Chef David Mau

Private Chef in Windsor

My family settled Sonoma in 1849 and my indigenous ancestors go back for millennia. After a dynamic career as a Chef, Writer and Photographer I’m back where I am meant to be living this next chapter of my culinary journey. Sonoma and the region mean a lot to me and I love sharing my experiences from the OC to High Sierra as well."

I pride myself on being super easy to work with. Food should be fun and as a writer I love to talk cuisine and restaurant culture, it’s a passion of mine to create a narrative for my guests. Most of all I like to craft memories as well as dishes, let’s have a meal to remember!

During the peak summer season the talented Chef Nathan Voge, a Sonoma County native and excellent hand in the kitchen, will be filling in should I be unavailable.

For me, cooking is...

An act of profound skill and dedication to people and the culinary craft.

I learned to cook at...

Beside my Father as a child and onto my professional journey from the hip, urban spots to the California wilderness.

A cooking secret...

Good company is the best ingredient and pretense makes a lousy garnish

My menus

From The West Coast Grill - 3 Course

STARTER

All inclusive

Salad Corte Madera with Avocado, Tomato, Cured Olives, Napa Cabbage, Grilled Cebollita and House Dressing

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Authentic Sofrito Black Beans with Jasmine Rice

Corn Tortillas Hecho a Mano (by hand from scratch)

Grilled herbed Sweet Peppers and Cebollitas

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Real Deal Thin Sliced Beef Tri Tip Roast Coastal Style with Salsa Cruda

Citrus Marinated Free Range Chicken grilled A la Plancha

Striped Sea Bass La Paz - with Garlic, Oregano, Myer Lemon, Jalapeños and Olive Oil

Loganiza Gutamalteca - Guatamalan pork sausage with farm cheese and herbs

DESSERT

All inclusive

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with Creme Fraiche

Russian River Table - 3 Course

STARTER

All inclusive

Fresh Baked Bread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cruets served tableside

Olives San Leandro - Marinated Olives in my family tradition served with crudités

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

California Potato Salad - Organic Pee Wee Potatoes, Olives, Roasted Sweet Peppers, Cebollita, Rosemary Aioli

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Real Deal Thin Sliced Beef Tri Tip Roast Coastal Style with Salsa Cruda

Broasted whole Farmhouse Chicken

Poached North Coast Salmon - Caldo, Egg, Lemon, Dill and Capers

Bodega Bay Halibites - Lightly breaded local Halibut with Lemon Dill Aioli

DESSERT

All inclusive

Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie with Vanilla Ice Cream and Candied Pecans

Road To The Valle - 4 Course

STARTER

All inclusive

Avocado and Citrus Salad with Arugula and Shaved Red Onion

Oaxacan Cheese dip with scallion and local chorizo

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Green Cilantro Rice and Charro Beans - The definitive presentation

Corn Tortillas Hecho a Mano (by hand from scratch)

MAIN COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Striped Sea Bass La Paz - with Garlic, Oregano, Myer Lemon, Jalapeños and Olive Oil

Shrimp Skewers - with Herbs, Chiles and Roja Dipping Sauce

Grilled Oysters Estilo Ensenada - Grilled Lemon, Scallion, Herbs and Olive Oil

Chicken Tinga - Rajas de Pollo in a smoky, spicy tomato sauce. A Baja Classic

DESSERT

All inclusive

Assorted Mexican Pastries with Tajin Candied Pecans and Sweet Cream

Tales Of The Bay - 3 Course

STARTER

All inclusive

Caesar Salad - made a la minute with Fresh Croutons, Organic Olive Oil, Egg, Shaved Romano Cheese and Citrus

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Pasta North Beach - with Spinach, Olive Oil, Roma Tomato and Cheese

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Striped Sea Bass Nob Hill - Wrapped and baked in a delicate Pasty Crust with Myer Lemon, Japanese Mint, Cured Salmon and baked

Shrimp Scampii - The real deal with garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, butter, capers and Romano cheese

Cioppino à Portuguesa - A Portuguese take on the classic Seafood Stew with Shrimp, Mussels, Whitefish, House Broth and Spicy Portuguese Linguica. Served with Crusty Bread

Crab Louie - Fresh Crab with Avocado, Scallion, Coddled Egg, Fresh Herbs, Olive Oil served over crispy greens

DESSERT

All inclusive

Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake with Sweet Cream and Organic Berries

Russian River Table - 4 Course

STARTER

All inclusive

Fresh Baked Bread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cruets served tableside

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

California Potato Salad - Organic Pee Wee Potatoes, Olives, Roasted Sweet Peppers, Cebollita, Rosemary Aioli

Olives San Leandro - Marinated Olives in my family tradition served with crudités

MAIN COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Real Deal Thin Sliced Beef Tri Tip Roast Coastal Style with Salsa Cruda

Broasted whole Farmhouse Chicken

Poached North Coast Salmon - Caldo, Egg, Lemon, Dill and Capers

Bodega Bay Halibites - Lightly breaded local Halibut with Lemon Dill Aioli

DESSERT

All inclusive

Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie with Vanilla Ice Cream and Candied Pecans

Russian River Table - 5 Course

STARTER

All inclusive

Fresh Baked Bread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cruets served tableside

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

California Potato Salad - Organic Pee Wee Potatoes, Olives, Roasted Sweet Peppers, Cebollita, Rosemary Aioli

Olives San Leandro - Marinated Olives in my family tradition served with crudités

MAIN COURSE

Choose 3 dishes

Real Deal Thin Sliced Beef Tri Tip Roast Coastal Style with Salsa Cruda

Broasted whole Farmhouse Chicken

Poached North Coast Salmon - Caldo, Egg, Lemon, Dill and Capers

Bodega Bay Halibites - Lightly breaded local Halibut with Lemon Dill Aioli

DESSERT

All inclusive

Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie with Vanilla Ice Cream and Candied Pecans

From The West Coast Grill - 4 Course

STARTER

All inclusive

Salad Corte Madera with Avocado, Tomato, Cured Olives, Napa Cabbage, Grilled Cebollita and House Dressing

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Authentic Sofrito Black Beans with Jasmine Rice

Corn Tortillas Hecho a Mano (by hand from scratch)

Grilled herbed Sweet Peppers and Cebollitas

MAIN COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Real Deal Thin Sliced Beef Tri Tip Roast Coastal Style with Salsa Cruda

Citrus Marinated Free Range Chicken grilled A la Plancha

Loganiza Gutamalteca - Guatamalan pork sausage with farm cheese and herbs

Striped Sea Bass La Paz - with Garlic, Oregano, Myer Lemon, Jalapeños and Olive Oil

DESSERT

All inclusive

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with Creme Fraiche and Berries

Sonoma Tapas - 4 Course

STARTER

All inclusive

Fresh Baked Bread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cruets served tableside

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Fig and Goat Cheese Gallets with Rosemary

MAIN COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Croquettes with local Linquica and Cheese. Smoky Harissa dipping sauce

Paella with Sonoma Coast Seafood Favorites - Herbs, Rice, Saffron and Caldo

Bodega Bay Halibites - Lightly breaded local Halibut with Lemon Dill Aioli

Mini Tri Tip Sandwiches West Coast - On grilled baguette with Herb Mayo, Salsa Cruda

DESSERT

All inclusive

Assorted House Pastries with Local Honey and Toasted Nuts

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Chef David's reviews

4.8

•

121 services

Here’s a short review you could post: We hired Chef David for a private dinner party of eight in Napa Valley, and he was fantastic. He was easy to work with, communicated clearly throughout the planning process, and made everything seamless. The food and service were excellent. Highly recommend Chef David!

Great meal and experience! We used Chef Dave for a couples dinner in wine country and he was as entertaining as the meal was great! He is a fun chef with personality. He is a veteran and solid choice.

Dave was fantastic and went above and beyond in multiple ways. We got so much more than we expected from him! Would book again for sure!

We had the absolute pleasure of hiring Chef’s Dave during our vacation, and he exceeded every expectation! Not only was the food incredible, crafted with skill and attention to detail, but his personality truly made the experience unforgettable. Friendly, funny, and incredibly professional, he brought a lively energy to our evening that everyone loved. The cherry on top? Chef’s Dave left our kitchen spotless, cleaner than we’ve ever seen it—a wonderful and much-appreciated bonus! Having him as our private chef was the highlight of our trip, and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for an exceptional culinary experience.

We had an amazing experience with chef Dave. He communicated very thoroughly with me weeks in advance, again the week of our dinner and prior to his arrival day of. His food was delicious. We all enjoyed everything he made for us. He fit right into our group. He was very kind and we all thoroughly enjoyed having him as our chef. I would highly recommend him and use him again.

For my dad's 60th birthday, we had the pleasure of having Dave as our private chef, and he truly made the occasion unforgettable. Dave was incredibly accommodating, creating a personalized menu that catered perfectly to our diverse dietary preferences. His dishes were super delicious and filling. Dave's personality shone through as he engaged us with delightful and quirky conversation throughout the evening. He is definitely chatty & friendly, which only added to the fun and festive atmosphere. Overall, his culinary skills and charismatic presence made my dad's birthday an exceptional experience.

Chef Dave was a joy to work with. Very personable and professional, accommodating for dietary needs and respectful of our space and time. His menu was exactly what I pictured and we loved hearing about the development and creation of his recipes. Would definitely recommend Chef Dave for your private dining experience!

Chef David was incredible! He was on-time, engaging, personable, and went above and beyond to make sure we had an amazing experience. His food was delicious and he explained each dish perfectly and made sure that he understood all of our likes and dislikes. He cleaned the kitchen up perfectly an even made us a dish from leftovers for breakfast inn the morning, I would highly recommend David Mau to anyone. thanks for an amazing experience! Gretchen

Chef David was fantastic to work with. He was very responsive with communications prior to our event and very flexible with the menu. Upon arrival he was super engaging and humorous. He jumped right into cooking and gave us some of his background story. The food was delicious and it catered to several of us with food allergies. Overall would highly recommend Chef Dave and was hire him again for a future event!

Chef Dave was very easy to work with. He was flexible. At the last minute, we had a couple of special requests, which he handled no problem. He was interesting, and could tell some engaging stories. He also gave us plenty of space to enjoy visiting with each other. Overall, the experience exceeded expectations.

Chef Dave was fabulous! He cooked multiple meals for us on our visit and each one was incredible. He was fun, friendly, accommodating, and a joy to work with. We will absolutely work with him again in the future. Grateful for such a wonderful experience with Take a Chef and Chef Dave!

Chef Dave was great!

Chef Dave, quite literally, added the perfect seasoning to our family trip. He’s a rock n roll culinary vaquero who made himself “right at kitchen” in our vacation home. Being tasked with preparing multiple meals for many ages and varying palates is no easy task, but it became very apparent that’s what this guy lives and breathes. It seemed as though every dish came with a larger-than-life story of its conception, therefore leading to not only dinner, but a downright hell of a show. If you’re looking for a chef that will show up, curate a menu and meal, clean up perfectly, and leave- that’s no problem for Chef Dave. However, if you’re looking to make the most out of your experience, spend your time in the company of someone you will quickly find yourself believing is an old friend, and learning some history and tradition of the food you will be enjoying—well then, you’ve come to the right guy. Rock on, Chef Dave. Thanks for the meals and memories. -The Heller Family

Chef Dave was terrific! Loved having him cook for our crew!!!

We loved Dave!! Food was amazing & he's a great guy!

Easily a 5 out of 5 star review for Chef David. Great personality, amazing food, and very engaging. We enjoyed talking with him while he was cooking and got to know more about each other. Would highly recommend for a fun and delicious dinner party.

Dave Mau did an outstanding job as a chef and entertainer! The food was excellent and very generous! Chef Dave Mau entertained us with interesting stories as well. I highly recommend him for a wonderful prtsonal chef experience!

Personable. Entertaining. Delicious. We were still talking about Chef Dave, and eating leftovers, the next day. And he left the kitchen in the same state as when he arrived.

Chef Dave was wonderful! I’m so glad we had him for our wedding. Dave was super helpful, communicative, and on top of everything. The food was outstanding and he went above and beyond to include a variety of food choices that everyone could enjoy while also bringing in new and tasty items that we’d never heard of. We would absolutely use Chef Dave again.

Chef David exceeded our expectations. He made it such an incredible experience and a memorable time for us. He went above and beyond checking in with me, explaining his dishes, supporting us on our surprise proposal dinner by taking amazing professional photo and video! His chicken is to die for, literally the best we ever had. His sauce, dessert, main dish, and everything was just amazing, he gave us extra and said there should be enough for left over, but the food was literally amazing that no leftovers were to be found the next day. He made all of us laugh and explained all the dishes and where they came from and it was just such an amazing experience!!!