Frequently asked questions

Three private-dinner tiers, all all-inclusive. Intimate is 2-4 guests, 3-4 courses, $180-$220 per person. Signature is 5-12 guests, 4-5 courses, $200-$280 per person. Estate is 12-30 guests, 5-7 courses with optional wood-fire, $280-$400+ per person. Final price confirmed at booking. See Services for the full breakdown.

All-inclusive rates start at $180 per person for an Intimate dinner and run from there based on guest count and course count. No hidden fees, no gratuity required. Alcohol is the only thing not included. See Services for current tiers.

Two to three weeks gives us the best results — enough time for a real conversation about your dinner, proper menu development, and sourcing from what's actually in season. I can sometimes work with shorter timelines for simpler formats, but the best dinners come from not rushing the planning.

Yes. I cook regularly in Santa Barbara, Montecito, Hope Ranch, Ventura, and Camarillo. For locations further out, just reach out — I'll travel for the right occasion.

Yes. Realtors, wedding and event planners, and stagers can hand off a client through our partner referral intake. One short form, response within 24 hours, and the client always hears from Ryan directly.

Everything except alcohol. I source all the ingredients from Ojai Valley farms and the Santa Barbara coast, handle all prep and cooking, plate and serve each course, and clean up completely before I leave. I'm happy to recommend wine pairings, but I don't supply the wine.

I arrive two to three hours before your guests. By the time they walk in, the house smells like something special is happening and the kitchen is organized and running. Courses come out when they're ready — no rush, no stalling. The evening belongs to you and your guests. After the final course, I clean up fully before I leave. You wake up to a clean kitchen. See the full process.

Absolutely. I live with my own dietary restrictions, so I genuinely understand what makes restricted-diet cooking great — not just compliant. Gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, nut allergies, autoimmune protocols — I treat these as creative constraints, not limitations. Every menu is built around your guests' needs from the start.

There's no minimum. I've cooked for two people, and I've cooked for twenty. Intimate dinners for two are honestly some of my favorite evenings to cook. For larger groups or multi-day events, reach out and we'll figure out the right format together.

I bring my own knives and any specialty tools the menu requires. Most home kitchens have everything else I need — a working stove, oven, and basic cookware. If your setup has any limitations, we'll sort that out during our initial conversation so there are no surprises.

Wood-fire cooking uses live fire and embers from hardwood — I use white oak — as the primary heat source. It adds depth that gas and electric can't touch: real smoke, natural char, and a quality of heat that transforms ingredients. I trained in Catalan wood-fire technique at Tarsan I Jane in Seattle, and that foundation shapes everything I cook.

It means I buy ingredients the week of the dinner, not from a distributor months in advance. Produce comes from farms around the Ojai Valley that I know by name. Seafood comes from the Santa Barbara Channel when it's in season. If something exceptional shows up at the market — first Pixie tangerines, mushrooms after rain — I work it in. The menu follows the ingredients.

You can browse recent seasonal menus on the Menus page to see the style and caliber of what I cook. But every actual menu is custom — built after our conversation about your guests, your preferences, and what's growing right now. No two dinners are the same.