PRIVATE DINNER PARTIES

Plated multi-course dinner for four to twelve, cooked in your kitchen.

Ed Anderson, Chef. Over 200 private dinner parties cooked across Connecticut and Southern Massachusetts since 2018.

The chef plans the menu, shops, cooks each course in your kitchen, and plates at the table. The kitchen stays clean. The plates stay yours.

WHAT A PRIVATE CHEF DINNER PARTY INCLUDES

What does a private chef dinner party include?

A private chef dinner party from Jekyll and Hyde Private Chef includes a four-course seated menu for four to twelve guests, cooked in your kitchen and plated at your table by Chef Ed Anderson. The service covers menu design against your dietary needs, full shopping for produce and proteins, on-site cooking, and plating each course at the table. Wine and spirits are usually yours; the chef can advise pairings. Ed cooks alone for groups under twelve and adds a server above twelve. Bartender service is available as an add-on for cocktail-forward dinners. Pricing is custom per booking and reflects guest count, menu complexity, and service depth. Lead time is two to four weeks; the holiday season books earlier. Service area is the Springfield-to-Hartford corridor across Connecticut and Southern Massachusetts.

HOW IT WORKS

Four steps to your night.

01 CONSULT

The conversation

Course count, dietary fit, the room. The chef walks the menu plan against your guest list and your date.

02 DESIGN

Menu and wine

Four courses written. Wine pairings advised. Final menu confirmed two weeks ahead of service.

03 COOK

Your kitchen

The chef arrives three hours before service. Tools and produce arrive with the chef. Cooked in your kitchen.

04 SERVE

Plated at the table

Each course plated at the table for groups under twelve. Server joins above twelve, bartender for cocktail-forward nights.

A SAMPLE PATTERN

Four courses, paced against the table.

A plated fish course with microgreens and dark sauce on a cream plate
FIRST

Cold opener

Crudo, tartare, or chilled soup. Sets the night’s pace.

A small terrine plated with chocolate striping on a white plate, top-down view on black
SECOND

Warm small plate

Handmade pasta or a vegetable-forward course. Wakes the table.

A beef filet topped with microgreens on a dark plate
ANCHOR

Main course

Protein with technique. Cut and plate at the table.

Three squares of tiramisu dusted with cocoa, plated on a dark ceramic plate
CLOSE

Dessert

Tiramisu, a cheese plate, or a poured liquor finish.

Three chef knife handles in low light, black and white macro.
THE CHEF

Ed Anderson, Chef.

A decade across restaurant kitchens. Classical French and Italian base, sharpened on contemporary American technique. Private chef since 2018, focused on Connecticut and Southern Massachusetts households.

Read more at about Ed.

PRIVATE CHEF SERVICE AREA

Dinner parties across Connecticut and Massachusetts.

The chef cooks dinner parties across Connecticut and Southern Massachusetts. Primary focus is the Springfield-to-Hartford corridor. For dinner parties outside the primary area, inquire about availability.

Suffield · Avon · Glastonbury · Granby · Simsbury · South Windsor · West Hartford · Windsor · Enfield · Springfield MA · Longmeadow · East Longmeadow · Wilbraham

THE PROMISE

"Feed the Beast Within."

Restraint and indulgence on the same plate. Cooked in your kitchen. Plated at your table.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Common questions about private chef dinner parties.

How many guests can a private chef dinner party serve?

A private chef dinner party from Jekyll and Hyde serves four to twelve guests for chef-alone service. The chef plates each course at the table for groups in this range. Above twelve guests a server joins to clear and refill. Above twenty a server is mandatory; the chef stays on the line plating. For larger seated dinners across an evening reception, see private celebrations for the thirty-to-fifty guest format. For full weddings up to one hundred fifty, see private weddings. The dinner party format is the night the table stays one table and the chef walks each course to it. Lead time is two to four weeks for a four-course dinner. Holiday season books earlier.

What does a private chef dinner party cost in Connecticut?

A private chef dinner party in Connecticut is custom-priced per booking. Pricing reflects four pieces: guest count, menu complexity, dietary accommodations, and service depth. Chef-alone service for under twelve guests sits in one band. Chef plus server above twelve sits higher. Bartender add-ons for cocktail-forward dinners sit higher again. Wine, spirits, and any specialty ingredients beyond standard menu pricing are your cost. Every plan is custom and quoted from the consult; the chef gives a real number for your night, not a per-plate range. The most accurate way to a number is the consult, which is free. Lead time on quoting is forty-eight hours from the consult call.

Can a private chef handle vegan, gluten-free, or kosher dietary needs?

Yes. A private chef dinner party from Jekyll and Hyde routinely handles vegan, gluten-free, kosher-friendly, halal, dairy-free, and allergy-marked plates within the same four-course menu. The chef sets the menu against your guest dietary breakdown at the consult. Mixed-restriction tables are the norm, not the exception. The kitchen runs strict separation when a celiac or severe allergy is at the table. For dedicated tasting menus that lean further into one dietary lane, see intimate gatherings for a tasting-menu night. For brunches with similar mixed-dietary requirements, see weekend brunches. Wine pairings can be advised against any dietary lane.

How far in advance should a private dinner party be booked?

Two to four weeks is the standard lead time for a four-course private chef dinner party. The two-week minimum allows menu planning, ingredient sourcing, and dietary confirmation. Four weeks is preferred for groups above eight or for menus leaning into specialty produce or proteins. The holiday season, mid-November through January, books earlier and tends to fill three to six weeks out. Around private weddings rehearsal nights and around peak event seasons, six weeks is safer. Last-minute bookings inside two weeks are sometimes possible depending on calendar density; the consult call confirms availability. The free consult call is the first step.

Does the chef bring kitchen tools and produce or do guests provide them?

The chef brings the tools, the produce, and the proteins. Standard kitchen equipment in your home is used, but the chef arrives with knives, plating gear, and any specialty tools the menu calls for. Produce, proteins, dairy, and pantry ingredients are sourced by the chef against the confirmed menu and brought with him on the day of service. Wine and spirits are usually your responsibility; the chef advises pairings during menu confirmation. For bartender service and a full cocktail program, see cocktail parties. The kitchen is left cleaner than the chef found it. The morning after stays clean.

Is bartender service included, or is it an add-on?

Bartender service is an add-on, not included in the chef-alone rate. For a four-course private chef dinner party with cocktail-forward courses, a bartender on the line shaking and pouring against the menu the chef sets is the standard add-on. The bartender works with the spirits and wine you stock. For full cocktail-party formats with a hosted bar from the room opening, see cocktail parties, which is the bartender-led service. For wedding receptions with cocktail hour plus dinner service, see private weddings. The bartender add-on is priced at the consult and reflects guest count and cocktail menu depth.

Does Jekyll and Hyde Private Chef serve outside Connecticut?

Yes. The primary service area is the Springfield-to-Hartford corridor across Connecticut and Southern Massachusetts, including Suffield, Avon, Glastonbury, Granby, Simsbury, South Windsor, West Hartford, Windsor, Enfield, Springfield MA, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, and Wilbraham. For private dinner parties or events outside the primary area, including the Boston metro, Hartford metro, and across the broader Northeast, the chef accepts inquiries and confirms availability case by case. Travel costs are quoted into the booking. Out-of-area events have a four-to-six week minimum lead time. The fastest path to a quote for an out-of-area night is the free consult call.

RESERVE YOUR NIGHT

The chef cooks dinner for your night.

Four to twelve guests at the table. Four courses on the plates. The kitchen stays clean.