I'm Joe Merchanthouse, a CIA-trained private chef with 30+ years in fine dining — including the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Aureole Las Vegas, and three years living and working in Tuscany. I'm also a trained chocolatier.
I cook intimate, restaurant-quality dinners in your home: multi-course Tuscan–Southern fusion menus, bourbon-paired tastings, and dessert courses built on real chocolate work.
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2 customer reviews
Richardson
Catering
Very engaging and professional. He understood what I wanted and made helpful suggestions and menu choices.
Reply from Private Chef Joe Merchanthouse
Thank you so much, Richardson! It was a real pleasure cooking for your event. Hope our paths cross again soon! — Joe
Rachel T
Personal Chef Services
Joe was very responsive to my questions and very professional. Food was delicious and nicely presented. Heart shaped ravioli and a red chocolate dessert for our Valentine's Day themed dinner were a nice touch. We and our guests have enjoyed it very much. I would hire him again! More...
Reply from Private Chef Joe Merchanthouse
Thanks Rachel! It was a pleasure to cook for you and your group, very fun!
What’s your signature dish?
“Designer pasta”
Southern local and seasonal flavors fused with world cuisines and techniques.
How do you go about creating the perfect menu for your clients?
Learning about their specific tastes and preferences. Taking each job as its own case by case opportunity to create new food and flavors.
What do you love most about your job?
Getting to meet and feed new people. Doing all the heavy lifting in the cooking and hosting dept which allows my clients the ability to relax and enjoy the party.
What inspired you to start your own business?
Having worked in many different restaurants both domestic and abroad, along with working with desserts and chocolate an extensive amount, has given me the tools and confidence and inspiration to bring my experiences into your own home or venue to share.
Why should our clients choose you?
Every menu is built from scratch around your tastes. In-home dinners from $95/person; weekly meal prep from $350/week + groceries. No job too small to deserve the full treatment.
Private Chef/In-Home Dinners
Private Chef / In-Home Dinners
Restaurant-quality multi-course dinners cooked in your kitchen, from $95/person ($250 minimum for two). Tuscan/Southern inspired menus shaped around your tastes, optional wine or bourbon pairings, and a dessert course from a trained chocolatier.
Wine & Bourbon Pairings available as an add-on — Wine +$45/person, Bourbon +$35/person, or both +$65/person, curated per course.
Weekly Meal Prep
A week of from-scratch meals prepped in your kitchen, built around your nutritional goals and tastes. Ongoing weekly service: $299/week service-only for 10 meals for one person (2 meals a day, 5 days). Groceries fluctuate and are added to the final bill every week — no flat all-in price.
Weddings & Events of All Sizes
Chef-led catering for intimate gatherings — dinner parties, holiday parties, Derby-week groups. Custom menus, on-site cooking, full service. Tell me the headcount and I'll build the menu and quote.
