Summer Private Chef in East Hampton
Breakfast for the house, lunch packed for the beach and dinner on the lawn, cooked in your kitchen by the same chef all season.
One House at a Time
Lena Amsel cooks for one household at a time, from the Friday before Memorial Day to Labor Day Monday. Winters are spent cooking in the city; summers, in a kitchen out east, cooking for its family and whoever drives out for the weekend.
Eight summers in, she knows which stand has corn by the Fourth, when the fluke comes in and how many people a Hamptons weekend really means.
- ✓One household at a time
- ✓Shopping done every morning
- ✓Weekend guests counted daily
- ✓Kitchen closed by nine
Taking the Season
Most houses book the full season; weekends or a single month work too. Saturday dinners and beach lunches come with all three.
Full-Season House Chef
Six days a week from Memorial Day to Labor Day: breakfast set out, lunch plated or packed, and dinner for the household and its guests.
Weekends Only
Friday dinner through Sunday lunch, for houses that fill up at the weekend and go quiet midweek.
July or August Only
One month for a rental or a shorter stay, from the first of the month to the last, with the pantry stocked before you arrive.
Saturday Dinner Parties
With any booking: twenty seated on the lawn or the porch, with a second cook and a server on the night.
Beach & Boat Lunches
With any booking: lunch for the whole group packed in coolers with ice packs and labels, ready for the beach, the bay or the boat.
How the Kitchen Changes From May to September
Memorial Day
The house opens: pantry stocked, fridge filled and a first dinner waiting on Friday night.
June
Asparagus, strawberries and the first local fluke, and quieter weeks with more dinners at home.
Fourth of July
The biggest weekend of the year: a cookout for the house and everyone it invites.
August
Corn and tomatoes most nights, peaches in everything, and the most Saturday dinners.
Labor Day
The last dinner, then the fridge emptied and the kitchen left clean for closing up.
When the House Fills Up on Friday
A summer house rarely has the same number at the table two nights running.
Headcount by noon
One text a day: four for Tuesday dinner, eleven by Friday.
Late plates kept warm
For whoever comes out on the last train or the late jitney.
Guests' allergies asked ahead
Sent with the headcount, so dinner is planned before anyone arrives.
Around the Meals
Opening the house
The pantry, fridge and bar staples bought the week before you arrive.
Kids' dinner at 5:30
An earlier table for children, cooked from the same shopping.
A grocery account
Receipts sent every Sunday, passed on at cost.
Monday off
A ready-to-heat dinner and next day's lunch left in the fridge.
January to Memorial Day
Most full seasons are settled between January and March.
Winter call
The house, the dates, who's staying and how the family likes to eat.
Tasting
Lena cooks one dinner at your city home, or a menu call if you're farther away.
Pantry list
In May, a list of what the house needs stocked before day one.
Opening weekend
Lena arrives the Thursday before Memorial Day and cooks Friday's dinner.
Summers Are Booked in Winter
A full season goes to one house. Ask in January for the best chance at this year's.
Summer Chef FAQs
Do you cook for two houses at once?
No. One household at a time, so your days and your kitchen come first. If no house takes the full season, the summer is shared out by the month or by the weekend.
Who cooks on Mondays?
Monday is off. The fridge is left with a ready-to-heat dinner and lunch for Tuesday.
Who buys the groceries?
Lena does, every morning, on the house's grocery account. Receipts go out each Sunday and are passed on at cost. The house provides the wine.
Can the kids eat earlier?
Yes. A 5:30 kids' dinner is common. Send their ages and favorites before the season starts.
What about a shellfish allergy, out here of all places?
It's planned around like any other. Tell us before Memorial Day and the season is cooked without it, and weekend guests' allergies are asked for as they're booked.
Is Montauk too far?
No. Lena cooks across the East End: East Hampton, Amagansett, Sag Harbor, Wainscott, Bridgehampton and Montauk.
Your House, Your Dates
The house, the dates and who's staying. Lena replies within two days, all year.