Yesterday, we threw a surprise birthday party for my dad (not on his actual birthday but a week later). I had the idea, from a promotion that Dave FM did a few months back, to get in touch with Chef D about throwing my dad a private birthday dinner. My “cousin” Luigi appeared on Chef’s TV show, At Home With Chef D, last year which is when I first heard of the Chef. (He will be filming the third season of At Home With Chef D at the Kitchener Market!)
This was to be a surprise to my dad. My dad doesn’t like a big fuss, or anybody to spend a lot of money on him. He does like a good meal. No problem. What could be less fuss than a private dinner with family? And Chef D’s dinner was affordably priced. I covertly made the arrangements with the Chef. My sister lives across the street from my dad. Chef would be cooking dinner there, so my dad wouldn’t have a clue what was going on. At the appropriate time, we would coax my dad into visiting my sister across the street. (That part was harder than expected, he was getting suspicious of our intent.)
When we got my dad over to my sister’s place, Chef D and his wife Trish were already setting up. My dad was in shock. It was great!
The evening’s menu:
1. Medley of mushroom and mascarpone cheese soup
2. Roasted tomatoes, arugula shaved Parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany 12yr old balsamic vinegar
3. Chicken Supremes stuffed with an Apricot Chutney, Asparagus Risotto, roasted Red Pepper reduction
4. Duo of Chocolate, white chocolate coconut milk pots of cream, lemon curd chocolate shortbread cups
I don’t even know where to begin when discussing the food. I think my favourite dish was the soup, it was absolutely delightful. I also loved the roasted tomatoes. I have never had a roasted tomato like that before. Apparently it cooks for four hours, and it comes out delicious and crispy. Chef and Trish told us stories about the preparation as they served us. The spices he collected, the oils, even the plates had a story.
My dad can sometimes be a tough customer to please, but he had a great time. So did everyone else.
Thanks Chef D for making my dad’s birthday a happy one!
Normally I assign 5 star ratings to anything I review. I’ve never reviewed food before, but…
5/5 stars
Make sure you check out his site ChefDTV.com and his creations!
mikeladano.com 
This is a great addition to the usual reviews and such!!! I enjoyed reading your rundown of the courses, but one question: did you pair some wines up with Chef D’s courses? Or did the wine just flow like most dinner parties?!
LikeLike
We didn’t pair the wine with the food. People who like red had red and people who like white had white. The wine was flowing…..
LikeLike
I’m glad you enjoyed! We will do it again…I’ll be sure to post about it when that happens.
LikeLike
Great idea, Mike! And how convenient having your sis live across the street! The food sounds devine. I was eating my own homemade lasagna (leftover) while reading. Cheers!
LikeLike
That sounds great! And yeah, she lives right across from them, which means she gets to take whatever she wants from their fridge!
LikeLike
We enjoyed every moment of our dinner with chef D. I don’t even know what I would rate my favourite dish. Maybe the salad. I have never had such fresh greens and such delicate dressing, and the tomatoes were so delicious. You forgot to mention the bread, which was made that morning. It was so good. Chef D and Trish made this a very special occasion. What can be better than a lovely gourmet meal in your own (or family’s ) home with your loved ones? Thanks, Mike, for arranging it.
I rate it 5+/5 stars
LikeLike
Wow – you’ve done your old man proud Mike.
LikeLike
Thanks man! He was very happy.
LikeLike
As a long-time server/bartender, I have invited (hired) many times to come into people’s houses and serve a made-to-order dinner or mix up a few/several great cocktails. There is nothing that is more rewarding when I do it for people that sound like they appreciate it as much as it is obvious you and your family did!
LikeLike
I mean to say “I have been invited…”
LikeLike
Oh man, we loved it so much. Great experience for all around.
LikeLike
This is a really neat idea, I’m glad it went well. Also I am glad you liked the soup but I wouldn’t have made it through the shitflowers, no matter who cooked it or how. The rest looks delicious, though. Happy birthday to your Dad!
And hey, didja get any Shit Lebrain’s Dad Says quotes out of the evening? I call for a post!
LikeLike
No he was on his best behavior. I was kind of expecting that it would be a Shit LeBrain’s Dad Says kinda night, but he was very good.
LikeLike
My birthday is next week, do you think Chef D would fly over to England and cook me a dinner?
LikeLike
For the right price, I’m sure he would!
It was excellent and we’re STILL talking about it.
LikeLike