Private Dining Experiences

What's Included

Spring Wine Dinner  ·  sample menu

Summer Wine Dinner  ·  sample menu

Table setting and glassware selected to complement this season's menu.

Fall Harvest Wine Dinner  ·  sample menu

Table setting and glassware selected to complement this season's menu.

First Course

Butter-Poached Lobster Gougère

Champagne Beurre Blanc, Chives

Paired with Blanc de Blancs Champagne

Second Course

Dungeness Crab & Winter Citrus

Fennel, Meyer Lemon, Chive Oil

Paired with Chablis Premier Cru

Third Course

Roasted Cauliflower Velouté

Brown Butter, Parmesan Brioche Crouton, Chive Oil, Crème Fraîche

Paired with White Burgundy

Intermezzo

Meyer Lemon & Champagne Granita

Fresh Mint

Fourth Course

Butter-Basted Filet of Beef

Pommes Anna, Roasted Baby Carrots, Black Truffle Jus, Crispy Shallots

Paired with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Fifth Course

California & European Artisan Cheese Selection

Winter Fruit Mostarda, Local Honeycomb, Spiced Candied Pecans, House Lavash

Paired with Sauternes

Dessert

Dark Chocolate Soufflé

Grand Marnier Crème Anglaise, Candied Orange Peel, Cocoa Nib Tuile

Paired with Vintage Port

Investment: $385 per person

Plus ingredient costs  ·  customized wine program priced separately

A functioning kitchen with a stove, oven, refrigerator, sink, and adequate counter space

A dining table comfortably seating your guests

Dinnerware, stemware, flatware, linens, printed menus, table presentation, service, and final kitchen cleanup are included as part of The Aficionado's Table experience

Do I choose the menu?

My seasonal menus are thoughtfully composed as complete food and wine experiences and are a wonderful place to begin. If you're celebrating a special occasion or have favorite ingredients, wines, or culinary preferences, I'm also happy to create a custom menu designed specifically for you and your guests.

What happens during the evening?

Once your guests arrive, your only responsibility is to enjoy them. I prepare, plate, and serve each course while guiding the table through the menu and wine pairings. I'll introduce the dishes, share the stories behind the ingredients and wines, answer questions, and manage the pace of the meal so the evening feels relaxed and natural from the first course through dessert.

Do I need to provide dishes, wine glasses, or linens?

No. The Aficionado's Table is designed as a complete dining experience. I provide the dinnerware, professional stemware, flatware, linens, printed menus, serving pieces, and selected tabletop details needed for the evening. All you need is an appropriate dining table and seating for your guests.

How far in advance do I need to book?

All events must be booked a minimum of 21 days before the event date. Weekend dates, holidays, and other popular periods often fill earlier, so I recommend reserving 6 to 8 weeks in advance whenever possible.

Do you accommodate dietary restrictions?

Yes. Dietary restrictions and food allergies are discussed during the consultation so they can be considered when your menu is planned. Because The Aficionado's Table is a multi-course tasting experience, some menus may require thoughtful substitutions to preserve the quality and progression of the dinner.

Can you source the wine, or should we provide it?

Either works beautifully. I maintain a personal cellar of more than 1,000 bottles and receive direct allocations from producers throughout California, Oregon, Washington, select Old World estates, and other sources. When I curate the wine program, each bottle is selected specifically for the menu and the role it will play alongside its course. If you have wines from your own cellar you'd like to enjoy, I'm equally happy to design the pairings around those bottles.

Is the wine included in the $385 per person investment?

The wine itself is priced separately. During your consultation, we'll discuss the style of wine experience you'd like to create and I'll develop a wine program appropriate for the menu, your preferences, and your desired investment.

Are ingredient costs included?

Ingredient costs are separate from the per-person service investment. This allows me to source the quality of seafood, meat, produce, artisan products, and specialty ingredients each menu requires rather than building ingredient limitations into the experience.

Do you bring assistants?

The Aficionado's Table is intentionally intimate, and I personally prepare and guide the experience. When the needs of a particular dinner call for additional service support, that will be discussed with you during the planning process.

What is your cancellation policy?

Cancellations made 30 or more days before your event receive a full deposit refund minus a $75 administrative fee. Cancellations 14 to 29 days before the event forfeit the deposit. Cancellations fewer than 14 days before the event forfeit the deposit plus 25% of the remaining balance. Reschedules are handled on a case-by-case basis whenever possible.

Do you travel outside San Diego County?

Yes. The Aficionado's Table is available throughout California, including destination dinners and private residences outside San Diego County. Travel fees apply for events more than 35 miles from downtown San Diego, and overnight accommodations may be required for certain destinations.

What makes The Aficionado's Table different from traditional catering?

Traditional catering is generally built around providing food for an event. The Aficionado's Table is built around creating the evening itself. I personally plan the menu, source the ingredients, curate the wine pairings, prepare and individually plate each course, provide the tableware and presentation, and guide your guests through the dinner. It's intentionally intimate, highly personal, and designed around one table at a time.