Our booking policy is flexible, so don't worry if these details change. Our chef services are available in 

, though many Culinista® chefs are happy to travel. For services outside of these areas, 

The Culinistas’ Ultimate Guide to Hosting

7 Postpartum-Friendly Dishes For Your Fourth Trimester

How to Make Pizza in the Oven

How to Sear Steak Like a Chef

Having an Italian Dinner Party? Here's What to Serve.

How to Pick the Perfect Dinner Party Dessert

This Steakhouse Menu Brings the Sizzle Home 

How to Make Paella at Home

How Tos & Inspiration

10 Totally Unique Dinner Party Menus

Set your Alarm for these 8 Brunch Menus 

10 Menus for Traveling the Globe Without Leaving Your Kitchen

10 Gluten Free Menus That Everyone at the Table Will Love

Menu Ideas

You bring the jazzy playlist. We’ll handle the rest.

Everything you need to know to cook and host with ease.

Please enjoy $100 off gatherings of 12 people or more. Discount automatically applied. 

Gatherings

Meal Prep

A Season or Long Term

Cooking Classes

Chef Services Overview

The Culinistas is a resource that gives everyone the freedom and confidence to connect around a meal.

Our optional drinks service includes up to 2 drinks plus waitstaff who will arrive 1 hour before guests and provide 4 hours of service. Additional time will be billed at $60/hour. The Culinistas will provide ice and non-alcoholic ingredients. The host is responsible for providing alcohol.

Dairy

Eggs

Fish

Shellfish

Nuts

Gluten

Pork

Sesame

Beef

Alliums

Consider these five factors, and you’ll never stress about the last course. 

Missing a night on the town? No FOMO here.

Every year, the autumn harvest commands our attention with its abundance of apples, squash varieties, and cruciferous veg. Make the most of the bounty and (it’s that time!) break out the Dutch oven again—or 

 do the honors. Whether you’re clinging to the last gasp of summer or commencing braising season, there’s a menu here for you.


10 Fall Dinner Party Menus For Cozy Nights In

Stop refreshing your reservation app and kickstart your day from the comfort of home with these cozy menus. We’re playing the hits with fluffy ricotta pancakes, veggie-laden frittatas, granola butter for your toast, and a Calabrian egg salad. Round up your sleepy-eyed friends or make it a family affair: we think these spreads will please any crowd. What’s better? Only waking up to a 

. Two hour wait time—we don’t do that anymore.

Yes, you should be having fun at your own party.

No place at the table for gluten? These menus are up for the challenge.

We are tired of gluten-free meals that fall flat. These menus reset the bar, relying on aromatics, spice combos, and creative substitutions so they don’t need gluten to stand on their own. Creamy dips and colorful crudités steal the show; herb-laden dressings take grain bowls to new heights, and desserts use alt flours to enhance textures. Try your hand or 

, but either way, you’re in the clear to invite your pickiest eaters and pasta-loving friends.

Pick your next trip or reminisce about your most recent one with these menus. An expanded palate is a way to expand the mind so we collaborated with chefs whose regional expertise guided each dish. Unique ingredients, flavor combinations, and methods make themselves at home when cooked from your own kitchen, either by you or 

This is placeholder DEK copy for a menu listicle hero card.

Don’t be intimidated: this Spanish classic can be conquered at home, even without a paella pan.

, but you don’t know what to cook. Our menus go beyond the classics (though there’s nothing wrong with a roast chicken, and we’ve got a menu for that). Our goal is to make a gathering memorable by making the intangible element of delicious food completely tangible. We choose food by season, region, or culture to create a cohesive menu. We know how to balance flavors as well as the pacing of the night through the dishes we select and the dining format that we suggest. Get adventurous yourself, or 

 one of these lineups. Either way, these spreads are destined to impress and leave you and your guests dreaming of one more bite.

You’ll be slinging pies like a pizzaiolo in no time.

Caramelized, juicy, and perfectly tender every time

This Italian dinner party menu will conjure rolling hills lined with cypress trees, terracotta roofs parallel to cobblestone streets, overflowing carafes of table wine (but better, because it’s from your reserve), pizza, pasta and more pasta. 

, it’s brimming with dishes found in local bars, traditional trattorias, and includes some Classics Redone because it’s YOUR dinner after all.

Roman Pizzette

Meet pizzette, the fast-casual snack of Rome that is the ideal kickoff dish at your Italian dinner party because it is flavorful, three ingredients, easy to prep in advance, light enough not to ruin one’s appetite for the meal, but will absorb a G&T. Our pizzettes are 2-3 bites each of tomato-sauced, marinated artichokes on a mini dough round. We use a Single Ingredient Multiple Ways by mixing the seasoned artichoke brine into tomato paste for a quick, perfectly seasoned sauce, and we use the tart hearts as a topping. With flaky dough, it is a Flavor Trifecta. We love sliced mozzarella bocconcini, anchovies, and cubed pancetta as extra toppers if you want to prepare a variety.

Arugula & Pickled Shallots

Our insalata mista is a billowing bowl of crisp greens adorned with jewel-toned shallots that, in between bites of hearty pasta and piccata, cleanses the palate by offering an acidic punch. The shallots are Quick Pickled in red wine vinegar and sweetened with honey and the mista? Peppery arugula and sharp radicchio offset with sweetness. A meal like this needs a salad, so keep it simple with this one.


Veal Piccata

Often found on restaurant menus in Italy as Scaloppine di Vitello, Veal Piccata consists of thinly sliced, pounded, and lightly breaded pieces of veal. These cutlets get gently sautéed in olive oil, rendering a golden-brown finished product with locked-in juices—an unbeatable combination that guarantees a tender cutlet every time. White wine, lemon juice, and capers get added post-sauté, then reduced until thickened and spooned on top of the veal.

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Bucatini all'Amatriciana is a full-of-flavor Italian classic, both simple and fun to eat. The sauce is tomato-based and made with guanciale, a cured pork cheek, that adds a smoky flavor. Just like the base of many prized Italian dishes, onion and roasted garlic start the dish with an Aromatic Foundation. And while Bucatini all’Amatriciana is finished with freshly grated parmesan, the rind of the cheese is first cut away and simmered in the sauce to impart its super savory flavor profile throughout. No rules on how much cheese to add on top; the limit does not exist!

Cacio e Pepe Broccolini

Cacio e Pepe is a classic dish from the Lazio region of Italy (the same as Bucatini all'Amatriciana); this preparation riffs on the classic. We roast crowns of broccolini until tender and slightly crisped, then toss them with citrus, pecorino, toasted pine nuts, cracked pink peppercorns, and freshly ground black pepper. We make our cacio e pepe sauce green by using broc stems puréed with lemon juice, olive oil, and pecorino.

Coffee Hazelnut Trifle

The finale dish for this ultimate Italian dinner party is a combination of two beloved Italian sweets: Tiramisu and Maritozzi. For this Classics Redone, thick slices of brioche are toasted until golden then combined with an espresso syrup made from sugar, cocoa powder, and espresso. The espresso-soaked brioche is then layered with mocha mascarpone (a combination of mascarpone cheese, sugar, cocoa powder, and more espresso) and a simple whipped cream. The three components are layered in a trifle dish, dusted with cocoa powder, and garnished with deeply toasted hazelnuts.

Ready to throw a dreamy Italian dinner party? Read our 

 for all the tips, tricks, and strategies you'll need. 


When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, mangiamo!

Gail Simmons

Top Chef

Dana Cowin

Food & Wine

Gwyneth Parltrow

Goop

On Your Arrival

Concepts We’ll Learn

What We'll Cook & What You'll Learn

Accompaniments

Paella Party

Pizza Party

Steak Night

Low Carb

Low Sugar

High Protein

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Low Fat

High Fat

Lemon Chicken & Green Beans

Meatballs Marinara

Leisure Time

Think & Drink

Paloma

Spicy Cucumber Margarita

Seafood Bouillabaisse

Casa Dragones Joven

Negroni Bar

Zucchini Bread

Pears with Currants

Calamari, Corn & Couscous

Morning Glory Muffins

Cherry Upside Down Cake

Sea Bass with Chili Corn ($)

Sea Bass with Charred Cucumber ($)

Flourless Chocolate Cake ($)

Summer Sangria Bar

Ricotta Pancakes

Charred Yellow Squash Gemelli

Chimichurri Chicken

Cucumber Melon Salad

Fall & Winter Sangria Bar

Spring Sangria Bar

Vegetable Aioli

The Sides ($)

Sweet Corn Succotash

Greek Shrimp Salad

Roasted Eggplant with Pine Nut & Raisins

Panna Cotta

Skirt Steak with Arugula Gremolata

Mustard Pork with Mushrooms

Smoked Salmon Carpaccio

Smoked Salmon Board

Leafy Greens with Radishes

Scallop Niçoise ($)

Marinated Shrimp Salad

Roasted Veggies

Tequila Bar

Brunch Baby

Savory Dutch Baby with Pancetta-Parmesan Eggs

Sweet Dutch Baby with Lemon Curd & Berries

Tequila Bar (Special Occasion)

Crab Summer Rolls 

Horseradish Baked Salmon (Special Occasion) ($)

Caesar Salad

Mac & Cheddar

Greek Salad

Oysters on the Half Shell with Classic Mignonette

Brown Butter Pecan Blondies

Arranged Crudités

Bread for the Table

Chocolate Covered Fruits & Nuts

Dried Fruits & Toasted Nuts

Pickled Vegetables & Mustard

Seasonal Fruit

Selection of Tinned Fish

Selection of Cheese

Selection of Charcuterie

Berries & Whip

White Beans & Chorizo

Tzatziki Roasted Chicken

Za'atar Braised Beans & Mushrooms

Citrus Cilantro Carrots

Mini Margherita Pizzettes

Roasted Carrot Dip & Crudités

Rosewater Apples & Apricots

Grilled Seasonal Veggies

Chocolate Lover's Sundae Bar ($)

Fruits & Nuts Sundae Bar ($)

Bloody Mary Bar

Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Sumac Onions

Oyster Mushroom Shawarma

Grilled Shrimp Kabobs with Sumac Onions

Sea Bass & Tomatoes ($)

Hummus & Crudités

Locally Caught Fish with Lemon ($)

Muesli Muffins

Pigs in a Blanket

Greek Salad Skewers

Breakfast Burritos

Falafel with Sumac Yogurt

Grilled Vegetables with Tahini Sauce

Black Bean Dip & Pico de Gallo

Burrata, Arugula & Prosciutto ($)

Tomato Salad

Cucumber Salad

Coconut Rice

Parsley Pesto Broc & Beans

Date Crumble Bar

Eggplant with Couscous & Mint

Roasted Carrots & Dates

Goddess Salad with Bacon

Tomato Baked Feta & Baguette

Corn Fritters with Chili Sauce

Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Lamb Meatballs with Herb Sauce

Bagel Board ($)

Muhammara Dip with Pita & Carrots

Shrimp & Avocado Toast

Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberry Cardamom Maple Syrup ($)

Mushroom Potato Hash

Crab Salad on Endive

Tomato Ricotta Pizza

Autumn Burrata Bar ($)

Seared Tuna with Radish & Avocado Slaw ($)

Egg Salad with Chorizo

Healthy Chicken Tenders