the initial planning to the execution she made everything so easy for us. Everyone raved about the food (extra props to the server Jim she brought along), and she also left our kitchen pristine before leaving. We would absolutely hire her again - thanks for making my Mom's birthday extra special! read more

I hosted a girls night where all the ladies gathered without their spouses or kids. It was our first time getting together since the pandemic and all the mothers were excited to have the opportunity to relax and enjoy their food while it was still warm (if you have young children, you know what I mean). Chef Laura was wonderful to work with. She was prompt in her responses to emails and extremely patient with all my questions. The night of the event was more than I could've imagined. She printed out custom menus for our dining table and everyone couldn't stop raving about the food. Thank you, Chef Laura for your incredible service and mouth watering food. read more

Chef Laura did a spectacular job creating a memorable 86th surprise birthday party for my wife. The nine guests all marveled at the service and the quality of the food. They especially liked the rack of lamb which was prepared to perfection. They whole experience was equal to any five star restaurant. I HIGHLY recommend her service. read more

Look no further, Laura is a pleasure to work with and her food is amazing! Laura had been recommended to me by a friend who has used her several times for small gatherings. Laura cooked and cleaned and served for my 50th birthday party at a private home. She printed up beautiful menus for each place setting. She tweaked the menu to my preferences and even offered two different main dishes to accommodate my guests' desires. Everyone raved about the food. I couldn't have been happier with the outcome! read more

Chef Laura catered my father-in-law's 70th birthday dinner and I can't say enough good things about the experience. From beginning to end, Laura was on top of it: from responding to our inquiries to helping us plan the menu to executing the meal flawlessly. Most importantly, EVERYTHING was delicious! If you're hosting an event or special occasion, I highly recommend Laura. read more

Chef Laura is a dream to work with. She is friendly, accommodating, and creative, and her food is superb. My husband and I were getting together in person with our three married children and four grandchildren for the first time since the pandemic. Chef Laura came up with a Shabbat dinner menu to please their tastes and meet their varied dietary preferences--which was no easy task, but she came up with a winner! She even baked the challah loaves for the Shabbat ritual. The meal was one of the best I have ever eaten: beautifully presented and delicious, and she left my kitchen sparkling clean. It made for a very special family reunion evening. read more

Chef Laura catered a milestone birthday party for me in January. From the moment we met, she was so easy to work with and really helped me create a super delicious menu of passed appetizers. On party night, the food was INCREDIBLE and her helper, Tim, was super, popping up with a new tray and keeping the wine glasses filled. I would highly recommend Laura & her team for any special event you might have. Besides being an incredible chef, the party will run smoothly and you won't have to lift a finger (other than to take another bite of her delicious food!) read more

I used Chef Laura for my best friend's bachelorette party while we were staying in a house in Napa for the weekend. It turned out amazing - both food and presentation! To set everything up, Laura and I chatted on the phone and she was super accommodating to any dietary restrictions and the type of meal we were looking for. I was provided sample menus and a variety of options. In addition to our meal, she even mixed up the signature cocktail we wanted to kick off our night and had it ready for us when we returned from our day out. She was punctual, communicative, and reliable which made the entire experience seamless from beginning to end. The bachelorette was super happy with the whole night and having a private chef cook for us elevated our getaway experience. I highly recommend her, and if I am ever in the bay area again and am looking for a chef, I would contact Chef Laura in a second. read more

I won a dinner prepared by chef Laura as an auction item for our Ed Foundation. I was simply looking to host a dinner party with friends and not have to cook. What I received was SO much more! The food was amazing. The service fantastic. I didn't have to lift a finger. By the end of the party, every dish was clean and my kitchen looked like it did prior to the party. I would hire Laura over and over again, I highly recommend her!!! read more

I was blown away with my experience with Chef Laura and Custom Creations. I received a quote for a personal chef to visit Sonoma County for a group of 12 ladies that was so affordable. Chef Laura worked with me to personalize the menu as well as suggested wine pairings for our dinner. Starter: BURRATA CHEESE, Prociutto di Parma, fig marmellata, grilled bread Salad: HEIRLOOM TOMATO, Fresh mozzarella, kalmata olives, pesto vinaigrette Entree: RIGATONI AND LAMB SAUSAGE, Red chard, soffrito, rosemary, ricotta cheese OR BAKED SEA BASS, Terrine of red potatoes, zucchini, tomato, onion, lemon-herb butter Dessert: FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE TORTE, Marinated strawberries and whipped cream She arrived on time (actually early), set the table for 12 and stayed until every last dish was clean and left the kitchen spotless - that in itself was priceless! Anyone who has prepared and cooked for a dinner for 12 knows it's almost impossible to enjoy yourself with your guests. Chef Laura took care of everything and left not a worry in the world to the host! The food was as good as it sounded/looked, and all very seasonal and fresh, which was one of my requests when preparing the menu. The portion sizes were perfect, and we all went to bed with a full bellies of great food. It was so fun to have Chef Laura serve and describe each dish, and she was very open to questions about recipes and preparation techniques. I wish I lived in the Bay Area, so I could use her for another event soon, but I will have to wait until another trip to the West Coast. I highly recommend Chef Laura and Custom Creations for your next event! read more

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