Testimonials

“For my 40th birthday, I dreamed of hosting a beautiful dinner in my home, but the catering decisions seemed overwhelming. Luckily, a food-writer friend highly recommended Ana, and I'm so grateful she did. From the first moment, Ana made me feel completely taken care of and the whole process was enjoyable and exciting and fun. The evening itself was beyond all my expectations. Ana created the most exquisite meal, and it felt completely effortless to my guests and me — a bright winter salad, perfect roast chicken (I felt like we were in the south of France!), the creamiest mashed potatoes with "schmaltzy onions," and a flourless chocolate cake that everyone died over. Whenever I looked over at Ana, she was smiling and enchanting, and I couldn't believe how easy and relaxed she made everything feel. I felt like a guest in my own home, and I can't recommend Ana highly enough. It wasn't just a dinner, it was a truly magical experience.”

“I wanted to write a review and contribute to what I am sure is a gathering clamor of praise for Ana Ortiz and her incredible culinary skills. We held a Universal Standard VIP dinner for 30 at our new Soho store and I reached out to Ana on a recommendation. Aside from being a pleasure to deal with, Ana designed a bespoke menu that delighted every single person attending. Great food led to great conversation. Great conversation led to genuine enjoyment - and all together, the evening turned out to be wonderful. I had several people ask for Ana’s contacts following that gorgeous meal. I would both recommend and hire Ana without reservation (if you’ll pardon the pun). Her culinary skill is worth shouting about from rooftops - although a less magnanimous part of my character would like to keep her a secret.”

You truly get the sense that there is magic in the air whenever you get the chance to share in her beautiful creations. There is always something unexpected, magnificent, and surprising in the best of ways with all of her dishes. I had the most amazing experience with Ana cooking for me, and I cannot recommend working with her highly enough. There is something that Ana does that is deeper than just cooking or baking; she truly loves what she does so much that you can feel it in her dishes. You can feel the care she takes in every bite. The result is a meal that is super high vibrational, incredibly delicious, and reflects the beautiful spirit of sacred service that runs so deeply in Ana. She is amazing and in a class all her own. Again, I cannot recommend her enough -she will elevate any meal or event to the highest possible level."

"When I decided I wanted to have a dinner party for a milestone birthday last fall, Ana was my first call. While I lacked a concrete sense of what I wanted to achieve outside of feelings and tone, I did know that I wanted intimacy, whimsy, comfort, and joy to be central to the experience. Once you meet Ana, you know to trust her to create something beyond what you can articulate. From those desires, as a true translator, Ana brought those elements to life for this event but elevated it with her lens. The end result was a seamless integration of her perspective on food as fun, delightful and to be shared - it was a special intimate and fresh experience that my guests still talk about today. Ana's gift for flavor and composition lets ingredients shine but packs such a flavorful, joyful, and sustaining punch. She is willing to experiment and expand the palette as long as it is in service of letting the ingredients complement the experience of breaking bread. I am eager for my next opportunity to work with Ana again in this capacity."

“It’s hard to find time to get together with a big group of friends after having kids.  For my husband’s 40th, Ana brought the party to us! She helped create such a wonderful evening that was both laid back and relaxed but also really special and decadent. Each course was plated exquisitely with attention to detail.  After each dish was put in front of us you could see the moment of awe and excitement on everyone’s faces.  Ana has a way of creating dishes that are beautifully unique while also comforting and familiar.  The wine-braised beef cheeks with creamy mashed potatoes melts in your mouth. My husband is incredibly picky when it comes to dessert and the tres leches cake she made with an unexpected layer of caramel in the middle blew him away. She didn’t just serve us a meal; she created an experience for us.  We have an open kitchen and throughout the meal she had such a warm, unhurried presence and was engaged in the evening with us while also giving us the space to catch up with friends and laugh our heads off unapologetically.  It was such a memorable night!”.