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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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

Nuts

Gluten

Pork

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

Hannah Goldfield

The New Yorker

Low Carb

Low Sugar

High Protein

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Low Fat

High Fat

Pork Milanese

Meatballs Marinara

Pears with Currants

Cabbage & Raisin Slaw

The Big Green Salad

Ricotta Pancakes

Fall & Winter Sangria Bar

Spring Sangria Bar

The Sides ($)

Smoked Salmon Carpaccio

Couscous & Apples

Potato Salad

Horseradish Baked Salmon (Special Occasion) ($)

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

Mashed Potatoes ($)

Berries & Whip

Beet Hummus & Crudités

Pigs in a Blanket

Sliders ($)

Greek Salad Skewers

Breakfast Burritos

Sautéed Greens

Currant & Hazelnut Brussels Sprouts

Mushroom Grains Bowl

Goddess Salad with Bacon

Classic Cutlets

Balsamic Green Beans

Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberry Cardamom Maple Syrup ($)

Mushroom Potato Hash

Apple Cranberry Cake with Spiced Cream

Pork Tenderloin with Apples

Mushroom Arugula Frittata

Pork & Purple Cabbage

Arugula & Pea Salad

Couscous & Clover

Berry Bowl

Watercress Potato Flatbread

RGC (Roasted Garlic Chicken)

Quick Chat

Hivemind

Apple Pear Crisp with Ice Cream

Brats with Garlic-Parsley Relish

Waldorf Salad

Blueberry Chamomile Parfait

Latkes & Applesauce

Butternut Squash Schnitzel 

Tuna Lyonnaise

Cobb Salad

Morning Glories

Peppercorn Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Cream ($)

Smoked Trout Petals

Parsnips & Potatoes with Bacon

Esalen Kale

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Dill Yogurt Dressed Greens

Purple Cauliflower Frittata 

Mini Dutch Babies

Roasted Carrots & Turnips

Cranberry Buttermilk Scones

Grilled Asparagus & Capers

Smoked Salmon & Celery Cavatelli

Green Juice

Matcha Pudding ($)

Charred Cabbage Gratin

Deviled Trout with Mustard Greens

Scarlet Sangria

Strawberry Health Bread

Lemon Blueberry Bread

Black Forest Cookies ($)

Sunday Egg Salad

Vanilla Berry French Toast Bake ($)

Mediterranean Whitefish Spread

Carrot Cake Oats

Sweet Potato Rosti & Eggs

Power Green Salad

Spring Garden Frittata

Sticky Salmon & Broccolini

Herbed Fingerling Potatoes

Zucchini Nuggets

Smashed Potatoes with Yogurt Dip

Mimosa Bar

Bubbles Bar

Spritz Bar

The Culinistas’ referral program allows us to reward our community for referring friends and loved ones to The Culinistas, while welcoming new clients with a gift toward their first gathering.

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.

Congratulations! Once your referee has successfully completed their first gathering, you’ll receive an email letting you know that $100 of Culinista credits have been added to your account.

Congratulations! Your referral credit of $100 is valid toward any gathering in our markets (NYC, the Hamptons, L.A., D.C, Austin, and San Francisco). To get started, 

Referrals are valid for $100 off gatherings services only. Learn more about how gatherings work 

, 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.

Current clients can direct friends and family to The Culinistas using a unique URL, which can be found in the Culinista Credits section of their Account Dashboard under Referrals. The URL will allow the new client to receive $100 off a gathering. When the new client successfully completes one gathering, the current client receives $100 toward a service of their choosing.

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.

Culinista credits earned from referrals are valid for three months.

New clients who do not already have a Culinistas account are eligible to receive a referral.

Anyone with a Culinistas account can make a referral using a unique URL, which can be found in the Culinista Credits section of their Account Dashboard under Referrals.

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

Referral Program

Prior to cooking, toasting grains helps to intensify its flavor

Boost Your Grains

All cooked in one vessel, efficient with minimal clean up

One Pot Wonder

Nut + herb + citrus + olive oil, all you need for a perfect pesto

Pesto Equation

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

Creating delicious flavor combinations using both cooked and fresh ingredients

Pizza Topping Equation

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

Using natural sweeteners in place of processed and refined sugar

Sweetness Substitute

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

Sweet Ingredient + Savory Protein

Marinate for Flavor

Classics Redone

Creative use of soaked nuts, puréed veggies or dried fruit as your thickener to develop the right consistency

Alternative Thickeners

Use leftover herbs or vegetable scraps to strengthen the flavor in a dish and reduce food waste

Infused Broth

Using onion powder to enhance the onion flavor helps to save cooking time

Onion Powder Power

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