Chef by Design Catering Co.

ouse was the perfect venue for us (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!), if it doesn't fit your wedding vision, Chef by Design can still provide the ultimate catering experience in any venue!!!! Not only do they have an extensive menu with so many delicious options; they are also open to customizing the perfect menu for every couple. After reviewing the menu, we knew that just one event would not be enough to fully experience everything that Chef by Design has to offer (hence booking them for rehearsal and wedding day). As basic and simple as these items seem; their house made bread and Caesar salad are a MUST! We had them at both events, I don't think any salad has every received so many complements and I will forever crave their bread! At the rehearsal we kept the menu fun with some of their grilled flatbread pizzas and custom milkshakes from their late-night section, yum! For the wedding in addition to the salad and bread, Marcy helped us customized a few hors d'oeuvres to make them perfect for our picky palates. We selected a few plated main course options that were again customized: Marcy helped us turn one of their pasta options into a vegetarian and dairy free option for our guests with dietary restrictions, though it wasn't specifically on their menu they were able to create my favorite dish, and my husband selected their Grilled New York Strip Steak. All of these were absolutely incredible, but we aren't done yet; we also had desserts, our wedding cake and drinks provided by Chef by Design. These were also phenomenal. Though it is controversial, my husband is an Ohio State fan and requested buckeyes that John begrudgingly agree to make for us ;) thank you! I wasn't picky about our wedding cake as we are not cake people and I mostly just wanted it for the cake cutting picture, but WOW was it good. Food is so important, and Chef by Design does it right! Looking back, the tasting and working with Chef by Design to customize our menu was my favorite part of wedding planning by far! I cannot say enough about the incredible team at Chef by Design. In addition to the food, the staff is absolutely amazing! Everyone is so kind and they made sure that my groom and I did not go hungry on our big day. Despite our busy timeline, there was always a server ready with a drink or tray of hors d'oeuvres for us to grab between photos, and a hot plate of food for us once we were finally ready to eat. From start to finish the entire team took such great care of us. And of course, we had so many complements on the food and service from our guests. Cannot recommend Chef by Design enough for not only excellent food but top tier service! Thank you all again!

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at food at our wedding was important to us and we were so lucky to have Chef By Design dropped into our laps. Joanie and Marcy (the owner) were wonderful to work with and helped us set up a menu that mixed and matched custom items with some of their regular offerings. We wanted to incorporate some Filipino food and they were so game! They listened to what we wanted and offered amazing suggestions. At our tasting I took one bite of short rib and knew we had made the right decision. The appetizers, entreés, desserts, wedding cake, late-night snack, and even the bread had our guests raving. We received SO MANY compliments on the food and the presentation. The serving and bar staff were professional, friendly, and fun and created the perfect atmosphere throughout the night. If you're looking for a delicious menu and some truly awesome people to work with, I can't recommend Chef By Design more!

ry need as well as just super to work with. They were always checking in with me and making sure everyone was ok. The food was delicious and hot! The staff was amazing, from the wait staff to the bartenders. I can't say enough about Spencer - our bartender. He was outstanding! I received so many compliments from our guests regarding the food and beverage! Julia was amazing to work with - she kept me informed and made my planning experience easy and stress free. Thank you Chef by Design for a beautiful evening. My daughter and son-in-law were so happy and you made all the difference!

s and displayed beautifully. Every guest we spoke with LOVED the food! The passed apps during cocktail hour were yummy and plentiful. Our bartender was great with the guests and handled our bourbon tasting very well. The servers kept table tops clean and were attentive to filling water glasses, etc. My husband and I never had to get up - the servers brought our food and drinks to us throughout dinner and the rest of the night! We had an iced tea station that Chef by Design set up with the perfect decor to go with the rest of our wedding details. The team I worked with during planning paid a great deal of attention to the details and were always responsive to my many questions and requests. I look forward to using them again for other events!

to fit our needs without compromising on flavor. We also had a bunch of gluten free guests and they seamlessly got their meals delivered to their table. The service at the wedding was incredible. A few of our guests even commented to us that the bartenders remembered their drink order! My husband and I felt so taken care of! I know a lot of people say you don’t get to eat at your wedding, but Chef By Design made that a non-issue. They brought us snacks during pictures and had our plates ready for us as soon as we sat down. The team really is so kind, and so wonderful to work with, we’d absolutely recommend them.

was beautiful, and the food was phenomenal! Just everything. Thank you again!! Your team as well were THE best. Thank you thank you thank you!!

lt so well taken care of - our entire experience with Emily and her team from the initial planning months in advance, to menu selection, tasting, and all the way up to the wedding was incredible. They were patient, recommended so many great ideas, played a key role in coordinating / partnering with all of our other vendors, and truly cared about us to we felt as if we were their only client. I can't recommend Chef By Design enough!!

them again.

loved the food and loved having our signature drinks made by the wonderful bartenders (Orange Crush & Brandy Old Fashioned)!

f by design. We knew about them from being such a staple in the area and then choosing The Neon on House as our reception venue. They were wonderful at pivoting during Covid and changing our wedding to a small backyard setting, even honoring our request to use my moms crystal and china. The menu was inventive like a progressive garden party dinner with many courses that encouraged good conversation and a relaxed vibe. My mom worked closely with them and we will continue to for our big bash/belated reception in March. We even used them at Easter time and for my bachelorette party. They’re true seasoned pros and keep it fresh. Delish food. Never disappoints. I can’t WAIT to see what inventive food displays they come up with for March. Thank you guys soooo much for the perfect day!!!

ould have them make my meals all the time! Staci and Emily where amazing to work with and handled everything we asked or was curious about accordingly. A big thanks as well to the the cooks and rest of the staff who made our wedding wonderful!

guests entered the patio. I was looking for a glass of wine. There was wine tasting, the server never mentioned I could get a glass at the bar. It was so dark out on the patio that the server had to use her phone flash light for guests to see the meat and cheese tray that was next to the wine table. It was very hard to see while out there. Servers seemed nervous and not too willing to approach guests and offer appetizers. Food at dinner was not great. Lobster ravioli was over cooked, the cleansing item had too much mint in it, the main course was barely warm. No one informed us of the dessert tray over on the side. I would not recommend this company at all. The description of the food on the menu did not compare to what was served. Very poor quality.

as a great thought but poorly executed. It was held outside in the dark without proper lighting, staff manning different stations used cellphone flashlights since the food was indistinguishable, signs could not read, plenty of food and drink options just too dark to allow attendees to move freely. The bride's mother fell down the stairs due to the darkness, very dangerous. As for the dinner, the frantic staff and the quality of the meal were also disappointing. It appeared there were not enough staff to support a sit down meal. It was very distracting for example, a supervisor was in the middle of the room sleeveless, making alot of noise. We were not told of the coffee and desert area off in the dark. The lobster ravioli was of poor quality, the next course was an odd choice, and two meats instead of a choice for either was also a bit odd. In attempting to ask for a re-fill on my wine during the meal, I was told "we already ran out of that wine, would you like this instead?"

ou want and they make sure you love it down to the finest details. They were very helpful along the way with planning and getting the little details taken care of for us. Would recommend them to anyone!!

ue if there was proper lighting, but you couldn't see anything! The stairs were dark, I didn't even know there was a desert table, and the staff had to actually hold up their flashlight on their cell phone for the guests. There were signs at the tables that I could not even see to read. The waiters were very young and inexperienced as well. They did not pass out the horderves until the very end. Before that, you had to go up to them in the dark. As for the dinner, I was not satisfied with the meal what-so-ever. The lobster ravioli was terrible, and the dinner staff was also very frantic. For the price of this wedding, I expected much better service.

us. Chef John the owner and Chef Extraordinaire prepared the food for our menu tasting and for the day of the wedding. What an amazing Chef John is and the quality and quantity of the food was on point and exactly what we were hoping for! Our guests have been raving about the food since the wedding and if you have ever tasted his food, you will see why and if you haven't tasted the food, you are truly missing out! One of the best caterers in the Hampton Roads area hands down! All of the staff including the chef (and his co-owner/beautiful wife Marcy - which by the way is the sweetest person you will ever meet) had to work in cold muddy conditions the night of my daughters wedding because the rain simply seeped into the tent underneath the tent walls because of the elevation of the area where the tent was placed. Even though they worked in those not so stellar conditions, all of the staff from what I could see still had a smile on their faces and worked very hard to make sure that the food was served on time, was warm and that my daughter and son-in-law ate and had drinks. They even made sure to get drinks for our table and a few other tables from what I saw and that meant a lot to me because it was quite muddy trying to get to the bar from where most guests were seated. They really stepped it up in my opinion and went above and beyond for my daughter, son-in-law and the guests which says a lot about them and their work ethic and style of catering. I highly recommend them to anyone getting married and if I could give them 100 stars, I would. They are simply the best and will do your wedding justice! Thank you so very much John, Marcy, Joanie, Staci (we loved Joanie & Staci as well) and all the amazing staff at Chef By Design, you were an amazing addition to my daughters wedding!

ppoint! Staci, Marcy, and Emily went above and beyond for us. No matter the question or request, they made everything a dream for our big day! Our tasting was completely customized to our tastes, and thw food was even better than we remembered the day of our wedding! The food was amazing and my guests couldn't stop raving about it all night long! Their attention to detail and customer service was the best we have ever experienced. We ran into some issues the with rentals due to weather, and they were quick to coordinate with us to get it fixed!! I cannot recommend them enough.

reat food, because let’s face it, you expect “wedding food”. However, Staci and Joanie were simply amazing! The food was nothing short of spectacular, taste, time and quality – 5 stars for them! Joanie was with me in my design meeting, as my wedding coordinator was not in attendance and she even became that to/for me! She executed my vision with precision, expertise and knowledge! I can’t thank her or the entire team enough for a wedding menu and food experience itself that was unforgettable! My guests raved about not having to wait and the taste being amazing. Two things you don’t get at a wedding. Chef by Design raised the bar. Chef by Design is the Food Extraordinaire of the business. Thank you Joanie so much for bring my dream wedding food experience into fruition, you nailed it!!

too. They were on top of every detail and the staff was professional and friendly. They could not do enough for us before, during, and after the cocktail hour and reception.

r, and plan our layout. The food was all spectacular and they have a huge selection to choose from! My one complaint is that I worked hard on a specific seating chart, which was not executed by the staff day-of. Overall, though, no one knew but me and everyone had a wonderful time!!! Responsive staff and friendly bartenders, plus great food... would definitely recommend!!! Thanks, Emily!

even helped us pick out our linens and table settings and I couldn’t have been happier with the overall appearance and arsthic

nd them 100%

ing! We didn’t stress at all working with them, they had everything under control. Once we picked the food choices, (which was hard to do because everything was so good) they took it from there. They coordinated with our venue, our wedding planner, and rentals so that everything would flow perfectly, which it did. And of course, the food was fantastic!! Their mash potato martini bar was a big hit. None of our guests had ever seen that before and they thought it was the coolest thing ever. Marcy set everything up beautifully and even made it go with the theme, which was beachy/coastal. The menus had starfish on it, sea shells around the food display, etc. I loved it!! Emily assisted us with choosing the rentals and she did an amazing job at putting all that together. Marcy and Emily really listened and understood perfectly what we had in mind for the room and food. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was when I walked in, it was like a dream come true!! Another thing I loved was that Marcy made sure that my husband and I got to eat at the wedding ha ha! They served us a plate and brought it over to us as well and “blocked” people from coming to us for a few minutes so that we could eat. It was great!  Our wedding was about a month ago, and our guests still tell us how good the food and service was, both at the cocktail hour and during dinner. We were very pleased with them. Look no further than Chef by Design! They are truly an amazing catering company who will go above and beyond to make the day perfect, plus they have good food and are experts at what they do! I will definitely hire them again for a big occasion and we highly recommend that you do as well! 

, delicious comfort foods that pleased everyone. We are still receiving notes from our guests thanking us for inviting them and commenting on how wonderful the food was! Joanie, Marcy and Chef John were creative, organized, and diligent in the service that they provided. I would recommend them without hesitation and I hope to use them again at other types of functions in the future.

s stuff and they do not bother to even call you back. Then I tell them about the proposals I had received from other caterers and Marcy spent 20 minutes bashing the other caterers before she moved on to tell me she would try to get closer to the other caterer's proposals. Then when she finally (2 1/2 weeks later) sent me an updated proposal it did not reflect the things we talked about. When I finally got the proper one, after tons of emails back and forth, I happened to ask a question and realized there were almost $2,000 worth of fees that were not included!!! This is mainly because they were trying to get the proposal to match the other caterers and left out all the other things included in the proposal to make it look closer. I decided to go with Monteros because I have had none of those issues with them. They are supportive and respond right away. I would recommend staying away from this company unless you have time to waste.

erging a casual southern family with an Italian northern family, so our tastes in food were on opposite ends of the spectrum. Once I explained that, Marcy just ran with it and created an outstanding menu that meshed our differences very well. My in-laws went with us for the tasting and I was a bit nervous, as they're very picky and tend to only eat things they're used to. As we went through the menu, tasting each item and making notations, I noticed my father-in-law writing "Excellent" next to everything!! He rarely uses that word to describe food unless it truly is excellent! I was so relieved and so excited! The food the day of the wedding was just as amazing it was when we did the tasting. Our wedding was almost 2 weeks ago, and we're still receiving compliments from our guests about how wonderful everything was! Also, we've received a lot of compliments on the staff. I've been told multiple times that everyone was just so helpful, friendly, and truly seemed like they were happy to be there. To me, good service is just as important as good food, so I'm very thankful to the CBD staff!

use them for our rehearsal dinner in addition to our wedding. We had a beach wedding in Sandbridge so we wanted to include plenty of seafood options. At Marcy’s suggestion we went with a seafood boil for the rehearsal dinner and it was a hit! No worries if seafood isn't your jam: they have plenty of other options including mac & cheese that I still dream about. Our family has a lot of foodies and they were all blown away. If I had a dollar for every time someone said it was the best meal they ever had our wedding would have been free!

ial request cobbler bar dessert was on point. We received so many complements from our family and friends on the food. Joanie did 3+ site visits to ensure that the outdoor tented wedding at the home I grew up in would be fabulous. And when the weather called for massive storms, Joanie and the team had the best attitude for doing everything possible to make the night amazing. They also seamlessly executed a room flip and ran an efficient bar for our guests all night. Our goodie bag made a delicious dinner of leftovers the first night of our honeymoon. I HIGHLY recommend.

e food is absolutely amazing. During our tasting, they got my mom to eat and enjoy a crabcake ( and she does not like crab), and I also ate one of the mini ham brioche appetizers and liked it (and I do not eat ham!). We chose to do a buffet with a plated Caesar salad. At the buffet we had the chicken with roasted red peppers, spinach, and feta, the slow roasted herb encrusted prime rib, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and mixed vegetables. We even opted to do a macaroni and cheese station with toppings including lobster, bacon, fried onions, and so much more. To top off the night, we did a s'mores station that was a huge hit! Everyone raved about the food, and they were wonderful in assuring that the bride and groom were served their plates first- we did not even have to get up to make our plate! I had been told by many people that on my wedding day I would not get a chance to eat- well they made sure I had that chance! Even during pictures they carried up trays of the appetizers to serve to the wedding party while others were in cocktail hour. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this caterer, and highly recommend to go with them!

vendor team that flipped the room from ceremony to beautiful reception so fast and the food was AMAZING! Chef John worked with us to create a custom ethnic food station that was fantastic. So many of our guests came up to us during the reception and in the days after the wedding to tell us how great our food was! I would highly recommend Chef by Design!

how it was planned. They were a wonderful caterer and we would use them again in the future!

y guests complimenting the food and service. You won't go wrong by choosing Chef by Design for your event. Thank you for all you have done and making our day so special.

the process, adapt to our schedule and provide superb service and food for our wedding. I would recommend them to anyone.

o the wedding, they really treated us like we were the one and only client they had and made sure we were comfortable with everything every step of the way. They're not only caterers, but they handled the rentals, and beyond. We had made custom chargers for the tables, and they were sure to use them but also collect them to keep them from being stolen at the end of the night. We also had coozies and special champagne glasses for people to keep that they made sure was displayed and used! Our guests raved about the food. The Cocktail Hour, the Charcuterie Boards on each Table, The Duet Plates... even down to the late night Milk & Cookie Shots and later the Pretzels for the bus ride home! We also had them do our Wedding Cake and many of our guests were in awe of the amazing flavor of the Strawberry and Creamsicle layered cake. Marcy and Joanie cared about everything being perfect, down to finding boards to cover up mud puddles, dealing with late transpo buses (which was not their hire) and even helping come up with ideas for our rain plan to transform original ideas to incorporate into the new rain plan ideas. The one thing I'll also recommend, in case it doesn't usually come in the package is that we had our own waitress assigned to us who really took care of us, who gave the lead singer of the band a thumbs up for me when I couldn't get up and even putting spray deodorant on me when I realized I had forgotten! Because of her, we got to eat all the food, have drinks whenever we wanted, and really be able to enjoy the Wedding! I wouldn't take even a nano second in hiring Chef by Design again, their custom service, attention to detail, and all round amazing work will never be forgotten. Thank you so much guys for making our Wedding as amazing as it was!!! Amelia & David 9-26-15

your creativity, focus and dedication to your craft. After meeting with you to discuss our vision and concluding the introductory tasting it was obvious that there was simply no other choice by comparison. Through your influence, the bar for which every other catering business in VA Beach is measured should forever be set by you. All other businesses, whether it be bar or restaurant should fall in line and learn from your example. It is our belief that you set the standard in VA Beach and our hope is that others will learn of you by any means necessary, including this letter. From a culinary and service standpoint you are truly in a class of your own and you are deserving of being one of the most coveted food and service professionals in the Hampton Roads. There are very few chefs who could pull off such an exceptional menu for over 100 guests and maintain the integrity of each dish as it was intended; in addition to having a staff that provides a separate beer or wine pairing for each of the five courses and are able to time it flawlessly. The NY Times would award you no less than three stars for achieving this on a consistent level given the quality of production on both ends. Our guests have said to us time after time that it was the best dinner that they have had at a wedding or otherwise. Chef John Telfer should be commended for his ability to execute at such a high level. Also deserving of praise is Co-Owner/Director of Catering Marcy Telfer and Catering Manager Joanie Powell for their tireless efforts to seek perfection and for their personal, hands-on approach to achieving it. These three lead an all-star team of service professionals who carry with them a wealth of knowledge and are more than capable of working in the finest of dining settings. We cannot say enough how happy we are that Chef by Design was our caterer for what was the most important day of our lives. We sincerely and wholeheartedly want to thank you all for your exceptional service and hospitality. You exceed our already high expectations and made our wedding reception one of our top dining experiences ever and an evening that we will never forget. We wish you all continued success!

e involved in running the show. Joanie was the woman in charge and I couldn't have asked for a better person. She kept everyone on task as we were getting ready, she kept in contact with all the vendors, and she kept me out of the loop so that I did not stress. We received so many compliments on the flow of the wedding as well as the food and service! The food was amazing and the wait staff was attentive and professional. Weddings are definitely Joanie and Marcy's calling as everything that they took care of was done flawlessly! Thanks so much chef by design!

he staff is so friendly and does so much more than just provide the food. The service and hard work that went into making our wedding such a success cannot be valued and it is hard to put into words the appreciation of their hard work. The staff helped move my chairs from inside to outside, and then back inside for the reception, due to the rain. The coordination between them and my planner was amazing and without them, we couldn't have pulled off my perfect image of an outdoor ceremony. The food was so good and it was very important to us to have our guests recognize the great food at the wedding. Everyone raved about every single thing that was served and it was no wonder that all the food was gone at the end of the night. Everyone left satisfied and the food was better than expected being served in large quantities. They provide full set up and break down and handle all rentals as needed so there is little for you to personally stress over as they have everything handled. Joanie and Marcy will work with you as much as you need to plan the perfect menu and work within your budget. They both are amazing and you will feel like friends instantly when working with them. I would recommend them to anyone for any catering needs.

cially enjoyed being able to do minor changes on the items we wanted to stick with (extra sauce/no sauce/less garlic, etc). When meeting with the staff, everyone was super friendly. They even came with us to our rentals appointment to help layout tables and help with our overall decorations. The buffet and cocktail food items were perfect. Our food was so delicious (all our guests keep telling us), and they even made up a to-go box for my husband and me to eat it all over again the next day. :) I would recommend contacting by phone, rather than email. They are quicker to respond with a direct phone call.

e food was. I would highly recommend Chef by Design to anyone looking for a caterer.

Chef by Design Catering Co. The staff are incredibly friendly and active listeners who want your event to be better than expected. They hire wait staff who have the same values as the owners... it is not a wonder to us that they are fast gaining the stellar reputation and growing a client list that such an excellent business deserves. Our guests raved about how good the food and service was and that made us proud as hosts.

event that they had previously catered. But I have to say that Marcy and her staff (and Chef husband!) far exceded even our expectations! Being the hosts of the event, we were able to see just how perfectly everything came together; no detail was overlooked! Marcy and her staff helped us to plan the perfect event and our friends are still talking about how delicious all of the food was, from the cocktail hour hors d'oeuvres through all of the reception food. A favorite both in taste and "curb appeal" was the mashed potato bar (served in martini glasses with unique toppings). The potatoes were the best I've ever had! The staff was so nice, attentive and friendly; nothing was overlooked! Marcy made us feel comfortable from the start, she knows the venues and does her homework! She also respected some of our little nuances (ie, purchasing our own alcohol and setups (which she helped with the numbers), speciality drinks and how to handle, etc, etc...) She had some really good ideas and followed through on everything. She was easy to get it touch with during our planning and when she did get busy with other events, always got back to us and apologized for any delay. The only thing that didn't go as planned (because there has to be "something", right?), was that the outdoor cocktail hour bartender put a tip jar out (we had open bar and had requested no tip jar). We let it go as it wasn't put out at the indoor reception and the staff apologized for the oversight afterwards. Apparently they had a new bartender who did not get the word. So just make sure to make that very clear if you also do not want. But that was the only issue and a small one. The staff all remained after the event for cleanup and they were there early for setup, so we did tip all of them and they were very appreciative! In summary, we will never use another caterer, we love Chef By Design!!!

n was perfect. I had a huge, over the top, gorgeous wedding with so many details - Joanie and Marcy helped me to bring everything I wanted into the wedding and reception. I can't thank them enough. After meeting and tasting with other caterers in the area, I just KNEW that this company is the BEST! They cook the food on-site with Chef John and his team, and I still am getting calls about the food. Their staff paid such attention to every detail, were so friendly and helpful, but professional! Even when my guests tried to get their beautiful staff on the dance floor!! I cannot thank them enough. I will be referring them to everyone I know! We love you guys!!!