This review was written by my husband: I threw my wife a small dinner party at our home in March. I originally was going to get the party catered but thought using a personal chef would be a classier and more personal touch. I've never hired the services of a personal chef before so I didn't really know what to expect. In typical hubby fashion, I did not leave myself much time during the planning process. Luckily, after some brief researching via Yelp, the first chef that I contacted was Celeste. After filling out a brief online questionnaire about my event, I was able to get a phone appointment set up with Celeste within a day or two. During the call we spoke more in-depth about the specifics of my party. She had a prior engagement on the day that I wanted to book her that wouldn't allow her & her staff to arrive to my house as early as I'm sure she would've professionally preferred given the start time, but she assured me she could make it work and I was just happy for the fact that she had availability. She was very helpful in walking me through my food, beverage, & decor options. Once we decided on the basics of what I wanted she said she would craft a menu around my needs and get back to me. Throughout my dealings with Celeste her communication was superb. She makes herself available via phone, text, & email without issue and is always prompt with her responses. If she has a question or update she will reach out. I had an issue where I had to inform her that two of my guests were vegetarian after we already had settled on the menu and she accommodated that change last minute. I'm sure it was more of an inconvenience to her than she let on, but as a customer you appreciate that 'no problem' type of attitude in those situations. On the day of the party, Celeste, her sous-chef, & bartender all arrived on time & professionally dressed to setup. Her bartender was outgoing & engaging. She crafted a couple of signature drinks for the event and was proactive about making sure everyone's glass was full throughout the evening. Celeste began the meal with a seafood dip bruschetta that she recommended over some other appetizer options I considered. She couldn't have been more right, it was delicious! The main course was surf & turf (filet & lobster tail) with asparagus & au gratin potatoes. The filet was outstanding! So flavorful and tender. My wife loves lobster tail and was a big fan. The potatoes were a hit as well. Celeste insisted we try her strawberry cheesecake over any other dessert and we were not disappointed. After the meal, she and her staff cleaned up and left us with the leftovers. I was truly impressed with my overall experience with Celeste & her staff. They were personable, professional, and made it an amazing night for my wife and our guests! I strongly recommend using Celeste for any dinner party or event you may be planning. read more

Simply Celeste’s - Caterers Near Me

I rate Simply Celeste's two stars. I'm extremely disappointed with the services rendered on 01/11/25. My husband's 80th Birthday Celebration. Event time 4pm - 9pm. On this date Celeste informed me via phone conversation said "I woke up feeling sick this morning and had to seek medical attention. I will not be able to attend the event. Not to worry my staff is enroute to the venue and they will do an amazing job ". Needless to say 2:30pm was the time agreed upon to arrive at the venue. There was no reason for the event to be delayed. Celeste had more than enough time to make the necessary changes to keep the event on time. The first server arrived nearly 4pm (event start at 4pm). She arrived with absolutely nothing. No tables were needed the venue furnished them. Although she had no tablecloths or any decorative items for displaying and enhancing the table setting. I had a table set for gifts and treats. I quickly broke down the table for the servers to setup for the buffet. I left the venue around 4:30 and the other two servers still had not arrived. It was 5pm and the table still wasn't set. I paid for 50 guest, a total of 47 were present. Four of my guest were eating off dessert plates vs dinner plates. I was so embarrassed, I felt like leaving the room and not returning. I asked a server how did that happen and was told we ranned out. He said I'll go to the store I thought what a great idea but a little to late now. All the utensils, butter, corn muffins (so hard you couldn't cut them with a knife). All these items Were in dinner plates used for table settings. Green beans were not fully cooked, asparagus were overcooked. Mashed potatoes were cold and the Mac n Cheese was too cheesy and salty. Zesty chicken and fried chicken was reasonably good but barely warm. The cheesecakes were delicious. They weren't displayed on any type tray just sat on in the original plastic container. Seven of our guest had arrived prior to the table being set and witnessed all the choas. I spent a large amount of money to be exact $3,552.00 to be disrespected and embarrassed in front of our guest. I deserve better than the services rendered. I reached out to Celeste on two occasions via email asking for resolution. Letting her know that she hadn't met her contractual obligations. I feel some portion of money need to be reimbursed. Celeste made it clear to me that she has absolutely no intentions of giving any type of a refund. She also stated that she was responsible for providing table cloths and if I needed them I should have requested them. I was really taken back I have never heard of a Catering company not providing their tables, tablecloths and decorative items to enhance the table setting. Is that what we do nowadays? I guess it isn't about making your client happy anymore. The second email has been ignored an avoidance she has not responded. I'm hopeful she will reply. read more

Simply Celeste’s - This is the final presentation from Simply Celeste's - Caterers Near Me

Celeste prepared dinner for 11 guests at a birthday party and we just loved it. First, Celeste was very easy to deal with - we texted and emailed and she was quick to respond. I had never met her but I didn't need to for this dinner. (I actually found her on Yelp!) Second, Celeste and her staff of two showed up early and took over the kitchen. It's truly wonderful to sit around right before a party because someone else is doing all the work. After the party, they cleaned up the kitchen; truth be told, it was probably a lot cleaner than when they arrived. Celeste, Frances and Vanessa were nice and friendly, too. Third, the food itself was superb and I'm posting some photos. It was delicious and had great appetite appeal. (I was so involved eating, I forgot to post the entrees - mesquite salmon and fried chicken.). My guests just raved about it and everyone wanted leftovers, of which there were plenty. You cannot leave hungry from Celeste's meal. Fourth, I enjoyed supporting a business owned by a woman and a Sun Devil! I think most people would enjoy have Celeste come and cook a meal and I strongly recommend her. read more

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Chef Celeste was 5 star. She prepared a delicious meal for my bridal bachelorette brunch organized by my friends and family. The shrimp, chicken, grits and waffles were unbelievable. Her presentation was also unbelievable and left me wanting more. The event was a surprise to me but surpassed my wildest expectations and if you ever visit the Arizona area or plan an event in the area, please consider Chef Celeste and her team for your private chef and catering needs! read more

Simply Celeste’s - Shrimp & Grits - Caterers Near Me

:( My group booked for a bachelorette party 4 months in advance and Celeste was an hour and 45 mins late, we paid for two professionals and one didn't show up (she brought her husband to fill in), none of our food was hot (or warm) despite the kitchen being in the same room as the dining area, the time between courses was in excess of 30 mins, she asked if she could take off her mask when she arrived, saying she was vaccinated-- it put us in a really uncomfortable spot. We were hoping she would recognize that what happened was not up to the standards she advertises or generally works by and would offer a partial refund, but she didn't. After multiple emails back and forth she agreed to return the $500 we paid for the second professional that didn't show up. It was just really disappointing. We paid $2,000 + tip for a truly special experience for the bride and it was just super disappointing. Celeste offered to try again, which I can appreciate, but we came from different cities all over the country. read more

Contacted Simply Celeste after my original caterer had to cancel about three weeks from the event. Celeste wasn't only willing to work with me despite the tight timeline but was patient and easy to work with in terms of collaborating on the menu. Many caterers wouldn't have allowed modifications on that timeline. The food was extraordinary! I don't think there was anyone in attendance who did not rave about the food. My only complaint was that the food overshadowed the entertainment as people spent most of their time eating and enjoying their food rather than enjoying the pricey venue. Not a bad problem to have though ;o). Simply Celeste EXCEEDED my expectations. read more

I am giving Simply Celeste 3 Stars. Overall, the event went OK. The team was pleasant and nice, Celeste could not make it. The food was reasonably good, but we had some items that were not hot (our guest informed us), and not what we selected/agreed upon. The cookies that were provided were over cooked and never should have been distributed to the guests. The staff was nice but one did not stay, we were told we would have a 3-team staff the entire time, which we had no choice in the matter, per previous discussions. Had we had the time we would have done better research/questions up front. Felicia C. read more

From the first point of contact to the clean up after our wedding, the Celeste and her staff exceeded our expectations. Even though we had several people that had dietary restrictions, the chefs prepared delicious meals for all of us. Would recommend Simply Celeste to anyone that appreciates/expects good communication, good food and good service. John read more

Let me start off by saying that if you need personal chef services, please use Celeste. She was so quick to respond to a request that I had sent to a few different companies. Ideally, we were looking for chef services for a brunch that was to be held at a park for a group of female high school basketball players. She made this event happen flawlessly with less than a week's notice and everyone talked so highly of the brunch. She kept communication daily and her rates were very reasonable. She curated a wonderful menu on her own and was able to easily add our special requests in as well. She also supplied all of her own equipment to be able to have mobile services at the park. She was nothing but kind and professional during the entire experience and we would be happy to use her company again should we need private chef services. Thanks for such a great experience, Celeste! read more

Soooo good. So soooo good!!! Celeste prepared a modern style, creole seafood boil with the most delicious base. Each ingredient was fresh and temperature cooked to perfection; our party could not stop raving about it! Somehow she made the flavors pop on our palate but kept the sauce so light?!?! We didn't even feel guilty or messy while devouring it....UNBELIEVABLE! I recommend her 1000 times!!! read more

Celeste! You and your team were amazing! Our guests raved about your food. Not only were you incredibly professional, you were easy to work with and the kindness that you all exude is worth having any time! Thank u for cleaning up as well as you did. Our first chef party and I am so impressed with you! Thank u for making Tim's 50th so memorable! read more

Celeste catered our company meeting and I think this the first time all the food was warm AND delicious!! The best part..the chocolate chip cheesecake!! Her team was professional and she was awesome!! We will be using her again for sure!!! read more

Wow! We were so impressed with Chef Celeste and her AMAZING Food! Everything was delicious from start to finish. Highly recommended!

Very professional catering company with amazing food. Celeste was super helpful in designing a menu that fit the event perfectly. Definitely recommend. read more

Celeste can handle single family dinners or an entire wedding or special event. I especially love her chicken fajitas and chocolate chip cheesecake. We have used her on several occasions and will continue to do so. read more

My biggest complaint about my experience working with Celeste is the inability to book your date with a deposit until every detail of your event and menu have been confirmed. I worked with Celeste for 3 weeks as we planned a private dinner together. One week of that was me waiting for her to send the initial proposal via email. I finally had to reach back out to her and was able to obtain it. We worked over the next two weeks to finalize every detail of the five course meal. Once that was complete, I had to wait on another email from her with the details on how to submit a deposit. It's not until you send in the deposit that your date is actually locked in. Not even 48 hours after I finally receive the email with the invoice and payment information, Celeste calls me to tell me my date has been booked by someone else. Unfortunately, the date of my event wasn't flexible so I just wasted 3 weeks of planning and had to start over with another chef. The only reason I provided Celeste with two stars instead of one is because she provided me with a recommendation for the chef I ultimately went with for my event. I understand Celeste has a business to run, but I think there are process improvements that can be made so that not only do her customers have a positive experience but so do all of the potential clients who interact with her. read more

Celeste's response time in getting me a quote was better than the others that I reached out to. She was also accommodating to switch up the menu items. She suggested a call which was much better than the back and forth emailing! Will for sure use her next time we are in Scottsdale! read more

this women is amazing !! I was in desperate need of catering was blessed to come into contact with her she has been very pleasant kind and formal She has a wonderful story behind her kitchen ...she an absolutely a genuine person and I would highly recommend anyone to her read more