CE Saute — Local services in Annandale

This will be a long review so TLDR: Danny and his staff are the best there is and their food is even better!

It's truly difficult to express how amazing Danny and his staff made our wedding event. As we were working to find a chef for our small wedding reception/garden party, Danny stuck out simply because we liked the pictures of his food, but after we met with him, we knew he was the perfect chef for us. He made us feel comfortable from the start (LGBTQIA+ friendly) and understood our tastes and interests from just a 30 minute intro call.

We signed our contract with him several months out from the event, but he always kept in touch to make sure our heads were still in the same place in how we wanted to celebrate our wedding.

Moving to the actual event, we hosted ~22 people for a cocktail style garden party. Danny came up with an amazing menu including:

Cheese plate (very high quality cheeses; these leftovers made for spectacular girl dinners) The popcorn project (very cute apps with a special, Danny-made seasoning I can't stop thinking about) Guacamole three ways (fabulous) Black bean mango salsa (so refreshing for an outdoor party) Pimento cheese dip (if you only have one stationary plate option, you should definitely get this) Black bean hummus (added to our menu last minute and it did not disappoint) Gazpacho shots (refreshing and elevated) Shrimp lollipops (perfect way to start the event) Scallop ceviche (my wife's favorite dish) Brisket sliders (my favorite dish) Mini cupcakes (soooooo cute and the perfect size to allow you to try all of the flavors) Thin mint drunken milkshakes (a perfect way to cap off the night)

For drinks, we had a few signature cocktails, lots of wine, and a few non-alcoholic drinks. Danny has a knack for coming up with differentiated cocktails that still bring together all of the flavors you know and love, just at an elevated level. I highly recommend the Santero (mojito adjacent) and my wife loved his bourbon cocktail. We had a few non-alcoholic drinkers and they loved the blood orange margarita.

And beyond the food, Danny's staff was perfect. Jessalyn and Camilla were so warm and welcoming and we couldn't have asked for anyone better. The kitchen was a little tight to begin with, but they made more than do with the resources they had and left the kitchen in better condition than how it started. Danny and his sous chef, Cat, were busy and possibly overwhelmed, but didn't show it at all. The cadence the food was sent out was perfect and we loved that we got to chit chat with the whole staff in between courses.

When we first met Danny, we told him that with all of the money in the world, we still would want to have a very small wedding reception with a private chef. Danny's personality, food, staff, etc. etc. made it better than we ever could have...

My wife’s birthday is December 19th and it’s always a struggle to find something fun and exciting to do since it is so close to the Holiday rush. We found Chef Danny’s website and saw the delicious menu items that he offered. We shopped around and simply couldn’t find anyone that offered the variety and specificity that he did.

Fast forward…we went with Danny to come to the house and transform our kitchen into a 5-star dining experience…best decision we’ve made in a long time.

Chef Danny was the epitome of professional with a side of humor and compassion. We have two young kiddos (7 & 8) who inquire about everything and they were no match for Chef Danny. He embraced there inquisitive minds and let them see and experience what he was preparing and cooking. They tried things that I never thought they would ever even look at. While giving his full attention to them he also prepared a full spread of his initial course. The rules do say that no one was to be in the kitchen and our guests respected that, but Chef Danny understood that kids sometimes need to broaden their flavor pallets. The kids did exit as he was preparing the other courses that required open flames and sharp knives.

We had a small gathering, less than 10 people, but Chef Danny made each person feel like he was their personal chef…seamlessly. The food was fantastic and tasted even better being in your own home and cooked by a friend.

Chef Danny created an environment that (w/ a playlist that kept bringing the hits) made you want to embrace the moment and the food that was seemingly endless. It was like you see in the movies or Netflix series when a Chef creates an original dish right in front of you and get to try it directly from their hands.

We will, undoubtably, have Chef Danny back to the house for the same experience, but this time the guest list will probably grow as word traveled throughout our...

I’m one of those people who lives for the meals where you get to dine with incredible company and the food is so delicious that it dominates the conversation! The only interruptions between bites are the exclamations of delight, trying to communicate just how perfect each flavor and thoughtfully crafted course is as it lands on your taste buds. That’s CE Saute.

While visiting DC, I had the absolute joy of sharing a meal in my friend’s home thoughtfully curated and served by Chef Danny. The attention to detail in not only the preparation but also the descriptions of ingredients, cooking methods, and plating was exceptional. It’s a true honor to consume not only amazing food, but also the art and passion of an incredible chef.

Looking forward to another visit to DC in the future and the next unforgettable experience...