The Practical Chef

Craig is a true professional that you can trust. He takes pride in his work and will go above and beyond to make sure your event exceeds your expectation and impresses your guests.

I hired Craig and his team to cater my wedding, which took place at a remote venue about 2 hours outside of Tucson. The event was a challenge because not only was it remote, but I was also planning the event from the other side of the country. That meant I didn't have the benefit of meeting with caterers in person, trying food in advance, and undertaking all the traditional steps of finding vendors for a wedding.

I knew I had found the right person to handle the event from the very first call. He was cordial, asked the right questions, clearly communicated his requirements, and was honest. He didn't disappear or go radio silent after I signed the contract and he was communicative all the way through the planning process and leading up to the event.

About two months before the event, he graciously drove the two hours out to the venue to conduct a property walk-through with me when I was in town for the holidays. He refused additional reimbursement for his time or gas money to get out to the venue.

In the last month leading up to the event, I communicated to Craig that a few of my guests had some allergies, and one was vegan. This was a quaint wedding of only about 20 people, so that meant coming up with some original alternatives for those few individuals. Furthermore, I hired him to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner the day of the wedding, which exasperated those challenges. On the day of the event, he had a custom vegan-friendly dish prepared for all three meals and took extraordinary precautions to prevent allergen cross-contamination.

Every single meal was punctual, artfully presented, and delicious. This is not your standard wedding food or copy-and-paste banquet meal. Craig is extraordinarily talented and was continuously present throughout each meal to greet guests and present his dishes. Every guest was impressed and raving about the food.

In addition to the tremendous food, Craig also helped to arrange servers for the event and even helped bring additional tables for the event.

Craig is just a genuinely good person and you cannot do better than hiring him for your next event.

All I can say is WOW! The food Craig cooks is delicious! He prepares meals for me whenever I stay in Tucson and I am always excited for the next batch because he is so creative and the meals are so unique! I never get tired of his meals at all! He has a very intimate knowledge of cooking to the point where the meats are always tender and delicious and the vegetables come just right! Thank you Craig!

I can’t say enough good things about Craig. He always delivers, is a true professional and great with people. And of course, his food is excellent. For me, he cooks with almost no fat, salt or sugar, relying instead on fresh food, herbs and spices to bring out great flavor. He accepts the challenge with a positive attitude and always makes my food taste great. And he is open to feedback for next time. I would recommend Craig and Practical Chef to anyone.

Chefs Craig and Mike came to my parent’s home to teach a multi-​generational family of 9 (ages 12 – 73). We made a feast of Bloody Mary’s, waffles and fried chicken, salad with bacon and poached eggs, and bananas Foster for dessert. Everyone was busy and engaged with the cooking, and everyone loved the meal. The chefs served the food and cleaned the kitchen and we got to enjoy the leftovers for the next few days! Costs less than a splurge for a high-​end dinner and you gain some skills along the way. Highly recommend this as a unique family experience.

Chef Craig is outstanding! I recently had the pleasure of being a weekend guest at a ranch with 7 couples where Chef Craig cooked all of the food. Every meal was spectacular. He is a really nice congenial guy — and catered to a lot of specific requests in a charming fashion. He was in the kitchen all day everyday — never took a break. He made homemade soups for lunch which were to die for. For the most part the menu was what I would call southwestern gourmet — but that is what was selected. I am sure he could cook anything well. I wish he lived in Chicago!

Chef Craig is fantastic. We enjoyed delicious meals during our family vacation and he catered to our every need. I highly recommend him.

We just had the best party of the century all thanks to Craig and his team! I had met Craig at a friend’s party that he was catering and the food was awesome, but I loved how the friends we went to visit were hanging out with us rather than worrying what was going on the kitchen. I decided to throw a party 4 times the size with a whopping 90 people, and Craig and his team pulled it off impeccably! He helped me organize an ice carving as well which was a real showstopper. He’s got connections all over the city so can get you anything and everything. I gave Craig my menu and we met to discuss everything in more detail… he got my vision from the beginning. Not only is he a great chef, but he’s personal, so all during the meeting, he is getting to know me, what I like and what my tastes are. This translated beautifully when it came to the event and Craig knew exactly how to execute my vision and the time line was spot on! He was also able to be flexible and slow things down or speed things up if needed. His team was respectful of my home, my guests and the food all received rave reviews. Best part… the kitchen was spotless when they left! I also used him for a private dinner that same weekend with only 15 people and it was the most delicious chicken parmesan and homemade italian meatballs I have ever had! He literally can do anything and you will fall in love with his personality! Hire Craig today!

Chef Craig is AWESOME… I just got back from a 3 day retreat in which I must have gained 5+ pounds — I simply couldn’t stop eating the Food (it was that good).
Normally I’m a REALLY picky eater — but Chef Craig customized almost everything when requested, his talent and ability to delight the taste buds is superb. From southwestern gourmet quesadillas or fresh crab salad appetizers, to homemade burger sliders or pulled pork sammies, or my FAV the SW Ceasar Salad :)…can’t forget dessert, like the chocolate ganache cookie + homemade mini chilled milkshake shots — THE FOOD IS SIMPLY FANTASTIC!
Honestly, if I am ever in the Tuscon, Scottsdale, or in the STATE and need any catering or Personal Chef needs — Chef Craig and his Staff at The Practical Chef are my #1 choice.
Thanks You for such a great experience — it was unforgettable!
–Jeremy

Craig was our private chef for a 3-​day business retreat for 15 people. He served us breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus everything in between.
Summary: AWESOME
The food was just great. Thoroughly enjoyed (and devoured) by all guests. Highlights included a fantastic Mexican chicken salad, incredible homemade potato chips, and some great hearty sandwiches that even the biggest eaters couldn’t finish. He is a magician with fish!
Where Craig probably best excelled was reading the mood of the crowd. Everyone always congregates in the kitchen, and he was great at adding to the conversation and knew when to step away as well. Though we laid out a thorough menu plan, he continuously gauged the mood and appetite of the group to modify what and when we served. He was tremendously flexible in modifying the menu and how he served it (both casual and formal meals), which couldn’t have been easy with a big crowd and working 12 hours day to keep us fed. He was also very cost conscious and came in exactly where he said he would, with few leftovers and no one ever going hungry.
The service was stupendous, and somehow the kitchen was always spotless. No one ever washed a single dish. Craig and his team also did a great job handling those with dietary restrictions, whipping up great creations many of the meat-​eaters started to crave as well.
We had a tremendously successful event, and the Practical Chef was a huge contribution factor to things going so well. A+ job! Thanks Craig!

Chef Craig creates the most beautiful cheese boards and party platters ever! His in-​home cooking classes are also fun for parties and get togethers.
I was just thinking about the holidays the other day. Chef Craig will go to your home and teach «how to cook the best holiday dinner ever». It’d be a fun at-​home class/​pre-​holiday party with friends who also want to learn how to wow their friends and families. Or, I could always get a private lesson and take the credit for myself ;).