Monday, September 8, 2008

Rehearsal Dinner with Cool Eatz Catering


What a weekend wedding whirl! Saturday night I coordinated Judie Siddall's son's rehearsal dinner. She chose the Baylands Nature Preserve in Palo Alto for her venue, and it's quite unique. We'd been sweltering through a heat wave, and this lovely Nature Preserve was a very cool/cool spot right on the Bay. Caterer was Cool Eatz, and although I had eaten at the Flea Street Cafe many times, I had never worked with the catering side of their business. Well 5 stars to Dee and Kasie for doing such a fabulous job! I came into the planning toward the end, but even so, I was amazed at how quickly every question was answered via email about room set up, linens, tables and chairs, buffet, hors d'oeuvres, drinks and timing. Originally the event was planned for family and out of town guests, but the rehearsal dinner guest list grew to 98 people from all over the world. Who knew that guests would come in from England, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, France and other places. The seating arrangement for dinner was tight, but Dee, the onsite coordinator, made it accessible to everyone. He was a joy to work with. Every detail was considered, adressed, and because of his talent and skill, it all ran very very smoothly.

And, the food! Did I forget to mention that the food was absolutely fantastic? From the hors d'oeuvres through the sumptious dinner buffet and the variety of desserts was incredible. CoolEatz uses food and wine raised, harvested, and produced sustainably and regionally. They support and use as many organic ingredients as possible--those produced without petrochemicals, artificial coloring, growth stimulants, antibiotics or pesticides. As their website reads and I witnessed, they are all about Sustainability. They take responsiblility for creating a healthy, sustainable system, in both their cooking and waste management.

I can't wait to work with Cool Eatz again soon, maybe a mystery event? They take the mystery out of great catering.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Here's a copy of the email I sent to CoolEatz. They are the best!

I want to thank you both for the excellent pre-wedding/rehearsal dinner that you catered for us. Your gifts include more than food, although the food was superb, as you made a tight fitting and awkward venue cozy and workable. Our guests, who were from New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, England, Spain, Wisconsin, Washington, Oregon, New York, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Montana, were delighted with the authentic California food (not cuisine!). You considered every detail of our party. No item was ignored. Which reminds me, you never ignored my emails either. I have been told that this is unusual in your profession.

Please use me as a reference, although I doubt you need one. I shall certainly use your services again.