Unfortunately, I did not have a great experience and would not recommend The Kitchen Door for a large wedding or event. Betty has many positive reviews, which is one of the reasons I hired her, so my assumption is that smaller events may be a better fit for her business. However, based on my experience with a wedding of over 100 guests, I would not hire her again. The overall customer experience, communication, staffing, and execution did not meet expectations. Positives: * Betty was very helpful during the initial planning process. I originally reached out looking for bartending services, and she was able to provide catering, dinnerware, linens, and other items that reduced the amount of rentals I needed. * She created a beautiful custom menu and was accommodating when guest counts needed to be updated. * The appetizer presentation looked great and was well received by guests. * The enchilada soup was good. * She provided a cake knife for our cake cutting. * Food service itself was not excessively slow despite the size of the event. Negatives: * The staffing and service provided did not match what was outlined in our contract, and there was never any acknowledgment, explanation, or follow-up regarding those issues. * Our contract included two bartenders, but only one actually showed up. While the bartender who was present had a good attitude, I was told by guests that he arrived approximately an hour and a half late. I did not even realize until afterward that my friends were pouring me drinks, and guests were serving themselves drinks while waiting for bar service. * We ran out of food, despite six guests from my final headcount not attending, 14 of the guests being children, and three people that I know of not eating due to there being no food available. * There were no plates available when appetizers were first being served * We also did not have enough utensils for guests, and plastic utensils had to be used. I would have rented plates and utensils if that's what was needed. But I was told that she had them, which she did but not enough. * Communication became increasingly stressful after booking and I often felt uncomfortable asking questions or making updates. * I was contacted for final payment before the payment date outlined in our contract, which created unnecessary stress as I had intentionally planned my RSVP deadline around the contract timeline. * a little bit before the wedding, concerns regarding the venue change were raised (not kindly). I had previously asked what would be needed at the venue and was told that power was the primary requirement, so that was my understanding going into the event. There appeared to be a miscommunication regarding additional needs, including concerns about water access that had already been discussed prior to the wedding. While a solution was ultimately worked out and water was available on the wedding day, the way these concerns were communicated created unnecessary stress during an already busy and emotional time. read more

I hired Betti to bartend for a small (20 people) wedding reception and she was excellent! She was able to bring glassware and bar tools which was one less thing for me to worry about. She also provided free lemonade and ice tea which the young folks loved. She came early, set up on her own and stayed after the guests left to clean up. Her communication was great and the price was fair. Would absolutely hire her again. read more

The question is what could improve. There is quite a lot you 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. read more

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

I would caution anyone looking to hire Bettina as a professional chef for a small dinner party (or any event). I paid close to $1K for my sister's birthday dinner for which Bettina herself did not show up. She let me know the day before that she will be sending her "top chef". While the food was subpar at best, my biggest issue is I was expecting a professional chef. Instead a "passionate" home cook and her son (acting as a sous chef) showed up to prepare our dinner. A full dinner setting (plates, glassware, silverware, napkins) were not provided as stated on her contract, and we did not get our hot beverage station post dinner. Her "farm fresh food" includes packaged gnocchi, and skimping on proteins. And no, packaged gnocchi is not normal when people hire professional chefs to make a special meal for them. Also, don't expect them to leave all the extra food..not that it was great anyway. I should have listened to my gut feeling when she started sending my daily messages to pay her the remaining balance one month prior to the event...again, no, that is not normal. I really wish I had seen and paid more attention to the negative comments. Seems to be a trend with her. She missed the mark massively for a very important dinner and has not even given me any sort of partial refund for missing services. read more

I'm honestly saddened to have to review a 1 star. I feel like I had great rapport with Bettina and she even provided us with a tasting and the food was amazing; however, on the day of our wedding day, the food was suppose to be delivered and set up at 6:30 and dinner didn't arrive until 8:30pm. Mind you, this is a WEDDING. People are so hungry and it's truly embarrassing. The menu was suppose to have Mediterranean rice pilaf and he gave us Mexican rice, which didn't even make sense with the rest of the menu. Desserts weren't delivered until 9:45pm and the wedding ended at 10:00pm. Additionally, we had NO WATER. No water for our guest, my coordinators assistant had to run out and buy water and ice. What a genuine disgrace and I'm mortified my guest had to deal with the unprofessional Bettina had. I would have more grace if there was better communication so we could have planned accordingly, but nothing was communicated to my coordinator or myself. I would not recommend. UPDATE: it's now been almost a month of Bettina promising she would pay back a lump some in response to her mishap at our wedding and she has been nothing but inconsistent and giving every excuse in the book to not pay us back. We now have to involve the court in something that could have been handled way easier. DO NOT HIRE BETTINA. read more

For started, I loved that she was wearing her mask and came prepared with gloves and followed all CDC guidelines. With all the restaurants closed for dining this was an amazing option. Bettina was on time, friendly and welcoming. She happily answered all of the questions we had and even taught is a little history lesson. The menu prepared was so delicious and mouthwatering, we will definitely be hiring her again. read more

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Betti is an awesome chef and our guests loved every bite! We needed to serve gluten-free and dairy-free options and her menu was perfect for every person's need and taste. We will definitely use her again!! read more

BEWARE. We hired Bettina for a small personal dinner for our friends bachelorette party. Bettina was not the one to show up. Instead, 2 other chefs she hired came. The food was wonderful and we were appreciative. Our payments went to Bettina with the exception of a cash tip. 3 months later we received a letter from the wonderful women who served us that night saying they, and several other chefs Bettina has hired, were never paid for their efforts. She hires one chef for the job, doesn't pay them and then hires another, keeping the money for herself. There is a pending lawsuit as well as multiple claims being filed against Bettina. I would be wary to hire her as it seems she could be running a scam. Pay your workers!! read more

Amazing and friendly chef who took care of everything for our private birthday party! She cooked the food, set the table, and did the cleanup. I didn't have to move a muscle. The food was amazing and locally sourced and she helped educate us on how she sources and prepares the food. It was also very light and healthy which we love. I would not hesitate to have her cater your next event whether it's for 10 people or 100. She is an expert! read more

We hired Chef Bettie to provide an elegant dinner for 6 on the day of our arrival in Santa Barbara. She and her assistant arrived at our VRBO before we did, and prepared and served a fabulous multi-course meal. Every dish from appetizers through dessert was fantastic - fresh from sea and land. She provided all the settings, linens, and serving plates and, together with her capable assistant, helped us enjoy a relaxed and delicious meal with friends. Bettie is a true culinary artist and scholar, as well as a kind and gracious person. We are so glad we hired her - a perfect start to a wonderful stay in Santa Barbara. read more

I can't say enough about this team of ladies! From beginning to end they were professional, wonderful to work with, had excellent service, recommended a florist that was incredible, and helped coordinate a perfect night! During COVID they did everything by the book, the food was beyond what I would have expected for their exceptional pricing! read more

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We asked Chef Betti to cater a very small bachelorette party at my home. She made it so fun and gave great tips for new homemakers including food safety and how to pick fresh ingredients. She also threw in a few naughty puns to support our theme. She is so cute and kind! The food was amazing and she even straightened up my kitchen while the guests enjoyed. It was a wonderful experience and we appreciate her time and care in making our evening memorable. read more

The Kitchen Door and Bettina are so amazing! Her food is incredible! She is so professional and has an expansive knowledge of good meal planning, and very creative, yummy dishes. She's fun, experienced and an amazing chef! I would use her again and for any party, large or small. She can handle it! read more

Absolutely amazing chef! We love The Kitchen Door and Chef Bettina!! When Covid hit our family, on top of other health problems, Chef Betti came to rescue. Each week, she puts together a terrific menu for lunches, dinners and deserts for our (sometimes perfectionist) elderly folks. Then she shops for wonderfully fresh and healthy ingredients and cooks in their home. She leaves the house looking beautiful and smelling fantastic with food in the fridge and freezer that can be easily put on the table by them over the next few days. The meals are terrific and she is extremely reliable and careful with Covid protocols around our high risk loved ones. I am so very happy that we found The Kitchen Door! read more

Chef Betti is wonderful! We loved having her in our home. She came to teach my 11 year old, a cooking lesson for his birthday. He learned lots of fun stuff. And prepared us a delicious meal. It was such a treat and we can't wait to work with chef Betti again! read more

We are a family of 11 visiting Ojai. Cooked with Chef B for fun. Had a wonderful time and totally endorse this fun and delicious group activity. We completed a whole meal and everyone was kept busy in the kitchen. read more

Chef Bettina did a private birthday event for my family for about 10 people, and it was MAGICAL!!! It was my brother's first birthday as a father, and we really wanted something special and intimate and just for family, and we figured a private chef at home with two babies under age 1 would be much more family-friendly then going out for dinner. BEST DECISION EVER! I spoke with about 10 different chefs but decided to go with her. She is reasonably priced, attentive, and worked with me on a menu that was within my price range, without compromising quality. She really took the time to make sure to work with me on the perfect menu. She was professional and dependable and easy to communicate with. And this was all even BEFORE she came over to cook!! On the day of the event, she went to the farmers market to buy all fresh products for our dinner that night. She arrived on time, she brought her things in and was ready to cook. While she was getting set up, she did not ask any of us a SINGLE question about anything (a hosts dream come true). She just knew how to do everything, find anything, and do what she needs to do without bothering anyone. Her food was farm to table fresh (she had purchased it from the farmers market earlier that day), and the amount of food she purchased was generous, and her cooking was really something unbelievably good!!! Course after course of amazingness kept coming out, and everything was just so fresh and delicious, you could tell she truly loves what she does. Thanks to Chef Bettina, this bday dinner was truly magical and memorable. She was definitely the main attraction of the night. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HER AND WILL DEFINITELY GO WITH HER AGAIN!! On behalf of my family, thank you so much for everything Saturday night. You are awesome!!! read more

Chef Betty really impressed me with her cooking!!! The presentation of the food was beautiful. All freshly bought that day, and such a great variety of fruits and veggies. The appetizers were so yummy!! She is such a sweet soul too! I would recommend her to everyone. My friends were so impressed too. Thanks so much, Chef Betty!! You rock :)) read more

Bettina is wonderful as is her food! She is so knowledabke about nutritious foods all the while creating delicious menu items. Our evening was amazing between her personable nature and incredible cuisine. We loved every minute! read more

Bettina is amazing. Her freshly prepared food is amazing!! She never disappoints!!!

Chef Bettie is such a delight and her food was AMAZING!!! We had her join us at a rental estate where she cooked a beautiful brunch for a bachelorette weekend (15 ladies!). The first delicious course was set out for grazing while the ladies were waking up, there were fruits, the finest spreadable cheeses with some delicious jams and these melt in your mouth pastries. Oh and I can't forget, the Amish butter (it was to die for!). From there, the food just kept rolling out. We had a sweet course with some amazing sourdough french toast and these delicate buckwheat waffles (with glazed peaches and bananas, YUM!) and delicious crispy bacon on the side for dipping. Lastly we had a savory course which included the most scrumptious frittata I've ever had in my life! All the ladies were asking for more, it was FANTASTIC (along with everything else!). Oh and did I mention, a breakfast strudel!?? Simply amazing. Chef Bettie's service and food was beyond our expectations! Each one of us ladies would HIGHLY recommend her for any upcoming event, she will not disappoint. Thank you so much chef! Your brunch was such a treat for us all, we'll be calling you again for future events. Until next time! read more

Bettina has made a huge impact in our home. She is meticulous, never skipping over the small details. She is so knowledgeable about how to wash things and get stains or odors out, and it seems like she knows just about everything about keeping a house clean while living with allergies and asthma. She is a passionate, intelligent, and extremely hard-working person. I always look forward to the day she comes, and afterwards the house looks and feels so much better. Wouldn't give her up for the world. read more