Vittles

Ross made me an assorted bag of goodies for a camping trip this past summer. Specifically, beef brisket chili, lasagna, sausages with homemade sauerkraut, and mixed greens. Not only was the food delicious, it was nutritious, and easy to pack. It was great to have homemade food easy to prep after long days when you are tired and hungry. I have also been to a couple events where Ross has catered and it was equally awesome! I highly recommend him for all of your culinary needs :)

Ross catered our Fleet Week party for the 2^nd year in a row. We had about 60 guests, so we needed a lot of a few items, as opposed to trying many different items. We had two dips, one a toasted pumpkin seed dip with serrano chile to give a bit of a kick, and a ricotta, roast garlic and fava bean dip. Both were excellent. We also had brisket sliders with pickled onions, coleslaw and chimichurri sauce. Many guests were talking about these, as the pickled onions complemented the brisket perfectly. We definitely will have this on next year’s menu. Ross also prepared chicken and vegetarian paninis, both made on-​site.
It’s not just about the food. Ross, who brought Bill to help out, is engaging and entertaining. In addition, he frees us up so we can mingle with guests, important when you are trying to get a glimpse of the Blue Angels flying overhead.
He has catered for our friends as well, which is how we met him. Everyone loves working with him. Coming up with the menu is always fun, as he is full of interesting food items to consider.

Ross is an amazing cook. He really wants you to celebrate food. He has catered an event I go to every summer for one week. I love his food because it is delicious and healthy. I hate getting fat on vacation but this is the kind of food Oprah would get served. Amazing, healthy, fresh, organic. I highly recommend him.

Ross exudes passion and enthusiasm for his craft. He is fully immersed in his art and manages some extraordinary kitchen circumstances and challenges with grace, humour and calm. He is both hilarious and completely professional. He puts what appears to be an almost unstoppable flow of energy into his food from start to finish. His impressive knowledge and intelligent delivery in response to queries is reassuring. He gives more than a menu of food. He gives his whole self into the process and the food reflects this remarkable dedication.
If you’re reading this in search of a maestro for your culinary needs, you can relax, because you’ve found one.

Ross is terrific!
Ross catered a dinner party for 10 in my home for my 60^th birthday. Ross is tremendously enthusiastic and creative about food. Before the event, we spent probably about 4 hours on the phone going over the various options. Plus, we got on a videoconference call together so I could show him our kitchen and dining room, and he could see right away what kind of facilities we had, cookware, dishes, etc.
I really appreciated the give-​and-​take that we established as we traded ideas leading up to the dinner. Ross clearly has some favorites that he likes to prepare, and he does them well, but he was more than happy to go with some fairly eclectic requests on my part to include certain ingredients and styles of preparation that are favorites of mine. In the end, his ideas and mine came together nicely for a dinner that was truly memorable.
For example, i wanted a tart tatin for desert. But it is not prime apple or pear season, and Ross likes to take things in the direction of the freshest locally grown ingredients. So he figured out a way to do a peach tart tatin, and dry the fruit enough so it would hold together properly without being too wet and mushy. Then, I wanted to go with «a la mode» but he convinced me that it would be too sweet. Ross came up with a perfect complement: a buttermilk ice cream that had just the right amount of lemon in it. The two components set each other off wonderfully. It was totally unexpected and delightful.
All the guests were thrilled with the food. People loved both the food & Ross’ enthusiasm in presenting and describing each course as it was served. Different guests had different favorites but the homemade buttermilk ice cream combined with the Tart Tatin, and the sea bass cooked with a very light miso glaze were the two most applauded. Totally awesome, over the top delights, in both cases. Fish was perfectly cooked, flavorful and firm without being the slightest bit dried out or chewy.
Before selecting Ross (who worked with a partner, Bill) I spoke to other candidates including people who were more classically trained. But they all seemed uninspired in their approach compared to Ross: Several gave me a perfunctory «I can make whatever you want. Here’s my contract, sign it and fax it back, and then we’ll talk about the menu.» I just didn’t warm up to that. With Ross it felt like a creative collaboration.

If you want a romantic, elegant dinner for two, Ross can help. A dinner party to thank 10 clients? Call Ross. Cater a party for 100? Ross will do it! His food is delicious and nutritious. He recently did the food from my friend’s 10 year anniversary party for her business, and Ross made delicious food, delivered it on time, and made that whole aspect of the party a cinch. And he is a super sweet guy!

Ross just catered my wedding for 300, and it was one of the most delicious and beautifully prepared meals I have ever had anywhere not to mind at a wedding. I have spent the 3 days since fielding constant compliments about the meal from our guests.
Ross also gave incredibly sound planning advice, calm recommendations and was a consistent source of reassuring and total competence during the whole epic planning nightmare that is any event of this size. I would trust and recommend him for any occasion. I cannot emphasise enough the quality of his services.

I was so thrilled to have Ross cater a party for me. In preparation he asked a lot of questions about the type of event, budget and the food preferences I had and listened very carefully. The food was out of this world! Varied, interesting, great to look at, and most of all, delicious. Ross clearly loves cooking and his enjoyment is highly infectious! Both his talents as a chef and his can-​do attitude were much appreciated. Thank you Chef Ross!

I organized a networking event for my company and trusted Ross for food. He made a wonderful set of delicious dishes. Everyone mentioned the food and the room clapped when I mentioned him! He went the extra mile and managed everything throughout the event.

We had Ross cook for a dinner party for 8 in our SF home. From the start he was professional in his interactions and easy to communicate with — we planned the menu and shared ideas for dishes and the style of the meal over email. Ross organized a time to come over and see our kitchen and amenities, as well. This helped shape the menu further. And on the day of the party he arrived with plenty of time to prepare and with all the necessary items. He was so fun to work with, he was great with our little kids — who were totally intrigued with him and all that was happening in the kitchen — and his food was delicious — seasonal and unique.
I particularly appreciated that in the planning stages, Ross made sure I’d thought through all the details well in advance — considering the plates, serveware, drinks, the flow of the evening, the timing, the ‘vibe’, etc. It was a really fun process and one I hope to do again in the near future.

I have had Vittles (Ross) cater many parties at my home. Ross is passionate about farm to table food which is reflected in everything he cooks. Ross’s staff is talented and professional and seem to enjoy working together. His enthusiasm makes every party more fun. He has been very easy to work with and has helped me with a large variety of parties from a casual backyard barbecue to an elegant dinner.