Chef Michael catered a baby naming for us. Since it was Passover, he created a brunch menu that was kosher style and delicious. He had menus displayed in several places. His staff was professional, polite and did an excellent job of cleaning up. Also it was Easter Sunday and we appreciated that he and his staff worked that day. read more

Dinner for 150 was catered by Zest Kitchenz. We started with a huge beautiful appetizer spread consisting of hard and soft cheeses, cured meats, vegetable crudites, hummus, fresh fruits and berries, etc. Hors d'oeuvres were passed around and I enjoyed pigs in blankets, onion crudite, and mini butternut squash pies. A large salad & tortellini salad were delicious. The main course included a choice of chicken with lemon piccata sauce , honey garlic glazed salmon, lemon parmesan vegetables pasta, rice and a melody of assorted vegetables. The delectable dessert included chocolates, cookies, macaroons, along with mini selections of Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Cake, Cheesecakes and other treats. Wines, soft drinks, iced tea and coffee were served. There was an abundance of food and everything was delicious. Michael and his staff were amazing. There was plenty of food for everybody and enough staff to serve and clean up after us. The set up was beautiful and delicious, we were served in a professional efficient manner and they did an amazing cleanup. read more

See all

Had a wonderful experience with Zest Kitchenz. Michael was extremely responsive, accommodating and very helpful. The food was terrific as was the team! We'd definitely work with them again! read more

Have had Chef Mike and his team cater many themed parties of ours and they've always gone all out! Whatever the occasion, Zest Kitchenz always delights us with delicious, warm and cold passed hors d'oeuvres as well as an amazing grazing area. They always take our decorations into account and present their food on theme. Always professional, nice, and happy to have them at every event we throw! They can handle our large events of 100+ people with ease. read more

Chef Mike catered a small memorial service in my home. He did an amazing job. Went above and beyond. Extremely professional in all aspects. Everyone was very impressed. I will definitely use him again. read more

We had Michael cater our Holiday party in Dec 2023. From the start he was very responsive, answered all questions and so pleasant to work with. The food was excellent and everyone raved about it. Definitely will use him again. Also his sous chef and server were so nice . read more

We had chef Mike do a birthday dinner for my hubby tonight at our house and it was great! He has a very friendly laid back personality and the food was excellent! He gave us rice balls with risotto to start which were super yummy. The pesto sauce was SO GOOD!! next was the Cesar salad and crab cakes. The Cesar dressing which was home made was delicious and the crab cakes were all crab. For our entire we had lobster ravioli with asparagus and brcolini with super yummy garlic bread. Everything was delicious and we will definitely use him again ! read more

Zest Kitchenz - Rice balls and cheese knots - Personal Chefs Near Me

Chef was great!! so easy to work with, fast response time, listened to my ideas, and then created an absolutely delicious and perfectly portioned dinner spread ... soup to nuts! Would highly recommend ! Tracy S. read more

Yesterday my parents celebrated 50 years of marriage. We hired Chef Michael's Zest Kitchenz to prepare and serve a dinner for this amazing occasion. Chef Michael gave us a great evening of fabulous food and service. Each dish was beautifully constructed and tasted as good as it looked. His professional expertise allowed us the opportunity to sit back and enjoy his culinary perfection. He even left a spotless kitchen afterward. Our heartfelt thanks go out to you for an unforgettable and memorable evening. We hope to have another dinner again soon! read more

See all

Chef Mike was absolutely amazing! We were a family of 12 with two children and 10 adults Coming in from out of town for a family celebration. Chef Mike was able to accommodate all our dietary needs including vegetarian and pescatarian. He was very professional in every single way! Since we were coming from out of town I requested that Chef Mike pre-prepare Some food for us for Friday night so that way we could cook without having to do any of the prep work. Without Hesitation Chef Mike was able to prepare Lamb Burgers, vegetarian burgers, side dishes, and homemade chicken wings. On Saturday night Chef Mike came in and cooked an amazing meal for our family with appetizers, whole fish, fresh hummus, grilled lamb skewers, and multiple side dishes. Everything was delicious! I would highly recommend Chef Mike to anyone! read more

Zest Kitchenz - Personal Chefs Near Me

Chef Mike provided an amazing experience. The presentation and service was beyond top notch. I surprised my wife on our honeymoon and Mike really helped me put it all together customizing a menu for a favorite cuisine even recommending the perfect wines to pair with the feast. Even gave cooking tips and a demonstration on how to make ceaser salad. Well worth the experience! read more

Zest Kitchenz - Personal Chefs Near Me

Wow, the food here is awesome! This is an establishment every small town needs. The staff are friendly and professional and the drinks are delish. We are year round locals and this is a place we will continue to patronize! read more

See all

Highly recommend! The food was delicious and the service was perfect! Michael made the planning stress free right from the start I knew we were in great hands. Thank you for a wonderful meal to help us celebrate this amazing couple!! read more

Michael is so great to work with and makes wonderful dishes for our family. As a business owner with a new baby, I just don't have the time to make nutritious meals for dinner anymore. Michael has stepped in and makes delicious, healthy items for us each week that makes everyone happy. To add to this, I've recently gone to a 100% plant based clean diet and Michael has graciously reviewed menu options / plans with me to make sure he is getting me what I need. He is reliable, professional, and a great chef. I would recommend him to anyone looking for weekly meals or a one-off meal experience. read more

I can't say enough amazing things about Chef Mike and how much he helped to make my mom's birthday dinner party (for 15 adults + 2 kids) at my folks house a huge success. Chef Mike was creative, flexible, and a pleasure to work with in designing the menu. He was very responsive, proactive in knowing what we needed to make the party a success and helping us secure the resources to do so. At the party, Mike and his staff were fantastic! They were patient, reliable, his team was extremely professional, adapting to feedback in real-time. The food was delicious and all of the guests raved about it. [The food was] "Next level," said one of our pickiest eaters. :) Chef Mike's hors d'oeuvres included baby lamb chops with a mint sauce that was to die for, jumbo lump crab cakes, Brie and jelly fig bites, and coconut shrimp that was cooked perfectly. We had filet mignon, lobster tail, glazed carrots, green beans and potatoes for the main. Cake and fruit for dessert. Everything was delicious and executed beautifully! Mike was instrumental in guiding me through decisions such as stationary vs passed appetizers, plated vs buffet style. Mike even designed a kid's menu for my nieces. His attention to detail was second to none. It would be difficult for me to recommend him more highly and I would hire him again in a second! read more

See all

Highly recommend Chef Michael ! From the first conversation months ago through planning (dealing with allergies and dietary limits) he created a delicious meal and wonderful experience for my parents' 60th anniversary (party of 8). All the food was so fresh and perfectly prepared and presented. And he met everyone's needs and preferences. Michael and his assistant Michelle were so attentive, and the flow of dinner was perfect and well paced. Michael is so easy to work with also considering we were coming from quite a distance and did all the planning remotely. Michael helped make this a truly memorable event. read more

Chef Michael is wonderful! Chef Michael catered my parent's 50th wedding anniversary dinner Sept 18, 2020. Due to COVID, I was not able to travel to Florida from Virginia to throw my parents a party to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, so I virtually planned a small dinner party (four guests). Since I was not going to be there, it was important to me that I found a dependable private chef to take care of all the little details to help create an unforgettable night. I researched and spoke to five Chefs in the Palm Beach area before finding Chef Michael. I knew within my first conversation that Michael was the right fit and would make their anniversary dinner perfect. I was right! It was beyond a perfect experience, from picking the menu, communicating before the event, and then the actual dinner party. We could not have asked for a better experience! Chef Michael was very professional and personable and went out of his way to make it a memorable evening; he even brought them flowers and printed up a menu with their name and date at the top! The menu and food were exceptional. We did five courses: 1st course was two platted hors d'oeuvres of spinach artichoke bites, and Mediterranian flatbread 2nd course was crabcakes (no filler, big chunks of lumps crab) served with a delicious citrus aioli 3rd course: shrimp & parsley salad (he incorporated our request to add olives and hearts of palm) 4th course: Rib Eye steak perfectly prepared medium-rare with homemade bearnaise sauce, fennel mashed potatoes, and creamed spinach. He even did a Salmon dish for one of the guests who does not eat meat. 5th course: Assorted cakes and cookies, including heart-shaped cookies. Chef Michael was on time; he was super sweet and kind to my parents, bringing them flowers and taking pictures so they could remember the night! He set the table with their fine china and sterling silver (which they rarely get to use). He packed up all the leftovers for them, and the kitchen looked better when he left than it did when he arrived. Overall it was a fantastic night; I would highly recommend Chef Michael to be part of your special event! read more

See all

I feel blessed that I found this gem of a chef for our Wedding. Chef Mike made our day even more joyous with his perfectly cooked buffet. I and many others say the salmon was the best we've ever had, with green beans with tiny tender shiitakes that even the kids ate. The most tender and perfectly grilled beef filet with port wine sauce and Yukon gold mashed potatoes. Plus chicken, butternut squash, Caesar salad. My mouth is watering just remembering it. His crab cake appetizer bites were applauded by Maryland crab cake connoisseurs. I almost didn't order them because this crowd is so picky about their crabs. I should have ordered double! Also avocado mousse and little spinach gruyere pastries. We opted for the 2 deserts plus fresh fruit display that come with the buffet instead of one big wedding cake. Such delights--Belgian chocolate mousse cake, and the exact, moist, fluffy, light and not too sugary lemon buttercream cake that I had dreamed for. Mike said, "Anything your dreams desire" and I got it! Mike himself is a completely positive and accommodating professional. He patiently guided my ideas and helped my decisions about presentation and service. His assistants were very friendly, efficient, and low key. The crew arrived on the dot and went to work making incredible and outstanding food for 20 people. The kind that when you are eating it you can't help saying, "This is so good." Over and over. We and our families were so happy and impressed with the cuisine of Zest Kitchenz! We were blown away and had our expectations exceeded just as Mike promised. Zest is also a sustainable company using local, organic, and in season goods when possible, plus recycling and reducing plastic, which is very important to us. Thank you, Chef Mike for your culinary talent, skills, expertise, and care for the environment. I hope we get to enjoy your food again somehow, sometime! read more

I recently had Chef Michael cater my dinner for a group of 4. We started off with killer Crab cakes. Then had Bronzino, Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes. Mikes skill sets supersedes his ability to create clean flavors with out the use of heavy salts and fats. All while utilizing fresh herbs, crisp vegetables and a general lightness in all his foods. We thoroughly enjoyed our catered meal and will definitely order again in the near future. read more

Zest Kitchenz - Personal Chefs Near Me

Chef Mike was extremely responsive and helpful. He has a friendly and kind demeanor. He designed a menu around many dietary restrictions due to allergies. Give him a call. read more

Michael and his crew were outstanding at a recent party in our home. We have a 20 year old developmentally delayed grandson who wants to be a chef. You have no idea the joy we felt as Michael guided him through new skills and engaged him totally throughout the meal. Needless to say the food and service was spectacular. We have had Chef Michael's culinary delights in the past and will continue to use him in the future. read more

Our Teachers and Staff at Eagle Ridge Elementary absolutely loved the Breakfast Buffet Zest Kitchenz served. The eggs were so fresh and the potatoes well let's just say the teachers are still raving about! Lots of food from eggs, bacon and sausage as well as potatoes and don't get me started with all the bagels and pastries that were also included within our budget at a really great price. If you are looking for a budget friendly price and healthy eating and amazing food then Zest Kitchenz is the catering company for you. I have many more events to plan and I will be using them again! I give Michael a 5 Star for working with me to stay with in our budget , setting the food up on a timely matter and the quality of food we received. read more

We couldn't have asked for a better Father's Day celebration! Chef Michael (and Michele) made our evening so special and relaxed. Everything he served us from appetizers to dessert was delicious, perfectly prepared and beautifully presented. Chef Michael was able to meet all the special dietary needs of our guests (from vegetarian to dairy allergy) without a hitch. The salmon was cooked to perfection and everyone had their filet just the way they like it, (except the vegetarian, of course...whose dish was also cooked to perfection!) As an added bonus, the place looked great when he left!! Thank you Chef Michael and Michele for wonderful, delightful, delectable evening. read more

We are busy people but always managed to prepare our food for the week, until we just couldn't keep up. Chef Michael frees up our time from grocery shopping, food prep, cooking and clean up. A true professional, Chef Michael shows up on time with grocery bags of food. He prepares as many dish options as you might request. We were also impressed by his attention to detail when creating dishes specifically to our dietary needs. Then when the food is done and your home left with fresh food fragrances, he cleans up to the point that we swear our kitchen is left cleaner than how we left it. We highly recommend Chef Michael . . . You won't be disappointed! read more

Chef Michael was wonderful. I highly recommend him. He was professional yet personable with my family. The food was delicious!! From the start, the crab cakes had chunks of crab meat in them. The filet mignon melted in my mouth. I felt like a guest at a 5 star restaurant in my house which was just what I wanted. Thank you so much!! read more

Chef Michael and his team were absolutely amazing! I originally found him several months ago here on Yelp when I was planning my best friend's bachelorette weekend in Palm Beach for late September. From the very beginning, he was awesome to communicate & work with, especially when it came to planning the menu and budget concerns. He and his team definitely did not disappoint when they came to our VRBO house in Palm Beach and prepared our dinner--it was, hands down, our most favorite night of the trip! Not only was the food phenomenal, but they made sure our wine glasses were always full and they left the kitchen absolutely spotless when they were finished at the end of the night. I've already recommended Zest Kitchenz to several friends as well as the homeowners of the VRBO we rented, and I would've rated more than 5 stars had I been allowed! Thanks so much again, Chef Michael! read more

Chef Michael makes amazing dishes. Due to health reasons, our dishes must be low sodium, low sugar and healthy overall. Chef Michael has made us amazing dishes, replacing the unhealthy aspects with heavy flavor.... we don't even miss the salt! We highly recommend him! read more

I hired Mike for personal chef services for a special evening dinner and he was absolutely wonderful. Not only is he a great and caring person, he is also a very talented chef. I'm not usually a fan of fish At all. Mike prepared a crab cake appetizer, "salt bake" branzino fish, basil mashed potatoes and greens beens. I was pleasantly surprised that I actually liked the fish. And the basil mashed potatoes were incredible, delicious and flavorful. Mike allowed me to branch outside of my comfort zones and in he end I was very pleased. I highly suggest Mike and will definitely hire him again. read more

My Daughter gave her husband a Birthday gift of a dinner at home with family,cooked by a professional chef. It was a standing rib roast with all the trimmings, beautiful shrimp cocktail, hearts of lettuce with a delicious balsamic vinaigrette and roasted pecans, and a outstanding desert. As a former Exc. chef at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, I know how hard it is to work in a strange kitchen, but Michael performed with ease, working all afternoon non stop to get everything cooked to perfection, he was punctual and very pleasant. We will rehire him for sure in the future ! Good job !!!! Gene Laile. read more

Chef Michael and Michelle came to our Airbnb and cooked a lovely dinner for my bachelorette festivities! It was my favorite activity of the weekend and everything was delicious. They were so kind and went above and beyond to make the dinner one for the memory books--eating good food with those I love most. All we had to do was show up hungry and they delivered. The salmon was cooked to perfection and had a fresh, lemon Parmesan flavor that I'm still dreaming about. And the white balsamic ranch dressing???? SO GOOD. He even gave us the leftovers, which was the perfect dipping sauce for our pizza. I cannot forget the delicious appetizers-crab cakes, sun dried tomato pesto crostinis, and portobello mushroom puff pastry bites! Everything was fresh and excellent quality! Do not sleep on this fun opportunity in West Palm Beach area. It was something different that our group had never done before and we are still raving about how delicious and fun Chef Michael and Michelle made our evening! read more

I was extremely impressed with Chef Mike and he provided me and my family with an incredible thanksgiving dinner! It started out with working with Mike on the menu and he provided everything that I requested including a vegan meal for one of my cousins. My entire family was pleased and loved the food and I intend to contact Mike on my next venture with my family so yes I highly recommend his services. Thanks Mike! read more

We recently hired Chef Michael and his team for my mother's 80th birthday and it was fantastic. The food was great and he was so easy to work with. We had what I thought was going to be a disaster when my oven broke during the prep, but Chef Michael remained calm and somehow pulled off a fish and beef combination using my BBQ grills. You would never know we had no oven. I would highly recommend. read more

Chef Michael..typically my husband does his own BBQ for most of our parties, yet all the guests RAVED about your food yesterday! We seriously have absolutely NO suggestions, everything was perfect!!!! You helped us make it a great day for our daughter's engagement party! read more

I contacted Mike with two days notice for a surprise dinner for my wife's birthday. First of all I was impressed with his energy, knowledge, overall demeanor. I called one other recommendation from a friend, and quickly realized Mike was going to be our guy. I called him and he quickly scheduled our dinner. Then he immediately got to work on our menu for the event. He showed up exactly on time, he had everything needed to prepare what turned out to be an incredible meal (all I had to go off were the pictures from Yelp). Take it from me, the flavors match the pictures on the site. We have never had any experience with Private Chef's; Mike knocked it out of the park. We were all filled with great food, and he made my wife feel like a princess for the evening, mission accomplished. THANK YOU AGAIN MIKE! read more

I contacted Mike for my in-laws. He responded immediately. We met with him a few days later and he came prepared to make this meeting easy for my in-laws by coming with a list of recipe ideas as well as having the flexibility to incorporate their likes and favorite recipes into the menu repertoire. And I am happy to say that my in-laws really enjoyed the dishes Mike made for them when he came back to prepare and freeze meals for them. He came with his own equipment and cleaned up after all the dishes were made. I would highly recommend him. read more

We hired Zest Kitchenz to cater my 80th birthday party and certainly made the best choice. We met with Michael at our home a couple of weeks before the event and again by phone the week of the event. Chef Michael was very attentive to our requirements and assured us that we would have a wonderful party. Michael and his staff on the day of the party showed up plenty early to set up everything. There was plenty of staff available to service our guests and needs. The bartender made sure that everyone was taken care of quickly. In the meantime, platters of delicious food were distributed in various rooms and the outdoor pool area. The service was spectacular and nobody went without plenty of food and drink. If somebody spilled or dropped something, Michael's staff were right on top of it immediately. My friends were very pleased with Zest Kitchenz. If we were to have another event, we certainly would use Zest Kitchenz. read more

Chef Mike's services fit perfectly for our busy lives. He prepares several delicious meals each time he visits with reheating instructions. Im very pleased with his service. read more

We had THE BEST experience with Zest Kitchenz! We were hosting a going away party for our friends who are Paleo and the chef we hired had to cancel on us with only a few days notice. She recommended Zest Kitchenz and I couldn't have been happier with the recommendation. Mike was incredibly communicative on phone and via text and even called me the day of the party to say he would like to arrive early. Mike and his assistant, Aaron, were both really nice and friendly with the guests and when my kids were roaming around and getting in the way at the beginning of the night they were cool with it. All the food was absolutely delicious and having to cook paleo with only a few days notice was no problem for Mike. He made an almond blinis with steak and a coconut milk horseradish cream that the guests are still talking about a week later. His presentation was really nice including having some things on spoons. They brought everything they needed to make and serve the food and cleaned up the kitchen before they left. I can't recommend Zest Kitchenz enough! read more