Inquire · Partum Events

Inquire about a dinner.

Send the date, headcount, location, and what kind of night you’re planning. I usually reply within 24 hours.

Send Your Inquiry
Send your inquiry

Tell me about your night.

Inquiry Form
What happens next

The booking timeline.

Within 24 hours. I review your inquiry and send a custom menu draft and an initial quote based on your guest count, location, and event type.

Within 5 to 7 days. We finalize the menu after you’ve sent any swaps, additions, or feedback. Final pricing locks at this point.

48 to 72 hours before the event. A final confirmation call or email to lock arrival time, special touches, and any last dietary changes.

Day of event. I arrive 2.5 hours before guests, set up a working line in your kitchen, and run the night.

For more on what to expect, see what to expect when hiring a private chef in RI.

Lead times

When to book.

  • Standard dinners: 2 to 3 weeks lead time
  • Summer Newport weekends (July–August): 6 to 8 weeks
  • Thanksgiving: Books in September
  • Christmas Eve / Christmas Day: Books in October
  • New Year’s Eve: 6 to 8 weeks minimum
  • Anniversary and Valentine’s Day dinners: 2 to 4 weeks
  • Meal prep: 2 to 3 weeks lead time on the first week
Service area

Where I cook.

  • Rhode Island: Newport, Middletown, Jamestown, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Little Compton, Providence, Cranston, East Providence, Pawtucket, Bristol, Barrington, East Greenwich, Warwick, Narragansett, South Kingstown, Westerly, Watch Hill
  • Cape Cod: Falmouth, Mashpee, Sandwich, Bourne, Hyannis, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, Brewster, Harwich, Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, Provincetown
  • Boston metro suburbs: Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, Needham, Weston, Dover, Medfield
  • South Shore Massachusetts: Plymouth, Sandwich, Scituate, Marshfield

Travel surcharges apply for events more than 90 minutes from Newport. Meal prep is restricted to a tighter Newport-area-through-Providence radius.

What I need from you

What to send in the inquiry.

A complete inquiry lets me come back with a real menu and a real quote within twenty-four hours. The five things I need are simple, and missing any of them tends to add a round of back-and-forth before the proposal can land in your inbox.

  1. The date. If you have flexibility, send the date you most want plus one or two backups. Peak weekends fill weeks ahead.
  2. The headcount. An exact count is best. If guests are still confirming, send the most likely number plus your minimum and maximum so the menu can scale appropriately.
  3. The location. The town and a rough sense of the kitchen (full home kitchen, condo galley, vacation rental, family home). For Cape Cod and Boston metro bookings, the town also affects travel logistics.
  4. The event type. Multi-course dinner, brunch, hors d’oeuvres reception, holiday meal, meal prep, or some combination. The format determines the menu structure.
  5. Dietary restrictions. Every diet at the table — celiac, vegan, dairy-free, severe nut allergy, kosher-style, halal, religious dietary needs, picky kid preferences. The menu builds around the most restrictive eater so no one gets an afterthought plate.

A note about the occasion or what you want the night to feel like also helps the menu come back closer to right on the first pass.

Pricing

How quotes get built.

Every quote is custom because every menu is custom. After our first call, I send back a custom menu and a quote that reflects your guest count, your dietary mix, your location, and the format you want.

For the full breakdown of how private chef pricing works across Rhode Island and Massachusetts, see the cost guide post.

The quote covers menu design, ingredient sourcing from local suppliers (Newport Seafood, Aquidneck Meat, Clements, Narragansett Creamery, Provençal Bakery, local farms), full on-site preparation, table service throughout the meal, and complete kitchen cleanup. It does not cover wine, spirits, or rentals (those are your call and not marked up). Travel surcharges for events more than ninety minutes from Newport are line-itemed in the quote upfront.

Common booking questions

Questions before you inquire.

How many guests do you cook for?
Two to twenty. Most bookings land between six and fourteen guests. For dinners closer to twenty, additional staff joins so service stays smooth.
How far in advance do I need to book?
Two to three weeks for most standard dinners. Newport summer weekends, Brown/RISD parents weekends, holiday weeks (Thanksgiving books in September, Christmas in October, New Year’s Eve six to eight weeks out), and Mother’s Day all fill earlier.
Do you accommodate dietary restrictions?
Yes. Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, pescatarian, severe nut allergies, celiac, kosher-style, and halal are all accommodated. The menu is built around the most restrictive eater.
Do you handle the wine and cocktails?
Wine and cocktails are your call. I do not stock or markup beverages. I will recommend pairings that match the menu and serve what you provide throughout the night.
Can you cook in a vacation rental or rented home?
Yes. Newport summer rentals, Cape Cod weekend houses, Watch Hill cottages, and rented family-weekend homes are some of the most-booked formats. The kitchen requirements adapt to the space.
What’s your cancellation policy?
Cancellation policy depends on the booking type and how close to the date the cancellation happens. The full policy is included in the contract sent with the final quote.
Do you do same-week or last-minute bookings?
Sometimes, depending on the date and the menu complexity. Send the inquiry and I’ll come back within a few hours with whether the date is feasible.
Can I book a recurring service (weekly meal prep or monthly dinners)?
Yes. Weekly meal prep is a regular recurring booking. Monthly or seasonal dinner bookings (one dinner a month, quarterly tasting menus) are also possible. See the meal prep page for the recurring weekly format.
Will I work directly with you or a booking team?
Directly with me. Every inquiry, menu draft, and event-day touchpoint runs through me personally. There’s no booking team layer between you and the chef.
Do you do tastings before booking?
Tastings are not a standard pre-booking step. The first menu draft and a follow-up call usually surface what the dinner needs without a tasting. For larger events (closer to twenty guests, full weekend bookings, multi-event programs), a paid tasting can be arranged on request.
How is payment handled?
After the menu and quote are confirmed, a deposit reserves the date and the balance is invoiced and due before the event. The full payment terms are spelled out in the booking contract sent with the final quote.