Thirty-two guests, four allergies, zero stress. She made me look like I have my life together.
Nathaniel & Rosa Okonkwo
Lincoln Park, Chicago · February 2026
340+
Events served
8 in 10
Clients rebook
0
Kitchens left dirty
Case Study
The Delgado Family Dinner
The Brief
Elena Delgado wanted a Friday night dinner that felt like a restaurant — unhurried, five courses, wine-paired — for her parents' 40th anniversary. Twelve people. Her parents didn't know a chef was coming. The plan: they'd think she cooked it herself.
The Constraint
Her father is strict keto. Her daughter, Mia, has celiac disease — not sensitivity, actual celiac. Her grandmother, Abuela Rosa, eats only with ghee; vegetable oils are a hard no. Three separate dietary tracks at a single table of twelve.
"My mother thought I spent three days in the kitchen. I spent three days pretending I did. Worth every cent."
Elena Delgado · Wicker Park, Chicago · November 2025
The Menu
Roasted Bone Marrow
AmuseToasted sourdough (GF alternative plated alongside), herb gremolata, flaked sea salt
Burrata & Heirloom Tomato
Course 1Cold-pressed olive oil, basil oil, aged balsamic — plated three ways for each dietary track
Pan-Seared Halibut
Course 2Ghee-basted for Abuela's plate, olive oil for the table, celiac-safe sauce base throughout
Braised Short Rib
Course 3Keto-plated with cauliflower purée, carb-present version with truffle polenta for the table
Dark Chocolate Tart
MignardiseAlmond flour crust (GF), ganache, Maldon salt — the same dessert for everyone
Case Study
A Birthday for Twelve
The Brief
Dev Patel (not that one) wanted his partner's 35th birthday dinner to be the kind of meal you talk about for years. Fourteen guests in a Wicker Park two-flat with a galley kitchen the size of a generous hallway. Full tasting menu, coursed service, sommelier-style wine pours.
The Constraint
Three guests were strict vegan — no honey, no butter, no exceptions. Two were doing full carnivore — no vegetables, no grains, no compromise. The birthday guest herself was lactose intolerant. The kitchen had one working burner and a convection oven from 2009.
"I genuinely don't know how she cooked five courses for fourteen people on one burner. She left the kitchen cleaner than she found it."
Dev Patel · Wicker Park, Chicago · January 2026
The Menu
Smoked Carrot Tartare
AmuseVegan track: smoked carrots, capers, shallot, herb oil on house-made flatbread
Wagyu Beef Carpaccio
Course 1Carnivore track: thinly sliced A5 wagyu, rendered bone fat, fleur de sel
Miso-Glazed Black Cod
Course 2Dairy-free miso glaze, dashi broth, micro-shiso — the bridge course for the full table
Dry-Aged Duck Breast
Course 3Cherry jus (no dairy), roasted root vegetables (plated out for carnivore track)
Cardamom Panna Cotta
MignardiseOat milk base, passion fruit coulis — indistinguishable from the dairy version
Case Study
The Meridian Capital Retreat
The Brief
Meridian Capital was hosting a two-day off-site for forty investors and portfolio founders at a rented estate in Lake Geneva. The brief: dinner should feel like a Michelin experience, not a catered event. No buffet lines. No chafing dishes. No evidence of a catering operation.
The Constraint
Forty guests. One home kitchen — albeit a large one. The guest list included a senior partner with a severe tree-nut allergy, four guests keeping halal, two guests on medically supervised low-sodium diets, and a founder who had just started a strict elimination diet and emailed a three-page document about it.
"We've done catered events for years. This was the first time guests asked who the chef was — not who the catering company was. That's the whole difference."
Claudia Osei, COO · Meridian Capital · Lake Geneva, WI · February 2026
The Menu
Oyster Mignonette & Caviar Service
AmusePassed hors d'oeuvres, halal-confirmed sourcing, nut-free prep environment throughout
Chilled Cucumber Gazpacho
Course 1Low-sodium version prepared in parallel, elimination-diet safe, garnish plated tableside
Hand-Rolled Pasta, Brown Butter & Sage
Course 2Halal: served with olive oil. Low-sodium: no butter. Elimination: zucchini noodle alternative
Roasted Lamb Rack
Course 3Halal-certified lamb, herb crust (nut-free), three sauce options plated to dietary card
Petit Fours & Cheese Course
MignardiseNut-free throughout, halal confections, low-sugar alternatives flagged on the card
Reserve Your Date
Every table is different.
Tell me about yours.
No deposit until the menu is confirmed. I'll respond within 24 hours with availability and a first pass at your menu.
Dietary complexity welcome
Celiac, keto, vegan, carnivore — all at the same table
Kitchen-out service
I shop, cook, and clean. You take the credit.
Books 2–6 weeks out
Peak weekends fill fast. Weeknights more flexible.