Private Dining Portfolio

Private Dinner · Houston, TX

Housewarming Dinner

A housewarming dinner in Houston, beginning with crostini, smoked salmon pastries and sharing boards, followed by coffee-crusted filet mignon, pomegranate-braised lamb and pistachio raspberry tartlets.

Date
Location
Houston, TX
Guests
15
Dishes
14
An appetizer display with tiered smoked salmon vol-au-vents, cheese, charcuterie and fruit on the kitchen counter.
A welcoming spread of bite-size appetizers.
A dining table set with printed menus, gold-rimmed plates, folded napkins and glassware for the Houston housewarming dinner.
The table, ready for a housewarming dinner.
Blue-and-white platters of roasted acorn squash and broccolini with sliced almonds.
Roasted squash and broccolini for the dinner table.

Behind the Scenes

In the Kitchen

Finishing raspberry tartlets, preparing ingredients and plating peach and burrata salad: these photographs show the chef team at work in the home kitchen.

A chef finishes raspberry tartlets on blue-and-white dessert plates at the kitchen counter.
Finishing the pistachio raspberry tartlets on their dessert plates.
Two chefs prepare ingredients beside a fruit-covered counter in a home kitchen.
The chef team preparing the evening’s ingredients.
A chef wearing black gloves plates burrata over peaches and greens, with a dressing bowl nearby.
Plating the charred peach and burrata salad.

Event Menu

Housewarming Dinner

Appetizers

  • Prosciutto Arugula Crostini

    Whipped lemon-chive cream, aged balsamic reduction, micro arugula, artisan baguette

  • Melon Mozzarella Skewers

    Melon balls, fresh basil, Mozzarella pearls

  • Fig & Gorgonzola Crostini

    Gorgonzola Dolce, house-made fig and candied orange preserve, toasted pistachio crumbs

  • Smoked Salmon Vol-au-Vent

    Flaky feuilleté pastry, smoked Atlantic salmon, chive crème fraîche, Ossetra caviar, gold leaves

  • Artisan Cheese & Charcuterie Selection

    Cured meats, reserve cheeses, house-marinated olives, artisanal preserves, crackers

  • Seasonal Fruit & Berry Board

    Selection of ripe seasonal fruits, berries, fresh mint garnish

Salad

  • Charred Peach & Burrata Salad

    Caramelized peaches, creamy Puglia burrata, crisp greens, smoky candied pecans, Balsamic vinaigrette

Main Course

  • Coffee-Crusted Beef Filet Mignon

    Prime sliced filet, roasted espresso rub, Sicilian Salmoriglio herb emulsion

  • Pomegranate-Braised Lamb Shanks

    Slow-braised lamb, pomegranate reduction, dried stone fruits, fresh garden herbs

Sides

  • Saffron Basmati Pilaf

    Persian saffron, tart barberries, fresh mint coulis

  • Truffle Parmesan Potato Wedges

    Black truffle oil, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, horseradish-yogurt dip, chives

  • Honey-Roasted Acorn Squash

    Whipped chickpea hummus, pistachio-fennel dukkah, fresh cilantro

  • Charred Broccolini

    Whipped feta cushion, Marcona almonds, hot honey-chili drizzle

Dessert

  • Pistachio Raspberry Tartlet

    Sweet butter crust, wild raspberry compote, Madagascar vanilla whipped cream cheese, Fresh raspberry, gold leaf

Menu created by Chef Ana

September 19, 2026 · Houston, TX

The Story

This September housewarming dinner in Houston brought together an appetizer display and a dinner menu. Printed menus, gold-rimmed plates and folded napkins framed the place settings. On the counter, smoked salmon vol-au-vents stood above boards of crostini, cheese, charcuterie and seasonal fruit.

The main course paired coffee-crusted beef filet mignon with pomegranate-braised lamb shanks. Charred peach and burrata salad, saffron basmati pilaf, truffle Parmesan potato wedges, honey-roasted acorn squash and charred broccolini completed the savory menu. The photographs capture the place settings, appetizer boards, lamb and vegetable platters, and individual raspberry tartlets.

A chef team prepared the food in the home kitchen. The kitchen photographs focus on raspberry tartlets being finished, ingredients being prepared at the counter, and peach and burrata salad being plated. Pistachio raspberry tartlets provided the final selection on the housewarming menu.

Menu & Service Notes

  • The six appetizer selections combined two crostini toppings, melon and mozzarella skewers, smoked salmon vol-au-vents, cheese and charcuterie, and seasonal fruit. The photographs show these dishes arranged on boards, platters and a tiered stand.
  • Coffee, pomegranate, saffron and truffle gave the menu its distinct flavors. Filet mignon and lamb shanks were accompanied by the peach and burrata salad, pilaf, potato wedges, acorn squash and broccolini.
  • The kitchen photographs capture ingredient preparation, individual raspberry tartlets being finished on dessert plates, and peach and burrata salad being plated. These details show the preparation behind the finished menu.

Planning a Housewarming Dinner?

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