Mattias was integral in making our evening exceptional. From initial email through payment,…read moreMattias was communicative and thoughtful. We had six people for a small birthday get together and everything from the food, decor, timing of courses,etc was spot on. He accommodated our requests including making special items for my youngest daughter. He brings everything - decor, place setting, glassware. We needed nothing as he covered it all. I couldn't recommend him more highly.

10/10, amazing, fantastic!…read more We had gotten an Airbnb at a secluded beach house and booked Mattias to cook our parent's 30th anniversary dinner. Communication went smoothly from start to finish. When he arrived, he took safety precautions and kept his distance and mask on (something that I really appreciated). He brought the dinnerware, table decor, and even printed out a nice menu at our request. Food was amazing and I loved that we were able to mix and match from his Farm Table menus. We had the butter lettuce salad (could eat this everyday!), the sweet corn soup (amazing flavors- sweetness of the corn was complemented with a kick of chili oil), the petit filet, and raspberry torte (with a sparkler to make it celebratory!). Every thing was amazing and perfectly portioned. At the end of dinner, he cleaned up which is such an added plus! Mattias is very personable and made the occasion so special. Will definitely look forward to working with him again :)

I put in an inquiry for a private chef through Santa Barbara Chef Collective and was lucky to have…read morebeen paired with Chef Aspyn. We were a group of 8 friends and 3 babies traveling to Solvang for a weekend getaway, and we wanted to enjoy a quiet, delicious meal once the babies went down for the night. Booking through Santa Barbara Chef Collective was such a breeze--simple, straightforward, and catered to all our needs. Choosing the menu was super fun as we were given so many tasty options for each course. Chef Aspyn and her sous chef Alexis (who was so fun and sweet!) arrived right on time and quickly started preparing our feast. It was so nice how they set the table so we could enjoy an al fresco twilight dinner. Not only was every course delicious, but so, so beautifully plated. They also made us cocktails and mocktails (for the pregnant ladies), and kept our wine glasses full throughout the entire evening. It was clear that these chefs are not only skilled but passionate about their craft. To top it all off, they left our kitchen spotless - even washing baby bibs which we really appreciated. This dining experience was the highlight of our trip, and we couldn't have asked for a better meal. If you're considering a personal chef, I highly recommend Chef Aspyn!

Some of the best, most creative food and baked goods. From salads to appetizers to the absolute…read morebest chocolate chip cookies I've ever had.

The question is what could improve. There is quite a lot…read moreyou can improve from. Communication, you had no communication with your own quest before, during, and after the service and still to this day we get a cold shoulder. Being two hours late to our wedding with no word from you or your staff with any idea where their own chef is with our food for 100 guest. Making the bride cry, on her wedding day because the service "provided." We were hesitant to pay the full amount before hand and was told "this is the new thing now a days," man do we regret our decision and trusting our gut. Told they were in business for 15 years and well did the truth really shine. We had our venue until 10 and the desserts came at 9:45 as the bride and groom were already leaving. Just poor, truly sad and disappointed on what a horrible service was provided with such big hopes and talks from the chef. Do NOT RECOMMEND, you will get a plethora of excuses and lack of transparency and honesty.

Excellent food so far , good delivery, punctual , as ordered, good communication , good variety of…read morefood

All Purpose Flower did a great job! The dishes were beautifully presented and full of flavor --…read moredefinitely the kind of service you'd expect from a professional personal chef team. Communication was easy, they responded quickly, and everything looked elegant. I'd recommend them for small events or dinner parties if you want something special and stress-free.

Be cautious -- this caterer misrepresented her role, lacked insurance, and left us with costly…read morerepairs and cleanup after our wedding. We hired Golzar Meamar of All Purpose Flower Catering to cater a formal wedding dinner at our home. This was a very meaningful event for us -- both of us are in our seventies, in our second marriage, and surrounded by close friends who traveled from across the country. Because of past experiences hiring private chefs, we were extremely careful to choose someone we could trust. Golzar presented herself as "the one and only chef" at All Purpose Flower Catering and told us she had won a celebrity chef award; she led us to believe she would personally be cooking at our wedding. Only five weeks before the event did we learn she would not be attending and that she was sending a freelance chef instead. At that point, it was too late to find another caterer. We later learned that Golzar has no employees of her own and uses a staffing agency (Instawork) to supply all kitchen and waitstaff. When we asked for proof of workers' compensation insurance, she could not provide it and refused to obtain documentation from the agency. This left us exposed to liability if anyone were injured in our home -- something our own insurance broker confirmed we were not covered for. Throughout our planning, Golzar's communication was often unprofessional and dismissive. She sent three different "final" invoices, each with new calculation errors, and became defensive whenever we tried to correct them. On the day of the wedding, the meal was fine overall, though my fish was cold. Unfortunately, the chef left our cooktop covered in grease puddles that disabled the burners. We now must wait a month for repairs, leaving us without a working stove. The waitstaff also did no cleanup, leaving us with days of work to restore our kitchen and property. While our guests enjoyed the evening, the experience with this caterer was stressful, misleading, and costly. Future clients should ask very direct questions before hiring this company.

We attended a party at a friend's house which was catered by SB Paella…read more Service 5 stars: Chef Ben was friendly, outgoing, super attentive and helpful. An all around nice guy and a great person to have a conversation with. He gracefully handled the 50+ person party with no issues whatsoever. Food 5 stars: I had their signature Paella Mixta (Chicken, Pork, Mussels, Clams, Shrimp, Veggies, Saffron) and the Jamon Serrano (Serrano Ham) from the whole leg carving station. Super high quality ingredients, excellent taste and great presentation. Absolutely top notch! The Last Word 5 stars: All and all, this was a fun and interactive culinary experience! I would ask SB Paella to cater my party in a heartbeat and without hesitation. Highly recommended!

What a fun and unique catering option! We wanted a family style meal for our rehearsal dinner but…read morenot a buffet and SB Paella was the perfect choice. We chose four passed appetizers and a traditional paella to serve about 30 guests (including a few vegetarians) and it achieved everything we hoped for. Ben, the chef, was friendly, efficient and even packed up a few left over containers for us that came in handy over our wedding weekend! I highly recommend.

We were lucky enough to find Cindy at the last minute when our plans moved us from Napa/Sonoma to…read moreSanta Barbara. She was easy to work with and created a really beautiful dinner for 10 that was exactly what I wanted and absolutely delicious! She and Diane created a truly special evening for us. I would recommend Cindy WITHOUT reservation!

Cindy cooked for my family every week for months and we were never disappointed by her delicious,…read moreunique, and comforting dishes. Our personal favorite were her desserts, of course. Cindy is such a wonderful person to have in your kitchen she is kind and always has a smile on her face. She even took the time to teach me a couple of her recipes before I went off to school. I highly recommend you give her a call because you'll be left full and happy.

Josie has been the personal chef for my clients for the past 3 years and she is PHENOMENAL!!!! Not…read moreonly is she super easy to work with, but her food is so delicious. And she knows how to cook for all types of palates, ages and appetites. My clients have an especially particular set of dietary needs and allergies that must be worked around. We have had a hard time finding a chef that knows how to adjust to those needs while keeping the food selections, fresh, delicious, and diverse, but with Josie, it's just been so easy since Day 1. They also have 2 toddlers and she always suggests healthy and fun selections for them and they LOVE it! She's also a great cooking tutor and is always happy to help and answer any and all questions. And get this...we are in Los Angeles and Josie is in Santa Barbara...but THAT is how valuable she is to us! We get her food brought down to LA from Santa Barbara. Yes. Believe it when I say Chef Josie is one of the best! When it comes to working parties and events that my clients host, once again, she makes it all so easy and her attention to detail is absolutely precise! For example...We hosted a pizza party because the house had a new wood-fired brick pizza oven installed. I discussed this with Josie, and at the time, she had never worked with wood-fired pizza ovens. However, the very next day she sent me all the information she had researched on it, and also took the initiative to find someone to show her how to work with a wood-fired pizza oven. Because of her research and initiative, she was able to show me via texting and Facetime, how to properly cure the oven a week before the party and then when it came to the actual day of the party, Josie & her assistant came down to cook and put the oven and her newfound wood-fired pizza skills to the test...and everyone LOVED it!!! The pizza was honestly some of the most delicious pizza I've had. And it's all because of the prep work Josie had done before and then when the time came, like a master at their craft, she just let her experience do the rest. And clean-up was a BREEZE!!!!! She and her awesome assistant were constantly cleaning as they were working, so by the time they had to leave, everything was already cleaned up and put away. I am SO GRATEFUL for Josie. She makes my clients very happy and that makes me extremely happy and also, my job that much easier! She is truly one of the best people you will ever work with.

Josie has been cheffing for my family for almost a decade. We absolutely LOVE her. We are self…read moreproclaimed foodies, and like healthy delicious and interesting food. She has many wonderful staples like her veggie shrimp rolls (must have)! But she is super open to trying new things. We often collaborate on the menu with Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty being one of our favorite go to books in a pinch. Josie is a wonderful warm person and can be trusted to respect your home, family and guests. She is a real professional.

At home with Chef Laurence Literally. My wife and I---and…read moreanother lovely couple---spent a morning and afternoon in her home, where she treated us to an east-going culinary adventure. In a handful of hours she shared her years of cooking experience in such a cordial, pleasant manner that even a kitchen novice could be comfortable. The more experienced in the kitchen gained tips and skills. (I can now confidently make a Beurre Blanc sauce, one of the French Master Sauces, to which we added a few strands of saffron and a generous dash of cayenne.). Beyond the food---a soft and tender halibut with the aforementioned Beurre Blanc, a fricassee of vegetables, a fresh garden salad with homemade ricotta sprinkled on it, and a blood orange upside-down cake----we dined on the presence and persona of Chef Laurence herself. Not only is she a chef extraordinaire but she is a wonderful person who shares her life as easily as she shares her home. When you sign up for her session, you get a four-course meal that consists of great food, culinary knowledge, exceptional hospitality, and an experience with a pleasant beautiful person who reminds you of the pleasures life has to offer.

We attended Market Foray's cooking class in January, and it was one of the most enjoyable and…read moreeducational experiences I've had in the kitchen. We started with a trip to the farmer's market, where Laurence pointed out different items and talked through the differences in different types of food (green garlic was new to me!). We later met at her home, and the cooking began. She did a good job of rotating the tasks throughout the group, and explaining the techniques as she went. We got to taste as we went, and after all the chopping was done, wine was served. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the other participants were friendly and engaged, making it a fun, social experience as well. And, of course, the best part was sitting down at the end to enjoy the fruits of our labor. The dishes we prepared were full of flavor and creativity, and I walked away feeling incredibly satisfied and inspired to keep cooking. I highly recommend this class to anyone who loves food and wants to expand their culinary horizons. Whether you're looking to learn new techniques, discover fresh ingredients, or just have a fun day out, Market Forays is a fantastic choice.

Highly recommended!Shoutout to Chef Ray Swanson of Chef 805 Catering for an absolutely incredible…read moreexperience. My wife and I attended a friend's birthday party where Chef Ray handled the catering, and the food was truly outstanding. Having spent 22 years in the food service industry myself, I'm not easily impressed--but the presentation, flavors, and overall execution were exceptional. Every item was fantastic. The bruschetta with goat cream cheese was fresh and perfectly balanced. The seared ahi tuna bites were beautifully prepared, and the shrimp spring rolls with ginger peanut sauce were bursting with flavor. Even the flatbread pizza with Caesar salad was spot-on. One great dish after another--we were honestly stuffed by the end of the night. What stood out most was the attention to detail and restaurant-quality presentation, something you rarely see at private catered events. Chef Ray clearly takes pride in his craft, and it shows in every bite. We're already looking forward to the next event he caters at our friend's house--and we'll definitely be using Chef 805 Catering for one of our own parties in the future. -- Anil

Chef Ray exceeded our expectations. He was responsive, friendly, and professional. The food was…read moredelicious! He prepared a buffet with something for everyone, including those with dietary restrictions. I will definitely work with him again. He offers luxurious food at really reasonable prices. But the best part about working with him is his wonderful, positive attitude.