Keeping a houseful of family, friends, kids and in-laws well fed during a summer vacation is a special feat. Sure, your sister “loves to cook,” but does she also love to grocery shop, do dishes and pack picnic lunches for 14—every day? Fortunately, a new service has popped up that provides your very own Ina Garten-meets-Mary Poppins of the kitchen, on demand.
The Culinistas was founded in 2017 by chef Jill Donenfeld and entrepreneur Tiana Tenet. After a breakout season in the Hamptons in 2018, they ventured west to Aspen for the holidays. “Last year was an echo chamber of Aspen! Aspen! Aspen!” says Donenfeld, who wasn’t aware of how popular Aspen is in the summer until she was repeatedly asked about a summer return. “It made deploying our chefs back to the prettiest state a no-brainer.” This July and August, The Culinistas will be available for any range of duties from basic meal planning and cooking for four to creating full-on dinner parties for your whole tribe. The experience is tailored to your needs and tastes, and when compared to a restaurant bill for a group of your near-and-dears, makes good “cents” too. 646.590.2944, theculinistas.com
Photography by: By Sylvie Rosokoff, Courtesy of The Culinistas
