The Prancing Chef

Anthony and his partner, Josh, are the best at what they do. They are very accommodating for all dietary needs and assisted us every step of the way. They even ordered certain dining items for us to help simplify the process. Anthony and Josh were easy to work with, so kind, and incredibly helpful throughout the entire wedding planning process. We were planning our wedding from New Orleans and no matter the question or need, Anthony responded to us that same day. Now, getting to the important part - the FOOD. The food on our wedding day (from the appetizers during cocktail hour to the main meal) exceeded our expectations. Not a detail was missed and the flavors were beyond yummy. All I can say is hire The Prancing Chef today. I promise you will not regret it. Anthony, you and Josh are a bride and groom's dream! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

I wish I could give them 10 stars! Anthony was so amazing to work with! He was enthusiastic and passionate. He made us a drool worthy menu. Service was above and beyond. We never wanted them to leave.I booked them for a bachelorette party weekend.  They made fresh, clean dishes that were hungover friendly by request. They came in and got right to work and cleaned up completely afterward. I could not recommend them more!  Thank you Anthony & Joshua!!!! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

When I think about how great Anthony, Josh, and Sarah are I just want to get up and cheer.  Their food will have the same effect on you.  Delicious food, amazing service and the ability to problem solve makes them the triple threat of caterers.  As a planner I meet a lot of caterers and eat a lot of wedding food so trust me when I tell you you will never be disappointed when hiring this stellar team. I can't wait to work with them again! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Where do I start I am beyond thrilled with the services provided by The Prancing Chef. Chef Anthony has impeccable taste and has wowed every single time I have had the pleasure of working with him.  From full wedding catering to smaller, more intimate dinner parties - Chef Anthony and his amazing team have MADE the event! Flawless presentation; incredible palate pleasing cuisine and consummate professionalism make this group my Go-To for all my SLO County events. Cheers Anthony and we look forward to working with you again! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Anthony and his team are exceptional!

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Where do I even start? Anthony and Josh were top notch-- worth every penny and then some. Anthony was such a huge help and was so responsive to my emails as I was planning my wedding from afar and needed guidance at times. The food was phenomenal and my friends are still talking about Anthony's mad sous vide skills. They went above and beyond my expectations, were an absolute delight to work with, and I could not recommend them more highly. Hire them for any event and your guests will be raving! They also have some pretty insane dance skills if you can lure them on to the dance floor ;) Would hire them again in a heartbeat. They made our special day memorable and delicious! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

We are so grateful for the love and attention put into our wedding meal. All of our guests were so happy with dinner and the service they received. Thank you a million times for your sharing your talent with us on our special day. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Anthony and his fine partner catered a vegetarian yoga and wine tasting weekend retreat I held in Santa Margarita during this past crush season. The last evening, the participants sat around the fireplace discussing "things we were deciding to let go of" before returning to our daily lives after the retreat. One participant said dejectedly:  "I'm letting go of Anthony being my personal chef." We all sighed in agreement and then reminisced about delicious almond flour crusted berry crumble, heart-warming vegetarian shepherds pie, luscious zucchini lasagne, etc. etc. etc.Super fresh tasty food, well paired with convivial conversation. And planning with him was EASY. Well organized and prompt in his reply. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Amazing, Amazing, Amazing......!! Anthony and Josh are the absolute best! I was so lucky to have found them to do my very small wedding dinner of 13 people. Initially when I was looking for a caterer for my small event I was having a hard time getting a hold of so many businesses in the area. A few wouldn't even consider doing a wedding dinner as small as mine, and then most didn't get back to me at all. Then I decided maybe I should get a personal chef, and started searching on Google. Low and behold "The Prancing Chef" showed up! After looking at his site and all the yummy food I decided to e-mail him asking if he could do an event as small as mine! He e-mailed me back the SAME DAY and with good news, YES he had my date available and could do a dinner for 13. I was soooo very excited and decided we should meet up and discuss all things FOOD!! From the moment we met Anthony and Josh it was an instant connection! Our first meeting was a smash, they are truly the most wonderful people. We went over what we wanted our menu to kind of look like and Anthony took it from there and came up with the most FABULOUS menu. From there we talked and talked about everything and of course our love of food.. it was like talking to old friends! Everything from our initial meeting to the actual event was perfection and absolutely flawless. Anthony is super thorough and organized, if I had a question or concern he would answer within the hour and put me right at ease! As for the food, PHENOMENAL!!!!!!!! I can't get over how amazing the dinner was. He is one of the only chefs in the county that does sous-vide! And let me tell you after having filet done sous-vide you can't go back, it was truly the best filet I've ever had!!! Actually hands down the best meal I've ever had and the most memorable. Our families were so impressed with the meal, and loved how Anthony introduced every course, from how he prepared it to where the food came from. He even helped place the fresh flowers on my wedding cake when my sisters were having a hard time doing it. He just got right in there and handled it, and it looked gorgeous! He also cut the cake up perfectly so everyone could have a piece of each flavor. They even CLEANED up all the dishes and the ENTIRE KITCHEN after everything was done!!! Oh my gosh these guys are the ABSOLUTE BEEEEEESSST!!! It was so WONDERFUL and LOVELY to work with Anthony and Josh. This was the best experience and my first with a personal chef! They are nothing but KIND, CARING, PROFESSIONAL, and SO MUCH FUN!! I will definitely be keeping in touch with them..my husband and I are already thinking of planning an anniversary meal with our families, hopefully next year! So all in all, I HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND "The Prancing Chef"!!!!! ;) More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Anthony and Josh provided an amazing experience, I highly recommend them.  Everyone commented how the food was outstanding and when they left, it was like they hadn't even been there (so clean). They even picked up a cake at a bakery on the way since we short on time!!Hopefully we cross paths again. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We had the Prancing Chef cater our Corporate Luncheon / Employee Appreciation Day.  We did not give them a very big lead time and Anthony was able to bring the event together without issue.  They were very easy to deal with on the pre-event coordination. On the day of the event, everything went off without a hitch.  That includes a curveball that we have some special dietary needs that Anthony handled excellently.  He prepared a Vegan meal with literally an hours notice and our vegan guest said it was one of the best vegan meals of her life.  For the rest of us (ie: meat eaters), the food was FANTASTIC.  Everything was really great.  We highly recommend the Prancing Chef! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Anthony, Josh, Sarah, and Richie catered our wine club pickup party of 175 guests.  They met our budget (came in under a bit, actually) and brought their A-game!  We had 80-hour sous vide espresso rubbed brisket, with country mashed potatoes and sweet escabeche vegetables.  For dessert we had a farmer's market berry trifle.  I saw our wine club members going back for seconds, even thirds.  Everyone, literally everyone, who came up to me raved about the food and service.  Anthony made a lovely BBQ aioli using our wine, and also incorporated it into the dessert.  It was so delicious and the event was flawlessly executed.I 100% recommend The Prancing Chef for any event.  They are on-time, prepared, and give the food that little extra "oomph" that makes it really prance. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Wow! That was one of the best dinner experiences I have ever had.  For a birthday party at our house we had Anthony and Josh come and do a family style dinner.  Anthony made shrimp appetizers, stuffed mushrooms and sweet potato mousse then a great green salad to begin at the table.  For dinner we had espresso rubbed short ribs with creamy polenta and green beans.  It was an amazing meal!I was really happy how flexible Anthony was with our planning and budget.  He made suggestions that allowed us to get what we wanted.  What a fun, tasty experience. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Chef Anthony catered our wedding dinner this weekend and it was absolutely amazing! Everyone was raving about the food!! Anthony was wonderful to work with and was very generous with his time. We enjoyed the espresso rubbed short ribs and chicken roulade for the  mains, but the sides and appetizers were also outstanding. I would highly recommend The Prancing Chef! Thank you Anthony. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I'm unofficially changing the name from The Prancing Chef to The Perfect Chef. Chef Anthony, Liz and Josh created a wonderful dinner and a brunch for our special weekend.  The food was outstanding (and healthy) while the preparation and efficiency looked effortless.  We know it was anything but.  The bonus was their attitudes: always responsive to requests and quietly going about preparing each delicious morsel.  We can't say enough good things about Anthony, Josh and Liz.  We will definitely have them back for another occasion and look forward to what new dishes they've created.  If you can get on their calendar, book them now. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Anthony, Liz, and Josh are amazing! They catered my parents' wedding this weekend and blew us all away.The food was absolutely outstanding. I'm vegan and it was a priority for my parents that I have lots of option to feel included. Not only did I have options, but over half the food was vegan and all of it was so inventive! EVERYONE loved it too!We could tell that Anthony and Josh are truly creative and passionate people. They were professional, positive, easy going, and exceedingly competent. They were the highlight of the celebration for us and my family is looking forward to having them over again!My advice to you is to book them quickly because they are often booked solid -- it's no wonder why. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Look no further for not only an amazing chef but a super-organized, creative, clean and responsible chef who will prepare food that tastes as good as it looks.  Chef Anthony and his team are the best of the best.  As an event planner for over 25 years, I have hired (and fired) many caterers, both domestically and internationally, and The Prancing Chef is a company that delivers from start to finish.  From the moment you start correspondence and conversation with Chef Anthony to the moment his team shakes out your welcome mat as they exit, you will be smiling, relaxed and without worry -- and the food is incredible!  Chef Anthony prepared a last minute meal at a vacation rental home for 11 people, ages "Kindergarten to Older than Retirement," that was Gluten Free, Corn Free, Dairy Free, from farm to table and made everyone happy and full.  He did all of it on a budget, too!  Thank you Chef Anthony (and Pastry Chef who works miracles, Josh) for helping make our vacation so wonderful.  We can't wait to taste your next creation and share some cider again! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I never would have expected an appetizer that faithfully captured the essence of a meal, perfect bites bringing me back to grandma's table and happy memories.  Time and again my experience with the masterful dishes from The Prancing Chef leave my mouth watering and my mind racing to try and keep up! Looking forward to my next experience! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Ron and I had the most amazing dinner Friday night, thanks to The Prancing Chef. (Also known as Anthony Allesmith). He gave us a dinner to remember. Absolutly beautiful. If you are looking for an elegant and wonderful caterer, look no further. Definitly a five star! We had Butternut Squash Salad with Maple Vinaigrette, Paleo Stuffed Mushrooms, Sweet Potato Mousse, Pumpkin Bisque, Thyme and Peppercorn Crusted Chateaubriand with Butternut Squash Puree and Roasted Brussels sprouts and asparagus tips with Cabernet Demi glacé and thyme fried onions, finishing with Sous Vide Creme Brûlée, We left feeling beyond satisfied! Would most definitely recommend The Prancing Chef for any event! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I had the pleasure of attending a tasting with The Prancing Chef this past Saturday.  I was blown away by the food.  The espresso-rubbed short ribs with grilled polenta was prepared to perfection, with balanced flavors and a beautiful presentation.  I would definitely recommend The Prancing Chef to anyone looking for a caterer. More...

Reviewed on Yelp