Spring private chef · Rhode Island & Massachusetts

A spring dinner, in your home.

A spring menu cooked in your home across Rhode Island, Cape Cod, and the Boston metro. Built around soft shell crab, rack of lamb, the early strawberries, and the rhubarb that comes in for about six weeks.

Reserve Your Spring Date
Spring cooking

The spring table.

Spring here is brief and specific. The window for English peas and soft shell crab is genuinely short. Rhubarb shows up at Clements for about six weeks. Strawberries from Schartner Farms in Exeter come in late, then stop. You have to be paying attention.

The spring menu reflects that. It’s not a rotation of year-round ingredients with a seasonal label on it. I build the menu around what’s actually available right now, which means dinners in April and May taste different from anything I’d put together in January.

The sourcing is local. Newport Seafood for the fish and shellfish, including the soft shell crab when it’s running. Aquidneck Meat for the lamb (rack and loin), beef, and pork. Clements for produce, including the rhubarb that anchors most of the spring desserts. Narragansett Creamery for the cheese boards (Atwells Gold and Divine Providence are the regulars). Provençal Bakery for the bread. Schartner Farms in Exeter for berries when they hit.

Spring 2026

The full spring menu.

Every appetizer, entrée, and dessert in the current rotation. Soft shell crab, rack of lamb, strawberry rhubarb pavlova, and the rest of the lineup. Updated each spring.

View the Full Menu (PDF)
A sample night

A spring evening on the table.

SAMPLE SPRING MENU

A Spring Dinner

FIVE COURSES · IN YOUR HOME

FIRST

Oysters

Meyer Lemon Granita, Fennel Pollen, Shallot Mignonette

SALAD

Bibb Lettuce Salad

Radish, Fennel, Asparagus Tips, Avocado, Hazelnuts, Shaved Gruyere, Herbs, Mustard Vinaigrette

FISH

Crispy Soft Shell Crab

Sweet Corn Succotash, Leeks, Baby Potatoes, Caper-White Wine Jus

MAIN

Rack of Lamb

Herb Crust, Mint Chimichurri, Roasted Carrots, Pomegranate Seeds

DESSERT

Strawberry Rhubarb Pavlova

Meringue, Rhubarb Compote, Strawberries, Crème Fraîche

Sample menu only · Yours is built around your guests and what’s peaking the week of your dinner.

Last May

Ten guests. One Newport porch.

Last May, ten guests at a house in Newport for a celebration. Oysters with meyer lemon granita to start, sharp and cold. Lamb lollipops with apricot-walnut relish, passed during cocktail hour. Parker rolls warm from the oven with strawberry-rhubarb preserve and softened butter. Rack of lamb with mint chimichurri and roasted carrots, plated. Crispy-skinned sea bass with spring garlic puree and glazed English peas, family-style at the center of the table. Strawberry-rhubarb pavlova with crème fraîche, set out as guests moved to the porch.

That’s the shape. Yours gets built differently.

How a spring night runs

Three steps. One night.

01
Reach out
Send the date, headcount, and what kind of night you’re planning. I usually reply within 24 hours.
02
Menu design
I send a custom proposal, three to five courses, built around your guests and what’s peaking that week. You approve, change, or swap.
03
Event night
I arrive 2.5 hours before guests, prep, cook, plate, serve through the meal, and clean before I leave. The kitchen looks like the morning.
Common spring questions

Questions about spring.

When does the spring menu rotate?
Spring 2026 runs from late March through early June. Summer rotates in mid-June. Some spring favorites like soft shell crab and rhubarb only run for a few weeks even within the spring window.
What’s the most popular spring dish?
The chocolate hazelnut tart is the most-ordered dessert overall. The filet mignon is the most-ordered entrée. The cauliflower steak is the most-ordered vegetarian option. The rack of lamb is the most distinct spring entrée. The bacon-wrapped pork loin with rhubarb glaze is the spring favorite that most people don’t know they want until they taste it.
Do you do soft shell crab?
Yes, while it’s in season. The window is short, usually mid-May through mid-June depending on the year. Worth booking the date specifically if soft shell is what you want.
Where do you source spring ingredients?
Newport Seafood for fish and shellfish. Aquidneck Meat for lamb, beef, and pork. Clements for produce. Narragansett Creamery for cheese boards. Schartner Farms in Exeter for berries when they hit. Local foragers for wild ramps when they’re running.
How many guests can you cook for?
Most spring dinners land between six and fourteen guests. For larger groups, additional staff (sous chef, server, plater) joins the booking.
Can you accommodate dietary restrictions?
Yes. Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, pescatarian, severe nut allergies, celiac, kosher-style, and halal are all accommodated.
How far in advance should I book?
Two to three weeks lead time minimum. Easter, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and graduation weekends fill earliest.
Do you do spring holiday menus?
Yes. Easter dinners, Mother’s Day brunch, and graduation celebrations are all built from the spring menu. See the holiday menu page for the full holiday format.
Where do you serve?
All of Rhode Island plus Cape Cod and the Boston metro suburbs. Travel surcharges apply for events more than 90 minutes from Newport.
Do you cook for vacation rentals in spring?
Yes. Newport, Cape Cod, and Watch Hill spring rentals are a regular booking. The first night you arrive is one of the most common slots.
What’s the spring brunch menu look like?
Spring brunches lean bright. Lemon ricotta pancakes with strawberry compote. Lobster Benedict on the asparagus version. Smoked salmon Benedict with charred ramps. Spring vegetable frittata with peas and pea shoots. The dessert course leans toward strawberry shortcake or rhubarb crumble depending on what week it is. See the brunch page.
Can you do an Easter dinner with both ham and lamb?
Yes. Some Easter dinners run a dual-protein format. A glazed ham for the traditionalists and a roast leg of lamb for the rest of the table. The sides span both directions: spring pea puree, asparagus with hollandaise, herbed roasted potatoes, and a citrus-glazed carrot dish.
Do you cook for graduation weekends across May and June?
Yes. Graduation weekends are some of the busiest of the spring. Brown, RISD, Roger Williams, URI, Salve Regina, Boston University, and the Boston metro colleges. The dinner usually anchors a Friday or Saturday night at a rented home, family home, or rented event space.
Will leftovers cover the next day?
Yes. Five-course dinners typically leave enough for the host’s next-day breakfast and lunch. The fridge is left organized with leftovers labeled before I leave.
Do you handle the wine pairings for a spring dinner?
Wine sourcing is your call. I do not stock or markup beverages. I will recommend pairings (Sancerre, Albariño, light Pinot Noir, and a chilled Beaujolais for the lamb) and serve what you provide throughout the night.
Do you cook with wild ramps when they’re running?
Yes. Wild ramps from local foragers in Tiverton and Little Compton hit a brief two-to-three-week window in late April or early May. They show up in the spring pesto, the ramp butter on the soft shell crab, the ramp gremolata on the rack of lamb, and the spring vegetable frittata at brunch.
Can you do a Memorial Day weekend Newport rental dinner?
Yes. Memorial Day weekend opens the Newport summer rental season and is one of the busiest spring dates of the year. Most Memorial Day Newport bookings run Friday or Saturday night for ten to sixteen guests at the rented summer house, family home, or Bellevue Avenue cottage. Books four to six weeks out at minimum.
Other seasons

Beyond spring.

Mid-June – early September
Summer
 Mid-September – late November
Fall
 Late November – early March
Winter
 Custom holiday format
Holiday Menus
Reserve your spring date

Tell me about your night.

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

Inquire About Your Spring Dinner