Honest answers to the questions guests actually ask.24 questions across pricing, kitchen logistics, host coordination, dietary, and the experience itself.

We do a pre-stay kitchen audit 7–10 days before your trip, confirm what we're bringing and what the rental supplies, coordinate with your host on access, then arrive on the day of service 90–120 minutes before dinner. We shop, cook, plate, and serve in the rental's kitchen. After the meal, we restore the kitchen to host standard — dishes washed and put away, counters wiped, trash sorted. The rental looks like we were never there.

Two weeks is the floor; four to six weeks is comfortable; eight weeks is ideal during peak season (Christmas week, MLK weekend, Presidents' Week, spring break, F&W Classic in Aspen, Sundance in Park City). For peak weeks in Vail, Aspen, Park City, and Jackson, we sometimes book six months out. The pre-stay kitchen audit needs the 7–10-day window minimum.

Twelve markets across Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming: Vail, Aspen, Park City, Jackson, Beaver Creek, Telluride, Breckenridge, Steamboat Springs, Crested Butte, Deer Valley, Teton Village, and Estes Park. The four anchor cities (Vail, Aspen, Park City, Jackson) have the most availability; the others are added as demand grows.

Yes, but the per-person price floor moves up because fixed costs (travel, equipment, prep time) don't scale down proportionally. Most of our work is six guests or more. For a two-person tasting menu — anniversary, proposal, milestone trip — we'll send you a custom proposal that reflects the smaller scale honestly.

Shopping, cooking, plating, service, and full kitchen restoration. Equipment we bring at no extra charge. The per-person price scales with menu complexity — casual family-style starts at $150, plated three-course dinners at $200, multi-course tasting menus at $300.

Most bookings run six guests or more. We can do smaller — four guests is workable — but the per-person floor moves up. Total spend minimum varies by market and date; we'll tell you on the proposal.

Gratuity is not included in the per-person price and is at your discretion. Industry standard for private chef service is 18–22 percent of the food cost. We don't pressure on this — if the experience deserves it, our guests typically tip well.

Reschedules within 7 days of service are free if the new date is within 90 days. Cancellations within 7 days forfeit the deposit (typically 30 percent of total). Cancellations within 48 hours forfeit the full amount because we've already shopped and prepped. We work with guests on weather and family emergencies.

That's why we do the pre-stay kitchen audit. We confirm the equipment list 7–10 days out and identify what we'll bring. If we discover the kitchen genuinely lacks something we can't bring (a working oven, a proper sink), we tell you before service — not during — and we adjust the menu or recommend a workaround.

We bring induction burners, sheet pans, sauté pans, sharp knives, cutting boards, plating mise, garnish kits, and service utensils. The rental supplies dishes, glassware, flatware, and linens — those are part of what makes the rental a rental. If a piece of dishware is missing or insufficient, we bring backup.

We bring portable induction burners as standard — it's why we don't depend on the rental's range. If the rental has gas and you prefer it, we'll use what's there. If neither works on the day, induction goes on a sheet pan on a counter and dinner happens anyway.

Yes. We've cooked for guests with celiac, severe nut allergies, vegan plus omnivore mixed tables, kosher-style observance, and FODMAP-restricted diets in vacation rental kitchens. We bring our own boards and pans to avoid cross-contact.

Almost always, yes. Most hosts welcome it because it means the kitchen leaves cleaner than it was, with no stress on their equipment. We coordinate with your host on access (lockbox code, gate code, parking) and confirm any house rules before service. In rare cases a host objects — usually because of unfamiliarity — and we can usually walk them through what to expect.

Yes. "Restored to host standard" is the contract. Dishes washed and put away in the rental's actual locations. Counters wiped down. Trash and recycling sorted to the host's instructions. Anything we brought leaves with us. Most hosts can't tell anyone cooked in the kitchen.

The kitchen restoration is specifically designed to keep the deposit safe. We don't damage equipment, we don't leave food residue, we don't mis-sort recycling. If something breaks during service — a glass slips, a plate chips — we cover replacement at our cost. This has happened maybe five times in 200+ rentals.

Casual family-style: 75–90 minutes from first course to plates cleared. Plated three-course: 90–120 minutes. Tasting menu: 90–150 minutes depending on course count. We arrive 90–120 minutes before service and stay 30–60 minutes after for cleanup. You're a guest at your own table from the moment service starts.

We're at the kitchen. We're not at the table. We come out to introduce courses if that's the experience you want, or stay invisible if you'd rather have the dinner be private. Either is fine — just tell us your preference.

Yes, and most of our work is multi-night. A typical week-long booking is welcome dinner on arrival, two more dinners during the stay, and a brunch on departure. We discount the per-person price for multi-meal bookings because the kitchen is already set up. Ask for the multi-meal package on the inquiry form.

Yes — departure-day brunches are one of our most-loved meals. Family-style spread, easy on a hungover crowd that's also packing. Breakfast pricing follows the casual tier ($150+ pp) but per-person can dip lower at higher guest counts.

You send the form. Within 24 hours we reply with a custom proposal: menu options, exact pricing, timing, and a kitchen audit summary if we already know the rental. You sign the proposal and put down a deposit (typically 30 percent). We confirm the date, start the kitchen audit, and finalize menu in the 7–10-day window.

Credit card (preferred), bank transfer, or check. Final payment is due 24 hours before service. Tips can be added to the final invoice or given in cash to the chef on the night of service.

We don't buy alcohol because of liquor licensing across multiple states, but we recommend pairings for every menu — specific bottles by name, with price ranges. Most guests buy through their rental host's recommended wine shop or have wine shipped ahead. If you want a sommelier-curated pairing, we have partners in each market we can refer.

We've had a fire alarm trigger from grilling, a power outage during plating, and a delayed flight that arrived mid-dinner. Each one ended fine because we carry backup plans. If something genuinely fails on our end, we make it right — a partial refund, a comped follow-up dinner, whatever's appropriate. We've issued maybe two of those in 200+ services.

Yes. MileHighCook does luxury catering across CO, AZ, UT, and WY — weddings, corporate events, brand activations. Vacation rentals are a niche we know cold, but the operation behind the niche is much bigger. milehighcook.net for catering and events.