I have used Chef Vanessa for years. Every time she prepares dinners for my husbands employees, everyone leaves so happy! I highly recommend her, she is like having your best friend in the kitchen cooking for you! I would give her 10 stars if I could, try her, you will say YUM!! read more

Chef Vanessa was so easy to work, responsive and prepared a delicious meal. It was a pleasure working with Vanessa to design a menu for 10 women. I will book her again for another event! read more

I had an excellent experience having Vanessa cater my wedding. She was incredibly professional, easy to reach, flexible, fun, helpful, talented. Really wonderful all around. She ran in to some MAJOR challenges on the day of (including the gas going out in the whole house!) that were completely out of her control and she did an unbelievable job getting everything done, and done perfectly, despite them. I would have never known of the trouble had I not been told of it afterwards. She never panicked. All the food was delicious and they left the kitchen impressively clean after it all. I found it really hard to trust someone with something so important but Vanessa made it easy. I recommend her whole heartedly. read more

Vanessa has a warm and pleasant demeanor, and so I liked her as soon as I spoke with her. Other reviewers have already mentioned her delicious food, so I won't go into that (aside from agreeing wholeheartedly). What impressed me was her ability to get things done. I had not visited the farmhouse in Napa where we would get married, and so had no idea what the kitchen would be like. Well, it turns out it was dismal. Lacking in even the most basic stuff like dishwashing soap and sponge. And even the water that came out of the pipe was not drinkable. Vanessa rolled up her sleeves and not only managed, she made delicious food (the best filet and appetizers), then ran out to buy soap, then cleaned up, and doing it all in a calm and timely manner. After the wedding, everyone remarked about the delicious food, and everyone who saw the kitchen wondered how she managed it. You can't asked for more on your wedding day, to have a calm, can-do and hardworking angel making it all seems so smooth and perfect. Thank you! read more

Chef Vanessa recently catered an evening wedding reception at a residence for me and what an amazing job she did! She was very responsive to my initial emails and texts and remained that way through the whole process. She and her team showed up early the afternoon of the event and went to work creating delicious little masterpieces...fried chicken mashed potato cones, pulled pork sliders, mini crab Louis, zucchini frittatas, goat cheese crostinis, brie quesadillas, watermelon slices cut into hearts and on and on. The guests were very impressed with the food and the presentation. Her team was helpful, funny and cheerful, especially the bartender that she provided that was able to roll with all the different requests for wines/beverages. And when the lone vegan weirdo in attendance requested something to eat, without hesitating Vanessa prepared them a lovely colorful stir-fry, certainly beyond what was expected of her. When she and her team packed up to go, the kitchen was spotless, all the rental pieces were clean and packed away ready to be returned, the leftovers were in containers in the fridge and the bride and groom were thrilled to have nothing to do but enjoy the remainder of their special evening. I really can't say enough positive things about Vanessa. Her culinary skills are amazing, her service was fantastic and her pricing is great. I can't wait to use her again. read more

Chef Vanessa catered a lovely closing night party for a small group of tech entrepreneurs visiting Silicon Valley. We wanted the evening to be intimate and fun at a private home (after a week of business dinners and working lunches). Chef Vanessa met all of our requests and presented a charming and informal multi-course meal. Her food was simple, classic California cuisine using all fresh ingredients. It had a home-cooked touch that the guests totally enjoyed. Chef Vanessa was reliable and delivered everything she promised. Highly recommend! read more

I love Chef Vanessa! She catered a Winter Solstice party for me on short-notice. Her food was incredibly delicious and my guests were talking about it long after the party ended. On top of that, she brought such a positive energy to the party. Love her! read more

We did some research trying to find the perfect chef for my mother in law's birthday dinner. When we came across Chef Vanessa's name, we were pleasantly surprised on how prompt she was with our questions. She was so easy to work with and helped design a dinner that was delicious. Needless to say, it was perfect!!! We will be using chef Vanessa again soon. read more

My wife and I recently hired Chef Vanessa to cater my 50th birthday dinner party that we were hosting for our families. She came highly recommended by one of my colleagues. Vanessa and her assistants, Theresa and Jenny did such a fantastic job that I will be using them again if I cater another dinner party at our home! All the guests raved about how great the food tasted and their service was excellent. Even if you're not looking to cater an event, Chef Vanessa is also a private chef and she can prepare home cooked meals for you on a weekly basis. The unique part is that they cook and prepare the meal at our home. My wife and I along with some of our guests enjoyed watching them cook. How can you pass up a free cooking demonstration! I would definitely recommend Chef Vanessa to my friends and clients. And we highly recommend her signature appetizer...pork eggrolls. They were delicious!! read more

Chef Vanessa catered an engagement party for 45 people in our home. She was awesome from the first time we spoke through to the cleanup. We appreciated her patience, flexibility and amazing food. The food was very tasty, colorful and in some cases quite unique. We wanted a hearty finger food menu and Vanessa came up with the best suggestions of all of the caterers that we contacted. The bride-to-be had several food allergies and Vanessa was creative in working around her limitations, even baking special rolls just for her. During the party, Vanessa and her team took complete control of the food, allowing us to enjoy the party with our guests. They kept the food table well stocked, the hot food hot and even passed around some of the items. The food got rave reviews from everyone! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Vanessa as a caterer and will definitely be using her again. read more

Tired of driving to expensive restaurants (especially wine prices) where the noise level makes it difficult to have a conversation we recently had Chef Vanessa prepare the food for a small dinner party of 8. The food she prepared and the wine (our own) were excellent, but equally gratifying was that we had a great time with friends and family. Vanessa enabled us with her calm and friendly manner, and her knack of being present without being obtrusive, which is a rare gift. It's not easy to be professional, personable, and capable seemingly effortlessly. I would recommend her without reservation. read more

Hmmm, where do I start with Chef Vanessa? I guess I'll start with her being super awesome, and I'd give more stars, if they had them!! I found Chef Vanessa on Yelp, and I'm so fortunate to have done so. I was looking for a chef for our wedding, which we opted to do, at home, in our back yard, to keep it nice & intimate. I was a little hesitant to hire anyone, without having an idea of what the food would be like, even though the reviews were so good. So, I asked Vanessa to do a dinner for a few of our friends, who were going to be at the wedding, so we could get a feel for her, and a second opinion on the food. For appetizers, might I recommend the bacon wrapped steak bites, and the egg rolls, because they are divine! The filet she made, was so tender, that we could practically cut it with a spoon, and the rest of the meal was fabulous as well! As far as we were concerned, there was no need to look any further. For the wedding, we opted to have a similar menu to the dinner Vanessa made for our dinner party. There were a couple of guests with severe food allergies, one of which was my mother-in-law; there was also a vegan, and my father-in-law always insists on ketchup for his steak, no matter how good it is (more on that in a minute). Vanessa was great about making sure that all of our guests with special requests or needs were taken care of, and that special care was taken to ensure my mother-in-law was safe. Yet again, the meal was fabulous, and our guests raved about the food. I even heard from family members who weren't there, how great they heard the food was! Vanessa also made a delicious gluten free chocolate cake, so my mother-in-law could partake in dessert; she made grilled portobello (as well as single portion vegan sides), and strawberry watermelon sorbet for our vegan guest. The sorbet was really good; guests started adding it to their champagne, for a little twist. As for my father-in-law, the filet was so good, he didn't use the ketchup, and he enjoyed it so much, sans ketchup, that he questioned Vanessa about her recipe, so he could try to recreate it!! I was stunned, and happy. :-) Not only is Vanessa a fabulous chef, she is super personable. I received so many compliments, on my choice, because she was so approachable, and engaging. Guests enjoyed chatting with her throughout the evening. It was like she was part of the family! We wanted to do brunch with our family, the day after the wedding, but didn't want to wait at a noisy restaurant for a ridiculous amount of time, to have 12 plus people seated, on a Sunday morning. So, we had Vanessa come back the next morning, for an awesome, but laid back brunch, where she again took care of making sure my mother-in-law didn't have a gluten allergy attack. Her coffee cake & biscuits are amazeballs! Vanessa had a staff come and assist her for the wedding, and they were very nice, and professional, but I have to give a shout out to Shawna, who stood out; she was assisting Vanessa throughout the weekend, so I got a chance to spend a fair amount of time with her as well. She and Vanessa are quite a team, and they clearly have a great time (think Lucy & Ethel), which is contagious to guests, and those around them. Should I have cause to need a chef again, I won't hesitate to call Vanessa. LOVE HER!! read more

As a new mom, I needed to do something for my anniversary that was easy but still special, and Chef Vanessa was the perfect solution! She came to our home and cooked a fabulous meal for us so we could keep an eye on our little one and still enjoy each other. The meal was creative and delicious and Vanessa even accommodated my crazy requests! Hearing I was a new mom, she brought some extra marinated chicken breasts that we could quickly cook up for another evening - so thoughtful. She is a delight to have in your home and VERY self-sufficient. She left the kitchen even cleaner than when she started. Thank you, Chef Vanessa, for a wonderful anniversary celebration! read more

I recently had a house guest for several days, and asked Vanessa if she could figure out some menus incorporating salmon, veggies and maybe some rice or potato dish for us. She came on pretty short notice, and produced the most creative menus for me and my guest based just my general request. We not only had delicious dinners, but salmon cake sliders for lunch and a wonderful veggie salad with dressing, and mixed fresh berries for breakfast. I enjoyed my guest, and we never had to worry about where to eat or what to fix. Vanessa is just the BEST. read more

Simply said, Chef Vanessa is The Best. If Yelp had 10 stars, I'd give her 11. Vanessa has been our weekly in-home chef and our go-to caterer for events big (over 150) and small (12) for over a decade. Her food is delicious, creative, "of-the-moment" (for all you foodies out there) and she can accommodate any special needs and tastes. And, importantly, she is very reasonable in her all her pricing and event staffing costs. She has been feeding our family with her "Save The Day" service since our children were toddlers and now, as teens, she has still continues to please their ever-changing tastes... while getting them to eat healthy things like fish and unusual, vitamin-packed veggies! Once a week she spends about an hour in our home and creates 3 entrees and two huge two side salads (one green, one fruit -- which we eat from all week long as snacks, salads as lunch for me with a little protein that I add, pre-cut fruit for breakfast or as "smoothie" fruit, etc. as well as for side dishes) and I then come home, put a single dish in the oven, add an easy veggie and another side as "Viola!" dinner is served within minutes -- with almost no clean up. It sounds luxurious, but actually it's the best way to keep our family eating a variety of healthy, delicious foods for not much more than the price of take out or pizza. Vanessa knows us so well, I don't even need to select from her extensive menus (which are lovely and change seasonally) -- she figures out the entrees, shops, and prepares everything, saving me a LOT of time because I don't have to plan meals every week or go to the grocery store as often. Prior to hiring Vanessa, my job as a private secretary involved working with caterers on behalf of my employer. I have worked with top tier, very well-known names in the catering and party planning world in San Francisco, and I can tell you Vanessa Davisson, of Chef Vanessa, is a gem, on par with any of the "names" -- but without the price. I urge you to try her once-a-week in home service. If you don't like cooking, you'll love it. If you DO like cooking, you will then be able to spend your time on fun dishes and let her handle the day-to-day of feeding your household. Vanessa is wonderful. read more

Chef Vanessa did an amazing job cooking at a party that I had for my parents' 70th birthdays. She worked with me on my menu choices and was very respectful of what we wanted for the food items. She did a yummy chocolate tasting and my guests were really impressed. She was also very friendly and outgoing and her rates were reasonable and affordable I would definitely recommend Chef Vanessa to anyone interested in having a private chef for your family of for a larger event. Thank you Vanessa! read more

Chef Vanessa came to the rescue! Teresa our chef knocked it out of the park with our dinner and brunch. The rolls, coffee cake and quiches were awesome! Brunch was the ultimate. Thx! read more

I came across Vanessa and crew on Yelp. We were having a good size (100+) pre wedding party at our home. Really, a rehearsal dinner that grew out of control! I called Vanessa, went through everything with her, and she immediately seemed very confident that she could deliver on my expectations. She has an extensive menu of delicious meal options. We had fantastic passed hors d'oeuvres, an amazing buffet of options covering vegetarians and meat eaters, and a delicious dessert. The guests raved! She and her staff were very professional. They cooked everything in my kitchen, which I think made the food so fresh as opposed to bringing it in. They made themselves familiar with my kitchen and I was surprised and impressed to find some of the food beautifully displayed on my trays. She and her staff just figured it all out. I did not have one worry in the world, and that is pretty amazing considering we hosted a dinner for 100+. Seriously, we are still getting thank you notes in the mail about how fab the party was. Vanessa and crew were a major part of that. I highly recommend! read more

I contacted Vanessa about a month prior to my wedding....We required a caterer for the wedding reception.....She offers a yummy menu...Because the guest list was small (20 people) we chose a good selection of her appetizers, cake and peach cobbler....She was very accommodating, her food was delicious....She was punctual and folks were happily full!...I highly recommend using Chef Vanessa! read more

This review is woefully late, but I have to give a **huge shout out** to Chef Vanessa and her assistant. We had a family holiday party last year, it was difficult for me to help coordinate as I live in Marin County, the relative's home where it was to take place is in Concord, and I was going to be traveling in Hawaii through the week just before - arriving home the day prior! But I found Vanessa through her Yelp reviews (all well deserved) and she kindly agreed to fit our daytime event in during her busiest season. (I'm sure she has plenty of repeat business!). She and I were able to connect via email (both of us are pretty busy, so being able to use email at "off hours" to trade messages back and forth, to discuss menus and make selections was priceless). She had great suggestions on quantities, courses, food combinations as well as timing - and when the day of the event dawned and a couple and their new baby were an hour and a half late from San Francisco (Bay Area traffic! argh), she was able to adjust the main mealtime on the fly and still make it work for everyone. Meeting her in person was a delight, she is professional but also very warm and makes you feel very valued as a client. The food - well, that is important isn't it? ;-) - was DELICIOUS - everyone wanted to know her secrets and she graciously shared tips and ingredients. Her assistant was equally as nice and very efficient. Honestly, we could not ask for more. In fact, I am hoping she will help us again this year, because that is what everyone in my family wanted after their first Christmas party with Chef Vanessa -- more, please!! Cheers to a great chef and a really nice person...p.w. read more