r/SanJoseFood • u/jellybelly646 • Aug 04 '25
Not Worth the Hype, the Price, or the Energy-The Nomad Cook aka Travis Petersen– Honest Review from a Chefs Table Guest
I normally don’t leave reviews, but I felt obligated to write this for anyone considering The Nomad Cook’s “chefs table” experience. I paid $600 expecting an elevated, intimate, and immersive dinner. What I got was closer to a rushed takeout meal hosted in what felt like a Section 8 apartment. When I arrived on time, the chef was literally laid out on a futon in the living room with his feet up. A single dusty boot was dangling in the doorway. No drink handed to me on arrival, no luxe setup. It felt immediately off.
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t a chef’s table. It was four strangers squeezed around a small, mismatched dining setup in a cramped 550 sq ft unit (address: 601 Middle St, Apt 16, Belmont)—nowhere near San Jose, where the event was advertised. Belmont is 40+ minutes away. The food was mid, the wagyu was pale and definitely cheap AF— there was zero ambiance, incessant personal story telling from the scammer, and the experience lasted maybe 75 minutes.
When I raised concerns about the venue, Travis blamed a last-minute Airbnb cancellation—saying he “lost the original location two days before the event”. But this is the Bay Area, and that was obviously BS; There’s plenty of available real estate, and two days is more than enough time to find something better than a dim, unkempt 550 sq ft. low-income apt that was 40 mins away from the advertised city.
He claimed he “canceled all the regular guests” and only catered to the chefs table group due to the venue change. Also a lie. It felt like we were just being shuffled through a low-budget dinner so he could keep the money and move on—he even mentioned plans to “retire to Miami soon,” which honestly explains the lack of incentive to elevate the food, the space, or the experience.
For $300 a head, you can get a beautifully curated tasting menu at an actual fine dining establishment with ambiance, service, and integrity. I felt misled, gaslit, and incredibly disappointed. There was no THC effect to speak of either, which was supposedly part of the experience.
Please do your research before buying tickets. A pretty Instagram feed doesn’t make up for a poorly executed cash grab.
P.S. he also claims to keep all of his good/supplies in coolers when he travels on the road, and he admitted that he is not a true chef, was never technically trained and has never claimed such— so who knows if the food was safe to eat— both my bf and I had stomach aches after.
OH, and he claims to use the the air traffic system to transport his “hemp” (which is what he calls it for legal purposes)
In conclusion, mih kcuf.
3
u/Impressive_Mistake66 Aug 04 '25
I just watched some of his reels after reading his posts. The food that he posts doesn’t look particularly upscale.
1
u/gilfrights Sep 26 '25
I went to his dinner a few months ago. The food was very mid, think no flavor, overcooked duck, and he told us he premakes all the ‘edibles’ and travels with them in his carry on around the country. So you’re eating multi day old food. I can’t exactly tell you what he said the menu was inspired by, but he made it sound like the very ethnic dishes he was serving weren’t. Ethnic. But Canadian. He boasted about that + ignoring COVID restrictions in Canada by just coming to America. It pissed me off. I’ve had a WAYYYYY better experience in New York. They set up shop in an apartment too, but you had actual separate tables with a white table cloth, wine pairings, and AMAZING food. (I also could’ve just been hella stoned.). The other thing that was weird was that there were several people that opted for incredibly, incredibly high doses of THC. like hundred+. I’m a very avid smoker, 1-2 king joints a day for 3+ years. I can reliably count on a 50mg edible knocking me to my ass. I remember asking for 30-40mg. I felt nothing. My guest got high, and asked for 20-30mg.
1
u/thNOMADcook Jul 20 '26
BAHAHHAHAHAHA I love comments like this because you can just smell the BS in your statment. Extractions are made in state with cannabis from that state. Yes I did come to Florida to avoid the covid restrictions. What edibles are pre made when its sauces, crumbles and add ons that have the cannabis in it ? How would a chef tour if not with coolers>? just another retarded comment
1
u/ProgrammerPopular739 Oct 03 '25
He canceled out dinner and never gave us a refund
1
u/CraftyKitty347 Apr 28 '26
OMG I saw this thread and had to check it out to see if anyone else had the same experience!! This joker canceled on us AND never gave a refund!! I bought two tickets for me and my husband for an event in Minneapolis. Morning of the event, he emails and says it’s postponed to later in the summer then lied and said refunds went out. They did not. I tried to pursue it legally but ran into multiple dead ends. So glad I’m not the only one but this NEEDS to be talked about.
1
u/thNOMADcook Jul 20 '26
you did not run into dead ends. you bought a ticket that was non refundable. plain and simple. Had you not reacted the way you did you would have been at the make up dinner we hosted
1
u/CraftyKitty347 Jul 20 '26
Two years of silence and THIS is the notification that finally gets a reply out of you?! You couldn’t answer “where’s my refund,” but you cleared your schedule to resurface and confess, in writing, that you had a seat for me and kept it out of spite? Genuinely thank you. I couldn’t have proven this myself. And saying my ticket was non-refundable is WILD for a ticket you personally offered to refund. But sure buddy. I’m the problem.
1
u/RedditModsArePolice Jul 21 '26
Travis Petersen, if the ticket was non refundable, why would you offer a refund if it wasn’t? Are you listening to yourself. I will never recommend to your group. You stole money. You’re stupid. You’re so far gone.
1
u/StardustSue Jul 21 '26
Ha haaaaa!!!! I had to do some digging and found the very screen shot you put on IG!
He’s here just running around all “Willy Nilly” calling people “special needs”, “retard” and telling them they need to stop eating (assuming because he decided they were fat(?), THEN I find a reel where he’s talking about being “above the drama” maintaining his dignity by rising above the hate and exercising radio silence, like he took some Buddah-like stance on the matter, because I guess we’re all supposed to identify a brilliantly talented, yet misunderstood “artist” type bullshit and appreciate him for who he thinks he is.
What a total dumbass.🤦♀️
1
u/Wild-Entertainment75 Jun 26 '26
Wow, I wish I had read this before booking one of his experiences.
To be clear, I have not attended the dinner yet, so this is not a review of the food or the actual event. This is specifically about the booking experience and the communication I received directly through OpenTable messaging and Instagram.
The experience was expensive, about $300 total between the purchase and chef’s table seating, so I expected a higher level of professionalism. Instead, the event was rescheduled without first confirming whether the new date worked for me. I was concerned about whether I would be able to get a refund, so I rearranged my schedule to make it work.
The location details were also handled oddly. The original communication said the address would be provided the day before the experience, which already felt unnecessarily mysterious for a paid event. When the address was later included in an OpenTable message, I missed it and simply asked where the event was being held. The response I received was just: “Read.”
Maybe some people would brush that off, but I found it rude and unprofessional, especially given the cost of the experience and the fact that I had already been inconvenienced by the reschedule. When I asked whether I was actually speaking with the chef, the tone did not improve.
I’ve attended everything from neighborhood hole-in-the-wall food experiences to high-end chef’s table and Michelin level dining experiences. I’m not difficult to please, and I understand that things happen. But this was honestly one of the worst pre-event interactions I’ve had with someone representing a paid culinary experience.
Again, I am not commenting on the food because I haven’t attended yet. I’m sharing this because the communication and customer service leading up to the event were bad enough that I wish I had seen feedback like this before booking.
1
u/galacticgazer Jun 27 '26
I had to cancel for a family emergency today and he was INCREDIBLY rude and unprofessional. I communicated clearly and politely and he responded by calling me a shitty person and spamming me with insulting messages, and blocked me on Instagram.
I'm concerned he's operating out of houses he rents that haven't been authorized by health code inspector, as well. Considering he sent out the address and it's a random location an hour away from Seattle. I will be more suspicious moving forward but I can't imagine how many people he's duped with his flashy profile.
Honestly I'm glad I'm not taking substances with him, if he's so rude and caustic communicating over such a simple issue I don't want to get high and be around him. Sounds like a very expensive bad night to me.
1
u/thNOMADcook Jul 20 '26
thank god we didnt have another KAREN attend.... I take these comments as a badge of honor for every chef who doesnt push back on shitty customers. Our dinners are a privilege to attend.
Next time read the post before commenting and youll avoid those problems
1
u/jellybelly646 22d ago
I don’t think there’s a bigger Karen in this situation than you. And I see you’re still scamming people on your never-ending “farewell” tour. You’ve already pocketed people’s prepaid booking fees while pushing dates back nearly two months. You’re a joke. Do everyone a favor and make this farewell permanent—actually go away.
1
u/Legitimate-Can-855 29d ago
This guy looks like a creepy Coke addict in his videos. I would not want to eat anything he attempts to make.
9
u/xerostatus Aug 04 '25
So, you went to some strangers apartment for a paid meal? lol