Book An Experienced Local Chef | Food Fire + Knives

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Chef John

Summerville, SC

Serving a 40 mile Radius

If you’re thinking about it – do it!

Thank you Chef John for such an incredible meal! Your professionalism and courtesy are unmatched and my entire party was impressed with the quality and creativity of our dinner. We sincerely appreciate you working with us to adjust a few…

- lauren wichern

Chef John

We had a great dinner and overall experience with Chef John! He was very professional and made sure that we did not have to do a single thing in regards to clean up. It was such a fun treat.

- Dana Fox

Great food and service

Chef DiLeo was able to cook and plate in an AirBNB for 12 people. He had to be creative in utilizing dishes and cookware as the AirBNB had limited availability. Regardless, the food came out amazing and he appropriately timed…

- Lee Henry

Welcome

“The shared meal elevates eating from a mechanical process of fueling the body to a ritual of family and community, from the mere animal biology to an act of culture.” ― Michael Pollan

Chef John's Specialties

Reviews

If you’re thinking about it – do it!

- lauren wichern

Chef John

We had a great dinner and overall experience with Chef John! He was very professional and made sure that we did not have to do a single thing in regards to clean up. It was such a fun treat.

- Dana Fox

Great food and service

- Lee Henry

View All Reviews

About

Chef John

I had a fascination with the culinary arts starting at an early age, while cooking at my Great Aunt’s side in our family’s Long Island home. I moved on to work at a local restaurant starting as a dishwasher and worked my way up to line cook before leaving to attend The Culinary Institute of American.
Upon graduation from the CIA, I apprenticed under Christian Delouvrier at “Restaurant Maurice” where we earned three stars from The New York Times.

As the founding Chef of Zoe in Soho I learned to play with Fire, creating menus around a wood burning oven, grill and rotisserie. As Executive Chef of Lafayette in the Drake Swissotel, I honed my upscale dining skills. And as the Executive Chef of The Grand Tier at The Met Opera, I took those honed skills and orchestrated them nightly to delight opera patrons.

I have recently moved to the Charleston area and look forward to cooking in private homes which I love because of the intimacy and freedom of expression.

**Fully vaccinated and boosted. Masks worn upon request**

Cuisines & Events: American, Anniversary, Bachelor Party, Bachelorette Party, Birthday, Breakfast/Brunch, Comfort, Farm to Table, Health, Holiday, Italian, Local, Mediterranean, Seafood

How to Hire a Private Chef for Your Event

Pick a place, date, and time.
Select your chef and menu. (Each chef offers different menus which are fully a la carte. Simply choose the dishes you want for your occasion.)
Add details like the number of guests and any special instructions.
Pay for your reservation. Make any changes or even cancel up to a week before your event for a refund.

After you’ve made a reservation, the private chef you’ve hired will reach out within 48 hours to confirm the details and coordinate their arrival.
If you’ve added any special dietary restrictions or event instructions, they’ll work with you to implement those.

Your chef will arrive with everything they need, including ingredients, cooking equipment, and cleaning supplies. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the day with your guests.
The cleanup is included too! Hire a private chef with us and know that we’ll likely leave your kitchen cleaner than when you gave it to us.

Our Top FAQs

1. Can I customize the menu?

Absolutely! All our menus are fully a la carte. Once you’ve decided on a chef, you’ll see a list of all the dishes they offer and you can choose the ones you’d like for your event.

2. How is your service priced?

You pay a fixed price per guest based on your menu, plus a small, all-inclusive booking fee to our platform. You’ll be able to see exactly what you’re paying when you make a booking. No hidden costs, ever.

3. How many guests can I invite?

As many as you like! Although for events with over 30 people, we ask that you reach out to us to make an event inquiry.

4. My group has multiple dietary restrictions

That’s absolutely fine! When finalizing your menu, please mention these under ‘Special Instructions.’ For instance, you can specify that you’d like to accommodate one vegan guest and one gluten-free guest for your at-home catering and your private chef will prepare suitable dish variants for those guests.

5. Can I make changes to the menu or guest list?

Yes! You can make any changes to your booking. You can even cancel it up to a week before your event, and you’ll receive a refund.

6. Is my event insured?

Yes, it is. Our service includes full insurance for your private chef in case of any mishaps.

7. How are the Chefs chosen?

Each chef is fully vetted. We require at minimum one year of sous chef experience. Your chef has gone through an FCRA compliant background check and multiple interviews before joining our platform.

8. What is FFKs cancellation and refund policy?

We take pre-payment to secure your chef and simplify our service. No fumbling with payments after your event or dealing with multiple payments in different stages of the process. Much like our service, our return policy is simple and meant to protect you, our hosts and our amazing Chefs.

One week or more before your event we guarantee your refund.
During the week of your event we offer a 50% refund.
We will not be able to refund within 48 hours of your event. At this point your chef has not been available for other parties and has already planned for your event. *Please note all refunds are less processing and booking fees

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