Chef Louis Bavaro

Private Chef In Bethpage

A New Yorker through and through, Louis Bavaro was raised surrounded by the flavors and culture of Italy. Always in the kitchen helping Mom and Grandma cook (especially for holidays), he turned his family upside down as a teen by baking croissants, purchasing a wok and cooking Chinese, and insisting that everything be cooked with wine. Et voilà, his love of creating authentic international cuisines was born!

As a teen he became heavily involved with the performing arts, as an actor and avid theatre-goer. His passion for theatre exists to this day. While not attending the theatre, his love of international cooking somehow translated to a love of foreign languages, and while in high school, he studied and excelled in French, Spanish and Italian. At the same time. So we have food, theatre, and linguistics, all brought together in the kitchen by entertaining in the dining room on a regular basis.

During his twenties, Louis began a successful long-term career marketing and advertising Broadway shows and all disciplines of live performance. While he was not at work (rarely), he would read cookbooks of all sorts and experiment in the kitchen and have dinner parties for his family and friends. The leftovers were brought to the office the next day to share with his colleagues.

Time passes, life is good, Louis is cooking more and more, and traveling extensively throughout the world participating in cooking classes to learn the local fare.

And then the big decision: he left his job of 20 years to attend culinary school in New York City and Italy to receive the formal training necessary to become an in-demand private chef. Best decision ever. Since then, he has not stopped, and has developed a roster of loyal clients who enjoy the eclectic cuisine he brings to their dining room delighting them and their guests. And high-profile clients they are as well: the Italian Ambassador to the United Nations (live-in for 4 years where I prepared a formal dinner for 40 to great acclaim for the President of the Italian Republic), a memorable Thanksgiving dinner for Nobel Prize Winner/Author Elie Wiesel, and UHNW families in Southampton and throughout New York City (with the occasional seder in West Palm Beach). With Chef Louis in the kitchen, dining room tables are decorated with fresh pastas of all kinds, risotti (his specialty), authentic Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Indian banquets; And of course specialties from all of Europe, but especially France, Austria, Hungary, Greece and Turkey. Crossing but still maintaining Mediterranean-healthy, North Africa and deep within the heart of the Middle East, with their cuisines highlighting the beautiful vegetables and fish of the region. And then there’s Mexican. Authentic, regional Mexican. Everyone’s favorite.

Chef Louis is a chef/man full of ideas, passion, and joie de vivre - all qualities he brings to his cooking and to your home - to create unique and memorable gastronomic experiences on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Passover, Shabbat, special celebrations, or just any day, for the enjoyment and euphoria of you, your family and your friends.

I TRAVEL THROUGHOUT LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK CITY, THE TRI-STATE AREA AND ANYWHERE DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.

For me, cooking is...

A way to express joy, make beautiful memories, and bring people together.

I learned to cook at...

From family; Through domestic/international travel and by reading cookbooks as if they were literature; Attending culinary school, in NYC and Italy.

A cooking secret...

Organization, a smile, focus, and having fun!

My menus

Global BBQ Dinner

STARTER

All inclusive

Meze platter: Spanakopita, 2 types of hummus (chickpea and roasted red pepper), Mercimek Koftesi (Turkish lentil balls), Baba ganouj, Mixed olives, Homemade Turkish Pide bread

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Spaghetti aglio olio (the most delicious spaghetti with garlic and oil - and other flavorings) you've ever had!

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Char siu chicken (BBQ chicken with Chinese BBQ sauce) served with steamed broccoli

Vietnamese BBQ roast pork (served with lettuce, tomato, and cucumber slices)

Grapefruit & Habanero Skirt Steak with Grilled Tomato Salsa - served with tortillas, rice and beans

Salade niçoise - with grilled tuna

DESSERT

All inclusive

Chocolate caramel tart with homemade vanilla gelato

Fiesta Mexicana!

STARTER

All inclusive

Guacamole, salsa and salsa verde with tortilla chips

Mexican seafood cocktail (chunky dip served with tortilla chips)

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Mexico: Sopa de Habas (Mexican Fava Bean Soup)

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Guisado al pollo (Chicken and potato stew)

Asado de Bodas (Pork in Red Chile Sauce)

Mexican rice

Frijoles de la olla

DESSERT

All inclusive

Capirotada (Mexican Bread Pudding) with homemade vanilla ice cream

Italian escapade

STARTER

All inclusive

ANTIPASTO - Roasted peppers, mozzarella di bufala, soppressata, Marinated mushrooms, Cannellini bean/fresh rosemary spread, Assorted olives, Focaccia barese (fresh tomatoes and oregano)

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Hand-made ricotta and egg gnocchi with olives, capers, and San Marzano tomato sauce

Insalata mista alla gorgonzola e noci (Mixed green salad with gorgonzola and toasted walnuts) - gluten-free

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Tagliata di manzo e peperonata (Sliced steak with sweet and pungent bell pepper relish)/Charred and crispy brussels sprouts/Crispy smashed new potatoes with lemon, basil and peperoncino

DESSERT

All inclusive

Vanilla Rum Panna Cotta with Salted Caramel

Cruising the Mediterranean

STARTER

All inclusive

Crudites with Beet/Tahini dip, Chickpea hummus, Baba ganouj

Spanakopita (Greek spinach pie)

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Leek, potato, and cannellini bean soup

Horiatiki salad (Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, radishes and feta cheese)

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Moroccan fish with toasted spices, lemon and olives

Tunisian grilled peppers and tomatoes over couscous

Zucchini stuffed with seasoned breadcrumbs and minced dried apricots

DESSERT

All inclusive

Sicilian Whole Orange Cake

Homemade pistachio gelato

An Italian Birthday Dinner

STARTER

All inclusive

Orange, Radish, Olive, and Fennel Salad

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Cavatelli ai piselli e salsiccia (Handmade cavatelli with peas and sausage)

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Brasato con Polenta (Red wine braised beef stew with creamy polenta) Cime di Rapa Saltate (Sautéed broccoli rabe with peperoncini) Roasted Heirloom Carrots

DESSERT

All inclusive

Raspberry tiramisù

One night in Bangkok

STARTER

All inclusive

Lao tomato dip with crudites

Kanom Jeeb Pork & Prawn Thai Steamed Dumplings

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Tom Yum Soup with shrimp

Dtam Som Oo (Thai Pomelo Salad)

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Thai red curry chicken

Green curry shrimp

Steamed jasmine rice

Ajad (Thai Cucumber Salad)

Thai zucchini and carrot salad

DESSERT

All inclusive

Thailand: Mango sticky rice

Homemade coconut/ginger/lime gelato

The best of Greece and Turkey

STARTER

All inclusive

Meze platter: Spanakopita, 2 types of hummus (chickpea and roasted red pepper), Mercimek Koftesi (Turkish lentil balls), Baba ganouj, Mixed olives, Homemade Turkish Pide bread

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Horiatiki salad (Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, radishes and feta cheese)

Mercimek çorbası (Spicy Turkish red lentil soup)

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Greek lemon roasted chicken with potatoes, Rainbow chard with olive oil and lemon, Gigantes Plaki (stewed Greek giant beans)

DESSERT

All inclusive

Pistachio baklava

Homemade vanilla orange spice gelato

Elegant Italian Dinner

STARTER

All inclusive

ANTIPASTO - Roasted peppers, Grilled vegetables, Mozzarella, Caponata, Marinated mushrooms, Cannellini bean/fresh rosemary spread, Freshly baked walnut/olive focaccia, Gluten-free crackers, Assorted olives

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Risotto alla zucca (pumpkin risotto) gluten free

Orange, radish, olive and fennel salad

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Brasato con Polenta (Red wine braised beef stew with creamy polenta) Cime di Rapa Saltate (Sautéed broccoli rabe with peperoncini) Roasted Heirloom Carrots

Seared chicken breast with polenta (no tomatoes/onions)

DESSERT

All inclusive

Raspberry tiramisù

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Chef Louis's reviews

4.74

•

50 services

Chef Louis did an amazing job for our exec team gathering. It was a very last minute booking on our part, but Chef Louis hopped on the phone to quickly iron out the details and logistics. The team raved about how great he experience and food was! We will definitely use him again and would recommend his services!

Chef Louis was excellent!! Everyone enjoyed the authentic Thai meal very much! Thank you!

Chef Louis is awesome. Prepared a wonderful proposed menu and then allowed us room to modify according to dietary restrictions. We didn't change much of the menu because the food proposed was ample and sounded delicious. The appetizers were so plentiful and included homemade foccacia that was to die for. Chef was attentive and described the food before each course .We had some leftovers especially the dessert which was an amazing torte. We had enough of the torte for 2 nights and sent some home with our friends too! A great evening. We felt well cared for by Chef Louis. We highly recommend the experience for other couples looking to a date night with friends.

Chef Louis was outstanding! I Would highly recommend and use his services again!

Chef Louis provided an excellent in-home experience for Valentine's day. He was very easy to coordinate before the event, arrived punctually, and was extremely pleasant throughout the experience. He had some great ideas for customizing the menu beforehand to meet our needs. Further, he went over the top for Valentine's day by custom cutting many of the items to be heart shaped. This really showed his attention to detail and love for cooking. Everything tasted amazing and I can't wait to have the leftovers. 5 stars across the board.

Louis was a great chef! On time and made everything easy. I am very happy with the experience and plan to use it again in the future! I hope to try a new cuisine and will be recommending it to my family and friends! I wish I did this sooner!!!

Chef Louis was absolutely wonderful! He prepared us a carefully thought-out pasta tasting menu for two with a great variety of flavors. The dishes were all delicious and beautifully plated, with Chef Louis providing really interesting context behind each dish, which he learned from his time spent in Italian culinary school. He was very friendly, kind, and carried himself with a great deal of professionalism. Our overall experience was nothing short of excellent, and we’d highly recommend him to any of our family and friends!

Chef Louis was really great. He showed up on time, was very professional, and made our meal the sole focus of his attention during his time at our apartment. His meals were thoughtfully prepared and were very delicious. His meals have a homestyle feel to them that feel personal and you could tell he put a lot of time and energy into his craft. Would recommend him.

We loved everything. He was very attentive to our needs and adjusted accordingly while keeping everything delicious. Highly recommend him.

I would recommend this experience to others. Chef Louis was an excellent chef His food was so delicious and he was very professional and prepared. Excellent service !

Chef Louis did a fabulous job for us. We will be using him again and again. His food is exquisite, as is his timing. He understands the pace of a dining experience is as important as the food. He monitored our conversation and so as not to interrupt the flow and brought perfectly plated food to us at the appropriate time. You cannot find a better Chef for a professional dinner meeting.

Louis Bavaro did our Mother’s Day celebration. Everything was excellent. Louis is polite, professional, and friendly. We had a lovely day because Louis took special care of everything, I.e., timing, presentation, serving and clean up. We didn’t know he was there, except for the best part, the food! We had amazing filet mignon, cooked perfectly, one well done, one medium and the rest medium rare. So impressed. Mushroom risotto, so delicious. I highly recommend Louis and can’t wait for him to do our next celebration.

Louis was fantastic! The food was phenomenal and we had plenty leftover to enjoy the next day. He was so lovely and attentive, and we felt so well taken care of. It was so nice to enjoy a meal with friends and have every detail handled by Louis from prepping and serving to cleaning up and storing our leftovers for us! I can’t go back to real life- I need a personal chef. Louis has ruined us all by how much he spoiled us :) Thank you thank you Louis!!

Chef Louis was a professional, creative and made delicious food! He accommodated all of the allergy limitations we had and delivered a fantastic experience. It was such a fun and delicious addition to the party. Would highly recommend Chef Louis for all your events!

Chef Louis was wonderful to work with. He was fun and easy to communicate with beforehand, and during our dinner. He accommodated a barrage of dietary restrictions to create a memorable global bbq dinner celebration. Louis was a pleasure and we were delighted with the timing, presentation, and the original and delicious food. He put care, attention and planning into his work and making sure we enjoyed the evening.

Louis was punctual, professional and was willing to work with us to get the menu just right. The food he prepared was SO so good! And we had plenty and some for tomorrow. He cleaned up our kitchen very nicely afterwards too.

Chef Louis was great! He was charming with genuine storytelling about the dishes. He is authentic about his dishes, and is far more interesting than a generic "typical" dish. He used true french ingredients vs. common no-brainers that while appear a little different, the quality of the execution made it a that much more rewarding. Highly recommend!

We LOVE Chef Louis Bavaro! The entire process with Take a Chef and Chef Louis was seamless in making my Birthday spectacular. He was easy to communicate with, his menu was outstanding and exactly what I wanted and the flavors were incredible! We consider ourselves foodies, (we have a restaurants in NYC) and this far exceeded our expectations. We had a beautifully designed Italian menu with antipasti, fresh pasta, whole Branzino with leeks and artichokes and cannolis and sorbets…. All homemade! For the sake of this being a review I’m keeping it short however we could go on and on about how divine and perfect the meal and experience was. Highly recommend!

Chef Louis was very good in every way and he made our experience exactly as I planned. He was willing to do whatever he could to ensure a wonderful dinner party . The food was excellent only wish I had more leftover to enjoy

We had an exquisite private dinner for two, felt like we were at a Michelin star restaurant. chef was above and beyond our expectations. Perfect amount of engagement not too much not too little highly recommend. Food was great