My husband and I had the chance to experience a dinner by…read more "Cuisines By Lela", Private chef, Linda McCullough, last night. I cannot rave about Linda and her staff enough Her food is exquisite from appetizers to dessert ... absolutely delicious with such attention to detail and presentation. Her stories between courses were engaging and endearing ... talking about the recipes she still uses who were her grandmother's and how she procures herbs and veggies from her own garden..... loved it all !! And the food THE BEST SHORT RIBS I have ever tasted. Every epic bite was so full of rich flavor All the food was THE BEST EVER AND the house was left immaculate, everything cleaned and left better than how she found it I cannot recommend Cuisine by Lela more highly. A dining experience you won't soon forget !!!

We've had the pleasure of working with Chef Lela on multiple occasions over the last ten years…read more We've had dinner parties as small as four people and we had a 35 person dinner for my husband's 50th birthday. We live in Texas but always make a point to book Chef Lela anytime we are fortunate enough to make it to CA wine country. The food is always outstanding and we never leave one of her meals even remotely hungry. We love that she incorporates so many fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs from her own garden into our meals. It's also a huge perk that she brings an assistant with her and they do all of the cleaning up at the conclusion of the meal. Absolutely recommend without hesitation!!!

Adam Small and his team were recommended to us by a family member who also used his services for…read moreher wedding. We could not be happier with the recommendation as the appetizers and entrées were absolutely stunning -- both in flavor and aesthetics! Our biggest difficulty was choosing dishes from his diverse catalog of offerings since they all sounded delicious. He was also very accommodating and made various adjustments to account for particular food allergies that some of our guests had (without compromising on flavor at all). For appetizers, we chose: - Pepper-Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna (Seka Hills EVOO, Sicilian Pesto, Herbs) - Ratatouille Tarts (Puff Pastry, Seka Hills EVOO, Parmigiano Reggiano) - Pistachio Flatbread (Onion, Burrata, Honey, and Chili Oil -- this one was a extra-huge hit with all guests) For dinner, we started with a Local Harvest Salad (Farm Vegetables, Fruit, Vinaigrette, Cheese, and Nuts -- plating was particularly beautiful for the salad), and had three entrée options: - Wagyu New York Steak (Imperial American Wagyu, Roasted Vegetables, Marinated Portobello Mushrooms, Potato Galette, and Red Wine Jus) - Signature Duck (Mary's Crusted Duck Breast, Hind-Quarter Confit, Potato Cake, Charred Vegetables, and Duck Jus) - Roasted Butternut Squash with Cannellini Beans (Charred Vegetables, Marinated Portobello Mushrooms, and Saffron-Rosemary Broth) Throughout our entire wedding and afterwards, guests were telling us how impressed they were and that it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding! He and his team arrived right on schedule, set up (including silverware and plates) cooked and served outstanding food, provided extremely attentive service, and then cleaned up, leaving the kitchen absolutely spotless (while also deftly navigating a brief power outage!). We cannot recommend Adam Small Cooks highly enough! His food, attention to detail, and service are truly next level. Thank you again for making our wedding so special!

Chef Adam was amazing!!!…read more We celebrated a friend's birthday with 6 people at an Airbnb in Sonoma. We had a six course menu (see below for details) that was excellent! For the vegetarian in the group (me) he was able to whip up a wonderful dish when everyone else was eating halibut. Every single dish was a stand out and the group was so happy with how everything turned out. This was a wish of the birthday girl - to have a private chef and to spend time with her girlfriends. She was blown away by the experience. The 6 course meal included: Fried Baby Artichokes: lemon aioli, herbs, chili oil Flatbread: preserved truffle, pistachios, onion, burrata, honey, chili oil Ash Roasted Beets: kimchi honey, pistachios, ravigote, feta Charred Zucchini Agnolotti: fried sage, brown butter, lemon, pepper, parmigiana Seared Halibut: fennel-potato salad, herbs, haricot vert, preserved truffle champagne sauce Under-Baked Chocolate Cake: Italian meringue, Luxardo cherries, cocoa nibs Also, our kitchen was left spotless! Thanks again Chef Adam for giving us the perfect first day of our trip!

Southern raised girl here. Initially I was like " how southern can he be... from Napa?"…read moreI was pleasantly surprised. Chef David was selected for his southern cuisine. We started with the crab cakes that were amazing. Light and full of crab meat. Then the salad, yummy and filling. The main course, fried chicken with a light crunchy batter, lobster Mac n cheese and asparagus. No lie, I was full after the salad. The main course was so good and then there was bread pudding with pecans. Everyone ate their plates clean. So the next morning, guess what I had for breakfast; leftovers which were better than ever. Chef David was professional in his cooking and serving. He arrived set up, served, cleaned and my kitchen looks nice and clean. He was so nice and the food is so good Great job Chef David

Chef David was incredible! He arrived at the house while our group was out wine tasting and he got…read moresettled and cooking smoothly. Dinner was ready about 30-45min after we arrived back at the house. David set the table, plated and presented each dish, and did all of the dishes! On top of the delicious meal, he made it so easy for all of us. I absolutely recommend the risotto and bread pudding. Thank you Chef David!!

Rachel is an earth mama in all the best ways. The moment I met her, I was so grateful I chose her…read moreto cater our very special Father's Day event, with the people I love most dearly as my guests. I have rarely felt so well cared for. And I'm talking start to finish. If you want genuine care and warmth, in addition to absolutely delicious food, Rachel is your woman.

Chef Rachel and crew catered our daughter's 40th birthday in this past weekend. We had @ 30…read moreguests so it was a fairly sizable engagement. Not only was the food fantastic, the service was equally exceptional! Beyond that, Rachel was highly responsive throughout the entire process, which gave me comfort that the event would be a great success, which it was. Thank you chef Rachel for the love, care and craftsmanship you put into our daughter's birthday celebration - you made the event that much more memorable for everyone there. Continued success, you deserve it!!!

typically do not leave reviews so when I do it's either absolutely phenomenal or far In comparison…read more Epicurean Escape Catering was by far PHENOMENAL! Matt and Patrick were extremely friendly and the food was to die for! We celebrated our microwedding in Mill Valley and I have always selected new restaurants based on yelps top reviewed restaurants. I figured this would be the best way to go to select a catering option for an area we're not local to or able to try before in person. The reviews did not steer us wrong. We would love to book again after experiencing the food and stellar service. Appetizers: We ordered the heirloom tomato bruschetta which was one of my favorites! The tomatoes were fresh and every bite was memorable! The goat cheese croquettes were to die for and the braised pork shoulder had everyone coming back for more! Dinner: I'm not a huge kale person but we had an amazing kale Caesar salad that had me hoping I could recreate it at home. I honestly don't think there was any left over! It was accompanied by the grilled antipasto platter which complemented the lasagna dinner we had perfectly! The vegetables were cooked and seasoned to perfection! We had the classic bolognese lasagna and red wine braised boneless beef short ribs for our dinner option which were gone in the blink of an eye. Dessert: To top it off, we finished with the mini amaretto panna cotta and blackberry coulis. They were as delicious as they were aesthetically appealing!

Think twice (or more) and don't do it!…read more A group of four couples (hailing from Michigan to New Mexico) were flying into Napa for a long-planned get-together. We rented a home through VRBO and thought it would be a treat to have a catered meal from Epicurean Escape. The price was over $1000 but seemed well worth it and we paid the bill 10 days prior to our arrival. Unfortunately, if not unbelievably, we were alerted by VRBO the very next day that our contract was being cancelled as the rental house had just been purchased by a new owner. Thinking we might have to cancel the trip as VRBO might not have an alternative (they did not), we immediately contacted the caterer that we would have to cancel plans. This was 9 days prior to the planned dinner. The caterer then informed us that this was beyond their normal 10 day cancellation policy and there was nothing they could do other than a (hold your breath) 25% refund!! provide a 'credit' - a great idea for a group of 8 with most of us living thousands of miles away, or assisting us in relocating to a new venue. We eventually located a hotel where we could stay and proceeded with the trip - still very much disappointed with the caterer for not refunding our money with 9 days prior notice (along with forwarding them the note of cancellation from VRBO). With a $150 delivery fee charged by the caterer for delivery to our hotel, and no way for us to warm the food in our rooms, we anticipated the meal would arrive on serving trays with sterno heaters. But of course not.. The server who delivered the food was very nice and accommodating (we tipped them as well even though the paid contract already included an 18% gratuity fee). We began eating immediately, only to find all the food (fish and beef main courses) at room temperature. Perhaps everything would have tasted better had it been heated, but classifying the meal as 'mediocre' would be overly kind. Making matters worse (if that's possible), we have been promised a 'final' contract as three of the planned attendees could not attend, and the caterer agreed to 'adjust', only to never hear back from them almost 2 weeks later. Inflexible policy + less than thrilling meals = at least in my book, an experience worth avoiding at all costs. Caveat emptor.

Ana was amazing! I had an early flight and she had exceptional service and attitude! She was beyond…read morekind and I'm grateful for my experience!

Overall using Chef Adair to cater our wedding reception was a positive experience. Especially since…read morewe used them without ever tasting their food! We chose the drop-off option as we were trying to keep our budget as low as possible, which they were quite agreeable with and the food was of good quality. The only issue was a change in the delivery time (which was initiated by them) to an earlier time on the day of the event which caused us to have them deliver the food cold rather than pre-heated - since it was going to be 2 hours before the start of the event. I'll say this added to my already high stress levels but luckily I had people that were ready to help with heating and setup. Another thing I'll mention is we relied on their expertise with how much of each dish to supply. One thing that guests mentioned is that there wasn't near enough of the prawns. Additionally there was a ton of bread and Coq Au Vin left over. Again, this was Overall a good experience and I would recommend them to a friend. I'd just mention the delivery change as well as potential portion size adjustments.

Chef Alyson recently provided an incredible meal for our family dinner party in celebration of my…read moresister's 50th birthday party. The meal included appetizers, a salad course, an entree, and dessert and the whole thing was truly superb from start to finish. My sister is gluten-free and we have a few food allergies in our household. Alyson worked with us to craft a menu that would fit those dietary restrictions without losing any of the flavors or textures that make a great meal. Chef Alyson was also such a pleasure to have in our home. We were able to enjoy our time together as a family without having to worry about any element of the dinner - and she really made the whole experience fun and relaxing for us. We hope to hire her again for future family celebrations. Highly recommend!!

If you're considering supporting small, independent businesses during COVID, I found a PHENOMENAL…read moreone. Alyson, the brilliant chef behind Nourish, is a gift. She's a talented and gifted cook who creates delectable dishes. Beyond that, she makes you feel truly taken care of. Services begin with a comprehensive interview about food preferences, from favorite cuts of meat to your feelings about pumpkin seeds. She then cooks for your specific dietary needs, whatever they may be - low-carb, vegetarian, high-protein, extra-gluten, etc. She prepares a personalized menu and you get veto-power. (Unless you defer to her choices, which I highly recommend!) On the designated day, she then brings over bags full of AMAZING food, from stews to casseroles to soups and salads. The flavor profiles and creativity are astounding. There's enough to freeze and save for later, depending on how many people you're sharing with. It isn't cheap, but it shouldn't be, and she is worth every penny. If you or your partner need a break from cooking, are tired of eating the same foods, or just want to feel extra-nurtured, Alyson is the Answer. Thank you, Nourish, for the nourishment!!!

Chef Vanessa is amazing!!!! She has been cooking for us weekly for a few months and I cannot say…read moreenough good things about her services. She makes the most delicious food and she is such a pleasure to have over. She loves our puppy as if he were her own . Her meals are so affordable. I am saving so much money with her fresh delicious meals compared to when I was using door dash every night. Book with her immediately!!!

I reached out to Vanessa for my 30th birthday dinner party and she was amazing from the start!…read moreGreat communication, had a big menu selection, reasonable price, and very accommodating. I didn't feel like it was my first time communicating with her. I needed halal options for my dietary preferences and she was able to find halal steak which not a lot of people will go through the hassle to do. On top of that, she was so pleasant to have around. Her food is better than any restaurant. Her egg rolls and coffee cake is the best thing this planet has to offer, and this is coming from a picky girl whose mom cooks the best food! As a type A person I was worried about many aspects about my birthday but dinner was something I wasn't worried about because of how on top of everything Vanessa was! I got really lucky with her and definitely recommend her!

I went on a girl's trip with five friends to celebrate our 40th birthdays. Natasha came to our…read moreAirbnb to cook dinner for us on our last night there. It was a truly magical experience and one we'll never forget. Not only is her food amazing but she's also a kind person who has a warmth about her that makes the night feel special. Every course was well thought out with seasonal and local ingredients, including many from her garden. I would recommend Natasha to anyone looking for a private chef experience!!

Natasha created an amazing catered dinner experience for my 50th birthday! The cheese and…read morecharcuterie board was incredible, followed by 4 spectacular courses (with 3 options for my friends to choose for the entrees) and all paired with wonderful wines. One of my friends needs gluten free food, and Natasha was very attentive to the menu creation and in the food preparation to avoid cross contamination. She and her team were also so friendly and informative, and they knew their way seamlessly around the rental house kitchen as they had catered many dinners there. I would highly recommend Natasha for your special life event, and I think all of my friends will be calling on her again!

I have been getting Delivered by Grace's individual meals and they are amazing! They are allergy…read morefriendly and Amanda is able to tell you the ingredients so you know it's safe for any dietary needs. She also understands the needs of different allergies and food intolerance so you can trust it's accurate. Side note, they are delicious too! I love working with Delivered by Grace!

Amanda was amazing. I had her cater my wedding with delicious appetizers. She has been in this…read morebusiness for a long time and not only knows food but people too. Whether you know exactly what you want or need somewhere to start she will be helpful in all aspects. Plus her food is bomb, pictures don't do her justice!!!!