Chef James Richmond

Private Chef in Napa

With over 15 years of culinary expertise, starting with my foundation at the California Culinary Academy and honed under the mentorship of Chef Mathew Bosquet, where I spent seven formative years as his sous chef, I've mastered the intricacies of French cuisine and the pursuit of culinary excellence. My journey has also included executive chef roles in Napa Valley, Seattle, and Montana, broadening my culinary horizons and instilling a deep appreciation for fresh, seasonal ingredients and innovative techniques.

Today, I specialize in crafting bespoke dining experiences through my private chef services. From intimate in-home gatherings to elegant winemaker dinners, I bring restaurant-quality cuisine and personalized service directly to your table. My expertise extends to farm-to-table dining, showcasing the bounty of local harvests, and curating menus that reflect your unique preferences and dietary needs.

Backed by a network of seasoned hospitality professionals, I'm committed to providing unforgettable culinary journeys that tantalize the senses and create lasting memories.

For me, cooking is...

What I have always been passionate about, my hobbies center around the kitchen, foraging, fishing and gardening it all comes back to our food.

I learned to cook at...

I was traditionally trained at the California Culinary Academy, and learned under chefs Mathew Bosquet, Philippe Jeanty & Tamara Murphy among others.

A cooking secret...

Cooking with quality & seasonal ingredients, and giving them the proper time & attention to provide my guests with the best experience I can.

My menus

Dec Into Jan

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Bacon Wrapped country pork pate with stone ground mustard, pickled vegetable salad and warm grilled bread

"Os a Moelle" Roasted local Bone Marrow with local bread & sauce bordelaise

Farm lettuces with marinated onions & market vegetables with sheep's milk feta & preserved lemon and garden herb vinaigrette

Parsnip & Celeriac soup with allium soubise, baby greens, garlic oil & black truffle

Steak Tartare, local beef, capers, red onion, aged vinegars & olive oil, sous vide & cured egg yolk, horseradish creme & pickled vegetables served with crostini

Oysters “Rockefeller” Brunoise of fennel & alliums with creamed spinach & prosciutto breadcrumbs

Crispy beef sweetbreads, oak roasted wild mushrooms with a spiced fig gastrique

Roasted Heirloom Carrots, citrus labneh, harissa & red sumac dressing with roasted cashews, preserved meyer lemon & winter greens

Seared Scallops with citrus & fennel blossom gastrique, celeriac puree, & preserved lemon salad

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

"Cacio e pepe" Handmade pasta with Pecorino Romano & black peppercorn toasted in cultured butter with an aerated parmesan creme anglaise (scratch pasta on site)

Red Kuri squash Angolotti Pasta, with estero gold reserve cheese, sage & peppercorn brown butter, pistou & wilted farm greens

Oak roasted mushroom salad, sesame, walnut & shallot confit with salt blanched lacinato kale

Oak roasted mushroom Risotto, carnaroli rice, Parmigiano-Reggiano, & shallot confit with fresh herb pistou

Moules Marinière, Mediterranean mussels steamed with white wine, garlic, shallots, fines herbs & white wine served with aioli & pommes frites

Spaghetti alla carbonara, handmade lacinato kale pasta, sous vide egg, pecorino Romano & estero gold reserve with black peppercorn butter & lardons

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Double cut porc chop roasted fall squash, red wine braised cabbage, roasted apple & cider jus

"Coq au Vin" Chicken braised with red wine, oak roasted mushrooms, bacon lardons & onions, served with handmade buttered noodles

Pan roasted halibut, caper & olive potato puree, farmers market vegetables with preserved lemon & herb salad

Roasted Fall Squash with , hazelnut praline, bitter greens, pecorino romano & banyuls aged vinegar & crushed hazelnuts

Boeuf Wellington, sous vide beef tenderloin, foie blonde, oak roasted mushroom duxelles, jambon de bayonne & crispy puff pastry

Whole market fish, lemon & olive oil potato puree, farmers market vegetables with preserved lemon & herb salad

Bryan Flannery Prime Dry Aged Beef Zabouton, with potato skordalia, farmer's market vegetables & toasted coriander chimichurri

Handmade Boudin Blanc Sausage, huckleberry gastrique & parsnip puree, with oak roasted cabbage, fennel & maitake mushroom ragout

Liberty farms Duck breast, foie blond boudin, banyuls bordelaise, with spice roasted carrots, winter greens

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Caramelized Meyer lemon Tart with aged balsamic, chantilly creme & lavender sea salt

Chocolate souffle, with orange creme anglaise & torched Italian meringue

"Croquembouche", biegnets de carnival tossed in sugars & spices, with torched Italian meringue all encased in spun caramel

Crispy chocolate & hazelnut "candy bar", gianduja & chocolate mousse layers with warm toasted italian meringue & salted caramel

Scratch Tiramisu, ladyfingers, espresso, aged rum & Italian amaro, Marscapone mousse, with warm toasted italian meringue with shaved chocolate

Spring into Summer 2025

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

"Os a Moelle" Roasted Grass Fed Bone Marrow Encrusted with herb & garlic confit pistou with pecorino romano & roasted walnut, local bread & sauce bordelaise

Oysters Raw & “Rockefeller” Brunoise of fennel & alliums with creamed spinach & prosciutto breadcrumbs

Steak Tartare, local beef, capers, red onion, aged vinegars, ishiri & olive oil, sous vide & cured egg yolk, horseradish creme & pickled vegetables served with crostini

Seasonal Flatbread Handmade dough, tomato reduction, guanciale, parmesan & fresh arugula (example)

Oak roasted mushroom salad, sesame, walnut & shallot confit with salt blanched lacinato kale & sage blossom shrub

Farm lettuces with marinated onions & market spring vegetables with sheep's milk feta & preserved lemon and garden herb vinaigrette

Charcuterie & Cheese Board Display Bacon wrapped country pate, foie blond liver mousse & salumi with local cheese selections served with mustard, local fruit, pickled vegetables & other accouterments with crostini & gougeres (counts as both selections)

Mushroom Stuffed Mushrooms, Crimini caps, roasted with a chanterelle, allium & goat cheese filling served with local greens

Asparagus Arancini, Carnaroli rice, fontina cheese wild leek flowers, fried crispy served with minted pistou & preserved lemon

Romaine & Kale Caesar salad with coddled egg caesar dressing, anchovy, cured egg yolk, torn country batard crutons & shaved parmesan

Heirloom Tomato & Stone fruit salad with aged vinegars & extra virgin olive oil with fresh cheese and mixed basil pistou & preserved lemon (late June-Oct)

Bluefin Tuna tartare, cucumber, avocado, fennel, with herb & avocado mousse, shoyu & extra virgin olive oil with dehydrated citrus chips

Fried Agnolotti pasta, filled with ricotta & spinach tossed with peppercorn brown butter & pecorino romano, with a tomato conserva sauce

Sous Vide & Charred Pork Belly, caramelized citrus, sesame soy glaze with aged banyuls vinegar & pickled mustard seed

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Farmer's Market Spring Risotto, English peas, Asparagus & sweet corn with carnaroli rice, parmesan & garden herb pistou

Oak roasted Mushroom Risotto with allium confit, carnaroli rice, roasted hazlenut & kale pistou (vegan)

Moules Marinière, Mediterranean mussels steamed with white wine, garlic, shallots, fines herbs & white wine served with aioli & grilled bread

Blistered Asparagus filled Agnolotti del plin Pasta Pistou of garden herbs, walnut, garlic confit & wilted farm greens with black peppercorn, extra virgin olive oil & shaved pecorino romano

Red Kuri squash Angolotti de Plin Pasta, with estero gold reserve cheese, sage & peppercorn brown butter, pistou & wilted farm greens

Cacio e Pepe, fresh handmade calendula & cocoa pastas with pecorino romano, cultured butter & toasted black peppercorn (pasta made on site)

Oak roasted mushroom salad, black vinegar, walnut & shallot confit with salt blanched lacinato kale & wild allium blossom shrub

Seared day boat scallop with charred Stonefruit vinaigrette, fresh corn polenta & vanilla sea salt

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Boeuf Wellington, sous vide beef tenderloin, foie blonde, oak roasted mushroom duxelles, jambon de bayonne & crispy puff pastry ($25 per person suppplement)

Quinoa & blistered asparagus salad with roasted walnuts, citrus vinaigrette, garden herbs & extra virgin olive oil (vegan)

Liberty farms sous-vide “Peking” duck daikon & carrot salad with salted fennel with roasted wild mushroom, shallot & cabbage with an ishiri shoyu & hoisin gastrique served with mandarin crepes

Buttermilk Fried Chicken, brined & cooked sous-vide before frying to crispy perfection, served with Belgian Candy Cap Liege Waffles, cultured butter with maldon sea salt & maple syrup

Snake River Farms Wagyu Steak, citrus & garlic potato skordalia, with blistered asparagus & roulette peppers with a preserved lemon & herb chermoula with smoked sea salt

Seared Salmon with warm spring vegetable & roasted mushroom salad with balsamic brown butter

Dry Aged Cote de Boeuf, with blistered Asparagus & Roulette peppers, Potato Skordalia, umami salsa verte & smoked sea salt

Whole Black Cod Experience, Charred Miso, Steamed & Smoked with root vegetable soubise, aromatic umami nage, sorrel, basils & nasturtium

Pacific Halibut, encrusted with Hazelnut compound butter, asparagus & mushroom ragout with herb & citrus salad

West Coast Bluefin Tuna, Spice encrusted & seared with fennel soubise, sweet italian frying peppers & a stonefruit fennel pollen shrub

Humboldt Grassfed Pichana Steak, grilled sweet corn & heirloom peppers with an anchovy & preserved lemon chimichurri

Pacific Bourride, french seafood stew with local cod, mussels, clams & prawns in a saffron broth that is emulsified with garlic aioli served with toasted baguette

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Scratch Tiramisu, ladyfingers, espresso, aged rum & Italian amaro, Marscapone mousse & italian amaro with warm toasted italian meringue with shaved chocolate

Chocolate & pistachio praline tart, cultured butter shortbread, ganache, warm toasted Italian meringue & salted pistachio caramel

"Croquembouche", beignets de carnival tossed in sugars & spices, with dark chocolate ganache, torched Italian meringue all encased in spun caramel tableside

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake, biscoff & muscovado sugar crust, with meyer lemon curd & toasted Italian Meringue

Saddened Chocolate cake with candy cap ice cream, salted caramel, chantilly creme & cinnamon

"Croquembouche", beignets de carnival tossed in sugars & spices with caramelized Dry Creek peaches, torched Italian meringue all encased in spun caramel tableside

Caramelized Dry Creek Peach, Tart Tatin, spiced caramel, vanilla bean sea salt, cultured butter pate brisee & creme fraiche mousse (made on-site)

Dry Creek Peach Galettes, with cinnamon walnut frangipane, chantilly creme & a blitz puff pastry crust with handmade ice cream

Strawberry Shortcake, Coconut & Cardamon spiced Mamahri doughnuts, fresh local strawberries macerated with bourbon served with coconut mousse (vegan)

French Spring 2026

STARTER

Choose 3 dishes

"Escargot" Burgundy Snails cooked in parsley, pastis, garlic butter with wilted spinach & savoury puff pastry encroute

Oysters Raw & “Rockefeller” Brunoise of fennel & alliums soubise maitre d butter & prosciutto thyme crust

Blue fin, Tuna tartare, cucumber, avocado, fennel, ishiri, sesame & lemon olive oil with dehydrated citrus/nori chips & cured egg yolk

Crispy pork belly, served with stone fruit shrub & pickled onions

Fried Agnolotti Pasta filled with ricotta & spinach tossed with peppercorn brown butter & pecorino romano, with a tomato conserva sauce

Asparagus Arancini, Carnaroli rice & fontal cheese, fried crispy served with minted pistou & preserved lemon

Bite Sized Boeuf Wellington, sous vide beef tenderloin, foie blonde, oak roasted mushroom duxelles, jambon de bayonne & crispy puff pastry

Halibut Crudo, pickled fennel & serano chile, citrus, herb oil, brokaw farms avocado & sea salt

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Cacio e Pepe, fresh handmade calendula & cocoa pasta with pecorino romano, cultured butter & toasted black peppercorn (pasta made on site)

Spaghetti alla carbonara, handmade lacinato kale pasta, sous vide egg, pecorino Romano & estero gold reserve with black peppercorn butter & lardons

Farmer's Market Spring Risotto with carnaroli rice, parmesan & garden herb pistou

Seared Scallops with vanilla roasted pear, celeriac puree, & preserved lemon shrub salad

Local petrale sole meunière, cooked whole and filleted tableside, lemon caper brown butter sauce with wilted market greens

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Bryan Flannery Prime Dry-Aged Ribeye with wild mushrooms & winter greens served with a umami salsa verde

Beef Wellington, sous vide beef tenderloin, foie blonde, oak roasted mushroom duxelles, jambon de bayonne & crispy puff pastry ($25 per person suppplement)

"Coq au Vin" Chicken braised with red wine, oak roasted mushrooms, bacon lardons & onions, served with handmade buttered noodles or creamy polenta

Boeuf Bourguignon with bacon, lardons, roasted carrots & wild mushrooms

Veal Boudin Blanc, fresh marjoram brown butter gnocchi with spring vegetables & maitake mushrooms

Whole Liberty Farm’s Duck Spatchcocked & Confit with BBQ Red wine prunes au Armagnac duck bbq sauce, “Offal Dirty” risotto with carnaroli rice

West Coast Bluefin Tuna, Spice encrusted & seared with fennel soubise, spring vegetable ragout

Bourride, french seafood stew with local cod, mussels, clams & prawns in a saffron broth that is emulsified with garlic aioli served with toasted baguette

DESSERT

All inclusive

"Croquembouche", beignets de carnival tossed in sugars & spices, with dark chocolate ganache, farm fresh strawberries, torched Italian meringue all encased in spun caramel tableside

Dark chocolate cake layered with chocolate mousse with tonka bean buttercream & Prunes au Armagnac with red wine & warm spices alongside

Candy Cap & Chocolate mousse au Creme Brulee with cultured butter breton sables & sea salt

Saddened Chocolate cake, salted caramel, chantilly creme & cinnamon

Crispy chocolate & hazelnut "candy bar", gianduja & chocolate mousse layers with warm toasted italian meringue & salted caramel

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake, biscoff & muscovado sugar crust, with meyer lemon curd & toasted Italian Meringue

Caramelized Meyer lemon Tart with shortbread crust & toasted Italian meringue

Asian Fusion V 2.0

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Ahi Tuna Crudo on fresh shiso, with nori chips, avocado, preserved lemon & an umami nage

Fresh handmade wild tri-cornered leeks & chicken dumplings with ginger & shoyu, with an umami dipping sauce

Bluefin Tuna tartare, cucumber, avocado, fennel, with herb & avocado mousse, shoyu & extra virgin olive oil with dehydrated citrus chips

Dungeness crab beignets, with crab infused hollandaise, poached asparagus & preserved meyer lemon

Sous Vide & Charred Pork Belly, caramelized citrus, sesame soy glaze with aged banyuls vinegar & pickled mustard seed

Blistered sweet shishito peppers, with citrus sea salt & creamy dipping sauce

Spice Crusted Seared Scallop, & tonka bean brown butter pear, celeriac puree & fried parsley pistou

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Cordycep Mushroom "Pasta" with leeks, bloomsdale spinach, sweet corn, sous vide egg & shaved pecorino cheese

Market seafood sushi roll, served with pickled ginger, wasabi, & barrel aged soy sauce

Mixed seasonal Tempura, served with shiso & ram salad with umami dipping sauce

Oak roasted mushroom salad, sesame, walnut & shallot confit with salt blanched lacinato kale & sage blossom shrub

Korean Japche, with crispy duck confit, sweet potato noodles, garlic chives & bok choy with a duck demi & hoisin sauce, a Hoisin

Korean Kimchi Pancake & Korean seafood pancake with traditional accoutrements

Sous-Vide & Torched Fatty Hamachi Fillet, with blistered asparagus & spring onions with sesame & poppy seeded soy glaze & warm sushi rice

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Liberty farms duck, tongue to tail, tongue & persimmon salad with roasted breast, liver mousse, confit of leg & a crispy Pope's nose with roasted chanterelles, & cabbage with a ishiri shoyu gastrique

Grilled Hamachi Kama served with preserved lemon herb salad, with jasmine rice and a ishiri ponzu

Sous vide Prime Bryan Flannery Shortribs marinated and cooked sous vide then sliced and glazed with seasame, ginger & ishiri shoyu with charred heirloom broccolis

Seared Bluefin Tuna soba noodles, roasted cabbage & trumpet mushrooms with black Mussels & curry cap mushroom & sesame nage

Liberty farms sous-vide “Peking” duck daikon & carrot salad with salted fennel with roasted wild mushrooms, shallot & cabbages with a ishiri shoyu & Hoisin gastrique & Mandarin crepes

Tea Smoked Liberty Farms Duck Breast Sunchoke & celeriac soubise with ishiri & soy glazed bok choy & rapini

Bryan flannery Cote du Boeuf, with wild mushrooms & winter greens served with a ishiri & soy steak sauce

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Crispy chocolate & hazelnut "candy bar" with warm toasted italian meringue & salted caramel

Scratch Tiramisu, ladyfingers, espresso, aged rum & Italian amaro, Marscapone mousse & italian amaro with warm toasted italian meringue with shaved chocolate

"Croquembouche", biegnets de carnival tossed in sugars & spices, with torched Italian meringue all encased in spun caramel

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake, biscoff & muscovado sugar crust, with meyer lemon curd & toasted Italian Meringue

Chocolate & pistachio praline tart, cultured butter shortbread, ganache, warm toasted Italian meringue & salted pistachio caramel

Candy Cap mushroom Pudding with Chantilly creme & fresh cookies

Buckwheat crepes, with flathead cherry noyuax jubilee flambe & creme fraiche mousse

Asian Fusion V 1.0

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Fresh handmade wild tri-cornered leeks & chicken dumplings with ginger & shoyu, with an umami dipping sauce

Ahi Tuna Crudo on fresh shiso, with nori chips, avocado, preserved lemon & an umami nage

Blistered Roulette Peppers Sweet & spicy heirloom peppers blistered on a table top binchotan grill with preserved lemon dipping sauce

Blue fin, Tuna tartare, cucumber, avocado, fennel, with fines herbs, creme fraiche & extra virgin olive oil with dehydrated citrus chips

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Korean Japche, with crispy duck confit, sweet potato noodles, garlic chives & bok choy with a duck demi & hoisin sauce, a Hoisin

Market seafood & vegetable Tempura, served with shiso & ram salad with umami dipping sauce

Salmon Katsobushi Carbonara, sous vide egg, cured salmon roe, pearls of shoyu & dashi with fresh handmade alkaline pasta

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Liberty farms Sous vide “Peking” duck Pickled daikon & carrot salad with cucumber & scallion with roasted wild mushrooms, shallot & cabbages with a ishiri shoyu & Hoisin gastrique & Mandarin crepes

Sous vide Prime Bryan Flannery Shortribs marinated and cooked sous vide then sliced and glazed with seasame, ginger & ishiri shoyu with charred heirloom broccolis

Seared Bluefin Tuna soba noodles, roasted cabbage & trumpet mushrooms with black Mussels & curry cap mushroom & sesame nage

Tea Smoked Liberty Farms Duck Breast Sunchoke & celeriac soubise with ishiri & soy glazed bok choy & rapini

Bryan flannery Cote du Boeuf, with wild mushrooms & winter greens served with a umami salsa verde

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate & pistachio praline tart, cultured butter shortbread, ganache, warm toasted Italian meringue & salted pistachio caramel

Candy Cap & Chocolate mousse au Creme Brulee with cultured butter breton sables & sea salt

"Croquembouche", beignets de carnival tossed in sugars & spices, with dark chocolate ganache, farm fresh strawberries, torched Italian meringue all encased in spun caramel tableside

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake, biscoff & muscovado sugar crust, with meyer lemon curd

Scratch Tiramisu, ladyfingers, espresso, aged rum & Italian amaro, Marscapone mousse, with warm toasted italian meringue with shaved chocolate

Spiced Apple Galette, cinnamon walnut praline with crispy buttery crust, cider reduction & creme friache

Almond Basque Cake with citrus pastry cream, citrus marmalade & creme fraiche

Dark chocolate cake layered with chocolate mousse with rum & tonka bean buttercream & sea salt caramel

Fall into Winter 2025