CESaute

Danny and his team prepared a lovely dinner for my parents’ 60^th wedding anniversary on Sunday night. Prior to the event the communications were spot on. He arranged for the rentals, the cake, etc. We have a family member who works with a wine company and he worked with her on the pairings. I can NOT say enough about how great the entire event went. It was seamless from start to finish. This was SO much nicer than going to a restaurant and the food was most surely better. Everything was plated perfectly, served nicely and the evening was just lovely. I give Chef Danny my highest recommendation.

Absolutely fantastic… in every way! In a world where outstanding customer service, attention to detail and showing pride in your work are hit and miss — Danny and his team knock it out of the ballpark. Danny is a true professional and holds himself to very high standards which also reflects in his food and the environment he creates when we steps into your kitchen.
Danny takes food to another level and works on his craft every single day. Danny is confident and talented and this reflects in his food. Danny cooked for 4 of us the other night and each person had different levels of knowledge and experience with food. I think it’s pretty incredible when 2 of the 4 people who consider themselves picky eaters said «I don’t like beets, but I LOVE those beets» and this same comment was made throughout the evening. Danny’s food is not only delicious but his presentations are stunning and portion sizes are perfect (yes, we had 7 courses).
I would recommend Danny to anyone who is looking to create a different/​high level yet comfortable experience/​atmosphere for entertaining a loved one on a special occasion, woo’ing a client, hosting a simple dinner party or for any other reason you can think of. The beauty of it, he does this all in your own home. Does it get any better than that? I’m so excited for the next time I can enjoy his wonderful food and company. He’s the whole package.
Treat yourself and your guests to Cogito Ergo Sauté (Danny Boylen) — you’ll be so glad you did!

Top notch food and top notch professionalism.
Danny arrived promptly and immediately began to work in our kitchen. I was amazed by how little fuss needed to be made as he seamlessly transitioned into using our kitchen and the items that we had to prepare his meal.
What can I say about the meal other than it was top quality and beat anything that we would’ve eaten had we chosen to eat out. Every course exceeded our expectations.
Both Chef Danny and Remy were very professional and made for good company.
I highly recommend them.

If Unilocal would let me, I’d give Danny 6 stars. The occasion to have him was meant to be a nice, relaxing, and romantic dinner for my wife and I to enjoy. What I imagined to be a great meal ended up being the best meal my wife and I have ever had. The 5-​course meal that Danny custom designed and prepared fresh for us was full of such amazing flavors, aromas, and sensations that I’m not sure I’ll be able to enjoy anything more until I have Danny over again for the next special occasion.

Danny is fantastic. He cooked for 4 of us and first of all, is so easy to be around, but seemed to know exactly when to be a presence, and when to be in the kitchen. Aside from having a great personality and instincts for the mood of the evening, he’s a fantastic chef. Everything he served was top quality ingredients, great food and a little surprising without being pretentious. He delivers a restaurant quality meal that you would find at Blue Duck or the like, but in the comfort of your own home. I can’t recommend him more highly.

I just had the pleasure of working with Danny again for a brunch event at a clients home in Annapolis and WOW was it amazing. He never disappoints. After working with other chefs in the area, there is NO one else I’d trust with my clientele. Thanks Danny — great food, great job as always!

Danny’s food is beyond excellent!!! His attention to detail is impeccable! The food itself was enough to knock your socks off but he went completely out of his way to make sure each guests experience was perfect, like we were in a 5 start restaurant. The creative and unique sauces were my favorite part, like an explosion of flavor in your mouth! I HIGHLY recommend Danny for any event, he will take care of you and your guests like no other

I recently attended two of the Chef’s Pop-​up events and had a fantastic time and the food was EXCELLENT. I particularly loved his unique pairings found in the following dished to be exemplary: (i) the fall squash bisque, which included three types of squash (kobucha, acorn and butternut), topped with arugula goat cheese purée and lamb sausage; and the (ii) sea salt and caramel gelato that was topped with a bacon, bourbon and caramel sauce. These two dishes highlighted for me his unique gift to really prepare flavorable, memorable dishes. I look forward to dining with CESaute again soon and highly recommend him to others.

I apologize about the brevity of this post since it doesn’t do CESaute justice — the meal and dining experience that Danny whipped for us during his Hits & B-​Sides party (part of his Supper Club program) was one of the best culinary experiences I’ve had in the city.
Simply put, Danny and his staff whipped up one of the most incredible meals I’ve ever had in D.C., as well as a fantastically intimate environment to enjoy it in.

My boyfriend and I hosted a dinner party in March for nine friends. Danny developed a delicious menu which included ginger and curried carrot bisque, salmon tartar, wild mushroom and chicken confit risotto, sherry braised beef short ribs, and dessert. We also had a little cocktail hour that include Brussels sprout salsa. It was DELICIOUS. Danny also surprised us with fried risotto balls. The food was excellent and the presentation was nothing short of impressive.
Working and speaking with Danny over the phone prior to the event was great. He seemed to have a great personality and was very professional. Once he got in the kitchen he made it his own which was great. I did expect him to be a little more interactive with my guests though, especially because they tried to make friendly conversation. A few of them actually thought he came off kind of rude and snobby.
I honestly wanted to rate him three stars, but he came to cook and it’s what he did and did it well. However, when you pay someone the amount of money that I paid to feed twelve people, you don’t want your guests to report to you that the chef was short. He definitely did not go above and beyond. I should be the snob, not him. I and a couple of my guests who have been to other dinner parties were just a bit taken aback.
My boyfriend and I love to throw parties for our friends on our roof and in our place. Unfortunately, we will not use Danny again.

Perfect. I knew the night would be perfect in Danny’s hands. Our dinner for 4 couldn’t have gone better. Not only is he the consummate professional, but easy to work with and talk to. His menu was perfection and catered to the specific tastes of my guests, right down to a dessert he engineered and named after my mother (the dinner was for her). I know Danny to be a miracle worker with food and he didn’t fail to impress. The little details, the breads and spreads, the surprising and delightful brussel sprout and bacon appetizer right down to the perfect pork cheeks and everything in between was just wonderful.
I’ve had the pleasure of eating Danny’s culinary creations before (ask for the Arancini, always!) and it never disappoints.
The booking process was easy and clear and everything can be taken care of digitally. Costs are laid out clearly and there was no deceiving fine print or hidden stipulations. He left the kitchen cleaner then he found it and would be welcome it in again any time.
6 stars, anyone?

A truly fantastic night. I would love to fly Danny out to California and have him feed all of my friends. The food was perfect. I had no idea I liked brussel sprouts until I was presented with the most amazing brussel sprout and bacon salsa. The menu was catered to my needs and everything tasted better then I could have hoped. The details and the special German chocolate cake ice cream finished everything off perfectly. Every course complimented the previous one and my taste buds may never experience anything like it again. A perfect culinary experience. I’ve even framed my personally signed menu. Thank you, Danny!

My organization was seeking a caterer for our organizations 20^th anniversary major donor reception held at the Josephine Butler Center. We secured popular «star» as our host and wanted to make the event extra special. We contacted CESaute based on a high recommendation from a friend, and were pleased to find out that he could work with our crowd size of about 75 attendees. We are so happy that we chose to work with this personal chef service instead of a caterer! As opposed to the traditional passed appetizers, our guests enjoyed beautiful, exquisite tasting, hand crafted food. It was a pleasure to leave one of the most important parts of the evening in Danny’s very capable hands.
From planning to service, Danny was wonderful to work with. He responded to dietary restriction requests with enthusiasm and our guests are still talking about wild mushroom arancini and the tuna tartare.
The menu selection and planning process was fun, with Danny going over our options and giving us an idea of how the service would work over the 2 hour reception. He was open to questions about the food and the menu, and was able to make suggestions to ensure that our vegetarian and vegan guests had options.
Contract signing and payment were all electronically handled and painless. Danny was professional and approachable, between contract signing and day of the event, always available to answer questions. In fact, he actually made a few suggestions and helped us think of things that we otherwise might have missed. I was especially impressed that Danny was able to accommodate a last minute jump in our ticket sales (75 guests) without a problem. The day of the event, things couldn’t have run smoother. Other than that wonderful food came streaming out of the kitchen as soon as our first guests arrived, we barely knew he was there. After the event, the warming kitchen was left clean and spotless. Danny’s staff fit in perfectly with our event and were always «right there» sharing something wonderful to eat.
CES Sauté made our VIP event the extra special occasion we were hoping it would be. I would highly recommend working with him.

I recently attended an event catered by Cogito Erto Sauté and was more than impressed! The food was fresh and beautifully prepared with obvious care and attention to detail.
My favorite treats were the caprese salad kabob, so tasty with the fresh basil and pop of the tomato, the arancini was also excellent with perfectly prepared risotto and gooey melted cheese. Everyone raved! My personal favorite was the tuna tartare, full of flavor but very smooth. Food is love and this beautiful food added to the night, compliments could be heard throughout the crowd.
In addition to the quality of food the catering service was donated by CES! Lovely! If you are looking for a caterer… CALL THEM! To support a community organization and provide high quality food, could there be anything better?!
Thank you CESaute, you left a good taste in all of our mouths!

I e-​mailed Danny about a dinner for two and he promptly e-​mailed me back. We spoke on the phone and he was very nice. In fact, he promised me that since I was the first to call for this particular date he was committed to serving us. He said he would have a menu for me to review within the week. I received an e-​mail that asked for more time to think about the menu. And then nothing. Because he told me that he was dedicated to us I didn’t schedule a backup and now that he is MIA, I’m out of time to plan.
Bottom line: Danny is very nice on the phone but didn’t deliver on his promise to me – definitely have a backup plan regardless of what he tells you.

My husband asked CESaute to develop a surprise dinner for me at our house for our anniversary. Danny and Alicia put together an absolutely stunning event and were lovely people to boot! The menu they created was delicious and worked around my seafood allergies and my husband’s gluten intolerance. The flavor combinations were bold and savory, exactly as I like food to be. Fresh ingredients were used with care. The presentation of each course was gorgeous and imaginative. And throughout it all, Danny and Alicia were kind, personable, and just terrific. Oh, and did I mention they left my kitchen cleaner than they found it? They made our anniversary more special than it would have been with any other private chef.
Do not pass go or collect $ 200; if you are planning an event and you need a private chef, go with CESaute! They are excellent!

For those of you looking for a personal chef to facilitate either a formal dinner or a canapé party, you must read this review! I hired Cogito Ergo Sauté for a 25-​person party in June of this year. I’ve also attended other events during the last couple years that utilized the company’s services. The event I hosted started with the idea of replacing birthday cake with bourbon pie. It’s an excellent alternative to traditional white cake with buttercream frosting. However, bourbon pie quickly became a surprise canapé party for my boyfriend. He’s an incredible person and I wanted to do something special for him.
Danny, owner and chef of Cogito, created an innovative menu that accommodated all of my guests, which ranged from those with sophisticated palates to those who never progressed further than PB&J without the crust. He also helped me pick the venue, and provided decorations and music.
Despite a tremendous amount of preparation (I’ll spare you the details), I felt completely overwhelmed the day of the party. The venue had to be changed from an outside rooftop to an indoor space due to the weather. The stereo system wasn’t working. It felt like time was quickly running out, and things were falling apart. Danny kept calm, and created solutions as each issue arose. I left to get ready and returned to find everything done. Blues music was emanating around the beautifully decorated room, tables were set, lights were dimmed, candles lit, and the aroma coming from the kitchen was intoxicating. It was perfect!
Danny had two assistants. They were well-​dressed, polite, and professional. Hors d’oeuvres were served in an organized sequence throughout the evening, glasses were never empty, and the chef himself brought out an elegant, personalized birthday cake near the end. The event flowed seamlessly. Everyone was thoroughly impressed by the food and still talk about it to this day. Most importantly, the guest of honor had a wonderful time. I think it will be a night we all remember for years to come.
I don’t typically write reviews. This is actually my first Unilocal review. I was motivated to write this one because Danny has consistently gone above and beyond. He made my event a success, and his personal dedication to quality is something I admire. For these reasons, I highly recommend Cogito Ergo Sauté. Danny and his delightful assistants can elevate any occasion from mediocre to extraordinary.

The first time I attended an event run by Cogito Ergo Sauté, I quickly realized the two most valuable differences between its personal chef service and service I’d had before: CES’ careful attention to each guest in the room/​space, and that delicious arancini.
As a unit, CES is a versatile group of people passionate about great food and making sure people enjoy it. Have questions about ingredient choices? They have patient answers. Interested in the stories that influenced the menu? They have some great ones. And if, for a moment, you look up from the group of friends or family you’re with, and manage to stop drooling over how good the salmon tartare or BBQ ribs are, you’ll catch a glimpse of just how patient and attentive the CES team members are with each other too. They work together as well as what’s on that night’s menu, making their personal service a truly seamless experience.
It all starts with Danny, though — his thoughtfulness, and his talent. Each event I’ve attended has had at least 15 guests, often hovering around 30. And yet, as good as the bourbon pie and bacon jam were, even better was how he was able to prep and serve, while engaging guests, without missing a step, and without a hint of the presumption you so often find in people who make exquisite food.
CES is different because of both its food and its people. You won’t find a better combination of the two.

Just to give you an idea of how good Danny’s food is — I was so full after dinner that I wasn’t hungry for breakfast the next day.
Danny created a spectacular menu for a few friends and I as we celebrated the glorious event known as the Kentucky Derby. He really blew us away with his creative menu which incorporated the culinary themes of the Derby; bourbon, hot browns, and mint juleps.
Every single dish was spectacular, from the bourbon glazed risotto balls, to the outrageously delicious ham & biscuits, to the absurdly tasty ribs. All of the food was super flavorful, elegantly prepared, and neatly presented.
In addition to being a talented chef, he was really nice and happily answered all of my questions about the food and cooking in general. I’m looking forward to my next feast!

*****Spring Photo Phling event*****
I had the honor of attending CESaute’s Spring Phling, where I got to eat the aftermath of the photo shoot. The event took place at a private residence, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The hostess, Lisa of AMORE Marketing and PR, was very hospitable. She made us feel very welcomed, and kept the Prosecco and beer flowing. Danny, owner and chef of CESaute, was rather friendly and was cooking up a storm. Food was abundant and everyone’s stomach was very happy and content.
Here’s what I tried:
Barbara’s Salad-​Named after a friend of Danny’s who I actually got to meet at the party. Although I thought it was a little heavy on the vinaigrette, it was rather light and refreshing. Fresh fruit was a nice touch. The Parmesan Frico cup it came served in was crispy and not chewy. I enjoyed breaking off pieces of it to eat with the salad.
Wild Mushroom Arancini: MmMmMm deep fried balls of deliciousness! These wild mushroom risotto stuffed buffalo mozzarella balls were ooey, gooey, and just plain make me wanna slap your momma good! Definitely took risotto to a whole new level.
Salmon tartare-​Is it salmon or tuna? That was the question of the night. It’s salmon, not tuna folks! Served on a spoon, this tartare was finely chopped and seasoned well.
55 hour ribs: Spareribs brined, dry-​rubbed, braise, and smoked for 55 hours, then grilled and topped with a secret BBQ sauce… hello! These ribs were so tender that they fell off the bone easily. You could tell they were made with love. The BBQ sauce was tasty
. It had great consistency and wasn’t too sweet or spicy.
Bacon jam– Yum. Need I say more?! This jam had me at bacon!
Petite «Reese’s» Cheesecake-​One of the best desserts I had in awhile! These mini cheesecakes (made with Belgian chocolate and candied peanut butter, with an Oreo cookie crust) were the perfect size. The warm cognac-​caramel sauce topping was the icing on the cake! It complimented the cheesecake very well. I had to step away from the tray… I seriously would have ate the whole thing! Please excuse my picture, definitely doesn’t do this dessert justice!
Bourbon Pie-​I thought this pie would be heavy and rich, but it was pretty light. You could smell and taste hints to bourbon. It was smooth, creamy, and had a lovely crunch from the pie crust.
I had a lovely time at this event. I’d definitely recommend CESaute’s service. Make sure to check Danny out if you are having a dinner or cocktail party!