Client Reviews

"Working with Chef Dana was an incredible experience! He listened to exactly what I was wanting and offered suggestions to accommodate my needs/wants. From the initial menu planning to the night of the event, the communication was open, and he answered any and all my questions quickly.

The night of our event, he arrived early to the home and had an array of appetizers readily available as my guests arrived. The dinner presentation was top notch and the food was prepared to each guest liking. Dana and his team handled not only the food prep and cooking, but the cleaning up afterwards. This truly was a hands-off experience for me, and I was able to enjoy the dinner party as a "guest" myself.

I wanted an item that was not listed on the menu as an option. He not only obliged to my request, he went a step above and beyond and created a recipe from scratch to accommodate! The entire menu from the appetizers to the bite sized desserts were a hit among all my guests.

I highly recommend Chef Dana and Lily Pad Catering to anyone and everyone wanting a highly personable experience with fantastic food to suit everyone's palette. I will be using his services in the future when the need arises."

"Dana made my wife's 40th birthday party a complete success! Everyone at our party raved about the food and Dana. I found Dana on Thumbtack and needed a lot of help figuring out what food to serve, how to set up for the party, confirming numbers & amount of food needed, etc. Dana came out to my home to discuss the vision I had for the party and followed up quickly with a complete proposal. No detail was missed. I cannot overstate how great he is to work with and highly recommend him for any catering our personal chef event."

"Wonderful experience. Chef Dana and his wife were a perfect fit for our party. The food was great, and the service perfectly suited for the event. Highly recommended."

"It was a pleasure working with Dana. He provided lunch catering for a surprise birthday party for my husband. Not only was he timely with his emails, he tailored the menu to my preference and my budget. On the day of the event, delivery was prompt and early and there was plenty of food for everyone! We received compliments on all the food, especially the ribs and salad. I was especially impressed with Dana's follow up. He emailed a couple days before the event to make sure that the number of people did not change. Dana is very professional and he is a great chef and I would definitely use his service again and would be interested in tasting his other foods!"

"I had the utmost pleasure of enjoying a meal prepared by Chef Dana a month ago. It was truly a culinary delight. It was a pork tenderloin which he butter-flied and pounded thin. He then prepared a spinach and feta stuffing (there was possibly other ingredients but those are the ones I most remember). The tenderloin was rolled, tied and seasoned. He then grilled it to perfection on the barbeque. To accompany this delectable entree were roasted white potatoes which were cut into bite size pieces, wonderfully seasoned and a baby green lettuce salad with olives and artichokes hearts prepared with his own made vinegar and extra virgin olive oil dressing. What an amazing meal! Thank you Chef Dana. I would love to have a meal prepared by you again and again!"

"Our party was PERFECT! We had a cocktail reception at our house for about 60 people. The food was amazing -- very different, fresh and delicious. We had half of the food set out on the dining room table and half passed by the servers. All of the presentations were beautiful (fresh flowers on every platter!) and the staff was WONDERFUL. Everyone commented that the food was very special - definitely not the usual cocktail party fare! People especially loved the smoked duck on crostini with plum chutney and the mustard and dill pickled shrimp. We had contracted for 70 and there was almost nothing left. We were VERY happy with our event and have already booked Dana for another party."

"Dana was phenomenal to work with, from the planning phase to the execution of the event. He was creative and flexible with the menu and made sure we got exactly what we were looking for. He was especially great on-site the night of our event and everyone really enjoyed getting to meet the chef! Everyone is still raving about the food, and we will definitely be welcoming Lily Pad back for future catering opportunities. Highly recommend."

"Dana is an excellent chef who is genuinely excited to share a wonderful culinary experience no matter what the event calls for! He can handle everything from a pasta-bar family get-together, to a fancy high-end cocktail party ... and everything in-between. I am impressed with his professionalism and his love for the art of cooking."

"Our company's Open House was held in our office. Dana was very helpful with all of my questions in regards to set up and menu items. He handled everything great. The food presentation and taste...well that was marvelous. I was able to focus on the guests without worry. We received multiple compliments from our guests."

"Excellent service and creative menus are two ways that we would describe Chef Dana and his skills. We have experienced his elegant holiday meals as well as casual, individual offerings such as raspberry, chocolate-dipped cookies, an array of appetizers, sandwiches, and cheese and wine parings. Coffee encrusted lamb chops, Italian sausage stuffed mushrooms, and truffle deviled eggs are just a few of his dishes which we have enjoyed. Having catering by Chef Dana is a true pleasure."

"A true professional and a pleasure to work with! We were hosting an ag tour that included a farm-to-table style outdoor breakfast made largely from locally-sourced foods. Dana stepped in with only 3 days to prepare for the event but took it on and pulled it off brilliantly. Dana managed to create a menu that was both upscale and down-home at the same time. The meal was a delicious success, everyone left happy and full. Looking forward now to making this an annual event."

"We were extremely pleased with the meal that Dana prepared and served! I hired Dana for my parents' 30th anniversary dinner. He was very professional and proactive throughout the planning process and throughout dinner. The food was EXCELLENT and the meal was very filling. It was topped off by a mixed berry shortcake with rum whipped cream and fresh berries. Delicious. Dana was a pleasure to work with and I look forward to working with him again in the future! "

"Dana of Lily Pad is amazing... Dana helped cater an early reception before our daughter's wedding. The appetizers were so good, people went back for seconds and thirds. The seared tuna was my favorite, I think I will never enjoy anyone else's tuna again.

We had An After Wedding Brunch on Sunday and Dana catered the whole thing. To say Dana is a Talented Chef does not do him justice.
And the pickled shrimp was out of this world.....

The food was delicious and he was wonderful with all the guests.
He stayed and helped clean up, he was a delight to be around.
Working with Dana before the parties was so easy and the communication was fabulous. Every detail was covered.

My husband and I want to Thank Lily Pad Catering for making our daughter's wedding even more memorable.


Thank you Karen so much for such a wonderful review! It was an absolute delight to cater your daughter's wedding, and I would be excited to work with you again!!" - Karen N., September 5, 2017