Private chef dinners at home

Three ways to serve dinner

Every private chef dinner begins with the same question: how should the evening feel? Some groups prefer the food set out so everyone can serve themselves at the island. Others want a server pouring water and clearing plates between courses. We price by service style, so you pay only for the level of service you want.

Style	How it's served	From
The Essential	Your chef cooks the full meal and sets everything out hot, ready for your group to serve themselves.	$57 / person
The Signature	Plated salads, family-style appetizers, plated entrées and a dessert for the table. Linens are included.	$99 / person
The Premier	A fully plated formal dinner or an elegant buffet, with linens, napkin rings and woven placemats.	$125 / person

Prices cover the chef service. Groceries are estimated separately on your quote (most dinner menus come to about $55 a person), and every event carries a $830 minimum before food, tax and gratuity. Our pricing page has the full details.

What's on the menu

You may book one of our set menus as written, swap dishes course by course, or create something new with your chef. Our most requested dinner menus include the Signature Seasons, a Moroccan-inspired menu, an Indian menu and a Southern menu. A few dishes clients request by name:

• Hazelnut panko-crusted rack of lamb with chèvre mashed sweet potatoes and a port wine and fig reduction
• Gorgonzola and date stuffed chicken with saffron rice, mint yogurt and pomegranate
• Butter-poached lobster tail and bacon-wrapped filet mignon for special occasions
• Miso-glazed grouper with forbidden rice and ginger-scallion butter
• Chocolate flourless torte, strawberry tres leches and key lime desserts to finish

Vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free guests receive their own dish, not a plate of sides. Share any allergies when you inquire, and they go directly onto your event order.

What happens on the evening

1. Before the day: your chef handles all of the shopping, so there is nothing for you to buy or prepare.
2. Arrival: the team arrives a few hours before dinner with the groceries and anything your kitchen lacks.
3. Service: courses are served on the timing set in your event order. Larger groups have a server or helper, about one for every 14 guests.
4. Clean-up: dishes are washed, counters wiped and leftovers packed in your refrigerator before we leave.

Is a private chef worth it for a group?

For groups of eight or more, a private dinner often costs about the same as a good restaurant once drinks and tip are added, and there is no long wait for a table large enough for everyone. The difference is that nobody has to drive, the children can go to bed down the hall, and the table is yours all evening.

Questions people ask