Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colors, there are only so many flavors - it's how you combine them that sets you apart.

-Wolfgang Puck

About Chef Matt

My culinary story began in my early teenage years where I worked alongside my mother and grandma preparing family recipes. At age 13, I took my first job as a line cook at an established Rochester, MN restaurant. Over the next 5 years, I immersed myself in learning as much as possible as I worked alongside the Executive Chef. Upon high school graduation, I chose to pursue my dreams of becoming a chef so I enrolled in culinary school in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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While in culinary school, I worked at the iconic Grand Avenue D’Amico & Sons as well as The Happy Gnome in St. Paul. After graduating from culinary school, I spent the next decade honing my craft in well-known fine-dining kitchens throughout the Twin Cities & Chicago including The Hotel Minneapolis-Restaurant Max, Borough & Parlor, The Normandy Hotel & Kitchen, The Como Zoo, and Common Roots Catering.

Eventually I moved back to Rochester, Minnesota for an Executive Chef position with The Mayo Clinic at Saint Mary’s Hospital. In this position, I managed operations in the VIP Francis 7 suites. After leaving Mayo Clinic in 2018, I stepped back into the restaurant world by helping open a high-end European bistro called "Le Petite Cafe". I also spent time in the kitchens of The Rochester Golf and Country Club and Pescara. With my experience from time spent in the Twin Cities/Chicago/Rochester food scenes, I decided to pursue working as a private chef for multiple high-end families, and currently serve clients with my newest culinary concept: The Gifted Gourmet-A Modern Chef Service.

Serving my clients with the highest level of culinary creativity and finding balance in every component of a dish is my top priority. I am dedicated to exceeding clients’ expectations through delivering unforgettable food experiences with my modern, yet refined touch. My enthusiasm for cooking is contagious, and my approach is engaging and relaxed, inviting everyone to a place at the table.

Services

The services provided by The Gifted Gourmet - A Modern Chef Service share one fundamental principal, which is to always put the needs of the client first by consistently delivering unparalleled dining experiences.

Multi-Course Dinners


This signature service is an all-inclusive culinary experience similar to a traditional “Tasting Menu” one would see in fine dining establishments. Clients select each course from a variety of seasonal options on a pre-fixed 4-course & 6-course menu. Once course selections are determined a 50% deposit is required. Food preparation, serving, course explanations, and a clean kitchen are included in this service. Clients can expect a variety of modern cooking techniques, seasonal quality ingredients, finesse, and bold flavor profiles. Minimum party of 2, maximum party of 20.

Full-Service Catering

Weddings, corporate luncheons, anniversaries, private events, or anything in between, we’ve got you covered. Currently accommodating groups of 2-150 guests.

Custom Meal Preparation

Our Meal Preparation Service will save you precious time, energy, and eliminate the stress of preparing healthy and delicious meals for you and your family. With customizable meal plans that are tailored to your specific needs and requests, you can relax and leave it to a professional. Whether you have specific dietary restrictions, allergies, special menu requests, or simply you could benefit from the helping hands of a professional chef in your home kitchen, I’m here to help and serve. With an extensive nutritional background, together we can create a meal plan that realistically fits your needs. Sometimes we all could use a helping hand to relieve the stresses of
preparing a healthy and delicious gourmet meal.

Additional Services

  • Culinary Cooking Classes

  • Gift Cards for any Service

  • Culinary Consulting

Sample Menus

Multi-Course Sample Menu 1

 Amuse Buse
TBD

 An Ode to Cauliflower
Roasted Cauliflower | Romanesco | Puree of Cauliflower |Pickled Jalapeno | Oven Dried Cherry Tomato | Local Greens | Salt and Vinegar Fingerling Chips | Sherry Gastrique

 An Ode to Mussels
Market Canadian Mussels | Pernod | Iberico | Fine Herbs | Preserved Lemon | Chorizo Court Bouillon | Baguette

 Halibut
Sous Vide/Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut Fillet | Roasted Romanesco | Harissa Aioli | Sofrito Lentils Du Puy | Crispy Leeks | Gremolata | Parmesan Pea Puree

 Meyer Lemon Tiramisu
Valrhona ganache | Tiramisu mousseline | Lemon Sheet Cake | Meyer Lemon Curd | Compressed Strawberry | Isomalt Glass

Multi-Course Sample Meal 2

Amuse
TBD

Salmon Gravlax “Everything Bagel”
Beetroot Cured Salmon Gravlax | Crème Fraiche | Compressed Cucumbers | Rye Crisp | Sherry Gastrique | Dill 

Soup Alla Carbonara
Wild onion Soup | Egg Yolk Emulsion | English Peas | Crispy Benton’s Smoked Pork Belly | Pea Puree | Brioche | Black Pepper 

Intermezzo Smoked Lemon Sorbet
Shortbread Tuile

Steak Au Poivre
 Pan Seared NY Strip -Black Peppercorn Crusted | Brandy Cream “Au poivre “Sauce | Potato & Ricotta Gnudi | Broccoli Puree |
Sicilian Cippolini Onions 

Glazed Vanilla Panna Cotta
Black Pepper Maple Reduction | Roasted Pepita Chocolate “Granola” | Classic Lime Meringue | Brown Butter Anglaise | Spiced Apples

Multi-Course Sample Menu 3

Amuse Buse
TBD

Local Mixed Green Salad
Compressed Cucumbers | Shaved Parmesan Cheese | Oven Sundried Cherry Tomato
| Sweet Chili Vinaigrette

Tempura Fried Brandade
Tempura Fried House Cured Salt Cod | Potato | Espellete Pepper
| Sofrito & Preserved Lemon Pistou | Tarragon

Intermezzo Blueberry Sorbet
Shortbread Tuile

Pan Glazed Beef Short Rib
Oven Braised/Glazed Beef Short Rib | Horseradish Pommes Puree
| Beurre Monte Glazed Parsnip & Carrot | Port Roasted Shallots | Red Wine Demi-Glace

Strawberry & Coconut Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta
Black Pepper Isomalt “Glass” | Valrhona Chocolate & Pepita Crumble
| Rum compressed Pineapple/ Strawberry | Strawberry Spheres | Pineapple Powder

Multi-Course Sample Menu 4

Amuse Buse
TBD

Crudo of Bay Scallop
Avocado “Sheet”, Orange Two Ways | Harissa | Watermelon Radish
| Preserved Lemon | Cumin Dust | Tortilla Crisp

Pan Seared Arancini
 Truffle and Parmesan | Oven Dried Cherry Tomato | Caramelized Corn
| Mushroom Ragout | Chipotle Aioli | Arugula

Artisanal Cheese Board
Variety of Local Cheeses Accompanied with Skordalia Sauce | Cornichons
| Fruit Preserve | Lavash Bread

Sous Vide Duck Breast
Duxelles of Cremini Mushroom | Fingerling Potato Glace | Wild Rice Granola
| Brown Butternut Squash Puree | Orange Duck Jus

White Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake
Salted Caramel | Brown Butter Crème Anglaise | Raspberry Coulis

 

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  • Matt exceeded all our expectations! The whole experience was absolutely superb! The flavor of his dishes are out of this world (the best food our family has ever tasted), the plating of food is like beautiful art, and the professionalism of him and his team was unmatched by anything I’ve experienced before. We loved getting to know them! My house was left cleaner than when they even arrived which just showed how seriously they take this job. I will never look anywhere else for a private chef experience because it my opinion I don’t think it could have been any better! Thank you to Matt and team for making our night one we will never forget!

    Brianna Brummond ★★★★★

  • Thank you Gifted Gourmet for making our private dinner (and surprise engagement) such an incredible experience. Matt was great to work with from the very beginning. He was easy to get in touch with and was open to catering to our ideas and needs. I also loved that we had input into the menu for our dinner. Matt was very respectful and hospitable; he made us feel like guests in our own home. His culinary passion was evident in the way he prepared, plated, and presented the food. We learned so much about food over the course of our dinner as he shared with us insights into the ingredients and the pairings he crafted. We would highly recommend The Gifted Gourmet for a memorable experience whether it’s for a small corporate event or a private (surprise) engagement like ours!

    Maria Thompson ★★★★★

  • Chef Matt is amazing! He was super easy to communicate with and plan with ahead of our dinner. I wanted to surprise my husband for a special birthday dinner at home and Chef Matt pulled it off perfectly! His food was beautiful, detailed and so delicious! You can tell he really has a passion for food and it came through both in the taste and the way he plated each course. We would highly recommend for a special dinner at home and are already talking with friends about hosting a larger dinner party, featuring Chef Matt! (Bonus: May feel like a small detail to some, but I wanted to add that he also left our kitchen so clean afterwards!!!)

    Jennesa Kinscher ★★★★★

  • My wife and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with six friends at the Sacred Clay Country in Lanesboro. The highlight of the stay was the dinner prepared chef Matt Ranfranz, The Gifted Gourment. Over the years I have had the opportunity to eat at famous restaurants with meals prepared by James Beard award winning chefs. I can honestly say that none of them surpassed the amazing meal prepared by the Gifted Gourmet. Each course was extraordinary, from the "Amuse Bouche" Matt created to the dessert. What a marvelous dining experience. I cannot recommend Matt, the Gifted Gourmet highly enough.

    Dave Walsh ★★★★★

  • Matt, The Gifted Gourmet created an outstanding 6 course meal for my 50th birthmday! I enjoyed planning the menu with Matt and was blown away by what he delivered. During our special dinner he explained what we were about to enjoy and what made it unique. Matt paid attention to every single detail. If you're looking for someone as a personal chef or to prepare a special event call The Gifted Gourmet!

    Denise Stegall ★★★★★

  • Matt is a wonderful, talented & gifted Chef. He provided a private lunch for our staff and everyone was absolutely blown away by his quality of food, quantity of food & his attention to detail was very impressive. Matt is wonderful to work with responded quickly to my emails & was great in a flexible situation. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

    Cathy Lorenzen ★★★★★

  • We hosted an eight course meal for special friends visiting from out of town. The entire experience from start to finish was exceptional! The selection of menu options were superb and Chef Matt skillfully tailored the dishes for our specific requests. It's evident he has a passion for food and is a master at his craft. We will most definitely be using him for future events. Highly recommend!!

    Megan Abdel ★★★★★

  • Matt was truly amazing and exceeded our expectations! I reached out to him on pretty short notice to see if he had the capacity to pull together a Holiday Happy Hour experience for a client. We were looking to make the food component somewhat interactive to the guests. Within a day, Matt sent over a few different ideas at different price points and worked with me on our budget to create a really wonderful and custom experience for our guests. We had a tight timeline and a lot of moving parts, and Matt stayed flexible and accommodated all of our needs the whole way through. He was incredibly communicative and easy to work with. The day of the event, he came so prepared and delivered a beautiful, polished and absolutely delicious display for our guests. It was so amazing to not just have amazing food, but to have him present on site giving the guests the knowledge and information about all of the food. We are excited to partner with Matt again in the future and tap into his experience with molecular gastronomy! I would recommend Matt in a heartbeat!

    Haley Lerner/One Discovery Square ★★★★★

  • My wife and I highly recommend the creative and talented services of The Gifted Gourmet, Chef Matt! If you are in need of catering for special events, company functions, parties, holiday celebrations, anniversaries, or intimate gatherings of friends and family seek out The Gifted Gourmet. Chef Matt's extraordinary attention to detail, his innovative menu suggestions, and his vast culinary expertise all combine and will please and delight even the most discerning and sophisticated palates. Chef is accommodating in fulfilling and facilitating clients special requests, and finds ways to say yes to your vision. Chef Matt recently designed and prepared a succulent menu for our family "Christmas in August" party which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone! Take the stress out of menu planning, preparing, and serving food for your next event and leave everything in the very capable and accomplished hands of The Gifted Gourmet.

    William Glomski ★★★★★

  • We hired Matt's company for a celebratory dinner. We had over 40 people and the venue that we booked did not have a kitchen. Matt and his crew spent hours setting up a prop up kitchen outside for the event. All of the food exceeded our expectations. The appetizers, dinner, and dessert were tremendous. Additionally, the service staff were nothing short of delightful. I received many compliments from our guests about the food even into the next day, the guests kept bringing up how good the food was. My family is Greek and their bar for food is very high. They thought that the food was amazing. Most importantly, in a world where customer service is a lost art, Matt is breaking the mold. Matt is the type of guy that works with you and not just for you. He took my simple vision and made it into a wonderful event. He offered things that he knew would work and even met with the venue on his own to get a sense of the setting. He was always in communication to see what we needed. He truly went above and beyond for our event. Cannot go wrong with delicious food and excellent customer service. I would definitely recommend Matt for any type of event.

    John A. ★★★★★

Contact Information

Contact

thegiftedgourmetmn@gmail.com