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

Shellfish

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

Low Carb

Low Sugar

High Protein

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Low Fat

High Fat

Meatballs Marinara

Think & Drink

Negroni Bar

Fall & Winter Sangria Bar

Roasted Eggplant with Pine Nut & Raisins

Roasted Veggies

Fall & Winter Garden Risotto

Cauliflower Steaks with Pomegranate

Brussels & Pancetta

Greek Salad

Wild Rice with Mushrooms

Tzatziki Roasted Chicken

Sea Bass & Tomatoes ($)

Ricotta & Roasted Fruit

Hummus & Crudités

Sautéed Greens

Crimson Quinoa

Mushroom Grains Bowl

Eggplant with Couscous & Mint

Tomato Baked Feta & Baguette

Healthy Chicken Tenders

Chocolate Fudge Brownies (GF)

Pork Tenderloin with Apples

Think Pink Salad

Tarragon Chicken

Santorini Chicken

Spinach & Cauliflower Salad

Root Vegetable Pilaf

Blood Orange Cake

Steak with Onion Date Sauce

Cauliflower & Quinoa

Berry Bowl

Delicata Kale Salad

Ginger Almond Cookies

RGC (Roasted Garlic Chicken)

Fennel Chard Salad

Chocolate Pudding

Lamb Chops ($)

Offsite

Simmer Down

Devils On Horseback

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Apple Toddy

Apple Pear Crisp with Ice Cream

Purples & Greens

Mustard Seed Salmon

Parsnip Kale Quinoa

New York Strip with Spinach & Broccolini

Seared Polenta & Mushrooms 

White Bean Hummus & Crudités

Pumpkin Maple Muffins

Morning Glories

Pears with Prosciutto & Bleu Cheese

Lemony Pasta Fagioli

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

Black Pepper Pork Chop

Olive Oil Poached Halibut ($)

Roasted Carrots & Turnips

Spinach & Beet Salad

Golden Baked Feta & Baguette

Roasted Tomato & Labneh Dip

Sweet Potato Hummus & Cruditès

King Oyster Mushrooms & Spinach

Hasselback Butternut Squash

Brown Butter Fluke & Carrots ($)

Swordfish & Crushed Olives

Deviled Trout with Mustard Greens

Sweet Potato & Fennel Soup

Bagna Cauda & Crudités 

Scarlet Sangria

Mediterranean Whitefish Spread

Shrimp Saganaki Meatballs

Grilled Halloumi & White Beans

Solstice Fruit Salad

Power Green Salad

Sticky Salmon & Broccolini

Zucchini Nuggets

Green Rice

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.

Weekly service starts at $250. Additional costs include groceries (dependent on size & dish selection), $50 tip, a $15 travel reimbursement for your chef, and tax. Select markets may be priced higher.

Households larger than six people may require more time from a chef, so we price those services on a case by case basis. 

, 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.

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

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.

The standard weekly meal prep service does not include table service. If you'd like a custom service that combines meal prep with table service, please 

, we’ll assign a Culinista chef for your household. we’ll assign a Culinista chef for your household. Each week, you will select the dishes that you’d like to eat from our website. Your Culinista chef will shop for groceries, prep, and cook the dishes in your home, stock your fridge, and leave your kitchen spotless.

We know that everyone eats differently. Our sizes are based on household size, but you should adjust your selection based on household appetites and how many meals per week you desire.

That said, our sizing recommendations are:

If your family is larger than six people, please fill out a 

 and we will provide you with a custom quote.


You can always adjust the size of your service from week to week.

Weekly Meal Prep

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