Unless I’m deliberately breaking the rules (and those days definitely exist), it’s almost impossible for me to separate dishes from places. Almost every recipe in my library comes from a memory, from a place, from an unforgettable snapshot scene of life that I now long to pass on to others. These memories and my constant search for new ones inspire my food from an extremely deep level.

I don’t believe in overcomplicating food or life or experience, which, most of the time means simply staying out of the way and letting beautiful things happen naturally. When I trace my fondest memories to their source, I usually find the same 3 things, simplicity and authenticity, and beautiful flavor.

The inspiration for this evolved through nine lives, starting as a reggae drummer on cruise ships and evolving through chapters as an adventure programs developer in Alaska and Mexico for Norwegian Cruise Lines, ten years touring and playing rock and roll as a recording artist, and eventually, a daring leap and successful exit from the software industry. Connecting like a thread through each of these were continuous worldwide wanderings, discovering secret places, swapping stories and recipes with chefs and sommeliers around the world, building what is now Joe Plates, Inc.- a high touch brand for private dining, fine wine and spirits curation and travel and life experience design. What started as a lifelong fascination has become an all consuming mission to elevate quality of life by connecting people to each other through unforgettable food, wine and life experiences.

For me, cooking is...

Cooking is the connective thread that connects people to quality of life and each other.

I learned to cook at...

As a boy, from my mother. As an adult, shadowing and training with chefs all around the world.

A cooking secret...

Flavor and authenticity!

My menus

Courses in Comfort

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Hand selected mix of nuts, cheeses and dried fuits

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Apple and Pear Waldorf Salad

Wedge salad w/bacon bits

Traditional Cesar Salad- Homemade Crouton served table-side

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

12-hr Brandied Short Rib over garlic mashed potatoes, crusty bread

German Choucroute, slow roasted pork shoulder, bratwurst onion, apple, sauerkraut, fennel, baby potato

Cassoulet - A French classic! Your choice of chicken duck or rabbit

DESSERT

All inclusive

Homemade Cobbler (fruit chosen seasonally) with vanilla bean ice cream

New York, New York

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Fresh Oysters - Roasted with fresh herbs and bread crumbs or served raw and on the half shell with mignonette, cocktail, horseradish and lemon

Colossal Shrimp cocktail with house-made sauce and lemon

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Cesar Salad, traditional, prepared tableside, homemade crouton

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Surf and Turf 1 - Beef filet with lobster tail, whipped garlic potatoes and fire roasted vegetables, red wine porcini sauce and drawn melted butter with lemon for the lobster. (Can substitute duck confit topping for lobster)

Surf and Turf 2 - Dry-rubbed bone-in ribeye topped with tequila lime shrimp, roasted fingerling potatoes and carrots. Spicy option available for heat lovers

Surf and Surf - Giant salmon filet with sizzled scallion salsa verde, topped with tequila lime shrimp, roasted fingerling potatoes and carrots

DESSERT

All inclusive

Homemade Cobbler (fruit chosen seasonally) with vanilla bean ice cream

Dubai Chocolate Cheese Cake

Lost in Italy

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Carpaccio of beef or tuna (your choice) - traditional preparation with olive oil, capers, citrus, shaved Parmesan and fresh arugula

Burata Caprese with fresh heirloom tomatoes, olive oil, fresh basil, aged balsamic and pink peppercorns

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Fresh pasta tossed with butter, white wine, shaved truffle, parsley

Pasta Amatriciana - Simple and perfect, tomato, guanciale, Pecorino, black pepper

Squid Ink Linguini with mussels, shrimp and whitefish with a spicy tomato white wine sauce

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Tilapia with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, fresh basil and white wine

Oso Buco - Slow roasted, tender and savory. Served over creamy polenta

Lamb pops with fresh rosemary garlic, and lavender. Served with a truffle cauliflower puree and seasonal vegetable

Beef tenderloin with a red wine porcini sauce. Served with creamy polenta and seasonal vegetables

DESSERT

All inclusive

Lemon Polenta Cake, with fresh berries

Tour de France

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Traditional Escargot - garlic butter, fresh herbs, crusty baguette,

French Onion Soup - Served traditionally topped with crouton and gruyere cheese

Seared Foie Gras with toast points, served with an apple safron chutney

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Scallops Meunière - prepared authentically with a light flour dredge and served with a tangy lemon-butter-caper sauce

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Filet of Boeuf with sauce Bordelaise, served with potatoes au gratin and carrots

Oven roasted Chicken quarters, shallot, cognac morel mushroom ragu, broccolini

Duck Breast Perigord - Pan-seared, served with traditional sauce Perigord, shallot, Madeira, Demi-glaze and black truffle. Served with wild rice and root vegetables

Poisson a La Parisienne - Whitefish, poached in white wine, cream and herbs

DESSERT

Choose 2 dishes

Crepe Suzette - delicate crepes with an orange brown butter sauce, served with vanilla ice cream

A selection of fine French cheese, served with a fine Sauternes

Northwest Passage

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Fresh Oysters - Roasted with fresh herbs and bread crumbs or served raw and on the halfshell with mignonette

Sous Bois Bites - decadent local morel mushroom duxelles with duck confit, shallot, cognac, chèvre, Washington sour cherry and micro-green, served in crispy phyllo cups

Dungeness Crab Bloody Mary Ceviche (fresh crab seasonally available) - Generous lumps of Dungeness Crab marinated with lime, onion, hot chiles, cucumber, avocado and topped with.a tangy house-made Bloody Mary mix

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Razor Clam Pasta - Coastal Razor Clams tossed with fresh linguini pasta, white wine, shallot, butter and herbs. A classic Oregon favorite

Dungeness Crab Linguini available during season

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Duck Breast Risotto - Fig balsamic-glazed duck breast, pan seared and served with black truffle risotto and asparagus

Wild line-caught Columbia River Salmon with hazelnut butter served with wild rice and asparagus

Fig and Pinot Noir-glazed pork tenderloin with mashed sweet potato and seasonal green vegetable

DESSERT

All inclusive

Honey lavender crème brûlée with fresh Oregon berries

A Night in Seville

STARTER

All inclusive

A welcome course of Spanish meats, cheeses and olives

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Spanish cod croquetas w/garlic chile aioli

Spicy shrimp sautéed with butter, garlic, sherry, lemon, cilantro and crushed red chilies. Served with crusty baguette

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Stewed and charred octopus with onion, white wine, garlic, smoked paprika and oregano. Served with Spanish style potato’s

Braised pork cheek or beef short rib (seasonal availability) with Rioja wine, vegetables. Served over creamy polenta

DESSERT

All inclusive

Flourless almond cake topped with flan

No Reservations

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Smoked Salmon Caviar Bruschetta - toasty baguette topped with creamy soft egg with black truffle, smoked salmon, chèvre, Sturgeon caviar, chives

Sous Bois Bites - decadent morel mushroom duxelles with duck confit, shallot, cognac, chèvre, sour cherry and micro-green. Served in a crispy phyllo shell

Sashimi of Ahi Tuna with Vietnamese lime ginger cilantro vinaigrette drizzle

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Seared Sea Scallops on a bed of puréed sweet corn with with black truffle, a dash of hot sauce and a squeeze of Meyer lemon

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Filet of Boeuf with Sauce Perigord - Pan seared beef tenderloin with a rich French Perigord sauce of shallot, red wine, demi glaze, black truffle, finished with butter

Roasted fingerling potatoes and caramelized carrots

DESSERT

All inclusive

Honey lavender crème brûlée with fresh berries

Show me more

Chef Joseph's reviews

4.67

•

4 services

Joseph was an excellent chef. This was our first time hiring a private chef service for our home. Joe took the time to introduce himself politely online and address concerns regarding not having reviews (he was new to the platform). He gave us a recommendation for our evening music as we were celebrating our anniversary. He stayed busy in the kitchen, giving us time to have a date and put up our Christmas decorations. He did take time to come out and talk intermittently. He answered questions about the meal as well as provided a time frame for each course. Once served, the dishes each looked phenomenal and tasted great. He took the time to explain each dish. The course was the perfect serving to make us satisfied enough, but wanting more for the next course. The main dish finished off with us being just full enough to squeeze in a delicious desert. I've got to say the wine recommendations were on point with each dish. We will be returning customers annually. This was an excellent experience, and the food was fantastic!