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

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This Steakhouse Menu Brings the Sizzle Home 

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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

Sesame

Beef

Alliums

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

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

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

Gail Simmons

Top Chef

Dana Cowin

Food & Wine

Gwyneth Parltrow

Goop

Low Carb

Low Sugar

High Protein

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Low Fat

High Fat

Think & Drink

Roasted Eggplant with Pine Nut & Raisins

Greek Salad

Tzatziki Roasted Chicken

Sea Bass & Tomatoes ($)

Hummus & Crudités

Locally Caught Fish with Lemon ($)

Greek Salad Skewers

Falafel with Sumac Yogurt

Grilled Vegetables with Tahini Sauce

Eggplant with Couscous & Mint

Tomato Baked Feta & Baguette

Santorini Chicken

Blood Orange Cake

Lamb Chops ($)

Offsite

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Purples & Greens

White Bean Hummus & Crudités

Spanakopita

Halloumi, Beets & Citrus

Lamb Keftedes with Tzatziki

Fig Frozen Yogurt with Baklava Brittle ($)

Three Feta Dips

Cod with Skordalia ($)

Giouvetsi

Feta in Phyllo

Dill Yogurt Dressed Greens

Olive Oil Poached Halibut ($)

Golden Baked Feta & Baguette

Roasted Tomato & Labneh Dip

Swordfish & Crushed Olives

Mediterranean Whitefish Spread

Shrimp Saganaki Meatballs

Grilled Halloumi & White Beans

Honeydew & Kiwi

Martini Bar

G & T Bar

Gatherings start at $500 (based on guest count) plus groceries, sales tax and a $15 travel reimbursement. We automatically add 20% chef gratuity to all gatherings (i.e. $100 for $500 base rate).

Our chef services are available in the NYC metro area, the Hamptons, LA, and the D.C. metro area, though many Culinista® chefs are happy to travel. For services outside of these areas, 

Yes! Your Culinista chef will plate and serve your meal. If your gathering requires additional waitstaff, we’ll staff a reliable server from our trusted network.

, telling us the details of your gathering and your preferred menu, and we’ll match you with the ideal Culinista chef. Your Culinista chef will arrive with groceries and handle the prep, cooking, serving, and clean up while you enjoy time with your guests.

If your gathering requires an extra set of hands, we’ll staff a reliable server or bartender from our Culinista network. We do not coordinate rentals or decor but can connect you with vetted vendors if you need additional support.

Certain ingredients in these dishes may make them more costly—and increase your total grocery bill—so we wanted to let you know. 

All great dishes start with an aromatic base to develop flavor

Build A Foundation

A dish that alchemizes three bold and distinct flavors to hit sweet, sour, savory, salty, and bitter notes

Trifecta

Herbs that thread flavor throughout a recipe and garnish

Infusing Oil

Browning your protein (crisping the exterior while softening the interior) will help to intensify its flavor

Char Goes Far

Using a sharp ingredient to cut the richness from heavier ingredients

Balancing Act

Large format & straightforward recipes that are ideal for crowds

Party Meal

Layering different types of the same fruit or vegetable to your dish for an extra level of complexity

Tomayto Tomahto

The unexpected pairing of something sweet to a protein complements the dish

Sweet Ingredient + Savory Protein

Prior to cooking, toasting grains helps to intensify its flavor

Boost Your Grains

Using a multitude of soft stem herbs helps to brighten your dressings & marinades

All the Herbs

Flavor keys include techniques from across the culinary spectrum (think: infusing, searing, marinating, pickling) but they all share the same goal: to maximize every ingredient’s flavor, every time you cook. 

Flavor

A generous attitude is the secret ingredient in any gathering. These keys ensure the mood is right, everyone feels comfortable, and the gathering is seamless. 

Hosting

Ultimate Clambake

Sangria Bar

A French-ish spread featuring forkable and finger-friendly bites. Pairs perfectly with our Negroni Bar.

Classic Cocktail Hour

Summer Farm to Plate

Bring home the warming flavors and aromas of Moroccan cuisine with this robust menu of favorites, like Spiced Lamb with Couscous and Eggplant & Cauliflower Tagine. 

Moroccan Feast

It’s all about the Indian spices in this menu. Chicken Tikka Masala and Vegetable Biryani do the heavy lifting, while Coconut Chai Cake ends things on a delicate note. 

Indian Rasoi

Cancel that reservation; the steak, and its beloved sides, are getting cooked up in-house.

Steakhouse Classics

To Start

Sea Bass & Tomatoes

Cod with Skordalia

Olive Oil Poached Halibut

Locally Caught Fish with Lemon

Lamb Chops

Family Style

Fig Frozen Yogurt with Baklava Brittle

Citrus Cake

Dessert

Drinks

Greece’s most popular dishes, made in your kitchen. Crispy-topped Spanakopita is always a hit, and Fig Frozen Yogurt with Baklava Brittle is nothing short of decadence. 

Opa! Taverna

Jewish Classics

Italian Snacks

Sandwich Stand 

Pub Food

Backyard BBQ

Inspired by Chinese-American favorites, this menu is an umami-rich feast with some ‘nista twists. Think Beef & Broccolini and Spinach & Garlic Cauli Rice.

Dynasty Dinner 

Paella is the ultimate dish to gather around, and this menu lets it shine. When it comes to drinks, we simply can’t recommend our Scarlet Sangria enough. 

Paella Night

Peak Summer Specials

Endless Summer 

Seaside Ceviche 

Marky's Caviar Party

Calling all tomatoes and peak season herbs (hello, basil); it’s your time to shine. This menu is bound to help you cool off and satisfy your hunger at the same time.

Summer Gluten Free

Plated Classics

Pizza Party

This peak-summer brunch showcases the season’s best produce: tender lettuces, all the zucchini, juicy berries. Get it while the bounty lasts. 

Summer Brunch

Picnic Prep

Raw Bar

This client-favorite menu is nothing but the hits: Bagels & Lox and Mushroom Potato Hash for those who skew savory, and Banana French Toast and Fruit Salad for the sweeties. 

Big Brunch

Coastal Grill 

Tequila Bar

Girl Dinner

Cinq à Sept

Surf & Turf

Have a night at the cantina, with dishes like Chicken Tortilla Soup and Esquites, and your choice of tacos: we like carnitas, fish, or both. 

Taqueria en Casa 

Quintessential Culinista Summer

First Signs of Summer 

Salad Bar

Italian Trattoria 

Gin, Tonic & Toasts

We handle the cooking so you can come back to the table and find joy in mealtime.

Welcome to The Culinistas®

Private Chefs in Los Angeles

A Culinista® chef for all your culinary needs.

Brunch, cocktail hour, dinner party, or barbecue? We’re here to help.

Need a chef for the summer, a short trip, or a forever position? We’ll get you staffed.

Long Term & Seasonal

Cooking like a Culinista is joyful. Let us show you how.

Our chef services make it possible to connect around a delicious meal, without sacrificing your lifestyle.