For groups who REALLY want to go all out and compete, we offer a full Iron Chef competition for groups of up to 30 people. After your finger foods & wine reception, you'll head into the kitchen, where you'll break up into teams. Each team will brainstorm about their menu, then prepare a composed appetizer plate from an array of pantry items and a mystery ingredient. Each team will prepare sufficient sample portions for a buffet, so all guests can taste each of the teams' creation, as well as a single presentation plate for our chefs/judges. After the cooking competition, our judges will announce the winning team and you'll all enjoy a buffet meal consisting of the appetizers you created, a main course, a side dish, and a dessert prepared by our chefs.

The additional cost is $30 per person plus tax and gratuity.

Gifts for the Participants

You can also add on gifts for everyone (or just the winning team) on the for an additional cost: copies of chef/owner Micol's new cookbook The Best Pasta Sauces: Favorite Regional Italian Recipes or embroidered RUSTICO COOKING aprons are a great idea.

For a less expensive competion that features cooking an entire menu peppered with smaller scale challenges both during the cooking portion and the dining portion, check out the quickfire competition

Quickfire Competition Friendly Competition Overview

If you want to inject a little competitive spirit in your private cooking event, consider a Quick Fire Challenge & Food Trivia Competition! The cooking time will be about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on your menu and group size, followed by a spirited, lively competition in the kitchen. Our chefs will ask that your group break up into smaller teams (anywhere from 2 to 6 teams depending on your group size) and each team will compete in a series of fun kitchen games and a short but intense food trivia challenge. Our chefs will announce the winning team; if you're on that team, bragging rights will be yours for the night!

The additional cost is $15 per person plus tax and gratuity. You can also add on gifts for everyone on the winning team for an additional cost: copies of chef/owner Micol's new cookbook The Best Pasta Sauces: Favorite Regional Italian Recipes or embroidered RUSTICO COOKING aprons are a great idea.

For a more focused competition that features brainstorming, conceptualizing and executing a single dish, check out the

Iron Chef Competition. Friendly Competition Overview

If you're really into wine, a wine tasting can be added to your private cooking event for an additional fee ($400 for the wine speaker's fee regardless of the number of attendees, plus a wine budget per person to be determined by you; most clients spend from $10 to $30 per person). The wine selection will be customized by our Wine Director for your event, and he will pair the wines with the menu you choose.

These events combine a hands-on cooking class (30 to 45 minutes of cooking) with an informative, entertaining wine tasting that will give you the unique opportunity to taste a variety of Italian wines and learn what makes them special. Each wine will be introduced by our wine speaker, its flavor profile and best pairings discussed.

You'll be greeted with a glass of wine and a selection of finger foods upon arrival. After you've had a chance to relax and mingle with guests, you'll roll up your sleeves and cook in our state-of-the-art kitchen. Finally, you'll sit down to enjoy a wine tasting and a three-course meal paired with wines. You'll taste a total of 3 to 8 wines throughout the course of your event depending on your wine budget.

Our Wine Director, Costas Mouzouras (pictured right), is an expert at pairing chocolate and wine. Together we've devised a luxurious event for chocolate and wine lovers: a chocolate and wine tasting.

These events begin with a relaxing finger food and Prosecco wine reception, followed by a hands-on cooking class in our state-of-the-art kitchen. Next, you'll enjoy a sit-down meal during which you'll savor the 5 dishes you've prepared (an appetizer, a main course, two side dishes, and a dessert of your choosing) paired with a specially selected white and red wine.

And then the chocolate magic will begin: Costas will present you with 6 bite-size chocolates from top chocolatiers, and pair them with an amazing line-up of wines (some sweet, some not), ensuring that you'll never think of wine or chocolate the same way again.

This unique event is perfect for anyone looking for a new way to entertain wine-loving friends at home: you'll surely want to share the pleasures of what you've learned at your very own chocolate and wine dinner.

This amazing experience can be added to your private cooking event for an additional fee ($400 for the wine speaker's fee regardless of the number of attendees, plus a wine and chocolate budget per person to be determined by you; the range is from $30 to $40 per person). The wine selection will be customized by our Wine Director for your event, and he will pair the wines with the menu you choose.