What do you get your parents for Christmas when they have everything? A gourmet meal cooked by a fabulous chef – Kevin DeMarco, owner of DeMarco Studio.

When mom and dad (x2) opened their gift, I’m sure they didn’t know what to expect. We had the fortune of being invited to a dinner party catered by chef Kevin but no words could adequately describe what was to come.

After some drawn-out matching of schedules (on our parents’ end, of course), the big dinner finally arrived two Saturdays ago. Chef Kevin showed up to our house around 2 p.m. with boxes of ingredients as well as plastic bins full of plateware and cutlery. He buttoned up his cooking jacket, heated the stove eyes and started creating culinary masterpieces.

Steve, Grayson and I left the food artist to his work, driving off in search of ways to keep a 20-month-old occupied for six hours. The cold and rainy day meant I could suggest “walking” around the mall without much fussing from Steve. In my old age, though, I had forgotten about the weekend habits of American nine to 14-year-olds – the mall was crawling with packs of them, requiring evasive stroller maneuvers.

I offered an escape plan but was immediately shot down. If our path veered toward a store entrance, the temper tantrum began (Steve, not Grayson). After a couple of laps, we grabbed an Auntie Anne’s cinnamon pretzel and settled on a cozy bench for some prime tween/teen watching.

While Steve entertained Grayson, my sister and I played host of “Is That What Kids Wear/How Kids Act Today?”  At the same time, our parents were indulging in our holiday gift of food Nirvana. Over the next several hours, they lived it up in the Bon family dining room, sipped wine and enjoyed what they later proclaimed to be the “best meal I’ve ever had.”

(1) Appetizer
Citrus grilled tuna sashimi
Sage toasted pecan farro
Blueberry fig mostarda
Vanilla-infused EVO

(2) Salad
Winter’s Harvest
Prosciutto-wrapped greens
Pumpkin rosemary vinaigrette
Manchego roasted garlic panini
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Pomegranate syrup

(3) Entrée
Mahi Mahi ravioli
Smokey sautéed escarole
Marinated shitake mushrooms
Roasted garlic and butternut squash nagé
Spiced squash chips

(4) Dessert
Chocolate tower
Fallen chocolate angel cake
Malted milk chocolate sauce
Fresh cherry gelato
Chocolate shards

By the end of the night, we had learned our lessons. (1) Never go the mall on a Saturday late afternoon. (2) Invite ourselves the next time chef Kevin cooks for our parents.