Chef David Mau

Private Chef In Windsor

My family settled Sonoma in 1849 and my indigenous ancestors go back for millennia. After a dynamic career as a Chef, Writer and Photographer I’m back where I am meant to be living this next chapter of my culinary journey. Sonoma and the region mean a lot to me and I love sharing my experiences from the OC to High Sierra as well."

I pride myself on being super easy to work with. Food should be fun and as a writer I love to talk cuisine and restaurant culture, it’s a passion of mine to create a narrative for my guests. Most of all I like to craft memories as well as dishes, let’s have a meal to remember!

For me, cooking is...

An act of profound skill and dedication to people and the culinary craft.

I learned to cook at...

Beside my Father as a child and onto my professional journey from the hip, urban spots to the California wilderness.

A cooking secret...

Good company is the best ingredient and pretense makes a lousy garnish

My menus

Chef Dave’s Holiday Family Favorites

STARTER

All inclusive

Grandma Lola’s Holiday Mix - The Holiday Classic from her original 1940’a index card recipe. Mixed nuts, pretzels and all the fixins’. Perfect for cocktail snacking

Olives San Leandro - Marinated Olives in my family tradition served with crudités

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Caesar Salad a la Minute - The real deal made to order from scratch, there’s nothing like it. The classic ingredients in the purest form

Green Bean Casserole West Coast - The traditional Midwest presentation with fresh herbs, olive oil and Romano cheese as well

Real Deal Whipped Taters and Chris’ Infamous Sausage Stuffing - Legendary

Pan Gravy From Scratch - Guest’s choice

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Prime Rib O’Neill - A classic Central California presentation, garlic and olive oil Prime Beef rubbed with black pepper, mustard seed, garlic, olive oil and herbs. Pan dippings

Roast Turkey - My way, stuffed with apples, onions, rosemary and guajillo chiles. Baja table salt. A fine West Coast version of the classic holiday main dish

Pork Loin In Plum Sauce - Camp style in a dutch oven with fresh plums, garlic, Japanese chiles, and Fresno Onions. Shallot

DESSERT

All inclusive

Seasonal Dessert - Assorted Offerings, pies to ice cream, per client request. Let’s have some fun

The Coastal Brunch

STARTER

All inclusive

Ebelskevers - A Solvang specialty, Dutch-style Pancake Balls with Cinnamon, Piloncillo (dark cane sugar) and Banana. Served with Butter and organic Maple Syrup

Mirin Cured Salmon - The finest Salmon cured with Mirin, Caper, Dill and Sea Salt then gently smoked. Served with Herbed Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Crostini

Mexican Fruit Salad - Mixed Organic Fruit tossed with Mint and topped with Tajin

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Authentic Corned Beef Hash - A solid presentation with Fresh Corned Beef, Yukon Potatoes, Onion and Green Peppers. This one is the real deal

Chilaquiles - A simple yet classic Mexican Egg Dish with Tortillas, Chicken Stock, Chiles, Queso Fresco and Salsa Aguacate

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Baked Greek Frittata - With Feta, Rice, Grated Zucchini and Mountain Herbs

DESSERT

All inclusive

All Things Brunch 2

STARTER

All inclusive

Ebelskevers - A Solvang specialty, Dutch-style Pancake Balls with Cinnamon, Piloncillo (dark cane sugar) and Banana. Served with Butter and organic Maple Syrup

Mirin Cured Salmon - The finest Salmon cured with Mirin, Caper, Dill and Sea Salt then gently smoked. Served with Herbed Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Crostini

Mexican Fruit Salad - Mixed Organic Fruit tossed with Mint and topped with Tajin

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Authentic Corned Beef Hash - A solid presentation with Fresh Corned Beef, Yukon Potatoes, Onion and Green Peppers. This one is the real deal

Chilaquiles - A simple yet classic Mexican Egg Dish with Tortillas, Chicken Stock, Chiles, Queso Fresco and Salsa Aguacate

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Baked Greek Frittata - With Feta, Rice, Grated Zucchini and Mountain Herbs

DESSERT

All inclusive

Tacos Estilo Alta Baja

STARTER

All inclusive

Three kinds of house made salsa from scratch

Fresh chips and guacamole classic style

Corn Tortillas Hecho a Mano (by hand from scratch)

Mexican Fruit Salad with Tajin and Mint - a classic!

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Authentic Sofrito Black Beans with Jasmine Rice

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Grilled Carne Rancheria (beef) and Pollo Adovado (chicken) with Grilled Veggies and Peppers

DESSERT

All inclusive

Mexican Ice Cream Sandwiches with Tajin Pecans, Mint and Fresh Local Berries

Tales Of The Bay

STARTER

All inclusive

Caesar Salad - made a la minute with Fresh Croutons, Organic Olive Oil, Egg, Shaved Romano Cheese and Citrus. The definitive West Coast version

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Cioppino à Portuguesa - A Portuguese take on the classic Seafood Stew with Shrimp, Mussels, Whitefish, House Broth and Spicy Portuguese Linguica. Served with Crusty Bread

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Pasta North Beach - with Spinach, Olive Oil, Roma Tomato and Cheese

Striped Sea Bass Nob Hill - Wrapped and baked in a delicate Pasty Crust with Myer Lemon, Japanese Mint, Cured Salmon and baked

DESSERT

All inclusive

Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake with Sweet Cream and Organic Berries

Baja Family Table

STARTER

All inclusive

Salad of Grilled Local Vegetables tossed with Arugula, Cabbage and House Dressing

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Authntic Sofrito Black Beans with Jasmine Rice

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Hand made thick Tortillas served with Three Homemade Salsas

Grilled Sustainable White Seabass from Baja stuffed with Shaved Red Onions, Tomatillo, Garlic and Herbs

DESSERT

All inclusive

Assorted House Pastries with Local Honey and Toasted Nuts

Italian Provence Flavors

STARTER

All inclusive

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Grilled Asparagus with Herbed Olive Oil, Shaved Romano Cheese and Myer Lemon Zest

Italian Wedding Soup - A classic with Meatballs, Orzo Pasta, Organic Chicken Broth, Cheese and Herbs

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Stracotto de Manzo - Italian Braised Beef with Tomato, Garlic, Pancetta and Herbs

Choice of Premium Pasta with Organic Olive Oil lightly salted

DESSERT

All inclusive

Cannoli with Local Honey and House Preserves

The California Table

STARTER

All inclusive

Salad Corte Madera with Avocado, Tomato, Cured Olives, Napa Cabbage, Grilled Cebollita and House Dressing

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Sofrito Black Beans with Jasmine Rice

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Citrus Marinated Free Range Chicken grilled A la Plancha

Real Deal Tri Tip Coastal Style sliced thin and served with Salsa Cruda

DESSERT

All inclusive

Assorted House Pastries with Local Honey and Toasted Nuts

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Chef David's reviews

4.8

•

89 services

We had an amazing experience with chef Dave. He communicated very thoroughly with me weeks in advance, again the week of our dinner and prior to his arrival day of. His food was delicious. We all enjoyed everything he made for us. He fit right into our group. He was very kind and we all thoroughly enjoyed having him as our chef. I would highly recommend him and use him again.

For my dad's 60th birthday, we had the pleasure of having Dave as our private chef, and he truly made the occasion unforgettable. Dave was incredibly accommodating, creating a personalized menu that catered perfectly to our diverse dietary preferences. His dishes were super delicious and filling. Dave's personality shone through as he engaged us with delightful and quirky conversation throughout the evening. He is definitely chatty & friendly, which only added to the fun and festive atmosphere. Overall, his culinary skills and charismatic presence made my dad's birthday an exceptional experience.

Chef Dave was a joy to work with. Very personable and professional, accommodating for dietary needs and respectful of our space and time. His menu was exactly what I pictured and we loved hearing about the development and creation of his recipes. Would definitely recommend Chef Dave for your private dining experience!

Chef David was incredible! He was on-time, engaging, personable, and went above and beyond to make sure we had an amazing experience. His food was delicious and he explained each dish perfectly and made sure that he understood all of our likes and dislikes. He cleaned the kitchen up perfectly an even made us a dish from leftovers for breakfast inn the morning, I would highly recommend David Mau to anyone. thanks for an amazing experience! Gretchen

Chef David was fantastic to work with. He was very responsive with communications prior to our event and very flexible with the menu. Upon arrival he was super engaging and humorous. He jumped right into cooking and gave us some of his background story. The food was delicious and it catered to several of us with food allergies. Overall would highly recommend Chef Dave and was hire him again for a future event!

Chef Dave was very easy to work with. He was flexible. At the last minute, we had a couple of special requests, which he handled no problem. He was interesting, and could tell some engaging stories. He also gave us plenty of space to enjoy visiting with each other. Overall, the experience exceeded expectations.

Chef Dave was fabulous! He cooked multiple meals for us on our visit and each one was incredible. He was fun, friendly, accommodating, and a joy to work with. We will absolutely work with him again in the future. Grateful for such a wonderful experience with Take a Chef and Chef Dave!

Chef Dave was great!

Chef Dave, quite literally, added the perfect seasoning to our family trip. He’s a rock n roll culinary vaquero who made himself “right at kitchen” in our vacation home. Being tasked with preparing multiple meals for many ages and varying palates is no easy task, but it became very apparent that’s what this guy lives and breathes. It seemed as though every dish came with a larger-than-life story of its conception, therefore leading to not only dinner, but a downright hell of a show. If you’re looking for a chef that will show up, curate a menu and meal, clean up perfectly, and leave- that’s no problem for Chef Dave. However, if you’re looking to make the most out of your experience, spend your time in the company of someone you will quickly find yourself believing is an old friend, and learning some history and tradition of the food you will be enjoying—well then, you’ve come to the right guy. Rock on, Chef Dave. Thanks for the meals and memories. -The Heller Family

Chef Dave was terrific! Loved having him cook for our crew!!!

We loved Dave!! Food was amazing & he's a great guy!

Easily a 5 out of 5 star review for Chef David. Great personality, amazing food, and very engaging. We enjoyed talking with him while he was cooking and got to know more about each other. Would highly recommend for a fun and delicious dinner party.

Dave Mau did an outstanding job as a chef and entertainer! The food was excellent and very generous! Chef Dave Mau entertained us with interesting stories as well. I highly recommend him for a wonderful prtsonal chef experience!

Personable. Entertaining. Delicious. We were still talking about Chef Dave, and eating leftovers, the next day. And he left the kitchen in the same state as when he arrived.

Chef Dave was wonderful! I’m so glad we had him for our wedding. Dave was super helpful, communicative, and on top of everything. The food was outstanding and he went above and beyond to include a variety of food choices that everyone could enjoy while also bringing in new and tasty items that we’d never heard of. We would absolutely use Chef Dave again.

Chef David exceeded our expectations. He made it such an incredible experience and a memorable time for us. He went above and beyond checking in with me, explaining his dishes, supporting us on our surprise proposal dinner by taking amazing professional photo and video! His chicken is to die for, literally the best we ever had. His sauce, dessert, main dish, and everything was just amazing, he gave us extra and said there should be enough for left over, but the food was literally amazing that no leftovers were to be found the next day. He made all of us laugh and explained all the dishes and where they came from and it was just such an amazing experience!!!

Chef David is the best! Highly recommend - he was super engaging and the food was delicious (we licked the plates). Great person to make your special event even more special!

Chef Dave treated us to a first class experience, great food and great company. I picked the menu via the website.

Chef Dave was amazing, entertaining, and the food was fabulous! We had such an amazing time and had plenty of left overs for the next day.

Chef David Mau was... AMAZING!!! What a talented chef with such a down to earth attitude. The man can’t help but radiate kick back vibes. He is a Michelin star caliber chef with a rock and roll style. He can make anything work. He can take a basic suburban kitchen that does not have all the right tools and still manage to pull out the best food that we have had, period. My guests and I devoured his food. You could tell that cooking was more than a passion, but a way of life for Chef David. I hired Chef David for my wife’s surprise 30th birthday and Chef was not only super on point with all details, but was happy to be a part of the whole process. He worked with me a little ahead of time and I can feel he was excited for me. He was supportive and took the lead with his experience when I needed him too. My wife and her friends were absolutely shocked by Chef David’s talent and charming personality. He will leave your home just the way it was before you started, and likely cleaner. You can tell that this professional chef has spent COUNTLESS Hours putting in the work it takes to be a chef that has opened several restaurants, all the while brining his own flavor and style to the process, not once making you feel that anything was beneath him. His talent was only surpassed by his class. Thank you Chef David and thank you Take a Chef for all making this happen for my wife. I will be doing this again in the future.