Fall in Colorado is one of my favorite times of year to cook.
The weather starts cooling down, people are ready to gather again, and we can bring out some of the flavors and cooking techniques that just make sense this time of year. It is also a great time to skip the restaurant reservation and bring the experience home.
I have spent a lot of years cooking for people, and one thing I know for sure is that the best dinners are rarely just about what is on the plate.
They are about who is sitting around the table, what is happening around them, and the stories people are still telling when the night is over.
That is what we try to create at Tagged Out Kitchen.
START WITH THE EXPERIENCE, THEN BUILD THE MENU
When someone calls me about a private dinner, I usually want to know more than what they want to eat.
What are we celebrating?
Who is coming?
Do you want everyone sitting around a beautiful table for several courses, or would you rather have people outside with a drink in their hand while we cook over live fire?
Do you want to learn something along the way?
Those answers help us build the menu and the experience around the people who are actually going to be there.
That is very different from simply choosing a catering menu.
LET FALL DO SOME OF THE WORK
Fall gives us a lot to work with in Colorado.
Think roasted vegetables, squash, mushrooms, apples, potatoes, great cuts of meat, wild game, smoke, cast iron and food coming straight off the fire.
This is also when I start leaning into food that takes a little more time.
Maybe that is a beautiful piece of beef cooked over live fire. Maybe it is duck or wild game. Maybe we have something smoking on the Big Green Egg while everyone hangs out.
Or maybe we pull out the big jambalaya pot and go in a completely different direction.
There does not have to be one definition of a fall dinner.
TAKE THE PARTY OUTSIDE
Do not put the patio furniture away just because summer is over.
Some of the best evenings to cook outside in Colorado happen in the fall.
A fire going, cooler air, cocktails, friends gathered around and dinner cooking in front of you creates an entirely different atmosphere than everybody sitting inside waiting for food to come out of the kitchen.
Live-fire cooking is especially fun for a private event because the cooking becomes part of the evening.
People ask questions. They come over to see what I am doing. They want to know why I am cooking something a certain way.
I love that.
I would much rather have people around the fire talking with me than feel like I need to disappear into the kitchen for three hours.
BRING A LITTLE LOUISIANA TO COLORADO
I grew up in Baton Rouge, and that part of me is always going to show up in my cooking.
For fall gatherings, that might mean a big pot of jambalaya, gumbo, smoked meats, seafood or one of our Louisiana Table dinners.
Louisiana food was made for gathering.
You put a big pot in the middle of a group of people and something happens. Everybody ends up around it.
That is exactly the kind of dinner I like to create.
YOUR DINNER DOES NOT HAVE TO BE FORMAL TO BE SPECIAL
A private chef dinner does not have to mean white tablecloths and tiny portions.
It can. If that is the night you want, we can absolutely do it.
But some of my favorite events are relaxed.
Good food. Good drinks. Music playing. People moving between the kitchen, patio and table. Maybe I am showing somebody how to sear a steak properly or explaining what is happening on the Big Green Egg.
You can have an elevated dinner without making the evening feel stiff.
That is really the sweet spot for me.
WHAT DOES A PRIVATE CHEF HANDLE?
One reason people enjoy having us come to their home is that they actually get to enjoy their own party.
We work with you ahead of time to create the menu and experience. We handle the food, preparation and cooking, and depending on the event, we can make the cooking itself part of the entertainment.
Instead of spending your night running between the kitchen and your guests, you get to sit down, have a drink and be part of the evening.
That is how it should be.
MAKE THIS FALL DINNER ONE PEOPLE REMEMBER
If you are thinking about having people over this fall, do not overcomplicate it.
Start with the people.
Decide how you want the night to feel.
Then build the food around that.
And if you would rather have somebody else take care of the cooking, that is where we come in.
Tagged Out Kitchen creates private chef experiences, live-fire dinners, Louisiana-inspired gatherings, wild game experiences, cooking classes and custom culinary events in Denver, throughout Colorado and beyond.
Tell us who is coming and what you are celebrating.
We will take it from there.
Ready to plan your fall dinner? Contact Tagged Out Kitchen and let's start building your experience.