Private Chef & Catering · Little River

Private Chef in Little River

Little River is three miles south of Mendocino and considerably quieter, which is exactly why people book it. Van Damme’s fern canyon is at the bottom of the hill and the coves below the highway are the sort of place couples come to be left alone. Most of what we cook here is for two to six people who came for the quiet.

We cook where you’re staying

This is inn and secluded-rental country rather than a town with a center. We cook in cliffside houses, cottages tucked into the canyon, and the kitchens of small inns whose guests want one exceptional dinner in rather than the drive back up to the village. Send us the property and we’ll handle the logistics with them directly.

A doghole port with a cove instead of a harbour

This stretch of coast had no real harbours, so the lumber schooners worked what were known as doghole ports — coves barely big enough for a ship to turn in, where timber was run down chutes from the headland onto the deck below. Little River was one of them, and the coves that draw couples here now were working industrial sites a century and a half ago. When the timber went, the quiet came back, and it never really left.

Our services in Little River

Little River is where people come to be left alone, and the bookings reflect that:

• Anniversary dinners
• Birthday dinners
• Wellness retreats
• Yoga retreats

Elopements and proposal dinners are a regular request here — anything tied to a wedding runs at $250 per person. Full detail on all our services.

Worth knowing while you’re here

Things we’ve picked up cooking in Little River, for whoever is staying:

• There’s a small store in Little River that covers the basics and a surprising number of random necessities — but no gas. Nearest fuel worth paying for is Fort Bragg.
• Van Damme’s fern canyon trail follows the river inland and is flat, shaded and easy — one of the few walks here that suits every age.
• The pygmy forest up the hill is genuinely strange: mature cypress and pine only a few feet tall, growing on soil too acidic for anything else.
• Mendocino is three miles north for a proper grocery at Harvest at Mendosa’s.
• Cell coverage is patchy in the canyon and along the coves. Don’t rely on it for directions.
• The coves below the highway were working lumber ports a century ago; the iron rings bolted into the rock are what’s left of the loading chutes.

Good to know

We’re two people. Is that too small to book?

Not at all — intimate dinners are some of our favorite work. The only thing to know is that the $1,400 event minimum applies regardless of guest count, so a dinner for two comes to the minimum. We’d rather you know that now than discover it in a quote.

Can you cook at an inn we’ve booked?

Usually yes, with the inn’s agreement. Some have kitchens they’re happy for us to use, some prefer we work around their service. Tell us where you’re staying and we’ll sort it out with them before you commit.

Can you set the table and handle flowers?

Yes — tablescapes, candlelight, and seasonal arrangements are something we do often here. Florals are billed separately, and we’ll quote them with the menu.

Also cooking nearby: Mendocino · Albion · Elk · see all services, sample menus, or the pricing guide.