The holidays are right around the corner– meaning there’s no better time to catch up with friends + loved ones than over a glass of wine + a warm meal. But there’s one little problem: time. Most of us just don’t have enough of it.

Enter: PB Cooks. The in-home chef service company makes throwing a dinner party easier than ever, by taking care of 100% of the ‘dinner’ portion for you. I’m talking prep, cooking, and clean-up. Yes, the clean-up too.

For those who are unfamiliar with personal chef dinners, here’s how it works: Chef Phil Brenner (ABC Kitchen, FIG, The Daily) arrives at your home with the tools and ingredients needed to make a fresh, seasonal, + locally-sourced meal. Then, he takes care of the entire cooking process for you, serving each course directly to your table. In other words– instead of rushing around the kitchen, you’ll be able to sit down + spend time with your guests.

It doesn’t stop there, though. Phil’s goal is to help make cooking in your kitchen more accessible– so he offers options like in-home cooking classes, pantry “audits”, and wine pairings in addition to the experience.

Last week, Phil let the CHStoday team try it out firsthand. Needless to say, we’re still drooling. Read on below to hear all about our experience. Or click here if you’re ready to get cooking.

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Planning out the event with Phil was as effortless as the dinner itself. After telling us a bit about his background (he got his start at the French Culinary Institute in NYC + worked at James Beard Award-winning ABC Kitchen before moving to Charleston in 2012), we worked out the basics of the dinner.

It wasn’t much different than calling to make a reservation at a restaurant. We figured out a date + time that worked for us (for a 6:30 p.m. meal, Phil needed to be there around 5:30 p.m. to prep), told him how many were in our group (four), + explained any dietary restrictions/preferences (there’s one pescatarian in our group).

Prior to the night of the dinner, Phil sent over a menu to make sure it looked kosher to us. (Spoiler alert: it looked great.)

Local lettuces | Photo by the CHStoday team

A dinner with CHStoday

Appetizer
Roasted Beet Hummus– ricotta, tahini, vegetable crudité
Deviled Egg Crisps– roasted garlic aioli, salmon roe, rye toast points

First
Local Lettuces– Vertical Roots greens, gently poached Royal Red shrimp, avocado, crunchy veggies, rosé vinaigrette

Entrée
Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli– brown butter sage cream, toasted pecans, preserved lemon

Dessert
Butterscotch Pot de Crème– vanilla crème fraiche

As the host, here’s all I had to do to prepare:

Clean my house (it’s not a requirement, but I didn’t want my boss to see the piles of laundry on my floor).
Buy a lot of wine (again, not a requirement, but what can I say? Our team really likes wine).

Roasted beet hummus, deviled egg crisps, + fresh veggies | Photo by the CHStoday team

Phil arrived with everything. All he needed from my kitchen were plates + bowls to serve the courses. The rest of the CHStoday crew arrived right in time to enjoy our first appetizer, a delicious beet hummus + crudité. As he served each course, he explained everything in detail– right down to where each ingredient came from.

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli | Photo by the CHStoday team

Overall, the food was incredible, but what made it even better was the ability to enjoy it with my friends in the intimacy of my home rather than a loud + crowded restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, I love going out to eat– but fine dining feels even finer when you can enjoy it without circling King Street ten times to find a parking spot first. Particularly when it’s pouring down rain, and the streets are all flooded. I live downtown, but I would imagine this perk would be *especially* great for those who regularly commute from Summerville or North Charleston to go out to eat.

Ready to book your holiday dinner? Fill out this quick contact form via the PB Cooks website, reach out directly via phone at 410-251-8054, or send an email to phil@pbcooks.com.

This content was created in partnership with PB Cooks.