Re Everything was so easy. From requesting proposals, to…read morebooking, to paying... and Chef Richard Mancini was AMAZING. The food was incredible. Serving was all done so professionally. All the cleanup was done for me. I hosted a plated 2-3 course meal for 8, to celebrate my bosses retirement. Everyone loved it - especially the guest of honor.

For my 40th birthday, I wanted to make the day was special by hiring a private chef. This was a…read morelast minute idea (the day before) so I was delighted when CHEF TOVA put out a proposal through TAH. We corresponded back and forth and ironed out the details of the menu. It would be a mediterranean 4 course meal for 4 people at 7pm. The following day (the actual day of my birthday) I barely heard from TOVA and sent her a few messages confirming that all was still in order. At around 6pm, my guests arrived, balloons and decor are up, kitchen is spotless awaiting TOVA's arrival. At 6pm I messaged her again hoping she was on her way and wanting to make sure she'd confirmed the proposal. She apologized for not confirming and I told her it was fine and just to let us know if she was on her way. She then responded with "I'm not able to come. Im so sorry". AT 7:15PM. In tears, I apologized profusely to my guests and had to figure out an emergency plan B to salvage this milestone occasion and also get food on the table. In the end we ordered pizzas and made the best of a really crappy situation. In summary, I 100% DO NOT, WOULD NOT EVER, EVER, RECOMMEND CHEF TOVA. Maybe this was just a fluke and TAH does offer a great experience but I'll never know because I wont be using this service again.

Where to begin? First, thanks to Yelp for allowing me to narrow my decision down! Yelpers have…read moreyet to let me down and THIS is why I automatically use Yelp all the time! To start, I reached out to Chef Bernard based on the Yelp reviews to see if he could prepare a romantic dinner for my husband and I on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. He was available and agreed to serve us. From the start, he was very professional and communicated well. He sent me sample menus with options galore. If there was something on the menu that I wanted mixed up a little, he had no objections. My husband is a very 'simple' eater so I wanted to know if the Chef could also prepare something 'simple' like Potato Au Gratin. Whew....he did and it was sooooooo good! He arrived at our home in what I call his mobile kitchen (because he had everything in it that one could imagine), introduced himself to us and got down to business. We had a few small plate items, entree and dessert. He talked to us while he prepared the meals and it simply felt like he was a friend. It did not feel weird or awkward having him in our kitchen at all. It was great! He gave us tips on cooking at he prepared meals and spoke to us more about who he was (in and out of the kitchen). Some of the items we enjoyed were: 1. Pork chimichangas 2. Cajun eggrolls 3. Peking duck rolls 4. Filet (cooked to order) 5. Potato au gratin 6. Broccoli w/cheese 7. Cheese blintzes wi/ a strawberry wine sauce 8. Crab cakes Everything was perfect! He served us well and we could not have asked for a better experience. We are looking forward to more dinner parties with him in our home. If you are looking for a chef to help you make a memorable event, Chef Bernard is your answer. He also prepares weekly meals for you or your family. My husband really enjoyed the food and he is still raving about it. We tried items we typically would never try in a restaurant. We loved it and we are true fans!

We love Chef B's weekly meals. Food is so delicious and just perfect for my family as we are all…read moresuper busy and don't have time to cook. The food is farm to table and always arrive in neatly packaged containers every Sunday evening so we have dinners stocked to enjoy the following week. I have had meal services with others before and this is by far the most skilled cooking of farm to table meals. I think it's a good value. One recent review I read was really not fair about "scam". That's just not true but I understand the frustration that led to a misunderstanding. I know the owner/chef was busy and working to try improve their marketing, ordering app, and communications. It's a small business so you just have to contact her directly if there is an issue and she will take care of it. I did that every time and I was patient because I want this good cooking to last to feed my family. Seems like great people. I've spoken to her and met the staff who deliver food to my house. We look forward to ordering each week!

I cannot say enough great things about Chef Jamie and Meal Mate DC! We're in California and had…read moresecured a beautiful Airbnb in DC for the weekend of our daughter's college graduation. We decided that, rather than try to find a restaurant for all the extended family in for the graduation, we would host a private dinner at the Airbnb prepared by a professional chef. We interviewed a number of chefs and Meal Mate was by far the best. Most creative ideas, most responsive, and best enthusiasm for the project! We signed with them months ahead of the date, and as it drew closer, I started getting reminders from Chef Jamie. Some questions, more ideas. On event day, Chef Jamie and Chef Nathan showed up exactly on time and started getting to work. First, the table was set beautifully with linen napkins and personalized menus/place cards. As guests arrived, we were all treated with a specialty cocktail and delightful appetizers. And then dinner. Wow!! Maybe the best ribeye steak ever. Wonderfully seasoned and incredibly tender. The sides were all great but that steak - oh, my lord. Dessert was a matcha tiramisu and it was the perfect finish! Throughout the night, the service was so smooth and then, before we knew it, the kitchen was cleaner than when they arrived and they were off. Like I said, I can't say enough great things about Meal Mate. Book them for your next event!!

This review is coming far too long after the amazing experience that Jamie-Claire created for my…read morepartner and I. For our anniversary, we wanted to learn everything possible about how to make Chinese hand pulled noodles. MealmateDC did not disappoint. Every piece of the experience was crafted to fit our needs, from a hands on lesson to historical analysis to a wonderful meal itself! Furthermore, we couldn't have been more comfortable than with Jamie-Claire. The kind, sociable, and caring demeanor brought to this special event, from inquiry to end, was irreplaceable. Please please PLEASE hire these professionals for any culinary dreams you have, and they are sure to bring them to life.

Absolute perfection! From appetizers to desserts. The…read moresalmon with almonds was delicious as was the tine with dried fruit. And the chicken tine with olives. Love the vegetables, including this spinach with Moroccan spices and the carrots and sweet pumpkin with almonds.

Chef Boukili's food is magic. Every other Moroccan restaurant i've tried pales in comparison…read more You have to call her to schedule your meal or dinner in advance. She's such a lovely person to talk to, you can hear how passionate she is about her food. She'll definitely give you recommendations, even things that are not on the menu. She delivers in a small radius in Bethesda but also offers pick up, and catering. I believe she also has weekly meal plans. She is very considerate when it comes to dietary restrictions and allergies. For appetizers, we've had the harira soup, and roasted tomato vegetable spreads which were fantastic. We've had several main dishes, everything she made in a tajine was excellent. We also had the lamb couscous and chicken bastilla. So good. My dad is a very picky eater, yet he devoured her food! We've gotten an assortment of breads which she bakes herself. For dessert, we got the Kunafa, based on her recommendation. Kunafa is the best food to ever exist.

A Family Affair Catering provided exceptional service for my friend's 75th birthday celebration,…read morewhich I hosted for 105 guests. The food was absolutely delicious, with a wide variety of flavorful options that truly pleased the crowd. The presentation and overall setup were beautiful and added an elegant touch to the event. Chef Darryl was professional, organized, and a pleasure to work with throughout the entire process. The pricing was very reasonable, and he even offered a wonderful tasting prior to signing the contract, which gave us great confidence in our decision. I highly recommend A Family Affair Catering for any special occasion.

To consider this a legitimate "business" is laughable, just like their food. Arrived over an hour…read morelate to an event and instead of being apologetic, had an attitude. Dinner was for 25 + people and there was barely enough food for 12. Not that this mattered, as EVERYTHING was inedible and there were no plates, cutlery or napkins provided. I take that back, the store brought $2.00 (price still on) cornbread and $16.00 cake were the ONLY items edible. The Mac and Cheese was dry and bland. I will give them credit for it being both overcooked and undercooked all in the same batch. I'm still trying to make sense of that! The only adjective that even remotely describes this Mac and Cheese is "disrespectful". Like, seriously, the disrespect was 10/10. The chicken was undercooked and bland. How do you make jerk chicken bland and soggy? I'm actually curious. The "blackened" salmon was overcooked yet not blackened, creating another "make it make sense" moment. I immediately spat out the greens. They were undercooked, not under-seasoned but literally "not seasoned". Wait, I take that back too, if you count the dirt and grit as seasoning. They should be ashamed of themselves for ripping people off. Pictures don't lie. The fact that they were sent pictures and still stood behind their product tells you all you need to know. Please, please, PLEASE do not let these people ruin your event and more importantly your special moments and memories. There are so many other respectable and legitimate Black-owned catering companies i.e. Ohhs and Ahhs, Henry's, Hitching Post.

We recently hired Chef Bailey to prepare meals for us after welcoming our newborn, and we couldn't…read morebe happier with the experience. She worked with us to understand our preferences, what dishes and ingredients we liked (and didn't like). We selected her 3 entrees and 3 appetizers package, and every single dish was healthy and delicious. We are vegan so they were all plant-based. As busy parents, having these meals taken care of was a huge time saver. And it was a great way to eat healthy yet flavorful foods when you don't have much time to cook yourself. Chef Bailey handled everything from cooking to cleanup to storing the dishes in Tupperware, allowing us to truly relax and enjoy the food without any extra stress. If you're looking for a chef who understands dietary preferences, delivers outstanding meals, and provides a seamless experience, my wife and I highly recommend Chef Bailey!

Bailey prepared a Mother's Day brunch and it was incredible! It was seamless from start to finish…read more She is very flexible and accomodating with the menu, we loved everything she made. She was ontime, food was amazing and before I could blink, the kitchen was clean. I would highly recommend her and will certainly use her in the future!

Eliza is a godsend! Her meals are delicious and nutritious. Her organic ingredients and thoughtful…read moremenu planning assured that our family was well-served at each meal she brought to us. She even helped us "acclimate" our younger children to more adventurous eating while providing them with a few "safe" dishes too. If you can bring Eliza into your family, you are very lucky indeed!

I have hired Eliza twice to feed a group of 50 college students a special dinner at a yearly…read moreretreat. Both times the food and the service have been amazing. Eliza delivered mouth-watering meat, vegetarian, and vegan alternatives with gorgeous salads and delicious desserts. My students raved about the food and we had lots of leftovers, the portions were generous and the service was superb. Eliza catered the meal just beautifully. I know she sources many of her organic ingredients from her own large garden and you can really tell the high quality of the ingredients. She also worked with me through several e-mail exchanges beforehand to keep us within budget. The value of her meals is exceptional, meaning, you simply won't find better food for less money. She is the best. I literally begged her for her recipe for carrot salad, and she gave me not only the recipe but a bunch extra of it the following year so that I could take some home. I ate it for breakfast the next day, which is not what I usually eat for breakfast! Eliza is amazing. You won't be disappointed.