Private Chef Services and Premium Catering at Home in Chicago's Suburbs
The Chicago suburbs we know best: Hinsdale, Naperville, Barrington, Oak Park, River Forest, and Burr Ridge
The dinner party that turns into a long evening. Twelve people around a dining room table that was built to seat twelve, in a kitchen designed for the cook to actually use it.
Our Philosophy
Hospitality is not a service. It is devotion.
Vendador works in private homes across Hinsdale, Naperville, Barrington, Oak Park, River Forest, and Burr Ridge.
For generous leaders balancing demanding careers with meaningful relationships, we bring an entire fine dining ecosystem to your home. Our Michelin-trained chefs and sommeliers are NDA-protected, so you reclaim time and stay fully present without lifting a finger.
Vendador is a Chicago-based private dining company offering full-service private chef and premium catering experiences across the Chicago suburbs. Personalized menus, complete restaurant infrastructure, plateware, glassware, silverware, and professional service staff arrive at your door, so the only thing you bring to the night is your guests.
What Sets Vendador Apart
The hosts we work with in the suburbs are not looking for catering. They are looking for a team that can match - and exceed - the standard they would set themselves if they had the time.
Here is what that means in practice:
-
Chef Francis trained at Japonais by Morimoto, was on the opening team Momotaro, and was Sous Chef at Roister of the Alinea Group. With the time and kitchen space the suburbs allow, that training shows up across every course, not just the highlights. We never use staffing agencies.
-
Every staff member who walks into your home has signed an NDA before the booking is confirmed. In tight suburban social circles, the guest at your table this week may be hosting their own dinner next week. Our core team is small and consistent, so repeat clients work with people who already know their home.
-
Suburban homes range from architecturally significant estates to family homes built across decades of additions, and we have worked in both. Whether your kitchen has marble countertops and a wine room or a single oven and a butcher block island, our chefs are trained to operate cleanly within the space we are given. The materials in your home are protected the same way they would be in any residence we serve.
-
Nothing about your menu is pre-built. We design every course around your guests, the dietary realities at the table, the season, and the energy of the weekend. From a summer cocktail dinner in the garden, to a November family reunion, and the menu reflects that every time. We do not use sample menus or catering packages.
-
You can choose from one of our three wine pairing tiers, build a beverage program around your existing cellar, or hand the night to our sommelier and let us source it for you. Cocktail programs, full bar service, and licensed bartenders are all part of what we bring with us.
Read more about our fully licensed beverage program.
-
Since 2021, Vendador has grown to over 400 clients and 265+ five-star Google reviews entirely through word-of-mouth. The hosts who hire us in your suburb almost always come to us through a neighbor whose home we already know.
private chef services
From intimate tasting menus for ten in a formal dining room to estate gatherings for eighty under a tented yard, we bring private dining, sommelier-led wine service, licensed craft bar programs, and canapé service. A complete culinary experience that arrives at your door and disappears without a trace.
A chef-driven journey through 5 to 12 seasonally inspired courses, plated with precision, and presented with passion and elite hospitality. Every detail is provided — curated plateware, Riedel glassware, silverware, and linen napkins — so you never need to worry about having the right amount of anything. Each menu is custom-designed for you and yours, never repeated.
From cellar curation to night-of pairings, our certified sommeliers and licensed craft bartenders bring the full beverage experience to your event. Choose from our rotating seasonal cocktail menu, a premium open bar, or three tiers of wine pairings. Every pour is intentional, every cocktail crafted by experts.
Canapés & Food Stations
Elegant, high level bites designed for entertaining. From the dock, to the beach, to the garden, our canapé service sets the tone from the first moment guests arrive and keeps the energy alive all evening long.
Buffet Dining
Abundant, beautifully composed, and anything but ordinary. Our buffet presentations bring the same Michelin-caliber ingredients and philosophy to a format that flows naturally for open houses, cocktail receptions, and events where conversation moves as freely as the food.
Not sure which format fits your event? Tell us what you're planning. We'll build something just for you.
5 stars & 265 Google reviews
“Vendador -- you absolutely knocked it out of the park for us!
It is safe to say you totally wow'ed all our guests with your beautiful and delicious dishes. As a culinary event producer, you blew me away with your and your team's incredible hospitality and professionalism.
The entire staff on site was warm, welcoming, friendly, calm, cool, attentive...the whole package.
Chef, thank you for being an incredible partner. We know there will be many more events in our future.”
— Lindsey G., Hindsdale Resident
“I asked Vendador to do a private dinner for my husband and I's first anniversary and they delivered. Chef Francis was very professional, but so personable at the same time. Their process is seamless. They bring all of their own equipment, pots, pans, plates, silverware, wine glasses, and leave everything spotless after they are finished.
The food was true fine dining restaurant quality and absolutely fantastic. The tuna tartar and tortelli dishes were standouts for us. Chef Francis even did a special rendition of our strawberry mousse wedding cake for dessert. Thank you for a fantastic meal and making our first anniversary so special!”
— Cassie A., Riverwoods Resident
“Chef Francis and his amazing team created the most delicious and incredible dining experience for my father’s 85th birthday celebration.
Every dish was thoughtfully done and the whole dinner was seamless and stunning! We are all still talking about the fresh scallops days later. We can’t wait for you to come to our home again, and you were a true pleasure to work with.”
— Betty W., Burr Ridge Resident
The SuburbsWe Serve Around Chicago
Includes surrounding areas
-
Tudor and Colonial Revival estates on tree-lined streets, with a walkable historic downtown that has anchored the village for over a century.
-
Custom-built homes along the DuPage River and through the newer gated communities, in the largest of the western suburbs by population. We’re in Naperville all the time!
-
Equestrian estates on multi-acre lots and Tudor and stone homes set well back from the road. Properties here are measured in acres and win in the category of garden parties.
-
Frank Lloyd Wright homes and Prairie School architecture along the historic district, with bungalows on tree-lined blocks. One of the most architecturally significant residential areas in the country - and basically our neighbor in West Town Chicago.
-
Stone and brick estates on larger lots than neighboring Oak Park, mature trees, and the kind of quieter old money that the western suburbs do well.
-
Contemporary custom-built homes on wooded lots, with mature oaks and rolling terrain that set the neighborhood apart visually from the rest of the western suburbs. The most recently developed of the six.
Occasions We Cater in the Suburbs
Across the Chicago suburbs we serve, we cook for anniversary dinners, milestone birthdays, holiday gatherings, family reunions, graduation celebrations, engagement and rehearsal dinners, summer garden parties, and the long, unhurried evenings around the dining room table that suburban homes were built for.
FAQs for Vendador private dining
What is the smallest and largest event size you accommodate?
We design culinary experiences for groups of 2 to 200. Our flexibility is dependent on the style of dining and we are open to discussions about events larger than 200 guests. We serve seated dinners to a maximum of 120 guests. Beyond plated fine dining, we offer canapé service, food stations, grazing tables, buffets, open bar service, seasonal cocktails, and more.
Do you have a travel fee for the Chicago suburbs from your kitchen?
No. The Chicago suburbs we serve fall within our standard service radius, and travel fees do not apply to events in Hinsdale, Naperville, Barrington, Oak Park, River Forest, or Burr Ridge and nearby towns.
What does the day-of timeline look like?
We arrive approximately two hours before your guests to set up. All menu elements are prepped in our Chicago commercial kitchen and finished in your home. Once we arrive, you become a guest at your own event. After service, we pack up and clean efficiently, leaving your kitchen more spotless than when we arrived.
Do you bring plateware and silverware?
Yes. We provide all plateware, silverware, serviceware, cooking equipment, and linen napkins for your dining experience. Our inventory includes hand-selected ceramics and Riedel stemware if purchasing a beverage package. For specific plate styles outside of our collection, we can arrange rentals from a local company on your behalf for a procurement fee.
Do you only do formal dinners?
No. Suburban hosting often calls for a mix of formality and ease, and we are built to flex with that. We serve elevated buffet service, food stations, raw bars, passed canapés, outdoor cocktail receptions, and casual family-style dinners alongside seated tasting menus. Wine and cocktail classes or cooking demonstrations can also be added as a pre-meal experience.
Do you bring decor for the table?
Though we do not personally provide decor and styling for events, we often collaborate with local florists and event stylists. We have a trusted network of vendors who we would be happy to connect with on your behalf to design your table.
What is the cost of a private chef experience?
We operate with an event minimum of $1,500, and tasting menu experiences begin at $325 per person. Final pricing is curated jointly during your consultation, since no two events are alike. These figures apply to private dining experiences and are separate from our corporate catering packages, which are detailed on our corporate catering page.