Food For Thought Catering
7001 N Ridgeway Ave, Lincolnwood, IL, 60712
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Address :
7001 N Ridgeway Ave
Lincolnwood, IL, 60712 - Phone (847) 982-2608
- Website https://www.fftchicago.com
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Amy T.
It has been 3 years since my wedding, and yes this catering company still gets under my skin. My husband and I chose Food for Thought to cater our wedding at the Kenilworth Club. As soon as we signed the contract, it turned into a NIGHTMARE! Our sales consultant Mary B. became difficult to work with, communication was lacking. After 3 years, I am not sure if she is still working for FFT. Using this catering company was the only thing I regretted about the wedding (Even after 3 years of marriage ;)) Cake is always my favorite part of a wedding. My wedding cake was not catered through FFT, but was ruined by them when they decided to serve it with a very tart lemon sauce. #1 The cake was not catered with FFT. It was never discussed with me or my husband or my pastry chef that we would add anything to the cake, #2 I hate tart things, #3 lemon does not go well with chocolate at all. Unsurprisingly you could see it across the room, many of our guests left the cake untouched, it was too tart. very very disappointing The food on the day of the wedding was mediocre, not as impressive as what was presented to us at the tasting. Food was made in advanced and only preheated in the Keniltworth kitchen, not cooked on site. Throughout the whole process, I spoke to Mary on the phone a total of 2 times, both calls were initiated by me. She never called us with any questions or suggestions. This became a huge problem because we quickly found out that instead of bringing her concerns to us (her clients) she overstepped us and brought her concerns directly to our other vendors. My husband and I decided to rent an ice cream truck for our wedding with permission from the director of Kenliworth Club months in advanced. The week before the wedding, we received an email from the Director saying that she could no longer allow the ice cream truck, based on a conversation she had with Mary they thought it would disturb the neighbors. I was shocked, because Mary did not address any of her concerns with us and the ice cream truck was rented through a third party (not through FFT). To change your mind a week before the wedding?? Can you imagine how much stress this adds after everything has been booked??? My only suspicion is that Mary was upset that we decided to go with an ice cream truck instead of using FFT to set up a sundae bar. Just wait it gets better. Months in advanced, my husband and I applied for a permit to reserve Kenilworth Beach for our ceremony. We knew that it would be a quick ceremony so we had the beach reserved for 2 hours. We hired FFT to rent and deliver the ceremony chairs. 2 days before the wedding, my husband received a call from the association asking for more money because our caterer requested more time. Again, shocker to us because this was the first time we heard she wanted more time. Mary never discussed a plan with us and how long the ceremony would take, she never mentioned a concern about time. Fast forward to the day of the wedding, its 30 mins before the ceremony and the chairs still had not arrived . We paid for extra (nonrefundable) time which was not needed, and as an added bonus we got more stress on our wedding day. The day of the wedding it was tense, but I remained non-confrontational because it was my wedding and I did not want to ruin the moment. After the wedding, I wrote Mary an email with my concerns in hopes that they will take those suggestions to help future customers. Mary called me a few days later in response to my email and she was apologetic. She admitted to me that she did not try the lemon sauce before they put it on the cake. I appreciated the effort but her apology did not feel sincere, some of her reasons she gave did not make sense. What it boils down to is sales is her job, it benefits her to network with the Director of the club and the Association, they are the people who will bring her new clients. I on the other hand will only be getting married once. Based on this experience, I will not be doing business with FFT again and I would not recommend them to friends.
(1)Sarah H.
UPDATE: I shared my feedback (from original review below) to their corporate website contact form and was pleasantly surprised by their response! Going from 3 to 5 stars here for excellent customer service/response. Within a few hours, corporate had passed the feedback on to the head chef at our location and he called me and addressed every concern, point for point. A sandwich that's been really funky lately was fixed, he addressed the customer service issue, etc. Their temps at our location aren't great but that's sort of the nature of temps... overall their food is great and I give them 2 thumbs up for customer service!! FFT provides food services at our office building in Deerfield and while the food is quite good, the service is terribly inconsistent. They have some great chefs/line cooks but seem to be struggling with staffing because the temps that fill in pretty often have consistently been terrible. We also have a cashier who has been there for quite a while and is consistently rude to customers and her coworkers. The food is good, despite being a bit over-priced, but I'm not always all that excited about interacting with their staff... I would opt to eat out much less often and go for the FFT-operated cafe if they made some staffing improvements. The head chef (not sure of his name), Gerald (line cook), and a young woman who's recently been on sandwiches during lunch have all been wonderful - cashier and temps not so much.
(5)Brian H.
We're so glad we picked Food for Thought to cater our "post-elopement" party! Since the celebration we've continued to receive compliments on all the tasty food, snacks and service. Mary worked with us every step of the way to help us come up with a menu that wowed our friends and family and fit our budget. Mary didn't flinch when we told her we'd need to provide options for our vegetarian guests and several guests who can't eat foods with gluten. When we came to Food for Thought's facility for a tasting we were blown away by the food, service and professionalism. In the run-up to the event itself, Food for Thought coordinated with the vendor for drinks and the venue to make sure that everything ran smoothly. Their work paid off brilliantly. If we had to offer any criticism, there were a few moments during the party when we could have used some extra attention from the wait staff to make sure that we were getting food and drinks, but since this was an informal event it was probably hard to keep an eye on who the "bride" and "groom" were. With that said, we wouldn't hesitate to go with Food for Thought if we had to make the choice all over again, and we recommend them enthusiastically!
(5)R B.
My caterer was the most important aspect of the reception for me (after the venue), and so I put a lot of thought and time into making sure the menu and company were exactly what I wanted. I am so glad I did because I cannot say enough about FFT! The food was very good considering they were catering an event for so many people, and they were completely willing to tailor make a menu to fit exactly what we wanted! My husband is Russian, and so we wanted to create a menu that would be comfortable and recognizable to Americans, but still have a lot of Russian dishes and flavors. FFT didn't bat an eye at these requests, and even made a Russian beet salad following a recipe I provided them! We had a buffet service, and they were excellent in making sure everything was orderly and in place. They even threw in passed late night snacks (chicago-style pizza and chicago hot dogs) for free when we were wavering between them and another company! The number one reason I am confident that going with FFT was worth the cost though was their communication and organization. Mary Biller was working with us, and she did a great job of responding to all of my emails promptly and accurately. She provided us with a bunch of serving platters last minute when my mother-in-law brought a bunch of desserts. I also baked and decorated my own wedding cake, and Mary had no trouble whatsoever working with me to figure out how to transport it and stack it during the reception, even though this was clearly not a typical request for a caterer! She even had her team assemble the cake on-site for me so I didn't have to worry! They had no trouble going above and beyond what was typically required from a caterer. Since I did not have a wedding planner and was doing all of the organization myself, Mary and FFT were a wonderful resource for figuring out details. I know that I was a lot less stressed because I felt I could trust them to work everything out without me, and I was completely correct! Yes, FFT is pricey, but their food was great, and their service was wonderful. They also provided kids meals and a special plate for one of my friends with specific dietary needs. For us, they were completely worth the cost! Think of it as catering costs and a wedding planner cost rolled into one!
(5)Joel W.
We used FFT for our wedding on Jan 24th 2015. From the initial interactions (tasting and menu planning) to the event the experience was fantastic. Lisa C was our point of contact and she was amazing the entire time. The food was absolutely amazing....we ended up doing a steak and shrimp combination (didn't even taste it together) and it turned out so well. We had 200 people at our reception and the food turned out amazing for everyone and most importantly it was warm. A few other things...the bartenders were great and put together our signature cocktail drinks, the appetizers were great and the late night snacks they brought out were amazing as well. Their staff the entire time was ideal and very professional. We would recommend everyone to utilize FFT; they were fantastic.
(5)Ashley M.
I recently planned a wedding and used Food for Thought catering. Rosemary and her team were OUTSTANDING! The wedding was an outdoor tent celebration and unfortunately it poured rain the night before and on/off during the wedding. Rosemary was amazing at making adjustments to the poor weather. Their team pulled off a delicious dinner served family style. The bride/groom requested grilled meats, corn on the cob and other simple family styled options. The execution was a home run! Everyone loved the food!! Thanks to Rosemary and her team for all the hard work. I can't wait to work with you guys again!
(5)Tricia D.
We found Food For Thought via the recommended vendors list from our wedding venue's website. It started off pretty flawlessly. Setting up a tasting was easy, and my oh my, did that tasting really blow us away! The food options, presentation, and flavors of each dish were complex, sophisticated, and well executed. We were thrilled to have mini grilled cheeses, samosas, and bacon wrapped dates included in our h'ors d'oeuvres. Also, I will add that I am a strong meat eater. I liked both the sauteed bone-in chicken and sous vide beef entrees we chose, but I LOVED the purple potato vegetarian lasagna option, and that is actually what I ordered for myself to eat on our wedding night. After having 2 other tastings with local caterers, we locked in our final proposal with FFT in March. Boom! FFT really blew the competition away and were very competitive price-wise. Emails and info were traded in the months leading up to the wedding, with no issues or glitches. We walked through the Kenilworth Club with John, our contact at FFT, both parties jotting down notes and logistics. Fast forward to the week or so before our October wedding. Things were so disorganized and helter skelter. What happened to that flawless execution early on? First, 3 days before the wedding, I was informed that there would be additional costs for the ice cream bowls, serving ware for our ice cream sundae bar, and extra glassware for the cocktail hour. Why wasn't this discussed earlier, and why was I hearing about this 3 days before the big event when the proposal was finalized 7 months ago?? Frustrating. Second, there were some mishaps with the food and food service too on wedding night. Throughout our communication with John, I had highlighted atleast 3x that we wanted the sauteed chicken option for our guests, but with the rice cake substituted in for the potato cake that's usually served with that entree. John said ok. Even when I noted that the final proposal still showed sauteed chicken with potato cake instead of the rice cake side desired, he said ok, don't worry, an internal note was made. What was served on the wedding night? The chicken option that we DIDN'T select, along with the rice cake. Yeah, got the rice cake right, but how about the correct chicken? Whomp whomp. What was served was actually less expensive per plate, so I requested a refund. John replied that what was served was what we requested and what was printed on our menus. It was only until I sent pictures of the discrepancy that our refund check was processed. Oh, and on that... we were told the check was in the mail for us, but it didn't arrive until 10 days later. So don't say the check's in the mail when it's not. Last food note: the lasagna served was made with white potatoes, not purple potatoes, like at the tasting and like I was led to believe (and why I printed purple potato lasagna on our menu cards). For transparency, it would have been nice to be informed a change was going to be made. Overall, the food wasn't by any means as fresh or tasty as at the tasting, but I believe that will be the case with any caterer preparing for a large party. Finally, the last frustrating (and sad) experience we had was at the end of the wedding night. Supervisor Arturo had assured us that our pair of handmade, customized cake topper donkeys were in the cake box with the top tier of the wedding cake. He said he personally put them in the cake box. When I arrived home and unwrapped the tightly Saran-wrapped box, there were no cake toppers to be found. Wth? After checking with the wedding venue and back with John in the days following this, there was still no clue as to where the donkeys went. FFT's chef said the cake toppers were in the box too, so it's a mystery as to how or why the donkeys didn't go home with us. Did a diabolical someone unwrap all that Saran wrap and set our burros free to ride into the sunset Toy Story style? Where did they go? Did the cake box have a false bottom? Overall, we had a mixed bag of experiences with this caterer and were left with a bad taste in our mouth from the last few turn of events.
(3)Allison M.
We really appreciate all the lengths FFT has gone to to remedy the situation. It is clear they care deeply about the quality of their service, and about making things right in the past as well as avoiding similar problems in the future. Thank you so much, FFT, for working so hard to make sure we have no regrets about our event.
(3)Erin H.
This is an update to my original review of Food For Thought. Following my review, a FFT representative responded to my concerns and apologized for our experiences. She was kind and was quick to assure me that her staff had been coached on how to ensure these issues to not occur again in the future. She mentioned that while they couldn't change our wedding day experience, they wanted to try help us make a new memory. She helped to arrange a nice dinner for my husband and I at one of our favorite restaurants. I truly appreciate her thoughtfulness and responsiveness.
(4)Hayley C.
My nonprofit organization used Food for Thought Catering for our anniversary celebration at the School of the Art Institute Ballroom in June 2015. The entire process of working with FFT was smooth - Lisa C. was an incredible resource and so helpful throughout the planning and execution. The food itself was fantastic - we did a mix of passed hors d'oeuvres and a stationary buffet. The passed hors d'oeuvres came regularly and reached all of our guests. The stationary buffet was always stocked and beautifully displayed. The entire FFT staff the night of the event were fantastic - great attitudes, smiling faces and a willingness to make the evening the best possible. I would highly recommend working with FFT, and I hope to work with them again on future fundraising events!
(5)Hannah H.
Their Spanish flatbread pizza alone gives them 5 stars - topped with Casbelas blue cheese, serrano ham, and drizzled with quince glaze has both a sweet and savory taste - I could eat this literally 24/7. Comes piping hot, and there's a great ingredients to a crust ratio - crunchy, full of cheesiness, and just fresh. Yum! +Spanish flatbread pizza
(5)Anthony M.
FFT did the catering for a party that my wife and I hosted at the SMART museum in Chicago. They were fantastic. Kendall was awesome. She is so responsive, even following up with us when we were hard to reach so that everything kept moving forward. Also, she offered several creative ideas that helped us keep the event nice, but within our budget.
(5)Katie L.
We used Food For Thought for our wedding at Promontory Point in Hyde Park. John was AMAZING to work with. The food was spectacular: both at the tasting and at the wedding. John was so professional to work with, and was so accommodating with us. We were fairly on top of things, but even had some last-minute decisions that he helped us with. Our guests were so complimentary of the food, the service, and our matire'd Maurice, who was on top of everything. We are so grateful and cannot recommend Food For Thought enough.
(5)Philip F.
Food for Thought provided excellent service and delicious food, you definitely get what you pay for! We pretty much knew right away we had found our caterer at our tasting. Everything was so delicious, and Lisa, our coordinator was great! FFT also had personal touches no other place did, such as our favorite cocktail waiting for us when we arrived. Lisa was always very responsive as we figured out what we wanted. During the wedding, we had incredible service. Our restaurant family in attendance even commented on how great it was. The food did not disappoint, and multiple guests told us how much they enjoyed their meals and late night snacks. There was one snafu where not all of the wine we had purchased was served, but that was probably because of the rain that came through causing a last minute moving of the outdoor bar to inside. Otherwise, we had a perfect experience. I highly recommend Food for Thought for your wedding catering needs!
(5)diana h.
we worked with michelle at food for thought for our labor day weekend wedding at the adler planetarium. michelle was super responsive throughout the whole process and really easy and pleasant to work with! our wedding went off without a hitch, and our guests RAVED about the food. our tasting was also great... we had a private room, and they set up the plates/tables just like it would be on wedding day. they even provided extra samples of cloths just so we could see the different combinations. my favorite food from FFT was probably the duck grilled cheese hor d'oeuvres!! SO GOOD. they have such a great variety of hor d'oeuvres to choose from, and they are all so delicious. the best part about wedding planning is doing the tasting, and FFT makes it so easy and wonderful!!
(5)Megan K.
Food for Thought catered my December wedding (this review is long overdue -- sorry!!) and we couldn't have been happier with how everything turned out. We worked with Mary, who has since gone on to a different company, but would recommend all of the staff @ Food for Thought. The food was fantastic. Even 8 months after our wedding, I continue to get compliments from my guests. My husband loved the little mugs of soup with grilled cheese and the short rib was fantastic. You won't be disappointed with the food - so much flavor and very elegantly (read: not cheesy) presentations. The staff were so great. During cocktail hour, the votive candles on my tables caught on fire (!!) but Mary & the staff quickly caught the problem, removed the votives & replaced them with ones the Library provided. No panic - just quick & efficient problem solving, which I appreciated. We had a lovely woman assigned to us during cocktail hour & dinner who made absolutely certain we got appetizers & our glasses were full. Dinner service was quick & efficient. All guests got their food in a reasonable amount of time. I hate going to weddings where one table is finished eating and another is just being served. You won't have this issue with FFT. We were very pleased with the service. Finally, all of the little things they did - table numbers set up perfectly (mine involved a tented card & votive candles), menus set out, everything done well in advance of the guests arrival.
(5)Shawn P.
Food For Thought, and specifically Linda did a phenomenal job catering our wedding at Union Station. I think they went over and above what we expected from catering service. Linda was not only a phenomenal catering planner but she helped us establish the frame work for our wedding (as we did not use a planner). Not only was Linda amazing through the entire process (and kept us cool, calm, and collected) but the staff on the night of was incredible as well. They were extremely attentive to my wife and I all night and made sure our glasses were full and that we had a chance to sample the appetizers during cocktail hour (we arrived later because we had pictures to take). The table numbers, placecards, gift table was set up exactly the way we wanted it. . .Food For Thought also set up our ceremony working with our florist and production company. . . the place looked amazing and exceeded our expectations.
(5)Halie J.
Working with Michelle and her staff at the Adler Planetarium for my daughter's wedding in June 2014 was a complete pleasure. Every question or concern I had was always answered promptly and handled efficiently. Despite all of my many questions, Michelle was so very patient with and kind. The setting at the Adler Planetarium is absolutely gorgeous. It is one of the most spectacular views of Chicago with Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline as a beautiful backdrop. We had our ceremony outside facing an amazing sunset over Chicago. That was just the beginning though. The Adler Planetarium was transformed into an amazing wedding reception with floor to ceiling windows of Chicago for dinner and dancing. Food for Thought is the exclusive caterer that they use. They prepared the most amazing, perfect meal. We had filet mignon along with the truffle chicken and gnocchi as a vegetarian choice. Not only did I taste everything prior to the wedding, but made a point to eat a little of each meal at the reception and was not disappointed. Everything I tasted was great. Our guests commented that their meals were the best they ever had at a wedding, and when I visited the tables I noticed that everyone's plate was licked clean. The professionalism and thoroughness of the staff was exceptional. The service was what you would expect at a 5-star restaurant. There was not one thing that happened at the wedding that did not go as planned. Everything that I discussed was executed to perfection. The day of the wedding ran smoothly with all of their help and guidance. If you are considering using the Adler Planetarium, do it! You will not be disappointed. Also, if you have the opportunity to work with Food For Thought for your catering needs go to one of their tastings, you will enjoy the whole process. I would not hesitate to work with this great group of people again for my other children's weddings.
(5)Cheryl T.
We worked with Brian from FFF for our May, 2014 wedding and could not have been more pleased. We had very strong feelings about what we did (and didn't) want and Brian delivered and then some. He came up with some very creative ideas, worked seamlessly with the venue and our other vendors and did a phenomenal job!
(5)Kristina L.
We worked with Food for Thought for our wedding at the Adler, and I absolutely love this company! Our consultant, Anna, works with Food for Thought and the Adler, and she was amazing throughout the process. She was incredibly helpful at making our wedding dreams come true. We had so much fun at our tasting, picking out the hor d'oeuvres, main courses, wine selections, and table linens. She even worked with me to make my super-special cocktail hour drink, the Sparkle Heartini with sparkles on the glass and an edible orchid. Anna's colleague, Mary, oversaw the actual wedding day, and she was great. The execution of everything we'd planned was seamless. The Adler terrace was decorated beautifully for cocktail hour, and ditto for the Cafe Galileo. All of our favors were laid out exactly as we'd wanted. And the food and service were top-notch.
(5)Mark B.
First of all I must start off by saying that I have never used a catering company, maybe my expectations were too high! I should have known that when I had to call the company back asking for the proposal a week later, this was not the place to do business. Then when I ask for a updated proposal I had to once again call back because they did not follow up with it. STUPID ME! Fast forward the night of the event, long story short, I was shocked at the amount and quality of the food. As soon as It was unpacked I jumped in my car to head to Jewel! Save yourself the time and money! Don't spend $1,800 / $52.00 per guest, on what you can get at Jewel for a few hundred. Plus my guess enjoyed the Jewel food over the catered food! Most of the catered food went untouched.
(2)Isaiah K.
We considered FFT for our upcoming summer wedding. Becky was very responsive and available to answer our questions and consider our needs. She tailored a personalized and beautiful vision for our food service that was sensitive to our budget concerns. We met for a tasting and it was clear that FFT was one of the best in the area. We ultimately did not go with FFT because they were above our price point, however I would highly recommend anyone who wants a perfect & hassle-free catering experience to reach out to them. They are experts and artists. They understand the details of events matter and have a creative, fresh approach to catering. They can do it all and are very upfront about pricing whereas some competitor's may hide details about the true total costs of their service. I just wanted to tell people to definitely give them a look.
(5)Renita M.
After two years-plus since that first review, I thought I'd update. The cafe downstairs has improved in some ways since I wrote my first review. They change the featured grill items weekly and the salad bar seems to have improved somewhat. And many items list the calorie count, now, which is both good and bad... However one thing I keep running into with the grill -- my most likely stop if I'm not getting soup & salad -- is that these guys don't seem to know what goes on the sandwiches. The paninis are pre-made daily with some fresh toppings added at the end; I don't have a problem with that but when there are several additional toppings I'm supposedly paying for, it would be nice to be offered it. For instance, today I got what was advertised as a California Chicken Club panini. It had the California -- some fresh avocado added at the end, but no club. No bacon for me. Now granted, I'm sure it was healthier without those wonderful strips of fried pork belly, but I'd already accepted my coming caloric intake and... no bacon. Similar things have happened with various sauces and toppings. I got a "Cuban" once that was really only a grilled ham and cheese -- no bacon, no pickles, no fancy aioli. So just a suggestion guys: Maybe a list of what's advertised on these sandwiches *behind* the counter? That way you can put all the promised ingredients on -- unless someone decides they don't want it.
(4)Bethany H.
We had FFT cater our wedding in September at Cafe Brauer. FFT and specifically Linda did a good job of communicating with me, fulfilling our requests at the tasting, and following through with a final menu that perfectly reflected everything we had discussed in the months prior to the big day. We had stations, and though this was pricier, we wanted the guests to be able to try different foods rather than just pick one entree plated dinner. They did a great job brining in the themes we wanted - BBQ, pasta, and Latin American flavors. They also have some really fun options for action dessert stations - we chose the fresh donut maker with choose your own toppings. We got compliments on the food from lots of guests. A big plus was that our coordinator worked with FFT to have some of the food packed up for us (we barely ate, see below). Two issues: first, the groom and I did not feel the staff did a great job of following up with the two of us to make sure we had everything we wanted. ONE person stopped by our sweetheart table to ask us what we'd like on a first plate...nobody ever came by again to ask us specifically if we needed anything else. I understand that we were chatting and moving around, but come on, I'm the one in the white lace dress...you can pass by and ask if I'd like a small plate of food or another drink! I had friends getting me drinks - not their job. Second, I was disappointed in the feedback I got from my guests about how the staff directed them. We had three very different stations open, yet most guests were not told that each station offered something different. The wait staff should have explained the set-up in detail to each table as they were sent up to eat! This flaw in the service plan kind of defeated the point of us having options..guests assumed each was the same and did not even see their other choices. I recommend FFT overall - just be on top of the service issue, and try to think about these details in advance so you can clearly emphasize specific requests for the wait staff ahead of time.
(4)Zoe G.
Everyone knows there are a few things that can make or break a wedding and food is absolutely one of them. I had heard great things about FFT from several friends who had used them as their wedding caterer, and when my friend's catering company didn't work out, I called them right away to get a bid. Keri Miller was our consultant and I cannot say enough nice things about her - her quick responses to my emails, reworking the menus based on our requests, offering suggestions on how to work within our budget, etc... Keri had a touch assignment - I am a total foodie, while my now husband is more of a "beer and wings" guy. Well, they took that to heart and created two different stations and two different types of food. My station had a rustic winter themed menu with salmon, and a beautiful salad and vegetables and my husband's station was dubbed the "man station" with sliders, curly fries, and wings. All the guests commented on how amazing the food was! And it was fun for us to go from table to table when greeting guests and asked which buffet they preferred most. BTW, I won that. Keri did a masterful job of helping coordinate the vendors, set up the room and also room swap with her team on the day of the wedding, since we had both ceremony and reception in the same space. As a busy bride, I never received one vendor phone call that day, and everything looked absolutely beautiful and exactly as I imagined it when I walked down the aisle. If you want fabulous food, consultants that are fantastic people and willing to work with you, and just amazing service, this is the wedding caterer for you.
(5)Nana G.
Food For Thought did a fantastic job of catering my wedding at the Greenhouse Loft. We worked with Mary and she did an awesome job. We initially didn't really know what kind of food we wanted but we saw on their website that they could do dinner stations and their sample menus looked really good. They also take care of chairs and linens so they basically come with rental equipment, staff, the whole shebang - complete package. I really liked the fact that they had a lot of different options for food and how it would be served, so we didn't have to settle for the dreaded traditional sit down wedding dinner with chicken or whatever option. We decided to go for 2 dinner stations and a dessert station so it would be more interactive and fun for guests. We had Mexican style for one station that had wine marinated skirt steak with a parsley lemon sauce, seasonal vegetables and sweet potato wedges with mint cilantro sauce. The other station was Asian style and had vegetable lo mein, chicken skewers, potstickers and eggrolls that came with frickin delicious sauces. We chose an assortment of petit sweets for dessert, like cheesecake lollipops dipped in chocolate, fruit tarts and mini sorbets on cones. Needless to say, all the guests loved the food. I wish I could have eaten more if I hadn't been in a tight wedding dress, but regardless, I loved every single bite. I didn't get to have dessert since they disappeared so fast! That's how good it was. Mary was really nice and easy to work with. The correspondence was good, the tasting was good, the whole team was on the day of was good. Mary and her FFT team made it really easy for us. We didn't have to worry about anything at all. One of our guests was vegan and they made a special vegan meal just for her. It was all really really impressive. We're very happy that we chose FFT to cater our wedding and we'd definitely use them again in the future. If you're looking for great food and great service, look no further.
(5)Carol K.
I am super picky about catered food. I want it to look and taste like food I would order in a fine restaurant. And FFT delivers time and time again. The most recent occasion that I had their food was at an event I attended at the Adler Planetarium. FFT had food stations set up all over the Adler and their staff was really helpful in directing the guests from one station to the next. There were carving stations with perfectly done roasts sliced to perfection. Pasta stations where the pasta rivaled some of the best Italian restaurants in the city. Seafood stations with beautiful jumbo shrimp, crab cakes and crab legs. And the passed trays of food were artfully arranged and the servers are polite and unobtrusive. I have used them for several of my own personal events as well and while their prices are competitive with other high end caterers, the service is usually what puts it over the top for me. Also know that if you are having an event at any of the great venues that our city has to offer- that FFT usually shows up as one of the choices for caterers. And in my opinion- go with them as they know the ins and outs of getting food served in places that are really not "food friendly" on their own. Let them bid on your next function. My guess is that you won't be disappointed.
(4)Mike D.
Todd Klein put together a last minute food and beverage package to help me in a bind for an engagement dinner/event. Todd was responsive and professional and went out of his way to provide me with the peace of mind that Food For Thought deliver with a quick turnaround time. My original catering option came through, but I wanted to thank Todd for his time, attention and great service.
(4)Andy M.
Not only was the food excellent (from what I heard), but the service was top notch. The Staff at Food for Thought were wonderful to work with. Getting married is a wonderful thing, but making sure that your guests are fed and have enough to drink is nerve wracking. The good people at Food for Thought took wonderful care of our guests. They made sure that all of the plates and glasses were full. What little of the food I had the chance to try was delicious. I was so busy greeting guests and taking pictures that I missed most of the appetizers, but everybody seemed to enjoy them. The bottom line is, the staff took care of every detail and made sure that all of our guests were fed. That's all I can ask for from a Caterer. Everybody involved with food for thought did a wonderful job.
(5)Angela P.
I went here for another tasting for my friends' upcoming wedding, so, as of now, this review is based on the tasting experience only. =] First off, it is located in a very industrial section of Lincolnwood...think the dead end of an industrial park. But the inside is VERY different from the bland outside, being very put together and contemporary. We were greeted immediately and asked if we would like a drink while we waited for our other tasters to get there. Very good customer service! Once we were all there, we were brought into the tasting room which was put together nicely and had a wall of service options (plates, cups, silver, etc.). Now on to the important stuff...THE FOOD! It was pretty amazing! We tried a bunch of appetizers, two salads, three main dishes and a few desserts. The standout appetizer was this little bite of chicken salad with a raisin aioli and homemade giardiniera on top of a little crisp cracker-like vessel. It was AMAZINGGGG!! One of the best little bites I have ever had. The entrees were a chicken dish (blah), a filet dish which was good but the meat needed some serious seasoning going on, and the vegetarian crepe dish which was my FAVE! OMG...it was SO good!! A savory crepe filled with wild mushrooms, topped with goat cheese and drizzled with some amazing sauce...yeah...I could have definitely licked the plate clean. SOOO good!! And the desserts were good, nothing over the top great, but definitely good for what they were. Overall, I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a caterer. The food was amazing and the service was friendly which makes for a very pleasant tasting experience. =]] Great job FFT!!
(4)Candice G.
Food For Thought catered my friend's wedding toward the end of July and it was the best wedding food imaginable. For dinner everyone got salad and then you could get the regular dish which was salmon and chicken with veggies or the vegan option... that's right, not just vegetarian but VEGAN. I went vegan and it was A-MAY to the ZING. It was vegan paella with mushrooms, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, etc. To die for and the perfect portion size. For dessert there was either a brownie with ice cream or the vegan dessert with sorbet and fresh fruit. at first I was jealous of the brownie... until I tasted the sorbet. Twas heaven. Pure bliss. I hope more of my friends get married and go with Food for Thought.
(5)Carol J.
I've done several events where FFT was the caterer of choice and don't get me wrong, they are a choice caterer. Are they a little pricey, for sure, is it worth it , without a doubt. They definitely have it together from price points to flavor composition and their platings and service are always spot on. While the caterer of choice for some of the cities premier venues, it comes at a price. There are never gonna be spare crab cakes ( they are super tiny, yet delectable) and the passing trays are a little shy on the goods, but good they are. Their actual staff is a little flighty but they get the job done, ususally bringing in reinforcements from stafffing companies which can lead to a little bit of confusion on larger events requiring more formal service, but I would highly recommend them if they are on the short list.
(4)Winnie N.
FFT was the only choice for catering services for the Adler Planetarium so I worked very closerly with Michelle Eastham to prepare a meal that fit my needs and budget. I wish she allowed me to have a tasting before I decided because food was very important to our wedding. The actual tasting was amazing! There was a table set in the colors and chairs that I was debating on using. The waiters were all dressed in their wedding day attire. The dishes were served to us in small portions but there was a presentation plate that showed how the dishes will be plated on the day of. Michelle was very attentive to our tastes and made changes accordingly. She was even able to work with my budget to get the salad that my fiance really loved but we didn't know if we could afford. Half way into planning, Food for Thought ended up taking over all the private events services at Adler and became my only contact. The actual day of the wedding? Kitchen staff: The beef dish was amazing just as remembered from the tasting. My friends who had the vegetarian dish also said it was delicious. The chicken dish was the MOST important dish in the wedding because my Chinese relatives do not eat beef and they were going to order the chicken. The chicken course was what was going to be where my wedding was going to be criticized at. The chicken dish at the wedding did not meet these expectations. The chicken skin was soggy, the noodles were bland, the bean sprouts underneath the noodles were not fresh, the vegetables were not the same as the tasting, and the chicken tasted like it was just smothered in curry paste without care because it was overly spiced. Those who accompanied me to my original tasting were extremely disappointed because they knew how the chicken at the tasting was and the dish served at the wedding was unacceptable. I had ordered a five tier cake that could have fed 300 people! The chef cut my five tier cake into 220 pieces, leaving 30 people who did not get a slice of cake and 10 of those people were my husband's parents' table! The chef thought I had sheet cake as well so he cut the 5 tiers into bigger slices. Who needs more than 5 tiers of cake for 250 people? I requested hor d'eouvres to be placed at the head table because I knew the bridal party would not get a chance to try them during cocktail hour and the kitchen staff did not set some aside for the head table. Bartenders: One of the bartenders would not serve my guests drinks! My guests asked for drinks in shot form and the bartender refused to serve the drinks as shots. Then, the guests asked for them to be on ice the way the bartender wanted and he still refused! I paid for open bar but refusing to serve drinks was not what I expected. My guests had to make their way to the other bartenders to get their drinks. With open bar closing at 10:30 and the wedding ending at 12:00 am, I see no reason why drinks would be refused to guests when there was plenty of time for them to sober up if over drinking was a concern for the bartenders. Wait staff: The wait staff was very slow with their service. There are only 23 tables plus a head table. How can the last table be served half hour after the head table? The waiters passing the drinks were very inexperienced. A few of my guests had drinks dropped on them while a waiter was walking by. Other unsatisfied areas: I had upgraded my linens but on the day of the wedding, my head table's linens and napkins were wrong. The $50 loss of my head table linen upgrade was a big deal because all my photographs came out with the ugly poly linen color that I did not want and I had stressed all year in deciding the final color of all my linens. I had a photobooth and a dessert station vendor at my wedding that I do not think FFT made the best choice in placing their booths. My dessert station was supposed to be a complete surprise to my guests and FFT provided them a black screen to cover the front which was very kind of them. However, they placed my photobooth behind the dessert station. The problem with this was that the photobooth was open all night for guests and it wasn't used well because it was so hidden. Those that did find the photobooth all saw the surprise dessert station. No surprise anymore. In the end, it was a beautiful wedding due to the venue being in a gorgeous location with an amazing skyline. The sunny day made the venue an even more beautiful venue to be at. However, FFT Catering services did not meet up to my expectations at all and I hope my critiques will only help to benefit the company in the future. Since FFT is the only caterer available to the Adler, I hope there is much more pride taken in the future to making sure the weddings serviced there are as amazing as online reviews say you are. FFT was good and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend others but I think the service provided at my wedding was not up to par to how great others have said it would be.
(3)Carolynne M.
I have been to exactly two weddings in my entire life. One was my own, and the other was a friend's two summers ago. So I didn't have much to go on when planning mine. However, I had heard stories, and there would be two "musts" with mine. One was that there MUST NOT BE a chicken dance or electric slide of any kind, the other was that there MUST be food. And when I say "food" I mean incredibly delicious fare that would not only have people talking about it afterwards, but must also be of a quantity that people did not leave wanting a cheeseburger on the way home. When we went for our tasting, we were very impressed by the presentation and the way they made what is normally a simple dish extraordinary. They were very professional, cordial and helpful throughout the whole process. Our menu was as follows: Appetizers: -smoked venison with port poached figs and dark chocolate shavings -caramelized quince and humboldt fog goat cheese cones -coconut chicken mousse with watercress and ginger -parisienne melon with laquercia prosciutto, white balsamic gelee and basil -braised kurobuta pork belly with caramelized plum, mizuna, and whole grain mustard -crisp ravioli of truffled new potato, taleggio cheese and chive Dinner- -olive oil roasted seasonal vegetables with pesto goat cheese served open faced on whole wheat -mini buttermilk fried oyster po'boy -tuscan sandwich with bresaola -espresso-peppercorn "mole" glazed chicken with golden chanterelles and sweet potato succotash -home fried potato crisps in smoked sea salt, BBQ spice and garlic-black truffle flavours -BLT Salad -assortment of baked breads The day of, all the waitstaff had on crisp, black uniforms, the food was presented beautifully, and there was always someone seemingly at hand to either offer a drink or pick up a discarded glass. They are not cheap, but of course you get what you pay for. My guests had an awesome time and everyone had a favourite food that they still talk about. Nothing was fussy, unnecessary or overdone, and I still like telling people when they ask what the food was at the wedding: "Sandwiches and potato chips"
(5)Rachel S.
FFT catered my friend's wedding at Salvage One and did a terrific job! The food was delicious and beautifully presented.
(5)Meredith M.
FFT catered our wedding and did an absolutely terrific job! Our guests kept commenting on the delicious food (unusually delicious for such a large event - 225 guests), the responsive service, the presentation and the fact that there were actually enough hors deorves to serve the hungry masses at cocktail hour (a point we really drove home during our consultations and which was very well executed at the event). Our consultant, Jennifer, was absolutely superb. She is a true expert in her field and was terrific to work with. She did not flinch when we gave her a litany of special requests and dietary restrictions of various guests. She was extremely knowledgable about rentals, service, preparation and everything in between. On the day of the wedding, she oversaw the whole complex operation flawlessly - the food & drink service was perfect and the room & tables looked magnificent under Jennifer & FFT's oversight. Many many thanks to Jennifer and all the folks at FFT! *Highly recommended*
(5)lauren p.
When planning our wedding, the husband and I had one goal- to make it the Best. Wedding. EVER. To do this, we had to have an awesome venue (check), awesome music (check), and the best food anyone has ever had at a wedding- CHECK. We're big food people, but not in a fancy pants way. Foie Gras makes us want to barf. Duck is icky. Give us a delicious, coal-fired pizza, or handmade pasta, or delicious cheese, and we're happy folks. For the wedding, we went with food that had a decidedly 'comforty' feel. Apps included mini grilled cheese and tomato soups, mini patty melts, and other tasty treats. For dinner, we pulled out all the stops- bbq braised short ribs, fried chicken, brussel sprouts with bacon, mashed potato bar. . . drooling yet? We had started out working with Christine, who loved our ideas from the start was eager to offer her own suggestions- when we were looking for another green veggie to add she came up with the idea of a green bean casserole, crispy onions and all. Christine wound up taking an extended vacation that ended just before our wedding, so we finished up working with Jennifer, who was just as awesome. On the big day, Jennifer was there to make sure everything was set up properly, and even stayed to act as a pseudo-coordinator during the ceremony, which was a huge help. We also had a member of the staff (who's name is sadly escaping me right now) who was there to help us, even filling up plates for us to make sure we ate. Most importantly, many of our guests have told us that it was the best food they've ever had at a wedding. FFT isn't the cheapest caterer around, but it is money well spent. (I should also point out that they're not the most expensive either, but their food is without a doubt the best!)
(5)Nina R.
Ok We just got married in July and it was very difficult to choose the caterer. After several tastings we decided to choose FFT. We worked with Linda Barder she was knowledgeable about pricing an very upfront and honest. They replaced their head chef a month before our wedding so I was a little nervous. I am so serious when I say that absolutely everyone raved about the food. Nonstop on and on everyone said that it was the best food ever. I guess everyone says that about weddings they go to but it was ridiculous when my mom was saying it and boy is she picky. Needless to say FFT is an excellent choice. They are professional experienced and had excellent service. They really made everything seem so effortless. The only thing I did not like was that they started cleaning up a little too early taking down tables but just talk to them about take down time because you don't want your guest to feel like they are getting kicked out before your rental time is up. Not a big issue if discussed prior. We had our reception at Cafe Brauer and FFT is very familiar with this venue. Food and service was impeccable. I Definitely recommend them.
(5)Yvette P.
My husband and I are foodies, and had a bad experience with previous caterers, so when we talked with Linda about our wedding, she got our ideas right away. FFT was on the preferred vendor list at Cafe Brauer and a co-worker of my husband's was using them at her wedding so we went with that. Blue Plate never got back to me, and Levy sent me a sit down menu after fully explaining that is NOT what we wanted. The first proposal Linda sent us was just what we wanted. With a few tweaks, we went in for a tasting and were thrilled with our choice. When we went for our tasting, we were very impressed by the presentation and the way they made what is normally a simple dish extraordinary. They were very professional, cordial and helpful throughout the whole process. We went for stations, which is technically called a buffet, but our wedding did not have the feel of a buffet. We had action chefs serving our guests at each station, and the food was amazing. The day of, all the waitstaff had on crisp, black uniforms, the food was presented beautifully. There was always someone seemingly at hand to either offer a drink or pick up a discarded glass. My wedding coordinator had FFT set up a table for my hubs and I to make sure we were able to eat which was awesome! I didn't see one app once I started saying hi to guests during our cocktail hour! And for dinner, we didn't have to go to any stations...we had our own FFT staff member waiting on us and they made sure we were satisfied. They went above and beyond for us and made our reception amazing! Our guests are still talking about how good the food was! Since we are foodies, we wanted it to look and taste like food we would order in a fine restaurant and FFT delivered. While their prices are competitive with other high end caterers, the service put them over the top for us.
(5)Tim H.
Food For Thought recently catered our Chicago wedding on August 10th, 2013, and they were fantastic. Everybody we worked with at FFT was incredible professional, knowledgeable and personable. The event went off without a hitch! The food was fantastic and the crew onsite were very helpful. We couldn't have asked for more. I would definitely recommend them your Chicago event or wedding!
(5)Beth S.
I've been two FFT-catered events. The first was a business lunch where food was served buffet style. Am a foodie and I found the lunch absolutely delicious and the service wonderful. 2 weeks ago I went to a wedding catered by FFT. While the food was really very, very good your cocktails and sit-down dinner, the service was marred by one nice but somewhat ditzy waiter and a totally rude waitress that just reeked bad attitude. When asked what was in an appetizer (my daughter is allergic to shellfish) she barely exlained what it was and rudely asked: "well do you want it or not!" Don't know where FFT gets it staff. I can forgivve slight ditziness but FFT can do a much better job in making sure they have wait staff that don't antagonize guests.
(4)Ashley A.
I worked with Linda at Food for Thought for my July wedding at the Ivy Room and was absolutely thrilled with the food and service. My fiancé and I decided early on our top 3 priorities for the wedding, and food was at the top of the list. From my first meeting with Linda, I knew I was in good hands. * Apps: We chose 5 passed hors d'oeuvres, including the lotus root chips with ahi tuna, beef on pappadam crisps, veggie spring rolls, truffled crisp ravioli, and shrimp spring rolls. They were all absolutely delicious, and Linda made sure that my new husband and I got to try every single one as we were taking a break after the ceremony in the bridal suite area of the Ivy Room. * Entrees: We the beef tenderloin, sea scallops, short ribs, and striped bass. Although the beef was absolutely delicious, I was a little hesitant to choose it. I have been to countless weddings where beef tenderloin is served and it's overcooked, under seasoned, and dry. However, we went with the beef as well as the scallops and could not have been happier! The beef was cooked perfectly and I had guests telling me all night that it was the best beef tenderloin they have eaten, let alone at a wedding. * Desserts/Late Night: For dessert, we had a petite sweet station set up with mango-passion tarts, cranberry cheesecake parfait, cheesecake lollipops, and nutella tiramisu. They were all delicious, especially the nutella tiramisu! We also had Chicago-style hot dogs and deep dish pizza as a late night snack for guests. Most of them were from out of town so they were thrilled to sample some of true Chicago staples at the wedding. By the time the reception came around I barely had an appetite and I only ate a bit of dinner and hadn't tasted any dessert. On our way out the door Donna made sure she had packed us both entrees and each dessert to enjoy in our bridal suite! All in all, I could not have been happier with the service and food from Linda and Food for Thought!
(5)Stephanie S.
Our experience prior to our wedding had been wonderful; this would be a 5 star review if it weren't for what I'm about to share. I'll start with the positives-Mary, our coordinator was responsive, helpful, and calm. She answered countless questions with ease, went through a very informative walk through a month before the wedding etc etc. Tasting was delicious-true to form at the wedding. Guests were happy etc. Our bartenders&waiters were amazing and attentive.The quality of their food really is wonderful. Things took a turn after returning from my rehearsal dinner. I found a very informal email from Mary, our coordinator, who had promised us all along that she would be at our wedding (obviously), stating very bluntly that she would not be there the next day because she had to be at another wedding. She stated not to worry, that she talked it through with one of her staff members, Karen, who would be there in replace of her. Excuse me, what? I felt cheated, manipulated, and more stressed than I already was. I gave Mary the benefit of the doubt, even though a wedding had clearly not popped up out of nowhere. So if that's not unprofessional enough-the lady taking over Mary's place, Karen, was a complete you know what. I understand that there are glitches in every wedding, but there were a few important things that were not done. Drinks/apps were not served to our bridal party during speeches, we never were handed drinks, never pulled away for our alone time,kids meals were not handed out promptly,she did not direct the bridal party into the ceremony as discussed with Mary, our sundae was not made for us prior to our "scooping" etc. honestly, she did more things wrong than she did right. I had to confront her myself about the lack of drinks for our bridal party and she was extremely defensive and RUDE! Why did I discuss all of these fine details with Mary if she wasn't going to fulfill them. And why was this Karen lady giving me attitude? Extremely disappointed.
(1)Linda D.
FFT catered my daughter's wedding reception on April 6, 2013, at the Chicago Cultural Center. I would grade them a straight "A". I would highly recommend them for a number of reasons. First, the food was amazing: delicious and creatively presented. Secondly, the wait staff was excellent. They were friendly, competent, and invisible....in a good way. (They did their jobs so well that we hardly noticed them.) Lastly, we had the pleasure of working with consultant Linda Barder who was a delight; she was cheerful, responsive, and professional in every way. She is a combination food consultant, therapist, wedding planner, and Miss Manners all rolled into one. Besides helping me with the food and beverage selections, she helped me with linens, chairs, the floor plan, and the actual timeline for the entire reception. Her expertise in all things reception-related is impressive. Five stars for FFT!
(5)Tera H.
I can't believe I almost forgot to write this review.... I used FFT for a small party last fall and frankly- even though it was just one of those days where lots of things were going wrong- they did a really great job and the food was tasty and high quality and in the end all was well. I would definately use them again. 1. The food- The party was months ago but I can still remember lots of it! (and we only had cold stuff --usually a turnoff to me but yum!) The standouts: Ginger sesame beef appetizer, Shrimp Crostini, Midwestern Cheese display, Sandwiches- Roast Beef, Proscuitto, and the desserts were such a big hit that I didn't even get to them... well, maybe a blood orange fruit pate (yes- really yum!). Oh,almost forgot the dips- some curry. veg thing (super yum), spinach ricotta and one other.. but all great. There was a TON of food though... and since we were continuing after they left, they left a massive amount of it and yes, I was willing to eat it for days afterward! 2. The Chef- Okay- not everything goes right in the world all the time. Lots of moving parts, etc and sometimes things are just bound to go a little wrong. I've got to say- this IS the woman you want around for days like that! She was amazing.... The manager and food were running late (hey- it happens) and when those arrived she jumped in to action and absolutely worked her tail off to get it all ready. Not to mention- it was so tasty. She was also incredibly pleasant and wonderful to both myself and the guests. (She was even more than happy to set up some of my veggie friends with non-meaty options). She was incredible! 3. The other staff- The site manager/ bartender were both great. They made sure I was able to try most everything and always had a full glass of wine even though I was running around in full hostess mode. My account rep./ sales person was great. She didn't hesitate to devote some attention to this event even though it was very small. (25pp) Also, (continuing with the what was going wrong theme) there was an incident where the carpet in the event room was burned in the process of food prep. At first I was offended that it wasn't mentioned to me that night. However- my rep explained that the staff had reported it to the building's super and they didn't want to ruin the party for us by letting us know. Guess what? They actually had told the super and were great/ efficient about paying for and getting it fixed with no hassles. Things do sometimes go wrong in life but I have tons of respect for people/ companies that do the right thing when they do.... .. because of this our building manager now even refers them to people as a preferred caterer for our building! 4. The cleanup- It was done... and it was done well! The only thing I wasn't so keen on was the okra- but I just don't like okra anytime.... (and really I didn't ask what veg there would be) Now I'm hungry for one of those sandwiches again.... .
(5)Elisha P.
Since we went with Ivy Room for our venue, there were a list of 12 caterers for us to choose from which helped in narrowing our search. We did tastings at 7 of them and in the end, Food for Thought won out! In pricing and quality, they were hands down the best. Pricing- They were able to work with us on a payment plan. We offered guests a choice of chicken, salmon, and veg option. Service- this is their knight and shining armour. Guests could not stop raving about the food (the best food at a wedding they have had) and the service which is really what you want in a caterer! Thank you guys!
(5)Anthony M.
FFT did the catering for a party that my wife and I hosted at the SMART museum in Chicago. They were fantastic. Kendall was awesome. She is so responsive, even following up with us when we were hard to reach so that everything kept moving forward. Also, she offered several creative ideas that helped us keep the event nice, but within our budget.
(5)Hayley C.
My nonprofit organization used Food for Thought Catering for our anniversary celebration at the School of the Art Institute Ballroom in June 2015. The entire process of working with FFT was smooth - Lisa C. was an incredible resource and so helpful throughout the planning and execution. The food itself was fantastic - we did a mix of passed hors d'oeuvres and a stationary buffet. The passed hors d'oeuvres came regularly and reached all of our guests. The stationary buffet was always stocked and beautifully displayed. The entire FFT staff the night of the event were fantastic - great attitudes, smiling faces and a willingness to make the evening the best possible. I would highly recommend working with FFT, and I hope to work with them again on future fundraising events!
(5)Hannah H.
Their Spanish flatbread pizza alone gives them 5 stars - topped with Casbelas blue cheese, serrano ham, and drizzled with quince glaze has both a sweet and savory taste - I could eat this literally 24/7. Comes piping hot, and there's a great ingredients to a crust ratio - crunchy, full of cheesiness, and just fresh. Yum! +Spanish flatbread pizza
(5)Philip F.
Food for Thought provided excellent service and delicious food, you definitely get what you pay for! We pretty much knew right away we had found our caterer at our tasting. Everything was so delicious, and Lisa, our coordinator was great! FFT also had personal touches no other place did, such as our favorite cocktail waiting for us when we arrived. Lisa was always very responsive as we figured out what we wanted. During the wedding, we had incredible service. Our restaurant family in attendance even commented on how great it was. The food did not disappoint, and multiple guests told us how much they enjoyed their meals and late night snacks. There was one snafu where not all of the wine we had purchased was served, but that was probably because of the rain that came through causing a last minute moving of the outdoor bar to inside. Otherwise, we had a perfect experience. I highly recommend Food for Thought for your wedding catering needs!
(5)diana h.
we worked with michelle at food for thought for our labor day weekend wedding at the adler planetarium. michelle was super responsive throughout the whole process and really easy and pleasant to work with! our wedding went off without a hitch, and our guests RAVED about the food. our tasting was also great... we had a private room, and they set up the plates/tables just like it would be on wedding day. they even provided extra samples of cloths just so we could see the different combinations. my favorite food from FFT was probably the duck grilled cheese hor d'oeuvres!! SO GOOD. they have such a great variety of hor d'oeuvres to choose from, and they are all so delicious. the best part about wedding planning is doing the tasting, and FFT makes it so easy and wonderful!!
(5)Megan K.
Food for Thought catered my December wedding (this review is long overdue -- sorry!!) and we couldn't have been happier with how everything turned out. We worked with Mary, who has since gone on to a different company, but would recommend all of the staff @ Food for Thought. The food was fantastic. Even 8 months after our wedding, I continue to get compliments from my guests. My husband loved the little mugs of soup with grilled cheese and the short rib was fantastic. You won't be disappointed with the food - so much flavor and very elegantly (read: not cheesy) presentations. The staff were so great. During cocktail hour, the votive candles on my tables caught on fire (!!) but Mary & the staff quickly caught the problem, removed the votives & replaced them with ones the Library provided. No panic - just quick & efficient problem solving, which I appreciated. We had a lovely woman assigned to us during cocktail hour & dinner who made absolutely certain we got appetizers & our glasses were full. Dinner service was quick & efficient. All guests got their food in a reasonable amount of time. I hate going to weddings where one table is finished eating and another is just being served. You won't have this issue with FFT. We were very pleased with the service. Finally, all of the little things they did - table numbers set up perfectly (mine involved a tented card & votive candles), menus set out, everything done well in advance of the guests arrival.
(5)Shawn P.
Food For Thought, and specifically Linda did a phenomenal job catering our wedding at Union Station. I think they went over and above what we expected from catering service. Linda was not only a phenomenal catering planner but she helped us establish the frame work for our wedding (as we did not use a planner). Not only was Linda amazing through the entire process (and kept us cool, calm, and collected) but the staff on the night of was incredible as well. They were extremely attentive to my wife and I all night and made sure our glasses were full and that we had a chance to sample the appetizers during cocktail hour (we arrived later because we had pictures to take). The table numbers, placecards, gift table was set up exactly the way we wanted it. . .Food For Thought also set up our ceremony working with our florist and production company. . . the place looked amazing and exceeded our expectations.
(5)Renita M.
After two years-plus since that first review, I thought I'd update. The cafe downstairs has improved in some ways since I wrote my first review. They change the featured grill items weekly and the salad bar seems to have improved somewhat. And many items list the calorie count, now, which is both good and bad... However one thing I keep running into with the grill -- my most likely stop if I'm not getting soup & salad -- is that these guys don't seem to know what goes on the sandwiches. The paninis are pre-made daily with some fresh toppings added at the end; I don't have a problem with that but when there are several additional toppings I'm supposedly paying for, it would be nice to be offered it. For instance, today I got what was advertised as a California Chicken Club panini. It had the California -- some fresh avocado added at the end, but no club. No bacon for me. Now granted, I'm sure it was healthier without those wonderful strips of fried pork belly, but I'd already accepted my coming caloric intake and... no bacon. Similar things have happened with various sauces and toppings. I got a "Cuban" once that was really only a grilled ham and cheese -- no bacon, no pickles, no fancy aioli. So just a suggestion guys: Maybe a list of what's advertised on these sandwiches *behind* the counter? That way you can put all the promised ingredients on -- unless someone decides they don't want it.
(4)Stephanie B.
FFT catered my wedding as well as my sister's. I cannot express how happy we were with the quality of the food. My sister's wedding was in 2009 and friends/family were still talking about the wonderful quality of her food come my wedding in Fall 2011. I also had a large event, with 225 people, and the food, considering the amount of people, was amazing- all plates were presented beautifully and with the exception of one thing, all came out at the temperature they should be. I had to give FFT many stars because of the happiness of our guests and overall wonderful quality of service, the food truly made both of our weddings that much more enjoyable and obviously still talked about by many that we know! That being said, I didn't give it the 5 stars I would have wanted to because of attention to detail and at times, difficulty getting communication from our consultant. I got married during a very busy wedding season, and I will admit I had my own ideas and paid much more attention to detail than the average person might (my mom and dad have worked in the catering/events business for years), but there were just a few details that were not executed accurately. This would have gone unnoticed to anyone that was a guest (hence their happiness and therefore my overall happiness), but I would have given it 5 stars had all of our requests been honored and communication was more timely towards the end of our event. Regardless of these small details, I would 100% recommend Food For Thought. My sister and I had several other tastings with caterers for our weddings and they stood out from the beginning for their service, quality of food, and presentation. Overall, this was an extremely positive experience and I trust anyone who uses FFT will have a positive experience as well!
(4)Sara G.
i went to a wedding a couple of weeks ago and was excited to try some great food. though it was well-preseted, there was nobody really attending to the buffets and a lot of people in line were asking what things were, yet there was nobody to answer to them. for me it was particularly important because i don't eat pork. who knows what was in the stuffing, and the hordreves not to mention it. the trays of food were emptying out quickly, so guests including myself were taking very small portions as a courtesy to make sure others could at least have something. after finally dealing with long lines to get out food (it really did feel like a cafeteria back in college), i dove into my chicken and it's mysterious sauce. the food was okay flavor-wise. perhaps the food company had a bad night because the chicken was dry and the vegetables were actually oily. it was weird. my husband and it both got very sick from the food later in the night, and going by the 20+ person in line and the smell of the bath room, we obviously weren't the only ones who got sick at this wedding.
(1)Ashley M.
I recently planned a wedding and used Food for Thought catering. Rosemary and her team were OUTSTANDING! The wedding was an outdoor tent celebration and unfortunately it poured rain the night before and on/off during the wedding. Rosemary was amazing at making adjustments to the poor weather. Their team pulled off a delicious dinner served family style. The bride/groom requested grilled meats, corn on the cob and other simple family styled options. The execution was a home run! Everyone loved the food!! Thanks to Rosemary and her team for all the hard work. I can't wait to work with you guys again!
(5)Tricia D.
We found Food For Thought via the recommended vendors list from our wedding venue's website. It started off pretty flawlessly. Setting up a tasting was easy, and my oh my, did that tasting really blow us away! The food options, presentation, and flavors of each dish were complex, sophisticated, and well executed. We were thrilled to have mini grilled cheeses, samosas, and bacon wrapped dates included in our h'ors d'oeuvres. Also, I will add that I am a strong meat eater. I liked both the sauteed bone-in chicken and sous vide beef entrees we chose, but I LOVED the purple potato vegetarian lasagna option, and that is actually what I ordered for myself to eat on our wedding night. After having 2 other tastings with local caterers, we locked in our final proposal with FFT in March. Boom! FFT really blew the competition away and were very competitive price-wise. Emails and info were traded in the months leading up to the wedding, with no issues or glitches. We walked through the Kenilworth Club with John, our contact at FFT, both parties jotting down notes and logistics. Fast forward to the week or so before our October wedding. Things were so disorganized and helter skelter. What happened to that flawless execution early on? First, 3 days before the wedding, I was informed that there would be additional costs for the ice cream bowls, serving ware for our ice cream sundae bar, and extra glassware for the cocktail hour. Why wasn't this discussed earlier, and why was I hearing about this 3 days before the big event when the proposal was finalized 7 months ago?? Frustrating. Second, there were some mishaps with the food and food service too on wedding night. Throughout our communication with John, I had highlighted atleast 3x that we wanted the sauteed chicken option for our guests, but with the rice cake substituted in for the potato cake that's usually served with that entree. John said ok. Even when I noted that the final proposal still showed sauteed chicken with potato cake instead of the rice cake side desired, he said ok, don't worry, an internal note was made. What was served on the wedding night? The chicken option that we DIDN'T select, along with the rice cake. Yeah, got the rice cake right, but how about the correct chicken? Whomp whomp. What was served was actually less expensive per plate, so I requested a refund. John replied that what was served was what we requested and what was printed on our menus. It was only until I sent pictures of the discrepancy that our refund check was processed. Oh, and on that... we were told the check was in the mail for us, but it didn't arrive until 10 days later. So don't say the check's in the mail when it's not. Last food note: the lasagna served was made with white potatoes, not purple potatoes, like at the tasting and like I was led to believe (and why I printed purple potato lasagna on our menu cards). For transparency, it would have been nice to be informed a change was going to be made. Overall, the food wasn't by any means as fresh or tasty as at the tasting, but I believe that will be the case with any caterer preparing for a large party. Finally, the last frustrating (and sad) experience we had was at the end of the wedding night. Supervisor Arturo had assured us that our pair of handmade, customized cake topper donkeys were in the cake box with the top tier of the wedding cake. He said he personally put them in the cake box. When I arrived home and unwrapped the tightly Saran-wrapped box, there were no cake toppers to be found. Wth? After checking with the wedding venue and back with John in the days following this, there was still no clue as to where the donkeys went. FFT's chef said the cake toppers were in the box too, so it's a mystery as to how or why the donkeys didn't go home with us. Did a diabolical someone unwrap all that Saran wrap and set our burros free to ride into the sunset Toy Story style? Where did they go? Did the cake box have a false bottom? Overall, we had a mixed bag of experiences with this caterer and were left with a bad taste in our mouth from the last few turn of events.
(3)Amy T.
It has been 3 years since my wedding, and yes this catering company still gets under my skin. My husband and I chose Food for Thought to cater our wedding at the Kenilworth Club. As soon as we signed the contract, it turned into a NIGHTMARE! Our sales consultant Mary B. became difficult to work with, communication was lacking. After 3 years, I am not sure if she is still working for FFT. Using this catering company was the only thing I regretted about the wedding (Even after 3 years of marriage ;)) Cake is always my favorite part of a wedding. My wedding cake was not catered through FFT, but was ruined by them when they decided to serve it with a very tart lemon sauce. #1 The cake was not catered with FFT. It was never discussed with me or my husband or my pastry chef that we would add anything to the cake, #2 I hate tart things, #3 lemon does not go well with chocolate at all. Unsurprisingly you could see it across the room, many of our guests left the cake untouched, it was too tart. very very disappointing The food on the day of the wedding was mediocre, not as impressive as what was presented to us at the tasting. Food was made in advanced and only preheated in the Keniltworth kitchen, not cooked on site. Throughout the whole process, I spoke to Mary on the phone a total of 2 times, both calls were initiated by me. She never called us with any questions or suggestions. This became a huge problem because we quickly found out that instead of bringing her concerns to us (her clients) she overstepped us and brought her concerns directly to our other vendors. My husband and I decided to rent an ice cream truck for our wedding with permission from the director of Kenliworth Club months in advanced. The week before the wedding, we received an email from the Director saying that she could no longer allow the ice cream truck, based on a conversation she had with Mary they thought it would disturb the neighbors. I was shocked, because Mary did not address any of her concerns with us and the ice cream truck was rented through a third party (not through FFT). To change your mind a week before the wedding?? Can you imagine how much stress this adds after everything has been booked??? My only suspicion is that Mary was upset that we decided to go with an ice cream truck instead of using FFT to set up a sundae bar. Just wait it gets better. Months in advanced, my husband and I applied for a permit to reserve Kenilworth Beach for our ceremony. We knew that it would be a quick ceremony so we had the beach reserved for 2 hours. We hired FFT to rent and deliver the ceremony chairs. 2 days before the wedding, my husband received a call from the association asking for more money because our caterer requested more time. Again, shocker to us because this was the first time we heard she wanted more time. Mary never discussed a plan with us and how long the ceremony would take, she never mentioned a concern about time. Fast forward to the day of the wedding, its 30 mins before the ceremony and the chairs still had not arrived . We paid for extra (nonrefundable) time which was not needed, and as an added bonus we got more stress on our wedding day. The day of the wedding it was tense, but I remained non-confrontational because it was my wedding and I did not want to ruin the moment. After the wedding, I wrote Mary an email with my concerns in hopes that they will take those suggestions to help future customers. Mary called me a few days later in response to my email and she was apologetic. She admitted to me that she did not try the lemon sauce before they put it on the cake. I appreciated the effort but her apology did not feel sincere, some of her reasons she gave did not make sense. What it boils down to is sales is her job, it benefits her to network with the Director of the club and the Association, they are the people who will bring her new clients. I on the other hand will only be getting married once. Based on this experience, I will not be doing business with FFT again and I would not recommend them to friends.
(1)Joel W.
We used FFT for our wedding on Jan 24th 2015. From the initial interactions (tasting and menu planning) to the event the experience was fantastic. Lisa C was our point of contact and she was amazing the entire time. The food was absolutely amazing....we ended up doing a steak and shrimp combination (didn't even taste it together) and it turned out so well. We had 200 people at our reception and the food turned out amazing for everyone and most importantly it was warm. A few other things...the bartenders were great and put together our signature cocktail drinks, the appetizers were great and the late night snacks they brought out were amazing as well. Their staff the entire time was ideal and very professional. We would recommend everyone to utilize FFT; they were fantastic.
(5)Sarah H.
UPDATE: I shared my feedback (from original review below) to their corporate website contact form and was pleasantly surprised by their response! Going from 3 to 5 stars here for excellent customer service/response. Within a few hours, corporate had passed the feedback on to the head chef at our location and he called me and addressed every concern, point for point. A sandwich that's been really funky lately was fixed, he addressed the customer service issue, etc. Their temps at our location aren't great but that's sort of the nature of temps... overall their food is great and I give them 2 thumbs up for customer service!! FFT provides food services at our office building in Deerfield and while the food is quite good, the service is terribly inconsistent. They have some great chefs/line cooks but seem to be struggling with staffing because the temps that fill in pretty often have consistently been terrible. We also have a cashier who has been there for quite a while and is consistently rude to customers and her coworkers. The food is good, despite being a bit over-priced, but I'm not always all that excited about interacting with their staff... I would opt to eat out much less often and go for the FFT-operated cafe if they made some staffing improvements. The head chef (not sure of his name), Gerald (line cook), and a young woman who's recently been on sandwiches during lunch have all been wonderful - cashier and temps not so much.
(5)Allison M.
We really appreciate all the lengths FFT has gone to to remedy the situation. It is clear they care deeply about the quality of their service, and about making things right in the past as well as avoiding similar problems in the future. Thank you so much, FFT, for working so hard to make sure we have no regrets about our event.
(3)Erin H.
This is an update to my original review of Food For Thought. Following my review, a FFT representative responded to my concerns and apologized for our experiences. She was kind and was quick to assure me that her staff had been coached on how to ensure these issues to not occur again in the future. She mentioned that while they couldn't change our wedding day experience, they wanted to try help us make a new memory. She helped to arrange a nice dinner for my husband and I at one of our favorite restaurants. I truly appreciate her thoughtfulness and responsiveness.
(4)Katie L.
We used Food For Thought for our wedding at Promontory Point in Hyde Park. John was AMAZING to work with. The food was spectacular: both at the tasting and at the wedding. John was so professional to work with, and was so accommodating with us. We were fairly on top of things, but even had some last-minute decisions that he helped us with. Our guests were so complimentary of the food, the service, and our matire'd Maurice, who was on top of everything. We are so grateful and cannot recommend Food For Thought enough.
(5)Nana G.
Food For Thought did a fantastic job of catering my wedding at the Greenhouse Loft. We worked with Mary and she did an awesome job. We initially didn't really know what kind of food we wanted but we saw on their website that they could do dinner stations and their sample menus looked really good. They also take care of chairs and linens so they basically come with rental equipment, staff, the whole shebang - complete package. I really liked the fact that they had a lot of different options for food and how it would be served, so we didn't have to settle for the dreaded traditional sit down wedding dinner with chicken or whatever option. We decided to go for 2 dinner stations and a dessert station so it would be more interactive and fun for guests. We had Mexican style for one station that had wine marinated skirt steak with a parsley lemon sauce, seasonal vegetables and sweet potato wedges with mint cilantro sauce. The other station was Asian style and had vegetable lo mein, chicken skewers, potstickers and eggrolls that came with frickin delicious sauces. We chose an assortment of petit sweets for dessert, like cheesecake lollipops dipped in chocolate, fruit tarts and mini sorbets on cones. Needless to say, all the guests loved the food. I wish I could have eaten more if I hadn't been in a tight wedding dress, but regardless, I loved every single bite. I didn't get to have dessert since they disappeared so fast! That's how good it was. Mary was really nice and easy to work with. The correspondence was good, the tasting was good, the whole team was on the day of was good. Mary and her FFT team made it really easy for us. We didn't have to worry about anything at all. One of our guests was vegan and they made a special vegan meal just for her. It was all really really impressive. We're very happy that we chose FFT to cater our wedding and we'd definitely use them again in the future. If you're looking for great food and great service, look no further.
(5)Kristina L.
We worked with Food for Thought for our wedding at the Adler, and I absolutely love this company! Our consultant, Anna, works with Food for Thought and the Adler, and she was amazing throughout the process. She was incredibly helpful at making our wedding dreams come true. We had so much fun at our tasting, picking out the hor d'oeuvres, main courses, wine selections, and table linens. She even worked with me to make my super-special cocktail hour drink, the Sparkle Heartini with sparkles on the glass and an edible orchid. Anna's colleague, Mary, oversaw the actual wedding day, and she was great. The execution of everything we'd planned was seamless. The Adler terrace was decorated beautifully for cocktail hour, and ditto for the Cafe Galileo. All of our favors were laid out exactly as we'd wanted. And the food and service were top-notch.
(5)Mark B.
First of all I must start off by saying that I have never used a catering company, maybe my expectations were too high! I should have known that when I had to call the company back asking for the proposal a week later, this was not the place to do business. Then when I ask for a updated proposal I had to once again call back because they did not follow up with it. STUPID ME! Fast forward the night of the event, long story short, I was shocked at the amount and quality of the food. As soon as It was unpacked I jumped in my car to head to Jewel! Save yourself the time and money! Don't spend $1,800 / $52.00 per guest, on what you can get at Jewel for a few hundred. Plus my guess enjoyed the Jewel food over the catered food! Most of the catered food went untouched.
(2)Isaiah K.
We considered FFT for our upcoming summer wedding. Becky was very responsive and available to answer our questions and consider our needs. She tailored a personalized and beautiful vision for our food service that was sensitive to our budget concerns. We met for a tasting and it was clear that FFT was one of the best in the area. We ultimately did not go with FFT because they were above our price point, however I would highly recommend anyone who wants a perfect & hassle-free catering experience to reach out to them. They are experts and artists. They understand the details of events matter and have a creative, fresh approach to catering. They can do it all and are very upfront about pricing whereas some competitor's may hide details about the true total costs of their service. I just wanted to tell people to definitely give them a look.
(5)Kate F.
I hired FFT for a special family reunion this Saturday at Promontory Point. I was completely impressed with them and would recommend them to anyone. They are professional, detail-oriented, customer-oriented, flexible, and they provide outstanding food. What more could you want? We had passed horsd'ouevres and a plated dinner with dessert. The guests raved about how good the food was. If you are looking for a caterer that provides a fine dining experience, I would absolutely recommend FFT.
(5)Bethany H.
We had FFT cater our wedding in September at Cafe Brauer. FFT and specifically Linda did a good job of communicating with me, fulfilling our requests at the tasting, and following through with a final menu that perfectly reflected everything we had discussed in the months prior to the big day. We had stations, and though this was pricier, we wanted the guests to be able to try different foods rather than just pick one entree plated dinner. They did a great job brining in the themes we wanted - BBQ, pasta, and Latin American flavors. They also have some really fun options for action dessert stations - we chose the fresh donut maker with choose your own toppings. We got compliments on the food from lots of guests. A big plus was that our coordinator worked with FFT to have some of the food packed up for us (we barely ate, see below). Two issues: first, the groom and I did not feel the staff did a great job of following up with the two of us to make sure we had everything we wanted. ONE person stopped by our sweetheart table to ask us what we'd like on a first plate...nobody ever came by again to ask us specifically if we needed anything else. I understand that we were chatting and moving around, but come on, I'm the one in the white lace dress...you can pass by and ask if I'd like a small plate of food or another drink! I had friends getting me drinks - not their job. Second, I was disappointed in the feedback I got from my guests about how the staff directed them. We had three very different stations open, yet most guests were not told that each station offered something different. The wait staff should have explained the set-up in detail to each table as they were sent up to eat! This flaw in the service plan kind of defeated the point of us having options..guests assumed each was the same and did not even see their other choices. I recommend FFT overall - just be on top of the service issue, and try to think about these details in advance so you can clearly emphasize specific requests for the wait staff ahead of time.
(4)Zoe G.
Everyone knows there are a few things that can make or break a wedding and food is absolutely one of them. I had heard great things about FFT from several friends who had used them as their wedding caterer, and when my friend's catering company didn't work out, I called them right away to get a bid. Keri Miller was our consultant and I cannot say enough nice things about her - her quick responses to my emails, reworking the menus based on our requests, offering suggestions on how to work within our budget, etc... Keri had a touch assignment - I am a total foodie, while my now husband is more of a "beer and wings" guy. Well, they took that to heart and created two different stations and two different types of food. My station had a rustic winter themed menu with salmon, and a beautiful salad and vegetables and my husband's station was dubbed the "man station" with sliders, curly fries, and wings. All the guests commented on how amazing the food was! And it was fun for us to go from table to table when greeting guests and asked which buffet they preferred most. BTW, I won that. Keri did a masterful job of helping coordinate the vendors, set up the room and also room swap with her team on the day of the wedding, since we had both ceremony and reception in the same space. As a busy bride, I never received one vendor phone call that day, and everything looked absolutely beautiful and exactly as I imagined it when I walked down the aisle. If you want fabulous food, consultants that are fantastic people and willing to work with you, and just amazing service, this is the wedding caterer for you.
(5)Carol K.
I am super picky about catered food. I want it to look and taste like food I would order in a fine restaurant. And FFT delivers time and time again. The most recent occasion that I had their food was at an event I attended at the Adler Planetarium. FFT had food stations set up all over the Adler and their staff was really helpful in directing the guests from one station to the next. There were carving stations with perfectly done roasts sliced to perfection. Pasta stations where the pasta rivaled some of the best Italian restaurants in the city. Seafood stations with beautiful jumbo shrimp, crab cakes and crab legs. And the passed trays of food were artfully arranged and the servers are polite and unobtrusive. I have used them for several of my own personal events as well and while their prices are competitive with other high end caterers, the service is usually what puts it over the top for me. Also know that if you are having an event at any of the great venues that our city has to offer- that FFT usually shows up as one of the choices for caterers. And in my opinion- go with them as they know the ins and outs of getting food served in places that are really not "food friendly" on their own. Let them bid on your next function. My guess is that you won't be disappointed.
(4)Mike D.
Todd Klein put together a last minute food and beverage package to help me in a bind for an engagement dinner/event. Todd was responsive and professional and went out of his way to provide me with the peace of mind that Food For Thought deliver with a quick turnaround time. My original catering option came through, but I wanted to thank Todd for his time, attention and great service.
(4)Halie J.
Working with Michelle and her staff at the Adler Planetarium for my daughter's wedding in June 2014 was a complete pleasure. Every question or concern I had was always answered promptly and handled efficiently. Despite all of my many questions, Michelle was so very patient with and kind. The setting at the Adler Planetarium is absolutely gorgeous. It is one of the most spectacular views of Chicago with Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline as a beautiful backdrop. We had our ceremony outside facing an amazing sunset over Chicago. That was just the beginning though. The Adler Planetarium was transformed into an amazing wedding reception with floor to ceiling windows of Chicago for dinner and dancing. Food for Thought is the exclusive caterer that they use. They prepared the most amazing, perfect meal. We had filet mignon along with the truffle chicken and gnocchi as a vegetarian choice. Not only did I taste everything prior to the wedding, but made a point to eat a little of each meal at the reception and was not disappointed. Everything I tasted was great. Our guests commented that their meals were the best they ever had at a wedding, and when I visited the tables I noticed that everyone's plate was licked clean. The professionalism and thoroughness of the staff was exceptional. The service was what you would expect at a 5-star restaurant. There was not one thing that happened at the wedding that did not go as planned. Everything that I discussed was executed to perfection. The day of the wedding ran smoothly with all of their help and guidance. If you are considering using the Adler Planetarium, do it! You will not be disappointed. Also, if you have the opportunity to work with Food For Thought for your catering needs go to one of their tastings, you will enjoy the whole process. I would not hesitate to work with this great group of people again for my other children's weddings.
(5)Cheryl T.
We worked with Brian from FFF for our May, 2014 wedding and could not have been more pleased. We had very strong feelings about what we did (and didn't) want and Brian delivered and then some. He came up with some very creative ideas, worked seamlessly with the venue and our other vendors and did a phenomenal job!
(5)Andy M.
Not only was the food excellent (from what I heard), but the service was top notch. The Staff at Food for Thought were wonderful to work with. Getting married is a wonderful thing, but making sure that your guests are fed and have enough to drink is nerve wracking. The good people at Food for Thought took wonderful care of our guests. They made sure that all of the plates and glasses were full. What little of the food I had the chance to try was delicious. I was so busy greeting guests and taking pictures that I missed most of the appetizers, but everybody seemed to enjoy them. The bottom line is, the staff took care of every detail and made sure that all of our guests were fed. That's all I can ask for from a Caterer. Everybody involved with food for thought did a wonderful job.
(5)Ashley A.
I worked with Linda at Food for Thought for my July wedding at the Ivy Room and was absolutely thrilled with the food and service. My fiancé and I decided early on our top 3 priorities for the wedding, and food was at the top of the list. From my first meeting with Linda, I knew I was in good hands. * Apps: We chose 5 passed hors d'oeuvres, including the lotus root chips with ahi tuna, beef on pappadam crisps, veggie spring rolls, truffled crisp ravioli, and shrimp spring rolls. They were all absolutely delicious, and Linda made sure that my new husband and I got to try every single one as we were taking a break after the ceremony in the bridal suite area of the Ivy Room. * Entrees: We the beef tenderloin, sea scallops, short ribs, and striped bass. Although the beef was absolutely delicious, I was a little hesitant to choose it. I have been to countless weddings where beef tenderloin is served and it's overcooked, under seasoned, and dry. However, we went with the beef as well as the scallops and could not have been happier! The beef was cooked perfectly and I had guests telling me all night that it was the best beef tenderloin they have eaten, let alone at a wedding. * Desserts/Late Night: For dessert, we had a petite sweet station set up with mango-passion tarts, cranberry cheesecake parfait, cheesecake lollipops, and nutella tiramisu. They were all delicious, especially the nutella tiramisu! We also had Chicago-style hot dogs and deep dish pizza as a late night snack for guests. Most of them were from out of town so they were thrilled to sample some of true Chicago staples at the wedding. By the time the reception came around I barely had an appetite and I only ate a bit of dinner and hadn't tasted any dessert. On our way out the door Donna made sure she had packed us both entrees and each dessert to enjoy in our bridal suite! All in all, I could not have been happier with the service and food from Linda and Food for Thought!
(5)Brian H.
We're so glad we picked Food for Thought to cater our "post-elopement" party! Since the celebration we've continued to receive compliments on all the tasty food, snacks and service. Mary worked with us every step of the way to help us come up with a menu that wowed our friends and family and fit our budget. Mary didn't flinch when we told her we'd need to provide options for our vegetarian guests and several guests who can't eat foods with gluten. When we came to Food for Thought's facility for a tasting we were blown away by the food, service and professionalism. In the run-up to the event itself, Food for Thought coordinated with the vendor for drinks and the venue to make sure that everything ran smoothly. Their work paid off brilliantly. If we had to offer any criticism, there were a few moments during the party when we could have used some extra attention from the wait staff to make sure that we were getting food and drinks, but since this was an informal event it was probably hard to keep an eye on who the "bride" and "groom" were. With that said, we wouldn't hesitate to go with Food for Thought if we had to make the choice all over again, and we recommend them enthusiastically!
(5)R B.
My caterer was the most important aspect of the reception for me (after the venue), and so I put a lot of thought and time into making sure the menu and company were exactly what I wanted. I am so glad I did because I cannot say enough about FFT! The food was very good considering they were catering an event for so many people, and they were completely willing to tailor make a menu to fit exactly what we wanted! My husband is Russian, and so we wanted to create a menu that would be comfortable and recognizable to Americans, but still have a lot of Russian dishes and flavors. FFT didn't bat an eye at these requests, and even made a Russian beet salad following a recipe I provided them! We had a buffet service, and they were excellent in making sure everything was orderly and in place. They even threw in passed late night snacks (chicago-style pizza and chicago hot dogs) for free when we were wavering between them and another company! The number one reason I am confident that going with FFT was worth the cost though was their communication and organization. Mary Biller was working with us, and she did a great job of responding to all of my emails promptly and accurately. She provided us with a bunch of serving platters last minute when my mother-in-law brought a bunch of desserts. I also baked and decorated my own wedding cake, and Mary had no trouble whatsoever working with me to figure out how to transport it and stack it during the reception, even though this was clearly not a typical request for a caterer! She even had her team assemble the cake on-site for me so I didn't have to worry! They had no trouble going above and beyond what was typically required from a caterer. Since I did not have a wedding planner and was doing all of the organization myself, Mary and FFT were a wonderful resource for figuring out details. I know that I was a lot less stressed because I felt I could trust them to work everything out without me, and I was completely correct! Yes, FFT is pricey, but their food was great, and their service was wonderful. They also provided kids meals and a special plate for one of my friends with specific dietary needs. For us, they were completely worth the cost! Think of it as catering costs and a wedding planner cost rolled into one!
(5)Angela P.
I went here for another tasting for my friends' upcoming wedding, so, as of now, this review is based on the tasting experience only. =] First off, it is located in a very industrial section of Lincolnwood...think the dead end of an industrial park. But the inside is VERY different from the bland outside, being very put together and contemporary. We were greeted immediately and asked if we would like a drink while we waited for our other tasters to get there. Very good customer service! Once we were all there, we were brought into the tasting room which was put together nicely and had a wall of service options (plates, cups, silver, etc.). Now on to the important stuff...THE FOOD! It was pretty amazing! We tried a bunch of appetizers, two salads, three main dishes and a few desserts. The standout appetizer was this little bite of chicken salad with a raisin aioli and homemade giardiniera on top of a little crisp cracker-like vessel. It was AMAZINGGGG!! One of the best little bites I have ever had. The entrees were a chicken dish (blah), a filet dish which was good but the meat needed some serious seasoning going on, and the vegetarian crepe dish which was my FAVE! OMG...it was SO good!! A savory crepe filled with wild mushrooms, topped with goat cheese and drizzled with some amazing sauce...yeah...I could have definitely licked the plate clean. SOOO good!! And the desserts were good, nothing over the top great, but definitely good for what they were. Overall, I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a caterer. The food was amazing and the service was friendly which makes for a very pleasant tasting experience. =]] Great job FFT!!
(4)Candice G.
Food For Thought catered my friend's wedding toward the end of July and it was the best wedding food imaginable. For dinner everyone got salad and then you could get the regular dish which was salmon and chicken with veggies or the vegan option... that's right, not just vegetarian but VEGAN. I went vegan and it was A-MAY to the ZING. It was vegan paella with mushrooms, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, etc. To die for and the perfect portion size. For dessert there was either a brownie with ice cream or the vegan dessert with sorbet and fresh fruit. at first I was jealous of the brownie... until I tasted the sorbet. Twas heaven. Pure bliss. I hope more of my friends get married and go with Food for Thought.
(5)Carol J.
I've done several events where FFT was the caterer of choice and don't get me wrong, they are a choice caterer. Are they a little pricey, for sure, is it worth it , without a doubt. They definitely have it together from price points to flavor composition and their platings and service are always spot on. While the caterer of choice for some of the cities premier venues, it comes at a price. There are never gonna be spare crab cakes ( they are super tiny, yet delectable) and the passing trays are a little shy on the goods, but good they are. Their actual staff is a little flighty but they get the job done, ususally bringing in reinforcements from stafffing companies which can lead to a little bit of confusion on larger events requiring more formal service, but I would highly recommend them if they are on the short list.
(4)Winnie N.
FFT was the only choice for catering services for the Adler Planetarium so I worked very closerly with Michelle Eastham to prepare a meal that fit my needs and budget. I wish she allowed me to have a tasting before I decided because food was very important to our wedding. The actual tasting was amazing! There was a table set in the colors and chairs that I was debating on using. The waiters were all dressed in their wedding day attire. The dishes were served to us in small portions but there was a presentation plate that showed how the dishes will be plated on the day of. Michelle was very attentive to our tastes and made changes accordingly. She was even able to work with my budget to get the salad that my fiance really loved but we didn't know if we could afford. Half way into planning, Food for Thought ended up taking over all the private events services at Adler and became my only contact. The actual day of the wedding? Kitchen staff: The beef dish was amazing just as remembered from the tasting. My friends who had the vegetarian dish also said it was delicious. The chicken dish was the MOST important dish in the wedding because my Chinese relatives do not eat beef and they were going to order the chicken. The chicken course was what was going to be where my wedding was going to be criticized at. The chicken dish at the wedding did not meet these expectations. The chicken skin was soggy, the noodles were bland, the bean sprouts underneath the noodles were not fresh, the vegetables were not the same as the tasting, and the chicken tasted like it was just smothered in curry paste without care because it was overly spiced. Those who accompanied me to my original tasting were extremely disappointed because they knew how the chicken at the tasting was and the dish served at the wedding was unacceptable. I had ordered a five tier cake that could have fed 300 people! The chef cut my five tier cake into 220 pieces, leaving 30 people who did not get a slice of cake and 10 of those people were my husband's parents' table! The chef thought I had sheet cake as well so he cut the 5 tiers into bigger slices. Who needs more than 5 tiers of cake for 250 people? I requested hor d'eouvres to be placed at the head table because I knew the bridal party would not get a chance to try them during cocktail hour and the kitchen staff did not set some aside for the head table. Bartenders: One of the bartenders would not serve my guests drinks! My guests asked for drinks in shot form and the bartender refused to serve the drinks as shots. Then, the guests asked for them to be on ice the way the bartender wanted and he still refused! I paid for open bar but refusing to serve drinks was not what I expected. My guests had to make their way to the other bartenders to get their drinks. With open bar closing at 10:30 and the wedding ending at 12:00 am, I see no reason why drinks would be refused to guests when there was plenty of time for them to sober up if over drinking was a concern for the bartenders. Wait staff: The wait staff was very slow with their service. There are only 23 tables plus a head table. How can the last table be served half hour after the head table? The waiters passing the drinks were very inexperienced. A few of my guests had drinks dropped on them while a waiter was walking by. Other unsatisfied areas: I had upgraded my linens but on the day of the wedding, my head table's linens and napkins were wrong. The $50 loss of my head table linen upgrade was a big deal because all my photographs came out with the ugly poly linen color that I did not want and I had stressed all year in deciding the final color of all my linens. I had a photobooth and a dessert station vendor at my wedding that I do not think FFT made the best choice in placing their booths. My dessert station was supposed to be a complete surprise to my guests and FFT provided them a black screen to cover the front which was very kind of them. However, they placed my photobooth behind the dessert station. The problem with this was that the photobooth was open all night for guests and it wasn't used well because it was so hidden. Those that did find the photobooth all saw the surprise dessert station. No surprise anymore. In the end, it was a beautiful wedding due to the venue being in a gorgeous location with an amazing skyline. The sunny day made the venue an even more beautiful venue to be at. However, FFT Catering services did not meet up to my expectations at all and I hope my critiques will only help to benefit the company in the future. Since FFT is the only caterer available to the Adler, I hope there is much more pride taken in the future to making sure the weddings serviced there are as amazing as online reviews say you are. FFT was good and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend others but I think the service provided at my wedding was not up to par to how great others have said it would be.
(3)Carolynne M.
I have been to exactly two weddings in my entire life. One was my own, and the other was a friend's two summers ago. So I didn't have much to go on when planning mine. However, I had heard stories, and there would be two "musts" with mine. One was that there MUST NOT BE a chicken dance or electric slide of any kind, the other was that there MUST be food. And when I say "food" I mean incredibly delicious fare that would not only have people talking about it afterwards, but must also be of a quantity that people did not leave wanting a cheeseburger on the way home. When we went for our tasting, we were very impressed by the presentation and the way they made what is normally a simple dish extraordinary. They were very professional, cordial and helpful throughout the whole process. Our menu was as follows: Appetizers: -smoked venison with port poached figs and dark chocolate shavings -caramelized quince and humboldt fog goat cheese cones -coconut chicken mousse with watercress and ginger -parisienne melon with laquercia prosciutto, white balsamic gelee and basil -braised kurobuta pork belly with caramelized plum, mizuna, and whole grain mustard -crisp ravioli of truffled new potato, taleggio cheese and chive Dinner- -olive oil roasted seasonal vegetables with pesto goat cheese served open faced on whole wheat -mini buttermilk fried oyster po'boy -tuscan sandwich with bresaola -espresso-peppercorn "mole" glazed chicken with golden chanterelles and sweet potato succotash -home fried potato crisps in smoked sea salt, BBQ spice and garlic-black truffle flavours -BLT Salad -assortment of baked breads The day of, all the waitstaff had on crisp, black uniforms, the food was presented beautifully, and there was always someone seemingly at hand to either offer a drink or pick up a discarded glass. They are not cheap, but of course you get what you pay for. My guests had an awesome time and everyone had a favourite food that they still talk about. Nothing was fussy, unnecessary or overdone, and I still like telling people when they ask what the food was at the wedding: "Sandwiches and potato chips"
(5)Rachel S.
FFT catered my friend's wedding at Salvage One and did a terrific job! The food was delicious and beautifully presented.
(5)Meredith M.
FFT catered our wedding and did an absolutely terrific job! Our guests kept commenting on the delicious food (unusually delicious for such a large event - 225 guests), the responsive service, the presentation and the fact that there were actually enough hors deorves to serve the hungry masses at cocktail hour (a point we really drove home during our consultations and which was very well executed at the event). Our consultant, Jennifer, was absolutely superb. She is a true expert in her field and was terrific to work with. She did not flinch when we gave her a litany of special requests and dietary restrictions of various guests. She was extremely knowledgable about rentals, service, preparation and everything in between. On the day of the wedding, she oversaw the whole complex operation flawlessly - the food & drink service was perfect and the room & tables looked magnificent under Jennifer & FFT's oversight. Many many thanks to Jennifer and all the folks at FFT! *Highly recommended*
(5)lauren p.
When planning our wedding, the husband and I had one goal- to make it the Best. Wedding. EVER. To do this, we had to have an awesome venue (check), awesome music (check), and the best food anyone has ever had at a wedding- CHECK. We're big food people, but not in a fancy pants way. Foie Gras makes us want to barf. Duck is icky. Give us a delicious, coal-fired pizza, or handmade pasta, or delicious cheese, and we're happy folks. For the wedding, we went with food that had a decidedly 'comforty' feel. Apps included mini grilled cheese and tomato soups, mini patty melts, and other tasty treats. For dinner, we pulled out all the stops- bbq braised short ribs, fried chicken, brussel sprouts with bacon, mashed potato bar. . . drooling yet? We had started out working with Christine, who loved our ideas from the start was eager to offer her own suggestions- when we were looking for another green veggie to add she came up with the idea of a green bean casserole, crispy onions and all. Christine wound up taking an extended vacation that ended just before our wedding, so we finished up working with Jennifer, who was just as awesome. On the big day, Jennifer was there to make sure everything was set up properly, and even stayed to act as a pseudo-coordinator during the ceremony, which was a huge help. We also had a member of the staff (who's name is sadly escaping me right now) who was there to help us, even filling up plates for us to make sure we ate. Most importantly, many of our guests have told us that it was the best food they've ever had at a wedding. FFT isn't the cheapest caterer around, but it is money well spent. (I should also point out that they're not the most expensive either, but their food is without a doubt the best!)
(5)Nina R.
Ok We just got married in July and it was very difficult to choose the caterer. After several tastings we decided to choose FFT. We worked with Linda Barder she was knowledgeable about pricing an very upfront and honest. They replaced their head chef a month before our wedding so I was a little nervous. I am so serious when I say that absolutely everyone raved about the food. Nonstop on and on everyone said that it was the best food ever. I guess everyone says that about weddings they go to but it was ridiculous when my mom was saying it and boy is she picky. Needless to say FFT is an excellent choice. They are professional experienced and had excellent service. They really made everything seem so effortless. The only thing I did not like was that they started cleaning up a little too early taking down tables but just talk to them about take down time because you don't want your guest to feel like they are getting kicked out before your rental time is up. Not a big issue if discussed prior. We had our reception at Cafe Brauer and FFT is very familiar with this venue. Food and service was impeccable. I Definitely recommend them.
(5)Edith K.
I have done my research and Food For Thought is the best Catering Company in Chicago, My friend's daughter reception was at river east catered by FFT. Waiters were very attentive, great service from start to finish! Music was excellent and the bar was at full as it can be! I know too that is a very expensive company but sometimes if you want the best and have the money for it why not!! WE ALL ENJOYED the party very much.
(5)Yvette P.
My husband and I are foodies, and had a bad experience with previous caterers, so when we talked with Linda about our wedding, she got our ideas right away. FFT was on the preferred vendor list at Cafe Brauer and a co-worker of my husband's was using them at her wedding so we went with that. Blue Plate never got back to me, and Levy sent me a sit down menu after fully explaining that is NOT what we wanted. The first proposal Linda sent us was just what we wanted. With a few tweaks, we went in for a tasting and were thrilled with our choice. When we went for our tasting, we were very impressed by the presentation and the way they made what is normally a simple dish extraordinary. They were very professional, cordial and helpful throughout the whole process. We went for stations, which is technically called a buffet, but our wedding did not have the feel of a buffet. We had action chefs serving our guests at each station, and the food was amazing. The day of, all the waitstaff had on crisp, black uniforms, the food was presented beautifully. There was always someone seemingly at hand to either offer a drink or pick up a discarded glass. My wedding coordinator had FFT set up a table for my hubs and I to make sure we were able to eat which was awesome! I didn't see one app once I started saying hi to guests during our cocktail hour! And for dinner, we didn't have to go to any stations...we had our own FFT staff member waiting on us and they made sure we were satisfied. They went above and beyond for us and made our reception amazing! Our guests are still talking about how good the food was! Since we are foodies, we wanted it to look and taste like food we would order in a fine restaurant and FFT delivered. While their prices are competitive with other high end caterers, the service put them over the top for us.
(5)Tim H.
Food For Thought recently catered our Chicago wedding on August 10th, 2013, and they were fantastic. Everybody we worked with at FFT was incredible professional, knowledgeable and personable. The event went off without a hitch! The food was fantastic and the crew onsite were very helpful. We couldn't have asked for more. I would definitely recommend them your Chicago event or wedding!
(5)Beth S.
I've been two FFT-catered events. The first was a business lunch where food was served buffet style. Am a foodie and I found the lunch absolutely delicious and the service wonderful. 2 weeks ago I went to a wedding catered by FFT. While the food was really very, very good your cocktails and sit-down dinner, the service was marred by one nice but somewhat ditzy waiter and a totally rude waitress that just reeked bad attitude. When asked what was in an appetizer (my daughter is allergic to shellfish) she barely exlained what it was and rudely asked: "well do you want it or not!" Don't know where FFT gets it staff. I can forgivve slight ditziness but FFT can do a much better job in making sure they have wait staff that don't antagonize guests.
(4)Stephanie S.
Our experience prior to our wedding had been wonderful; this would be a 5 star review if it weren't for what I'm about to share. I'll start with the positives-Mary, our coordinator was responsive, helpful, and calm. She answered countless questions with ease, went through a very informative walk through a month before the wedding etc etc. Tasting was delicious-true to form at the wedding. Guests were happy etc. Our bartenders&waiters were amazing and attentive.The quality of their food really is wonderful. Things took a turn after returning from my rehearsal dinner. I found a very informal email from Mary, our coordinator, who had promised us all along that she would be at our wedding (obviously), stating very bluntly that she would not be there the next day because she had to be at another wedding. She stated not to worry, that she talked it through with one of her staff members, Karen, who would be there in replace of her. Excuse me, what? I felt cheated, manipulated, and more stressed than I already was. I gave Mary the benefit of the doubt, even though a wedding had clearly not popped up out of nowhere. So if that's not unprofessional enough-the lady taking over Mary's place, Karen, was a complete you know what. I understand that there are glitches in every wedding, but there were a few important things that were not done. Drinks/apps were not served to our bridal party during speeches, we never were handed drinks, never pulled away for our alone time,kids meals were not handed out promptly,she did not direct the bridal party into the ceremony as discussed with Mary, our sundae was not made for us prior to our "scooping" etc. honestly, she did more things wrong than she did right. I had to confront her myself about the lack of drinks for our bridal party and she was extremely defensive and RUDE! Why did I discuss all of these fine details with Mary if she wasn't going to fulfill them. And why was this Karen lady giving me attitude? Extremely disappointed.
(1)Linda D.
FFT catered my daughter's wedding reception on April 6, 2013, at the Chicago Cultural Center. I would grade them a straight "A". I would highly recommend them for a number of reasons. First, the food was amazing: delicious and creatively presented. Secondly, the wait staff was excellent. They were friendly, competent, and invisible....in a good way. (They did their jobs so well that we hardly noticed them.) Lastly, we had the pleasure of working with consultant Linda Barder who was a delight; she was cheerful, responsive, and professional in every way. She is a combination food consultant, therapist, wedding planner, and Miss Manners all rolled into one. Besides helping me with the food and beverage selections, she helped me with linens, chairs, the floor plan, and the actual timeline for the entire reception. Her expertise in all things reception-related is impressive. Five stars for FFT!
(5)Tera H.
I can't believe I almost forgot to write this review.... I used FFT for a small party last fall and frankly- even though it was just one of those days where lots of things were going wrong- they did a really great job and the food was tasty and high quality and in the end all was well. I would definately use them again. 1. The food- The party was months ago but I can still remember lots of it! (and we only had cold stuff --usually a turnoff to me but yum!) The standouts: Ginger sesame beef appetizer, Shrimp Crostini, Midwestern Cheese display, Sandwiches- Roast Beef, Proscuitto, and the desserts were such a big hit that I didn't even get to them... well, maybe a blood orange fruit pate (yes- really yum!). Oh,almost forgot the dips- some curry. veg thing (super yum), spinach ricotta and one other.. but all great. There was a TON of food though... and since we were continuing after they left, they left a massive amount of it and yes, I was willing to eat it for days afterward! 2. The Chef- Okay- not everything goes right in the world all the time. Lots of moving parts, etc and sometimes things are just bound to go a little wrong. I've got to say- this IS the woman you want around for days like that! She was amazing.... The manager and food were running late (hey- it happens) and when those arrived she jumped in to action and absolutely worked her tail off to get it all ready. Not to mention- it was so tasty. She was also incredibly pleasant and wonderful to both myself and the guests. (She was even more than happy to set up some of my veggie friends with non-meaty options). She was incredible! 3. The other staff- The site manager/ bartender were both great. They made sure I was able to try most everything and always had a full glass of wine even though I was running around in full hostess mode. My account rep./ sales person was great. She didn't hesitate to devote some attention to this event even though it was very small. (25pp) Also, (continuing with the what was going wrong theme) there was an incident where the carpet in the event room was burned in the process of food prep. At first I was offended that it wasn't mentioned to me that night. However- my rep explained that the staff had reported it to the building's super and they didn't want to ruin the party for us by letting us know. Guess what? They actually had told the super and were great/ efficient about paying for and getting it fixed with no hassles. Things do sometimes go wrong in life but I have tons of respect for people/ companies that do the right thing when they do.... .. because of this our building manager now even refers them to people as a preferred caterer for our building! 4. The cleanup- It was done... and it was done well! The only thing I wasn't so keen on was the okra- but I just don't like okra anytime.... (and really I didn't ask what veg there would be) Now I'm hungry for one of those sandwiches again.... .
(5)Elisha P.
Since we went with Ivy Room for our venue, there were a list of 12 caterers for us to choose from which helped in narrowing our search. We did tastings at 7 of them and in the end, Food for Thought won out! In pricing and quality, they were hands down the best. Pricing- They were able to work with us on a payment plan. We offered guests a choice of chicken, salmon, and veg option. Service- this is their knight and shining armour. Guests could not stop raving about the food (the best food at a wedding they have had) and the service which is really what you want in a caterer! Thank you guys!
(5)John P.
Great job! Highly recommend.
(5)Emily S.
Perfection. Food For Thought catered our May 2008 wedding, and we still have people talk about how fabulous the food was. My husband literally starts drooling everytime someone mentions the monkfish hors d'oeuvres. Our catering consultant, Lauren, was amazing. Granted, she is one of my besties' sisters, but she treated us and our families like gold. She truly went above and beyond, and she took great notes at our tasting (which were all implemented into the food day-of - which was even better than the tasting). Our wedding was perfect. Even though FFT is not cheap, I would not hesitate to recommend FFT, and I would definitely use FFT again if planning another large-scale event.
(5)Nicole C.
My Dad gifted a Food For Thought Groupon to me a couple of weeks ago. The deal was a total STEAL -- $15 for 5 lunches, which normally run about $10 per box lunch so easily a savings of $35 or more. The only snag was that you are required to order and have all five box lunches delivered on one day. Since my condo is under construction and it's nearly impossible for me to use my kitchen, I was hoping that I could have lunch delivered to my office each day for a week. Unfortunately, I had to have all five lunches delivered on Monday and gave a couple of them away to coworkers so they wouldn't just go bad. I did enjoy the tuna, roast beef, and chicken wrap lunch boxes. Everything was pretty standard. I could have made the same lunch box pretty easily at home. The so-called "kicked up" chicken wrap was anything but spicy -- just a chicken caesar salad in a wrap. The lunch boxes came with a sugar cookie, small pasta salad (tri-colored fusilli pasta with zucchini, cherry tomatoes, celery, red pepper, etc.) and a small fruit salad (pineapple, green melon, cantaloupe). Overall, the food was alright. It's convenient that they will deliver to your office or residence, but I don't think I'll order lunch for myself again. This would be a good spot to cater lunch in for business meetings, etc.
(3)Robyn T.
After having FFT cater an event two years ago I had a handful of requests to bring them back on for our next big work event. I worked with them on pricing and though they came down in price I have to say they are not the least expensive game in town. If you're looking for cheap go somewhere else, but if you're looking for high quality, seasonally appropriate delicious food definitely book Food for Thought. They are the preferred caterer at many top city venues and with good reason. The food is wonderful and the service staff attentive. My favorite part? They have their very own blend of Intelligentsia!
(4)Jen A.
I went to a Food For Thought event at the Adler Planetarium, and every single thing I tasted was a foodie dream come true. I tried (in vain) to jot down the treats I got to sample, but I'm sure the simple descriptions don't even begin to do the food justice. My first impression was that the event was like an episode of Top Chef, in which the teams had challenges of making unique and delicious dishes for a large group. Then I realized it was much better than that: unlike the tv show, these chefs had plenty of time and ingredients at their disposal, and there wasn't a panel of judges, just a lot of happy partygoers. Some highlights: 16-hour braised veal short ribs over mashed new potatoes with capers and onions, roasted duck with a fabulous sauce that I cannot remember, roasted field mushrooms, and a delicious pasta dish that made me forget that I don't like beets!
(5)Dina I.
Wedding food always sucks. That said, Food for Thought somehow created a multi course meal for our wedding guests that I actually loved and heard from many guests that they did too! Brian, our contact, who is one of my favorite people that I got to work with on my wedding reception in Chicago, really understood our passion for food and wine, and made it a reality for 225 guests, without pushing too much "foodie" stuff onto innocent guests. We did a 3 course meal (smoked salmon, morel mushroom pasta, short ribs) , plus the wedding cake, sweets like mini ice cream cones, s'mores, cheesecake lollipops dipped in dark chocolate, and late night snack such as bbq sliders and pork tonkatsu sandwiches. They also catered to our specific requests that the open bars only be stocked with the liquor and beer we love (think local and unique)...thank you to Brian, Todd, and the entire team at Food For Thought for giving us good wedding food and not crap :-)
(5)Jennifer H.
We hired Food for Thought for our wedding dinner, a small affair in a nontraditional venue (an art gallery in the West Loop). John Wagner was great with all our changes and working with us to find a menu and price that would work for us. We didn't get to have a tasting since our event was so small, but boy were we impressed by the food when our big day arrived! The appetizers were terrific (we chose the ravioli, fava bean, smoked salmon, and beet crostini) and they even saved us a little plate since we were out doing photos... the food came, and we had the garlic chicken with beef tenderloin with a bean and veggie ragout, and everything was super great! Again, FFT accommodated our dietary restrictions (no dairy for the meal, kosher). Nicole helped us out the day of and was great, and everything went very smoothly and wonderful. I didn't have to worry about a think, and all the servers were super friendly. Everyone had a great time! I will definitely consider FFT for my next catered event, and I actually found them cheaper and with better sounding food than all of the other places I got quotes from. The fact that their food was great, they were super flexible, and they were reasonably priced make them at the top of my list! Thanks!
(5)Kathleen M.
Update: now my fiance and I are working with a woman named Rosemary and she is pretty fabulous. She emails me with any/all updates in a timely manner and keeps me in the loop, even with small details. Food For Thought is slowly starting to earn back some street cred now that I am working with the lovely Rosemary.
(4)Rebecca H.
Food for Thought catered a friend's wedding that I was a bridesmaid in, over at Salvage One. They did a great job at creating a "Kosher-inspired" menu though I don't believe it was fully kosher. The food was daydream-worthy to say the least. If I wasn't wearing such a fitted dress, I might have just kept eating all night, but I had to leave room for dancing. There were a few times we could have used simple things like more water, and it might have been a little under-staffed but overall everything was absolutely tasty.
(4)Sarah K.
Food for Thought is the exclusive caterer for the Adler Planetarium (the venue our wedding was at), so this was a decision already made for us. On the one hand it was really nice to not have to make yet another decision, but we also did not get to shop around or find someone who was a bit more budget friendly. We knew this going in though and they did a fantastic job. I would recommend them again in a heartbeat. The food was delicious, the staff was really attentive, and our contact, Rosemary, was probably the person I spoke with the most over the course of my year of planning. Since she is a specific Adler/Food for Thought person, she was really my go to for almost any questions I had. During our cocktail hour she made sure to have someone shadow us so that we A) always had a drink in hand and B) sent servers with the hors d'oeuvres plates to us first so that we ate. She also sent a platter to our table with 2 of all the hors d'oeuvres just in case we missed any. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, she worked with me on finalizing all our linen and chair choices and pointed out a way to save $500 on the chairs (using the standard ivory cushion vs. white cushion - and let me tell you no one knew the difference!). We also upgraded to the top bar package at the end since we fell below our minimum and she made sure that we had specifics like Kahlua and pomegranate juice. Also, one of my cousins is on an extremely limited diet due to autism. She offered to call my aunt and she was able to tailor a specific meal just for him so my aunt did not have to bring a lunch box of food for him (what she has to do 95% of the time). My only small issue is that I am not sure what happened to all of our cake at the end of the night. This was never something that was discussed (it never even occurred to me until my mom said something to me the day after our wedding), but our cake served 200 (by the time we got our final count it was too late to make it smaller) and only 150 people attended. It would have been really nice had we been able to take the extra home, but we only ended up with our top freezer tier. I wouldn't be griping over a few slices, but given the enormity of the extra cake, I really wish this had been thought of, or someone had asked about this. However its one of those hindsight observations that I really cant be too upset about.
(5)Ayca M.
My fiance and I just booked Food For Thought as our caterer for our wedding, and we are so excited for them to be a part of our big day. Our tasting with them was immaculate. When we arrived we noticed our names on a big screen tv, which was a sweet little touch. Our representative is Ashley, and she was very professional but also easygoing. The gentlemen serving our food was Alex, and he did a fantastic job as well. We were able to sample eight appetizers, and a few main courses, as well as a couple late night snacks we'd chosen. It was the best lunch break I've ever taken. On our way out, Alex said something about how they cleaned the snow off of our car, and we both thought he was joking until we stepped outside and... our windshield and windows were clean! What a nice surprise that was. We walked away knowing we would have very little to worry about regarding the caterer on wedding day, and that is a huge help. I will be updating this review after our wedding, but for now, we definitely recommend looking into Food For Thought as your caterer!
(5)Greg M.
They don't care! Ok, for some catering companies is more important to get your money than to deliver a good service, Food for thought is one of these companies, i had attended my friend's reception and although food was ok, (nothing special) as soon as we hit 11:00 pm they were breaking down chairs, i lost my jacket (could not be found), supervisor was yelling at their people, to hurry up, we were asking for some water and they said "sorry Bar is closed"!! we have to go!! c'mon ...water?? this event was not free, i had several people not happy, really, Food for thought is a horrible company, and the supervisors should be more careful of the language they use in front of their clients. No, i will not recommend it.
(1)Lorraine L.
Look no further! You have found the caterer of your dreams. Simply terrific on all fronts. They catered my son's wedding at the Chicago History Museum and will cater my daughter's at the Adler Planetarium next year.
(5)Samantha D.
We hired Food for Thought to cater our wedding at the Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park last month. Start to finish, everything was perfect and exceeded expectations. First, Christine Grant, our sales coordinator, was by far the most proactive of the large, reputable catering companies in Chicago. She was the prepared for our initial meetings and was the most responsive as we began discussing the event. She always responded within a day and had a great suggestion. She made planning the reception a pleasure. The food was spectacular. I would have considered it an excellent meal at a restaurant - how they prepared food of the same quality at a museum is baffling. The guests were stuffed and continue to rave about the food. Finally, the service was extremely professional and very precise. They served the tables in a synchronized fashion and always served from the left and removed from the right - which seems insignificant but really impacted the feel of the dinner service. Everyone was so helpful to all of the guests. I would wholeheartedly recommend Food for Thought to anyone hosting any size event - they are the best in the business.
(5)Melissa H.
On a high note....everyone at our wedding LOVED the food! The service was great and the food tasted just like it did at our tasting. Presentation and Timing is a key element with Food For Thought. It made our night go so smoothly. There are tons of caterers in Chicago, but if you want a superior fine dining experience I highly recommend FFT!
(5)SEAH H.
I could not have been more pleased with FFT's food and service for our wedding. Of all the vendors that we had tastings with, their food simply tasted the best and they worked with us the most on our food choices and budget. We had the braised beef for our entree and it was even better than at the tasting. All the linens and decor was set up beautifully - I have to thank my consultant Jennifer Vahle for her cheerful manner and attention to detail for the day of my wedding. I wished I could have been more organized towards the end, but I could not have gotten through the wedding without her. They did a great job.
(5)A. W.
I recently worked with Jennifer Vahle at Food For Thought for my December wedding at the River East Art Center. Both the food & service exceeded our expectations, and Jennifer was a delight to work with. My fiance & I interviewed with, got proposals from, and did tastings with five different caterers: Food For Thought, Blue Plate, Limelight, Food Evolution, and Jordan's Foods of Distinction. Although we had some good experiences with the other caterers (our tasting with Jordan's was amazing!), we opted for Food For Thought for a number of reasons: - They were very timely, responsive, & professional in their communication - They spent time & worked with us to come up with unique, creative food stations that were independently interesting, yet cohesively fit together and appealed to a broad audience - They had a lot of experience working in the venue/space we had rented - They were willing to rework our proposal a number of times and negotiate on price - They allowed us to bring in our own alcohol from Binny's, which was a big $ saver - The food tasted great! - They came recommended from some of our friends and friends of friends - They were willing take ownership of coordinating bigger picture day-of-details - They could help with a lot of the "extras" - in addition to tables, linens & lounge furniture, they helped with coat check, cake service, etc. which reduced the need to add uneccessary additional vendors and saved us a lot of time, effort & coordination - They seemed competent & capable of handling a wedding our size (300 people) - Their pricing was competitive We were extremely pleased with FFT. The food was wonderful and we received many compliments throughout the night. The wait staff was extremely professional, fun, and attentive to our guests - they even had a dedicated server looking out for the wedding party, making sure that we had food and beverages throughout the entire night. Jennifer did a great job of coordinating the details and taking a lot of the stress off of me! I highly recommend FFT!
(5)Cristina G.
Okay so we didn't have a choice on the caterers for our wedding. Garfield Park Conservatory gives you a list of caterers you must use for your event. We looked around and got estimates from a couple of places. We heard good things about Food For Thought so we started working closely with them until we decided to go with them. We are vegetarian and Mexican: two things that needed to show in the food as well. Still, we wanted our meat eater friends to also enjoy the food. My husband also wanted a keg of his favorite beer-Oberon. Stacy and Bridgett were great at getting us everything we wanted. The food was delicious. We had banana wrapped tilapia with a delicious sauce, chicken and steak fajitas, some sort of squash dish, rice, plantain chips, fried plantains, jalapeno corn bread and a full premium bar. Ya know I like sangria so they added that to the bar, and they added tequila so they could make margaritas for us. They provided the keg for my husband which was difficult to find. If you like oberon you know why it was difficult. This is a review of FFT not oberon so... if you are ever in need of catering this place is delicious. We could not even arrange a tasting because of lack of time, and still the food was delicious. Stacy and Bridget were great to work with. You know how it is planning a wedding and all, I would call Stacy to ask some silly question and she was always cool about it. We emailed back and forth with them a lot about our budget and pricing and they were always very professional. If you want something just ask-- nicely :)
(4)Shianne P.
Food for Thought catered our wedding reception at the Chicago History Museum. Our catering manager was Jennifer Vahle, who did a great job putting together a menu that was within our budget. As an out-of-town couple (from Los Angeles), we were limited in our times to meet FFT, but Jennifer was really flexible in getting us in last minute for a tasting. During the tasting, she worked with us to mix and match hors d'oeuvres, entrees, and sides so that we got exactly what we wanted. Even though we only had one entree option (chicken), other than vegetarian, we got lots of compliments that the food was really good. There was a little hiccup, though, in the number of vegetarian dishes available - we had 2 friends listed specifically as vegetarian, and FFT had promised they would have extras on hand in case, but our 2 friends ended up eating the sides for dinner because there were no vegetarian plates left by the time service got to their table. Other than that, everything went well, and they even supported plating/restocking of our homemade cookie table after dinnertime.
(4)Wendy L.
I worked with Ashley Skolnik from FTT to plan my wedding at A New Leaf this past September and the service she provided was fantastic! I was living in another country until 3 weeks prior to the wedding and Ashley was very reliable and prompt with her communications. We were given a list of recommended caterers from our venue and we decided on FFT as my husband was very happy with his initial meeting with Ashley, she had both a friendly and professional demeanor, she organized a tasting with no hesitations, and provided many revisions of our contract without any complaint before we even signed a contract. So her patience won us over. In addition, I asked the staff at our venue and they had many favorable comments about FFT and their food. Ashley was very professional and easy to work with. Her experience clearly shows as she was able to provide many suggestions, guide me on the time line for my event. And she was always reachable whether by phone or email. On the day, Ashley and her staff were on time and quick to set up. Our linen was supplied by BBJ Linens and the equipment from Halls Rental. There was a lot of choice which I was able to browse online, Ashley was very knowledgeable and was able to accommodate a visit to Halls Rental had I wanted to. I was happy with the quality of the linen and the equipment. Through out the event, Ashley kept a tab on things that needed to happen - speeches, cake cutting, entrances, announcements, etc. She worked with the DJ to ensure announcements were made as required. Basically, she kept the evening running smoothly as the last thing I wanted to do was worry about what needed to happen next. Everything I had discussed with Ashely eventuated on the day and I could not have been happier. The food was absolutely delicious! The hors d'oeuvres were fantastic (I would recommend you have a tasting if possible) and the menu for dinner was delicious and well received. I have no hesitation in recommending FFT. Their portfolio and gallery of past events is impressive and our wedding was no exception. My guests are still raving at the experience that FFT helped provide. The execution was incredible and Ashley communicated with my husband and I on every aspect of the wedding before and during the event so we were very pleased with this. Budget wise, Ashley helped reduce some cost for us during many revisions of our contract without taking away from the event. This was a huge help as her commitment on this was impressive.
(4)Jacqueline L.
Food For Thought catered our wedding at A New Leaf in Old Town and we thought they did a phenomenal job. Specifically, we worked with Ashley Skolnik over the past year while planning our reception. Ashley was patient, helpful and thoughtful. She promptly returned emails and walked us through the long wedding process from very beginning to very end. I had the utmost confidence in Ashley, which makes all the difference in the world when you have a million other things to organize. We had to do food stations due to limited space in A New Leaf. Ashley helped us figure out the perfect menu right up to the last second and the food was fantastic! Everyone commented on how much they loved our food at our wedding and how creative it was. FFT is very professional and elegant. Ashley was great the night of our wedding too, and took care of everything relating to the food/set up/guests. She really went above and beyond during the Reception, and we were so thankful we could just enjoy the night without any concerns. I definitely think FFT is worth it!
(5)Amy H.
I have nothing but awesome thing to say about Food for Thought Catering. My husband and I recently had our wedding at Chicago Illuminating Company. We had to choose our caterer from their list of Preferred ones. There were five to choose from: Food for Thought, Blue Plate, Limelight, Entertaining Company and Calihan Catering. I had a rough experience from the beginning. I contacted Calihan and Entertaining Company first. Both were WAY over priced and very rude to deal with. I was having a wedding with 200 people and wanted good, but simple food. Entertaining Company said I could not do that for under 60K and Calihan sent back a proposal for 68K!!!! I was in shock. It was not even fancy food they were presenting. Limelight told me they would give me the wedding of my dreams within our budget and then never called me back! And last but not least Blue Plate had me on the phone for an hour and were putting together a proposal for me and also never called me back. I was very upset and frustrated. My biggest regret was not calling Food for Thought first and I never would have had to deal with this. When I contacted them I assumed it would be the same situation and that I should start looking for another Venue. But I was wrong. Brian was my contact at FFT and he was amazing from the moment I spoke to him. He ensured me that we would have amazing food at a reasonable cost. And he was correct. Throughout the planning process he was extremely helpful and gave us cost saving tips. When we had our tasting it was out of this world. It was like we were in a 5 star restaurant! Nick and I are "foodies" and wanted unique food but nothing that would scare the masses so we had some fun with our appetizers and went simple with our entree. Our dinner consisted of a beautiful heirloom tomato salad and was followed by a goat and spinach stuffed chicken breast. Chicken is hard to produce well for large groups. When it came out it was hot, so moist, and just delicious. The vegetables were crisp and perfectly steamed and the mashed potatoes were so creamy. The service was also immpecable. The staff was very attentive and no wine glass was ever empty. The plates were all cleared very fast and all the meals came out at the same time. It was unreal. Dinner was right on schedule and we actually finished early. I cannot tell you how many weddings we have gone too where the dinner runs long and we are sitting forever between courses. Brian was there thoughout the night making sure things went smoothly and they did. I have nothing bad to say and cannot wait to work with FFT again. Brian was awesome!!!
(5)emily l.
I worked w/ Linda Barder and she was wonderful. She answered my questions/emails/calls quickly and was very attentive. Even if I emailed her a few times a day, I never felt like I was bothering her. She made me feel like a valued client which I appreciated since this is where you spend the bulk of your money. Of course they are not inexpensive by any stretch of the imagination, but I would recommend them in a heartbeat. The food was very good and the staff was on their game. Food wise, I was especially happy w/ the sushi station we had during cocktails and our dinner (beef and chicken over risotto). Our friends also loved the late night snacks (mini hot dogs and burgers over tater tots w/ mini milkshakes). FFT was also very accommodating during the week and day of. For example, we brought in our own champagne and they said just drop it off at our facility anytime the week of your wedding and we'll take care of the rest. The next time I saw our champagne, it was being served to me at the reception. So easy! Also, at the end of the night there was a ton of cake left over and the head server remembered my mom from the tasting (impressive) and wrapped it all up so we could have it at the brunch the next day. So thoughtful! You really can't go wrong with Food For Thought. Book them - you won't be sorry
(5)John P.
Great job! Highly recommend.
(5)Edith K.
I have done my research and Food For Thought is the best Catering Company in Chicago, My friend's daughter reception was at river east catered by FFT. Waiters were very attentive, great service from start to finish! Music was excellent and the bar was at full as it can be! I know too that is a very expensive company but sometimes if you want the best and have the money for it why not!! WE ALL ENJOYED the party very much.
(5)Emily S.
Perfection. Food For Thought catered our May 2008 wedding, and we still have people talk about how fabulous the food was. My husband literally starts drooling everytime someone mentions the monkfish hors d'oeuvres. Our catering consultant, Lauren, was amazing. Granted, she is one of my besties' sisters, but she treated us and our families like gold. She truly went above and beyond, and she took great notes at our tasting (which were all implemented into the food day-of - which was even better than the tasting). Our wedding was perfect. Even though FFT is not cheap, I would not hesitate to recommend FFT, and I would definitely use FFT again if planning another large-scale event.
(5)Nicole C.
My Dad gifted a Food For Thought Groupon to me a couple of weeks ago. The deal was a total STEAL -- $15 for 5 lunches, which normally run about $10 per box lunch so easily a savings of $35 or more. The only snag was that you are required to order and have all five box lunches delivered on one day. Since my condo is under construction and it's nearly impossible for me to use my kitchen, I was hoping that I could have lunch delivered to my office each day for a week. Unfortunately, I had to have all five lunches delivered on Monday and gave a couple of them away to coworkers so they wouldn't just go bad. I did enjoy the tuna, roast beef, and chicken wrap lunch boxes. Everything was pretty standard. I could have made the same lunch box pretty easily at home. The so-called "kicked up" chicken wrap was anything but spicy -- just a chicken caesar salad in a wrap. The lunch boxes came with a sugar cookie, small pasta salad (tri-colored fusilli pasta with zucchini, cherry tomatoes, celery, red pepper, etc.) and a small fruit salad (pineapple, green melon, cantaloupe). Overall, the food was alright. It's convenient that they will deliver to your office or residence, but I don't think I'll order lunch for myself again. This would be a good spot to cater lunch in for business meetings, etc.
(3)Robyn T.
After having FFT cater an event two years ago I had a handful of requests to bring them back on for our next big work event. I worked with them on pricing and though they came down in price I have to say they are not the least expensive game in town. If you're looking for cheap go somewhere else, but if you're looking for high quality, seasonally appropriate delicious food definitely book Food for Thought. They are the preferred caterer at many top city venues and with good reason. The food is wonderful and the service staff attentive. My favorite part? They have their very own blend of Intelligentsia!
(4)Jen A.
I went to a Food For Thought event at the Adler Planetarium, and every single thing I tasted was a foodie dream come true. I tried (in vain) to jot down the treats I got to sample, but I'm sure the simple descriptions don't even begin to do the food justice. My first impression was that the event was like an episode of Top Chef, in which the teams had challenges of making unique and delicious dishes for a large group. Then I realized it was much better than that: unlike the tv show, these chefs had plenty of time and ingredients at their disposal, and there wasn't a panel of judges, just a lot of happy partygoers. Some highlights: 16-hour braised veal short ribs over mashed new potatoes with capers and onions, roasted duck with a fabulous sauce that I cannot remember, roasted field mushrooms, and a delicious pasta dish that made me forget that I don't like beets!
(5)Dina I.
Wedding food always sucks. That said, Food for Thought somehow created a multi course meal for our wedding guests that I actually loved and heard from many guests that they did too! Brian, our contact, who is one of my favorite people that I got to work with on my wedding reception in Chicago, really understood our passion for food and wine, and made it a reality for 225 guests, without pushing too much "foodie" stuff onto innocent guests. We did a 3 course meal (smoked salmon, morel mushroom pasta, short ribs) , plus the wedding cake, sweets like mini ice cream cones, s'mores, cheesecake lollipops dipped in dark chocolate, and late night snack such as bbq sliders and pork tonkatsu sandwiches. They also catered to our specific requests that the open bars only be stocked with the liquor and beer we love (think local and unique)...thank you to Brian, Todd, and the entire team at Food For Thought for giving us good wedding food and not crap :-)
(5)Kate F.
I hired FFT for a special family reunion this Saturday at Promontory Point. I was completely impressed with them and would recommend them to anyone. They are professional, detail-oriented, customer-oriented, flexible, and they provide outstanding food. What more could you want? We had passed horsd'ouevres and a plated dinner with dessert. The guests raved about how good the food was. If you are looking for a caterer that provides a fine dining experience, I would absolutely recommend FFT.
(5)Jennifer H.
We hired Food for Thought for our wedding dinner, a small affair in a nontraditional venue (an art gallery in the West Loop). John Wagner was great with all our changes and working with us to find a menu and price that would work for us. We didn't get to have a tasting since our event was so small, but boy were we impressed by the food when our big day arrived! The appetizers were terrific (we chose the ravioli, fava bean, smoked salmon, and beet crostini) and they even saved us a little plate since we were out doing photos... the food came, and we had the garlic chicken with beef tenderloin with a bean and veggie ragout, and everything was super great! Again, FFT accommodated our dietary restrictions (no dairy for the meal, kosher). Nicole helped us out the day of and was great, and everything went very smoothly and wonderful. I didn't have to worry about a think, and all the servers were super friendly. Everyone had a great time! I will definitely consider FFT for my next catered event, and I actually found them cheaper and with better sounding food than all of the other places I got quotes from. The fact that their food was great, they were super flexible, and they were reasonably priced make them at the top of my list! Thanks!
(5)Kathleen M.
Update: now my fiance and I are working with a woman named Rosemary and she is pretty fabulous. She emails me with any/all updates in a timely manner and keeps me in the loop, even with small details. Food For Thought is slowly starting to earn back some street cred now that I am working with the lovely Rosemary.
(4)Rebecca H.
Food for Thought catered a friend's wedding that I was a bridesmaid in, over at Salvage One. They did a great job at creating a "Kosher-inspired" menu though I don't believe it was fully kosher. The food was daydream-worthy to say the least. If I wasn't wearing such a fitted dress, I might have just kept eating all night, but I had to leave room for dancing. There were a few times we could have used simple things like more water, and it might have been a little under-staffed but overall everything was absolutely tasty.
(4)Greg M.
They don't care! Ok, for some catering companies is more important to get your money than to deliver a good service, Food for thought is one of these companies, i had attended my friend's reception and although food was ok, (nothing special) as soon as we hit 11:00 pm they were breaking down chairs, i lost my jacket (could not be found), supervisor was yelling at their people, to hurry up, we were asking for some water and they said "sorry Bar is closed"!! we have to go!! c'mon ...water?? this event was not free, i had several people not happy, really, Food for thought is a horrible company, and the supervisors should be more careful of the language they use in front of their clients. No, i will not recommend it.
(1)Lorraine L.
Look no further! You have found the caterer of your dreams. Simply terrific on all fronts. They catered my son's wedding at the Chicago History Museum and will cater my daughter's at the Adler Planetarium next year.
(5)Sarah K.
Food for Thought is the exclusive caterer for the Adler Planetarium (the venue our wedding was at), so this was a decision already made for us. On the one hand it was really nice to not have to make yet another decision, but we also did not get to shop around or find someone who was a bit more budget friendly. We knew this going in though and they did a fantastic job. I would recommend them again in a heartbeat. The food was delicious, the staff was really attentive, and our contact, Rosemary, was probably the person I spoke with the most over the course of my year of planning. Since she is a specific Adler/Food for Thought person, she was really my go to for almost any questions I had. During our cocktail hour she made sure to have someone shadow us so that we A) always had a drink in hand and B) sent servers with the hors d'oeuvres plates to us first so that we ate. She also sent a platter to our table with 2 of all the hors d'oeuvres just in case we missed any. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, she worked with me on finalizing all our linen and chair choices and pointed out a way to save $500 on the chairs (using the standard ivory cushion vs. white cushion - and let me tell you no one knew the difference!). We also upgraded to the top bar package at the end since we fell below our minimum and she made sure that we had specifics like Kahlua and pomegranate juice. Also, one of my cousins is on an extremely limited diet due to autism. She offered to call my aunt and she was able to tailor a specific meal just for him so my aunt did not have to bring a lunch box of food for him (what she has to do 95% of the time). My only small issue is that I am not sure what happened to all of our cake at the end of the night. This was never something that was discussed (it never even occurred to me until my mom said something to me the day after our wedding), but our cake served 200 (by the time we got our final count it was too late to make it smaller) and only 150 people attended. It would have been really nice had we been able to take the extra home, but we only ended up with our top freezer tier. I wouldn't be griping over a few slices, but given the enormity of the extra cake, I really wish this had been thought of, or someone had asked about this. However its one of those hindsight observations that I really cant be too upset about.
(5)Ayca M.
My fiance and I just booked Food For Thought as our caterer for our wedding, and we are so excited for them to be a part of our big day. Our tasting with them was immaculate. When we arrived we noticed our names on a big screen tv, which was a sweet little touch. Our representative is Ashley, and she was very professional but also easygoing. The gentlemen serving our food was Alex, and he did a fantastic job as well. We were able to sample eight appetizers, and a few main courses, as well as a couple late night snacks we'd chosen. It was the best lunch break I've ever taken. On our way out, Alex said something about how they cleaned the snow off of our car, and we both thought he was joking until we stepped outside and... our windshield and windows were clean! What a nice surprise that was. We walked away knowing we would have very little to worry about regarding the caterer on wedding day, and that is a huge help. I will be updating this review after our wedding, but for now, we definitely recommend looking into Food For Thought as your caterer!
(5)Samantha D.
We hired Food for Thought to cater our wedding at the Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park last month. Start to finish, everything was perfect and exceeded expectations. First, Christine Grant, our sales coordinator, was by far the most proactive of the large, reputable catering companies in Chicago. She was the prepared for our initial meetings and was the most responsive as we began discussing the event. She always responded within a day and had a great suggestion. She made planning the reception a pleasure. The food was spectacular. I would have considered it an excellent meal at a restaurant - how they prepared food of the same quality at a museum is baffling. The guests were stuffed and continue to rave about the food. Finally, the service was extremely professional and very precise. They served the tables in a synchronized fashion and always served from the left and removed from the right - which seems insignificant but really impacted the feel of the dinner service. Everyone was so helpful to all of the guests. I would wholeheartedly recommend Food for Thought to anyone hosting any size event - they are the best in the business.
(5)Melissa H.
On a high note....everyone at our wedding LOVED the food! The service was great and the food tasted just like it did at our tasting. Presentation and Timing is a key element with Food For Thought. It made our night go so smoothly. There are tons of caterers in Chicago, but if you want a superior fine dining experience I highly recommend FFT!
(5)SEAH H.
I could not have been more pleased with FFT's food and service for our wedding. Of all the vendors that we had tastings with, their food simply tasted the best and they worked with us the most on our food choices and budget. We had the braised beef for our entree and it was even better than at the tasting. All the linens and decor was set up beautifully - I have to thank my consultant Jennifer Vahle for her cheerful manner and attention to detail for the day of my wedding. I wished I could have been more organized towards the end, but I could not have gotten through the wedding without her. They did a great job.
(5)A. W.
I recently worked with Jennifer Vahle at Food For Thought for my December wedding at the River East Art Center. Both the food & service exceeded our expectations, and Jennifer was a delight to work with. My fiance & I interviewed with, got proposals from, and did tastings with five different caterers: Food For Thought, Blue Plate, Limelight, Food Evolution, and Jordan's Foods of Distinction. Although we had some good experiences with the other caterers (our tasting with Jordan's was amazing!), we opted for Food For Thought for a number of reasons: - They were very timely, responsive, & professional in their communication - They spent time & worked with us to come up with unique, creative food stations that were independently interesting, yet cohesively fit together and appealed to a broad audience - They had a lot of experience working in the venue/space we had rented - They were willing to rework our proposal a number of times and negotiate on price - They allowed us to bring in our own alcohol from Binny's, which was a big $ saver - The food tasted great! - They came recommended from some of our friends and friends of friends - They were willing take ownership of coordinating bigger picture day-of-details - They could help with a lot of the "extras" - in addition to tables, linens & lounge furniture, they helped with coat check, cake service, etc. which reduced the need to add uneccessary additional vendors and saved us a lot of time, effort & coordination - They seemed competent & capable of handling a wedding our size (300 people) - Their pricing was competitive We were extremely pleased with FFT. The food was wonderful and we received many compliments throughout the night. The wait staff was extremely professional, fun, and attentive to our guests - they even had a dedicated server looking out for the wedding party, making sure that we had food and beverages throughout the entire night. Jennifer did a great job of coordinating the details and taking a lot of the stress off of me! I highly recommend FFT!
(5)Cristina G.
Okay so we didn't have a choice on the caterers for our wedding. Garfield Park Conservatory gives you a list of caterers you must use for your event. We looked around and got estimates from a couple of places. We heard good things about Food For Thought so we started working closely with them until we decided to go with them. We are vegetarian and Mexican: two things that needed to show in the food as well. Still, we wanted our meat eater friends to also enjoy the food. My husband also wanted a keg of his favorite beer-Oberon. Stacy and Bridgett were great at getting us everything we wanted. The food was delicious. We had banana wrapped tilapia with a delicious sauce, chicken and steak fajitas, some sort of squash dish, rice, plantain chips, fried plantains, jalapeno corn bread and a full premium bar. Ya know I like sangria so they added that to the bar, and they added tequila so they could make margaritas for us. They provided the keg for my husband which was difficult to find. If you like oberon you know why it was difficult. This is a review of FFT not oberon so... if you are ever in need of catering this place is delicious. We could not even arrange a tasting because of lack of time, and still the food was delicious. Stacy and Bridget were great to work with. You know how it is planning a wedding and all, I would call Stacy to ask some silly question and she was always cool about it. We emailed back and forth with them a lot about our budget and pricing and they were always very professional. If you want something just ask-- nicely :)
(4)Shianne P.
Food for Thought catered our wedding reception at the Chicago History Museum. Our catering manager was Jennifer Vahle, who did a great job putting together a menu that was within our budget. As an out-of-town couple (from Los Angeles), we were limited in our times to meet FFT, but Jennifer was really flexible in getting us in last minute for a tasting. During the tasting, she worked with us to mix and match hors d'oeuvres, entrees, and sides so that we got exactly what we wanted. Even though we only had one entree option (chicken), other than vegetarian, we got lots of compliments that the food was really good. There was a little hiccup, though, in the number of vegetarian dishes available - we had 2 friends listed specifically as vegetarian, and FFT had promised they would have extras on hand in case, but our 2 friends ended up eating the sides for dinner because there were no vegetarian plates left by the time service got to their table. Other than that, everything went well, and they even supported plating/restocking of our homemade cookie table after dinnertime.
(4)Wendy L.
I worked with Ashley Skolnik from FTT to plan my wedding at A New Leaf this past September and the service she provided was fantastic! I was living in another country until 3 weeks prior to the wedding and Ashley was very reliable and prompt with her communications. We were given a list of recommended caterers from our venue and we decided on FFT as my husband was very happy with his initial meeting with Ashley, she had both a friendly and professional demeanor, she organized a tasting with no hesitations, and provided many revisions of our contract without any complaint before we even signed a contract. So her patience won us over. In addition, I asked the staff at our venue and they had many favorable comments about FFT and their food. Ashley was very professional and easy to work with. Her experience clearly shows as she was able to provide many suggestions, guide me on the time line for my event. And she was always reachable whether by phone or email. On the day, Ashley and her staff were on time and quick to set up. Our linen was supplied by BBJ Linens and the equipment from Halls Rental. There was a lot of choice which I was able to browse online, Ashley was very knowledgeable and was able to accommodate a visit to Halls Rental had I wanted to. I was happy with the quality of the linen and the equipment. Through out the event, Ashley kept a tab on things that needed to happen - speeches, cake cutting, entrances, announcements, etc. She worked with the DJ to ensure announcements were made as required. Basically, she kept the evening running smoothly as the last thing I wanted to do was worry about what needed to happen next. Everything I had discussed with Ashely eventuated on the day and I could not have been happier. The food was absolutely delicious! The hors d'oeuvres were fantastic (I would recommend you have a tasting if possible) and the menu for dinner was delicious and well received. I have no hesitation in recommending FFT. Their portfolio and gallery of past events is impressive and our wedding was no exception. My guests are still raving at the experience that FFT helped provide. The execution was incredible and Ashley communicated with my husband and I on every aspect of the wedding before and during the event so we were very pleased with this. Budget wise, Ashley helped reduce some cost for us during many revisions of our contract without taking away from the event. This was a huge help as her commitment on this was impressive.
(4)Stephanie B.
FFT catered my wedding as well as my sister's. I cannot express how happy we were with the quality of the food. My sister's wedding was in 2009 and friends/family were still talking about the wonderful quality of her food come my wedding in Fall 2011. I also had a large event, with 225 people, and the food, considering the amount of people, was amazing- all plates were presented beautifully and with the exception of one thing, all came out at the temperature they should be. I had to give FFT many stars because of the happiness of our guests and overall wonderful quality of service, the food truly made both of our weddings that much more enjoyable and obviously still talked about by many that we know! That being said, I didn't give it the 5 stars I would have wanted to because of attention to detail and at times, difficulty getting communication from our consultant. I got married during a very busy wedding season, and I will admit I had my own ideas and paid much more attention to detail than the average person might (my mom and dad have worked in the catering/events business for years), but there were just a few details that were not executed accurately. This would have gone unnoticed to anyone that was a guest (hence their happiness and therefore my overall happiness), but I would have given it 5 stars had all of our requests been honored and communication was more timely towards the end of our event. Regardless of these small details, I would 100% recommend Food For Thought. My sister and I had several other tastings with caterers for our weddings and they stood out from the beginning for their service, quality of food, and presentation. Overall, this was an extremely positive experience and I trust anyone who uses FFT will have a positive experience as well!
(4)Sara G.
i went to a wedding a couple of weeks ago and was excited to try some great food. though it was well-preseted, there was nobody really attending to the buffets and a lot of people in line were asking what things were, yet there was nobody to answer to them. for me it was particularly important because i don't eat pork. who knows what was in the stuffing, and the hordreves not to mention it. the trays of food were emptying out quickly, so guests including myself were taking very small portions as a courtesy to make sure others could at least have something. after finally dealing with long lines to get out food (it really did feel like a cafeteria back in college), i dove into my chicken and it's mysterious sauce. the food was okay flavor-wise. perhaps the food company had a bad night because the chicken was dry and the vegetables were actually oily. it was weird. my husband and it both got very sick from the food later in the night, and going by the 20+ person in line and the smell of the bath room, we obviously weren't the only ones who got sick at this wedding.
(1)Jacqueline L.
Food For Thought catered our wedding at A New Leaf in Old Town and we thought they did a phenomenal job. Specifically, we worked with Ashley Skolnik over the past year while planning our reception. Ashley was patient, helpful and thoughtful. She promptly returned emails and walked us through the long wedding process from very beginning to very end. I had the utmost confidence in Ashley, which makes all the difference in the world when you have a million other things to organize. We had to do food stations due to limited space in A New Leaf. Ashley helped us figure out the perfect menu right up to the last second and the food was fantastic! Everyone commented on how much they loved our food at our wedding and how creative it was. FFT is very professional and elegant. Ashley was great the night of our wedding too, and took care of everything relating to the food/set up/guests. She really went above and beyond during the Reception, and we were so thankful we could just enjoy the night without any concerns. I definitely think FFT is worth it!
(5)Amy H.
I have nothing but awesome thing to say about Food for Thought Catering. My husband and I recently had our wedding at Chicago Illuminating Company. We had to choose our caterer from their list of Preferred ones. There were five to choose from: Food for Thought, Blue Plate, Limelight, Entertaining Company and Calihan Catering. I had a rough experience from the beginning. I contacted Calihan and Entertaining Company first. Both were WAY over priced and very rude to deal with. I was having a wedding with 200 people and wanted good, but simple food. Entertaining Company said I could not do that for under 60K and Calihan sent back a proposal for 68K!!!! I was in shock. It was not even fancy food they were presenting. Limelight told me they would give me the wedding of my dreams within our budget and then never called me back! And last but not least Blue Plate had me on the phone for an hour and were putting together a proposal for me and also never called me back. I was very upset and frustrated. My biggest regret was not calling Food for Thought first and I never would have had to deal with this. When I contacted them I assumed it would be the same situation and that I should start looking for another Venue. But I was wrong. Brian was my contact at FFT and he was amazing from the moment I spoke to him. He ensured me that we would have amazing food at a reasonable cost. And he was correct. Throughout the planning process he was extremely helpful and gave us cost saving tips. When we had our tasting it was out of this world. It was like we were in a 5 star restaurant! Nick and I are "foodies" and wanted unique food but nothing that would scare the masses so we had some fun with our appetizers and went simple with our entree. Our dinner consisted of a beautiful heirloom tomato salad and was followed by a goat and spinach stuffed chicken breast. Chicken is hard to produce well for large groups. When it came out it was hot, so moist, and just delicious. The vegetables were crisp and perfectly steamed and the mashed potatoes were so creamy. The service was also immpecable. The staff was very attentive and no wine glass was ever empty. The plates were all cleared very fast and all the meals came out at the same time. It was unreal. Dinner was right on schedule and we actually finished early. I cannot tell you how many weddings we have gone too where the dinner runs long and we are sitting forever between courses. Brian was there thoughout the night making sure things went smoothly and they did. I have nothing bad to say and cannot wait to work with FFT again. Brian was awesome!!!
(5)emily l.
I worked w/ Linda Barder and she was wonderful. She answered my questions/emails/calls quickly and was very attentive. Even if I emailed her a few times a day, I never felt like I was bothering her. She made me feel like a valued client which I appreciated since this is where you spend the bulk of your money. Of course they are not inexpensive by any stretch of the imagination, but I would recommend them in a heartbeat. The food was very good and the staff was on their game. Food wise, I was especially happy w/ the sushi station we had during cocktails and our dinner (beef and chicken over risotto). Our friends also loved the late night snacks (mini hot dogs and burgers over tater tots w/ mini milkshakes). FFT was also very accommodating during the week and day of. For example, we brought in our own champagne and they said just drop it off at our facility anytime the week of your wedding and we'll take care of the rest. The next time I saw our champagne, it was being served to me at the reception. So easy! Also, at the end of the night there was a ton of cake left over and the head server remembered my mom from the tasting (impressive) and wrapped it all up so we could have it at the brunch the next day. So thoughtful! You really can't go wrong with Food For Thought. Book them - you won't be sorry
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