Dionysus Kitchen

I wanted the most sustainable, local & organic menu possible for our wedding - and Dionysus served it up for us perfectly! Our guests were blown away at the quality and taste of the food! Many of our guests were skeptical of a green menu - Paul made only the finest dishes from quality and local ingredients and everyone was so enthralled with how delicious and filling everything was on our big day. They were so amazing, flexible with details, willing to work with us on making it exactly what we wanted yet offering their best advice and input one what they do best - catering along with event details. We are so happy to have worked with Paul & Rebecca - Fabulous people, fabulous food & Green!!!!

Paul and Rebecca of Dionysus Kitchen were beyond exemplary! We were confident our event would have magnificent catering from our first planning session right up to the reception. We were especially impressed with the commitment that Paul and Rebecca showed to catering our wedding reception--despite facing an impending hurricane--and working with us to change the timing of the event right up to the day of the wedding.

The wedding execution turned out flawless. The food was beyond expectations, which were high, particularly since Paul took the time to personalize our menu and use locally sourced ingredients. Our guests especially enjoyed Paul's short pre-dinner presentation of the menu. The food was scrumptious; we loved all the courses, and our guests raved about the food.

We would unequivocally recommend Dionysus Kitchen for anyone looking to host an event in the Baltimore area.

We cannot say enough about the quality of food and service that we recieved from Paul and Rebecca for our wedding. We were originally drawn to them because of their committment to using local growers and having the dinner served 'family-style'. We received many positive comments about the food-which was incredible- and some guests wanted Paul's pasta as thier 'wedding favor'! Paul listens to your ideas and then tweaks them to the next level. It was a terrific experience dealing with them and I would use Dionysus again for any event. 6/25/11

We were so excited when we found Dionysus Kitchen. We LOVE food and wanted the food at our wedding to be unique and delicious. Paul was a pleasure to work with and helped us to design a menu that was seasonal, creative and included all of our favorites. He is a great chef and all of the food tasted incredible. Rebecca thinks of every possible detail and made us feel so comfortable throughout the entire planning process. They were both available if we had questions and I always knew they had everything covered. If you are looking for a high quality of food with an emphasis on seasonal and local foods - all at a great value and impeccable level of service - you have found it with dionysus kitchen. I would highly recommend them to anyone and everyone.

Received plenty of compliments on the food - by far the best catering we've ever had at a wedding! Paul & Rebecca are very informative, flexible, and creative. They're easy to work with and full of great ideas. They also offered a lot of necessary guidance to us during the planning stages. We felt completely confident having our wedding in their hands and they truly helped to make the day as beautiful and successful as it was!

Paul and Rebecca are wonderful people and made our day very memorable. I would recommend them to anyone who is looking for wonderful food and great service.

One would think that when choosing a caterer the most important consideration would be the food. I found in planning my daughter’s wedding that there is a lot more to think about than that! From our very first conversation, Dionysus Kitchen was head and shoulders above any other caterer that I spoke with.
Paul and Rebecca Dongarra are great at what they do. They handled so many of the details pertaining to food, set-up, rentals, etc. that it made my job as Mother-of-the Bride/Wedding Planner so much easier! Prior to my daughter’s wedding I was clueless about what I was getting myself into!
Dionysus Kitchen really made us feel as if our event was important to them. While I’m sure they had many other clients, they always made time for us, responded to calls and emails promptly, and made sure that we were aware of all the details of our contract from soup to nuts – no pun intended! The coordinated details with our venue, The BMI, and provided what was needed by the DJ.
Everything went seamlessly the day of the wedding. Their staff was efficient and courteous, everything was ready on time, and of course I must mention that the food was exactly as promised, well presented, and absolutely delicious!
I highly recommend Dionysus Kitchen for your catering needs, and I hope I will have the pleasure of working with them in the future. Natalie Boecker

My husband and I were looking for an interesting and creative French/Mediterranean menu for our wedding at a family farm. We were referred by friends and family to three of the larger caterer’s in the area, Linwoods, Classic, and Chef’s Expressions. After a bit of research on wedding wire, I found Paul and Rebecca and after reading their profile we decided to add them to the short list. We answered a few questions for each of the caterers over the phone and they sent us sample menus in our price range. Linwoods and Dionysus were the only ones in the group that really seemed to listen to what we wanted, but Paul went above and beyond. His menu was a creative 5 course menu with everything from quail to cured meats instead of the standard salad, filet mignon and dessert. So we scheduled tastings with Dionysus, Linwoods and Chef’s Expressions. The paring down process began. Chef’s expression’s wine dinner made us physically ill, with half of it deep fried and badly paired, so that was an easy decision. Linwoods’s food was great, our contact was friendly, helpful and detail oriented, but we didn’t love that we were still choosing from a list of dishes whose ingredients weren’t necessarily seasonal or local. Then we arrived at Paul and Rebecca’s home in Ellicott City. The tasting was spectacular, each dish was delicious and creative, paired perfectly with wine, with ingredients from his own garden and local farms and the menu he came up with was perfect. My husband and I considered our options and we decided that the personal and detail-oriented approach of Dionysus was the right choice for us.
We had a thorough walk-through of the farm with our wedding planner, florist and Paul and Rebecca about a month before the wedding and hashed out all of the details for the day of. Everything was pretty much a blur from that point on but it all went very smoothly. Paul and Rebecca definitely lived up to our expectations. Christian and I were greeted with glasses of wine and hors d’oeuvres immediately following the ceremony. Our guests raved about the cheeses, cured meats, and hors d’oeuvres selection during the cocktail hours. The dinner was wonderful; well executed and timed, and our guests loved the four part antipasti plate, the gazpacho, and braised short ribs, rockfish, and quail entrees. We couldn’t have hoped for a better catering experience! Thank You Paul and Rebecca :)

Full disclosure: we actually knew Paul and Rebecca from our church before we hired them to cater our wedding. However, that's not why we hired them. We shopped around and found that:

1. Dionysus' Kitchen has the most DELICIOUS food! Our tastings with other caterers couldn't compare! We've received many compliments on the food from our guests. My husband and I enjoy cooking and going out to nice restaurants, and having delicious food at the reception was very important to us. We were looking for something a little bit different, since so many times you go to a wedding and it's the same old meal of chicken or beef with green beans. We did tastings with a couple of other caterers who offered a set menu and were sorely disappointed by their offerings -- it seemed like everything was straight out of the freezer and into the oven. No such worries with Dionysus' Kitchen -- all of their food is fresh, in-season, and local whenever possible. The tasting occurred at the home of Paul and Rebecca and had more of the atmosphere of a dinner party with good friends. It was winter-time, and Paul had prepared a root vegetable soup and roast pork with sauteed greens, all of which were outstanding. Once we decided to book them, we went back in for a second consultation where we did more general planning work and put together a menu. None of this "choose 2 items from this list and 3 from that list..." for us -- our menu was customized by Paul to our personal tastes. Our menu consisted of a Mediterranean-themed appetizer station and passed hors d'oeuvres at cocktail hour; a salad course (beet salad with almond-crusted goat cheese); a pasta course (in tomato sauce with eggplant and other veggies); and a main course (roast pork loin with apples and stuffed summer squash), all served family-style to the tables. At no extra charge, they had prepared individual meals for those of our guests with dietary restrictions, which was nice because they didn't have to feel like second-class citizens.

2. Dionysus' Kitchen is a great value. They were cheaper than comparable caterers, probably because of #3. At the beginning of the planning process, we agreed that good food was the one area where we were willing to splurge and go a little overboard. In the end, we didn't need to. For the level of quality and service that we enjoyed, we got excellent value on our money.

3. We loved Dionysus' focus on using local, sustainable ingredients. While we did serve pork, the meal was not meat-heavy and emphasized in-season produce. We're also recycling fanatics and loved that Dionysus' Kitchen always includes a nominal fee ($50) to recycle, since many venues do not provide recycling.

4. Paul and Rebecca are great to work with! In addition to being a talented and creative chef, Paul is just a fun and engaging guy to have around (Rebecca very capably handles the business side of things). The fact that they're a smaller operation than many others meant that we got plenty of personal attention from the ones actually in charge. Closer to the wedding date, we had a logistical walk-through at the reception site where Rebecca talked us through all of the day-of details, including timeline, room set-up, deliveries, etc. She was very helpful in identifying specific things that we needed to do in preparation. On the day of, everything went off almost exactly according to plan. Paul took the microphone, welcomed the guests, and announced the menu, which saved us the expense of printing menu cards. They also provided bartenders (we provided our own alcohol). The food and service were excellent, and we got lots of positive feedback from guests to that same effect. The only thing that went remotely wrong was we were behind schedule, but that's not at all unusual for a wedding and wasn't entirely the caterers' fault since we started late anyway.

I enthusiastically recommend them for anyone looking for good, fresh food with a personal touch!

Paul and Rebecca of Dionysus Kitchen made our son’s wedding reception a wonderful experience. Truly a night to remember. The food was unique, varied and exceptional.
The quality was outstanding. Everything tasted great. The presentation of the food was lovely, and the service was great. The Chef even came out to talk to the guests to see if they were enjoying the food. I have never seen that kind of evolvement and caring from a catering service. We enjoyed the food very much, and we received rave comments about the food from our family and friends. Because of the service and the food, the reception was a great success. It was a magical night that all enjoyed. If you are looking for great food and wonderful service for any event, then Dionysus Kitchen is the place to go. My wife and I highly recommend them.

On a brilliant late November afternoon amidst trees, a lake and the sounds of nature I asked Abby to marry me. I knew I found the woman for me, but how to plan a wedding was a whole different matter. As we approached early December we both knew that we wanted to have a wedding that reflected our vision of such an amazing and momentous life decision. This meant that any semblance of a cookie cutter ceremony and reception was out of the question.
Abby and I envisioned our wedding encapsulating many of our shared values and ideals: community, authenticity, sincerity and joy. We also understood that any company involved in our wedding had to be local and independent. This would be a tall order for any company in a world that has largely chosen profit over meaningful and sincere human interaction.
After a few weeks of considering various caterers, Abby found the web-site for Dionysus Kitchen. Their web-site is not only easy to navigate, but offers a plethora of choices that could titillate any palate. In our initial correspondence with Paul (co-owner of Dionysus Kitchen, magnificent Chef and all around amazing fellow), we asked him if he could create a vegan menu for our wedding. Paul not only heartedly embraced the challenge, but was genuinely excited about the possibilities of a full-course vegan dinner. Paul's enthusiasm not only told me that me loved the art of cooking, but that he had chosen his profession wisely. This was the first of many conversations where Paul's sincerity and dedication tempered the rising stress of planning a wedding. All along Abby and I worried we might find ourselves working with a cold and detached corporate caterer. Paul and Rebecca Dongerra of Dionysus Kitchen are entirely removed from this portrait. We could not have been happier to find them.
One concept that drew us closer to Dionysus Kitchen is their dedication to green philosophy. Dionysus is not simply another company hoping to attach themselves to a new idea. Both Paul and Rebecca's body of work shows their belief in all things green and local. While discussing our menu, Paul emphasized what would be locally available in June. Not only were we going to have the freshest vegetables available, we were also supporting local farmers. Huzzah!
As winter set in, Paul invited us to a tasting. That evening, Abby and I met another couple that was also planning a summer wedding. Beyond the amazing food, I was most impressed by Paul's ability to make both a vegan and meat-based entree. While Abby and I raved over the vegan entree, the other couple had similar reviews for their meat-based entree. This clearly shows Paul's versatility as a chef. Throughout the evening, Paul talked about how he prepared the evening's selections and how many of the meal's ingredients were supplied by local farmers. Again, this showed Paul's dedication to all things local, green and independent. Abby and I could not have had a more enjoyable evening.
As the wedding got ever closer...Abby and I stayed in contact with Paul and Rebecca. Prior to choosing Dionysus, Abby and I were worried about the logistics of putting together a wedding. As our wedding coordinator, Rebecca put all of our concerns to rest. Rebecca not only ordered the linens, plates, tables and chairs, but was more than happy to coordinate information with our other vendors. Our walk through with Rebecca at the church was extremely helpful. In short, Paul and Rebecca's pre-wedding assistance allayed our stress and made planning a wedding a joyous and manageable experience.
At long last, our wedding day arrived! I arrived at the church an hour prior to the ceremony. I was blown away by Rebecca's arrangement and use of the space. Abby and I wanted our wedding to reflect our belief in community. Rebecca arranged the chairs so that two long rows on each side enveloped us as we walked down the aisle. It was not only beautiful, but allowed us to feel surrounded by our loved ones. Beyond this, Rebecca handled all the other details of making the space gorgeous. I could not have been more pleased.
After the ceremony, our guests were invited into another room for a cocktail hour. As with the ceremony, Rebecca's flair for detail and excellence continued to reveal itself. During the cocktail hour, Rebecca's catering staff set up the tables and prepared the space for the dinner that followed. The table arrangements could not have been more spectacular. Prior to dinner, Paul came out from the kitchen to tell our guests a little about the food for the evening. Abby and I requested this, and could not have been happier with Paul's excellent description of the evening's fare. As for the food... our guests were about to set their eyes upon a feast! For the salad course, Paul prepared a local lettuce with asparagus, strawberries and balsamic vinagrette with sliced baguette and olive oil. The soup course included a carrot and parsnip soup with coconut milk, lemongrass and ginger. The entree offered our guests two options: patty pan squash stuffed with mushroom-pecan cornbread stuffing with a strawberry rhubarb drizzle / pasta with mixed spring early summer vegetables diced and sauteed with garlic and carmelized onions with olive oil, fresh local herbs and toasted homemade bread crumbs. Our friends and family members not only loved the food, but were impressed by the polite and professional service. Throughout the night, dozens of folks passed on to me their kind words about Paul, Rebecca and the catering staff.
If I had the opportunity to marry Abby a hundred more times...I would choose Dionysus Kitchen a hundred more times. There is no doubt that Abby and I chose wisely. Dionysus Kitchen did a magnificent job and elevated a glorious moment in our lives to one that was purely sublime. It is my personal pleasure to have met and worked with Paul and Rebecca. They are not only good people, but folks who are dedicated to planning and carrying out spectacular weddings. Placing one's wedding in their hands is not a roll of the dice, but a sure fire way to guarantee the evening of your life.

My husband and I chose Dionysus Kitchen after trying 2 other caterers. The most important part of the day for us was the food, and after the tasting with them it was a no brainer. Immediately upon meeting Paul (the chef) you know that cooking is his passion, and that he puts his heart and soul into it. His wife Rebecca (she takes care of the logistiscs) is great to work with for getting all of the details of the day worked out. She's very easy-going and makes great suggestions to help with your decision-making. Planning a wedding is stressful, but we honestly did not worry one bit about the food...we just knew after working with them all the months leading up to our wedding that everything would be great.

We heard nothing but great comments regarding the food and service. We both enjoyed everything immensely and we were so happy with the quality of the food. Their service staff was SUPERB; they were all very accommodating and very kind. They looked after my husband and I to make sure we were eating as we were trying to work the room all night. We had many foodies among our guests and they were very impressed. Paul and Rebecca truly care about what they do, and they care about giving you the very best for your event. I don't think many other caterers or other vendors have their hearts in it like they do, and that makes a big difference.

We received nothing but rave reviews from our guests for Dionysus' Kitchen during and after our wedding. We add our own rave reviews for the entire vendor selection and planning process and, of course, for the event itself. We also appreciate their use of local produce, their eco-consciousness, and the fact that they donate left-over food to shelters in Baltimore.

Of all the caterers with whom we spoke, Dionysus' Kitchen was by far the most professional and responsive catering firm. The first time we spoke with Paul, we could tell the amount of thought and planning which had gone into simply developing a proposal. In contrast, although I mentioned to other caterers that we are both Indian and would like to serve Indian as well as other food, other caterers simply sent us their standard menu selections. Paul was very up front about the expectations on both sides of the contract, as were we, so we did not experience the kinds of problems mentioned by one of the other reviewers.

Once we had completed menu planning, we started coordinating logistics with Rebecca, who was a dream to work with. We met at the venue and Rebecca was totally prepared with floor plans, timelines, rentals information, and super ideas. She also coordinated with all of our vendors (venue, florist/decor, favors, cakes/desserts, DJ, rentals, etc). Rebecca kept us on track and provided lots of moral support as well. We walked in on the day of the ceremony and reception with absolutely no worries, and with good cause... everything went off without a hitch. The food was outstanding, the organization was outstanding and the service was outstanding.

With great happiness and without reservation, we highly recommend Dionysus' Kitchen!

Dionysus Kitchens were a pleasure to work with from planning our local food, green wedding to incredible service and wonderful food at the event. Our tent became a challenge when a thunder storm blew through. Staff politely, gently and competently "floated" tables into positions that wouldn't get wet, handled changes in plans with a weather-delay, and cheerfully provided lovely service. Now separately, I must say that the reception was full of our "foodie" friends and they felt that the food was absolutely delicious. It was unique, fresh, local and had such a delightful flare everyone wanted recipes. Another favorite thing was a little touch added by Dionysus Kitchens to our table decorations. The way they placed the napkins made all the decorations "POP" - clearly a good idea they added. Hire them!

We were extremely pleased with the quality of food and service from Dionysus Kitchen. The menu was exactly what I had imagined, and the day went off with out a hitch despite challenging weather. My husband and I live in New York and work long hours, but Rebecca (who does the coordinating end of things) was happy to work around our hectic schedules. If your looking for yummy local ingredients, and a more personal experience, Dionysus Kitchen is the way to go!

I really don't know where to begin. Paul made my daughter's wedding wonderful in so many ways! First, of course, the food was delicious and very special. We met with other caterers who seemed capable of putting on a perfectly fine meal, but Paul's was truly memorable and in the final analysis a much better value than the "corporate caterers" we met. Many of our family members and guests have raved about the food at the reception ever since - in fact, Paul drew applause from a table occupied by some of our "foodie" friends! Next, the service was impeccable - very unobtrusive, but everything went so smoothly. All of the waitstaff and bartenders were extremely professional and very cordial. Paul was very responsive and helpful to me, and I needed a lot of help because I was planning the whole wedding from Minnesota. I made two planning trips to Baltimore and Paul made sure that we got everything accomplished during those trips. Finally, Paul made great recommendations to us for a DJ, a florist and a bakery for the wedding cake. Each one was great, as one would expect of vendors who rose to Paul's high standards. I would recommend Paul wholeheartedly to anyone!

Small company, wonderful to work with. They use local, organic ingredients (if you want) and make delicious, unique food! Paul & Rebecca, the owners, were great. Very attentive, responsive,and flexible. Highly recommended.

Without reservation or hesitation, I enthusiastically recommend Dionysus Kitchen. You will be blown away by the quality and attention to detail. I've had the pleasure of experiencing one of Paul's events. Paul develops memorable creations in the kitchen, but as important, he takes the time to develop a personal rapport with his clients. He's gregarious and engaging which helps take an event to the next level. Often times large scale events can be challenging, but Paul's work ethic and jovial attitude rise to the occasion to put the customer at ease. It's quite clear that he isn't satisfied until the customer is satisfied. Paul and Rebecca are very warm and accommodating. Everyone I've spoken with has nothing but praise for the work they do. Dionysus Kitchen is one of the top catering services in the Baltimore/Washington area. No question about it.

Chef Paul Dongarra and his exceptional staff prepared an authentic, 5 course, family style Italian dinner for our wedding reception of approximately 250 guests. The detail and planning which went into every course and wine selection by Chef Paul was world class. As foodies, my wife and I were not willing to settle for a mediocre, wedding dinner. All of our guests raved that it was the best wedding meal they had every had and were requesting recipes! They staff was very discreet and our guests were overwhelmed with service. I would not think of recommending any other Baltimore area caterer.

Paul at Dionysus is by far the most amazing caterer in the Baltimore area. His level of expertise, his commitment to a good product and his creativity lend for a spectacular catered event. I chose him to cater our wedding with lots of picky Italian relatives, and he delivered some of the best food they had ever tasted. EVERYONE said... "best wedding food EVER"....

My husband and I are foodies, so a regular caterer would not do. I sincerely support every word of this testimony!

A+++++

Dionysus's Kitchen is where it's at! From the beginning planning stages until the end of my reception Paul and his staff gave their all to make a memorable evening for me and my partner. The outstanding food and his broad knowledge of different cuisines is the icing on the cake!

Paul and Rebecca of Dionysus were great to work with. Rebecca has great planning knowledge and is the one who originally recommended my venue when my first choice was unavailable.

The tasting is done at their home. I understand for some people this is awkward, but it was pretty neat. Definitely more like you would think an actual meal with friends would go at a wedding, rather than a stark office room.

They are very reasonable, working with your budget and have many options for techniques and styles of cooking. It was also very easy to work with them for the rental selection as well. I read some reviews here before I selected them about Paul being too assertive, and I wouldn't say that. Paul is very enthusiastic about what he does, it shows. But, at the same time, I wasn't afraid to go against him, it's just a matter of opinion and you are the client.

There were a couple little bumps during the wedding, but nothing major, and it was all handled well. The staff that they bring for service and the bar was great too.

Many thanks to Dionysus Kitchen for being a part of our beautiful wedding at the Baltimore Museum of Industry on April 30, 2011. Their service and professionalism guided us through the wedding process from start to finish. The efforts made to create a menu that our guests would love, and at the same time would be well-chosen for the spring season, was apparent. We heard nothing but compliments from our guests on the quality of the food and the service (both bartenders and waitstaff). And everyone greatly appreciated the visit from Paul to each of the tables - it made our guests feel special and valued.

The reception room looked stunning and was exactly what we had pictured for our guests. The personal touches we had requested, including a pie service table, were executed perfectly. Even with a terrific wedding coordinator to assist us the day of the wedding, Rebecca was essential to the success of the day. Her knowledge of the Baltimore Museum of Industry and her coordination with my various vendors allowed Jeff and I to relax knowing our reception was in good hands.

We have loved working with Dionysus Kitchen and would recommend them to anyone looking for delicious, thoughtfully-planned food, attention to details and friendly and professional service.

Sincerely,
Leah and Jeff Mayer

From the beginning Dionysus' Kitchen offered the personal touch we were looking for. We received quotes from over 12 caterers and only Dionysus took into consideration the importance of local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients that we asked for. It was extremely important that we respectful and aware of resources while planning for our wedding and Dionysus supported us 100% on the issue. They were patient with us through the decision process and and gave us the time and personal attention we needed. We where invited to their home for a tasting and was one of the best meals we have ever had.

Paul was wonderful and so caring throughout the planning process. He really seems to care about you and your event and is as excited about it as you are. We had some budgetary restrictions and Paul was happy to work with us to find creative ways to still offer an outstanding meal. He was even able to provide a few vegan meals and a meal for a guest with extreme food allergies. We received numerous comments about the meal and most said it was the best they had ever had at a wedding.

Rebecca was great at holding down the logistical/planning end and patient with our indecisiveness. She helped guide us through the planning process and was easily accessible with any questions we had. My husband is a teacher and cannot easily take time off and they were able to work with us on times to meet so he could still participate in the planning process.

We were extremely happy with experience as a whole and would recommend them.

I hardly know where to start. We hired Paul and Rebecca to cater our October wedding of about 140 people. Let's start before that. We first met Paul and Rebecca when they invited us to their home for the most amazing dinner of my life. The only reason we didn't book with them that night is that we hadn't yet met with other caterers and had recieved proposals from other caterers in the same price range. I'm glad we checked out other caterers so that we KNEW Dionysus was right for us. When other caterers were asked to prepare vegan meals, they offered cheese. Paul didn't bat an eyelash. And immediately came up with a list a mile long of creative dishes he could prepare for the vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters at our wedding. There is no challenge that Paul and Rebecca will not embrace!
My husband and I both have awful schedules and Paul and Rebecca were more than accomodating. What's better is that when we got too stressed out to remember what was going on, Rebecca sent a gentle reminder about what our next step was, and she is unrelenting in her support on the days that you will want to give up! She even gave me directions to the shoe store - this woman knows everything!
If there is one thing that comes to mind when I consider what makes these guys the best - it's this story: we were on the phone with Rebecca at some ungodly hour of the evening going over seating charts (because they do that too!), and she said to me "Paul just walked in and said to tell you that he's really excited because the cheese that he got for your sliders is awesome." This is a chef who remembers you, knows you and your menu and is excited about his work.
Let me tell you about our wedding day. I was nervous about everything going wrong. And somethings did. But the ONLY thing I wasn't worried about was Dionysus Catering. The food was amazing. I wasn't able to eat everything I wanted to because I was busy trying to be a good host, but everything I had was great! And, I would not have had anything if Rebecca hadn't noticed that I hadn't eaten and made me a plate.
I don't have to make a criticism, but I will tell you know that Dionysus will cost a little more than you may be willing to spend. Believe me, it is worth it. You will not get the same service and peace of mind from anyone else.
Organic, local foods are not my top priority. But the fact that Paul uses them, recycles everything and gives leftovers to homeless shelters tipped the scales in his favor for me. If these things matter to you, even a little, Paul is your guy.
I cannot say enough about Dionysus, and if you've read this far, I should have convinced you! Hire them - Paul and Rebecca were born to do this!

Paul and Rebecca are an awesome team. When we started out looking for our caterer we really wanted someone who was going to focus on local/sustainable food, provide great service, be mindful of waste, and make delicious homemade food. We are serious about our food and wanted it to be a memorable, enjoyable and delicious part of the wedding. The first time I called, Paul and I talked for almost an hour and I knew that we were going to work well together. He explained what foods would be available locally around the time of the wedding, and what foods would be hard to get, or not worth getting because they wouldn't have as much flavor as something else we could get locally and use. I asked him how Dionysus deals with leftover food and they answered exactly as I had hoped-- a combination of donation and composting. (In the end we actually didn't have that many leftovers because people kept asking for seconds, but Dionysus was happy to wrap up the leftovers for me and my husband to eat!).
Paul also suggested serving the meal family style, which I had never experienced at a wedding but immediately agreed with him that it would be a good idea. It created such a communal feeling at the tables-- like we were all at a family dinner enjoying the meal with each other. In addition, the food comes out fresher and faster to your guests, doesn't have to sit under a heat lamp, and I think requires slightly less servers over all. It was win-win and we loved the vibe it added to our wedding.
Let's cut to the chase though-- the food was amazing! Everything truly ended up being delicious! We went into the menu development meeting with some ideas and spent a long time discussing options that would include the flavors we like, the food that was available locally in late May around MD, and a menu that was both fun and included nods to our families (Italian, Jewish and Austrian). When I had some second thoughts a few days after the menu development meeting, I talked to Paul about some changes we wanted to make, and I was worried he would be annoyed about accommodating us since we had already set the menu, but he was incredibly helpful and completely understood what we were looking for. He put extra effort into finding certain pieces of the meal that we requested and scoping out different options to make us happy. The menu ended up being fun, delicious, and enjoyed by all. We had a ton of comments from various people telling us how great they thought the food was! The service was also great. Rebecca really has the management side of this business down!
Finally, one touch that we're really glad we had Paul do was the menu announcement. Basically he comes out and tells the guests what they're about to eat. We thought this was really neat because guests were able to hear where the food came from directly from the chef, instead of us wasting paper and money on menu cards. It really felt like we were about to eat a meal cooked specially just for us by having the chef out there talking to us about it! Everyone could tell this was no ordinary cookie cutter catering company.
Overall I would highly recommend Dionysus. The service is personal, the menu ideas are creative, and the execution is excellent in both food and service quality.

I hired Dionysus Kitchen for my recent reception. The food was excellent, much better than traditional wedding fare. The now-wife and I greatly enjoyed the Caribbean jerk chicken and the "mashed root vegetables". The owners present a very high quality of service solely because they limit the number of events they are willing to work, so make sure to contact them long before the wedding day.

We didn't give ourselves a whole lot of time to prepare for our small and simple backyard wedding, but choosing Dionysus' Kitchen made planning for it a whole lot easier. It was important to us to have an outstanding meal for our guests, instead of the same old dry chicken breast or salmon. After sampling DK's cooking at two previous events, it was no question. They worked with us to create a non-traditional, Italian-inspired, meal made primarily from fresh, local and organic ingredients. We and all of our guests loved the food. The final cost was a little more than we initially wanted to spend, but given the outcome, we feel we got our money's worth.

If I had to make a criticism, I would say that clients of DK should come in prepared to stand up for what they want. DK have done a lot of these events, and they are clearly passionate about what they do, but that means they have a specific view of how the event should be, which might not be exactly what the client wants. That being said, they were completely flexible and accommodating once we reiterated (or finally decided) what we wanted. We know that we changed things after the fact, and DK didn't bat an eye but gave us what we wanted. And once all the decisions were finally made, they took care of everything in a very professional manner. One of the tricky things was that we wanted a particular style of glassware that wasn't readily available. DK took the extra step to double check that it was the right type of glass without us asking for it, and it was good that they did because the glass we originally picked wasn't the right one!

Bottom line, if we need another caterer, we would pick Dionysus Kitchen again.

Catering was a very important part of the reception for me personally. Many of my friends and I went to culinary school together and now work in the hospitality industry. Because of this my secret fear was my very modest budget wouldn't be able to provide a meal that would meet expectations. Paul and Rebecca at Dionysus Kitchen put all these fears to rest.

From our first conversation, Paul was warm and enthusiastic. He listened to what I wanted and created a proposal that highlighted delicious seasonal and local food. He easily won my parents and groom over at the tasting at his home.

There was a small rocky patch when my husband and I unexpectedly moved to Texas two months before the wedding. Things went from Paul and I planning the foods and other details, to Rebecca and my groom ironing out details about the site and service. The switch led to a a bit of mutual miscommunication over chairs and a tent that all worked out in the end.

Thanks to Paul and Rebecca, my mom got her wish of being able to show up at the winery and have an amazing time without needing to worry or do anything. Everything was set up perfectly. All of our guests enjoyed the appetizers during the cocktail hour and dinner. Several of my guests have celiac disease.They were happy with the special accommodations Paul and Rebecca made to work around their gluten allergy. The part that made me the happiest was how quickly Rebecca and Paul's staff realized what monster appetites my husband and his groomsman have. They made sure there were extra platters of food from the 3-course family style meal for our table. The food was so good I even saw my husband eating the tomatoes in the salad. He never does that :)

It was very important for us to find a caterer that actually catered to us...not just a company that would put our event on their calendar and think about it for the first time the week before. Paul and Rebecca made us feel so comfortable and imporant from the very first tasting in their very own home. This quality of service continued throughout the wedding planning process and was so greatly appreciated during the stressful time of wedding preperation. Paul has such a love for food and Rebecca does a great job working closely with the clients on the logistics of the event which makes for a great combination.

It was important for us to honor the groom's Arab heritage and Paul made some of the best Mediterranean dips and grape leaves for the cocktail hour. For the dinner portion, we opted for a "family style" meal with a salad course, a pasta course and a main course. Paul put a lot thought into our menu and helped us create something outside of the staple filet and crabcake Baltimore wedding menu. The main course of the short ribs were especially very good and tender.

Overall we had a great experience with Dionysus kitchen. They knew our venue very well which is really key when it comes to knowing what works and doesnt work for the space. Rebecca was very responsive whenever we had questions and needed to make changes, especially in the days leading up to the wedding. Dionysus is extremely thorough and brought us into every decision making process for our event...from how many forks and wine glasses we needed to how the flow of event should go.

As for a few recommendations to future couples...We would advise skipping the pasta course or combining it with the main course to help speed up the serving time. Our main goal was to get the dancing and the party started, and for us the service time for the meal was longer than we would have liked. Also, you are a full participant in deciding logistics for the event which is good or bad depending on your planning personality. Overestimate on a few items...think about adding more servers than recommended and ample barware for your guests if you'd prefer not to switch to plastic when they run out.

Overall we would recommend Dionysus Kitchen without reservation. Weddings are such personal and special events, not just on the day of but during the months leading up to them, and Paul and Rebecca make it such a pleasurable process. They really define the word "caterer" as they truely "cater" to all of your needs. Without a doubt, Paul and Rebecca will do everything to make your event a special and memorable affair!

We were so happy that we had Dionysus Kitchen Cater our wedding. Paul and Rebecca were a pleasure to work with and were so helpful in making the day great. They had great patience, were always accessible to answer questions and offered invaluable ideas and advice. Paul truly takes time to develop a menu that you will enjoy and that speaks to your personality and values. Rebecca was extremely helpful with the details of the day and spent an entire day helping us come up with the timeline of the day and finalizing the reception details while handling the floor plan for the site and setting up the decorations the day of. While their service and attention to detail were excellent so was the delicious food. Everything came together so nicely and tasted delicious. The family style meal was unique and personal and set the tone for a wonderful evening. We would recommend Dionysus Kitchen for anyone looking for a caterer for their event.

Many thanks to Paul and Rebecca!

Marrying both Indian and Catholic backgrounds is a challenge in itself. Choosing a suitable caterer was an even scarier concept for us to ensure both families would enjoy their meals and overall wedding experience. The following will explain why we decided to use Dionysus’ Kitchen and why we would recommend them for any occasion or culinary event.
From the very beginning, DK was eager and up to the challenge. Paul spoke of being extremely detail-oriented, thorough, genuine, and excited. Just to prove how passionate he was to cater to our needs, he invited us both to his home (wow) for a test run to see if we found his organic creations to be up to our individual standards. After four hours of tasting and samples, we left with very few fears that this just might actually work out.
Once we chose a venue, his wife Rebecca came to the site to complete the logistical portion. She was as well-prepared as we had hoped, with both visual diagrams and ideas for a rain plan. She was obviously very organized and detail-oriented.
DK worked with each one of my other vendors seamlessly. I worked with Susan from Select Events to pick linens and they did the rest. DK set up all my escort cards and other items. Paul was very accommodating when it came to rethinking about renting a kitchen tent, which saved me significant money. They are boutique, and in using them, we expected to spend the money, but their service transcended the delicious food and soared in their level of service and attention to detail.
Out guests enjoyed meeting Paul: he actually went to each table to introduce himself personally and ask if there was anything he could do for each one of our guests. The staff was very professional, courteous, friendly, and efficient. They listened to any concerns and suggestions and came up with suitable suggestions. Paul and Rebecca were great to work with and we would highly recommend their services in any situation, regardless of spiritual complexity. DK was the glue for our entire event, and lived up to all of our expectations.

Paul Dongarra looked at me when I said I needed Mediterranean and Korean food at my wedding and said, "yeah, I do all of those and much more." If you are looking for a wonderfully personal caterer with a true passion for everything he does (including painting and wine-making) and a garden in the back yard, Paul is your guy. And Cecilia coordinated the table settings, flow of the reception, and staff beautifully. I felt truly privileged to have Dionysus' Kitchen cater my wedding. And the food was incredible!! Family members asked the chef for recipes.

I was referred to Dionysus by two colleagues who both had great experiences. We chose Paul and Rebecca in part because we were blown away by the quality of the food at the tasting (held in their home), and also because of the emphasis on local foods, recycling, and donating unused food. Basically, their values aligned with mine. Compared to other caterers, the price was similar but I felt it would be a better value because of food quality and creativity. We had a brunch wedding and Paul helped us put a "twist" on our menu. For example, instead of fresh toast we had orange french toast bread pudding with cardamom whipped cream. Instead of chicken apple sausage, Paul selected the best quality chicken sausage he could find and sauteed it with sliced apples. Paul did as much of the food prep as possible on site, which contributed to the freshness. Our guests really enjoyed the food - I just wish I had time to eat more of it! I was appreciative of their assistance at the walk-through to think about all of the aspects of the wedding day. On the day of the wedding, everything went smoothly; the servers were attentive to details and I noticed no hiccups. We were provided with a "goody bag" at the end of the day, which was a nice touch. If you are looking for a small, local caterer with an emphasis on fresh, creative food and a social conscience, this is a good choice.

What a great find! We were very happy with our decision, selecting Dionysus Kitchen to do our catering for our all day two-ceremony summer weddinng. We worked out a package that was just what we needed for the day which including Planning/Project Management time with the Chef and his wife (who handled the logisitics), all catering-related rentals, staff (including bar tenders), trash removal, setup and cleanup, and of course, the FOOD!

It was a unique and special experience right from the very beginning. Chef Paul invited my now-husband and I, along with my dad and step-mom to his HOME for a personal tasting where we sampled some of his delicious and attractive recipes, and his very own tasty wines. Quite the treat!

We especially loved Paul's stories and experiences with how he started cooking, how he cooks now, and were really sold when we heard/read about how careful he is with cooking with the freshest and most organic ingredients possible. And who doesn't love a fellow recycler?? :) These were pretty key factors that not only made us feel happy about our decision, but GOOD about it too. He is passionate about what he does and that was something we were looking for in all our vendors.

Chef Paul and his wife spent plenty of time with us making sure we had a great menu lined up, and that all logistics had been thought of in advance. They even came out to our venue to do a very thorough walk-through, to understand the entire flow for the day - very helpful and important!! They used this time as an opportunity to meet and coordinate with our day-of coordinator. Another key factor. You want these types of people communicating and on the same page for your day!

On the day of, I had nothing to worry about in terms of food, catering, or anything related! Paul, Rebecca, and their wonderful team of staff had everything under control, and we were SO pleased to share this feeling on what CAN be a pretty stressful day. Much thanks to all of you!

We and our guests LOVED the food and drinks and I heard many compliments on the friendly staff. I even took notice while "on stage" at our sweetheart table. Everyone had smiles on their faces, was helping with table setup/water refills/etc. and no one was just "hanging around." It was a beautiful sight to see :) I even asked one of the servers to talk to the DJ about adjusting some lighting - clearly, not her job, but she was more than happy to help. These are the types of people you want on your wedding day, for sure!!!

Thank you all again for helping make our day as WONDERFUL, special, and personal as possible. We really couldn't have done it without you.

I loved the food. Everything else- was a HUGE pain in the behind. Paul, the owner, is a phenomenal chef- which I can't stress enough. But that didn't NEARLY make up for how irritating it was to deal with him and his wife. They rubbed EVERYONE involved in planning our wedding the wrong way. My mom hated having to contact him on the phone (which was nearly impossible at times) because he was so horribly condescending to her every time they spoke. Our reception site coordinator has threatened to take him off her list of approved caterers because EVERYONE reports the same experience- great food, but everything else is terrible. Paul interrupted our wedding to give a long, drawn out spiel about what was on the buffet- he mentioned he might do this but made it sound as if it would be brief-- he came off as pompous and arrogant. If I had to do it over again, I would have opted for a less expensive caterer, even if the food wasn't as high in quality.

At the American Visionary Art Museum on October 16, 2010, I worked alongside Dionysus' Kitchen, who catered a 100 person wedding reception. In the weeks leading up to the event, Rebecca made sure all of the details were in place so upon arrival they were able to execute the event flawlessly. Not only did her staff do a good job, but they also were such a pleasure to work with. Continually checking on the newly wed couple as well as the guests, they were attentive to everyone's needs.
I was especially impressed with the meal Paul created; it was not an ordinary wedding reception meal. Guests enjoyed a family style pasta alongside pork tenderloin. It was delicious! I truly appreciated the meal.
Finally, my favorite part was at the end of the night when I was helping clean up. Any leftover fruit from the centerpieces, DK boxed up for a homeless shelter. They also made sure to recycle all bottles and paper/cardboard products. It was refreshing to work with a team who can efficiently be green!
Jenny Bartkus, jpb designs

I have worked with Paul as a local vendor. I have also been a guest at several events that were catered by Dionysus Kitchen. Using locally grown and seasonal foods, Paul creates delicious, beautiful, eco-friendly menus. I especially loved his vegetarian options including beet salads and butternut squash hummus. Working with other vendors that share our same passion and committment to local growers is refreshing and encouraging. I would definitely recommend Paul for your upcoming event.