WE OFFER IN-PERSON COOKING EVENTS IN NYC AND VIRTUAL COOKING EVENTS. YOU PICK THE RIGHT FORMAT FOR YOUR GROUP!
We are happy to say that we can once again welcome small groups for live, hands-on cooking events; our staff has been fully vaccinated and we follow strict safety protocols. If you prefer to cook from the comfort and safety of your own home, or your team is still working remotely, we would love to host your virtual cooking event.
Request a private event"Thank you so much for orchestrating a wonderful evening!! We were having so much fun that the night flew by so quickly. The food was absolutely delicious and I can't wait to try my hand at some of those recipes at home. Thank you again for a fantastic and very memorable party." - Pam, NYC
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In-Person Cooking Parties & Teambuilding Events in NYC
For corporations looking for a hands-on team-building activity, a cooking party is an effective and fun way to bond with colleagues. And to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, bachelorette party etc... It doesn't get any better than cooking with friends and family all around... Smaller group? Consider joining a cooking class!
We bring 18 years of experience to creating memorable culinary team building offsite events, corporate parties, and personal celebrations to NYC.
Our private events are held at Degustibus Cooking School at Macy's Herald Square, 8th Floor, at 151 West 34th Street, New York City.
Events can be hosted in the daytime or evening and last 3 hours. We'll happily accommodate vegetarians and anyone with allergies or dietary restrictions at no extra charge; we even offer an entirely gluten-free menu. All dietary restrictions need to be indicated at least 48 hours prior to events so we can plan on suitable alternatives.
Event Flow
When you arrive, you'll enjoy a selection of freshly prepared finger foods with wine. Next, you'll cook for about 1 hour, then sit down to enjoy the fruits of your labor with specially selected wines. You'll receive recipes so you can recreate the delicious menu at home.
Private cooking events include:
- wine and finger foods reception (30 minutes)
- hands-on cooking (1 hour)
- seated three-course meal paired with wines (1 hour and 30 minutes)
- espresso
- recipes
- fun for everyone!
Safety protocols:
- Doors open 15 minutes prior to class time
- Temperature check upon arrival
- Masks required for all guests when entering the school and cooking
- Staff required to wear masks throughout the class
- Tables and chairs are sanitized prior to arrival
- Bathrooms are sanitized every 30 minutes
Customize your menu with 5 dishes: Classic 5
The Classic 5 is our most popular option: Select one appetizer, one main course, two sides, and one dessert to create your own tailor-made menu! The cost is $165 per person plus NYS tax and 20% gratuity. A $150 adminitrative fee will be added to your final bill.
APPETIZER (choose one):
- Tagliatelle with Savory Meat Ragu (groups of 20 or less)
- Tagliatelle with Peas, Prosciutto, & Cream (groups of 20 or less)
- Cavatelli Pasta with Roasted Wild Mushrooms, Asparagus, & Parmigiano
- Cavatelli Pasta with Arugula, Grape Tomatoes, & Ricotta Salata
- Cavatelli Pasta with Roasted Broccoli, Garlic, Chili, & Toasted Bread Crumbs
- Ricotta Gnocchi with Roasted Peppers, Olives, & Tomatoes
- Roasted Wild Mushroom Risotto (groups of 20 or less)
- Five-Herb Risotto (groups of 20 or less)
- Risotto with Butternut Squash & Leeks (groups of 20 or less)
Click on image for gallery
MAIN COURSE (choose one):
- Chicken Cacciatora (With Garlic, Rosemary, & Tomato)
- Braised Chicken with Olives, Lemon, & Pine Nuts
- Roasted Chicken in Balsamic-Honey Glaze
- Tender Chicken Morsels in Wild Mushroom-Cream Sauce
- Filet Mignon with Leek & Red Wine Sauce ($10 per person supplement)
- Sicilian-Style Mediterranean Sea Bass with Pine Nuts, Olives, & Raisins
- Stuffed & Rolled Mediterranean Sea Bass with Fragrant Three-Herb Pesto
SIDE 1: VEGETABLE (choose one):
- Fennel Gratin with Shaved Parmigiano
- Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini, & Peppers in Tarragon-Infused Oil
- Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with Herbed Ricotta Mousse
- Cauliflower Gratin with Smoked Mozzarella & Bacon
- Roasted Asparagus with Parmigiano
- Roasted Broccoli with Garlic & Chili
- Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Lemon & Garlic
- Roasted Sweet Pepper Medley with Basil, Tomatoes, & Ricotta Salata
- Roasted String Beans with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Garlic & Thyme
SIDE 2: STARCH (choose one):
- Chive-Scented Ricotta Gnocchi in Aromatic Herb Butter
- Braised Chickpeas with Spinach & Garlic
- Roasted Wild Mushroom, Sage, & Parmigiano Bread Pudding
- Broccoli Raab & Parmigiano Bread Pudding
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- "Smashed" Red-Skinned Baby Potatoes with Chives & Paprika
- Tuscan Bread, Tomato, & Basil Salad
DESSERT (choose one):
- Almond-Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Dark Chocolate Sauce
- Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream & Dark Chocolate Sauce
- The Ultimate Tiramisu
- Double Chocolate-Chunk Brioche Bread Pudding with Warm Caramel Sauce & Vanilla Whipped Cream
- Light as Air Limoncello & Berry Mousse
Optional Caesar Salad Add-On
NEW: You can add on a delicious, refreshing homemade Caesar Salad prepared by our chefs for your event. The salad will be served family-style with the main course and the cost is $7.50 per person plus NYS tax and 20% gratuity.
Team Building Menu
TEAM-BUILDING
- Cavatelli Pasta with Arugula, Grape Tomatoes, & Ricotta Salata OR Roasted Wild Mushroom, Sage, & Parmigiano Bread Pudding (choose one)
- Stuffed & Rolled Mediterranean Sea Bass with Fragrant Three-Herb Pesto OR Roasted Chicken in Balsamic-Honey Glaze (choose one)
- Roasted String Beans with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Garlic & Thyme OR Roasted Broccoli with Garlic & Chili (choose one)
- "Smashed" Red-Skinned Baby Potatoes with Chives & Paprika OR Chive-Scented Ricotta Gnocchi in Aromatic Herb Butter (choose one)
- The Ultimate Tiramisu OR Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla-Scented Whipped Cream & Dark Chocolate Sauce (choose one)
Click on image for gallery
Popular Classic 5 Menus
Harvest Feast
- Tagliatelle with Peas, Prosciutto, & Cream (groups of 20 or less)
- Chicken Cacciatora (With Garlic, Rosemary, & Tomato)
- Roasted Asparagus with Parmigiano
- Chive-Scented Ricotta Gnocchi in Aromatic Herb Butter
- Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream & Dark Chocolate Sauce
Comfort Food
- Cavatelli Pasta with Arugula, Grape Tomatoes, & Ricotta Salata
- Roasted Chicken in Balsamic-Honey Glaze
- Roasted Broccoli with Garlic & Chili
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Almond-Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Dark Chocolate Sauce
Fireplace Dinner
- Ricotta Gnocchi with Roasted Peppers, Olives, & Tomatoes
- Filet Mignon with Leek & Red Wine Sauce ($10 per person supplement)
- Roasted String Beans with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Garlic & Thyme
- Roasted Wild Mushroom, Sage, & Parmigiano Bread Pudding
- Double Chocolate-Chunk Brioche Bread Pudding with Warm Caramel Sauce & Vanilla Whipped Cream
Rustic Favorites
- Cavatelli Pasta with Roasted Wild Mushrooms, Asparagus, & Parmigiano
- Stuffed & Rolled Mediterranean Sea Bass with Fragrant Three-Herb Pesto
- Roasted Fennel Gratin with Shaved Parmigiano
- "Smashed" Red-Skinned Baby Potatoes with Chives & Paprika
- The Ultimate Tiramisu
Gluten-Free Menu
- Roasted Wild Mushroom Risotto OR Five-Herb Risotto (groups of 20 or less)
- Chicken Cacciatora (With Garlic, Rosemary, & Tomato) OR Sicilian-Style Mediterranean Sea Bass with Pine Nuts, Olives, & Raisins (choose one)
- Roasted Sweet Pepper Medley with Basil, Tomatoes, & Ricotta Salata OR Roasted Asparagus with Parmigiano (choose one)
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes OR "Smashed" Red-Skinned Baby Potatoes with Chives & Paprika (choose one)
- Almond-Chocolate Cakes with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce
Pizza Parties
This is a great party idea for groups who really want to be hands-on in the kitchen and who prefer small teams for the entire cooking process. You'll learn to make pizza dough, top and bake off a variety of pizzas, then sit down to enjoy your pizzas with a green salad and roasted seasonal vegetables, and finish up with a homemade dessert and espresso. The cost is $135 per person plus NYS tax and 20% gratuity. A $150 administrative fee will be added to your final bill.
PIZZA PARTY MENU
- Assorted Pizzas - you choose the toppings!
- Mixed greens in balsamic vinaigrette
- Roasted seasonal vegetables
- Homemade dessert
- Espresso
Pasta Parties
You'll prepare two of Italy's most delectable pastas from scratch, each with their ideal sauce. Next, you'll sit down to enjoy your freshly made pastas along with a green salad and roasted seasonal vegetables, and finish up with a homemade dessert and espresso. The cost is $135 per person plus NYS tax and 20% gratuity. A $150 administrative fee will be added to your final bill.
PASTA PARTY MENU (choose 2 pastas)
- Cavatelli Pasta with Roasted Broccoli, Garlic, Chili, & Toasted Bread Crumbs
- Cavatelli Pasta with Savory Meat Ragu
- Cavatelli Pasta with Roasted Wild Mushrooms, Asparagus, & Parmigiano
- Cavatelli Pasta with Arugula, Grape Tomatoes, & Ricotta Salata
- Cavatelli with Broccoli Raab & Sausage
- Ricotta Gnocchi with Roasted Peppers, Olives, & Tomatoes
- Ricotta Gnocchi in Aromatic Herb Butter
- Ricotta Gnocchi with Arugula-Basil Pesto
- Ricotta Gnocchi in Basil-Scented Tomato Sauce
- Tagliatelle with Savory Meat Ragu (groups of 20 or less)
- Tagliatelle with Peas, Prosciutto, & Cream (groups of 20 or less)
- Mixed greens in balsamic vinaigrette
- Roasted seasonal vegetables
- Homemade dessert
- Espresso
Premium Finger Foods and Prosecco Reception
To elevate your private cooking event to an unparalleled level of luxury, consider adding on our Premium Finger Foods & Prosecco Reception: instead of house wine, we'll pour everyone a glass of bubbly Prosecco upon arrival, kicking off the festivities in high style, and we'll serve five delicious finger foods (instead of three).
Finger foods vary from phyllo rolls, crispy ravioli, skewered shrimp, vegetable frittata, bruschetta, homemade focaccia, herbed filet mignon skewers, crunchy polenta coins, and more... Our chefs let their imaginations go wild and come up with delectable bites! You can see some examples by clicking on the pictures below!
Premium Finger Foods + Prosecco Reception |
Premium Finger Foods Only |
Prosecco Reception Only |
| $17.50 plus tax & gratuity per person | $10 plus tax & gratuity per person | $10 plus tax & gratuity per person |
Aprons
Purchase handsome embroidered RUSTICO COOKING aprons as a souvenir for $20 per apron. Or splurge and order custom aprons with your logo or message for $25 per apron; please allow 3 weeks for customization.
The Best Pasta Sauces Cookbook
Order Signed Copies of Rustico Cooking founder Micol Negrin's cookbook, The Best Pasta Sauces: $25 plus tax for bulk orders (10 or more) or $30 plus tax for smaller orders.
Almond-Chocolate Cakes with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce
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Double Chocolate-Chunk Brioche Bread Pudding with Warm Caramel Sauce & Vanilla Whipped Cream
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Private Virtual Cooking Events
Virtual cooking classes are an ideal way to bond with colleagues and to host client events, or to reconnect with family and friends.
Menus include a main course, a side dish, and a dessert. If you prefer a theme class, we can focus on pasta-making, pizza, or desserts. We can customize menus to suit dietary restrictions or preferences such as gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, Kosher, etc. Below you are can see a few sample menus; more are available upon request.
Class duration is usually 90 minutes but can be longer or shorter depending on your preference.
A shopping list will be provided to the organizer a week prior to class. We can make up the shopping list to serve the whole team if you are all cooking together, or each individual participant if you are cooking separately.
We will also provide the organizer a detailed equipment list a week prior to class along with any advance prep notes.
BONUS: Participants will receive class recipes plus 3 free pdf recipe booklets (Salads; Grilling; and Splendid Fruit Desserts, featuring 55 additional recipes with color photographs).Our instructors are filmed using multiple cameras to allow participants to better see what is happening at the stove, on the cutting board, etc. Participants can ask our instructors questions via a live chat.
Please email micol@rusticocooking.com to inquire about pricing, availability, and other booking details.
We look forward to cooking with you and your team!
Hi Micol, Thank you so much for the [virtual] class tonight. You and Dino were wonderful! I loved your anecdotes and special tips, and especially the pace of the evening. You waited for thumbs up, I doubt anyone felt rushed, and it was fun and not stressful. And the food (at least the gnocchi so far) is delicious! Can't wait to try the tiramisu later! It was perfect! Thank you both again so very much! LeighAnne, Pfizer
I got a lovely email from Daniel last night with beautiful photos of his food and a note that the group had a blast. Many thanks for a lovely event. The team had a GREAT time! The video looks perfect-thank you for arranging this. Cleo, Cravath
Micol, Thank you so much for the most amazing class last Tuesday! I took it with my mom and sisters from our family beach vacation in the OBX and it was a highlight of our time together! We've all taken in-person classes with you before throughout the years, and we weren't sure how the virtual class would go, but it was so much better than we could have hoped for. Thank you for thinking creatively and providing opportunities like this. My mom and sisters live in NJ, and I live in NC, and we hadn't seen each other in 8 months. This was seriously a wonderful way to spend our time...and the meal was incredible. Thank you again. Tara, NC
My family gathered for a virtual cooking class and birthday celebration... it was hosted by Rustico Cooking , Micol Negrin and her husband Dino De Angelis who made cooking so easy. 12 couples all worked on line to making a most amazing meal of ricotta gnocchi with sage sauce, sweet and sour fish with olives and tomatoes Sicilian style, eggplant with mint and chocolate bread pudding with whipped cream. We did it all in a mere 90 minutes. Every dish was well thought through and delicious. It was fun to cook together, eat together and celebrate together in a fun social distancing way. Bravo to Micol and Dino!Judie, Brooklyn
Thank you for an amazing and delicious evening! Everything was delicious and we so appreciate everything you did to make the experience so fantastic! I’m so excited to make this all again! I never thought I could cook Branzino! As a family who is so spread out and especially during Covid, this was a real special treat! Laine, NYC
Thank you and Dino for a wonderful evening! We have already received great feedback on our virtual cooking class!Anastasia, Kelley Drye
Thank you so much, we had a blast!Kurt, Voya
VIRTUAL: ITALIAN COMFORT FOOD
- Chicken cacciatora with tomatoes and rosemary
- Ricotta gnocchi with sage butter sauce
- Chocolate chunk brioche bread pudding
VIRTUAL: SEASIDE FLAVORS
- Sea bass with artichokes and lemon
- Tuscan bread, tomato, and basil salad
- Crushed berry and Mascarpone mousse
VIRTUAL: ITALIAN COUNTRY COOKING
- Herb & cheese stuffed zucchini
- Ricotta gnocchi with herb-scented tomato sauce
- Chocolate and amaretto semifreddo
VIRTUAL: A TUSCAN FEAST
- Braised chicken with chickpeas, lemon, and herbs
- Roasted string beans with sundried tomatoes and thyme
- Ricotta cheesecake with berry coulis
VIRTUAL: ELEGANT ENTERTAINING
- Ricotta gnocchi with roasted squash
- Stuffed and rolled sea bass in light herb infused olive oil
- Molten chocolate cake with vanilla-scented whipped cream
VIRTUAL: PERFECT RICOTTA GNOCCHI & MORE
- Ricotta gnocchi with sausage and greens
- Roasted eggplant, zucchini, and pepper medley
- Fresh summer berry, Limoncello, and mascarpone mousse
VIRTUAL: CLASSIC ITALIAN DESSERTS
- The ultimate tiramisu
- Crispy Tuscan almond biscotti
VIRTUAL: REGIONAL ITALIAN DESSERTS
- Sicilian cannoli cheesecake
- Venetian rum-raisin bread pudding
VIRTUAL: GLUTEN-FREE MENU
- Risotto with chopping block pesto
- Roasted eggplant, zucchini, and peppers with ricotta salata
- The ultimate panna cotta
Client List
From AARP to Ziff Brothers Investments, we've had hundreds of corporate clients raving about their event at Rustico Cooking!
See client list
Client Reviews
"the best holiday event our company has ever had"
"amazingly delicious"
"so impressed with Rustico's staff, food, elegant atmosphere and venue"
"by far the highlight of our 3 day meeting"
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Rustico Cooking Tours to Italy
We also take groups to Italy on week-long culinary tours to various regions:
