Your New Personal Chef- The Dish’s Dish

Living in The City is undoubtedly awesome with all the countless activities and cultural events happening every day. With that in mind, it’s not always easy to fit in some of the most basic things we grew up with such as a home cooked meal. Here to fill that void is The Dish’s Dish, a culinary service that will whip up deliciousness right in the comfort of your own home.

Founder of The Dish’s Dish, Jill Donenfeld, was inspired by her own experiences as a personal chef for the families she babysat for in New York.  She recognized that the family aspect of sitting together at a table for a meal was commonly missing in this busy community. She wanted to help bring back the culture of eating well at home, something she did a lot of while growing up in Ohio but realized that she had to make it superbly easy and convenient for the on-the-go lifestyle.

Jill notes that their differentiating point from other home food services is that they do not cook in bulk. In the city there seems to be a general demand for delivered meals but Jill and her team are focusing on a more personalized approach. “Everything we cook is tailored to each client. [We] plan a menu specifically for each client, grocery shop individually for each client and cook in the client’s kitchen, breathing life into it and further personalizing the food.”  She adds, “We are also cute, nice and fun to be around.” Jill further confirms they can handle just about anything!

Clients can work with the chefs at The Dish’s Dish to fine tune each meal or leave it completely up to them. Either way you would be in good hands – each personal chef has graduated from culinary school and a few have even worked under the likes of Jean Georges, Mario Batali and Tom Colicchio. It may not come naturally for everyone to let a stranger into their homes, but when this person promises to leave you with a week’s worth of food you love most, and of course a clean kitchen, it may be an offer worth considering.

To start the service, it’s as simple as filling out a check list so their Culinistas® can start customizing your meals just the way you want them – vegan, kosher, organic, you name it. Instead of the usual takeout, consider the possibility of coming home to herbed skirt steak chimichurri, lemon-rosemary chicken with fig chutney or sugar snap peas with mint julep glaze.

Jill Donenfeld was also kind enough to sit down with Debonair to answer a few questions on things that as a culinary entrepreneur, she may know a thing or two about.

What are some of your favorite restaurants in the city?

Balthazar – “Because it’s damn classy and there’s always something to be discovered on the menu. I’ve been going there for years.”
Ditch Plains – “I’m going to say it. I think they have the best lobster rolls. Yes, better than Pearl and Mary’s.”
Hangawi – “It’s a slice of bliss, it transports me out of the city and into a more tranquil mindset. The food supports that.”
Le Bernardin – “I’ve only been once but it was with my father and was easily the most memorable meal of my life. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. Also, if you’ve ever met Mr. Ripert, you know that he’s about the nicest man alive.”

What are some of your favorite bars to take your out-of-towners?

Soho House
Smith and Mills
The Ear
The Campbell Apartment
Sakagura

Do you have any culinary advice for the Debonair reader that wants to start cooking?

“If he’s the type who doesn’t stop to ask for directions, he could pick up Harold McGee’s On Food and Cooking, which is kind of like McGuyver + Larousse.”

What about some advice for the reader that cooks to impress?

“Adding sea salt to homemade caramel or finding out what his impressee’s favorite dish was as a child and then recreating it.”

For more info check out The Dish’s Dish