Our Philosophy & Process

“There are only two kinds of music: Good and Bad; I like the good kind” – Duke Ellington

We think that the same applies to food. Cogito Ergo Sauté blends elements traditionally associated with French, Modern American, Italian, Cajun, and any other region that has a good idea to make the good kind of food. Another part of that is Cogito Ergo Sauté’s commitment to using and promoting environmentally friendly ingredients. All of our meats are free-range, our seafood comes from sustainable sources (and is almost always line-caught,) our produce primarily comes from local farms and is organic. We use these as the building blocks for our cuisine not just because we believe in protecting the environment, but because they taste better too.

“To make an apple pie truly from scratch, you must first invent the universe” – Carl Sagan

Our food does not aspire to Dr. Sagan’s elegant hyperbole, but we do make everything possible in our kitchen or yours. You won’t find too many cans in our pantry (the San Marzano Tomatoes are a notable exception) or out-of-season produce on our menus. Every choice we make is made with the best interests of our clients and the quality of the food in mind.

“Whenever I have to knock food down before eating it, I am instantly annoyed” – Unnamed Food Critic

If you want a meal that is garnished with foams, has an aerosol course, uses “artisanal” ice flown in from Norway, has towers of food in homage to the chef’s ego, or some other trendy contrivance, then CES is not the personal chef service you want. Our ambition is to create food with profound flavors and timeless elegance.

We cook to satisfy the Soul, the Palette, and the Eye… and we take that order of importance seriously.

“Profit is not the only measure of success” – A CES motto

At CES we are committed to good corporate citizenship and our charitable giving is one reflection of that commitment. If there’s a cause we can support, send us an email and tell us about it. We may be too small to aid every worthy organization that asks for our help, but we will make every effort to try.

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The Process

“Be more impressed with the person who asks the best questions than the one who gives the best answers” – CES dating advice that also applies to finding a personal chef

The process starts with a conversation during which we will ask far more questions than the number of answers we will provide. Beyond the basics of date, location, size, and type of event you will be hosting, we will be mainly concerned with the style of cuisine that most appeals to you, your favorite restaurants, wines, and too many other things to list. We want to get to know you and your preferences well enough to present a menu and subsequent plan for your event that will exceed expectations.

The initial conversation will be followed by a suggested menu and initial pricing matrix that will list all available options (wine pairing, formal service, china/silverware/stemware rental, for example.) The menu and pricing proposal will arrive via email and in two business days or less – almost always less. That begins another conversation about the menu (yes on this, no to that, can we swap this, etc.)

Once we have reached agreement regarding the menu and options, we may ask for pictures of your kitchen – this is for planning not exclusionary purposes; we’ve worked in some really small spaces before.

The date is confirmed upon payment of a deposit 50% of the total. Final payment is required no fewer than seven days in advance of the event.