08/16/2026
Last night we had the opportunity to take over another beautiful home kitchen and put together a fresh summer three-course private dinner.
One of my favorite parts of these evenings is that our guests get to see what actually goes into the food—not just the finished plate.
We opened last night with our Shrimp & White Cheddar Grit Cake.
We started with slowly cooked grits, folded in freshly grated white cheddar, formed each cake in ring molds and chilled them until set. From there, they were lightly battered with fresh local eggs, coated in panko and seared until golden and crispy on the outside while staying creamy and almost melty in the center.
Then came the Gulf shrimp—seasoned and marinated before being sautéed with garlic and shallots, deglazed with white wine, then finished with fresh herbs, a touch of cream and cold butter to bring together a silky pan sauce.
The final plate was finished with blistered tomatoes, roasted garlic, our house-made roasted tomato & garlic oil, fresh herbs and edible micro flowers.
Crispy, creamy, buttery, bright—and a pretty fun way to start dinner.
And that's really what these evenings are about.
We prepare the food right there in your kitchen. As each course comes together, we plate it, bring it to the table and talk our guests through what they're eating—the ingredients, the techniques, where some of those ingredients came from, the inspiration behind the dish and occasionally a chef tip, trick or story along the way.
Every sauce. Every vinaigrette. Every component on the plate. Chef made.
We don't take shortcuts because a Cranky Chef private dinner isn't just about putting great food on the table. It's about everything that happens around it—the cooking, the conversation, the presentation, the stories and ultimately sitting around a table with friends enjoying a night you'll remember.
Great food is where it starts. The experience is what brings it all together.
Cranky Chef
