Natasha created an amazing catered dinner experience for my 50th birthday! The cheese and…read morecharcuterie board was incredible, followed by 4 spectacular courses (with 3 options for my friends to choose for the entrees) and all paired with wonderful wines. One of my friends needs gluten free food, and Natasha was very attentive to the menu creation and in the food preparation to avoid cross contamination. She and her team were also so friendly and informative, and they knew their way seamlessly around the rental house kitchen as they had catered many dinners there. I would highly recommend Natasha for your special life event, and I think all of my friends will be calling on her again!

We were in Sonoma for my partners birthday and we surprised her with a private chef. I am so…read moreincredibly happy we had Chef Natasha cook for us! Not only was her food so delicious, she is the most genuine person! We loved chatting with her while she was cooking and when she served us our corses :) You can really tell she cooks her food with love and care. We started off with the most amazing French 75 cocktails which had fresh Meyer Lemons from her garden and a grazing platter with amazing cheeses and meats. We then had the best squash soup I've ever had! She made it with squashes from her garden as well :) Then a very fresh and citrus salad, then Chilean Sea Bass, then a Steak, then a really moist raspberry Chantilly birthday cake! We also did a wine pairing with each course and the wines she picked worked so well! This experience was fantastic!

They were beyond fabulous for our daughter's welcome cocktail party the night before her wedding…read more It was in our home. They were so easy to work with in the months leading up to the event, and the food they provided was incredible. Oysters, of course, but also a delicious seafood bar including an outrageously good hamachi poke. Their set-up looked great. Everyone commented on how good it was!

We hired The Oyster Girls for our wedding and we would absolutely recommend them for any event. We…read moreselected the roving service, and it was such a big hit with our guests, that they can't stop talking about it. Our shuckers were so incredibly nice and thoughtful making sure to ask me and my husband if they should set aside a plate for us. We are so appreciative for the level of service provided and for The Oyster Girls being a part of our special day!

We hired this chef for a private dinner party while visiting Sonoma CA. While the food was…read morebeautifully prepared and flavorful, I unfortunately cannot recommend her due to several issues with our experience. First, prior to leaving that evening, she informed us that all of the leftover food was packed and in the fridge. There was enough leftover food for the next day. However, we discovered that three entrees were missing (eggplant, chicken parmesan and all of the pasta). When we raised this concern via email, her response was dismissive. Rather than taking accountability for what was promised and not delivered, she stated that she will no longer be leaving leftovers to clients "to avoid situations like this." Even more concerning is the fact that we had someone in our group with a tree nut allergy and this was made clear right from the beginning while planning the menu. One of the dishes (steak) had a green sauce on it. When we asked what was in it, she said it was a "chimichurri pesto but she couldn't be 100% certain because another chef with whom she had recently started working with had prepared that dish." For any chef, especially one handling private meals, this kind of response and oversight is unacceptable. This could have resulted in a medical emergency had we not asked. She offered to give plain steak to the person with the food allergy, but she declined out of an abundance of caution. This dinner was for a special occasion and it came at a premium cost, which we were willing to pay. However, picking and choosing which entrees you leave behind for the client is not something that we expected from a professional. We contacted her asking that she remedy the situation in some way, but she did not respond to this request. It is really unfortunate, because the food and presentation was quite good. For this reason, I will rate 2 stars. However, food quality alone does not make up for poor communication, unprofessional handling of client concerns, and most importantly, ignoring a clearly communicated food allergy. I am writing this review with hope that future clients have a better (and safer) experience, but I would not book again. She is a small business owner with 5 years of experience and clearly still learning how to manage her operations while meeting client expectations.

What went well? EVERYTHING! Maria and her crew arrived early for our bridal shower. It's hard to…read morequantify how professional, efficient, and friendly Maria and her team are. They walked around with trays of starters that were wonderful! Beautiful sit down luncheon -- each course brought oohs and aahs from the 25 guests. They even refolded the napkins we'd tried our best with -- adding an adorable sprig of lavender to each napkin. The event was at a friend's private Yountville home and I was nervous about leaving the home and kitchen as flawless as we'd found it. NO PROBLEM! Maria and her team stayed until everything was perfect. I can't wait until my other daughter gets engaged!!!

This review is for their stall at the Sunday, San Rafael Farmers Market…read more I can't take credit for the discovery of Bay Laurel - that was the partners doing. But I can say that I've been a willing participant in visits since. I hate to admit it, but we really haven't ventured as deep into their offerings as we might since the partner is crazy for their chicken pot pies - which are mighty good by the way. What I can say is that everything we have sampled has been excellent. Portion size is good. Many of their entrees serve two healthy appetites. Our most recent discovery has been their cookies. (I'm not telling which are my favorites.) The woman who runs the booth is really friendly and always makes us feel welcome - even when we can't decide what we want. Perhaps a bit spendy, but the quality well makes up for the cost.

Remember frozen chicken pot pie? Well forget everything you thought you knew. Then call or email…read moreBay Laurel Culinary, order their version, take it home, and revel in your new knowledge and appreciation of this comfort food classic. The BLC Chicken Pot Pie is frozen when you get it. That's where the similarity to its predecessors ends. Perfect crust. Moist, tender, incredibly flavorful chicken, white and dark meat. Peas and carrots that actually taste like peas and carrots. All enrobed in a sauce with incredible flavor, texture, and balance. We heated ours in our toaster oven (don't judge!) for about an hour at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, a bit under the 350 BLC recommends. We made sure not to ignore the recommended egg wash, and to cover ours with foil after the top crusts were golden brown, to avoid burning them while the pies came completely up to eating temperature. They were flawless. Feel free to add seasonings -- but taste first. You may find further adornment unnecessary, as we did. We've had and loved the stellar, refined version of this dish at The Big 4 in San Francisco. The Bay Laurel Culinary team has brought that level of quality and flavor to a chicken pot pie you can enjoy at home in your lounging regalia of choice. Life rarely if ever gets better. Enjoy.

Adam Small and his team were recommended to us by a family member who also used his services for…read moreher wedding. We could not be happier with the recommendation as the appetizers and entrées were absolutely stunning -- both in flavor and aesthetics! Our biggest difficulty was choosing dishes from his diverse catalog of offerings since they all sounded delicious. He was also very accommodating and made various adjustments to account for particular food allergies that some of our guests had (without compromising on flavor at all). For appetizers, we chose: - Pepper-Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna (Seka Hills EVOO, Sicilian Pesto, Herbs) - Ratatouille Tarts (Puff Pastry, Seka Hills EVOO, Parmigiano Reggiano) - Pistachio Flatbread (Onion, Burrata, Honey, and Chili Oil -- this one was a extra-huge hit with all guests) For dinner, we started with a Local Harvest Salad (Farm Vegetables, Fruit, Vinaigrette, Cheese, and Nuts -- plating was particularly beautiful for the salad), and had three entrée options: - Wagyu New York Steak (Imperial American Wagyu, Roasted Vegetables, Marinated Portobello Mushrooms, Potato Galette, and Red Wine Jus) - Signature Duck (Mary's Crusted Duck Breast, Hind-Quarter Confit, Potato Cake, Charred Vegetables, and Duck Jus) - Roasted Butternut Squash with Cannellini Beans (Charred Vegetables, Marinated Portobello Mushrooms, and Saffron-Rosemary Broth) Throughout our entire wedding and afterwards, guests were telling us how impressed they were and that it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding! He and his team arrived right on schedule, set up (including silverware and plates) cooked and served outstanding food, provided extremely attentive service, and then cleaned up, leaving the kitchen absolutely spotless (while also deftly navigating a brief power outage!). We cannot recommend Adam Small Cooks highly enough! His food, attention to detail, and service are truly next level. Thank you again for making our wedding so special!

Chef Adam was amazing!!!…read more We celebrated a friend's birthday with 6 people at an Airbnb in Sonoma. We had a six course menu (see below for details) that was excellent! For the vegetarian in the group (me) he was able to whip up a wonderful dish when everyone else was eating halibut. Every single dish was a stand out and the group was so happy with how everything turned out. This was a wish of the birthday girl - to have a private chef and to spend time with her girlfriends. She was blown away by the experience. The 6 course meal included: Fried Baby Artichokes: lemon aioli, herbs, chili oil Flatbread: preserved truffle, pistachios, onion, burrata, honey, chili oil Ash Roasted Beets: kimchi honey, pistachios, ravigote, feta Charred Zucchini Agnolotti: fried sage, brown butter, lemon, pepper, parmigiana Seared Halibut: fennel-potato salad, herbs, haricot vert, preserved truffle champagne sauce Under-Baked Chocolate Cake: Italian meringue, Luxardo cherries, cocoa nibs Also, our kitchen was left spotless! Thanks again Chef Adam for giving us the perfect first day of our trip!

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

Think twice (or more) and don't do it!…read more A group of four couples (hailing from Michigan to New Mexico) were flying into Napa for a long-planned get-together. We rented a home through VRBO and thought it would be a treat to have a catered meal from Epicurean Escape. The price was over $1000 but seemed well worth it and we paid the bill 10 days prior to our arrival. Unfortunately, if not unbelievably, we were alerted by VRBO the very next day that our contract was being cancelled as the rental house had just been purchased by a new owner. Thinking we might have to cancel the trip as VRBO might not have an alternative (they did not), we immediately contacted the caterer that we would have to cancel plans. This was 9 days prior to the planned dinner. The caterer then informed us that this was beyond their normal 10 day cancellation policy and there was nothing they could do other than a (hold your breath) 25% refund!! provide a 'credit' - a great idea for a group of 8 with most of us living thousands of miles away, or assisting us in relocating to a new venue. We eventually located a hotel where we could stay and proceeded with the trip - still very much disappointed with the caterer for not refunding our money with 9 days prior notice (along with forwarding them the note of cancellation from VRBO). With a $150 delivery fee charged by the caterer for delivery to our hotel, and no way for us to warm the food in our rooms, we anticipated the meal would arrive on serving trays with sterno heaters. But of course not.. The server who delivered the food was very nice and accommodating (we tipped them as well even though the paid contract already included an 18% gratuity fee). We began eating immediately, only to find all the food (fish and beef main courses) at room temperature. Perhaps everything would have tasted better had it been heated, but classifying the meal as 'mediocre' would be overly kind. Making matters worse (if that's possible), we have been promised a 'final' contract as three of the planned attendees could not attend, and the caterer agreed to 'adjust', only to never hear back from them almost 2 weeks later. Inflexible policy + less than thrilling meals = at least in my book, an experience worth avoiding at all costs. Caveat emptor.

Rachel and her team were fantastic and made our family's centennial celebration of our mother easy…read moreand fun for all. The menu selection was great, communication was excellent, and the team was wonderful to work with!

Rachel is an earth mama in all the best ways. The moment I met her, I was so grateful I chose her…read moreto cater our very special Father's Day event, with the people I love most dearly as my guests. I have rarely felt so well cared for. And I'm talking start to finish. If you want genuine care and warmth, in addition to absolutely delicious food, Rachel is your woman.

My husband and I had the chance to experience a dinner by…read more "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 !!!

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

Chef Alyson recently provided an incredible meal for our family dinner party in celebration of my…read moresister's 50th birthday party. The meal included appetizers, a salad course, an entree, and dessert and the whole thing was truly superb from start to finish. My sister is gluten-free and we have a few food allergies in our household. Alyson worked with us to craft a menu that would fit those dietary restrictions without losing any of the flavors or textures that make a great meal. Chef Alyson was also such a pleasure to have in our home. We were able to enjoy our time together as a family without having to worry about any element of the dinner - and she really made the whole experience fun and relaxing for us. We hope to hire her again for future family celebrations. Highly recommend!!

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

I booked Luis on 6/28 for my parent's anniversary. We communicated back and forth for details and a…read moredraft menu between 5/26 -6/8 and it was confirmed. I also booked a harpist to play that day. I texted Luis on 6/28 morning to confirm since I had not heard anything from him before. He texted and told me to call him, and told me he had an emergency surgery and was out for 2 weeks. I'm not sure when the surgery took place either before or after the date but I was NEVER informed prior. Thankfully I did not put in a deposit but I did not anticipate on being left in the dust with zero communication especially since I had to text first...Luis apologized and offered a "zero transportation fee" for a next booking. Now I get things come up, but it was confirmed for that month, and I am unsure how my date was missed. I typically don't write reviews, but this was upsetting. The text messages show I had to cancel a musician right after Luis called me. And the emails shown below are of the confirmations and draft menu.

Excellent presentation, delicious taste! They were courteous, quiet, organized, and the service…read morewas impeccable!!