About Us
About Us
Teresa Cucina Viva, is a home food business (IAD) in Monopoli, Puglia: artisanal drop-off or pick-up catering and a true home restaurant experience. We design bespoke menus for private gatherings, intimate celebrations, brunches and aperitivo moments. When you want, we come to your venue and cook live.
About Us
Teresa Cucina Viva, is a home food business (IAD) in Monopoli, Puglia: artisanal drop-off or pick-up catering and a true home restaurant experience. We design bespoke menus for private gatherings, intimate celebrations, brunches and aperitivo moments. When you want, we come to your venue and cook live.
Teresa Cucina Viva
- Bespoke menus built together, with real personalization
- Careful handling of allergens and dietary needs from planning to service
- Private chef-at-home option with on-site cooking for your event
- Home restaurant in our own house: guests are welcomed like friends
A home open to people, not a standard restaurant
We’re not a restaurant with identical tables and a fixed routine. We are a home with an open door, inspired by the way people used to gather at relatives’ and friends’ houses to share a meal.
When you choose us, the pace changes: food becomes a shared moment and the table becomes a place for connection. We keep it warm and relaxed, while working with professional standards and artisanal care.
Our story: from Teresa to the world, then back home
We are Maria and Steven, my husband, both chef. Teresa is my mother: for us, cooking was love made tangible—every single day.
What we do: artisanal catering and home restaurant in Monopoli
Artisanal drop-off or pick-up catering (Monopoli area)
We prepare your menu in our domestic food business setup (IAD), then you can pick it up or receive it by delivery. It’s ideal when you want artisanal quality with a simple, smooth event flow.
We design catering for:
- brunches with balanced sweet and savory options
- aperitivo-style sharing plates that spark conversation
- family celebrations and intimate events
- themed menus inspired by international cuisines
Great drop-off catering works when dishes are chosen to travel and serve well. We plan the menu so the experience stays enjoyable, not stressful.
Private chefs at your venue: we cook live
If you want a more immersive experience, we come to your place and cook the full menu on site. Perfect for intimate dinners, anniversaries, small birthdays, and private gatherings across Monopoli and the Valle d’Itria area.
On-site cooking needs real planning: we discuss the kitchen space and equipment available (oven, burners, worktops), then tailor timing and dishes so your evening feels effortless.
Live cooking changes the atmosphere: aromas, rhythm, stories. The kitchen becomes part of the event.
Home restaurant: a real “family dinner” experience
In our home restaurant we welcome guests into our house. Not a generic dining room: a curated, warm, intimate table. We cook, we host, we share. We are Maria and Steven—two chefs, one idea of hospitality.
People often wonder how a home restaurant differs from a restaurant. It’s about relationship and atmosphere. You come for conversation, comfort, authenticity—Puglia at heart, with international inspirations when the evening calls for them.
How we build your menu (truly bespoke)
For us, “personalized” is a method.
Good catering should feel easy to enjoy: you focus on guests, we focus on food.
Packages and experiences: choose how you want to live Teresa Cucina Viva
We offer packages for guests who want:
- private chefs at home
- artisanal drop-off or pick-up catering
- the home restaurant experience at our place
Every path starts from the menu we create together. For formats, capacity, calendar
Puglia is our heart. The world is our inspiration.
Across the year we will set specific themed dates—Indian, Asian-inspired, and other cuisines we love to study and interpret with respect. Not costumes, not clichés: balanced flavors, solid technique, and a “home spirit” that stays true.
Cooking classes: starting next year
We will also host cooking classes on selected dates, designed to cook together, learn practical techniques, and take real recipes home. This will start next year, with a dedicated schedule
Our values, every day
Memory
We cook to remember. Every dish holds a story that feels like home.
Artisanal care
From ingredient selection to service, we work with respect and attention.
Sincere hospitality
We don’t “serve customers”: we welcome friends, warmly and simply.
Experience and passion
We bring real kitchen experience and deep love for food.
Openness and creativity
Tradition guides us, the world inspires us. On request, we add an international twist.
Our mission
Our mission is to make home cooking a gesture of love. We bring to the table the authentic tradition passed down by Teresa, seasoned with passion, experience, and care.
We want to be a reference point for people seeking food that moves them, that tells a story—a place (in our home, or wherever your event is) where time slows down and food becomes sharing.
Who we welcome (and why we often feel aligned)
We are for people who look for:
honest traditional cooking, not industrial or impersonal
- slow travel experiences that feel real, not “touristy”
- small groups celebrating private moments
- families who want “grandmother’s style” warmth for their loved ones
- food lovers who value local ingredients and human stories
What makes a meal at home different from a venue is the bond created at the table.
Common concerns
“Our kitchen is small for an at-home chef service.”
We assess space and equipment, then tailor the menu to what works.“We have allergies—can it be handled safely?”
We plan carefully and confirm details; severe cases are evaluated before booking“We want something elegant, not stiff.”
With timing and table care, we keep it warm, natural, and curated.
Home restaurant: la cena “come in famiglia”, davvero
Nel nostro home restaurant accogliamo ospiti in casa nostra. Non proponiamo una sala anonima: proponiamo un momento intimo, caldo, curato. Cuciniamo noi, serviamo noi, raccontiamo noi. Siamo Maria e Steven: due cucine, una sola idea di ospitalità.
Molti ci chiedono se un home restaurant sia “come un ristorante”: è diverso, ed è proprio questo il punto. Qui vieni per stare bene, per parlare, per condividere, per vivere un’esperienza autentica di casa pugliese con contaminazioni internazionali quando la serata lo richiede.