Devoted to the Cultivation of Fine Food and Drink, Handcrafted with Heart and Soul
Chef Kirstin personally works with each client to bring them a truly special dining experience. After listening to their dietary preferences and their theme and celebration, she crafts a menu unique to each client. Click here to read about one special story. Menus are rarely repeated. This is NOT your everyday Santa Fe catering service; you will be amazed by the special touches! She typically works with groups of 6 to 20 guests, but she can cook for up to 50!
Kirstin, along with her long-time friend and co-chef Krista Benson, her partner Donalee Goodbrod, and other professional staff as needed, bring the dream team and prepare all the food on-site in your kitchen, providing you with laughter, knowledge, Santa Fe charm, and some of the best tasting food you’ll experience.
Chef Kirstin Griffin creates a culinary experience that you won’t find in any restaurant – she is a true artist. Her understanding of the synergy between different flavors & textures confirms that she is a master at her craft. Her food not only looks beautiful; it tastes amazing! But what really shines through is the love, passion, and soul she and her assistants put into every course. If you’re searching for a private chef for a dinner party and want to bring it to a next-level dining experience, look no further than Chef Kirstin.
See what previous clients have said about our private chef services below, view previous meals, and look over our event ideas.
Kirstin is a long-time Santa Fe, NM resident and a celebrated chef. She brings the best of New Mexico and beyond to your table. A two-time James Beard Rising Star Chef! The former chef of Geronimo, The Galisteo Inn, Vista Clara Resort and Spa and So Good Vegan Café! Chef/Owner of Tulips Fine Dining and Cafe Cafe Pizza and Italian Grill.
Originally a native New Yorker, Chef Krista Benson calls the southwest her home. Educated at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park N.Y., she has had the pleasure of working and laughing with Chef Kirstin Griffin for more than a decade. She describes her food as she would describe herself, smart and playful with just a hint of mischief.
Just after we moved back to Santa Fe in 2020, I was recommended by a dear friend to be the private chef for a vacation rental client.
The client said, “I have a strange request.” She went on to share that since her mother’s stroke, her mother was only able to eat food with her hands and a spoon. She asked that I please keep that in mind when creating and serving their special catered meal.
As soon as I hung up, I knew this was going to be special for everyone. I called my artist daughter Kaya Lin, asking her to create a logo for the printed dinner menu with the words that came to me about the menu, the client, and my love of cooking “hands, heart, love.” A few days later, the whimsical magical logo was born and I’ve used it ever since.
At dinner service, each family member was only given a spoon and their hands to eat each course, so they shared the same experience. During the four-course meal, I shared that the logo was inspired by their story and created by my daughter, and our deep respect for their family as a stroke had also touched our lives in the past. I told them I got the hand-in-heart cookie cutter for the biscochito on the Santa Fe Sundae with my daughter Avi, who was visiting the week before the dinner and wanted to go to our favorite shop Doodlet’s. By the end of the meal, we were all sharing stories, wiping tears of joy and connection. It is just one of the things I love about being a private chef. Cooking for people who love each other and love great food. Each experience is its own special moment in time, and I’m honored when chosen.