Private Dining · Darien, Connecticut

An Evening for Ten, at the Table

A five-course seasonal dinner, composed and served in residence — planned with a chef's precision.

10
Guests
5
Courses
7:30
Seated
23.5
Chef Hours
June
Early Summer
PMBOK-Informed · Moderate Rigor

One Dinner, Five Phases

01

Initiating

Charter the event — purpose, host sign-off, success criteria.

02

Planning

Scope, menu, WBS, schedule, cost, risk, and procurement.

03

Executing

Advance prep, transport, mise en place, plating and service.

04

Controlling

Temp checks, tasting gates, timing buffers, cost variance.

05

Closing

Host sign-off, invoicing, lessons learned for next booking.

Day Of · Seated 7:30 PM

The Evening, Hour by Hour

9:00 AM
Fish pickup; coolers loaded with ice packs
1:30 PM
Depart Westport for Darien (~20–25 min, loaded)
2:00 PM
Arrive, set stations, inventory equipment, claim the range
2:30 PM
Final mise en place; tart bakes; sauces held warm
5:30 PM
Sear prep staged; plates warmed; surfaces set
7:15 PM
Lamb to oven; velouté chilled and ready
7:45 PM
Course I · Pea Velouté
8:05 PM
Course II · Burrata
8:30 PM
Course III · Halibut
9:00 PM
Course IV · Rack of Lamb
9:40 PM
Course V · Tart & petit four
10:00 PM
Breakdown, cleanup, pack-out, depart

Critical path: the lamb roast and rest into the main plating. A 15-minute buffer sits before each plated course; sauces are held, never fired late.

The Working Plan

Everything Behind the Service

Scope

What's Delivered

  • In: menu design & costing, procurement, advance prep, transport, on-site cooking & service for ten, kitchen breakdown
  • Out: linens, florals, décor, wine purchasing, bartending — added only by change request
  • Accepted when: each course meets spec, dietary needs honored, kitchen returned as found
Work Breakdown

The Six Packages

  • Initiation & planning — consult, menu, costing
  • Procurement — orders, shopping, day-of pickups
  • Advance prep — stocks, purées, tart shells, portioning
  • Transport & setup — cold chain, station build
  • Execution — mise, plating, service
  • Breakdown & closeout — cleanup, sign-off
Procurement

Sourcing & Market

  • Fishmonger: halibut ×10 portions, backup whitefish — reserve, day-of pickup
  • Butcher: two Frenched racks of lamb, pancetta
  • Specialty: burrata ×4, crème fraîche, vanilla bean
  • Market & pantry: peas, fava, asparagus, strawberries, rhubarb, herbs, dairy
  • Buy 10–15% over on perishables for trim & plating reserve
Resources

People & Kit

  • Chef leads; one optional assistant for plating speed
  • From base: knives, ring molds, immersion blender, thermometers, coolers
  • Confirm on site: oven count, burner output, fridge space, serviceware
  • Induction burner in the vehicle as contingency
Quality & Safety

The Standards

  • Cold chain held below 40°F — verified at load, arrival, pre-service
  • HACCP-style temp checks; color-coded boards; no cross-contamination
  • Season-and-taste each component; one plate review per course
  • Warmed plates for hot courses, chilled for cold; rims wiped
Risk Register

What We Guard Against

  • Allergens: written confirmation; adaptable alternate; labeling
  • Unfamiliar kitchen: equipment confirmed early; max make-ahead
  • Fish supply: pre-reserved; inspected; backup identified
  • Timing slip: 15-min buffers; sauces held; assistant on plating
Cost Baseline

The Provisions Budget

Protein — halibut, lamb, pancetta $260 – $340
Produce & herbs $90 – $120
Dairy & specialty $80 – $110
Pantry & bakery $60 – $90
Consumables — ice, labels, gloves $20 – $30
Food & provisions $510 – $690

Mileage and chef labor (~23.5 hr) billed separately per agreement. Variance beyond ~10% is flagged to the host.