Private Chef Services and Premium Catering for Your Lake Michigan Getaway
The same team. A different shoreline.
For the hosts we serve in Chicago and across the North Shore, the getaway home is where the most personal hosting happens.
Our Philosophy
Hospitality is not a service. It is devotion.
The summer house in Lake Geneva. The cottage in Harbor Country. The family weekend in Saugatuck. Birthdays that gather everyone. Anniversaries marked without fanfare. Long weekends with the people who matter most.
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. The same applies at your lake house. We travel to Lake Geneva, Williams Bay, Fontana, New Buffalo, Harbor Country, Saugatuck and Douglas, South Haven, and St. Joseph throughout the year, often for the same families whose Chicago and North Shore homes we already know well.
Vendador is a Chicago-based private dining company offering full-service private chef and premium catering experiences across the Lake Michigan region. We bring personalized menus, complete restaurant infrastructure, plateware, glassware, silverware, and professional service staff directly to your lake home.
The same standards we deliver in your primary residence travel with us, so the experience your guests have at the getaway feels like the experience they have at home.
What Sets Vendador Apart
In our experience, the hosts who hire us at the lake are not looking for catering. They are looking for a team that can carry the same standard they would expect at home, into a kitchen they may only use a few weekends a year.
That gap is what we built Vendador to close.
Here is what that means in practice:
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Chef Francis trained at Japonais by Morimoto, was on the opening team Momotaro, and was Sous Chef at Roister of the Alinea Group. Every chef and sommelier we send into your lake home brings that same level of fine dining experience. We never use staffing agencies.
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Every staff member who walks into your home, whether in Chicago or at the lake, has signed an NDA before the booking is confirmed. The privacy you have come to expect from us at home does not change when we cross a state line into Wisconsin or Michigan.
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We arrive with the entire operation: Riedel stemware, ceramics, flatware, and the service team to run the night. Lake homes range from architecturally significant estates to family cabins built for fishing weekends, and we have worked in both. Whether your kitchen has marble countertops and a wine room or a single propane stove and a lake-facing porch, 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.
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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. A summer cocktail dinner on the dock looks nothing like an October anniversary in the dining room, and the menu reflects that every time. We do not use sample menus or catering packages.
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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.
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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 at the lake almost always come to us through a neighbor whose Chicago or North Shore home we already know.
private chef services
From intimate tasting menus for six on a screened porch to lavish estate gatherings for eighty at the lakefront, 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 & 300+ Google reviews
“Chef Francis and his team traveled to our home in Michigan and executed an unforgettable six-course dinner inspired by our family’s Swedish and polish heritage for 56 guests. Canapés, cocktails, the whole experience. Every course was better than the last. The food was extraordinary, the service was a joy, and my kitchen was spotless by the end of dessert. I don’t know HOW they did it but everyone was blown away.
I have hosted this reunion for over a decade with my sister. For years, I handled everything myself, the cooking, the cleanup, making sure we had enough wine glasses and drinks, not because I love hosting but because it’s just my home and that’s how it goes! This was the best one we have ever had. Vendador will be back next summer, and every summer after that.
— Andrea F., Harbor Country Resident
“Chef Francis helped me throw an absolutely fabulous fiftieth birthday party for my husband at our Wisconsin house. A lovely mixologist hosted a cocktail class and Chef Francis paired delicious passed appetizers with each drink. He also prepared amazing seafood, charcuterie and crudités platters. And his pastry chef did chocolates and candies as a special treat. What a night.
One other note - they seemed to be having fun too. Working their tails off, of course, but in great spirits and really enjoying the night. That makes a huge difference when you are working in someone’s home and it was something that I noticed and my guests did too.”
— Emily M., Lake Geneva Resident
“We hosted a kitchen counter dinner for 10, and it was truly a unique and beautiful experience. Chef was able to curate the perfect plant forward menu, that even the meat eaters couldn’t stop raving about. All his ingredients were hand selected, seasonal, and locally sourced, and you could taste the freshness in his food.
We loved being front and center, seeing the artistic presentation and the detail that went into each dish first hand. Our sommelier was so knowledgeable and was able to perfectly pair wine or whiskey with each course, and provided such beautiful insight into every tasting she provided. Chef Francis and his entire staff were so kind and wonderful, we really enjoyed getting to spend this special evening with them and we cannot wait to have them over again!”
— Sahar E., New Buffalo Resident
The Towns We Serve on the Lake
Includes surrounding areas
Wisconsin
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Lake Geneva has been a getaway for Chicago's hosting class since the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and the lakefront estates along its shores still represent some of the most considered second-home hosting in the Midwest. The dinners we cook here often gather extended family across the long weekends that define a Geneva summer.
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Williams Bay sits on the north shore of Geneva Lake and is one of only three incorporated villages directly on the water. The lakefront homes here are substantial, the village itself is quiet, and the hosts we serve in Williams Bay tend to entertain in a way that feels more rooted than transient. Yerkes Observatory anchors the community with a cultural weight you can feel.
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Fontana, formally Fontana-on-Geneva Lake, sits at the western end of the lake and is home to some of Geneva's most architecturally significant residences, including the South Shore Club. The estates here are built for hosting at scale, and the dinners we cook in Fontana often reflect that. Long tables, multi-course menus, full bar service.
Southwest Michigan
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New Buffalo is the gateway to Harbor Country and one of the most-asked-about lake destinations among our Chicago and North Shore clients. Roughly an hour and a quarter from the city, the homes here range from beachfront estates to family compounds set back in the woods. The dinners we cook in New Buffalo often kick off a long weekend.
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Harbor Country is the umbrella name for a string of small lakeshore communities, including Union Pier, Lakeside, Sawyer, Three Oaks, and Grand Beach. Each has its own character: Union Pier and Grand Beach lean residential and beachfront, Sawyer carries a more relaxed and artful feeling, Three Oaks runs more inland and farm-influenced. Our team works across all of them.
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The twin cities of Saugatuck and Douglas sit on the Kalamazoo River where it meets Lake Michigan, and the area has long drawn a creative, design-aware crowd to its summer homes. The dinners we cook here tend to lean a little more relaxed and a little more visually composed, in keeping with the rhythm of the towns.
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South Haven sits on a working harbor at the mouth of the Black River, and the homes that surround it carry a different feeling than the more secluded Harbor Country communities to the south. The hosts we serve in South Haven often build their evenings around the water, the boats, and the long sunsets that define summer here.
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St. Joseph occupies the bluffs above Lake Michigan and is one of the most established resort towns on Michigan's southwestern coast. The homes here range from historic lakefront estates to newer builds with wide water views, and the dinners we cook in St. Joseph tend to honor the formality those settings invite while still feeling personal.
Occasions We Cater on the Lake
Across the eight communities we serve, we cook for anniversary dinners, milestone birthdays, summer weddings on the water, holiday weekends, family reunions, graduation celebrations, holiday gatherings in cooler months, and the long, unhurried weeknight dinners that define a great getaway.
A Note on Travel
We travel to Wisconsin and Southwest Michigan throughout the year, often for the same families whose Chicago and North Shore homes we already know. Travel fees start at $300 and vary based on distance, season, crew size, and whether the event requires overnight accommodations. For multi-day events, clients cover any associated staff lodging. We work all of this out with you transparently during your consultation, so there are no surprises.
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 travel to Wisconsin and Michigan from Chicago?
Yes. Wisconsin and Southwest Michigan are two of the regions we serve most often. Lake Geneva, Williams Bay, Fontana, New Buffalo, Harbor Country, Saugatuck and Douglas, South Haven, and St. Joseph are all part of our regular service area, and we work in lake homes across these communities throughout the year.
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. Lake house and getaway hosting tends to be more relaxed than primary home hosting, and we are built to flex with that. We serve elevated buffet service, food stations, raw bars, passed canapés, dock-side 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.
Is there a travel fee for events at the lake?
Yes. Travel fees for drives 1.5 hours or more from our kitchen begin at $300 and vary based on distance, season, crew size, and whether the event requires overnight accommodations. For multi-day events, clients cover any associated lodging. Specific pricing is confirmed transparently during your consultation.
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 $2,000, and tasting menu experiences begin at $365 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.