How Kitchensurfing Chefs Bring Families to the Dinner Table

“I ordered something I’d never cook,” said Andrea, who lives in Tribeca with her husband, Leo, and their twin daughters. “Pan-seared haddock with smoked fish and sunchoke chowder. I don’t make soup.”

Haddock and chowder on the stoveIt was her first experience using Kitchensurfing, the service that sends a professional chef to your home once a week to prepare a hot dinner. As part of a focus on Tribeca, Kitchensurfing is offering residents a special deal: Use the code “tribecacitizen2016” at checkout, and the first dinner is just $5 for two people, $25 for two adults and two kids, or $41 for four adults (valid through Jan. 31). The plans are normally $59 per week for dinner for two; $79 for two adults and up to two kids; and $95 for four adults. Andrea chose the last option: “A lot of people don’t realize that many kids eat more than a grown person!”

The booking was as easy as she expected it to be: After you create an account (with the usual basic info) and choose a plan, you’re ready to dine. Then you select from seven menus, which change each week. “The descriptions were nice and succinct, and I liked that you can click to see all of the ingredients. I need to know if a dish is going to be too spicy for my kids.” And Kitchensurfing is rightfully proud of its sourcing: humanely raised chicken from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; pork and lamb from world-renowned Niman Ranch in Northern California; vegetables and herbs from local farms whenever possible; and so forth.

You get an email confirming the date and menu, along with a promise: “Your chef is scheduled to arrive within 15 minutes of your reservation time and will serve the meal within 30 minutes of arrival.” At 4 p.m. the day of the dinner, you get another email, informing you who your chef will be (with a reminder that tax and gratuity are included and a hotline number in case you have any issues). In Andrea’s case, the chef was Pablo Figueroa, who arrived right on time with his wheelie bag of equipment and ingredients, and who got promptly to work cooking dinner.

Here’s Andrea’s take on the experience:

1. How was the food? What would you say the highlights were?
The flavors were excellent in both the soup and the vinaigrette. The fish fillet was top-notch and Pablo did a good job pan-searing four large fillets in one pan. Also, the portions were ample.

2. Did Leo like it? The girls?
Leo enjoyed the food. The girls said it was all yummy, but for them the melted butter and bread clearly trumped everything. It’s hard to bring a random baguette to our table since we are huge fans of Arcade Bakery. But, in this case, the melted herb butter made up for it.

3. How was the clean-up?
Pablo left the kitchen just as he found it. We only had to clear the dishes at the end of the meal. Makes a nice change!

Quality food with someone else doing the cooking and cleaning? You could get used to it—and that’s the idea. Kitchensurfing isn’t just for special occasions; it’s meant to be part of your rotation, like ordering in or going out. So give it a try! And soon: The special offer lasts through Jan. 31.

Sponsored by Kitchensurfing.

 

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