We hired Chef Dean for a party of 6 adults to celebrate my parents' 40th wedding anniversary. From start to finish, everything was flawless! Chef Dean was very quick to respond to my initial request for a quote and we got on the phone to talk about the process and what I had envisioned. Over the next few days, we emailed about the menu, what my parents liked, and food allergies/preferences to create a beautiful, personalized menu that we collaborated together on. The day of, Chef Dean and his assistant, Liza, came and started cooking/prepping a couple hours before dinner service. They did EVERYTHING! We were in a small vacation rental and knew the kitchen may be lacking - they came table cloth and linens, silverware, dishes, serveware - everything to ensure we had a 5-star dining experience! The food itself was AMAZING! Stuffed mushrooms, crab cakes, surf and turf with filet mignon, lobster tails, seared scallops, sautéed asparagus, and potatoes o gratin. For dessert - a strawberry tiramisu. He even made my 3 year old mac and cheese! (Also, my 3 year old ate the stuffed mushrooms and crabcakes, and begged for more tiramisu for days after, which says A LOT about how good the food was!). Liza even held our 10 week old baby and fed him a bottle so all the adults could eat!! At the end of the night, they cleaned up every single dish and the kitchen looked nicer than when they had arrived. Both Chef Dean and Liza went above and beyond for us, and we are so very grateful for them and helping us make our parents 40th anniversary super special and unforgettable. We raved about it to everyone we met for the rest of the trip! Thank you Chef Dean and Liza!!! 100/10 will hire again! read more

Chef Dean did an outstanding job at a Polo Party our client held recently, and we can't say enough Wonderful things about the quality, and incredibly delicious food Chef Dean and his team prepared for this evening in the Beautiful Desert! We cannot wait for the next event, as it was such a treat and pleasure to partake in your Amazing Cuisine- thank you so very much Chef Dean & Team!!! :)) read more

Chef Dean did an OUTSTANDING job working with me to curate a meal for my family all visiting for the first time since the start of COVID. We had some tough/random food allergies to navigate and he was amazing in his menu development to help navigate allllll of those while still creating a unique/fresh experience for my family. He was easy to work with, brought in quality step-on staff to assist the day of and executed the menu flawlessly! He's for sure my go to guy the next time I'd need a private chef in California! read more

Chef Dean Karatas - Table setting and menu card for this privately catered dinner - Personal Chefs Near Me

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Chef Dean and his crew are not only exceptional with food that elevates your taste buds but excellence shines through how they show up in their service. I was exposed to Chef Dean during an event I was supporting. Chef and his team created an experience for us not only in our mouths but throughout the event via our meals. Chef Dean and his team's layout of the meals, how they related to us and the guests and overall marrying the cuisine with the ambience of the space and the purpose of the event was top notch! The meals were tasty, whole, had great combinations and personally left me on an energetic high, ready for the next activity. I would highly recommend his service! read more

Chef Dean cooked an unforgettable dinner for my best friend's birthday last night. Hours after he left, we were still raving about how delicious the meal was. "That was one of the best meals I've ever had" said the bday girl, over and over again. He was so professional, personable, and left the kitchen spotless - he even wrapped up the leftovers and saved them for us in the fridge, how thoughtful!! The entire experience was top notch and made the evening special. Thanks for everything, Chef Dean! 10/10 definitely recommend. read more

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I hired Chef Dean for a private dinner with 4 of my friends in our pandemic pod at an Airbnb in Palm Springs for a milestone birthday we were planning. He was incredibly responsive when I first reached out for pricing and even after I booked very quick to respond to questions and updates. We had several restrictions in our group and he promised he would be able to accommodate them all. He also suggested bringing in a server to help serve and clean up, hands down best decision ever on top of hiring Chef Dean! He and his entire team wore masks while preparing our meals and throughout the entire meal. We felt safe and well protected. The entire meal was gluten free and we had plenty of leftovers to enjoy for another evening. Loved working with Chef Dean! read more

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First let's begin by saying I love to eat.. no really I am a foodie and spend an insane amount on restaurants and fine Cabernet Sauvignon all over the world. With this said, I hired Chef Dean for my 50th birthday.. Chef Dean knocked it out of the park! Creating incredible breakfast, Lunch and Dinner food artistry creations that were complex in flavors, insanely delicious and visually beautiful! All my guests were raving the entire time about his unique and delicious food masterpieces! Chef Dean is an artist.. I learned to just give him the basic vision of what you are expecting then back off and don't pressure him.. he loves what he does and even loves more when he sees that you love his food. Many of his creations have a Middle Eastern flair to them and you need to trust him even if you are not familiar with the dishes he suggests because they will broaden your pallet to an entirely new world flavors that will blow your mind! When I have another event I would not even think twice about hiring him. He honestly made my 50th and event that was over the top! Thank you Chef Dean! P.S - I wish I had more photo of the food creations he made but honestly I was so excited to eat them when he brought them out I forgot to take many of the photos., oops.. read more

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Chef Dean is incredible!! Not only is he personable, his menu and culinary skills are exceptional! We hired Chef Dean for our friends bachelorette party and he arrived prepared with a delicious menu. He started with a tastefully plated dill platter with stuffed mushroom. Next came a kale salad with roasted beets, candied walnuts, frisée and vinaigrette. The main course was perfectly cooked Chilean sea bass over a sweet potato mash, mushroom risotto and roasted vegetables. Chef Dean ended with a flourless chocolate cake with an incredible raspberry reduction with a pistachio crumble and dollop of French Vanilla ice cream. He was an absolute delight and we enjoyed our evening with Chef Dean. 10/10 would do again! read more

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We hired Chef Dean K last night for a party of 10 at a vacation home in La Quinta, California based on referral. In short he was absolutely fantastic! Uniquely, we were four adults and six kids. To his credit, he actually got the kids to eat scallops and fillets with a chimichurri sauce he made from scratch. Really, the kids raved about both and loved Chef Dean! He was very helpful with the menu, has a wonderful personality, truly a fantastic experience! Best of all, he shopped, he came, he cooked, he cleaned, stored the leftovers in the fridge and left with a smile. We'd definitely hire him again! read more

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Chef Dean and the server/assistant (and I'm so embarrassed I've forgotten her name because she was AMAZING and so kind but this is a very late review as my friends and I were just reminiscing on the meal and trip) were both so incredible! Our group of four had Chef Dean come out to our rental in Palm Springs where we had the most enjoyable night of our trip. The food was incredible and both Dean and his assistant were so kind and just a pleasure to be around. The food was incredible from start to finish. Truly one of the most fun dinners we've ever had together. It's so great to have someone come cook a world class meal and then leave you with a spotless kitchen while you continue hanging out and relaxing (or boozing). Really appreciate Dean's energy and vibe. I will absolutely book a meal with him again in the future when I'm back in the Palm Springs area. read more

Chef Dean was absolutely amazing! I can not recommend him enough ...he was responsive through out the booking process and came up with an amazing menu which tasted even more amazing. He was friendly and very sweet, truly made my special girls weekend extra special. Thank you so much Chef Dean we will defiantly be in touch for all my events. read more

Chef Dean Karatas - Chef Dean creating magic in the kitchen - Personal Chefs Near Me

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Chef Dean and his staff are THE BEST in the business. They are friendly, efficient, and the food is DELICIOUS! We hired them for a mastermind workshop event of 25-30 people and they DELIVERED. Not one complaint was heard from any participant. They accommodated all dietary needs and kept those with limited diets a part of the group. 10/10 recommend. Can't wait to hire them again. They were so attentive to our staff and clients. I can't say enough good things. Do yourself a favor and hire them. You won't regret it. read more

Dean was hired for our Team Meeting and he and his wait staff did and Outstanding job! The food quality and presentation was great. As Property Managers and recommending private Chef's to many of our clients- Dean is a first class option! His specialty is French cuisine but this Mediterranean Greek influenced dish was fantastic. read more

Chef Dean Karatas - secret sauce for the filet was awesome. - Personal Chefs Near Me

Chef Dean was so amazing!! We surprised my sister with a private dinner for her birthday in Palm Springs and Chef Dean made this experience truly unforgettable. His food is delicious and his passion for cooking exudes in such a beautiful and charming way! He came masked, gloved and ready to work! We loved his charcuterie board, the flank steaks were cooked to perfection, the bacon wrapped stuffed dates were a perfect blend of sweet and savory. We can't wait to book him again for our special family gathering! read more

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Awesome! Chef Dean created the most amazing dinner ...he is one of the best! Thank you! read more

Where to begin with all the amazing things to say about Chef Dean! I had my Covid edition bachelorette party in Palm Springs and Chef Dean made our experience truly unforgettable. Most importantly he was so kind and had such a fun vibe and energy. The customer service was exceptional and the whole experience was flawless. The combination of premium customer service and delicious cuisine exceeded our expectations beyond belief. If you're considering a private chef for your event in Palm Springs, look no further than Chef Dean. read more

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Chef Dean prepared an engagement dinner for us in Palm Springs. Extremely happy with the food and service. Will definitely have Chef Dean cook for us again! read more

We hired Chef Dean as a private chef for the first night of a bachelor party in Palm Springs and we couldn't stop talking about how awesome of an experience it was. The food was incredible and Chef Dean is such a sweetheart. He was super prompt on communication and was incredible about making sure the menu was exactly what I wanted it to be. I'll absolutely hire him again the next time I'm out in Palm Springs. Thanks again, Chef! read more

Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us for a special birthday dinner for my husband's "0" birthday. Lucky for us, going out wasn't an option during the pandemic so instead, we had the good fortune to find Chef Dean to create an intimate at home meal. The charcuterie board was an incredible way to begin our delicious feast, followed by tuna tartare on parmesan crackers and the "amuse bouche "of tomato bisque and lobster bisque. The baked salmon with potatoes au gratin and corn soufflé rounded off the entree course. An absolutely delicious chocolate mousse was the perfect end to a great dining experience. Chef Dean, thank you for shopping, preparing, serving and cleaning everything up!!! We were all able to be "present" for our special time together and enjoy good food and a special time with family. Can't wait for our next occasion to enjoy your artistry. Thanks again!! read more

Chef Dean Karatas - Charcuterie Board - Personal Chefs Near Me

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I have hired Chef Dean K many times. Super fantastic man to work with. That's not even mentioning his stellar food. Al my guests are please (beyond pleased) with the results of his culinary works of art. Great positive attitude with a wide range of cooking abilities from Asian ,French, kosher, middle eastern, and of course American classic. By the way his deserts are out of this world. Hire him today if you can. His dates get booked read more

Chef Dean Karatas - A beautiful dinner set up with food coming by Chef Dean K - Personal Chefs Near Me

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You will not find a better Chef than Dean so my advice is to stop your search now. You found him. What an incredibly talented culinary artist this man is! My boyfriend surprised me for my birthday with a mini get away to Palm Springs and the best part was that he had hired Dean to treat us to his delectable works of art for a full day including breakfast, lunch, afternoon charcuterie board, appetizers, dinner and dessert . His food is absolutely delicious and esthetically pleasing, I keep saying "art" because he is truly that, an artist. Chef Dean is a complete professional and a true class act who arrives in uniform (mask as well) and serves with the most kindness and ease, he allows you to enjoy a private experience so much so that if you didn't keep getting reminded at every bite of incredible food you'd forget that he was even there. We really enjoyed Chef Dean's company and insisted on conversation with him , he is an incredible human whom we've now become life long friends with. So I will end this review with how I began it, You Will Not Find A Better Chef Than Dean! Contact him, you won't regret it, bon appetit ! Jynelle read more

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We had the most amazing dinner. Thank you Chef Dean!!! We had Chef Dean prepare a birthday dinner for a party of 10 at our Airbnb in Cathedral City. Booking our date and planning the menu was easy and the entire evening was flawless. The appetizers were incredible, the salad was so fresh, and the steak and cauliflower risotto were unreal. The show stopper for us was the homemade carrot cake. We couldn't have asked for a better experience and all 10 of us agree Chef Dean and his assistant Caleb were the highlight of our trip. We can't wait to take another trip out and have Chef Dean back. read more

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This man isn't a chef, he is an artist! He didn't give us meals, he crafted an experience unlike anything I've ever had before; a masterpiece. The words I write could never encapsulate the flavors and sensations beautifully displayed on each plate Chef Dean blessed us with. As if that wasn't enough, this Chef goes above and beyond with his service and makes you feel as if you are family when you indulge in his dishes. Truly a culinary genius, someone I will recommend for years to come! read more

Chef Dean Karatas - Personal Chefs Near Me

I feel as though the universe smiled upon me when I found Chef Dean. We were looking for a chef for to host us for brunch/lunch for Coachella and Chef Dean (and his amazing team) blew us all away and made it a magical experience. The meal planning was a fun and exciting process, with tons of inspired recommendations from Chef Dean. He never shied away from going the extra mile, including a Mexican bbq feast for our final day, some of the best French toast and poached eggs I've never had, and not to mention some beautiful flower arrangements and accoutrements to ensure each meal was a special experience for our house. Chef Dean also took care accommodate our vegetarian and vegan guests with grace and ease. Plus he was a pleasure to work with when it came to logistics and coordination - not to mention some great stories!! :) Will def use Chef Dean again!!! read more

Chef Dean Karatas - Our first day - toast 2 ways... poached eggs on avo toast + French toast. Yum! - Personal Chefs Near Me

I found Chef Dean through yelp and had a 4-course private dinner with friends over Memorial Day weekend: seared scallops with lemon risotto, green salad w/lobster in a pineapple jalapeno vinaigrette, braised short ribs with veggies & a a goat cheese potato croquette, and salted caramel brandy panna cotta for dessert. We are all foodies and agreed it was a truly special & memorable meal. In fact, one of my favorite meals I've ever had. All the flavors and textures were incredible. Chef Dean was an all-around 100% pleasure to plan with and a kind, calm, lovely presence in person. He really cared about making your dinner a high-quality, enjoyable experience -from the food to the service - and you can feel how much love he puts into his work. We all felt happy and pampered by the end of the evening. I am sure we will be dining with him again in the future! Highly recommend! read more

Dean was so great to work with for a private dinner event in Palm Springs. He was super professional, responsive, flexible with our menu choices and just an overall nice and upbeat person. The best part of course was the memorable meal he prepared for all of us! Every single course Dean prepared was absolutely delicious. Everyone couldn't stop stopping about the meal the next day. Thank you, Dean! read more

Chef Dean's food was delicious. He put time into the presentation as well. He is also a really kind, genuine person and it was so nice to do business with him. I would recommend him for any party or event. read more

Chef Dean is extremely talented! Great communication! He made a personalized menu for our group and everything was delicious. He took all of our favorites to mind. The best part is that he's so kind! 10/10 experience read more

We were 14 family in Palm Springs to celebrate a birthday, and we hired Chef Dean to provide the special birthday celebration dinner. The meal was super outstanding, and Chef Dean and his staff were great-very professional and very accommodating to our every request. Not only that, but Chef Dean was fun to work with in planning the menu and he was also very willing to work with us to accommodate food allergies, a vegetarian, and main entrees of two types-salmon and steak to be sure that everybody was happy with their meal. We would definitely choose Chef Dean when another such event occurs, whether in Palm Springs or elsewhere in California. read more

Chef Dean was absolutely incredible. We had a fantastic dinner for 7 at my bachelor party in Palm Springs. We had a 4 course menu which included an incredible beet salad and filet mignon that was just the best I've ever had- melted in my mouth, so good!!! The dessert was a chocolate cake that was rich and just perfect for anyone who likes chocolate. He also set everything up for dinner and cleaned up afterwards, leaving the kitchen spotless. I didn't have to worry about anything and we all enjoyed a wonderful meal. I highly recommend him. Thank you so much Chef Dean, hope to see you again! -Josh read more

Chef Dean Karatas - Beet salad - Personal Chefs Near Me

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It's 2020 and me and my family decided to leave Beverly Hills and quarantine in Palm Springs. When we arrive to realize we needed a corporate chef as we cannot survive without delicious food. We absolutely needed to shoot for a 5 star experience. I called all my freinds who have the executive chef experience and was referred to chef dean. I negotiate a deal with the chef and felt a little concerned since his price point was extremely reasonable. Wow was I wrong this is not just a regular chef, he is a presidential chef fit for a king. Wow I type this I finish my royal dinner it's amazing. He's not just a chef he's my new best Friend now. read more

Amazing guy providing amazing service. Dean is one of the best chefs I ever met. His work is very good. All recommendations.

Our experience with Dean was unfortunately very disappointing. We employed Dean's services for one dinner for my family (7 adults, 4 kids ages 3-7), at the vacation rental where we were all staying over the holidays. Dean came recommended by the property manager, and we booked him for Christmas Eve based on his availability. He was easy to communicate with leading up to the event, which we handled entirely over email and via text on the day of. He also shared his digital vaccine record. During the actual event, we hung out outside while Dean was cooking, both to keep things as safe as possible re: covid and to stay out of his way, especially with 4 young kids. I checked in at the beginning to welcome him and see if he needed anything, and later to put on some music for him. Things seemed to be going fine until the appetizers started coming out. I'll highlight 3 major issues: 1. Dean's poor response to a misunderstanding. Dean said he did not charge for kids but did not mention or provide a separate kids menu. When the appetizers started coming out there were only enough servings for the adults. As hungry kids started hovering around I became worried that because I had only paid for the adults perhaps Dean had forgotten about the kids, so I asked him a couple times if there would be food for them. He apparently thought I knew about his plans which he had never mentioned to me, which led to him confronting us minutes later (in front of the kids) with unnecessarily rude remarks such as "what -- did you expect me to feed the kids caviar?" "you should be happy I'm giving you free food". We were doing our best to stay calm, and when we realized the misunderstanding we mostly were just relieved that the kids would get something to eat. We tried to get Dean to move on, but somehow he was convinced that we were acting maliciously so instead he continued to berate us for "disrespecting" him and saying how he had never been treated so poorly, contrasting us against his "high end clients", and "having to deal with this on Christmas Eve" (a date he had offered to us). When we asked him what we had done to make him feel this way, he literally said to me "well you look at me with an angry face and you need to smile more." This is just a completely unacceptable comment to make to anyone, let alone to your customer in front of their family. I also doubt he would have said this to a man. Dean went back inside shortly after this, and fortunately was able to complete the rest of the service (salad, entree, and dessert) without further incident. 2. Quality of food I initially asked Dean if he could do something with duck, given the festive occasion. He replied that he has never worked with duck, which was surprising given that his French culinary training. We ended up focusing on salmon as the entree, and Dean sent me a menu. The menu was not especially creative, but I went with it to keep things simple and figured that it would be executed and presented well. Unfortunately, while the food tasted fine and the salmon was cooked quite well, the overall quality of ingredients and experience of the food was disappointing. In several cases, he substituted something lower quality or lesser than the original description, e.g. using salmon roe instead of caviar, store bought potato chips (Utz), a bay scallop on tartar sauce instead of a sea scallop on garlic creme fraiche, and plain steamed broccoli instead of roasted seasonal vegetables. At $150/plate, I expected a lot more. At least the kids' chicken tenders were hand breaded, but the pizza was frozen from a box, and burned. And yes, the kids would have eaten whatever was on the "fancy" menu if offered (as apparently he has done before). 3. Presentation Dean did not bring any of his own dishes or silverware - he used whatever was in the cupboards of our rental house. Other chefs I'd looked at had mentioned providing linens, cutlery, dishes etc, and at a lower price point. I don't even know if we had enough plates to fully serve everyone at the same time, and he gave us paper towels for napkins. Again, at $150/plate, I would expect him to guarantee a certain level of presentation by bringing his own supplies. Bottom line: The food and presentation did not live up to $150/plate and Dean behaved aggressively and condescendingly with a refusal to understand or recover the situation. I'm giving 2 stars because I appreciate that we were still fed, Dean was able to resume serving the rest of the meal, there was decent communication leading up to the dinner, and because the half of the family that did not witness the confrontation still enjoyed themselves. If you're considering Dean, just be aware that you need to be very clear about every aspect to avoid misunderstandings, the food you get may not be faithful to the menu, he may belittle you if he perceives he's been slighted, and he is not willing to consider different perspectives. read more

This was a first for us. I gave my husband a Christmas gift of having a private chef cook for us a meal. Chef Dean prefers to work for groups but he made an exception for us after several phone calls of getting to know each other. Well all I can say is it was an exceptional experience. So much more than just a meal. He came around 2:30 to start and we gathered in the kitchen to watch on the other side of the island to stay out of the way. We had some beer then some wine and shared stories. His life experience is so extensive that our conversation was lively. It was fun to watch him cook and try to learn new things. He bought and brought all of the groceries. He came gloved and masked and cleaned up everything. We were truly waited on like royalty. The food was delicious! I particularly enjoyed the scallops and lemon Risotto. The scallops were done to perfection and just melted in my mouth, and the Risotto had just the hint of lemon and was a gooey, cheesy, luscious comfort food. He made enough Risotto that we have been enjoying leftovers. I really can't thank Chef Dean enough for the delightful experience. I hope we can see him again even without cooking for us. He is truly a very special man. read more

Chef Dean Karatas - Our kitchen with Chef Dean and Shrimp Cocktail - Personal Chefs Near Me

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20/10 Chef Dean was AMAZING. He made our trip to La Quinta unforgettable. All of his dishes were perfectly prepared and tasted exceptional. Would 100% recommend and will definitely book again!!! read more

Chef Dean was a delight. He brought energy and passion in the kitchen. It was just the vibe we wanted for a bachlorette dinner. The food was beyond what we imagined!!! Still craving the appetizers he made! Couldn't recommend him more!! By far the best food we had during our stay in Palm Springs!!! read more

Chef Dean K was amazing! He is a world-class chef. MICHELIN-starred rated food. Most of all he is an exceptional human being and so pleasant to have in your home/kitchen. He interacts perfectly with your guests while cooking delicious cuisine. We recently rented a home in la Quinta with a group of friends. Chef Dean K showed up promptly with groceries and handcrafted some of his specialty dishes. Bacon wrapped scallops, Chicken kebobs, Eggplant stuffed w meat, Rack of lamb. It was all PERFECTION! We had him return for brunch the following day...and he cooked luscious blueberry pancakes and the best avocado toast we had ever tasted! We are so excited for the next time Chef Dean K joins our friends and family again real soon. Such an amazing experience! Merci, Chef Dean K read more

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Where do I begin!!! I normally never write reviews however I felt compelled to do so after the service my family and I received. From fish, meat and dairy dishes this world class chef never let us down. Additionally we are a family with young children and this chef's attention and attitude are second to none. Never had better steaks or kebabs. Very well rounded and can create masterpieces from multiple cultures. All in all highly recommended you will not be disappointed. read more

If you are looking for a private chef in any of the cities where Chef Dean works, look no further. We had the pleasure of hiring him during a family vacation in Palm Springs. We were staying in a rental house with a large group, including kids, and had him cook two dinners for us, one of which was a traditional Thanksgiving feast. From the first email I sent him to the very last moment he left the kitchen, working with Chef Dean was a delight and so easy. We emailed and texted ahead of time about menu options, and he was very flexible when we asked for a few swaps. Both dinners he cooked for us were delicious, highlights including a melt in your mouth wild caught salmon with chimichuri sauce and a pineapple foster dessert with brandy caramel that my son literally licked his plate for to get every last drop! I usually cook Thanksgiving dinner, so turning the kitchen over to someone else that night was a rare occasion, but Chef Dean didn't disappoint. He slow roasted a full 16 lb. turkey with a honey glaze that was one of the juiciest and most flavorful turkeys I've ever eaten! And, he even satisfied the youngest kids in the group with pizza and homemade chicken tenders! In addition to being a talented chef, Dean is a truly kind human who took the time to cook with love for our family and engage with us like we were part of his. I hope we have the occasion to work with him again. (Oh, and he and his assistant did all the dishes and left the kitchen spotless when they left each night... perhaps the best treat of all!) Highly recommend. read more

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Chef Dean is truly a gem! My family and I were in Palm Springs for two weeks and were lucky enough to have Chef Dean with us for several nights. He took the time to listen to our favorite dishes and didn't just create memorable dinners, he created memorable evenings. It didn't matter whether it was a casual evening of fajitas or a more formal evening of steak and lobster, each night was special and created with the great care that Chef Dean puts into everything he does. In addition to a talented chef, he is a kind and caring individual who enjoys laughing and chatting with his guests. We have two more trips planned to La Quinta this year and can't wait to see him again! read more