Chef Aj Schmidt

Private Chef In Bozeman

I have always enjoyed the connection food can give to people and bring strangers together. I have worked around the country in different concepts from casual to upscale fine dining. My favorite thing to do when I am traveling is to explore food options and learn new flavors and techniques. I continue to learn and grow and spread the love through food!

For me, cooking is...

A work of art and expression. Being able to source fresh and local products and showing the care and attention to detail is what I strive for.

I learned to cook at...

I first learned to cook as a kid with my grandmother. For me it was a great way to bond, and I was very interested at a young age.

A cooking secret...

Work ethic, adaptability, yearning for knowledge, and respect for the food and where it comes from.

My menus

Flavor Bombs

STARTER

All inclusive

Beets / Pistachio Dukka / Confit Apples / Goat Creme

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Beer Braised White Beans / Lardon / Mirepoix / Truffle / Pecorino

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Short Ribs / Maple and Beer Braise / Pumpkin Puree / Root Vegetables / Pepita Streusel / Citrus Honey

DESSERT

All inclusive

Cheesecake (Seasonal)

Tour of Asia

STARTER

All inclusive

Coconut Chicken Curry Soup / chili crisp

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Korean BBQ Meatballs / Scallion / Sesame

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

5 Spice Duck Breast / Curry / Fig / Cherry Gastrique / Bok Choy

DESSERT

All inclusive

Coconut Rice Pudding

Pasta

STARTER

All inclusive

Beef Tartare / sea salt and pepper cracker / pickled veg

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Green Beans / Almond Butter / Crush Almonds / Lemon

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Bison Bolognese / Garlic Bread

DESSERT

All inclusive

Lava Cakes

Latin Night

STARTER

All inclusive

Caesar salad

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Corn / Chorizo / Poblano / Cream Corn / Salsa Verde Butter / Tajin

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Roasted Chicken / Chocolate Lentils and Lardon / Squash / Fried Plantains and Almond crunch / Hot Honey

DESSERT

All inclusive

Tres Leches Cake

Fall / Winter

STARTER

All inclusive

Local Mushrooms / Brown Butter / White Wine / Garlic and Shallot / Herbs

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Roasted Cauliflower & Apple Quinoa

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Short Ribs / Maple and Beer Braise / Pumpkin Puree / Root Vegetables / Pepita Streusel / Citrus Honey

DESSERT

All inclusive

Pumpkin Panna-Cotta / toasted gram cracker crumble / fresh creme

Local Tastings

STARTER

All inclusive

Beef Tartare

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Caprese

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Beef Tenderloin / Local Veg / Grits /Demi

DESSERT

All inclusive

Cheesecake

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Chef Aj's reviews

4.74

•

36 services

Aj was so amazing! From start to finish he made the experience awesome! Very engaging, very personable! 10/10 recommend!

Hired AJ to help celebrate my 40th birthday with my entire family on the Madison River. Tent pole memory experience! Before his arrival, we discovered the kitchen in our VRBO has challenging burners and the grill turned out to be unusable…didn’t matter for, AJ. Food was incredible and prepared in perfect order with time built in between each course. Our family has a tendency to rush through meals, but with this one we shared stories and memories, on a top notch culinary experience we will carry with us for a lifetime. Everything we had was delicious. He introduced us to several new flavors using fresh local produce. However, my personal favorites were the beats with the goat cheese crème. Also, the duck fat fried potatoes. I finished mine and my wife’s who is pregnant and was getting full at that moment in the meal. Highly, highly recommend Chef AJ. Would not have changed a single item from the menu, or, the presentation. Thanks, Chef!

AJ was incredible and really helped to make the occasion special. The brunch menu he put together had variety, depth and lots of left overs! He made it very easy to communicate with him, and was quick to answer any questions. And the food was absolutely delicious!

Chef AJ created a memorable experience for our group of 8 while we visited Big Sky. He catered to the children with their own menu and created an upscale 4 course option for the adults. The food was delicious, he was prompt, communicative, and kind! Would definitely recommend!

AJ was a treat! We were running late getting home but he wasn’t! He had everything ready when we got back and quickly got the meal going. The courses were timed well and plated beautifully, he was fun to interact with during dinner, and it was overall a fantastic experience! **this urgent asked how we received the menu but it was all through the app, and that was not listed. He communicated quickly, answered all our questions and made it very to coordinate. ***He was also the only chef that worked with us on our large group with teenagers and offered a separate, less expensive option for the teens. They ate first and then the adults could enjoy the evening. This was clutch for us!!

Aj was fantastic to work with- very easy communication, on time, the food was incredible, and we would definitely hire him again! It made it easy for our large group to relax and not worry about organizing dinner. We had AJ at our house two separate nights and everything was perfect

AJ was nothing short of amazing! Each course was absolutely delightful, and he really crafted a menu where there was something for everyone and we tried such unique, fresh flavors. He was very thoughtful in accommodating our gluten-free family member, and NO ONE was left out and everyone couldn't stop raving from the first bite of the beef tartare to the unbelievable chocolate torte. My sister and I had AJ come as a surprise to our rural Montana AirBnB for a group of 12 family members from all across the country. We came together to celebrate a significant milestone in my brother's life, and it was a first-time experience for all of us and just so much fun. AJ really cared about what he put on the table for us, and was so much fun to talk to throughout his preparation, sharing tips with us along the way. If you have the opportunity to do this for a special occasion---do it! This really helped us make a fantastic family memory.