Ever dreamed of serving your family a perfectly cooked meal that you somehow prepared magically after a long day at work? Or perhaps you’ve envisioned impressing your friends with a stunning dinner party in your home? The only problem is you can’t cook! Or, you don’t have the time, (who does)! Enter your knights in shining armor, The Culinistas.
The Culinistas is an in-home, personal chef service for weekly meal preparation and special occasions, available in NYC, Los Angeles, Aspen and the Hamptons. The team develops seasonal and classic menus and work with expert chefs who grocery shop for the best ingredients, cook in the home kitchen and the best part: they also clean-up! Each step of the service is tailored to our clientele’s everyday or entertaining needs to enjoy quality meals that fit quietly into their lives. Co-founders Jill Donenfeld and Tiana Tenet
What's the ethos behind The Culinistas?
JILL DONENFELD/ TIANA TENET: For us, it always comes back to hospitality and hearth. Our goal is to promote human connection and bring people together around a table, whether it's family meals during the week or gatherings with friends. We pride ourselves on being receptive to people’s needs and to be as helpful as we can be.
What was the original inspiration?
JD/TT: To bring people back to the table at home. We both grew up eating family dinners at home much more often than eating out at restaurants and this has had a profound effect on us as individuals.
As this was such an important part of our childhood, we don't ever want a lack of time or ability to prevent families from doing this every week. As a business, we take care of all the heavy lifting so that you can get to the main event and enjoy time together around table with friends and family.
How does it work?
JD/TT: We are an in-home private chef service for weekly cooking and special occasions. Our clients simply request a service date and we take care of menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking and clean up to make meals at home easy, healthy and delicious. For special occasions, our culinary team will work directly with you to bring your vision to life. We recognize that every household is different and personalize the experience from start to finish so your household is getting the food they want, the way they want it.
What's your favorite thing to cook?
TT: For me, it’s pizza. It’s just so fun! I've always wanted to get a pizza oven.
JD: I love cooking clams. They're simple, delicious and healthy.
What are you looking forward to for the rest of the year?
JD/TT: We simply cannot wait to officially launch our service in LA this fall. There are so many exceptional chefs with whom we can't wait to work, farmer's markets to shop and beautiful households with kitchens made for cooking.
Photography by:
