Reviews

Chef Francesca was fabulous! Despite challenging communications, since we had spotty cell service in Malibu, she was persistent with her contact and delivered exactly every special request we made. She arrived on time, acclimated herself to the kitchen in the home we werevacationing in, and prepared every delicious course, presenting it on the timeline we requested. Before she departed, she cleaned up all the prep areas and equipment, leaving everything spotless. Francesca was an authentically lovely chef who was very adaptable to our kitchen, our specific menu requests and the somewhat dynamic timeline as the evening unfolded. We would have loved to spend time in the kitchen getting to know Francesca, but instead took advantage of the opportunity to just relax and enjoy the evening with our family and guests. We would absolutely work with Chef Francesca again and hope she might consider an interactive chef-guest event!

Susan D, Malibu

Francesca was amazing and very fun to have around. Her staff as well. The food was delicious every single dish. And the tiramisu was heavenly…..I would have her back any time! Thanks!

Tricia and M

She was fantastic. Very professional, food was delicious. It made the evening incredibly special.

Cooper

Chef Mallus was fantastic. She was flexible, professional, and made the perfect meal. I would absolutely request her services again, and obviously recommend her to anyone else.

Amanda M

Chef Mallus was fantastic!! I did this as a surprise for my family as it was my twins birthday and our anniversary. The food and service was exceptional, it was such a treat! This wasa night to remember and we would definitely recommend Chef Mallus.

Tami K, Mission Viejo, CA

Chef Mallus & crew were fantastic! They were a truly a pleasure to have for our annual holiday party. We tailored our menu to suite our guests (vegetarians & carnivores alike) and all her recommended dishes lived up to her high praise. Food was amazing and Chef & her crew were timely and left our kitchen spotless... Chef Mallus ran a memorable dining experience and I've gotten nothing but high praise from our guests for a fantastic evening... Will use Chef Mallus again soon.

Jeff G, Pasadena, CA

Francesca was excellent! Lovely person, delish food. She was very flexible and made a menu for us exactly as we wanted. She was prompt, professional, sweet and did a great job cleaning up. She worked hard and was always smiling. The house smelled amazing. Her portions were huge! We loved every bite. Would hire her again in a heart beat!

Lisa

Fantastic!

Cooper

Francesca cooked for our New Year's party and everything was excellent. She worked with us to come up with the menu and was patient and flexible with our needs. Everything was extremely professional and prompt, from arrival to the time that she left. As far as the food goes, it was absolutely fantastic and every guest wanted more. Some dishes that stood out in particular as even above the rest are crostini, arugula salad, mushroom ravioli, veal and tiramisu. Next time we have an event, Chef Mallus would be at the top of my list.

Arthur F

Chef Francesca was a pleasure to learn from!
She was very professional and was able to show our entire group of 12 how to make homemade pasta.
Would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for an exciting culinary experience!

Sahil P

The amazing Chef Francesca Mallus, arrived in the early afternoon and took over my kitchen giving me the opportunity to actually visit with my friends and enjoy the party. She prepared, plated and served the most incredible food I may have ever eaten, including stuffed mushrooms w Fontina cheese, Strawberry Pecan Salad, Chicken Cacciatore and Tiramisu. And what a treat to not have to clean my kitchen before I went to bed. She was AWESOME and I may be spoiled for life now!

Margie R, Simi Valley, CA

My husband and I hosted a Valentine's Day dinner event in our home with two other couples. Words cannot begin to express what a memorable experience this turned out to be! Chef Francesca (Fran) was nothing short of amazing! Straight from Sardinia, Italy, her authenticity could not have been better experienced had we dined in Italy itself! Her attention to detail was impeccable. Her passion for cooking was perfectly reflected in the flavors, aroma's and presentation of each course. As one dinner guest expressed, \Italian Sweet Head Che
She has a very sweet personality and all of my friends enjoyed both her and her wonderful food. I highly recommend Chef Mallus to those of you who are looking for a great chef and out-of-this-world food to impress your friends! The next opportunity I have to do this again, I will be calling on her to first thing:^)

Debra J, Gardena, CA

Chef Mallus prepared an excellent anniversary meal for us at home. She is very professional and punctual. The pace of the meal was perfect. The food was superb and rivals anything you can get at an over priced restaurant around town. I highly recommend Chef Mallus...you won't be let down.

Jason

Chef Francesca was the perfect choice for my wife's 45th birthday! She handled the evening with professionalism and Charm. My guests were commenting all night how great the evening was and the food was the show. I hope to see Francesca again for another culinary experience.

Thanks again Francesca!

Wade E

Francesca was simply phenomenal. She's professional, cooks great/delicious food, tidy, personable, and responsible. Honestly, I don't think we could have had a better experience! I'd be happy to be a reference for her going forward.

Peter S, Newport Beach, CA

Chef Francesca was top notch with the quality of cooking, her inviting personality, and instruction on how to make pasta. She was amazing with the kids and added so much fun and conversation to the party. It was truly a memorable and delicious experience.

Kori S, Pacific Palisades, CA

Francesca was so gracious and made our event very special. The food was amazing and so was her dedication to making it an exceptional experience for us. I highly recommend her and will definitely use her again. By the way, her Tiramisu is out of this world!

Michelle K, Marina del Rey, CA

Excellent. Francesca arrived early and stayed late to clean up. The food was amazing, especially the mushroom bruschetta and pistachio mousse . I would highly recommend her.

Meryl W

Chef Mallus helped to make my dinner party a very special event. From selecting the menu (and the few changes I wanted to make) all the way through the final clean up, she was wonderful to work with, and, of course, the food was amazing. The whole dinner worked out better that I could have hoped for. I hope to find an opportunity to have her create a menu for another party soon, and I would recommend Chef Mallus to anyone looking to have a great home dining experience.

Tim G

Everything was wonderful. The food was amazing and everyone had a great time. Great choice!

Jeff D, Thousand Oaks, CA

Francesca was fantastic! We hired her for a birthday dinner at our house. She was easy to work with and the dinner was delicious. She arrived while we were out at an event, and by the time we arrived home, the appetizers were ready and the dinner was being prepared. She was friendly and professional. She even left the kitchen spotless at the end of the night. We will certainly be inviting her back and we recommend you do to.

Amanda M

Francesca was very professional and a joy to be with. We all went to the kitchen and watched and talked just like any Italian family and learned some great cooking tips. She was very punctual and brought all of the food and utensils to prepare an outstanding meal, in fact we had enough left overs for the following three days. We made homemade pasta from scratch which is so incredible compared to store bought out of a box, and all of the clean up was done and she left a clean and neat kitchen. We would absolutely recommend Francesca and plan to use her again when the need arises.

Brian T

Francesca was lovely. Her food was not only beautiful but delicious too. Thank you Francesca for making my husband's birthday party such a success.

Melanie, Los Angeles, CA

Francesca and her five course meal were absolutely wonderful. Every course had interesting flavors and textures and all were absolutely delicious. We would definitely invite Chef Mallus back to cook for us again.

Roxanne

The only thing better than working with Francesca was the food she prepared for us! Incredible experience, great chef, and an even better person. Thanks again for everything.

Colin H

It was super easy to organize everything with Francesca. She was able to accommodate a food restriction with no issues and the food was excellent. The homemade pasta was probably our favorite dish as a group.

Margaret, Culver City, CA

I cannot say enough about Chef Francesca's delectable talents! I have had the pleasure of booking her three times and enjoying her dishes as a guest twice. Each dinner event surpasses the other. I have also recommended her to friends who absolutely love her everything she creates!! If you think you know what Italian food tastes like, think again! Chef Fran not only creates Italian dishes that are the real deal, she too, is the real deal! Born and raised in Sardinia! Everything on the menu is made with fresh, organic (as much as possible) ingredients. Her pasta dishes are made right in front of you! She makes the best meatballs on the planet. So good we chose to enjoy them as an entree rather than an appetizer. And don't get me started on the variety of sauces! So fresh! So full of flavor!! You can't get what she creates from a jar! Her gelato is simply the creamiest and most favorable you'll ever find, ask Zagat! And finally no Italian meal is complete without a big serving of "melt in your mouth" Tiramisu! I highly recommend Chef Fran of Dolcenero for a superb Italian cuisine and a culinary experience you will never forget.

Carol

Francesca was in charge for my Birthday Dinner (September 2015) and it was the most fantastic experience. She arrived way early and prepare our 5 courses meal from scratch which added the pleasure of watching her making all these beautiful and delicious preparations from her native Sardinia (we were 7). She was incredibly professional and kind and left our kitchen impeccable. I absolutely recommend her and can't wait for the next opportunity to have her come and cook for us.

Bernadette, Santa Monica, CA

Francesca is the nicest professional chef I've ever seen. The lemon gelato was amazing!

Juliana

Francesca is very professional and humble.
Her food is outstanding. I loved the tiramisu and her fish (unfortunately I don't remember the name). And she always makes sure the food looks beautiful. What an artist.

Paul,

I absolutely loved spending time with Chef Francesca! Her personality is so bright and she is so much fun to be around. Her cooking is magnificent... everything was extremely fresh and delicious. I learned so much from her from a short amount of time. I look forward to booking her class again!

Melissa, Venice

Thank you Chef Francesca! We had a wonderful time exploring the pasta of Sardinia! Chef Francesca's kitchen is an intimate setting, allowing each person to view close-up and take part in the culinary process. We learned about Francesca's roots in Italy and how her upbringing influenced her love for cooking. We definitely got our fill of amazing food! Grazie Mille!

My girlfriend and I took the pasta making class with Francesca and it was a great experience. Francesca is fun, knowledgable and crazy talented. Best ravioli I've ever had!

Nicholas

Chef Francesca turned my wife's birthday dinner into an astounding, delicious, sublime experience for our guests. From the moment she arrived (friendly and eager to get started) to the moment she left (having washed all dishes and leaving our kitchen spotless) the event exceeded our wildest expectations. She and her assistant were completely professional, hard working, and very eager to please. Her cooking was absolutely delicious. And the gelato? Yikes. I can't recommend Francesca highly enough.

Ned B

I was looking for something special to share with my wife on our anniversary. This was perfect. It was very intimate the chef slowed things down for us. And learned the cultural meaning behind the dish. A must do. Thank you for the evening Chef Francesca

We took the Pasta making course with Chef Francesca a few weeks ago and had an incredible time. It was amazing that she basically had 4 strangers come into her own home to learn how to make delicious food, right in front of us, it was like having a private chef! We learned how to make 3 different kinds of pasta, all of which were delicious. My boyfriend and I used her recipe to make our own fresh pasta a few days ago and it turned out better than I could have expected, thanks to her easy and caring approach. I'm looking forward to taking more classes with herAM

Mane

Thank you for an enjoyable evening. Chef Francesca's food is excellent. We will definitely be returning for another class. Chef Francesca took the time to answer questions, was pleasant to talk with, I would recommend her class to anyone. Thank you

Neil

Chef Francesca was fantastic! She came to our house to cook dinner for wife's birthday and we enjoyed every moment of it. From the preparation of the meal to the delicious food she served, it was all incredible. I would recommend her to anyone and look forward to having her back to our home again very soon!

Brian

Francesca was great! the food was delicious and she was fun to talk with. she was great about answering questions and we really enjoyed the interactive experience. if we lived closer we'd be tempted to have her cook for us all the time!!

Gregory

Our evening with Chef Francesca was so enjoyable and SO delicious! She welcomed us into her home, and walked us through how to make an amazing Italian meal start to finish. Not only was it a delicious 4-course meal, but easily one we could all make ourselves. Francesca was a joy to be around. We enjoyed wine and espressos, while she whipped up a meal I have been thinking about ever since. We loved the experience, the company, the food, and would devour a Chef Francesca meal any day!

Aja

Dining with Chef Francesca was truly a wonderful experience. The food was exquisite and conversation fantastic. I'd recommend this experience to anybody. Yum!

Dane

Francesca Is amazing! thanks so much for an awesome experience :)

Idan

It was a great first experience in an intimate setting. Chef Francesca was a delight and the pasta was DELICIOUS!

Ashlyn

Chef Francesca and this class was awesome! She is warm, kind and patient. We learned how to make our own pasta from scratch, about Italy and of course had the opportunity to enjoy the delicious food. Our group had novice cooks and experts and we all loved it. It was such a great experience!

Talia

Chef Francesca was a true delight and a fantastic chef. My Fiance' and I had such an enjoyable evening with her. She did not rush, but treated us like old friends and made us feel very welcome in her home. Her knowledge and skill is excellent and we cant' wait to try out some of the recipes we learned. I would definitely recommend an evening with her.

Robert

Chef Francesca was knowledgeable and accommodating. She answered the multitude of questions my family hurled at her. She was knowledgeable, yet easy going. The food was delicious. Everyone went home happy.

Ilona

We had our first couples cooking class with Chef Francesca and it was a totally amazing experience. The food she prepared was delicious, tasty, and fresh. But her personality was what made the experience that much more pleasant and enjoyable. We are sure to come back for another class with her. She is the best, a true professional!

Kian

Francesca is wonderful! She hosted the class in her home, which meant there was limited space for us to help out in the process. But, it ended up working really well for us. We had time to chat and catch up among ourselves. Francesca did a great job of explaining each part of the cooking process for every course. She also had us help with the pasta making, which was really fun! Thank you, Francesca!

Lela

My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Highly recommend Francesca.

Donald

My husband and I absolutely loved our time with Francesca. We wanted a unique date night experience and this was perfect. The food and company with outstanding. Looking forward to doing something with Francesca again soon!

Whitney

My husband and I had a great time learning to cook Italian food with Chef Francesca. She is very sweet and professional. It was our first time learning how to cook and she made our experience pleasant. Oh and the food was AH-MA-ZING. Very very grateful we met her and had a chance to cook and eat delicious Italian food!!

Incredible food, incredible conversation. Would highly recommend.

Seth

This was our first time using cozymeal and we weren't sure how it was going to be, Francesca invited us into her house and created a whole Italian experience for us to enjoy. The homemade pasta was unbelievable! It was an overall awesome experience.

Melissa

We had the best experiance and my friend and I acctaully felt like for the few hours we were making and enjoying pasta, we were in Italy. We also tried her delicious gelato at her store and loved the peanut butter and Nutella! Thank you and we will definitely be back. We recommend this to any one who wants to enjoy making and tasting Italian food!

Tall

If you are at all unsure about which CozyMeal experience to try out - we highly recommend this one! Chef Francesca made everything from scratch and even shared some rare ingredients from her home in Sardinia... Seriously one of, if not the best dining experience we have ever had. Cannot recommend highly enough! We will be back in the future!

Clayton

Chef Francesca was wonderful! This was our first time and so we didn't know what to expect. Chef Francesca was very welcoming, she had great stories, and the food was just perfect. Thank you for teaching us how to make fresh pasta, we loved every minute.

Joy

My wife bought me a pasta making class with Chef Francesca for my birthday. This was a fantastic class. The class took place in Chef Francesca's kitchen in her apartment in Santa Monica. She was warm and welcoming as everyone was in her kitchen. It was as if we were guests in her house. We learned how to make Linguini and 2 shapes of Ravioli and 2 sauces (Carbonara and Butter/Sage). Chef Francesca went very slow and showed us how to perform each part of the recipe. I was so confident after the class that I made the Linguini and Carbonara sauce for a party of 15 the next day (it was a potluck dinner at my wife's boss' house). It came out great. I will continue to use what I learned yesterday for the rest of my life. I now have the confidence to make my own pasta. Thank you very much Chef Francesca.

Erin

The class was very nice! I was expecting to be hands on making the pasta from the beginning but you really just help with the fun parts. Chef Francesca was so welcoming and accommodating! My boyfriend and I really enjoyed our time. It was as if we were spending our time with a friend who knew how to cook and chit chatted with us the whole time. Highly Recommended if this is what you're looking for! Thanks for a great dinner, Chef Francesca!

Cathleen

I bought this as a gift for my girlfriend's birthday and I can't speak highly enough about Francesca and the experience we had with her during our course. Firstly, her home was just the type of environment you'd want to walk into, truly a chef's home, it was warm, invited and featured many of Francesca's favorite dishes on the walls, not the mention the wine bottle mural she and Paolo made with wine corks, it was very cool. Her cooking was exquisite, it seemed every element of the meal had a story and a connection to her past or present which was an experience you just don't get a restaurant, that opened up an entire evening of learning about Italian and general Western Europe cooking culture. While our main goal was to learn how to make pasta from scratch, we learned a ton about cooking steak, pairing sides and entree's and why things are better done one way than another. I can't recommend Francesca enough, she's a great chef and an even better person. She treated us with nothing but the upmost hospitality and answered all of our questions. I'd give her 15 stars if I could!

Alex

We had an amazing time cooking and eating with Francesca. She really taught us many things that we found useful. It boosted our motivation to cook at home more! Francesca was welcoming but also really cool as a person and we had so many interesting conversations with her. The dinner was of course delicious! Overall, with this price and the quality of the whole experience, it was more than worth it! Thank you, Francesca!

Karima

Chef Francesca was amazing. I took my wife for her birthday. We had a wonderful time. Learned a lot, asked questions, and ate delicious food! Will definitely be doing this again, especially with Chef Francesca.

Sao

Great experience. Francesca was very welcoming and so very nice. She's so professional and have a sweet personality as well. We sure will repeat that experience in the future as we already put her name out so everyone else we enjoy this taste of pleasure

Tshala

We had so much fun with Francesca. She is very knowledgeable and gave us the confidence that we could recreate the pasta recipes at home. We will be back for some of her other classes.

Pamela

Chef Francesca is a star... we are now making homemade pasta at home ! Like that! 100% amazing

Evan

Chef Francesca was AMAZING! My husband surprised me with a pasta making class with Francesca and it was supposed to be us and another couple, but they cancelled so we had the pleasure of having Chef all to ourselves! It was very personal in her apartment, so it was much better than a big kitchen at a big cooking school or cookware store. She provided a relaxed environment and vibe so we could relax and learn how to cook without slaving away. We took notes while she showed us, and we would step in every once in a while and do something ourselves, which I really like because we were able to relax. She is super sweet, funny and has amazing stories to share about being Italian and her travels! I recommend this class to EVERYONE!

Benjamin

It was such a lovely way to spend an evening. Learning and socializing with a very talented native italian was fun and inspiring. I purchased my kitchen mixer and will be making pasta hopefully as well as Francesca soon.

Silvia

Pasta was delicious and Francesca was wonderful!

Eliana

Francesca is adorable and I / we can truly recommend her. The complete class was very authentic: - the class taking place in her kitchen - Francesca having grown up in Sardinia still having a strong and charming Italian accent I really loved that she had purchased high quality ingredients, all from WholeFoods, and in addition used items a) which she had orginally purchased in Italy or b) had been home-made by her mom All dishes were super delicious. Just 2 days later I received all recipes as request, fabulous ! Overall experience just awesome. Being German - and please keep this in mind - I just have two recommendations or hints: 1) We started (very hungry) at 1:00pm and I think we had our starter at about 4:30pm. I was starving ... I would have expected a) some small appartizers such as olives and may be also a glas of Prosecco. Watching hungrily the prep of food can be painful ... 2) If you expect a "hands-on" cooking class this is not the right course to choose. I was expecting to be more involved, was expecting more interaction. In the end Francesca was doing all the work (and did a great job) but we were just the audience. May be, that's normal in the US - I just have different experiences from Germany and would have loved to have had a more active, involved role Again, I really enjoyed the class - Francesca is phenomenal!

Claudia

Got this session as a gift for my sister in law and brother. They absolutely loved it. We are vegetarian and chef Francesca created a wonderful menu for them as well as a very interactive evening! Would definitely recommend her to everyone including vegetarians!!

Sona

This experience was great! I really had no idea what to expect, and Francesca made the evening so enjoyable and comfortable. Not only was the food delicious, we had a great time chatting with Francesca and getting to know her. Hearing her stories from Italy, paired with the amazingly flavorful food, made the night perfect! That was hands down the best Tiramisu we have ever had!!!!! I highly recommend Francesca and will definitely consider Cozy Meal gift certificates with her for the holidays and birthday gifts.

Brandi

Chef Francesca is a fantastic Italian chef and wonderful host. I have no regrets and the up most adoration for her cooking.

Marcus

Such a wonderful experience!!! Chef Francesca is awesome...had an authentic taste of Sardinia and more...a humble welcome to her kitchen made us feel right at home. Thank you for making my birthday celebration an experience....will definitely come again.!

Ana