The unparalleled bliss that comes with enjoying a gourmet meal without lifting a finger or washing a single dish isn’t restricted to those who dine out, thanks to private chefs like longtime local Don Carr.
“We’re basically a traveling restaurant,” Carr said to sum up his business—Inspired Dining, which offers curated private chef experiences at clients’ homes or vacation rentals across both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
“Really, we’re all over the Central Coast,” the SLO-based chef said. “We’ve done birthday parties, small weddings, anniversaries. Bachelorette parties are huge. ... We just did a bachelorette party in Santa Ynez.”
Carr’s services aren’t limited to those celebrating a special occasion though, as plenty of the company’s past clients include patrons who simply wish to “stay at home and enjoy the private chef experience.”
“I once cheffed for a family for a week straight in Cayucos,” said Carr, who grew up in Los Angeles and previously lived in Santa Barbara and Arroyo Grande before moving to SLO.
Carr has previous restaurant and hospitality experience, but the launch of Inspired Dining, founded during the summer of 2023, marked the entrepreneur’s first foray in the realm of private cheffing.
“At 54 years old, I really kind of found what I believe is my calling,” Carr said. “I have found more joy in the last 10, 11 months than I had in my entire career. ... It’s been a whirlwind year, that’s for sure.”
This month marks the chef’s one-year anniversary, as Carr’s first private gig was at a home in Templeton last August. His wife, Wendee, a skilled baker, accompanied him and has been providing desserts at Carr’s multi-course excursions ever since.
“We literally packed everything up in her Honda Accord and rolled up to the property and unpacked,” Carr recalled of the Templeton gig with a laugh. “The car was packed to the gills.”
While clients usually arrange for Carr to use their own kitchen or their vacation rental’s kitchen, he brings a certain amount of cooking supplies along to maintain flexibility in case an appliance stops working unexpectedly.
“A lot of these homes are lovely Airbnbs ... so a lot of the times, the guests are coming in blind as well,” Carr said. “We’ve strolled into places where there’s literally a $25,000 stove and oven, and the oven doesn’t work, so we’ve had to pivot and adjust.
“We have to be flexible because we have different environments basically every experience,” he added. “I have my own tool kit, which consists of a wide variety of knives. ... We have our own pizza oven that we’ll bring, we have our own grill if needed, and an induction oven. ... We have everything we need if the guests’ home doesn’t have a certain thing.”
When it comes to Carr’s dinner menu options, there are several kinds of starters, salads, main courses, Wendee’s dessert selections, and more for patrons to consider. As far as steak options go, Carr is especially jazzed about a certain cut that’s been getting a lot of positive feedback from clients lately.
“Right now we’re doing a cut of meat from Snake River Farms called zabuton. It’s also called a Denver cut,” said Carr, who described it as “a blend between a fillet, a New York, and a rib eye—all in one.”
“People are losing their minds,” he said. “It’s phenomenal if you’re a steak lover.”
Whenever possible, Carr sources ingredients and other offerings from Central Coast-based farmers, vintners, and suppliers. Some of his ongoing collaborators include Grassy Bar Oyster Co., Sinor La Valle, and Seed and a Bucket Farms.
“I source a lot of my produce, my greens, my veggies from farmers markets, local farms,” Carr said. “I’m really trying to incorporate local purveyors. ... When I have partners like that, it makes my life so much easier.”
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood is a self-described fillet minion. Send medium rare comments to [email protected].
