Chef for Two in Charleston, SC
Four courses on your own porch, served one at a time, and the kitchen spotless before you've finished the bottle.
- Table set before you come down
- Courses at your pace
- Out the door by ten
What You're Celebrating
Every booking is a table for two. The menu and the evening change with the reason.
Only Ever a Table for Two
Claire Pinckard cooked the line in Charleston restaurant kitchens for nine years and noticed the same couples every weekend: dressed up, celebrating, and seated next to the kitchen door. Pinckard cooks for exactly two people, in their own homes.
One evening a night, never two. Claire shops that morning, cooks in your kitchen while you get ready, and serves every course herself.
- ✓Courses paced to you
- ✓Shopped that morning
- ✓Served by the chef
Wherever the Two of You Want to Sit
The piazza
The side porch, with a cloth on the table and the ceiling fans on low. If it rains, the dining room.
The garden
A table carried out under the live oak, with lanterns if you have them.
The dock
On the islands, a small table at the end of the dock for sunset.
Already Done When You Come Downstairs
Table set
Linens, glasses and the flowers you asked for, or ones Claire picks.
Wine chilled
Your bottles opened and cold. Claire suggests what to pour with each course.
Music low
Your playlist, or none at all if you'd rather hear the porch.
Kitchen quiet
Prep done before you arrive at the table, so the cooking stays out of sight.
The Question Has a Course
Proposals are planned with the one asking, by text, without the other person ever seeing a menu. We agree when it happens (between courses, with dessert, or at the very end) and Claire steps back into the kitchen until she's waved back out. If the plan changes halfway through the evening, it changes.
- ✓Planned by text
- ✓Timed to your signal
- ✓Ring handled with care
From Couples Who've Booked
Twenty-five years married and we finally ate on our own piazza instead of fighting for a table on King Street. The oysters were still cold when we sat down.
I asked her to put the ring on the dessert plate. She texted me a photo of the plate before it went out so I wouldn't panic. She said yes.
My wife's fortieth. Our kids were at their grandmother's, the dishes were done by ten, and nobody had to drive home.
Holding an Evening
Most couples book two to four weeks out; anniversaries in May and October go first.
Pick the night
Send the date, the occasion and the neighborhood. Wednesday to Sunday.
A call about you two
Fifteen minutes on favorite meals, dislikes and any allergy, then four courses written for you.
Claire arrives
Two hours before dinner, with groceries, while you get ready upstairs.
Courses, then quiet
Four courses served at your pace, the kitchen cleaned, and the door closed softly.
Have a Date in Mind?
Friday and Saturday nights fill fastest. Send yours the day you know it.
Dinner-for-Two FAQs
Do you only cook for two?
Yes. Every Pinckard dinner is for two guests. For a larger party, ask us for a recommendation.
Do we supply the wine?
You do. Claire chills it, opens it and suggests which bottle suits each course.
Can you work in a small kitchen?
Two burners and an oven are plenty for four courses for two.
What if one of us has an allergy?
Tell us on the call and Claire cooks around it. She'll ask about the other person's dislikes too.
Can you keep it a surprise?
Yes. Plan it by text, and Claire can arrive while your partner is out.
How far do you travel?
Downtown Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, James Island, Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island.
Plan the Whole Evening
The night, the occasion and anything Claire should know. Replies come the same day.
- Call us(843) 555-0138
- Email ustable@pinckardchef.com