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!

We had bid on one of the services here as part of a charity auction and didn't think much of it at…read morethe time. But after having a truly stellar meal with Chef Stephen, I can wholeheartedly recommend Pocket Chefs! Here's how it works: the chefs can make 3 dishes that comprise about 4-6 servings and you provide the recipes and ingredients. Free consultation included (a couple of quick 5-minute phone convos). If you really have no idea what to have made, you can pay to have a more in-depth consultation where they craft custom meal plans for you. Although these services are ideal for meal prep for a busy week, we had Chef Stephen cook for a small dinner party of 4 and it was a hit (we also had a weekend full of leftovers which was perfect). We requested Thai food (pad kee mao aka drunken noodles with chicken, pad kra pao aka Thai basil eggplant with ground pork, and som tam aka papaya salad) and he delivered! The recipes weren't followed 100% but it was all good and the result was for some very tasty food. What was great was that the hot dishes reheated nicely too (my husband thought they even tasted better the second day)! Finally, we appreciated how clean Chef Stephen was and that all used dishes and utensils were placed neatly in the dishwasher. All and all, I would say this is a really great and efficient service, especially for folks with diet restrictions and/or who want to eat more healthily but who also want more control in terms of what they eat (hence my hesitation about subscribing to food delivery services as what if the flavors that week don't match my cravings?!). I think PocketChefs would also make an incredible gift for a new mom as well as if you're hosting a small party and would like some meals prepped!

As a busy mom and having children who are picky eaters, it is difficult for me to cook healthy farm…read moreto table type meals that keep me healthy and fit. I decided to give Pocket Chefs a try with the goal of having them prepare Whole30 style meals that I can freeze. Chef Mike came to my home and was super professional and knowledgable. We came up with three separate entrees that I could portion out and easily eat throughout the busy week. So while my children were consuming their carb focused meals, I didn't have to go hungry or feel guilty for eating their food as I was able to defrost and eat a delicious Whole30 prepared meal. I highly recommend using Pocket Chefs. They are a professional and caring company with a great mission!

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

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.

I kept my expectations measured because of the mixed reviews, but was so pleasantly surprised. I…read morebooked this last minute for a birthday dinner for my 10yo daughter, and figured the food would be passable but forgettable. Mostly I just wanted her to have a fun, whimsical, and memorable "fancy" dinner out. The Food We had a number of dietary restrictions in the group. My daughter's friend has nut/seafood restrictions, and I'm gluten and dairy intolerant. This was another reason I had my expectations low, I didn't expect much in terms of accommodating a gluten and dairy intolerance on a pasta dish, for example. But I was really blown away. They told me it would be no problem, and they had gluten free ravioli for me, with wilted spinach subbed for the cream sauce. (I know that sounds like a weird sub, but honestly it tasted great, and I was happy to get more veg.) There were three raviolis on the plate, along with the pork belly and mushrooms. (All the other diners got 3 raviolis as well, just calling it out because of a review that said they used to only have 2.) Only the GF/dietary restricted people will get it, but I was damn near teary about having such a great substitution. The steak was also perfectly medium rare. It was a beautiful dish, if simple, with fresh asparagus and potatoes. For dessert, I got a coconut base ice cream with cherry chocolate chips, which was delicious. The other grown up, as well as the kids at the table enjoyed the matcha dessert, though it didn't necessary seem to blow them away. There were no nut/seafood items on the menu, so no accommodations had to be made, but they assured us it was safe at the beginning of the meal. We were all pretty stuffed at the end. The Show I didn't realize it was a 'show' in the sense that it was the whole dining room with audio. It was more immersive than I imagined, but otherwise the little movies were what I expected. It was whimsical and cute, and the kids loved it. The 'plot' involved four chefs of different nationalities competing with each course, so my daughter had a notebook out immediately to do her scoring. The only disappointment was that her score didn't actually get taken into account for the winner lol. They also had a little 'special occasion' movie that played for the two birthdays in the room. (It played for everyone despite only the birthday people getting cupcakes, which might have been a little weird for the other tables.) The Staff / Dining Room All of the staff were really professional, kind, and communicative. The dining room was spacious and we had plenty of room around us. Yes, it's expensive, but for a special occasion dinner, it was totally worth it for us.

The location was already pretty interesting. If you're not already staying at the hotel this…read morerestaurant is located in, it's faster walking to this place than driving (was a 10 min walk vs 35 min drive from us) just cause of how congested the traffic is around the area. The experience my party of 5 attended included 4 courses for a little less than $900 in total. The total amount you pay at the end INCLUDES the tip already, so check to prevent double tipping. The show was an hour and a half long. Honestly, was a fun experience but overpriced. You can definitely enjoy better food for cheaper! The four courses included: - Salad: Was light in the mouth. - Mushroom Ravioli: The animation included 3 raviolis, we only got served 2 each :( this was yummy though... - Steak Frites: They don't ask you how well you like your steak done. I got medium well :( also, it's hard to cut through the steak if the plates keeps on sliding on the charger. - Matcha Cheesecake: Not bad but not memorable. We also got Shirley Temples, and that was good. I mean, they're Shirley Temples!

Chef Vanessa is amazing!!!! She has been cooking for us weekly for a few months and I cannot say…read moreenough good things about her services. She makes the most delicious food and she is such a pleasure to have over. She loves our puppy as if he were her own . Her meals are so affordable. I am saving so much money with her fresh delicious meals compared to when I was using door dash every night. Book with her immediately!!!

I reached out to Vanessa for my 30th birthday dinner party and she was amazing from the start!…read moreGreat communication, had a big menu selection, reasonable price, and very accommodating. I didn't feel like it was my first time communicating with her. I needed halal options for my dietary preferences and she was able to find halal steak which not a lot of people will go through the hassle to do. On top of that, she was so pleasant to have around. Her food is better than any restaurant. Her egg rolls and coffee cake is the best thing this planet has to offer, and this is coming from a picky girl whose mom cooks the best food! As a type A person I was worried about many aspects about my birthday but dinner was something I wasn't worried about because of how on top of everything Vanessa was! I got really lucky with her and definitely recommend her!

Chef Rafael made my husband and I dinner at our home. He was prompt despite the crazy Friday…read moretraffic from downtown SD to Carlsbad and immediately got to work making us an incredible 4 course meal to celebrate our long overdue engagement gift. He started with a beautiful charcuterie board with focaccia, various cheeses, sun dried tomato, etc paired with a red blend wine from Chile. The main course was a beet risotto with chorizo on top followed by lemon chicken with a balsamic glaze. Dessert was panna cotta with berries and orange zest on the top. It was our first time trying pana cotta and we absolutely loved it! Everything was amazing. Highly recommend Chef Rafael for events, private dinners, and all of your cooking needs! Thank you Chef!

Our real estate agent gifted us a dinner party for 8 from Chef Olintho earlier this year. Chef…read moreOlintho reached out via text a couple of times to remind me to schedule the dinner party, which I finally scheduled for November. A week before the dinner, Rafael circulated a menu and collected info on my guests' dietary restrictions. He was very accommodating, even with two last minute changes to the guest list. A couple of my guests were vegetarians and pescatarians, and one had celiac. Rafael and Aaron arrived at our place a little before 5pm to start prepping and cooking for our 6pm dinner party. They were super friendly and interacted with all the guests. They served: Cheese & charcuterie board Super greens salad with persimmon Seared Wagyu Beef (aged for 55 hours) w/peppercorn sauce & potato gratin Roasted King Salmon for non beef eaters Chocolate hazelnut cake for dessert The food was a total hit! I still dream about the potatoes. Overall, we had a fantastic first dinner party in our new house. I would definitely hire Chef Olintho to come cook for us again.

I've been wanting to cook Chinese food since my early teens. Knowing this my girlfriend decided to…read moreget me one of the most thoughtful Birthday gifts I have ever recieved. Knowing how picky I am about Won Ton soup she really put some time in researching who she could get to teach me. She contacted lorraine and set up a time and date. Lorraine invited us into her beautiful home and went over what we would be doing that day with our chosen dishes. Her easy going way of explaining the steps of the recipes made us feel confident and relaxed. The Wor Won Ton soup and Long Life noodles are to die for. Thank you Jaelee and Lorraine for the best Birthday gift ever. I've already made the Long Life noodles and they came out perfect. I'm working on the Wor Won ton soup as we speak and it's looking good. I really recomend Lorraine's class to anybody looking to make that dish on their bucket list.

This is a long review, but I mean every word and Lorraine Witte deserves a great review!…read moreI wanted to get my boyfriend Eric a memorable birthday gift, and one he could continue to enjoy, so I did some research & chose to arrange lessons with Lorraine Witte. I wanted us to be able to learn how to make Wor Won Ton Soup, one of his favorite dishes. He also wanted to learn how to make Long Life Noodles. I reached out to Lorraine through e-mail, she replied very quickly, and we corresponded several times before the day of the lesson. She asked what dishes (we) wanted to make, we agreed on the soup, noodles & the cost of the lesson. She did all of the shopping, we just had to show up & were taught how to do everything, every step of the way. She was so nice, sweet, funny and such a great teacher. She invited us into her home for the lesson. We had an unforgettable experience, taught us so much and made it fun! She taught us how to be more confident when cooking and how not to be intimidated. It was worth every penny and delicious!! We were so excited learning from her, and she motivated us to continue cooking after the lesson. We have made the Long Life Noodles & War Won Ton Soup since then, & Eric has gotten great at making won tons with all kinds of filling! Taking her cooking class is worth it and worth every penny!

"Welcome to what's left of the Italian-American neighborhood in SF." Gianni brings home traditional…read moreItalian ideals. Every day he goes to the village and picks up something fresh to cook for dinner that night, and he might even offer you the recipe. He's got a passion for food and an understanding of tradition that surpasses modern-day science. Check out his videos online. My favorite recipes are the Eggplant Parmigiana and his cook off with Campania style and Lazio style chicken and potatoes, using the "tools of God" (his hands). You've gotta love that. Gianni also caters and hosts voyages through Emilia-Romagna (Italy's capital of gastronomy)! Where do I sign up?? Oh! Right here: http://giannisitaly.com/ Grazie Gianni! We hope to visit you soon.

After watching Gianni's user-friendly cooking videos and dining on the delicious results (try…read moreEggplant Parmigiana, YUM!) I was excited to discover that Gianni offers walking tours of Little Italy in SF's North Beach. I signed up a group of 12 friends and family for a private tour. Gianni is a warm, engaging, easy-going guy with a sense of humor. He led us on a nicely paced tour including featuring insights into North Beach history, contemporary culture, and best of all, its people and FOOD. He recommended many local eateries that I am eager to return to, as well as shops selling authentic baked goods and Italian cooking ingredients. Our tour wrapped up at a local restaurant with a sampler of delicious dishes. If you love Authentic Italian Food and San Francisco, you must meet Gianni, or at the very least, check out his cooking videos. He is incredibly generous to share his food talent and local knowledge. I highly recommend him for all your Italian food needs!

Chef Garbo is AWESOME!!! For a year, when my health go to the point I couldn't manage cooking, she…read morewould design the most incredible in-home-cooked meals. She came to cook once a week for us prepping a week's worth of yummy meals and side dishes. The house smelled divine for days afterward. We are gluten free and this was totally fine with her. Having a freezer and fridge full healthy food allowed me to recover my health with her super healthy, nutritious meals. Her beef chimichurri is so memorable (it has been a few years and I still remember it) and set it as the gold standard against which others pale.

Claude is so helpful with special dietary requests. My partner and I ended up with cancer at the…read moresame time and she was able to create meals we could eat and enjoy all week long when we had no energy to do so. I can't tell you what a relief it is to know there is something nutritious and comforting ready to be just heated up for dinner at night. God send for sure. I highly recommend her for anyone who wants wholesome (i.e. non-restaurant) food on a regular basis.