About The Chef
Catered Class is owned and operated by Megan Nikolai. Megan’s love of food and cooking started in her mother’s and grandmothers’ kitchens at a young age and continued from there. Megan is a graduate of the Austrian Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Krems, Austria. She has experience working in fine dining establishments in Vienna, Austria as well as in the United States. Most recently, she has been feeding healthful and flavorful meals to her own family and friends as well as busy families and singles in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Megan is a member of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs as well as a proud Founding Member of the Personal Chefs' Cooperative. She is fully insured and certified in safe food-handling procedures by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
Words of Praise
The results of Megan's efforts were wonderful; each course pleasing to the eye and the taste buds.
Paul and Julie, Wayne
The dinner entrees were a HUGE success!! Your directions were clear and precise and I was able to effortlessly heat everything ... AND it was delicious!! Once again I so appreciate your help and expertise ... you helped me WOW the unWOWable!!
Diana, West Chester
Not only did I receive rave reviews from all who attended… the food was served to perfection! Megan left nothing to surprise… It was a magical evening.
Ellen, Horsham
The food was amazing, everyone loved it. Thanks again for making it a fabulous evening.
Tami, Glenmoore
Everything was fantastic! And it was a memorable night and a major treat for Jim and I when it comes to entertaining!
Dana, Berwyn
Thank you so very much for that outstanding dinner! Everything was absolutely delicious. I prefer your cooking to any fine restaurant!
Joanne, Glenmoore
Thanks so much - everything has been fabulous!
Birdie, Exton
Thanks so much for the delicious meals. They were so easy to heat up, making it very convenient for this family that is always on the go. It was possible for us to have a good meal that we could share together, even when we were short on time.
Stacy, Honey Brook
Everything was wonderful! We couldn't have done it without you.
Andrea, Plymouth Meeting
We had the ham steaks and sweet potatoes tonight. Larry and I could not get enough! It was delicious. Thank you so much for the incredible job. My kitchen was cleaner when you left than when you arrived.
Melissa, West Chester
September 2008 PCN Pacesetter: Chef Megan Nikolai
Megan is truly honored to receive the September Pacesetter Award from Personal Chef's Network. It is especially rewarding as this month marks the 2nd Anniversary of her business, Catered Class Personal Chef Service. Megan has loved experimenting with food her whole life. Starting with family recipes from her Italian-Irish and Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, Eastern European influences from her grandmother's and mom's upbringing in western Pennsylvania, to living in Southern California for a time and raised on Jersey tomatoes in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Chef Megan's palate was always open to new flavors.
While living and going to school in West Chester, PA, Megan met her future husband, Andreas, an Austrian expat working in the Philadelphia area. At the time, Megan had been wavering between getting a degree in restaurant management, nutrition and di-etetics or graphic design and photography. But the real decision was made when Andreas decided to move back to Vienna, Austria and Megan joined him, never looking back!
Megan immersed herself in full-time German classes and worked at several odd jobs, including as a clerk in an original language video store that catered to the international community in Vienna. She found out about a restaurant degree program offered at a school about an hour away. Megan made the move to Krems on the Danube and at-tended The College of Tourism and Hospitality for two years, with an internship at the Villa Strafford Restaurant in Wayne, Pa. After earning her diploma in Gastronomy Business Management in 1997, she began working in the kitchen of Restaurant Eckel, in Vienna's posh 19th District. It was an eye opening and rewarding, though strenuous experience.
Once relocated in Glenmoore, Pennsylvania in 2001, Megan enjoyed cooking for friends and family alike on holidays and special occasions. Feeling the need to get back into the kitchen and cook for other people, but not interested in restaurant hours, she began looking into starting her own business in March 2006.
Catered Class began with encouragement from Megan's friends to start offering demos, dinner parties and classes. One event flowed into the next and by September of that year, the business was official. Providing good food to so many people was a highly satisfying experience, but Megan still felt that she needed guidance in managing this business on her own. She researched various organizations and decided to join the Personal Chef's Network in November 2006. PCN offered more ideas and helpful support than Megan could have dreamed. Taking her time and starting slowly, Megan has built her business to fit in her busy schedule as a mom of two school-aged children with activities of their own. She understands the needs of stressed out families and enjoys providing them with wholesome and delicious meals. Without this network of enthusiastic chefs, foodies and entrepreneurs, Catered Class would not be the success it is today.
To her surprise and disbelief, Megan was honored with the Golden Whisk Award for Newbie of the Year in July 2008. "I am thrilled to be a part of this terrific organization and for the amazing support I have received and continue to receive in improving the quality of my service and my business. Thank you!"
View Megan Nikolai's profile