• Private Chef Raymond New York incl CT and NJ
  • Modern American

Signature dish:  

Challah Bread French Toast

About Me

Food had an early impact on my life. My fondest childhood memories include watching Food Network with my mom and seeing my dad slow cook Sunday dinners — nothing like smoked ribs on a summer’s day! My appreciation for all things culinary, led me to begin working in restaurants at the age of 18 and I immediately felt at home. I continued to work my way through the industry and have now spent the last 8 years running kitchens in your favorite NYC restaurants.
I realized I had a particular fondness for private catering when I started dating my wife. Together, we cooked dinner for her family every Friday; It was our thing. Inspired by the intimacy of the process, my ability to be creative with recipes and presentation and most of all, the way a great meal punctuates an unforgettable evening; I developed a desire to share this experience with others. Our thing became my thing, as I regularly began cooking for couples and small parties, in addition to being a full-time chef. As much as I enjoy the art of cooking, it’s really not about food. It’s about the experience. The food is just the gateway to the experience. That being said, I look forward to the opportunity to make your special evening unforgettable.

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Recent Menus

Reviews - click review to see menu (16)

  • Banquet Meal for 18 - David Thomsen (ID 906923)

    Chef Ray crafted a stunning multi-course plated dinner in our home for 16 people. Everything was perfect AND DELICIOUS. Chef Ray was super organized in his planning, arrived with everything he needed, and executed everything on time. His charcuterie board appetizer spread was outstanding - - so imaginative - - and it set the tone for the entire evening. Shout out to Chef Ray's team. They showed our guests wonderful hospitality and treated our tableware and kitchen with kindness and care, and left our kitchen spotless. I will definitely be having Chef Ray out to the house again very soon. A wonderful and well-priced experience all around.

    • Worked on December 3, 2022
  • 2-3 Course Plated Meal for 3 - Craig Collins (ID 890892)

    Our experience with Chef Raymond was one that exceeded every expectation we had in celebrating our 20th Wedding Anniversary. The complex menu he presented was thoughtful and the delivery was flawless. He arrived hours early to adequately prep for the surprise dinner, with fresh ingredients, materials and beautiful plating. His passion for the art of cooking showed throughout the evening and he left our home better (and cleaner :-) than when he found it. Thank you!!!!

    • Worked on September 28, 2022
  • 4+ Course Plated Meal for 12 - Nicole (ID 825720)

    Raymond was extremely responsive and went out of his way to meet our needs. The set up was beautiful and the food was delicious. I’ll definitely think of Raymond for future events.

    • Worked on November 25, 2021
  • 4+ Course Plated Meal for 23 - Jocelyn (ID 745691)

    Chef Raymond was fantastic from start to finish. He was super communicative, thoughtful and patient throughout the menu planning stage. We appreciated his amazing ideas and he really collaborated to find a menu that fit what we wanted for our small wedding but also fit our budget. The food at the wedding itself was superb. The quality ingredients, the creativity, the flavors, the presentation - Chef Raymond and his team brought it 110%. Our guests could not stop raving about the food and Chef Raymond and his team were professional, accommodating and a pleasure to have with us on our special day. They cleaned up quickly and it was is they were never there. What an amazing night and amazing dinner. We already recommended him to friends and family! Thank you Chef Raymond!

    • Worked on March 7, 2021
  • 2-3 Course Plated Meal for 20 - Girish

    Where to begin? From the start, Chef Raymond was the most attentive chef on Table at Home. We hired Chef Raymond to cook for my and my wife's family on the day of our wedding. He spent diligent time with us to make sure the menu was curated to our tastes as well as the taste and dietary restrictions for our whole family of 22. Chef Ray also spent time on his own before the event to taste test dishes from our menu to ensure they were top notch in both presentation and flavors.

    On the day of the event, his team arrived and notified us that they were COVID-negative, so that made us feel comfortable in having them work around our family. We hired Chef Raymond for both brunch and dinner. When he got to the house, he spent some time with us walking around to see what space he had to work with and used creativity to take elements from the space to create a unique display and vibe for both experiences.

    We can’t talk enough about how wonderful the food was. Chef Raymond and his team take crostini's to another level by creating interesting flavors that we haven’t come across before, such as beet hummus and avocado crostini’s and fresh fig and honey crostini’s. The French toast was every NYC bruncher’s dream and the crepe bar was the perfect decadent end to our brunch experience.

    Dinner was a similar experience. Chef Raymond and his team took the time out to set up the cake cutting and champagne area so we didn’t have to think about it. As we toasted to our new union, his team passed around appetizers - the roasted grape crostini was a hit. Salads were innovatively served in a parmesan bowl and our families enjoyed both vegetarian and meat dishes for dinner - homemade butternut squash ravioli and pistachio crusted lamb chops. And like true professionals, they cleaned all the dishware and reset the whole home, and left it spotless.

    If you’re looking to hire a creative and attentive chef for your small, intimate wedding, date night, or get together with friends, then Chef Raymond is your person!

    • Worked on November 8, 2020
  • Vacation Rental Catering for 10 - Jason (ID 678761)

    I would recommend Chef Raymond to anyone who's looking for a 5-star restaurant experience in the comfort of their own home. Chef Raymond was extremely communicative and collaborative leading up to our meal. The meal he prepared was unique, delicious and beautifully plated. He also brought a sous-chef/server along with him which really helped elevate the dining experience. Everyone in our group was extremely impressed, happy, and full afterward and we have Chef Raymond to thank for that.

    • Worked on August 29, 2020
  • 2-3 Course Plated Meal for 2 - Lori

    Chef Raymond put together a last minute anniversary dinner for us and did a fantastic job! He took all of the necessary precautions in light of COVID-19, he left our kitchen spotless, and most importantly, he produced excellent food!!! Extremely professional, personable, and well trained. We will definitely get his services again without hesitation!!

    • Worked on August 2, 2020
  • 2-3 Course Plated Meal for 14 - Ruchi (ID 129503)

    Chef Raymond was absolutely fantastic to work with. He was communicative before & day-of and really made my mother’s surprise 60th birthday dinner special. We wanted a vegan meal and he did a great job modifying and getting creative. He was enthusiastic about the meal and going above and beyond, and was punctual & flexible with our timing during the meal. The group thoroughly enjoyed hearing about his inspiration before digging in to each course - it was extremely thoughtful. He brought a great server with him and the two of them were thorough in terms of presentation, quality, and even tidying up post event. I couldn’t say better things about the experience!

    • Worked on January 4, 2020
  • 2-3 Course Plated Meal for 2 - Katie (ID 127744)

    Chef Raymond was out of this world! We had a cooking lesson for the two of us as a couple and he was not only professional, fully prepared but helped to cater the perfect date night for the two of us. His engagement throughout the process was unparalleled. We ended up learning a lot, having a blast and ate an an amazing five-star meal. I highly recommend this chef for any need! Thank you again!

    • Worked on January 18, 2020
  • 2-3 Course Plated Meal for 2 - Michael (ID 127515)

    Chef Raymond was great from start to finish in making my wife's birthday a special experience. He was in contact with me from the moment I booked to him to tailor a menu towards my wife's vegan tastes and he did an outstanding job. He was on time, was very personable while preparing the meal and cleaned up afterwards for us where we were able to enjoy a nice relaxing evening at home I would highly recommend Chef Raymond if you're looking for a quality meal with a guy who loves his craft, as well as someone who was a complete professional.

    • Worked on December 27, 2019
  • 4+ Course Plated Meal for 6 - Angelia

    Table at Home really was my savior this weekend! I hosted a birthday dinner for my mom and wanted a private chef. Chef Raymond McNeal went ABOVE and beyond for my family. Not only was it easy to get in contact with him, but his already amazing menu became even BETTER in execution. I was so impressed by the professionalism, his skill, and attention to detail. I will be raving and recommending him to everyone I know

    • Worked on August 2, 2019
  • 4+ Course Plated Meal for 11 - Jennifer

    Chef Raymond was prompt and so great. Where do I start? We were a group of 11 girls who rented a beach house to celebrate a bride for the weekend. He prepared the whole meal from start to finish right in front of us. He came with two assistants. The food was AMAZING. We had a 5 course meal. Crostini starter and a burrata salad - so great. The stuffed lobster tails, were not only super pretty but soo delicious. The steak & potatoes had a great spinach butter with it. Everything was cooked to perfection. Dessert was a showstopper ending. Apple turnovers with homemade apple pie ice cream. Amazing! His presentation was everything. He impressed all my guests. I will definitely book him again. Thanks for a great night!

    • Worked on August 17, 2019
  • 2-3 Course Plated Meal for 2 - Andrew

    Very well prepared and accomodating will definitely reccomend him to all my friends and will book him in the near future A+++

    • Worked on June 25, 2019
  • 2-3 Course Plated Meal for 2 - Ann (ID 93161)

    Chef Raymon was great! Food was fresh , presentation was fabulous and dessert was creative. All was delicious!! Would definitely select him again.

    • Worked on July 3, 2019
  • 2-3 Course Plated Meal for 25 - Meg (ID 86460)

    I can't say enough great things about Chef Raymond! He was the chef for a retirement dinner I hosted for 30 people. Not only was the food amazing but him and his team made the entire experience a delight...from the planning process to the clean up and everything in between! We worked together to customize the meal, where he was extremely accommodating to my request and the dietary restrictions. We also worked through all the details ahead of time (and I'm very detail oriented, so it was probably painful to deal with me, but he didn't show it) so we were on the same page. On the day of the event, he arrived with his team when I expected them. He takes a lot of pride in his work and that came through in the delicious food, the beautiful presentation and high quality service. My guests were so impressed - especially when he explained each dish as they were brought out (a very nice touch). It don't stop there - not only did they serve an amazing 3 course plated meal to 30 people - but they then cleaned up the kitchen and washed all the dishes from dinner!
    Overall, an amazing experience. I would highly recommend Tables at Home, and especially Chef Raymond to anyone! Really. You should book now - you won't regret it.
    Thank you Chef Raymond and team for making this such a memorial evening.

    • Worked on June 22, 2019
  • Brunch for 10 - Liliana (ID 81588)

    Ray was outstanding and, someone who I would recommend to anyone having an event. The food and service was great. Looking forward to booking him again.

    Thank you Chef Raymond!

    • Worked on May 4, 2019
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