Private dining made special. Worked with both Chef Alex and Chef Katie to craft a menu! My partner's birthday couldn't have been better. Booking is very simple and the chefs will work with you to craft the perfect meal for your needs. Super personable. Feels like eating in a private room or an upscale restaurant. Wish I had pics but food was so good we devoured everything. Thank you! Thank you!!! read more

This is the second cooking event they've had at the apartment complex i live in. Really fun and the chefs are always super nice. i had a few friends with me and some friends who live in the same complex so we had a group of about 7. Food was good and chef did a great job. We had a bbq after the class by the pool, was a lot more fun then the class, but we really all enjoyed the class too! Would go again and def recommend these guys! read more

Big City Chefs made my birthday dinner unforgettable! Chef Annie was professional, friendly, and amazing to work with. She created a customized menu that fit my budget, came early to set up, and stayed late to clean up. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. They even pulled it all together on very short notice when no one else could. I'll definitely be hiring them again! read more

No doubt - Big City Chefs is a 5/5 from start to finish! Easy to communicate with, quick responses, flexible with details, fantastic food, excellent service, etc. Chef Alex came into the dining area to explain what the group was about to eat, where the meat and provisions came from, and explained how it was prepared. It ended up being a perfect evening. Thank you! read more

I don't even know where to begin. Chef Alex made my mother's 70th birthday complete. He worked with my budget, helped design a menu to my mother's taste, answered a lot of my questions, and was patient and professional throughout the whole process. Every dish he made us was plated beautiful and the taste was phenomenal. The quality of his food and the execution of each dish was far superior to any restaurant I have been to in a very, very long time. My mother's friends and our family were equally impressed. We couldn't stop raving about Chef Alex's food the entire weekend. We won't ever forget this experience with Chef Alex. Tim and Chef Alex, it was a pleasure to work with you and I hope we get to work again together soon! read more

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I contacted Big City Chefs at the last minute, early last week for a special birthday sit down dinner party for Saturday night. They connected me right away with Chef Michael Taylor. I just wanted to let you know the meal on Saturday was fantastic. Chef Michael Taylor's menu and execution was amazing. He listen to what I wanted and the that the birthday girl was a picky eater, noted her likes and dislikes. I can't rave enough about the thought and details he put together for the menu and the meal. It was exactly what I wanted. He went overboard with the desert he created, was amazing. He paid attention to what the Birthday girl loved and created a peanut butter cheesecake, with chocolate pretzel crumble that made her cry with delight, and she's a very picky eater. I can't say THANK YOU enough. read more

Big City Chefs - Personal Chefs Near Me - San Francisco, California

Chef Alex was great! I wanted to do something special for my boyfriend's birthday and an in-home dinner with friends seemed like a better choice than a restaurant. We were a group of eight and opted for plated salad, entree and dessert. Chef Alex explained the food in detail. He's very personable and arrived on time fully stocked with his supplies. The food smelled great as he was cooking and tasted even better. If you ever think about having a chef I highly recommend Chef Alex. read more

Our family was celebrating a 75th birthday and wanted to make it a special, at home dinner. Big City Chefs worked with us and our budget to make everything spectacular. The food was carefully curated to our liking, tasted incredible, and looked amazing. The chef was flexible with our changes (we added a couple of guests to the dinner last minute...) and pulled off the whole evening with a bang! They even helped us cut up some of our own cheeses, and arrange it all beautifully. Would highly recommend and will definitely use again! Thank you! read more

Chef Alex and his team were above and beyond all expectations for my wife's birthday. From speedy and efficient coordination and payment over phone and email to a seamless, funny, and hugely enjoyable dinner event- I can not recommend the team enough. If you choose to add the server option, I would be more prescriptive, since they are subcontractors and we're not quite up to the same level the chefs were... but it did not detract from the experience. Their expertise, openness, and focus on your event makes these guys someone you'll absolutely not regret! read more

Big City Chefs R0CKS! Great online cooking show with talented chefs, great sense of humor to boot! Always look forward to every session to escape our pandemic new reality. read more

I had an amazing experience with Big City Chefs and particularly Chef Benjamin in Chicago. They were very easy to work with, so accommodating and the food was BEYOND delicious. We used Big City Chefs for an 8 person 60th birthday party and wouldn't have changed one thing. With a few dietary restrictions and allergies - I was worried about finding a Chef who could tailor to our needs but this was not even a concern when working with Chef Benjamin. He made the process to execution so smooth. The dishes were presented in a beautiful way and we could not stop talking about how amazing the meal was after! We will definitely be using Big City Chefs for future events as well. read more

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This was an amazing Mother's Day gift!! Chef Alex thought of everything and we learned so much. The food was epic too. He is so knowledgeable having worked in many kitchens and attending culinary school. He also is very fun and you can tell he has been teaching for a long time. It felt like having a friend in the house rather than a stranger. He was also wonderful to our baby and dog & was very accommodating. The food was unforgettable too and we have already made some of the things he taught us again (the next day!). The salmon was some of the best I've ever had and the handmade pasta reminded me of my childhood summers in Italy with my grandmother. Last but not least he left us with a clean kitchen! We felt so spoiled and could wipe the smiles from our faces. You are really really lucky if you ever get to do this. We are already trying to decide when Alex can come back!!! read more

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Chef Alex was great! We had a dinner party of 17 for my wife's birthday at our home. Chef Alex was very flexible and creative with the menu. Everything was delicious and presented well and all guests left happy and full. Would highly recommend and we would happily call Big City again. read more

Highly recommend Big City Chefs! We had Chef Jeff come out to host a wine and hors d'oeuvres event for our residents last week. Chef Jeff was very attentive to the residents and the presentation and taste of everything was phenomenal. He also used local wines and was very knowledgeable about them. We definitely look forward to hosting another event with Big City Chefs in the future. read more

Big City Chefs - Personal Chefs Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is the first time I heard of Big City Chefs. I took a cooking class taught by Alex Tishman and was quite impressed. He kept the session fun, relaxed, interactive and enjoyable. He has a great sense of humor and is also very knowledgeable. He actually takes the time to explain the science of cooking when he can and encourages questions! The theme of the class was masa and the menu included shrimp and avocado enchiladas, mushroom quesadillas, and corn and crab tamales - all were deliciously fresh, light and flavorful. I do want to mention that I DON'T EVEN LIKE OR EAT CHEESE, but I was able to eat all three dishes. All the masa tortillas were made from scratch and were so fresh, rustic and yummy! Nom, nom, nom! If I ever need a personal chef in the future, I definitely know who to call. read more

After researching a few options, we decided to go with Big City Chefs because they were the most accessible and responsive in terms of working with us to give us what we wanted. When I told Tom, one of the owners, that I was looking for a "restaurant at home" experience, he suggested Chef Joel. Chef Joel previously worked at the restaurant at Cavallo Point and has served celebrities including Hugh Jackman and Sarah Palin (although I guess you could argue she is more notable than a celebrity, haha). Chef Joel accommodated that we had one vegan in the group while serving everyone else a creative update on "surf and turf" which began with a tower of seared ahi tuna that included edible flowers (per our request). Among the 10 people we had at dinner, everyone was pleased, and that's not easy! read more

We could not recommend this service highly enough! Alex recreated our wedding menu for our first anniversary. Not only was the food incredible but the memory will last forever! Super responsive and easy to work with. Will definitely use again! read more

If I could, I would rate my experience 10 starts!!!!!! Chef Joel was nothing short from AMAZING! From the moment he came in to our place and cooked a dinner for 6 people, everyone enjoyed him and his personality at our party. The food was seriously as good as any of the top restaurants in San Francisco, and hate to say this but probably even better. He is truly amazingly talented and I will def. be using his skills again. Thank you for such an amazing night and such an amazing food!! You would be an idiot not not use these guys for any party. You want to make a good impression....... Hire Big City Chefs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

We hired Chef Alex to cook a dinner for 8 people in celebration of my 30th birthday. It was a smashing success. San Francisco is full of great restaurants but there's something truly special and intimate about having people over to your home for a professionally-cooked meal. Alex had a tough crowd in that everyone there was a self-proclaimed foodie (including one who wrote a cookbook!) so it said a lot that everyone was thrilled with their meal. We had asked him in advance to cook things that would be really unique and different, and he delivered - everyone enjoyed the innovative flavor pairings, presentations, and tastes. Chef Alex is the type of unobtrusive, good-natured guy that you're happy to share a kitchen with. He was a pleasure to talk food with in the afternoon as he prepped, and comfortable with all the guests, but also knew how to not make it a cooking show. His style was more about cooking great food than about making it a highly interactive, educational experience, which fit really well with our event (although I could certainly imagine begging him back for a more instructive lesson on some of his techniques that I'd love to copy!). Also, his communication skills are great, which is a huge plus - having someone who can work through logistics efficiently (via email and in-person) is a gift. If you're looking for a really special and unforgettable experience or you just want to impress the hell out of someone, do like my husband did and hire Chef Alex - I'll never get over how spoiled I was on my birthday! read more

We received a gift certificate to Big City Chefs as a wedding gift and decided to cash it in for our first Valentine's Day dinner as a married couple. Chef Alex Tishman made sure it was a Valentine's we'll never forget. Chef Alex worked effortlessly with us in finalizing a menu that met our requests (classic French bistro). He executed the three courses to perfection and my wife and I had a lot of fun throughout the evening. Chef Alex brought sophisticated techniques (sous-vide!) into our home's kitchen, as well as high quality ingredients. He brought the two together with ease and a personable approach. We had great chats with him about food and restaurants -- time absolutely flew by. We enjoyed a spectacular French onion soup -- one of the best we've ever had. The main course was a sous-vide filet mignon with roasted vegetables and a potato galette. Sensational! We finished with a perfect creme brûlée. We hope we have the chance to enjoy Chef Alex's food again in the near future! In the meantime, it is our great pleasure to recommend the services of Big City Chefs (and Chef Alex in particular)! read more

Chef Danny - what can I say? He's amazing, severed (emphasis on severed) us the most delicious meal. He was so well organized from the moment he stepped into our home to the moment he left. He cleaned up and put everything back where it belonged, and truthfully he did a better job than I. The cooking instructions was an extra bonus, everyone came away with new knowledge and respect for skill chefs. We are planning to include him at our next dinner party. read more

Wonderful unique flavor and great representation. Fresh, authentic ingredients, and a genuine smile! And most of all, creative flavors! read more

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I don't generally do yep reviews but I think it's absolutely necessary this time! My company had a team builder on June 4 and Chef Alex was our chef. AMAZING!!! He did the event as an iron chef type event and we had so much fun. The recipes were great and easy to prepare. Some employees that were hesitant regarding having a cooking party were the first to say how much fun they had. If you're looking for a fun event for your company or a fun personal event, contact Big City Chefs - Chef Alex! You'll be glad you did!! read more

Have to give major props to Chef Alex Tishman for cooking an amazing six course meal for six people in our home Saturday night. If you need a private chef, Alex is your guy! His passion for food, love of ingredients, creativity and timing was a 5 star rating from these jaded NYC/SF food snobs. He made the Birthday celebration a delicious night to remember. read more

Big City Chefs - Personal Chefs Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Oh Chef Alex, how we love thee! I called Big City Chefs to provide a chef for a birthday dinner for a friend. Tom gave me the choice of a "big famous name chef" who I already forgot his/her name and Chef Alex, a local favorite. Of course I said "Chef Alex". For me, inviting someone to be a chef in your kitchen requires that person be respectful and blend into the atmosphere. Chef Alex proved to be just that balance of amazing talent and respectfulness, while still adding character and charm. Beyond the great personality fit, the food Chef Alex prepared was just amazing. He took time to create a menu that catered to 4 very different tastes. We will definitely hire Chef Alex again! read more

Chef Joel is my hero! I was planning to host a dinner party for 10 on Friday night and decided on the Monday prior that I needed some help (2 kids, full time working mom, and to top it off on crutches)....Over a couple of days, I interviewed a handful of Bay Area chefs, and Joel won me over with his professionalism, wit, and ability to understand exactly what I wanted without getting very much direction.... Jess: "I don't know, I want something fun and festive. No allergies and we all like meat and fish" Really helpful, right!? Well within a few hours Joel had a menu whipped up that sounded amazing but tasted even better. We had a truly delicious gourmet meal in the comfort of our own home! Not sure why I've never done this before? Totally stress free dining experience with the kiddos sleeping upstairs....and no clean up! Whats better then that!? Thank you Big City Chefs and Thank you Joel! Cant wait to do it again! read more

I would HIGHLY recommend using Big City Chefs and specifically Chef Alex. I was hosting a Bachelorette Party for a group of 17 ladies up in Wine Country (Sonoma County, California). Many of my friends are foodies so I knew a private chef dinner would be over the top fabulous but I was concerned if we would be able to afford it. Chef Alex was amazing to work with...we first outlined my budget and vision and he worked with me to not only deliver an amazing meal that truly impressed all of my guests, but also fit our price point. I would hire Chef Alex again in a second and recommend him to anyone! read more

Chef Catherine did an amazing job preparing the perfect omakase meal to celebrate my wife's 32nd birthday! We had just welcomed our newborn daughter into the world two weeks prior, so going out to dinner wasn't an option, so I wanted to bring dinner in. Chef Catherine was very warm and caring, and also an extremely talented chef. We worked together to develop the menu and she really took the time to research some of my suggestions and re-created my wife's favorite appetizer to perfection! I also couldn't believe that she prepared this amazing meal for six people, then cleaned up afterwards, leaving the kitchen looking better than before. I would highly recommend Big City Chefs if you're looking for a private chef for your next celebration! read more

Chef Alex created a culinary work of art for our family dinner for 10 at an AirBnB House in the Marina District on Friday. His communications were easy and excellent, and he helped us choose a menu that was superb. He sourced the ingredients expertly including from his own garden, prepared and cooked them masterfully, and for each course came out and explained and gave delightful commentary on the delicious courses we enjoyed. Entrées included coho salmon and sous-vide steaks, salads, sides, appetizers, and a fabulous almond-olive oil cake. He suggested a great server to help him who we also really liked. Thanks Chef Alex for a fabulous dinner party. Ross & Karen read more

We had chef Alex host a dinner party last weekend for about 10 friends for my wifes birthday. It was a phenomenal experience. The food and service was top notch and fine dining at its best. Couldn't have gone better and I recommend highly. Such a fun experience! read more

Chef Alex made Gazpacho for us tonight and it was delicious! I lived in Spain several years ago and tried gazpacho while I was there... This was better than what I had in Spain. Crazy! I have loved everything Ive every tried from this company :) Its delicious food! read more

I hired Big City Chefs for a social media influencer dinner party my company hosted in a private residence in San Francisco. I worked directly with Chef Alex Tishman in advance on budget, menu, and event flow. I called a few different private chef services in the Bay Area and most indicated that they would not do small dinner parties for less than $4,000. When I called Chef Alex, he was not only willing to work with me, but happily accommodated some special requests. He also provided me with recommended wine pairings for each course. Chef Alex arrived on time and prepared, and was really a fun guy to have be a part of the evening. The food was prepared beautifully and it was amazing! I appreciated that he took into account fall flavors and taught our guests some hacks to making a tasty and gorgeous fall salad. I would recommend Big City Chefs and Chef Alex Tishman, and would mostly definitely use them again! read more

Chef Natalie is simply fabulous and her food is pure FIRE and LIFE! Not only did she provide a safe environment but was also very detailed in her interview and presentation of the food which led to one of the most incredible and memorable eating experiences that I have had in a very long time!!! The food was not only fresh but also served in good portion sizes. I loved the sashimi dinner and was very pleasantly surprised with the generous slices I received. Big City Chefs is my new number one personalized service. read more

I recently worked with Big City Chefs in Las Vegas, Nevada for my daughters graduation from PT school. We had the greatest experience with Chef Benny. The food was great, he was great, and, would highly recommend Big City Chefs!! read more

I would highly recommend Big City Chefs if you're hosting a dinner party and want to enjoy it. We had a great evening with Chef Alex for a dinner party of 7 ladies. I was hosting a dinner in honor of my sister (at her house) and wanted to make sure we weren't spending the night in the kitchen worrying. Chef Alex was busy in the kitchen and let us get on with our girly night. Importantly the food was delicious and beautifully plated. We most appreciated that the ingredients were so fresh and local and Alex explained where everything was sourced from. The evening ended with lots of wine and nothing to clean - a perfect evening exactly how I'd imagined it. read more

This review is for Big City Chefs in PALM SPRINGS, CA. That location isn't separately listed so I'm placing my review here. My good girlfriends organized my recent bachelorette party in Palm Springs and among the many wonderful things they planned was to have a private chef over to our rental house to cook for us (13 girls). The experience ended up being utterly nightmarish and borderline frightening. Things began badly with a text from the chef (Travis) at 2:40pm saying he had a flat tire and was running late. He was due to arrive at 6pm and have dinner ready by 8pm, so this seemed odd, unless he was driving from LA (which is possible). At 7pm he texted to say he was 15 minutes away. At 8pm he texted to say he was in the gated complex. Obviously we were already upset. It was 2 hours past his arrival time, many of the girls were on east coast time and 4 were pregnant so we were anxious to get things going and have food out. He arrived at @8:15pm with his associate, a woman named Samata (sp?) who looked like she had been sprung from jail that same day (more on that later). My cousin told him that people were starving and asked how long it would be before he could get an appetizer out. Chef Travis said he could have food out in 25 minutes. 30 minutes later my cousin went in and nothing appeared to be close to ready. She cut up some cheese and made a plate of cheese and crackers. Why the chef couldn't have done this is beyond me. At 9pm with still no food, several of us went inside to call the Big City Chefs guy (John) they had planned the evening with and left several messages expressing how disappointed they were and how there would need to be a significant discount given how things were going. Not long after, we all got a VERY weird vibe about what was going on in the kitchen. Samata was peeling shrimp at a glatial pace (her eyes were half opened and to say she looked drugged is an understatement). Moreover, it didn't seem that either of them had any real experience in the kitchen. Chef Travis was instructing her, in detail, on how to zest a lemon. At that point, we decided to pull the plug. It was now 3.5 hours after they were to have arrived, there was no food even close to being ready, the vibe was decidedly tense and uncomfortable, and the food they were preparing looked awful--a huge plate of rice with raw chicken wings stuffed in the edges. Also, it was clear that they had done their grocery shopping at the dinky market near the house and had purchased NO produce whatsoever--it was rice, frozen shrimp and chicken wings. My friend (whose credit card was given to secure their services) asked them to just pack up and go and Chef Travis apologized and seemed understanding. I went in to the kitchen to prepare some quesadillas while others called Domino's Pizza for delivery. This is when things got scary. I watched Chef Travis dumping the paella pan of rice he had started into the trash can and food went all over the floor. I commented that there had to be a better way of doing things and the following exchange ensued: Samata: well, the trash can was overflowing. Me: yes, I would assume you could do something about that. Samata: I'm a grown woman. You wanna talk to me like I'm a dumb ass, you better be ready to take it. Me: [utterly dumbfounded and quickly realizing Samata could pull a knife and I should shut up] Ok. Travis: That's my fault, I filled the trash and should have emptied it. Samata: You don't need to kiss her ass. Me: [to Samata] Can I get your name? Samata: Yep, it's Samata. But I don't work for no one so you can't get me in trouble. I'm my own boss. My friend, calmly wiping down the counter, told them to stop what they were doing and leave immediately. My heart was actually pounding at this point. As they headed to the front door, Samata called me a fucking bitch as her parting shot. Domino's delivered promptly and we were able to enjoy our evening, though spent much of it marveling about DID THAT SERIOUSLY JUST HAPPEN???? I mean I guess getting into a bitch fight is a rite of passage, so I can check that off the list. Both my cousin and friend spoke with Tom (the CEO) the next morning and I will say that he was, evidently, both horrified and apologetic. He said Chef Travis had previously received positive reviews so he wasn't sure what happened. Not surprisingly, he had never heard of Samata but was going to look into that. My friend was not charged for the evening but it goes without saying that I cannot recommend Big City Chefs. read more

I had the pleasure of joining a dinner party for 6 this past weekend that Chef Alex prepared - It was sublime. Ingredients were local, he grew the herbs himself, and he walked us through each course and their finer details as part of the experience. I'm very picky, and I wouldn't have changed anything. 1st course: white asparagus soup with caviar, chives and basil oil - paired with Moet & Chandon. 2nd course (tasting): Scallops in 3 methods - 1 lightly seared served on a melon salad, 1 seared and topped with a bit of olive oil and an olive topping, 1 cooked and laid over an aioli sauce- paired with pinot grigio from a great little vineyard in sonoma 3rd course: a white fish (forgetting the type) cooked in paper on a bed of ultra-thinly sliced lemons, squashes and vegetables (went with the pinot grigio as well) 4th course: white truffle risotto with real truffle, cooked to perfection (paired with something, memory got a little hazy) 5th course: homemade vanilla ice cream, a dense dark chocolate cake with some chantilly, paired with a great glass of port. I could rave about each course, they were each fantastic, subtle, unpretentious, well balanced, no extraneous flavors, no ingredient wasted. Every ingredient played a role, sometimes in a surprising (melon with scallop?? fantastic) but always positive way. I enthusiastically recommend Big City Chefs, and Chef Alex Tishman. I had the good fortune to have an excellent dinner at Jardiniere recently. With both memories still fresh, given the choice between another dinner with Chef Alex vs. Jardiniere, I would choose Chef Alex without hesitation. writing this made me very hungry. read more

We used Big City Chefs to find us a personal chef for a last minute New Year's Eve dinner party. I called many chefs listed in Yelp, most of them didn't even return my calls and one that did asked an outrageous amount of money to cook for 4 people! Tom from Big City Chefs called me back right away and booked us Chef Joel Corona for a very reasonable price per person, especially given it was a holiday evening. Working with Chef Joel was a treat, he is a true culinary powerhouse and a rising star in the kitchen. My husband and I are lucky enough to have dined at numerous high end restaurants around the world from Paris to Syndey to Tokyo, including many Michelin 3 star places including Per Se, Joel Robuchon and George V so we'd like to think we have experienced good cooking. Chef Joel made us feel like we were at a Michelin star restaurant with the comfort of our own home. Thank you Tom and Chef Joel for a wonderful NYE dinner ! read more

I highly recommend using Big City Chefs for ANY occasion. In June my husband & I hosted a 40th birthday party, and we hired Chef Alex Tishman through Big City Chefs. From the very beginning of this party planning, Chef Alex was professional, creative, and very patient with me (not an easy task). He took all of my food "suggestions" and made them a delicious reality! Guests from our party that night are still raving about Chef Alex and his food! During the party Chef Alex was fun, interactive, lively, and the food just kept coming out PERFECTLY. I am really looking forward to working with him again for my next party - he was truly amazing! I also need to give props to his sous chef that night, and also his business partner Tom, great job, great team, and a pleasure to do business with. read more

So where do I begin??? In a word - AWESOME!!! Chef Alex catered my surprise birthday party and it was nothing short of, and I mean nothing short of, freakingly awesome. Chef Alex was given my favorite food groups and he created this wonderful menu: Rum with Cinnamon, Cloves and Ginger. I've never had spiced rum - Chef Alex, I'm now a fan. Fragrant Chicken Consomme with Ginger and Jasmine. "MMMMMMM" says it all. Asparagus with 64 degree hen egg yok, black truffle, meyer lemon olive oil, crisp brioche and green goddess. Homerun. And, OMG, the brioche was out of this world. Squid Ink Pasta with baby squid, meyer lemon and calabrian chiles, mint oil, oxalis. I've had squid ink pasta from some of the best places in SF and this one was head and shoulders above them all. Seared Scallop with shichimi togorashi, roasted brassicas, kimchi puree, pea shoots, nastiurtums. The scallop was cooked to perfection. Lamb Rack, slow roasted "lamb bacon", glazed carrots, Tokyo turnip, potato, Shiraz jus, mint butter. The lamb bacon was soooo good it should've been illegal. Dessert - Popcorn Panna Cotta, peanut kettle corn, strawberries, smoked sea salt caramel sauce. This was a perfect light ending to my extraordinary meal. But wait, there's more ... I love to cook and what a thrill it was to listen to Chef Alex talk about his farm fresh ingredients and passion for cooking while he prepared our dinner for a party of 8. If you're looking for a dining experience that your guests will love and talk about for years to come, go with Chef Alex. Knowing what I know now, he's now my go-to guy for catering. PS - thank you My Love, you know who you are, for this incredible gift! read more