Fresh meals prepared in your home. Made to fit your tastes, nutritional needs, and family. No planning, shopping, cooking, or cleaning required.
Perfect for a romantic date, family dinner, or a special night with friends. Enjoy a personalized dining experience in the comfort and intimacy of your home.
Ever been curious about a particular cuisine? The history and technique behind your favorite dish? Maybe you just want to learn how to cook like a chef would, for yourself.
Josef's love for food started with his love for family, and his love for the outdoors. Whether it was burning himself stirring his grandma's soup, or cooking a trout he caught, Josef grew up enjoying the satisfaction that came with turning ingredients into a meal.
Josef started working in kitchens after high school, starting as a dishwasher then becoming a cook. After a couple of years in kitchens, he attended Johnson and Wales in Providence, Rhode Island for Culinary Arts, graduating Magna Cum Laude with an Associates Degree. He went on to work in restaurants, finding his niche in casual fine dining. He was drawn to the combination of elegant yet accessible food and relaxed dining experience for the guest.
Josef then moved to Saint Petersburg, Florida. He worked as a personal chef for the three years he lived there, and worked on an organic vegetable farm on the weekends. He loved the relationships he was able to form with clients after working with them for years. Whether working for busy families or professional athletes, his work had a few simple goals:
Make amazing food that improves clients lives, is exactly what they want, and is good for them.
Josef recently moved to Portland and started Rainy Mountain Cooking to continue to serve clients with the same effort and dedication that he did in Florida.
Over the years, Josef fell in love with house made Charcuterie, pan-roasted Duck breast, Szechuan food, Parsnips, and Lasagna with fresh pasta. He believes food should be comforting and filling, improve people's health, connect people to history and culture, and that Pecorino Romano is better than Parmigiano.
"I don't know how to put into words how amazing Joe has been for our family. From timely arrival, shopping, meal prep, cooking amazing meals, cleaning, and dependability. He has become an essential part of our household.
When Joe first started with us I was extremely sick from pregnancy. We hired him because we needed his culinary skill throughout my pregnancy. Our daughter has severe food allergies so we can't easily eat out, so a chef was our best option.
He was only supposed to be a temporary fix until I had the baby. At first I would watch him cook and check what he bought to make sure it was safe for my daughter. I am a bit OCD. I soon realized that I could fully trust Joe and didn't have to worry about his cooking and it being safe for my daughter. He was amazing from day 1. We also quickly realized we could never not have him cooking for us because we love his cooking so much. Every meal is creative and delicious. He is happy to take recommendations or come up with his own creations.
I cannot brag enough on the skill, competence, and integrity Joe has. We gave him a key so he can come when we are not home. He has been an absolute amazing addition to our lifestyle and worth every penny. If you are looking for an in home Chef with amazing culinary skill, Joe is your person."
"I own a personal concierge company that tailors to professional athletes in the Tampa Bay area. I have hired Chef Josef as a private chef for 4 of my clients and they all had rave reviews. I have worked with other private chefs but none of them came close to Chef Josef. Chef Josef is a triple threat; he is prompt, creates diverse, flavorful meals, and has the best demeanor.
If Chef Josef didn't move to Portland, I would still be working with him :) crossing my fingers that he returns to Tampa. In all seriousness, if you hire him, you will not be disappointed or hungry."
"As someone with special dietary needs, I struggle to make food that's delicious and fits my diet, without making the same thing every day. Chef Josef was able to keep me fed with delicious and interesting food, while meeting my dietary restrictions.
He was also a pleasure to have around the house. As a business owner who spends more time than I would like to managing people, it was so refreshing to hire somebody that I didn't have to manage. I could trust him to be there, cook me food I loved, and leave my kitchen super clean, without me having to do anything.
I would absolutely employ his services again without hesitation!"