I create seasonal, farm-driven menus with fine-dining polish—built around simple, natural ingredients and designed to support how you want to feel.

Anna Atanassova

I cook farm-first, wellness-minded meals with fine-dining detail.

After a decade in restaurants—mostly fine dining—I shifted my focus to food and wine as agricultural expressions that start on the farm. Working in Northern Michigan vineyards and orchards deepened my respect for seasonality, soil, and the people behind exceptional ingredients.

In 2019, I founded an off-grid retreat chef business on the shores of Lake Michigan, and since then I’ve prepared thousands of meals for wellness and yoga retreats, professional athletes, intimate dinner parties, weddings, corporate gatherings, and large conventions. I tailor every menu to dietary preferences and restrictions, and I’m happy to collaborate with your planner, assistant, nutritionist, or coach to build a seamless meal program.

Plan my menu with me

Everything is a dinner party.

What you can expect when you dine with me

I treat every meal like a celebration

Everything is a dinner party—so I bring warmth, hospitality, and intentional pacing to every service, whether it’s a retreat, an athlete meal plan, or an intimate gathering.

I’m shaped by place and season

I learned to cook all over Detroit, Traverse City and Michigan's North Woods, and that range taught me how to adapt—pulling from local harvests, different cuisines, and the realities of cooking wherever your event takes place.

I build flavor like a tasting experience

My secret is compounding flavors and treating flavor pairings like wine tasting notes, so every dish has clear structure, balance, and a finish that lingers.

Anna’s Menus

I offer curated, seasonal menus that I can tailor to your dietary preferences, restrictions, and goals—always ingredient-driven, beautifully plated, and designed to fit the tone of your event.

Request a menu

Stories and testimonials

Chef Anna Atanassova was absolutely amazing!! We hired her for our dinner after our micro wedding and she did not disappoint! She was amazing leading up to the event, helping us change the menu to accommodate people’s likes, dislikes and allergies. She was awesome through every step of the process! Ana locally sources all of her foods, the bison and the chicken were some of the best dishes I’ve ever had! The food was DELICIOUS! 11/10 recommend!

Mikayla Guell

I set the chef up for my wife and 10 friends. There were various allergies and preferences to work around but the chef made it all work and presented the ladies with an educational and sensory filled evening. Definitely would use this chef and others provided through this service.

Weyen Burnam

Anna was absolutely the very best! We could not have suggested even a single improvement. She was easy to communicate with, plan the menu with, and very timely. She was very engaging and super kind. She told stories and explained the ingredients. She fielded every question our group had with poise and personality. I could not ask for a better night for my friends—and our bachelor, for whom this trip and meal was organized for. If you are unsure about who to go with, pick Anna!

Sagar Patel

Chef Anna did an amazing job! I would highly recommend her.

Tristan Weber

I absolutely loved having Chef Anna for my dinner party!! Not only was the food incredible but her stories were even better! Just getting to know the chef and the food was a really nice change. Also not having to do ANYTHING but get my guests there , that was really nice!

Olivia Mariah

We hired Anna for our dad’s 100th birthday party. She made a delicious meal and helped make the party amazing! Will definitely use her again!

Priscilla Ferry

Chef Anna went above and beyond for my Women's Sedona Yoga Retreat, providing impeccable meals three times a day that were intriguing, delicious, healthy, and experiential. Her charismatic personality, flexibility, and communicative approach made her easy to work with. She engaged with guests personably and accommodated all needs with ease. Each meal felt tailored, intentional, creative, and exceeded expectations. She maintained the budget and was transparent about timing, ensuring we could best meet all schedule needs. Anna anticipated our needs and held such a nurturing approach to serving us in every way she knew how. With so many tricks up her sleeve, she constantly wowed my attendees to the point that she easily became a memorable feature of the weekend experience overall. Don't sleep on hiring Anna – you will be blown away by her craft!

Bre Ferguson

stephanie brown

Chef Anna was fantastic. Very easy to work with, accommodated a few dietary restrictions that aren't always easy, and brought a great variety of flavors. She also paired and presented multiple wines for the meal. We did this as a gift for some friends and it was a huge hit!

Tim Foody

Anna was absolutely incredible. Her food was phenomenal, she was punctual, attentive and overall just a joy to be around. We would definitely use Anna again in a heartbeat and would recommend her to anyone and everyone. She was amazing! Not to mention, she left our kitchen sparkling clean. 10/10!

Caitlin Hendricks

We had a wonderful meal and very enjoyable evening. Such a pleasure.

Pam Sternberg

Chef Anna was absolutely incredible to work with! She was very easy to communicate with and flexible with planning a 5-course meal for a special occasion. Her meal was very creative and the presentations were outstanding! She used fresh, organic local produce and meats, and even decorated some of the dishes with edible flowers. I am not kidding when we say this may have been the best meal we have ever eaten. I highly recommend Chef Anna!

Erinn Riley

Chef Anna was fantastic. She crafted the menu and made some awesome dishes. The dinner was delicious!

Andrew Sedia

Chef was great!

Chef Anna created an incredible experience for my friends and I! She was also very engaging and can tell she put a lot of thought into each dish. I highly recommend her for your next event!

CJ Anderson

Amazing

Ben Rice

Anna was amazing. Our team felt completely spoiled all week. Her dishes were spectacular, and they asked her to cater additional meals. She went above and beyond the entire week and I cannot say enough good things about her food and her level of service. Outstanding.

Tricia Capone

We had a wonderful experience with Anna! We came to Scottsdale as a group of 16 for a bachelor party and a private chef experience was top of our list for activities. Anna planned a great menu, was accommodating to our preferences and dietary needs, and made a delicious meal! She’s professional but also super fun and engaging — it felt like we were hanging out with a friend. Can’t wait to use Take a Chef again, and I’d love to have Anna as a chef again if I’m ever in the Phoenix area!

Michael Eugene

Chef Anna was fantastic! Anna was punctual, friendly, and considerate. We felt like Anna truly cared about our party. Every dish they served was presented beautifully and tasted fantastic. I highly recommend Anna for any event!

Cherita King

Anna was an awesome chef! She made an amazing meal for my group and was great at describing the food and why she made it. The appetizers were excellent as well. She was great.

Brian Barbetta