A Private Chef's $10,000 Thanksgiving

For many of us, Thanksgiving is about family bonding, getting a good piece of Grandma’s pie, rewatching the classic Gossip Girl episode, and some light Black Friday shopping. For private chef and Chopped Champion Julia Chebotar, Thanksgiving is her Super Bowl.

During the week leading up to her favorite holiday, the New York-based chef crafts a Friendsgiving feast for her longtime clients on Sunday, a Thanksgiving meal for the same clients on Wednesday (they reheat according to her instructions on the big day), and a deep-fried turkey dinner for her own family on Thursday.

In between marathon days in the kitchen, Chebotar — who also recently cooked for Martha Stewart on Yes, Chef! — unwinds with episodes of the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and scrolling through TikTok. Finally, on Friday, she takes a well-deserved day off.

Chebotar’s pricing varies based on menu complexity, group size, dietary restrictions, and travel, but a private dinner starts at $1,500 - $3,200, plus the cost of groceries. For this week’s three meals, the food itself and her fees total $10,000.

For each gig, she presents a few curated menu options based on clients’ dietary needs, favorite flavors, and theme. Once they pick the style, she’ll customize it further and send a final approved menu. In order to use the best seasonal produce available that week, she builds in a “chef’s choice” element.

For a full Thanksgiving spread with high-quality ingredients, she typically spends around $600 to $1,200 on groceries, depending on guest count and specialty items. Her most expensive Thanksgiving was during the pandemic when a New York City family paid over $15,000 for a seafood raw bar, caviar service, A5 wagyu bites, and a multi-course dinner. The least glamorous dish? Turkey.

From peeling all the potatoes (regular and Japanese sweet potatoes, her favorite) to plating the final feast, here’s how the end of November typically looks for Chebotar.

Sunday: Her Client’s Friendsgiving

6 a.m.: I wake up, take a shower, and have a small breakfast with protein. Making matcha is like my morning meditation before I start my day. I sip it while watching reality TV.

8:30 a.m.: I take the subway from my apartment on the Upper West Side to one of my main clients on the Lower East Side. They found me via my website, I came in for an interview and never left. I order most groceries to their home directly but I’ll stop at the Union Square Greenmarket or Whole Foods on the way if I need anything. I like being here where I know the clients and kitchen super well. They have two ovens, which makes things easier.

Sometimes private chefs have to wear a chef’s coat, but I’ve been with these clients for seven years so I can dress comfortably. I wear an apron, leggings, a sweatshirt, Crocs, and the Forme sports bra that Taylor Swift wore while training for the Eras Tour. It helps a lot with back pain from looking down, chopping, and being on my feet all day. Cooking is super physical, so I try to stretch before and after. It makes a difference.

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.: The first thing I do is get the turkey going, which I’ve brined two to three days before. It takes up a ton of fridge space and will take about four hours to cook. I source turkeys three to four weeks in advance from farms and butchers in the tristate area. I prefer grass-fed ones and like to try different vendors. I always put butter under the skin and air-dry it overnight to make it super crispy. My clients are dairy-free and health-conscious so I’m using goat butter and goat milk.

Then I get into the rest of my prep, peeling potatoes for mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole, baking pies and checking things off my schedule. I also make roasted honey mustard salmon because not everyone loves turkey.

I run the dishwasher at least five times throughout the day, but still have to hand-wash a few things along the way since sometimes the dishwasher isn’t fast enough or strong enough. I don’t mind peeling potatoes but I don’t like doing dishes. I work by myself most of the time, but sometimes hire an assistant for large parties.

I love texts from my clients. My all-time favorite was, "Wow, you made me look like a queen!"

3 p.m.: I’ve been doing this for over 10 years — I grew up in my family restaurant, so I learned early that food is a connection. After culinary training, I shifted into private cheffing because I love creating intimate experiences. It’s personal, creative, and I get to feed people in their homes, the environments where they feel most themselves.

I’m pretty calm in the kitchen. I know what dishes can be done in advance and what should be done right before they eat. However, the last hour before serving is always busy. I put the finishing touches on everything, including a cheeseboard with goat cheese and vegan nut cheese, garnish the dishes with fresh herbs, and clean. Knowing everyone’s preferences is a big part of my job. One person likes a specific hot sauce, another wants a certain jam, and I put all of that out on the buffet. I fill the water glasses and everything is ready to go.

4 p.m.: Friendsgiving is served to all 12 guests! I stay through the meal and get my two pies, apple and pumpkin, ready to serve. I like to leave the kitchen so clean it’s like I was never there, like a ghost, so I clean the floors, countertops, oven, and stovetop.

6:30 p.m.: I’m a huge believer in leftover care packages. I bring compostable containers and send everybody home with turkey, stuffing, gravy, and dessert. It’s part of the experience! After I serve dessert, I do a final cleaning pass, and head home to relax. This was the warmup.

Monday:

Monday is about prepping for the rest of the week. I start brining my turkey for Wednesday, go back to my client’s home to clean out the fridge and make sure there’s space for new groceries. When it comes to Thanksgiving, you can never have too much butter; fresh herbs like sage, rosemary, oregano, and thyme; and good spices.

Tuesday:

Tuesday is my admin day, so I don’t see clients. I use this time to prep for my own Thanksgiving and get those groceries. I do my menu a few weeks in advance — most of it is the same as last year (traditions are important) but my boyfriend’s family is from Kentucky so this year we’re making a 7UP salad for the first time. I always make my cherry apricot cranberry sauce, pie dough, and stock ahead. If I have time, I’ll also dice aromatics and prep herb butter so Turkey Day feels relaxed and fun.

I always make a cute menu to share with everyone. My own family dinner costs less than client meals, $550 to $750, but I shop the same way: organic produce, pastured turkey, clean oils, and high-quality dairy. The difference is mostly the scale and add-ons clients request, like caviar, specialty seafood, artisanal cheeses.

Wednesday: Her Client’s Thanksgiving

6 a.m.: I start my day with matcha and protein. While I’m cooking, I have to taste everything to make sure it’s good, but cooking all day keeps you so busy, you can lose your appetite. After a long day in the kitchen, I eat really simple foods, like kale salad, bone broth, pasta, and fish.

9 a.m.: I arrive at my client’s home and serve them avocado toast for breakfast. Tomorrow, they are hosting 14 people. I get to work and make turkey, potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and a salad with shaved brussels sprouts and apples. Since they’re eating this tomorrow, I take everything 90% of the way so they can reheat it before serving. Somehow there’s always something I’ve forgotten so I’ll run out to the store quickly. That’s one of the best parts of New York; there’s always a place to get something nearby.

12:30 p.m.: In between my prep, I serve a lunch of fish and seasonal vegetables. I always do something on the lighter side before holidays as I know they don’t want to feel too full ahead of tomorrow. I clean up and check what still needs to be done.

3 p.m.: I pack up and add Post-its with instructions for tomorrow — they’ll heat everything up and make the gravy using a concentrated base I make with roasted turkey wings, aromatics, and drippings. I package it with extra drippings and finishing instructions so they just whisk it together on the stove. They’ll have perfect gravy without me needing to be there when the turkey is sliced.

I walk them through it before I leave and know they’ll reach out with any questions via text to make sure everything looks right. I love texts from my clients. My all-time favorite was, "Wow, you made me look like a queen!"

4 p.m.: I head home and sit down for a few hours. I doom-scroll on TikTok while I watch RHOSLC. Mary Cosby is my favorite — she’s TV gold.

6:15 p.m.: It’s time to start prepping my family’s Thanksgiving, which my parents host in Brooklyn. We’re a group of 14 as well. I’m in charge of most of the sides and desserts and I bring the turkey. I do a lot of prep the night before to make the day-of easier.

Thursday: Her Family’s Thanksgiving

6 a.m.: Matcha and protein as always.

8 a.m.: My boyfriend and I get to work on our own Thanksgiving. It’s much more relaxed when it’s just us in my “New York-sized” small home kitchen. I keep the counters completely empty so I have space to prep, throw on an apron, slip into my favorite chef gloves, and blast a fun playlist — sometimes disco, sometimes bossa nova, always loud. The cleaner and more playful the vibe, the better the food turns out.

1 p.m.: We Uber to Brooklyn and deep-fry the turkey in my parents’ backyard. It takes about three and a half to four minutes per pound, depending on the bird. It’s shockingly fast — the hard part is guarding it from hungry family members while it rests.

My mom is on mashed potato duty. I keep one oven at 180 degrees to warm the stuffing, green beans, and sweet potatoes, and I keep the turkey covered so it doesn’t dry out. In addition to the classics, we have chocolate babka with our pies.

3 p.m.: We serve everything. As someone who immigrated to this country as a child, Thanksgiving means a lot to me since it’s all about food and bringing people together.

4 p.m.: I get a picture from my clients of their table, which looks great. My family wraps up our meal. My whole family loves food and understands my job, so I’m not on dish duty or pouring drinks this time. My work is done. At this point, I can’t feel anything. I’m full and turkey-drunk. I’m taking the next day off and won’t leave the two-block radius of my apartment.

5 p.m.: I head home for a very early bedtime, ready for a whole lot of Housewives.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.