Chef James Richmond

Private Chef In Napa

With over 15 years of culinary expertise, starting with my foundation at the California Culinary Academy and honed under the mentorship of Chef Mathew Bosquet, where I spent seven formative years as his sous chef, I've mastered the intricacies of French cuisine and the pursuit of culinary excellence. My journey has also included executive chef roles in Napa Valley, Seattle, and Montana, broadening my culinary horizons and instilling a deep appreciation for fresh, seasonal ingredients and innovative techniques.

Today, I specialize in crafting bespoke dining experiences through my private chef services. From intimate in-home gatherings to elegant winemaker dinners, I bring restaurant-quality cuisine and personalized service directly to your table. My expertise extends to farm-to-table dining, showcasing the bounty of local harvests, and curating menus that reflect your unique preferences and dietary needs.

Backed by a network of seasoned hospitality professionals, I'm committed to providing unforgettable culinary journeys that tantalize the senses and create lasting memories.

For me, cooking is...

What I have always been passionate about, my hobbies center around the kitchen, foraging, fishing and gardening it all comes back to our food.

I learned to cook at...

I was traditionally trained at the California Culinary Academy, and learned under chefs Mathew Bosquet, Philippe Jeanty & Tamara Murphy among others.

A cooking secret...

Cooking with quality & seasonal ingredients, and giving them the proper time & attention to provide my guests with the best experience I can.

My menus

Asian Fusion V 2.0

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Ahi Tuna Crudo on fresh shiso, with nori chips, avocado, preserved lemon & an umami nage

Fresh handmade wild tri-cornered leeks & chicken dumplings with ginger & shoyu, with an umami dipping sauce

Bluefin Tuna tartare, cucumber, avocado, fennel, with herb & avocado mousse, shoyu & extra virgin olive oil with dehydrated citrus chips

Dungeness crab beignets, with crab infused hollandaise, poached asparagus & preserved meyer lemon

Sous Vide & Charred Pork Belly, caramelized citrus, sesame soy glaze with aged banyuls vinegar & pickled mustard seed

Blistered sweet shishito peppers, with citrus sea salt & creamy dipping sauce

Spice Crusted Seared Scallop, & tonka bean brown butter pear, celeriac puree & fried parsley pistou

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Cordycep Mushroom "Pasta" with leeks, bloomsdale spinach, sweet corn, sous vide egg & shaved pecorino cheese

Market seafood sushi roll, served with pickled ginger, wasabi, & barrel aged soy sauce

Mixed seasonal Tempura, served with shiso & ram salad with umami dipping sauce

Oak roasted mushroom salad, sesame, walnut & shallot confit with salt blanched lacinato kale & sage blossom shrub

Korean Japche, with crispy duck confit, sweet potato noodles, garlic chives & bok choy with a duck demi & hoisin sauce, a Hoisin

Korean Kimchi Pancake & Korean seafood pancake with traditional accoutrements

Sous-Vide & Torched Fatty Hamachi Fillet, with blistered asparagus & spring onions with sesame & poppy seeded soy glaze & warm sushi rice

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Liberty farms duck, tongue to tail, tongue & persimmon salad with roasted breast, liver mousse, confit of leg & a crispy Pope's nose with roasted chanterelles, & cabbage with a ishiri shoyu gastrique

Grilled Hamachi Kama served with preserved lemon herb salad, with jasmine rice and a ishiri ponzu

Sous vide Prime Bryan Flannery Shortribs marinated and cooked sous vide then sliced and glazed with seasame, ginger & ishiri shoyu with charred heirloom broccolis

Seared Bluefin Tuna soba noodles, roasted cabbage & trumpet mushrooms with black Mussels & curry cap mushroom & sesame nage

Liberty farms sous-vide “Peking” duck daikon & carrot salad with salted fennel with roasted wild mushrooms, shallot & cabbages with a ishiri shoyu & Hoisin gastrique & Mandarin crepes

Tea Smoked Liberty Farms Duck Breast Sunchoke & celeriac soubise with ishiri & soy glazed bok choy & rapini

Bryan flannery Cote du Boeuf, with wild mushrooms & winter greens served with a ishiri & soy steak sauce

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Crispy chocolate & hazelnut "candy bar" with warm toasted italian meringue & salted caramel

Scratch Tiramisu, ladyfingers, espresso, aged rum & Italian amaro, Marscapone mousse & italian amaro with warm toasted italian meringue with shaved chocolate

"Croquembouche", biegnets de carnival tossed in sugars & spices, with torched Italian meringue all encased in spun caramel

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake, biscoff & muscovado sugar crust, with meyer lemon curd & toasted Italian Meringue

Chocolate & pistachio praline tart, cultured butter shortbread, ganache, warm toasted Italian meringue & salted pistachio caramel

Candy Cap mushroom Pudding with Chantilly creme & fresh cookies

Buckwheat crepes, with flathead cherry noyuax jubilee flambe & creme fraiche mousse

Early Spring 2025

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

"Os a Moelle" Roasted local Bone Marrow with local bread & sauce bordelaise

Oysters “Rockefeller” Brunoise of fennel & alliums with creamed spinach & prosciutto breadcrumbs

Steak Tartare, local beef, capers, red onion, aged vinegars, ishiri & olive oil, sous vide & cured egg yolk, horseradish creme & pickled vegetables served with crostini

Seasonal Flatbread Handmade dough, tomato reduction, guanciale, parmesan & fresh arugula (example)

Oak roasted mushroom salad, sesame, walnut & shallot confit with salt blanched lacinato kale & sage blossom shrub

Farm lettuces with marinated onions & market spring vegetables with sheep's milk feta & preserved lemon and garden herb vinaigrette

Charcuterie & Cheese Board Display Bacon wrapped country pate, foie blond liver mousse & salumi with local cheese selections served with mustard, local fruit, pickled vegetables & other accouterments with crostini & gougeres (counts as both selections)

Mushroom Stuffed Mushrooms, Crimini caps, roasted with a chanterelle, allium & goat cheese filling served with local greens

Asparagus Arancini, Carnaroli rice, fontina cheese wild leek flowers, fried crispy served with minted pistou & preserved lemon

Romaine & Kale Caesar salad with coddled egg caesar dressing, anchovy, cured egg yolk, torn country batard crutons & shaved parmesan

Bluefin Tuna tartare, cucumber, avocado, fennel, with herb & avocado mousse, shoyu & extra virgin olive oil with dehydrated citrus chips

Fried Agnolotti pasta, filled with ricotta & spinach tossed with peppercorn brown butter & pecorino romano, with a tomato conserva sauce

Handmade Tortellini pasta, ricotta & wild tri-cornered leeks, prosciutto & garden herb bone broth

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Farmer's Market Spring Risotto, English peas, Asparagus & sweet corn with carnaroli rice, parmesan & garden herb pistou

Oak roasted Mushroom Risotto with allium confit, carnaroli rice, kale pistou (vegan)

Moules Marinière, Mediterranean mussels steamed with white wine, garlic, shallots, fines herbs & white wine served with aioli & grilled bread

Blistered Asparagus filled Agnolotti del plin Pasta Pistou of garden herbs, garlic confit & wilted farm greens with black peppercorn, extra virgin olive oil & shaved pecorino romano

Cacio e Pepe, fresh handmade semolina & cocoa pastas with pecorino romano, cultured butter & toasted black peppercorn (pasta made on site)

Sous Vide & Charred Pork Belly, caramelized stone fruit glaze with aged banyuls vinegar & pickled mustard seed mostarda

Oak roasted mushroom salad, black vinegar & shallot confit with salt blanched lacinato kale & wild allium blossom shrub

Spaghetti alla carbonara, handmade lacinato kale pasta, sous vide egg, pecorino Romano & estero gold reserve with black peppercorn butter & lardons

Spice Crusted Seared Scallop, & tonka bean brown butter pear, celeriac puree & fried parsley pistou

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Pan roasted Local black cod, with creme fraiche potatoes, Salt spring island mussels & preserved meyer lemon nage, with grilled baguette

Boeuf Wellington, sous vide beef tenderloin, foie blonde, oak roasted mushroom duxelles, jambon de bayonne & crispy puff pastry ($25 per person suppplement)

Handmade Falafel with citrus labneh, heirloom cucumber salad salad with mixed mints & basils, marinated onions, tomatoes & preserved lemon

Cote du Boeuf, Bone in ribeye, with citrus, allium, potato skordalia & blistered asparagus with aerated bearnaise

Pan roasted halibut, lemon & picholine olive oil potato puree, blistered asparagus, pickled fennel & herb salad, preserved lemon & pastis emulsion

Liberty farms sous-vide “Peking” duck daikon & carrot salad with salted fennel with roasted wild mushroom, shallot & cabbage with an ishiri shoyu & hoisin gastrique served with mandarin crepes

Local pork collar, spice rubbed, sous vide & seared, glazed with a prune & red wine mostarda, roasted heirloom carrots & garden greens

Buttermilk Fried Chicken, brined & cooked sous-vide before frying to crispy perfection, served with Belgian Candy Cap Liege Waffles, cultured butter with maldon sea salt & maple syrup

Snake River Farms Wagyu Steak, citrus & garlic potato skordalia, with blistered asparagus & roulette peppers with a preserved lemon & herb chermoula with smoked sea salt

Seared Salmon with warm spring vegetable & roasted mushroom salad with balsamic brown butter

Spanish Mackerel (whole fish butchered on site) pan seared & finished in a tomato braise with salt spring Island mussels & grilled baguette

Bryan Flannery Prime Beef Zabouton, with wild mushroom & spring greens served with a umami salsa verde & celeriac soubise

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Scratch Tiramisu, ladyfingers, espresso, aged rum & Italian amaro, Marscapone mousse & italian amaro with warm toasted italian meringue with shaved chocolate

"Croquembouche", beignets de carnival tossed in sugars & spices, with dark chocolate ganache, torched Italian meringue all encased in spun caramel tableside

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake, biscoff & muscovado sugar crust, with meyer lemon curd & toasted Italian Meringue

Saddened Chocolate cake with candy cap ice cream, salted caramel, chantilly creme & cinnamon

Caramelized Devoto Apple Tart tatin clove caramel, vanilla bean sea salt, cultured butter breton sable & creme fraiche mousse

Candy Cap Creme Brulee with cultured butter breton sables & sea salt

Italian aficionado

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Heirloom Tomato salad with aged vinegars & extra virgin olive oil with fresh cheese and mixed basil pistou

Farm lettuces with marinated onions and smashed cucumbers, sheep's milk feta & herb dressing

Kale & Romaine Ceasar salad with toasted brioche, white anchovies, parmesan & cured egg yolk

Asparagus Arancini, Carnaroli rice, fontina cheese wild leek flowers, fried crispy served with minted pistou & preserved lemon

Fried Agnolotti filled with ricotta & spinach tossed with peppercorn brown butter & pecorino romano, with a tomato conserva sauce

Artisan Pizzas, various toppings and sauces, I make the dough from scratch then & toss & cook on site a pizza oven is a huge plus but I can cook out of a home oven as well

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Risotto with oak roasted wild mushrooms, shallot & garlic confit, carnaroli rice, with Parmesan foam & chive oil

Spaghetti alla carbonara, english peas, sous vide egg, pecorino Romano & estero gold reserve with black peppercorn butter & lardons

"Cacio e Pepe" Fresh handmade pasta, pecorino romano, lampong black peppercorn toasted in cultured butter

Potato Gnocchi, miners lettuce, asparagus, green garlic, garden herbs & toasted black peppercorn butter

"Os a Moelle" Roasted Grass Fed Bone Marrow with roasted figs, shallot & pomegranate, local bread & sauce bordelaise

Bluefin Tuna Crudo, extra virgin olive oil, preserved lemon & an umami nage

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Bistecca Alla Fiorentina, Dry Aged Porterhouse, creamy polenta, roasted vegetables and toasted coriander chimichurri

Artisan Pizzas, Various classic and seasonal toppings and sauces, any decent home oven will work but an outdoor pizza oven would be a bonus

Oso Bucco, braised veal or lamb shank, with roasted mushroom jus and preserved lemon gremolata with creamy polenta

Veal Saltimbocca, veal and prosciutto layered with sage and sauteed in lemon caper brown butter served with potato skordalia & tomato confit

Chicken Piccata, pounded chicken sauteed with lemons & capers served with mashed potatoes & tomato confit

Fillet of branzino, with tomato confit, nicoise olvies, braised fennel & preserved lemon/white wine broth with olive oil potato puree

Chicken Marsala, sauteed with local mushrooms & cipollini onions dry marsala wine served with lacinato kale & young potato ragout

Oak roasted mushroom Lasagna, with a fungi bechamel, gruyere & parmesan layered with mushroom duxelle served with walnut/kale pistou & greens

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Creme fraiche Panna Cotta with citrus and cultured butter sables

Caramelized Meyer lemon Tart with aged balsamic and lavender mousse

Grand Mariner Dark Chocolate Truffles with warm toasted Italian Meringue & crispy spiced brown butter Lace Dentelle

Scratch Tiramisu, ladyfingers, espresso, aged rum & Italian amaro, Marscapone mousse, with warm toasted italian meringue with shaved chocolate

Dark chocolate cake layered with chocolate mousse with rum & tonka bean buttercream & sea salt caramel

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake, biscoff & muscovado sugar crust, with meyer lemon curd & toasted Italian Meringue

Latin American Fiesta

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Blistered Heirloom peppers, citrus & sea salt with creamy labneh dipping sauce

Local Seafood Ceviche, local citrus, shaved fennel & pickled fresno chilie

Tortilla soup with roasted chicken, creme fresca, cilantro, tortilla strips & charred avocado

Grilled chicken street tacos, chiuacle amarillo mole with pico de gallo & crema fresca,

Nachos, carnitas, queso oaxaca & black beans with pico de gallo, gruacamole & crema fresca

Mexican Prawn Cocktail Wild gulf prawns, spicy cocktail sauce, local grapefruit & avocado with tajin salt rim

Frenchmen on Vacation Steak tartare, red onion, cilantro, toasted coriander, jalapeno, with cured egg yolk, diablo salsa served on tortilla chips

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Roasted poblano chile relleno, stuffed with queso oaxaca, egg white batter and pan fried with avocado, tomatillo & cucumber salsa

Grilled Corn on the Cobb "Elote Style", chipotle aioli, cotija cheese, cilantro, lime & sea salt (available on the cob or as a charred corn salad)

"Coppa" Cubano Sandwhich Bites, local pork collar, marinated & cooked sous vide finished on "La Plancha" with toasted sourdough, gruyere, dijon, prosciutto, kosher pickles

Fish Tacos Fried local fish with jalapeno cilantro slaw, pickled onions & crema

Quesadilla Queso oaxaca, roasted onions & jalapenos, salsa verde & dehydrated lime / herb salad

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Skirt steak "Arrachera", roasted chile poblano relleno, grilled spring onions & tomatillo/cucumber salsa

Carnitas, served with mexican grits & salsa verde

Chicken enchiladas with mole rojo, braised onions & queso oxaca & ancho bechamel, with cotija, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce & crema fresca

Pan Roasted Market Fish with chiuacle Amarillo chile mole, cilantro/coconut risotto & herb salad

Whole Spatch-Cocked Chickens cooked "In the Sauce" ( either salsa Verde or "mole Rojo de guerro" ) served With toasted coriander/citrus rice pilaf and warm tortillas

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Burnt cinnamon caramel flan, with salted butter cookies

Dark Chocolate & ancho chile truffles with warm toasted meringue

Brown butter churros with cinnamon & sugar served with a chocolate dipping sauce

Spring into Summer 2025

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

"Os a Moelle" Roasted local Bone Marrow with local bread & sauce bordelaise

Oysters “Rockefeller” Brunoise of fennel & alliums with creamed spinach & prosciutto breadcrumbs

Steak Tartare, local beef, capers, red onion, aged vinegars, ishiri & olive oil, sous vide & cured egg yolk, horseradish creme & pickled vegetables served with crostini

Seasonal Flatbread Handmade dough, tomato reduction, guanciale, parmesan & fresh arugula (example)

Oak roasted mushroom salad, sesame, walnut & shallot confit with salt blanched lacinato kale & sage blossom shrub

Farm lettuces with marinated onions & market spring vegetables with sheep's milk feta & preserved lemon and garden herb vinaigrette

Mushroom Stuffed Mushrooms, Crimini caps, roasted with a chanterelle, allium & goat cheese filling served with local greens

Gougeres with Smoked Salmon Handmade fromage blanc, red onion, caper and local greens

Asparagus Arancini, Carnaroli rice, fontina cheese wild leek flowers, fried crispy served with minted pistou & preserved lemon

Romaine & Kale Caesar salad with coddled egg caesar dressing, anchovy, cured egg yolk, torn country batard crutons & shaved parmesan

Heirloom Tomato & Stone fruit salad with aged vinegars & extra virgin olive oil with fresh cheese and mixed basil pistou & preserved lemon (late June-Oct)

Bluefin Tuna tartare, cucumber, avocado, fennel, with herb & avocado mousse, shoyu & extra virgin olive oil with dehydrated citrus chips

Fried Agnolotti pasta, filled with ricotta & spinach tossed with peppercorn brown butter & pecorino romano, with a tomato conserva sauce

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Farmer's Market Spring Risotto, English peas, Asparagus & sweet corn with carnaroli rice, parmesan & garden herb pistou

Seared Scallops with citrus & fennel blossom gastrique, celeriac puree, preserved lemon/herb salad & cured trout roe

Oak roasted Mushroom Risotto with allium confit, carnaroli rice, roasted hazlenut & kale pistou (vegan)

Moules Marinière, Mediterranean mussels steamed with white wine, garlic, shallots, fines herbs & white wine served with aioli & grilled bread

Blistered Asparagus filled Agnolotti del plin Pasta Pistou of garden herbs, walnut, garlic confit & wilted farm greens with black peppercorn, extra virgin olive oil & shaved pecorino romano

Red Kuri squash Angolotti de Plin Pasta, with estero gold reserve cheese, sage & peppercorn brown butter, pistou & wilted farm greens

Cacio e Pepe, fresh handmade semolina & cocoa pastas with pecorino romano, cultured butter & toasted black peppercorn (pasta made on site)

Sous Vide & Charred Pork Belly, caramelized stone fruit glaze with aged banyuls vinegar & pickled mustard seed mostarda

Oak roasted mushroom salad, black vinegar, walnut & shallot confit with salt blanched lacinato kale & wild allium blossom shrub

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Pan roasted Local black cod, with creme fraiche potatoes, Salt spring island mussels & preserved meyer lemon nage, with grilled baguette

Boeuf Wellington, sous vide beef tenderloin, foie blonde, oak roasted mushroom duxelles, jambon de bayonne & crispy puff pastry ($25 per person suppplement)

Handmade Falafel with citrus labneh, heirloom cucumber salad salad with mixed mints & basils, marinated onions, tomatoes & preserved lemon

Quinoa & blistered asparagus salad with roasted walnuts, citrus vinaigrette, garden herbs & extra virgin olive oil (vegan)