Chef Amanda Lanza Personal Chef — Local services in Santa Monica

My aunt hired Chef Amanda Lanza & her team to provide cocktails, dinner & dessert for my grandmother’s 90th birthday. We would be getting the core family together, some that had not been in the same room for over 10 years. Every single one of the family members is a foodie. Some are more respectful than others to those in the service industry, which makes it nearly impossible to enjoy a good and stress-free meal together out at a restaurant. Chef Lanza was entering a high stakes & potentially volatile event, and she did so with a smile & confidence. We started with cocktails, which were delicious and refreshing. They included a dried grapefruit slice & sprig of rosemary as garnish. Chef Lanza’s female helper was delightful & kept everyone’s drink glasses full. The hors d'oeuvres were delightful. One was the panelle e cipolle sicilian chickpea fritters with carmelized onions garnished with edible flowers. The other was whipped bean crostini with pecorino stagionato & herbs. The perfect tablescape was ready for what would be the highlight of the evening – the first course. It was named Busiaste con Pesto alla Trapanese, a sicilian almond pesto with pecorino, tomato, & semolina pasta. The dish started being handed out to my family. I would need to wait on mine as Chef Lanza was making gluten free pasta for my first course. Once my pasta arrived it was casarecce-shaped pasta with a rosy sauce color to the pasta. I don’t recall waiting long, but Chef Lanza apologized as the chickpea-based pasta had to be done again. The pasta was light while having an umami that was otherworldly and without dripping in sauce; it was absorbed into the pasta. It didn’t taste like gluten free pasta. It would become the favorite among my family. The main course was the Rib Eye marinated in basalmic & served with smokey gremolata. It was flanked by winter squash caponata with raisins and almonds; Greens & herbs salad with grape molasses dressing; & charred broccolini with lemon, garlic & smoked chili. The ribeye was amazing & vanished as family members had seconds. The winter squash was surprisingly served at room temp but the flavors and textures were amazing. This easily was the second favorite of the whole evening among the family, and it competed closely with the best rib eye steak I’ve had in a long time. Some of us who had a peek at the menu ahead of Grandma’s birthday wondered how a ribeye could be served to 21 people all at once and still be good and Chef Lanza did it, serving it to the table in 1” cut strips based on doneness. And although the winter squash stole the spotlight among the vegetables served, the salad & broccolini were delicious. For dessert Chef Lanza presented a citrus & ricotta olive oil cake with salted whipped cream. It had slices of colorful citrus sunken into the top. I had prepared myself not to receive a dessert. To my delight, Chef Lanza served me fresh strawberries & cream. Gluten was not the only food allergy that Chef Lanza had provided for that evening. I have a couple of cousins who do not eat meat, some that cannot ingest eggs, & others who do not drink alcoholic beverages. We had challenges for Chef Lanza & she rose to each one. Chef Lanza had a team of 3-4 people working with her & by the time she left I had never seen my grandfather’s kitchen so spotless. I keep calling her Chef Lanza (my husband & I watched The Bear before coming to this event), but she allowed us to call her Amanda. At the risk of committing a faux pas, my mother asked for Chef Lanza's recipes & Chef Lanza gratefully shared them. Chef Lanza & her team remained courteous & wonderful to my family. I can never fully convey my thanks to Chef Lanza & her team. With her team cooking & keeping the drinks flowing, we were able to relax & enjoy our family in a way that hasn’t happened in years. Even when my Grandma Márquez retired for the evening our family stayed long after anyone expected and long after Chef Lanza had gone. Chef Lanza is not only a very talented chef, but she is also a miracle worker. Thanks, Chef Lanza -...

Amanda was a life saver! We were fretting over catering for a small dinner party when an event planner friend shared her name with me. From the first call to her last post-party email she was warm and professional and clearly very on top of her game. She really knows her cuisine specialties, our Sicilean-inspired dinner was delicious and beautifully served. Her team is superb, too. We have not one complaint, only relief to have met someone who made everything so easy and delightful for us and our guests. I would absolutely recommend her and work with her again. Next time we may try some of her...

Amanda did the most spectacular job catering our wedding. From the start, Amanda was communicative, personable, reliable, and honest. We told Amanda we wanted the dinner to feel intimate as if we were eating a rustic Italian family meal and she delivered that and beyond. She prepared a variety of hors d'oeuvres for cocktail hour and a beautiful, delicious dinner for 200 guests. Amanda and her staff were also highly organized and professional. Our wedding dinner was a highlight of our day and our guests haven’t stopped talking about...