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, 

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

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

This Steakhouse Menu Brings the Sizzle Home 

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

How to Pick the Perfect Dinner Party Dessert

7 Postpartum-Friendly Dishes For Your Fourth Trimester

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.

Set your Alarm for these 8 Brunch Menus 

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

The Culinistas’ Ultimate Guide to Hosting

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.

10 Gluten Free Menus That Everyone at the Table Will Love

Test: Video

Test: Fun Foods

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.

10 Menus for Traveling the Globe Without Leaving Your Kitchen

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

How to Make Paella at Home

, 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.

10 Totally Unique Dinner Party Menus

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

How to Make Pizza in the Oven

Caramelized, juicy, and perfectly tender every time

How to Sear Steak Like a Chef

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

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

Dinner Test

Menu Ideas

Lunch Test

How Tos & Inspiration

Low Carb

Low Sugar

High Protein

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Low Fat

High Fat

Negroni Bar

Cherry Upside Down Cake

Vegetable Aioli

Panna Cotta

Skirt Steak with Arugula Gremolata

Potato Salad

Spritz Bar (Special Occasion)

King Crab Legs with Basil Butter ($)

Caesar Salad

Brussels & Pancetta

Mashed Potatoes ($)

Oysters on the Half Shell with Classic Mignonette

Potato Gratin

Brown Butter Pecan Blondies

Arranged Crudités

Bread for the Table

Chocolate Covered Fruits & Nuts

Dried Fruits & Toasted Nuts

Marinated Mediterranean Classics

Pickled Vegetables & Mustard

Seasonal Fruit

Selection of Tinned Fish

Selection of Cheese

Selection of Charcuterie

Berries & Whip

Grilled Seasonal Veggies

Tuna Tartare ($)

Sole Meunière ($)

Chocolate Lover's Sundae Bar ($)

Fruits & Nuts Sundae Bar ($)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Sesame Crusted Tuna

Locally Caught Fish with Lemon ($)

Greek Salad Skewers

Sautéed Greens

Tomato Salad

Balsamic Green Beans

Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Cumin Steak with Roasted Tomato Sauce

Pork Tenderloin with Apples

Charcuterie & Cheese Board ($)

Pineapple & Persimmons

Black Bass with Roasted Pepper & Fennel ($)

Chocolate Torte with Ice Cream

Banana Cake

Steak with Onion Date Sauce

Seared Scallops with Hazelnut Gremolata

Watercress Potato Flatbread

Braised Kale Stracciatella

Confetti Shrimp

Apple Tarte Tatin with Whipped Cream ($)

Spicy Shrimp Cocktail

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Stinger

Grilled Lobster ($)

Artichoke & Mushroom Salad

Caprese

Salmon Rillettes

Lamb Chops ($)

Big Brood

Tuna Tapenade

Coffee Cake

Coffee Hazelnut Trifle ($)

Stone Crab Claws with Aioli ($)

Mustard Seed Salmon

Brussels Sprout Caesar

New York Strip with Spinach & Broccolini

French Onion Soup

Buttermilk Romaine Salad

Chicken Wings ($)

Mushroom Pot Pie

Cobb Salad

Creamed Kale 

Milk Braised Veal 

Peppercorn Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Cream ($)

Salmon with Sherry-Tomato Compote

Fig Pochette

Prosciutto & Melon Skewers

Caprese Skewer

Pears with Prosciutto & Bleu Cheese

Chicken Liver Mousse & Jam

Gorgonzola Grapes

Baked Halibut with Radish Pesto ($)

New York Strip & Peppers

Caesar Bar ($)

Pesto Roasted Potatoes  ($)

Burrata Bar ($)

Grilled Asparagus & Capers

Purely Shirley

Banana Pudding

Burnt Basque Cheesecake ($)

Sicily Spritz

Crispy Baked Artichoke Hearts

Garlic Confit Red Potatoes

Roasted Mushrooms

Bagna Cauda & Crudités 

Shaved Celery Salad

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding ($)

Sirloin with Roasted Garlic Sauce

Dry Rubbed Hanger with Steak Sauce

Charred Cabbage Caesar

Crab Cakes ($)

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pickled Cherries

Spinach & Artichoke Dip with Crudités & Sourdough

Smashed Potatoes with Yogurt Dip

Romesco Dip with Sourdough & Crudités

Martini Bar

G & T Bar

Bubbles Bar

If you have questions or concerns about your bill, please contact accounting@theculinistas.com.

We thoroughly review all preferences and thoughtfully match you with a chef to meet those needs. If you are unhappy with the match for any reason, 

Yes! We do receive requests for chefs outside of our core service areas, whether for seasonal work, short term travel, or long term, salaried positions.

All services are billed with 20% gratuity included, 100% of which will go to your Culinista chef. While there is no expectation to do so, you are welcome to provide an additional cash tip for extraordinary service.

In general, we’re happy to source another chef who is a better fit. 

 and select from our three Class Menus—Paella Party, Steak Night, and Pizza Party—which are carefully designed to teach you our Culinista Keys. We’ll show you how to create a balanced menu, master mise en place, improvise with confidence, and streamline your time in the kitchen. There are options for customization within each menu.

Culinista chefs hail from top restaurants and culinary schools around the country. They help celebrate our culinary methods and approach to hospitality. We thoroughly vet every chef on our platform, including background checks and a cooking interview. We handpick the right chefs for you based on their skills and your needs.

You are able to skip, pause, or deactivate your weekly service at any time using your client dashboard prior to 48 hours before your next service. At 48 hours prior to your next service, your service is confirmed and your service fee is nonrefundable. If you cancel within 48 hours of service, you will be charged the full service fee plus any charges incurred by the chef, including groceries and travel at the company’s discretion.

At 24 hours prior to your next service, if you have not yet selected your weekly menu, your service will be canceled and you will be charged the full service fee. Culinista chefs need a menu to grocery shop and plan, and without enough notice, your service cannot be executed properly.

If someone in your household is sick or in case of medical emergency, we will attempt to reschedule at the chef’s convenience within six days of your original service date. This is upon company discretion, and you may be held responsible for the full service fee. If the chef is unavailable for a rescheduled service, we will send you a different chef at the company’s discretion. If you are unable to reschedule within six days of your original service date, you will still be charged the full service fee.

The Culinistas is committed to offering chefs a flexible work schedule that fits their needs; therefore compensation varies widely and is dependent on the chef’s availability. Some chefs on our platform earn $2,000 a week working for The Culinistas on the side, and others earn $20,000 a month during a busy summer season.

Compensation starts at $175 for meal prep services and $350 for gatherings. Seasonal market and specialty day rates start at $500 per day. Full time roles typically start at $120K per year. All compensation is dependent upon experience, tenure at the company, and household size and needs.


Yes, we encourage Culinista chefs to work in multiple markets. We especially invite chefs across all markets to join us for our busy summer season in the Hamptons.

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

The Culinistas HQ is a talented and passionate team of culinary, editorial, operations, customer service, and marketing professionals. View our open roles 

Our services fall into four main categories: 

. For more information on each, explore the links above and refer to the relevant FAQ sections on this page.

We develop all our recipes and menus with a grocery list in mind, and Culinista chefs are trained to shop so that they always have the correct items and the appropriate quantities to execute your service. For these reasons, we greatly prefer that the chefs shop for their services.

The weekly meal prep service includes a Culinista chef grocery shopping for you and coming to your home to prepare six dishes that can be mixed and matched for 3-4 meals throughout the week. 

We recommend choosing dishes that work in pairs or trios as full menus, or mix and match to cover breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and dessert.

Yes, our goal is to make it easier for you and your family to enjoy dinner together. Our large size accommodates families of up to six people. If your family is larger than six people, please fill out a 

 and we will provide you with a custom quote.

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.

Culinista chefs shop locally at our favorite grocers and farmers markets. They shop specifically for you and are happy to accommodate your preferences. They source the freshest and most nutrient-dense items they can find, striving to buy organic and non-GMO produce whenever possible.

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, SF, the DC metro area, Austin, Miami and Palm Beach, though many Culinista® chefs are happy to travel. For services outside of these areas, 

Grocery costs will vary depending on your service area and menu selection. The below ranges are meant as general guides:

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.

If anything about your service wasn’t quite right, please 

Italian Snacks

Grazing Table

Tuna Tapenade

Burrata Bar

Prosciutto & Melon Skewers

Selection of Charcuterie

Selection of Cheese

Marinated Mediterranean Classics

Drinks

Spritz Bar