Book An Experienced Local Chef | Food Fire + Knives

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Chef Michael

Charlotte, NC

Serving a 60 mile Radius

Excellent!

- Megan Lofton

Could not have been more pleased

- Andrew McKeel

Great food and great experience

Great experience from start to finish. Chef Michael communicated with me via text which was super convenient. Food he cooked was excellent, presentation was very good and most of all, all our guests love the food. He also left the…

- Ian Langley

Welcome

Eating is a necessity, but cooking food is an art

Chef Michael's Specialties

Reviews

Excellent!

I retained chef Michael for my boyfriend’s bday dinner. He and I were thoroughly impressed. His menu was well prepared and served. The steak was perfectly seasoned and nicely tender. The portion sizes were great and we had ample amount of left overs which we both devoured the next day. Chef Michael beats any restaurant you can go to. We highly recommend!

Also he was very punctual with his arrival and the meal was prepared right on time!

- Megan Lofton

Could not have been more pleased

My son and daughter-in-law gifted me a catered dinner for 4. I could not have been more pleased with the quality, quantity or presentation of the food. The clean plates of the diners were the best testimony to a truly successful dining experience. And Chef Michael was a true pleasure to work with. He brought everything he needed, including dish towels, and left the kitchen spotless. I would wholeheartedly recommend Michael and the selections we enjoyed, which were charcuterie board, filet and creme brulee. An absolutely incredible meal and experience!

- Andrew McKeel

Great food and great experience

- Ian Langley

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About

Chef Michael

Chef Michael is a Certified Executive Chef and a member of the American Academy of Chefs, the American Culinary Federation honor society. With over 45 years of Executive Chef experience, he has managed private clubs, restaurants, hotels, sporting venues, and catering companies. His private club experience includes The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Green Island Country Club in Columbus, Ga.

He is an award-winning chef. In 2012, he was awarded the ACF National President’s Medallion. He also received the ACF Southeast Region Chef Professionalism Award, which he received in 2010. In addition, Chef Michael has been recognized as ACF Chapter Chef of the Year three times.

Chef Michael has been a private chef for Ethel Kennedy at the Hickory Hill Estate in Va.

One of Chef Michael’s career highlights was serving as Corporate Chef of the Corporate Sponsor Village at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA, feeding 8,000 to 9,000 people for seventeen days equaling over $17 million in food sales.

Chef Michael is a 1979 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York.

Cuisines & Events: American, Bachelorette Party, Barbecue, Farm to Table, Italian

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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