Chef Maria Parish

Private Chef In Petaluma

My career as a professional chef began in 1997, as I graduated from the Los Angeles Culinary Institute and trained with AMC Raymond Hofmeister. But, training really started at a very young age, because I was taught how to cook from my Greek Yia-Yia and learned how to entertain from my mother. This is why being a private chef feels natural and instinctive. My talents have led me to chef positions throughout California; Santa Barbara, Pismo Beach, Napa/Sonoma, San Jose, constantly adding to my culinary repertoire.

As a private chef, I pride myself with understanding clients needs and dietary preferences. I can accommodate any speciality diet or restrictions without compromising flavors, and well versed in the purchasing and cooking of organic and non-GMO foods and products.

For me, cooking is...

A hard driven passion that's my way of life, since I was a child. I love food, to touch it, smell it, cook it, and eat it!

I learned to cook at...

I learned to cook from my Greek grandmother who was a chef herself. I continued my culinary education with Master Chef Raymond Hofmeister in, LA 1997.

A cooking secret...

Finding the best ingredients to use.

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Chef Maria's reviews

4.74

•

81 services

We had a wonderful celebration of my wife's special birthday and Maria was fantastic. All of the food was delicious and it was presented beautifully. It was lovely to be quietly served and have everything cleaned up as the next course was served. The final chocolate cake was amazing! We all had the best time, and it was so delightful not to have to do anything!

Chef Maria was AMAZING! I put it in all caps because I’m screaming it as I type it. She was professional, engaging, and innovative. She is a talented chef. The food was beyond delicious and she came up with a great menu for both days. I would recommend Chef Maria if you are ever in the Sonoma/Napa Valley area!

It was very nice to be able to come home after a day of adventures to have a chef cooking our family a full meal

Maria is an incredible chef! She is friendly and communicative, and she was low-key and efficient as she put together our meal. Every dish was very delicious and high quality! She left the kitchen cleaner than she found it.

Chef Maria is an absolute pleasure to work with and her food was fantastic. We can’t wait to do more dinners with her!

I had a wonderful experience with Chef Maria and would highly recommend her! She, her staff, and the menu all exceeded expectations. They had thought of everything. I also appreciate how well rounded her menu options were - from the appetizers to the the sauces and accompaniments.

Maria was amazing! So happy about how everything turned out. It was perfect. The food was great, and she was so friendly, punctual, flexible, and a pleasure to work with.

Amazing all the way around! On time, friendly and very delicious food with great portions for our whole group 10 out of 10 would book again

Maria and her assistant were very gracious and helpful. Always asking what they could do. Food choices and preparation were great!

Chef Maria was wonderful and made us a New Year's Eve meal that was as delicious as it was gorgeous! What a wonderful way to ring in the new year!

Maria and staff did a great job with our party. We had 18 people at a VRBO for my wife's birthday. Maria handled everything, including details like hiring servers and bringing wine glasses. And they did an amazing job cleaning and putting the kitchen back together. (Maria was also wonderful and friendly!) All in all it made for a lovely night where we could relax and enjoy a magical dinner with friends.

Maria made food that had our 12 guests over 4 days saying, "Yum," "This is great!," "I'm picky and this is impressive," "Cooking _[insert food]_ like this isn't easy, and she nailed it!", and "I'm going back for more!" every day. Quality food, locally-minded, great attention to detail, and sweet.

Chef Maria was fantastic!! The good was not only delicious, but the presentation was beautiful!! Thanks Chef Maria!!

Chef Maria was fabulous! The food was delicious and the service she provided was excellent. The food was better than any restaurant we went to while in Napa. The dinner she served ended up being the highlight of our trip. I highly recommend Chef Maria for your function or just a special night in.

Maria and her team made our time enjoyable. We didn’t worry about a thing

Chef Maria and her team were fantastic. They were professional, delightful, and the food was outstanding. They were very gracious with our group. We had such a magical time with them. Absolutely will have Chef Maria back in the future.

Chef Maria and her staff exceeded my expectations! She put together a delicious spread of food for our bachelorette party of 12 girls. We were not disappointed.

Maria was communicative and professional. The food was delicious and she met all our requests with kindness and creativity.

Maria and Evie were AMAZING!! Maria was great with communication from the very beginning. Always promptly answering my questions. Her menu was 5 Star ⭐️ Bonus is not having to clean up afterwards!

Maria was the perfect ending to our long weekend with friends to enjoy the upcoming marriage of our daughter. Every course was beautifully presented, tasted divine and Maria told us exactly what was served to us! The kitchen was cleaned perfectly, and she actually left behind some extra food. This was a great memory for all eight people that attended. Thank you, Maria! Gail C.