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    Elite Personal Chefs

    4.9 (51 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Services - Elite Personal Chefs

    Catering

    Gluten-free catering

    Kosher catering

    3 More Services

    Personal chefs

    Vegan catering

    Vegetarian catering

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    Recommended Reviews - Elite Personal Chefs

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    Crab cake with lobster, elote cream, homemade pickles, and roasted red pepper coulis
    Avery L.

    Chef Rick was a dream to work with! He was timely, professional, and his food was damn delicious! He worked closely with me to create a menu for my friend's surprise 30th birthday. Definitely will be using him again!

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    Sam H.

    We ordered dinner from EPC's new "Pop-up Pick-up" concept and went with the "Mimi's Place" menu (traditional southern food). At that time, there was no delivery option so we drove to pick it up. The staff met us downstairs and took all the proper COVID-19 precautions by loading up the back seat of our car, totally contact-free, and a friendly wave to send us off! As for the food itself, it was positively mind-blowing! This was easily the most gourmet takeout experience I think I've ever had. Everything was clearly labeled and nicely-packaged. Quick run-down on our favorite menu items: - Fried chicken: How is it possible for fried chicken to be this good?! The skin was deliciously savory, and the meat was cooked to perfection and super tender. - Fried okra: What?! Honestly I expected this to be my least favorite thing, but it was easily in the top 3. - Fried tomatoes: Super good, especially with the remoulade drizzled over it! - Mac & cheese: I might wanna order a bucket of this next time and just live off of it for a whole week. I think the only way this could've been better is if it had bacon in it, but that may not be authentic southern style. - Coleslaw: Perfection! Tangy (as it should be), but not overly creamy/watery as coleslaw sometimes turns out. Everything was fantastic, but those were my favorites. Overall it was a five-star experience, and I can't wait to order from their upcoming menus!

    Beef carving station

    Our family hired Chef Austin and his Elite Personal Chef team to cook dinner for us while we were on vacation in Hilton Head South Carolina in July of 2023. 33 of us gathered to celebrate my parent's 60th wedding anniversary, and we hoped it would be a meal and night to remember. From the very start, Chef Austin was responsive and patient with my requests and challenges organizing an intimate family dinner for a large group. He worked with me on all the details: timing, menu, cost, food preferences and allergies. Chef Austin devised a menu combining his low country South Carolina roots along with his credentials as a chef at 3-star Michelin rated Alinea in Chicago (our home town). Everything was delicious! Complex and unique enough to please the foodies in our group but also not so intimidating that those with less adventurous palates couldn't enjoy. Some of our favorite moments ... - Chef Austin's impromptu cocktail lesson with 5 keys to flavor: Many of us gathered around the counter for great info along with a surprise ingredient in a delicious and different drink. - Chef Larry's beef rib roast carving: The youngest member of the team, Larry fit right in as very competent and professional. - Chef Lindsay's utensil delivery: Speedy service to my mom when her spoon went missing. As "front of house" Lindsay quickly and efficiently went through the kitchen cabinets to figure out what could be used for cooking, serving and setting tables. No easy task as this was a rental home and none of us knew where anything was kept. - Chef Kay's chocolate and berry dessert: Proclaimed "the best thing I ever had" by one of the youngest members of our family. - Oh ... and the team cleaned up everything ... stored leftovers, washed dishes, scrubbed pots and pans ... so we didn't have to lift a finger. My dad said it best, "They knocked it out of the park!". Thank you Chef Austin and Elite Personal Chefs!

    Bacon Brussel Sprouts with Miso glaze and a Lemon Creama
    Tiffany W.

    Omg!!! If I could give Chef Ricardo Paniagua 10 stars I would. I planned my boyfriends surprise birthday dinner months ago. Chef Rick was amazing from start to finish. I don't think I have tasted better food in my life and that's saying a lot. From helping me surprise him to helping me finish setting up and transform my home into a restaurant, he was on point. My boyfriend said it was the best birthday ever!!! I am already looking for him to do my house warming party next month. He is the best, very professional and personable. So do yourself a favor and hire Chef Rick NOW!! You'll thank me later.

    Chef Austin nailing the 'cooking experience' with the kids!

    Our group of 6 adults and 6 kids had the pleasure of the Chef Austin and Chef Nat experience while on spring break in the Smokey Mountains. What an exceptional experience! Chefs' prepared amazing dinners, prepped breakfasts, did a cooking experience/class with the kids that was really special and always cleaned up which was the gift that keeps on giving for us parents on spring break! We truly enjoyed watching them cook, learned a ton along the way and had an absolute blast trading stories the entire week. We really appreciate your skill, energy and efforts and look forward to seeing you again!

    Homemade pickles, onions, ketchup and truffle aioli

    Austin came over to do an interactive meal for my mom's birthday. We selected a pre-set menu ahead of time and Austin made sure to incorporate my mom's favorite foods. To say that we were pleased in an understatement. Austin brought his talent and knowledge to help us learn how to cook better and it made for some great tasting food. All 8 of us watched Austin cook for five hours plus and some how more impressed with each item that was placed on the table. How cool is it that Austin made his own pickles, onions, ketchup and truffle aioli right in front of us! The gnocchi Bolognese and banana fosters chocolate creme desserts were to die for. Not to mention the amazing garlic shrimp, beets & burrata and short rib burgers. We were so full and had the most amazing experience. If I could EPC a 10/10, I would. Thank you Austin and EPC! We hope to have to you again soon

    Heirloom Tomatoes!
    Sara H.

    I won a gift certificate to E.P.C. at my company holiday party last year! We decided to have Chef Austin over on 2/13 for an early Valentine's Day dinner. From the minute they walked in till they left, their energy and enthusiasm was excellent! We shared this interactive class with them with my brother and sis-in-law and the four of us could not stop talking about them after they left! I've taken cooking classes at other places and these guys were on a whole another level. The knowledge shared alone will blow your mind! The food was fantastic! We got to design our own menu and Chef Austin gave us the freedom to choose whatever we'd like! We ate the food as it was cooked, fresh and hot! Everything about the experience was perfection! Lastly, to top it all off they left our kitchen spotless! Can't wait to do it all over again!

    We had such a great time with Chef Austin and Elite Personal Chefs! He was able to create a fun date night for our friend group through a virtual cooking class! He was very informative and kept the energy level high the whole time. We made a wide variety of dishes while he made it feel so easy to do, pushing us out of our cooking comfort zone. This was our first experience with Elite Personal Chefs and we can't wait for our next! Thanks Chef Austin for making cooking with friends fun even while quarantined.

    Surf and turf over mashed potatoes and asparagus

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    Rachel was amazing and made an incredible diner for us! This was a very great experience.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Elite Personal Chefs

    Review Highlights - Elite Personal Chefs

    I had the pleasure of having Chef Austin and his sous chef, Anthony over at my house last week to cook dinner.

    Mentioned in 18 reviews

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    Get in the Kitchen - Friday Night fun

    Get in the Kitchen

    (54 reviews)

    Lakeview

    An unforgettable cooking class--pure joy from start to finish!…read more I cannot rave enough about this cooking class. Four friends and I signed up on a whim, and it turned into one of the most memorable evenings we've had together in ages. The highlight was learning how to make fresh fettuccine from scratch--yes, from scratch--and somehow the instructor Jason made the whole process feel both totally doable and ridiculously fun. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and buzzing with good energy. Jason was patient, hilarious, and incredibly knowledgeable, guiding us through every step without ever making it feel intimidating. Before long, we were kneading dough, rolling it out like pros, and cheering each other on as our pasta strands got longer and more impressive. And the best part? Sitting down together at the end to enjoy the meal we created. The pasta was unbelievably fresh--silky, tender, and honestly better than many restaurant dishes I've had. Unfortunately, we ate so fast. We forgot to take a picture! Sharing that meal with friends made it even more special. After we ate, we were entertained by the fabulous Yuiza Beach! A local entertainer from Rogers Park. She was funny and charismatic, and kept us in stitches the whole time! Her performance was as fabulous as she was If you're looking for a unique, hands-on experience that blends learning, laughter, and seriously delicious food, this class is a must. We left full, happy, and already planning our next visit. Highly, highly recommended!

    Had a team cooking event here--the food is just okay but the experience is fun! They try their best…read moreto make things lively from start to finish, but it can also feel a little frazzled and disorganized. Still had a great time.

    The Chopping Block - Grilled scallops

    The Chopping Block

    (242 reviews)

    $$$

    Ravenswood, Lincoln Square

    I recently attended the "Hands-On Essential Building Blocks" class at The Chopping Block! The 9…read morehours of cooking certainly paid off with some delicious meals! Although I did think the chef in charge was very knowledgeable, and the meals did turn out fabulous, I was a little disappointed with the class structure for a few reasons. 1. For the price of this class, I assumed that we would all be individually learning to cook each component - that was not the case as we were put together into teams of four where we divided responsibilities. So not all building block skills were able to be practiced by all team members. I had chosen this class because I wanted to learn these building block skill hands-on. However, if you're looking to meet new friends this may just be the spot for you! 2. Like I mentioned, the meal we made was super delicious. But in my opinion, it's creativeness / the fact that it wasn't more simple skipped over some of the true basic skills needed in everyday kitchen use. For example, I wish we had learned more about pan use / heating up / etc. And because we had so many components to the meals, some of the lessons felt kind of rushed where we weren't necessarily able to dive deeper into those questions since there were so many people per amount of chef / helpers I do think that this is a great org, but perhaps I would have felt more bang for buck in a more specified topic / shorter class

    I received a gift card for a cooking class for Christmas so decided to use it for a date night last…read moreweek. We chose a Cajun themed meal and it was a really good time. They were super organized. We were split into four groups and each group worked together to create a 4 course meal. Our meal consisted of bbq shrimp, Cajun crab dip, jambalaya, and bread pudding. The chef leading the class was really entertaining and had a lot of great pro tips. There were some other chefs assisting in clean up along the way and taking drink orders. My wife and I really enjoyed our experience and can't wait to come back.

    Cook Au Vin - Passed appetizers at a reception at the Alliance Française

    Cook Au Vin

    (210 reviews)

    $$$$

    Bucktown

    This is a must do. My friends and I did the Bordeaux Menu on 1/8/2020 with Ryan and a number of…read moreother people. It was a fantastic experience and exceeded our expectations. Ryan was able to manage all of us and get us all involved in the preparation of our meal. We learned a lot of tips, had fun preparing the meal, got to wear chef's hats and aprons, and we all gathered around a table for a wonderful meal. What a concept to get so many people together and then to have us all work together to prepare a larger meal, from appetizers through dessert. Ryan did a great job with us. Will be back.

    What an AMAZING experience! I came with 3 friends for a girl's night and we all had an absolute…read moreBLAST. There were about 16 attendees total, which was a good sized group for the location. We started off with about a half hour of mingling, getting setup with drinks (BYOB) and the provided fresh baked bread with assorted cheeses, then all gathered around the large U-shaped island that would be our workspace. As others have mentioned, this isn't a you-cook-everything for your meal type of experience, rather, every step is demonstrated by the instructor then a few people in the class will take turns performing it while others move on to other steps. My class was the Bavette menu, which was (I'm not even going to attempt to write out the french titles for these) a bacon and mushroom puff pastry, sous-vide flank steak with duck fat roasted potatoes and Bearnaise sauce, and a chocolate lava cake for dessert. The food was fantastic. An absolutely amazing meal. But really the best part about this whole experience was the people and the group interaction. Throughout the night, we all got to know each other and had a bunch of fun working together. There was tons of laughter and it was an all around great time. It culminated in us sitting at a long table and having dinner together. It was also someone's birthday, so we all sang happy birthday. Overall, 10/10 experience! I will DEFINITELY be back. This was one of the best girl's nights we've had in a while, but it would also be great for a date or just a couple of friends. Hell, it would even be a great first date! Oh, and our instructor, Ryan, was incredible. He was hilarious and a great teacher.

    Elite Personal Chefs - catering - Updated May 2026

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