Chef Alan Lake

Private Chef In Chicago

Chef Alan is a 4-diamond award-winning chef, you can find him designing innovative specialized menus and kitchens for restaurants and movie theatres while consulting and researching throughout the world.

Chef Alan served as Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage at the Sunset Marquis in Los Angeles, and also became the first American chef to serve at the French Consulate in the city. Chef Alan also participated as a member of the reopening task force for The Shelbourne on St. Steven’s Green, a European 5-star grand hotel in Dublin.

Alans' secret in the kitchen is layering flavors with proper techniques and improvisation. His passion for food also pushed him to write a book called "The Garlic Manifesto" and is shopping his manuscript "Home Cooking'- The stories behind the food. Personal profiles on great home cooks with their favorite recipes. Think Studs Terkel meets Julia Child.

For me, cooking is...

My life's passion and motivating force. I've sought it out and worked in Japan, Zurich, Dublin, Mumbai, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, Vancouver...

I learned to cook at...

Old style, on the job amongst top European professionals in a brigade system.

A cooking secret...

Layering flavors with proper techniques and improvisation

My menus

Wine Bites

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Bruschetta of Charred Fava Beans w/Chile Pepper, Tarragon and Parmigiano

Assorted Salumi's, Cheeses, Fruits, Garni

Frutti di Mare- Chilled Shrimp, Mussels, Calamari, Capers, Olives, Celery, Peppers and Parsley dressed w/Salsa Verde

Scampi Bread w/Spicy lemon-Garlic Sauce

Grape Leaves stuffed w/Roasted Grapes, Barley and N'duja w/Oven Dried Roma Tomato-Toasted Almond Vinaigrette

Amuse Bouche- Organic Medjool Date stuffed w/Gorgonzola and Toasted Almonds Lets start w/this and choose 2 other dishes below:

Grilled Polenta Bites w/Exotic Mushrooms and Asiago

Rosemary Grilled Chicken Livers w/Mostarda

Grilled Calamari w/Tomato, Giardinara, Parsley and Garlic

Arancini Milanase w/Saffron and Peas

FIRST COURSE

Choose 3 dishes

Crudo of Grilled Portabella w/fennel pollen, radish, chives, blood orange, edible flowers, arugula salsa verde

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Zabaglione, made to order, served warm w/macerated fruits w/mint

Tiramisu w/Espresso, Mascarpone and Cocoa

Pignoli Cookies w/Nutella Milk Shake

Fiesta

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Guacamole w/Pomegranate and Radish, Fresh Made Chips

Queso Fundido w/chorizo and roasted poblano

Mini Lobster Tacos w/tarragon, shallots and tomato w/chipotle aioli and avocado

Mushroom Quesadilla-- Tomato, Cilantro, Onion, Salsa,, Cojita Cheese, Queso Fresca

Tocino y Camaron - Bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed w/jicama and jalapeño w/apricot-horseradish salsa

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Ceviche of Sea Scallops w/Jicama, Celery, Onion, Peppers, Avocado

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Enchilada Verde w/Chicken, Mango, Chipotle and Pepitas w/Black Beans and Rice

Mole w/your choice of protein over Spanish Rice w/Tomato and Cumin and Plantains

Carne Asada Guisado w/onions, garlic tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro and grilled tortillas

Fire Roasted Poblano Pepper Relleno filled w/Roasted Duck, Goat Cheese and Pepitas w/Verde Sauce

Seared Red Snapper (or Pompano) w/Lemon, Bananas and Toasted Almonds over Spanish Rice

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Mango-Pumpkin Spice Cake ala mode w/Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Bittersweet Chocolate-Gujillo Genoise w/Raspberry Coulis, Hazelnut Whipped Cream

Flan w/Raspberries

Warm Guava and Cheese Empanada w/Chocolate Sauce

Buffet menu for larger parties

STARTER

All inclusive

Amuse Bouche- Organic Medjool Date stuffed w/Gorgonzola and Toasted Almonds

Guacamole w/Pomegranate and Radish, Fresh Made Chips

Cold Poached Salmon w/Cucumber-Dill Sauce

Grilled Thai Chicken Skewer w/Red Curry - Coconut Sauce

Crudo of Grilled Portabella w/fennel pollen, radish, chives, blood orange, edible flowers, salsa verde

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp stuffed w/Water Chestnut and Jalapeño, Apricot-Horseradish Dipping Sauce

Baba Ganouj w/Lentils, Herbs and Warm Toasted Lavash

FIRST COURSE

Choose 3 dishes

Multiple Greens, Orange, Fennel, Manuri Cheese, Charred Knob Onion, Sunflower Seeds, Balsamic-Mustard Vinaigrette

Wedge Salad w/Bacon Lardons, Oven-Dried Tomato, Roasted Peppers, Warm Polenta Croutons, Green Goddess Dressing

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Grilled Crab Cakes, Herb Salad, Lemon Chile Aioli

Grilled Marinated Lamb Rack Chops, Balsamic-Honey-Mint Sauce

10 Vegetable Orzo Pialf w/Asiago, Ginger and Mint

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Lemon-Ricotta Cheesecake w/Raspberry Coulis

Tiramisu w/Espresso, Mascarpone and Cocoa

Bittersweet Chocolate-Orange-Kahlua Mousse w/Asst Garni

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Chef Alan's reviews

4.65

•

125 services

Chef Alan did a great job. Great food, great presentation, and explained the dishes to all the guests.

Chef Alan was amazing. He was professional, creative and the food was fantastic. He made our dinner party most memorable! I highly recommend him.

Chef Alan helped me create a great menu for 8 people in our place. We had a few shellfish allergy, pescaterian and vegetarian patrons but was able to create an overall great menu with tons of tasty options. The food tasted wonderful and the plating and presentation was especially pretty. The bonus amuse bouche and home-made limoncello at the end were awesome. All our guests loved the food, taste, presentation and everything. Overall a great time and would be very happy to have Chef Alan again for a future event.

Chef Alan Lake is A TEN OUT OF TEN. The menu options I had to select from were all so good that I almost paid extra for multiple because I couldn't decide. Chef Alan helped me narrow down my choices and we had a perfect dinner. Every dish was top tier. This was easily some of the most delicious food I have ever had, and Chef himself was a very sweet person.

Chef Alan cooked a private meal after a proposal - it couldn't have been better. Perfect food, professional, and overall a great decision.

Very great to work with and was the cherry on top of an amazing trip that was already filled with fine dining!

Chef Alan did an extended family dinner at our home and was excellent! Very creative dishes with great flavor. We have not seen any of these items on top restaurant menus in our area and it was definitely an enjoyable and memorable food experience.

Chef Alan is incredible! Very easy to work with, menu and food was out of this world. We had 6 family adults, 4 children and 3 small dogs running around the house. Chef Alan did a masterful job dealing with all of us and his presentation was excellent! Plus he is a very interesting person and we so enjoyed our time together and getting to know him as a person! He exceeded all expectations! We highly recommend him!!!

Chef Lake was great. A true professional who made excellent food.

Chef Alan did a great job. The food was fantastic. He was very professional and personable. Great experience.

Chef Alan Lake is an accomplished chef with a broad background and a myriad of other interests, leading to an evening of great conversation....on top of preparing an extraordinary French meal consisting of 5 delicious courses with bonuses of an amuse bouche and crafted ice glasses with limoncello to finish! Can't thank him enough for a memorable and fulfilling evening! He offered many choices in advance that allowed us to craft an amazing menu that was prepared professionally and beyond our expectations.

I had gifted the Private Chef experience to my cousin and his wife. They were absolutely thrilled with the experience. They sent pictures of each of the dishes which were beautifully presented. Chef Alan was easy to work with and very accommodating. I will be using Chef Alan again!

Chef Alan elevated out evening with friends by creating a personalized menu with wine parings. Food and presentation was extraordinary. He was also professional, polite, punctual, and very easy to work with. Would highly recommend

Chef Alan was really great. He was very amenable to menu changes and dietary restrictions. The food looked excellent and tasted incredible. Highly recommended!

I can't recommend Chef Alan enough. I booked a night with Take A Chef for our engagement and it was absolutely spectacular! The food was amazing, conversation was fun, we listened to his music, got his favorite Chicago restaurant recommendations, and had a fabulous time. My fiancé loved it as well, the night was relaxing and intimate – exactly what she wanted. If you're considering booking Chef Alan, do it.

Chef Alan Lake was great. Very interesting and good conversationalist, excellent food. Over all a very enjoyable experience. Would recommend and repeat in the future.

Great experience

Experiencing Chef Alan's magic was a once-in-a-lifetime event—though we do hope to repeat! The special occasion was a series of 5 meals while my parents were visiting our family, and giving us new parents a bit of a break. Chef Alan worked with us to prepare 5 unforgettable menus, accommodated all our requests, and came up with lots of fabulous ideas on his own. And the food! So much better than even the best restaurants in town, and all in the comfort of our home. We're so glad we found Chef Alan, and can't wait until the next time we can work together with him. Thank you!

Chef Alan was outstanding in every way. From the consultation to accommodating our medical and allergy needs, to preparing a delightful meal for us and our guests. A 5star experience all around.

Wonderful experience with Chef Alan Lake. He was extremely thoughtful in creating the menu, the food was incredibly delicious and beautifully presented, and he was engaging and professional throughout the experience. Would highly recommend!