A Roman classic served the way it should be at home in Fairfield County — pounded thin, seared until the prosciutto turns crisp and amber, and finished tableside with a glossy pan sauce that smells the way a long Sunday should.
Rowayton has always lived by the water. Settled along Five Mile River and the Sound, this small Norwalk village kept its working harbor, its oyster sloops, and its appetite for what came in on the morning tide. Fairfield County grew around that table — Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Westport, Wilton — orchards and dairy farms inland, clammers and lobstermen on the coast, and a discerning palate refined by generations who have traveled, dined widely, and come home expecting better. The cuisine here is quietly confident: seasonal, ingredient-led, restrained, and unmistakably coastal Connecticut.
The dish translates to "jump in the mouth," and a properly executed saltimbocca earns the name. The veal must be pounded paper-thin so it cooks in seconds and stays tender; the prosciutto must be pressed firmly to the sage so it crisps into a salty, herbal lid; the wine reduction must be sharp enough to cut the richness but rounded with cold butter at the very end. For ten guests, work in three batches and keep finished medallions warm on a sheet pan in a 200°F oven — never covered tightly, or the prosciutto loses its crackle.
For ten guests, sourcing matters as much as technique. Chef Robert hand-selects pasture-raised veal from Pat LaFrieda Meats, sliced to specification and pounded in your kitchen the day of service. The Prosciutto di Parma and Vermentino come from Eataly, NY, where the 18-month aging delivers the silky, salt-forward fat that makes a saltimbocca sing. Fresh sage, lemons, and farmstead butter are picked up that morning from Stew Leonard's Norwalk and the local Fairfield County farmers markets, alongside a small bunch of micro herbs for finishing.
Prefer not to shop? Chef Robert handles full provisioning — sourced, delivered, and prepped — so your only role on the night is to pour the wine.
Mise en place is the difference between a hurried dinner and a quiet, hospitable one. For ten guests, the line is set before the first guest arrives — every pan heated, every plate warmed, every garnish at hand.
Two 14-inch stainless sauté pans, half-sheet pan with rack for holding, fine-mesh strainer for the sauce, parchment for pounding.
Heavy meat pounder, Microplane, fish spatula for the delicate flip, small saucier whisk for finishing the wine reduction.
Warm 11-inch ivory rim dinner plates, low — never crowded. Sauce spooned across, never under, so the prosciutto stays crisp to the fork.
Continental setting: dinner fork left, dinner knife right (blade in), polished, fingerprint-free. Wine glasses pre-poured at half.
Flash-fried whole sage leaves, lemon supremes, a single stem of micro basil, flaky Maldon salt cracked tableside.
Cream pressed napkins folded long, charger plates polished, a small candle at every fourth seat — never centered, never blocking eye lines.
Chef Robert designs the menu around your palate, your guests, and your kitchen — sourcing locally, handling every ounce of provisioning, mise en place, service, and cleanup. A caterer cooks elsewhere and ferries trays in; a private chef sears each plate moments before it is set down in front of your guest, in your home, on your stove, with full attention to allergies and preference.
For dinners of six or more, a designated server, host, or hostess is essential. Plates arrive in unison, glasses stay full, the kitchen stays quiet — and you stay seated. The emotional payoff is the point: time reclaimed, conversations uninterrupted, and the evening you actually planned for, made with the people you actually want to be with.
A private chef in Fairfield, CT plans bespoke menus, sources premium local ingredients, and prepares restaurant-quality meals inside your home kitchen. Chef Robert handles every detail — provisioning, mise en place, cooking, plating, and full cleanup — for healthy weekly meal prep, intimate dinners, and full-scale entertaining throughout Rowayton and Fairfield County.
Personal chef pricing in Fairfield County typically reflects guest count, menu complexity, and ingredient sourcing. Weekly meal prep is quoted per session, while dinner parties are priced per guest with a separate provisioning estimate. Chef Robert provides a transparent, written proposal after a brief consultation about your preferences, dietary needs, and event vision.
A caterer cooks off-site and delivers volume; a private chef cooks in your home, on your stove, for your guests. Chef Robert builds the menu around your tastes, sears each plate moments before service, and pairs the experience with a designated server — the difference between dinner delivered and dinner performed.
Yes. A private chef is uniquely equipped to honor dietary restrictions and allergies safely. Chef Robert tailors every menu around gluten-free, dairy-free, low-sodium, pescatarian, vegetarian, kosher-style, and allergy-sensitive needs, sourcing ingredients accordingly and preparing each course in a controlled, single-household kitchen with full traceability.
Booking Private Chef Robert is simple. Call 602-370-5255, email Robert@RobertLGorman.com, or visit www.privatechefrowayton.com to request your date. After a short consultation about guests, preferences, and occasion, Chef Robert delivers a tailored proposal — menu, sourcing, service style, and timeline — for your review and confirmation.
Healthy weekly meal prep through Tuesday. A candlelit dinner party Saturday. Engagement toasts, holiday tables, anniversary suppers, corporate evenings — prepared in your kitchen, served at your table, cleaned to invisible. Stay seated. Pour the wine. Chef Robert handles the rest.
Reserve Your Date — Contact Chef Robert TodayService style sets the tone of an evening more than the menu does. Chef Robert and a designated server, host, or hostess execute every style cleanly — synchronized plate drops, refined wine pours, kitchen kept silent — so guests notice the food and the company, never the choreography.
Each course composed in the kitchen, set in unison. The most refined option for anniversary and engagement dinners.
Platters passed at the table. Warm, generous, and ideal for Sunday suppers and milestone birthdays.
Server presents each platter to the guest, who serves themselves. Classic, gracious, and wonderfully theatrical.
Multi-course pacing with wine pairings. Built for retirements, graduations, and milestone celebrations.