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

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 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

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

Lemon Chicken & Green Beans

Meatballs Marinara

Leisure Time

Think & Drink

Paloma

Negroni Bar

Calamari, Corn & Couscous

The Big Green Salad

Tomato Gazpacho

Summer Sangria Bar

Charred Yellow Squash Gemelli

Chimichurri Chicken

Cucumber Melon Salad

Spring Sangria Bar

Sweet Corn Succotash

Greek Shrimp Salad

Blackberry Plum Goat Cheese Fool

Skirt Steak with Arugula Gremolata

Tequila Bar

Greek Salad

Pickled Vegetables & Mustard

Tzatziki Roasted Chicken

Bloody Mary Bar

Garden Greens Galette

Hazelnut Cookies

Locally Caught Fish with Lemon ($)

Greek Salad Skewers

Tomato Salad

Little Tomatoes & Orzo

Corn Fritters with Chili Sauce

Romesco Toast

Tomato Ricotta Pizza

Seared Tuna with Radish & Avocado Slaw ($)

Charcuterie & Cheese Board ($)

Spanish Shrimp ($)

Seared Squid & Peppers

Arugula & Macadamia Salad

Santorini Chicken

Bulgur Niçoise

Snap Pea Succotash

Couscous & Clover

Berry Bowl

Cucumber & Romaine Salad

Spring Pea Bruschetta 

Eggplant Caponata

RGC (Roasted Garlic Chicken)

Olio Santo Eggs

Artichoke & Mushroom Salad

Fungi Flatbread

Pesto Pizza

Lamb Chops ($)

Quick Chat

Offsite

Charred Peppers

Marinated Olives & Spiced Nuts

Melon, Prosciutto & Parmesan

Corn & Cucumber Salad

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

White Wine Steamed Clams

Sesame Crusted Tuna & Greens

Avocado Toast

White Bean Hummus & Crudités

Pistachio Roasted Carrots

Cauliflower Steaks with Salsa Verde

French Lentils

Morning Glories

Peppercorn Crusted Filet Mignon with Gremolata  ($)

Gorgonzola Grapes

Peach & Nectarine Crisp

Lemony Pasta Fagioli

Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cake

Fig Frozen Yogurt with Baklava Brittle ($)

Three Feta Dips

Dill Yogurt Dressed Greens

Romaine & Avocado Salad

Arugula & Pickled Shallots

Raspberry Tiramisu ($)

Antipasto Salad Pizza

Shaved Vegetable Pizza

Sweet Pea Hummus & Crudités

Summer Pea Panzanella

Squash Lentil Bowl

Lemon Thyme Shrimp

Purely Shirley

Heirloom Tomato Galette ($)

Orzo with Cannellini Beans

Sicily Spritz

Crispy Baked Artichoke Hearts

Grilled Vegetable Couscous

Arugula Pesto Pasta

Grilled Salmon & White Beans

Swordfish & Crushed Olives

Bagna Cauda & Crudités 

Radishes & Rocket

Tahini Ranch Spring Salad

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Power Green Salad

Sticky Salmon & Broccolini

Za'atar Chicken Cutlets & Herbs

Zucchini Nuggets

Meyer Lemon Tart ($)

Strawberry Semolina Cake

Meatballs with White Beans & Pesto

Cucumber Tabbouleh

Broccolini & Burrata

Martini Bar

G & T Bar

Bubbles Bar

Spritz 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. 

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

All the Herbs

You’re here to cook, not do math. But knowing a few simple equations—like the 1:1:1 meatball ratio and the fruit salad formula—is the secret to kitchen freedom, and there’s no final exam.


Formula

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

We’ll help you be efficient in the kitchen by strategizing prep, cook, and rest times, as well as cleaning along the way. 

Timing

A good meal is a feast for all the senses. Consider how you pair colors, textures, shapes, and sizes, and your guests will be impressed even before they take a bite.

Style

Our goal is that healthy cooking and consistent gathering around the table is a sustainable part of your life. That means supporting sustainable food systems and creating recipes that eliminate waste in your kitchen.

Sustainability

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

Health starts with pure, unprocessed ingredients: fresh vegetables, whole grains, wild and grass-fed proteins.  We incorporate clean ingredients where you'd expect and also where you wouldn't expect, like using oats or nuts to create flours and blending veggies into sauces.

Health

Cleaning won’t feel like a chore if your recipes are structured efficiently (ours are), you clean as you cook, and you send your guests home with leftovers.

Less Mess

The Lunch Set

To Start

Tomato Gazpacho

Family Style

Power Green Salad

Corn & Cucumber Salad

Seared Tuna with Radish & Avocado Slaw

Charred Peppers

Romesco Toast

Dessert

Blackberry Plum Goat Cheese Fool

Drinks

Bloody Mary Bar

Paloma

Hosting made easy with a Culinista chef.

Choose your Menu

Share the Details

Sit Back and Relax

Culinista chefs hail from top restaurants around the country. They help celebrate our culinary methods and approach to hospitality.

Party Like a Culinista

Our services also include chefs for weekly meal prep, cooking classes, and seasonal & long term needs.