By Irene Moore
Do you dream of coming home to the smell of delicious food wafting through your home? Do you work long hours, don’t have time to cook, and you’re tired of take-out? Want to have a fancy dinner party at home and not have to work? The good news is that private chefs take care of the meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking different dishes and cleanup—it’s all tailored to your preferences. Here are the private chefs Miami who can make this all happen.
Chef Lee Klein
Email: lee@lee2go.com; Phone 305-674-9092
Lee Klein graduated from the C.I.A (Culinary Institute of America) with top honors and was a chef for years in the restaurant catering business. Lee doesn’t have signature dishes. “I just try to make everything taste great. My desserts always go over really well,” he says. His pay scale runs from $40-$60/hour. Hours: Works 9:30 am-1: 30 pm. This includes shopping and preparing lunch and dessert for five or six people daily and leaving one prepared dinner for evening.
Chef Andy Bates
Email: hello@andybateschef.com; Phone 305-975-7972.
Andy, who is from London, England, went to Catering College in Canterbury, Kent, England for three years. He worked for a year in France, 10 years in London, and spent three seasons as a Food Network Chef in South America, North America, South Africa, Europe, and Asia. For Andy, it’s not the food, it’s tradition that counts more: “Family style meals. Food that is shared and bread is broken.” Andy performs duties from being head chef to budgeting production to tastings to cleaning up. Andy’s pay rate is to be decided per job and budget. “Every job is different and you work to serve the client’s needs,” he says. http://www.andybateschef.com
Chef Max Guerri
Email: max@dolce-events.com; Phone 305-987-9427
Founder, Executive Chef and Brand Ambassador of Dolce Events, Max graduated with a Bachelor of Culinary Arts degree from the Culinary Institute in Rome, Italy, and got real experience on the job as the personal chef for the Army General in the Italian military. Max’s Ahi Tuna Tartare is probably his most popular dish amongst all of his clientele. His Eggplant Parmigiana and fresh seafood platter are also very popular. He can accommodate any range of people from as few as one private client up to hundreds. His fee is based on the client’s requirements. http://dolce-events.com
Chef Robyn Webb
Email: robynwebbms@gmail.com; Phone 703-683-5034
Robyn Webb was trained as a nutritionist. She was raised in the hotel industry and has been cooking seriously since age 12. She has a cooking school program and has penned numerous cookbooks over her 25-plus year career. Robyn shops for ingredients, plans and prepares weekly dinners, and cleans up. Special dietary needs are why her clients hire her. She says, “It is not difficult for me, considering my training as a nutritionist. Most if not all of my clients don’t just want a private chef, but someone who can prepare healthy meals.” Her seafood, soups and salads are her biggest hits. Her fee depends on the circumstances of each client. https://robynwebb.com
Chef Munirah Rimer
Email: munirimer@gmail.com; Phone: 305-877-8882
Munirah is a self-taught artist-chef. Her cooking and work as a batik artist are a tribute to her birthplace, Malaysia. She prepares Malaysian cuisine for a particular clientele, telling a story through the food she makes and creating beautiful experiences for her clientele. She educates her clients about Malaysian cuisines, food preparation, and shares her knowledge about the different flavors of Southeast Asia, allowing them to experience her culture through her deliciously cooked meals. Her client’s favorite dishes are Nasi Lemak, a Malaysian national dish, and Roti Jala, lacy, net-like pancakes/crepes that are really popular among children. To Americanize Roti Jala, instead of dipping it in curry stew, she has her young foodies add chocolate syrup and powdered sugar and enjoy it as their own version of a Malaysian crepe. She says that kids love the flavor and its crepe-like texture. https://www.facebook.com/munirah.rimer
Chef Patty Ruiz
Email: Themadtable@gmail.com; Phone 305-798-5867
Patty’s degree was in education and she worked as a high school Home Economics teacher. She catered small events for many years, and then decided a few years back to obtain a degree in Culinary Arts. Her clients’ favorites include Chicken Marsala with Sauteed Mushrooms, and Buttery Noodles or Mashed Potatoes; and Crispy Sesame Beef with Brown Rice, Cucumber and Red Onion Salad. Patty customizes menus, shops for ingredients and cooks meals at clients’ homes. $85/hour chef labor fee and $40/hour shopping fee.
Lola Van Aken
Email: HomemadeByLola@gmail.com; Phone: 305.434.5398.
Lola specializes in desserts and confections, and provides her confections to private chefs. Her experience and training has been a combination of research through well-known chefs’ books and blogs, as well as mentorship from family members. The mentorship she’s received has been mostly from her husband, Justin Van Aken—a trained chef and all-around restaurateur—and her father-in-law, Chef Norman Van Aken. Lola has a base menu for clients to choose from, but caters to their specific needs. She bakes and coordinates with clients for pick up or delivery. Her fee is on a case-by-case basis, depending on the order and client. https://www.facebook.com/LolaViiA
Note from Karen, November 2018: I’d also add to the list Michelin star French chef Yann Rio who is doing exceptionally creative and delicious cuisine.
