What to Expect — Real Private Chef Proposals

Booking · How We Work

What to expect when you inquire

Wondering what actually happens after you fill out the form? Below are two real proposals we sent this season — details changed to protect our guests’ privacy, everything else exactly as they received it. This is how we work: a warm reply, a menu built around your people, and transparent pricing with no surprises.

How it flows

1 · You inquire

Date, guest count, location, occasion — a few sentences is plenty.

2 · We propose

Within about two business days: availability, a menu written for your group, and clear pricing.

3 · We fine-tune

Allergies, favorites, a dish that’s special to your family — the menu bends around your table.

4 · It’s locked in

A 50% deposit reserves your date; the balance is due the week of your event.

Real Proposal No. 1

A girls’ weekend on the coast

The ask: 8–9 friends at a coastal estate near Albion, one celebratory Saturday dinner in early September, two vegetarians in the group.

What we proposed: a relaxed, family-style, vegetable-forward menu built around September’s peak produce — designed so the vegetarians eat from the same gorgeous table as everyone else, never a “special plate,” with easy add-the-protein options for those who want them.

“Coast & Vine”

To start · while you pour the first glass

Grazing board of local cheeses, marinated olives, fresh figs, seasonal crudité, warm rosemary focaccia

First

Heirloom tomato & summer peach salad, burrata, torn basil, estate olive oil, saba

Pasta

Handmade corn & chanterelle pasta, brown butter, sage, Parmesan (vegetarian)

Main · family-style

Roasted delicata squash & wild mushroom galette with herbed ricotta · charred summer vegetables · little-gem & herb salad · crushed roasted potatoes
Optional: herb-roasted local halibut or free-range chicken

Dessert

Late-summer stone-fruit galette with crème fraîche · dark chocolate pots de crème

Sample investment: $165 per person, family-style multi-course dinner for 8–9.

Real Proposal No. 2

An 80th birthday, three ways

The ask: a milestone birthday dinner for 19, at an estate where the family was staying for a full week in September.

What we proposed: three complete menu directions to choose from — because a proposal should give you real options, not a take-it-or-leave-it. Each one four courses, served family-style or plated, with the celebration dessert presented candlelit for the guest of honor and personalized menu cards at every place setting, included at no charge.

Option 1

The Coastal Table

Local oysters, Meyer lemon mignonette · heirloom tomato & burrata · chilled sweet-corn velouté with smoked trout · pan-seared wild king salmon, summer succotash · olive oil & almond cake with late-summer stone fruit, candlelit

Option 2

Ranch & Vine

Fresh fig & prosciutto with burrata · wild mushroom & sweet-corn risotto · grass-fed beef tenderloin, potato gratin, red-wine jus · chocolate–hazelnut torte with salted caramel, candlelit

Option 3

Garden & Sea

Heirloom tomato & stone-fruit salad · handmade corn & chanterelle pasta · duo of herb-roasted chicken and market-vegetable garden plate (halibut swap available) · lavender-honey panna cotta, candlelit

Making a week of it

Because the family was staying several days, the proposal also offered optional additions — this is where having a chef and an event producer pays off:

  • Arrival welcome dinner ($145/person) — relaxed and generous: wood-grilled mains, big seasonal salads, warm bread
  • Farmhouse brunch ($85/person) — frittatas, market fruit, house pastries, smoked salmon
  • Grazing spread ($45/person) — abundant cheese, charcuterie & produce board for an afternoon or cocktail hour
  • Additional dinner nights ($165/person) — any evening, menu built to match

Sample investment: $195 per person for the four-course celebration dinner for 19.


Every proposal includes

Menu planning & consultation · all ingredient sourcing and shopping · on-site cooking and plating · attentive service through the meal · full kitchen cleanup. Billed separately: wine & beverages (we’re glad to advise on Anderson Valley pairings or shop on your behalf at cost), specialty rentals, and gratuity (optional, always appreciated).

Pricing shown is from these actual proposals and varies with season, menu, and group size — see our pricing guide for typical ranges. Your quote will be exact and all-in.

Your table could be next

Tell us your date and occasion — you’ll get a proposal like these, written for your people.