The Gourmet Guide

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About

The gourmet guide provides online and in-person private and personal chef experiences, showcasing a unique style of cooking and delivery. Our mission is to provide you with all the tools required to have an outstanding restaurant quality home cooking and eating experience anywhere in the world. Though this endeavor is more recent, it is in addition to 12 years of New York City restaurant industry experience.

Overview

Hired 4 times

Background checked

1 employee

5 years in business

Business hours

Sun1:00 pm - 10:00 pmMon9:00 am - 10:00 pm

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Cash, Check, Credit card, PayPal, Samsung Pay, Venmo, and Zelle.

Social media

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Services offered

Desired cooking skills

Basic cooking skills

Knife skills

Soups and sauces

Roasting and braising

Interested cuisines

American

Japanese

Southeast Asian

BBQ

Work location

I travel to my customers

Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, professionalism, and responsiveness.

Exceptional 5.0

6 reviews

5

100%

4

0%

3

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2

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1

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Read reviews that mention:

Lisa l.

Nov 10, 2020

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Hired on Thumbtack

Details: 3 - 5 people • Chinese • Southeast Asian • Soups and sauces • Roasting and braising • Grilling • No dietary restrictions • Adult (over 18) • Intermediate • My home, venue, etc.

Private Cooking Lessons

Courtney M.

Sep 21, 2020

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Hired on Thumbtack

Details: Special occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc.) • 6 - 10 guests • Dinner • Standard (basic ingredients) • Cold beverages (alcoholic) • Mediterranean / Middle Eastern • American - casual • Italian • Meal prepared onsite • Only once • My home, venue, etc.

Personal Chef

Kristin H.

Sep 8, 2020

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Hired on Thumbtack

Duane is amazing! I had a vision of what I wanted and he brought it to life. He is kind, polite, respectful and his cooking skills are A+! Adding the wine pairing was an amazing decision. We will 100% be hiring him again. Photos to come.

Details: Special occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc.) • 2 guests • Dinner • Standard (basic ingredients) • Cold beverages (alcoholic) • Dessert • Mediterranean / Middle Eastern • American - formal • Italian • Meal prepared onsite • Only once • My home, venue, etc.

Personal Chef

Josephine y.

Aug 2, 2020

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Hired on Thumbtack

Where do I start!? Duane was amazing! Today was my fifth wedding anniversary and Duane exceeded my expectations in delivering what was a beautiful dinner for two. He not only cooked a delicious meal, he also hand-picked all of the decor and BROUGHT IT TO THE HOUSE.. for what was a beautiful night. Everything was delicious. We had steak, lobster bites, mac & cheese balls, salmon, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, rice pilaf, and cream of spinach. For dessert we had peach and blueberry cobbler that was to die for. Oh my.. everything was amazing. Duane is personable, professional, and willing to work with you to make sure that your vision comes to life. I will be working with him in the near future for sure.

Details: Special occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc.) • 2 guests • Dinner • Dessert • Cocktail hour / hors d'oeuvres • Premium (high end ingredients) • Southern • American - casual • Barbecue • Asian • Mexican / Latin American • Italian • Meal prepared onsite • Only once • My home, venue, etc.

The Gourmet Guide's reply

Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your 5th anniversary dinner! You both were amazing and truly was a pleasure to serve you and help make your vision a reality!

Personal Chef

Stacey B.

Jul 6, 2020

Chef Duane did a very small private event for me and a guest. I hired a private chef for this dinner is because I needed to impress a possible client. He promised to make it a memorable event and boy did he deliver! At the last minute (literally the day before), my guest let me know that she was vegan. I was totally stressed out, but Chef Duane didn’t even bat an eye. He suggested possible changes to the menu, told me not to worry, and ended up making something absolutely delicious! It was so pretty too. Lol I took a pic of the salad cuz it seemed too pretty to eat. My client was definitely impressed. Totally worth it!

Credentials

Background Check

Duane Ward

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Prices are for services offered. However, ingredients are extra and in the case of large events, rentals may be charged as well. the cost also varied based on the complexity of the menu.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
We would connect to discuss the occasion. After determining the style of event, we would go over important must haves as well as tastes preferred. Once this is confirmed, we would discuss logistics. We would do a few check ups as the event approached and solidify numbers 1 week prior. 3 days prior, we would finalize any last minute details.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Classically trained at the New York Restaurant School. I gained many additional skills as well as honed others throughout the years being in the field.