Delivered to Your Table
Heart of Napoli
There’s a feeling you get when you walk into a real Italian kitchen. The garlic hitting hot olive oil. Fresh basil torn by hand. Bread pulling apart, still warm.
That’s what Chef Corrado Cervelli grew up with in his family’s restaurant in Napoli—and that’s exactly what he brings to your home as a private chef in Bergen County, NJ. Culto Italiano Private Dining isn’t a catering company.
We don’t show up with warming trays and pre-made dishes. Corrado shops for the freshest ingredients, preps everything in your kitchen, and cooks each course right in front of you.
It’s the kind of meal you’d have in a tiny restaurant on a side street in Southern Italy, except you’re home in and you don’t have to find parking.
Whether you’re planning a quiet anniversary dinner for two or a lively Saturday night with twenty friends, we’ll create a menu around you...your tastes, your dietary needs, your occasion. Every detail, handled. All you have to do is show up to your own dining room and enjoy.
Corrado Cervelli
Meet Your Chef
Born & Raised in Napoli
Corrado didn’t learn to cook in culinary school. He learned standing next to his grandmother, watching her roll gnocchi with the back of a fork. He learned in his family’s restaurant in the heart of Napoli, where he started as a Pizzaiolo Napoletano, making traditional Neapolitan pizza by hand, the way it’s been done in that city for generations, before working his way up to Chef.
That’s the difference you taste in Corrado’s food. It’s not technique for technique’s sake. It’s cooking that comes from memory, Sunday lunches that lasted three hours, the smell of ragù simmering since morning, bread dipped in oil pressed from his uncle’s olive trees.
He brought all of that with him when he came to New Jersey, and it’s in every single dish he makes for you. Now based right here in Bergen County, Corrado has cooked for families in Alpine, Englewood Cliffs, Saddle River, and across North Jersey. He’s done intimate dinners for four and milestone celebrations for fifty. But whether the table has two seats or twenty, his approach is the same: only the finest ingredients, always cooked with soul, always made just for you.
Private Dining Experiences We Offer in Bergen County
Every Culto Italiano experience starts with a conversation. Corrado wants to know what you love, what you’ve always wanted to try, and what the occasion means to you. From there, he designs a menu that’s completely yours. Here’s what that can look like:
Home Dinners
Intimate and Private
This is what started it all. A multi-course Italian dinner, cooked fresh in your kitchen, plated like you’re in a restaurant. Corrado handles the shopping, the prep, the cooking, and the cleanup.
You pour the wine and enjoy the evening. Private dinners work beautifully for date nights, anniversaries, birthdays, or those evenings when you just want something special without the fuss of going out.
Corrado typically serves four to six courses, and he’ll walk you through each one, where the recipe comes from, why he chose those ingredients, and a story or two from back home. It’s dinner and a trip to Italy, all in one night.
Corporate Events
and Private Celebrations
Tired of the same hotel banquet chicken at your company event? So are your guests. Culto Italiano brings something completely different to corporate gatherings, holiday parties, rehearsal dinners, and milestone celebrations across Bergen County.
Corrado designs menus that match your event’s size and style. A seated five-course dinner for a board retreat in Tenafly. A cocktail-style spread with handmade antipasti for a backyard engagement party in Glen Rock.
A team-building pizza night where everyone gets flour on their hands and nobody checks their email for two hours. Whatever the occasion, we’ll make it memorable—and delicious.
Italian Menus
Fully Customized
All menus are fully customized. These are just a taste of what Chef Corrado can create for your evening.Every pasta dish features fresh pasta, handmade from scratch by Chef Corrado—rolled, cut, and shaped live in your kitchen or prepared in-house for your event.
Every menu is designed from scratch around you - your preferences, your guests’ dietary needs, and your vision for the evening. No two Culto Italiano experiences are ever the same.
Signature Creations
Chef Corrado specializes in Neapolitan and Southern Italian cuisine, with fresh pasta made from scratch as the heart of every menu. Each menu is fully customized to your event—built around your preferences, dietary needs, and vision for the evening. No set packages, no templates. These signature dishes capture the very essence of his art:
Pasta alla Genovese
A Neapolitan treasure: fresh handmade pasta tossed in a deep, caramelized onion and beef ragù that simmers for over five hours. Rich, soulful, and unlike anything you’ve tasted before.
Spaghetti alla Nerano
Fresh spaghetti with lightly fried zucchini and Provolone del Monaco, creating a creamy, golden sauce without a drop of cream. Simple ingredients, extraordinary flavor.
Melanzane alla Parmigiana
Layers of perfectly fried eggplant with salsa di pomodoro ragù, melted mozzarella, and aged Parmigiano Reggiano. A Southern Italian classic made the way Corrado’s family has made it for generations.
Dolci & Neapolitan Desserts
Every meal deserves a sweet ending. Corrado’s desserts are made from scratch using traditional Neapolitan recipes: Sfogliatella (Riccia or Frolla), Babà al Rum, Pastiera Napoletana, and the beloved Delizia al Limone.
Culto Italiano
Why Bergen Families Choose
There are a lot of ways to get a nice meal in North Jersey. But there’s a reason families in Ridgewood, Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes, and Saddle River keep calling us back. Here’s what makes Culto Italiano different—
It’s genuinely Neapolitan.
Corrado was born and raised in Napoli. He didn’t study Italian cuisine from a textbook—he lived it. The recipes, the techniques, the instinct for seasoning—it’s all inherited. You can taste the difference between someone who learned Italian food and someone who grew up in it.
Every menu is built around you.
No set packages, no pick-from-a-list. Corrado designs your menu based on the conversation you have together—your favorite flavors, dietary restrictions, the vibe of your evening. If your daughter’s allergic to shellfish and your husband hates olives, we work around it. Every time.
We handle everything.
Shopping, prep, cooking, plating, cleanup. You don’t lift a finger. Corrado arrives with everything he needs, transforms your kitchen into a Neapolitan restaurant for the evening, and leaves it cleaner than he found it.
Only the finest ingredients.
Corrado is particular about what goes into his food. He sources the best local produce, imports specialty items from Italy when a dish demands it, and never cuts corners. You’ll taste the difference in the first bite.
Private Chef
Services Across Bergen County & Beyond
Culto Italiano is based in Bergen County, New Jersey, and we’re proud to serve families and businesses throughout the area. We regularly cook in:
Ridgewood, Tenafly, Englewood Cliffs, Alpine, Saddle River, Franklin Lakes, Wyckoff, Glen Rock, Ho-Ho-Kus, Paramus, Hackensack, Fort Lee, Edgewater, River Edge, and surrounding communities throughout North Jersey.
If you’re a bit outside Bergen County—say, in Passaic County, Essex County, or even Manhattan—don’t hesitate to reach out. Corrado’s happy to travel for the right dinner.
How Booking a Private Chef in Bergen County Works
We keep the process simple because the food should be the complicated part—not the planning.
Step 1: Tell us about your evening.
Fill out the form on our contact page or give us a call. Let us know the date, how many guests, and what kind of experience you’re looking for. A romantic dinner? A big birthday bash? A pizza-making class for your team? We’ll take it from there.
Step 3: We show up and cook.
Corrado arrives at your home with fresh ingredients and everything he needs. He’ll prep, cook, and plate each course while you and your guests relax. You’ll smell the garlic before the first glass of wine is poured.
Step 2: Corrado designs your menu.
Based on your conversation, he’ll put together a custom menu and walk you through every course. Want to swap something? Add a course? He’ll adjust until it’s exactly right.
Step 4: Enjoy—and we clean up.
After the last bite and the last toast, we pack up and leave your kitchen spotless. All you’ll have left is the memory of an incredible night—and probably a few requests for Corrado’s number from your guests.
Love this place! Authentic Italian pizza - high quality ingredients, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. The service is excellent and fast. Highly recommend - you are in for a treat!
Tatyana Cherkasskaya
This take out Italian kitchen is serving up some of the best most authentic food in the area. High quality ingredients simply prepared and perfectly executed...
Stacey Glick
Having lived in Milan and entire summer stay in the south, I can attest that the best and real authentic Italian taste can be found at Culto Italiano. Best pizza in Bergenfield NJ...
Benilda Regis
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a private chef cost in Bergen County, NJ? Pricing depends on the number of guests, the number of courses, and any special ingredient requests. Corrado works with you to build a menu that fits your budget and your vision. Reach out through our contact page for a personalized quote—there’s no obligation, and we’re happy to talk through options.
What’s the difference between a private chef and a caterer? A caterer typically prepares food offsite and delivers it. A private chef cooks everything fresh in your kitchen, right in front of you. With Culto Italiano, Corrado brings raw ingredients to your home and creates each course from scratch. The food is hotter, fresher, and made to order—and the experience of watching it come together is half the magic.
Can you accommodate dietary restrictions or food allergies? Absolutely. Corrado builds every menu from scratch, so we can work around gluten-free, dairy-free, nut allergies, vegetarian, vegan—you name it. Just let us know during the planning conversation and we’ll make sure every guest eats well and eats safely.
How far in advance should I book a private chef? We recommend booking at least two weeks ahead, especially for weekends and holidays. That said, we understand that great evenings sometimes come together last-minute. If you’ve got a shorter timeline, reach out anyway—we’ll do our best to make it work.
How many guests can you serve for a private dinner? We’ve done dinners for as few as two and events for as many as fifty. The sweet spot for an intimate private dinner is usually six to twelve guests, but we’re flexible. Tell us your number and we’ll design the experience accordingly.
Do you provide plates, glassware, and table settings? For most private dinners, we use what you have at home—your kitchen, your dining table, your dishes. If you’re hosting a larger event and need rentals, we can help coordinate that. Just let us know during planning.
What areas in New Jersey do you serve? We’re based in Bergen County and serve communities throughout North Jersey, including Ridgewood, Tenafly, Englewood Cliffs, Alpine, Saddle River, Franklin Lakes, Wyckoff, Paramus, Fort Lee, and beyond. We’re also happy to travel to Passaic County, Essex County, and the greater NYC metro area for the right event.
Ready to Bring Italy to Your Table?
Whether it’s an intimate dinner, a big celebration, or a night of learning to make pasta from scratch—Chef Corrado will create something unforgettable for you and your guests. Tell us about your evening, and we’ll handle the rest.
Serving Bergen County, NJ & Surrounding Areas
