Chef Joann & Co. Catering + Events — Attraction in San Diego

I'm afraid to write this review because I'm not sure my words can adequately express how wonderful our experience was with Chef Joann & Co.

I reached out to a few different private/personal chefs all at once. Hands down, Chef Joann's team was the most responsive and personal (while still being incredibly professional). They own the fact that they're a "bougie option" right out of the gates and while they were definitely a bigger investment than others, I could just tell it'd be worth it.

Throughout the planning process, Dawn was very communicative. We had quite a few dietary restrictions in our group (with my own being extensive all on their own). She took the time to go through all of my questions in detail and they crafted a menu that worked for everyone. As someone who often feels like a burden because of these restrictions, Dawn did nothing but reassure me it was their pleasure to handle them.

They thought of every detail, including heaters, for our outdoor meal. We thought we had them covered at the AirBNB we rented, but the day of, discovered they weren't warm enough. One quick text to Isabela and she had it handled. Nick went out of his way to make a last minute run for us so we could better enjoy our experience.

As soon as the team showed up, they were friendly, so hardworking, and kind. They never made us feel like we were in the way even though I'm sure we were at points. Little sneak peeks at the table scape got us so excited for what was in store.

Our night started with steak frites, shrimp skewers, and the best cocktails / mocktails! We then sat down for the rest of our 7 course meal (shown in the photos) and it was delightful. Our team was ranting about how good everything was and HOW MUCH food there was. Isabela came out and described each course, making special note to be transparent about ingredients to set those of us with restrictions at ease. I have never felt so confident about a meal I didn't cook myself, which meant so much to me! What Isabela did for me / our team was more than just make delicious food - it was ensuring everyone felt equally included.

Each course was paired with a drink by Ariel and while the drinks themselves were DELIGHTFUL (made with her own infused liquors and syrups), she was also loved by our group. She was fun and engaging and fit in so perfectly with everyone! Before leaving, she even left us with remaining ingredients and taught my husband how to make a couple drinks with them for the rest of the night.

Iva was so sweet and fun to be around as well. She asked good questions as they were prepping our experience to help us make the most of it, but also never made us feel annoying or "too much" when our group got a little silly and loud throughout dinner as she was serving. And she was kind enough to take a group picture for us!

We didn't get as much face time with Nick, but he worked incredibly hard just like the rest of the them the whole time and seemed so genuine.

You know this crew is absolutely fantastic when you end the night hugging them while thanking them for all they did. Don't get me wrong. The food was tasty and beautiful. The drinks were delicious. The service was incredible. But the PEOPLE on this team are what made the night unforgettable. Thank you, Isabela, Iva, Nick, & Ariel. We hope this review reflects even a fraction of how much we...

Chef Joann was an absolute pleasure to work with. When we first reached out to Chef Joann, she was a little bit out of our price range, but she was able to work with us and our budget in order to be the caterer for our wedding. We went and met Joann and did a food tasting with her and she was so hospitable and nice we knew we had found the caterer for us, not to mention the food was absolutely amazing. Luckily, Chef Joann had worked our venue before so that took all the worries and stress from trying to plan and connect her with our venue and coordinator. She was able to work with us, even through all the craziness of 2020 and we were able to figure out a way to make things work efficiently and safely without jeopardizing the layout or food. The bartenders she was able to bring went above and beyond and really helped to get the party started for our wedding. They were constantly bringing my wife and I drinks as we would be empty handed and socializing with our guests. It was really cool how well the entire crew took care of not only us but all of our guests. With me being the wayI am, I wanted to help Joann and her crew and she would joke with me to be quiet, have fun and get married. It really felt like a family member or close friend was there, had our back and was taking care of us. It was a really cool dynamic and took all the stress out of the day. The food Joann conjures up is not easily put into words. The appetizers she did for the cocktail hour as well as the cheese boards she created for each table were astounding. They were above and beyond anything we had expected. I had guests coming up to me all night commenting on how amazing the cocktail hour was along with the dinner. We are so happy we picked Joann to take control and be a part of our big day. I would highly recommend Joann to anyone who wants amazing a delectable food from someone who is so easy going and easy to work with, you feel like you have known them for years. Thank you Chef...

My husband and I were so lucky to find Joann to cater our wedding. We didn’t want a traditional seated dinner and the first SD wedding caterers we had found were not super receptive to our vision. Joann was a breath of fresh air - so supportive and enthusiastic about creating something unique to us. Joann is such an artist and all-around great person – from the first call, we knew we were in good hands. Collaborating with her through the planning couldn’t have gone better as she was totally in sync with our vision, which made us feel assured that the food and bar would come out spectacular. Chef Joann + team created a totally bespoke menu incorporating favorite dishes from our travels together and some South American flavors in honor of my husband’s family. She even helped with some of the planning beyond the food and bar, and her guidance really elevated the experience. The food was absolutely delicious, and the presentation was way beyond our expectations – everyone could really see the care and quality that went into it. So many of our guests came up to tell us how great the food was and ask for Joann’s contact info. 10/10 would go with her again. We are so grateful that Joann was a part of our wedding,...