How do I choose the menu? How shall I select which wines to serve?

Chef JoAnna will work with you to create a menu that suits your tastes, as well as make suggestions for the foods best suited for your event. She will make sure that your kitchen can accommodate what you'd like served.

If you'd like a buffet, the Chef will provide chafing dishes, platters, and serving utensils to create an elegant and sophisticated arrangement that will pique your guests' appetites. If you'd like a seated dinner, Chef JoAnna will arrange for staff to serve your guests and clear the table when you're finished.

You can tell the Chef which wines you'd like to pour and she will create a menu that compliments them, or you can select the best wines from your collection to pair with the foods you'd like to serve. Either way, the best part of enjoying your own wines with the menu you've designed is that there's never a corkage fee!

Caterers charge very differently.

Be aware of what is included in the price and what is added on.

Will the company create a custom estimate based on your exact specifications, or do they charge a flat-fee "by the head"?

Is your caterer willing to work with you to make adjustments to align the event you desire to your budget?

Discover what is included in the estimate and what is available for an extra charge.

Does your caterer insist that they provide everything such as beverages & disposables, so they can mark those items up?

Many restaurants advertise cheap catering prices but require you to pick up and serve the food yourself.

Ask if the gratuities, taxes and service charges are included... if not, expect to pay more than the estimate they give you.
Chef JoAnna's charges include only TIME, GROCERIES and RENTAL of her equipment. No additional surcharges, gratuities or other hidden charges are included.

These items are always included in Chef JoAnna's estimates:

• Tables covered with linens for appetizer stations, or for the buffet.
• Use of matching service platters in excellent condition is always included.
• Chafing dishes to keep your food hot and safe are included.
• Lemon wedges for iced tea, real butter for bread, real cream for coffee, and all of the appropriate serviceware.
• Leftover food will always be packaged up safely for you to enjoy later.

The following options will vary depending on the type of event you're hosting, so they cannot be included in a preliminary estimate. Please ask Chef JoAnna if you'd like her to provide these additional services, so that they can be included in your estimate:

• Disposable plates, plastic flatware & plastic beverage service...or rented china, flatware & stemware.
• Flowers, candles, balloons, or other decorations specific to your event's theme.
• Would you like plated meals served to your guests by a waiter, or do you prefer platters of food available, served family style, or perhaps on a buffet? Chef JoAnna has a team of skilled, friendly service staff who will be available to provide beverage refills, serve food and clear dishes. The number of servers will vary with the level of service appropriate to your event. Bartending staff is also available.

Be sure to verify experience and ask for references.

Catering large events is very difficult. There are uncontrollable factors when working in a private home, and if your caterer has only used professional equipment, they may not know how to handle the limitations of a residential kitchen...or know how to prevent culinary disasters. Chef JoAnna's letters of reference and photo gallery can help to give you a better idea of her experience.

If your event is important to you and your guests, choose a chef experienced with in-home catering.

· · · Important Safety and Legal Issues regarding Catering · · ·

Is your chef/caterer certified by the National Restaurant Association?

The safe and sanitary preparation of your food is of utmost importance. Chef JoAnna holds a current ServSafe® Certification, indicating that she has completed a course on safe food handling and kitchen sanitation procedures, and passed a comprehensive exam. You should feel free to ask to see your caterer's certificate!

Is your caterer up-to-date on what's legal in Los Angeles county?

Chef JoAnna brings groceries to your location, and cooks everything right there, onsite. Everything is always freshly made. In Los Angeles county, caterers who cook food at their own home and bring it to your home or office are breaking the law. You are putting your guests at risk, and placing yourself at risk for a lawsuit. Caterers serving food away from the place it is prepared requires the the kitchen must be certified and inspected at random by the Los Angeles County Department of Health. (You should know where the food is being made: you can look up a kitchen's grade here.)

Insurance companies do not pay claims for unlicensed catering,
so why put the health and safety of your friends and family at risk
by hiring someone who cooks in an unlicensed kitchen?