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Making it Personal: Personal chefs who are bringing their creativity to you

When it comes to cooking, not everyone has the skills to create a restaurant-style meal. Or, if you do know your way around a kitchen you still might find challenges of trying to balance work and family while being able to provide a healthy meal in a timely fashion. 

Whether you live in Tahoe year-round, own a second home, or are just visiting, we all share the juggle struggle of fitting meals into our busy schedules. Sometimes it’s a large group you want to host, sometimes the headache of taking everyone out to dinner is too much, or sometimes it might even be that you simply don’t have the time. Enter the personal chef. 

Sure, this could be a luxury that might not work for everyone, but it’s a luxury that could also alleviate stress and give you time back in your day. 



Tahoe has no shortage of options when it comes to personal chefs. Let’s get to know a few.  

Pinedrop Provisions (Chef Amanda Kasper)



Chef Amanda Kasper came to Tahoe 16 years ago right after college and started working in restaurants in the Tahoe City area. After jumping on board in a support role with a friend who started their own private chef business, Kasper slowly started taking her own gigs after about eight years in the role. 

Once that friend moved away for an opportunity in the Bay Area, Kasper decided to start Pinedrop Provisions in 2020, which focuses on the family atmosphere and ease of being in your own home. 

Pine Drop Provisions
Courtesy The Far West |

“I’m a big advocate of the family dinner, said Kasper. “Sitting down around a table and connecting and having that conversation – being able to enjoy what’s on your plate and share that with other people. I feel a very integral part of food is that enjoyment process and sharing.”

Kasper’s approach of elevated family dining is typically on the smaller scale (usually 25 people or less), but it allows for a family-style service that integrates the Tahoe’s seasonality.

“Seasonality is important to me,” added Kasper. “I love enjoying the quality food from the season and I think that’s where I get my enthusiasm.”

Whether it’s the utilization of the grill in the summertime, fresh vegetables as star components, or comforting soups and braised meats in the winter, her enthusiasm shines no matter the menu – even when it comes to dietary restrictions. 

The service area for Pinedrop Provisions focuses on the north shore to Truckee and down the west shore, which also highlights one of their unique service offerings: meal delivery. 

“It’s nothing overly fancy,” said Kasper. “They love the convenience, they love the freshness, they love the nourishment from it. So not only is it the food that’s a showcase, but it’s also the fact that they can get something that’s not just picked up from the grocery store – it’s unique.” 

More info: pinedropprovisions.com

Tahoe Persian Kitchen (Chef Seth Dallob)

With a service area that spans the entire Tahoe-Truckee region, Chef Seth Dallob provides one of the more unique food experiences: Persian food. 

Growing up in Los Angeles, Dallob grew to appreciate Person food and having the good fortune of traveling the world, including many countries in the Middle East, he thought that approach would be a good niche to fill in Tahoe. 

“I sought to bring the best flavors and the and the best traditions from every culture that I visited,” said Dallob. 

Chicken kabsa at Persian Kitchen.
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He describes those flavors as elements of Mediterranean Greek, Middle Eastern and some elements of Indian food, which includes unique profiles like pomegranates, rose water and saffron. 

“I try to highlight those unique flavors while making it accessible to a broad audience,” added Dallob. “There’s significantly more effort to make Persian food correctly (and serve it correctly). The dishes are more complex and take several hours to prepare but make for a unique flavor profile and a unique offering. That’s what really motivates me to offer what I do.” 

With a very vast menu, Dallob works with his clients to determine what they might like, which often points to one of his favorite dishes to prepare: tachin-e-morgh. Dallob describes the dish as very elegant and intricate and a real showstopper.  

“It’s kind of like a lasagna but it has layers of crispy Persian rice, saffron chicken, barberries, and pistachios,” said Dallob. “It looks beautiful and smells lovely.”

If the thought of Persian food still has you wondering if it’s for you, Dallob encourages you to step out of the box and try something new. 

Dallob added, “A lot of the dishes are very approachable and very familiar to folks. If they’ve ever had a shish kebab, or a barbecued tomato, or if they’ve ever had a yogurt cucumber dip, they’ve already had Persian food. Yeah. Yeah. People shouldn’t be scared off by the unfamiliar because there’s a wide variety of wonderful flavors.”

More info: tahoepersiankitchen.com

Fed & Full (Chef Amy Lynne Power)

Always having a love for food, and not necessarily wanting to work at a singular location crafting the same exact meal, Amy Lynne Power started her personal chef business in 2010. Originally from the Bay Area, Power’s love for cooking came to the forefront during a transition point in her life when she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. 

“I love to cook. I love to eat even more,” said Power. “It brings me a lot of joy cooking for others, and I truly feel very fortunate being able to do what I love because every client’s different.”

Fed and Full
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Although each client provides a different approach, Power focuses on organic and natural ingredients, being mindful with her cooking oils, and customization based on needs and seasonality. 

“Special diets and allergies are not a big deal to me,” added Power. “I very comfortable working with them. I always try to get a clear understanding of what the client’s needs are, and we build something based on them to create an overall experience that they can enjoy.” 

When it comes to experiences, Power likes to support local businesses as much as possible. 

She added, “I buy all my meat and seafood at Overland Meat and Seafood Company. They work awesome with me, creating orders and all the things that I need for my clients. And then I’ll get my produce at Grass Roots. If I can go and support the community, that’s the things that I want to do.”

When it comes to crafting menus from those ingredients, Power can use those for an inspired dish, or simply use what’s available in the pantry. Regardless of what components she’s cooking with, one can always be certain they will be absolutely delicious. 

Whether that’s short ribs with mascarpone polenta, apple crisp with bourbon caramel sauce, or a ribeye with mashed potatoes, Power travels from Kirkwood to Martis Camp and everywhere in between to bring you flavors that are true to Tahoe. 

More info: fedandfull.com

Lobo Provisions (Chef Quinten Frye)

As a native of Texas with an award-winning, classically trained background that includes being a James Beard semi-finalist, Chef Quinten Frye focuses on old world techniques, seasonal ingredients and making as much as possible from scratch. 

“Just coming up as a professional chef, classically trained and working in fine dining restaurants, I take that approach of cooking and I bring it to your home,” said Frye.

Lobo Provisions
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That approach has lent itself to items like butchering a whole pig and making his own charcuterie to rolling up a porchetta from the belly of the pig. However, being from Texas and cooking in Mexico for a time, Frye says his cooking is mostly an upscale mashup of Mexican and barbecue. 

“I think it’s approachable for most people. Brisket or smoked carnitas – that type of stuff. People tend to gravitate towards that style,” added Frye. 

However, that’s not the only thing in Frye’s arsenal. During the holidays he noted that people want more higher end meals, so Frye obliges with dishes like duck and scallops and even caviar service. 

“I also try to pay attention to what is being grown or around us. The ingredients around Tahoe are my inspiration, along with being able to jump into different types of cuisines as well. I’m not limited to just one.” 

And while Frye also noted that his sweet spot is smaller groups (8 – 20 people), he can accommodate larger events and parties by pairing up with another local business: Hen of the Woods. 

Even though Frye focuses his events in and around the Tahoe Basin, he’s no stranger to taking on tasks in places like Mendocino and Santa Barbara. 

But regardless of where he’s cooking, Chef Frye appreciates the opportunity to be creative in his approach and make each dinner service a little bit different from the last.  

More info: loboprovisions.com

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Winter 2024 edition of Tahoe Magazine.


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