We had a party of eight that Chef Nic thoughtfully prepared for us. The process, from beginning to…read moreend, was easy and the communication was excellent. I'm sad I was so busy enjoying the food that we forgot to take pics! We are an older foodie bunch, all whom have hosted with private chefs before and this one did not disappoint any of us! I asked for unique items (i.e. something I don't usually have or can cook myself) and Chef Nic sent me suggestions to choose from. We ended up with a 5-course meal which was way too much food, so afterwards we asked, "What course would we have skipped?" and couldn't decide! Chef brought most of the food prepared enough for ease of cooking and serving, and brought it all out in surprisingly even serving times. The chef immaculately clean-up my kitchen and even started the dishwasher. We highly recommend Chef Nic and Gather & Forge.

Completely incredible dinner with Chef Dan at Gather & Forge. The meal was truly exceptional,…read moreunique, & everything that came out was presented beautifully. Dan was so nice, helpful at explaining each dish, and made the overall experience seamless for all the guests. We had a large 15 person group and this was the perfect evening meal. EVERYONE was impressed and had the best evening. I highly recommend using them for your future chef needs!

Chef Steph is truly exceptional. We are vegan, and she has an incredible ability to transform any…read moremeal we choose into a thoughtful, elevated, and genuinely delicious vegan dish. Every single week we are blown away by the flavor, creativity, and care she puts into her cooking. Her meals are so good that we honestly no longer want to eat out. The food she prepares for us at home is consistently better than what we would order at restaurants, and that says everything. Each dish feels intentional, nourishing, and beautifully balanced, with just the right touches to make it feel special without ever being heavy. Every meal has been outstanding, and the consistency is what truly sets her apart. Chef Steph has completely changed the way we eat at home, and we feel incredibly lucky to have found her. If you are considering working with her, do it. You will not be disappointed.

I never thought I'd be able to justify the luxury of a private chef service, but I keep this…read moreservice as a lifeline in my back pocket for weeks that we just need a little extra help, like when the demands of parenting and working during a global pandemic seem extra burdensome. So far, we've had three appointments, and they've all been wonderful. For each one in advance, you choose the time/date for your chef, three entree items and three sides. The "sides" is a bit of a misnomer, as you can often make meals of these in themselves. They include salads, hot breakfast casseroles, pies, and more. Recipes range from Mongolian Beef to Shepherd's Pie, homemade granola bars, Thai Chicken salad, etc. I imagine if we did this weekly, the options might get monotonous, but doing it every once in a while works out well for us so that there are usually a few new options that appear the next time we're ready to book an appointment. For each item you'll see an estimate on how much extra it will add to your bill in groceries in addition to the base chef cost. The chef will stop at your local HEB to shop for your ingredients fresh right before your appointment. You pay a $35 deposit, which you can get refunded if you cancel the appointment by the stated deadline (and they send you frequent reminders -- they're not trying to pull one over). On average with tip and the cost of groceries, we usually spend around $225 for our family of four. The meals last us a while. Sometimes we share them with friends who could use an extra meal, or sometimes we freeze the leftovers. There are instructions for reheating, freezing, etc. As stated in other reviews the chefs are generally efficient and very tidy, leaving your kitchen looking spotless, with a huge amount of prepared food for you to enjoy (it's hard not to dive right in). Communication by text is great. During COVID, the chef has worn a mask during the appointment and the service has had very clearly communication about canceling in the event of COVID exposure, etc. I appreciate that they're taking it seriously. If I had a couple of critiques, it would be that whatever process gets communicated to the chef regarding ingredients might need to be streamlined. The past two appointments, our chef has had to make a couple of grocery store trips because he forgot items, and this prolongs the preparation process. I would also love to see a bit more variety to the menu options. It would be nice to have it broken down roughly by type of dish (seafood, beef, casserole, etc.) and price (budget friendly or special splurge). Other than those minor tweaks, we love the service, and I imagine we'll keep using it as occasional customers.

I got to attend a Whiskey dinner thrown by Leave it to Kievit and had such a good freaking time! I…read moreloved the feast of appetizers and all of the flavors. Chef Danny created some amazing small bites that jived really well with the tasting. He also interacts with the group and you can see how much this man really loves cooking! My ultimate favorite was his bread pudding. Drooling just thinking about it. I think dinner parties are way cooler than restaurants after this Whiskey dinner. Cheers to being a winner winner chicken dinner!

Danny cooked us and our friends an incredible meal during the holidays! His appetizers were…read moreamazing and the main course was nothing short of spectacular. The best part about having Chef Danny cook at your place was he makes everyone feel like they are part of the action! He educated and entertained us! Our friends have since had him back to cook for them at their house. Don't miss it!

We hired this private chef team led by Chef D and his wonderful mother for a bachelorette party,…read moreand they absolutely exceeded our expectations! From the very beginning, communication was prompt, professional, and easy. They arrived right on time, fully prepared with a clear plan and a fantastic team. The food was phenomenal--delicious, beautifully presented, and the portion sizes were perfect. Everyone left full and happy! Pricing was very fair for the quality and service we received. What really stood out was how well the team balanced professionalism with personality. They were fun, engaging, and added to the vibe of the evening. I would 100% work with them again and highly recommend them for any special occasion. They helped make our night unforgettable! Thank you Chef D and team.

Do yourself a favor and hire D'Jour for your event. Chef D, his mom, and their team are…read moreprofessional, kind, and make delicious food. They came and catered our bachelor party breakfast, and it was just what we needed to bring our crew back to life. Chef D took care of everything, all we had to do was approve his suggested menu. The food was fantastic, they even surprised us with shrimp and grits which ended up being my favorite. Highly recommend Chef D for your breakfast, and based off my experience I'm sure he's great for lunches and dinners as well.

We had the pleasure of Monique cooking for us for Galentines and it was a great experience from…read morestart to finish. She was very communicative and we were able to customize our menu as well, which you aren't generally able to do with large groups. We loved the multi course meal and highly recommend her services!

Monique was amazing to work with. We hired her to cater a private family dinner for about 25…read morepeople. We had family flying in from around the world for my husband's military promotion ceremony. She fit us last minute into her schedule on a Friday night during sxsw. She went above and beyond, to make our event go as smoothly as possible. Food was excellent -- the Chipotle Lime Shrimp and the Cinnamon Cheesecake were incredible. We also had her recommend wines to go with each course and her incredible knowledge of wines introduced us to some tasty new wines. We highly recommend Monique!

I tend to never really leave reviews but....Amazing food. Chef came out personally to make sure the…read morefood was to our liking and thanked us for our business. Really great dude. Very humble. It is tons of other food places where he is located so chances are his business may get overlooked. If you are looking for some good ole comfort food and really enjoy the time and effort to go into some quality food then stop here. Food was fresh and delicious. No premade frozen dishes warmed up but a great home cooked meal. Exactly what Austin needs more of. Try here! I had brunch from him, the crawfish cajun styled eggs were heavenly. Nice, fluffy, flavorful. The French toast were proportioned to my preferred liking, had enough berry to bread and I simply enjoyed my food. Yall have to go try this cause I will be treating myself to this once a week at least for my cheat meal.

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Hires this team for a work event and the food was fantastic. Punctual and professional and a great…read morespread. The swordfish was incredible! Thanks y'all

The food was excellent and cooked perfectly. The choice of hors d'oeuvres and entrées was exactly…read morewhat we wanted. Blake came, brought his own cooking, utensils, and pots, prepared all the food appropriately and dinner was served exactly on time. He cleaned up afterwards.

Super easy to book, loved the preset menus (made it so easy but hard to pick cause every option was…read moreamazing), our chef Jack was incredible & so fun. Made having a private chef not stressful at all & our group got to relax & hangout while we awaited a fantastic Fiesta meal!

If you've been thinking about booking a private dinner party, this is your sign!! I first booked…read moreHappy Cooking in December for my best friend's surprise Amalfi Coast-themed party, and we had the most amazing Mediterranean dinner. Chef Tony not only prepared an incredible meal but also hosted games and trivia, making it such a fun and memorable experience. It went so well that I booked Happy Cooking AGAIN--this time for my own joint birthday party with a childhood best friend. We chose the truffle mac, French onion baked potato, and steak, and wow... everything was so delicious! I can't rave enough about Happy Cooking. If you're looking for a personal chef to take your special occasion to the next level, Chef Tony has got you covered. Already looking for another excuse to book again!