On Saturday, September 12, our team cooked a seven-course tasting menu for six guests at a home in Ocean City, New Jersey. The host was thanking his clients with an evening at his shore house, and the whole night was built around his table.
Seven courses for six people is a dinner that takes a team. Our team brings each course to the table at the right moment, keeps the kitchen moving, and lets the host stay with his guests all night.
The menu
Chilled Jumbo Lump Crab
shaved fennel & cucumber, lemon aïoli, brioche
Chilled Colossal Shrimp
lemon-herb poached, sauce verte, Meyer lemon
Wild Mushroom & Leek Tart
gruyère, fresh thyme, fine herbs
Little Gem & Shaved Radish
Dijon vinaigrette, herbed croutons, Parmigiano-Reggiano
Hand-Cut Tagliatelle
summer squash, basil, garlic confit, Parmigiano
Filet Mignon
sauce bordelaise, pomme purée, roasted asparagus
Classic Layer Cake
seasonal accompaniment
Meet the team
Chef Dan Ninerell sets every menu. This is the team that cooks and serves it with him.
Chef Alonzo Foster, Sous Chef
Alonzo runs solo jobs and joins Dan on larger events.
Chef Davi Santiago
Davi cooks solo events for Modern Classical Chefs.
Jessica Baker, Amber Wilcox and Jaimie Ryan, Event Servers
Our event servers bring each course to the table, and all three are expert mixologists.
What a tasting menu at home looks like
We plan the menu with the host ahead of time, shop for it, cook it in their kitchen and serve each course at the table. A tasting menu runs as a string of smaller plates paced across the evening, so the timing matters as much as the food.
Every menu is built around the table it is going to. Our chefs work from a library of more than seven hundred recipes, so a dietary restriction or a different main course is a starting point, not a problem.
Hosting at a summer house? Here is more on bringing a private chef to the Jersey Shore.
Frequently asked questions
Can a private chef cook a tasting menu at a shore house?
Yes. Our team cooked this seven-course menu in a home kitchen in Ocean City, and we cook across South Jersey, Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore down to Cape May.
How many chefs come to a tasting dinner?
It depends on the number of guests and the menu. For this dinner of six, Chef Dan brought members of the team with him. For parties over eight, we bring service staff so every course reaches the table together.
Can you plan a tasting menu for a client appreciation dinner?
Yes. This dinner was one. The host was thanking his clients, and we built all seven courses around his evening.
How do I book a tasting menu?
Tell us about your event and pick a time for a quick call on our booking page.
Planning a dinner like this?
Tell us about your event and we will plan the menu with you.
