Food For Thought

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!

Food for Thought was recommended to us by our venue, Architectural Artifacts. We had a tricky schedule, a large guest list, and special requests for the menu all of which they worked with perfectly. We wanted not only artfully presented meals, but also a cocktail hour with plentiful appetizers & h'orderves that appealed to a diverse crowd. They nailed everything on the wedding day, in part because they were so good at communicating with us before the wedding. They do a LOT of weddings from what it seems, but we did not feel like a number in the queue. We felt like we were their only client which was great. Hats off to Food For Thought for making our wedding a dream come true.

Jennifer Vahle at Food for Thought Catering has been an angle. When we told her we wanted a Chicago themed wedding she ran with the idea and created a menu that is quintessentially Chicago. Every food station is a culinary peek into different Chicago neighborhoods, from Devan Street to Lincoln Park to Greek Town. We just hope our guests came hungry!! Highly recommend.

Jennifer and the Food For Thought team pulled off our wedding reception exactly as I had envisioned it. Our friends and family keep telling us how great the food was, and Food For Thought helped us create the vibe that we were looking for: relaxed and festive, allowing our guests to mingle with each other, enjoy great food and delicious cocktails. The linens Jennifer helped us select were perfect and really suited the colors of our wedding. The set-up of the furniture was well-suited for lots of interaction among our guests. One minor issue was that Hall's Rentals went to my house to drop off the catering equipment and rentals the morning of my wedding day, BUT our reception was being held at another location. (Also annoying was that they came to my house again the next morning to pick up the rentals.) So that was stressful, but Jennifer responded to me quickly on my wedding day to assure me that wouldn't happen later in the afternoon with the FFT team. I also want to commend the staff that supported our reception -- everyone was very courteous throughout the entire night.FFT may be a little more expensive than other caterers, but if tasty food is important and you want to work with someone who will actually listen to what you want for your event, then I HIGHLY recommend Food For Thought!

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*

Food for Thought catered my wedding on May 21st. I worked with Megan Wienstroer and from the tasting to the reception she was attentive, helpful, and a joy! Megan helped us get what we wanted within our budget and worked well with all the other vendors. She asked about our food preferences and came up with the perfect menu. I dreamed about the quesadillas from the tasting until I popped one in my mouth during cocktail hour - delicious! Many guests complimented the food, including the vegetarian meal. The signature cocktail they created was a huge hit! Grace was the catering manager the day of and she was wonderful as well. So was the entire staff. Everyone was friendly, professional and accommodating. I would definitely recommend Megan and FFT.

We were thrilled with the passion and dedication that Brian and his team brought to the meal planning process and our wedding day. The food was the hit of the party and everything surpassed our expectations. Our guests had nothing but good things to say about each and every course. I appreciated the attention that FFT took during the tasting to make sure that every flavor profile and texture met our needs. I only wish we could enjoy the meal again! I had to be realistic about the value. If you want the best, memorable meal at your wedding FFT is for you - but you definitly pay for the quality and service. FFT also took care of all of our space planning rentals and linens - it was a great all-in-one service. We didn't have to worry about scheduling and planning for 3 different companies coming in to set up on the day of the wedding. Saves some stress and time. Fantastic quality to the linens and the colors were spot on!Thanks for all your hard work. Corinne & Brian

Great food and great people

Food for Thought did my wedding at the Thunderhawk Golf Course in Beach Park, IL. The venue was gorgeous and food was AMAZING (people raved!). Our coordinator, Ingrid, was a nightmare to deal with though. 3 days before our wedding her boss, Steve (the GM/head chef) had to step in and handle everything. She would ignore entire emails or just select questions she was too lazy to respond to, didnt follow any of Food For Thoughts' rules and would shock us with last minute requests that she never told us about. When we first met her, she was great but quickly turned into an unresponsive, incompetent sore spot. Steve, however, was fantastic and saved the day! This review was for him...not Ingrid.Ingrid has never apologized.

We worked with Jennifer at Food For Thought and they were amazing!! We had a couple of tastings before and their food was above and beyond any other place. Plus, she was willing to work within our budget. We got married in downtown Chicago so it wasn't cheap, but they were will to work with us to come up with a number that we were comfortable with and was below many of the other caterers in the area. The day of, the food was delicious and we got lots of compliments. It was a little less traditional than typical wedding fare, but had wide appeal. They arranged all of our equipment rentals too. I would definitely go with them again - everything worked out beautifully. I still dream about their truffle parmesan fries that we had as late night bities - YUM

I was really happy to have gone with FFT. The food was amazing and so was their staff. Our person Linda Barder, who I was in contact with to plan everything, was MORE than helpful! She is so knowledgeable and just a very nice person and made everything really easy for me. FFT provided the staff, including bartenders, and they were not quite awful, but not good. Our venue provided the liquor and the bartenders told my dad that they didnt have some of the liquor that was in our contract, it turns out that the venue did provide the liquor, and the bartenders just didn't serve it. In addition, one of the bartenders told my sister that she did not have any bottled water, when we knew there were cases available, so she had to have me ask the bartender for water, who them gave a bottle to my sister. All in all, great company, but bartenders sucked.When we went for the tasting, they made us personalized menus to take with us, which was a nice touch and the food was really just amazing! Much better than any of the other tastings we attended! I would recommend them! And try to get Linda B to work with you, she’s wonderful!

We worked with Jennifer at Food For Thought and they were amazing!! We had a couple of tastings before and their food was above and beyond any other place. Plus, she was willing to work within our budget. We got married in downtown Chicago so it wasn't cheap, but they were will to work with us to come up with a number that we were comfortable with and was below many of the other caterers in the area. The day of, the food was delicious and we got lots of compliments. It was a little less traditional than typical wedding fare, but had wide appeal. They arranged all of our equipment rentals too. I would definitely go with them again - everything worked out beautifully. I still dream about their truffle parmesan fries that we had as late night bites - YUM

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!

Food for Thought was amazing. The food was fantastic! Every single appetizer, salad, entree and desert was incredible. My guests were raving about it.The service was also unmatched. From the beginning of the planning, Michelle listened to every idea I had and came up with an incredible menu and some decor ideas as well for my rentals. Everyone was extremely professional and truly a pleasure to work with.

I have been to many events with great catering, and for my wedding I want the best. After lots of research, I decided to go with them and I don't regret it.

I cannot say enough nice things about Rosemary Reed and Food for Thought as a whole! From my first introductory email, to our food tasting, to the days leading up to the event, and most importantly, the execution on the big day...our wedding reception at the Adler Planetarium was handled with professionalism, perfection, and elegance. Guests raved about the food, the service, and the little touches throughout the evening, that Rosemary played a huge part in coordinating. She effectively communicated with all of our vendors, even in Spanish when she needed to with the delivery of our Tres Leches Cake!I highly recommend Rosemary and Food for Thought Catering for any of your party needs - first-class treatment all the way!Tracy Galindo

Food For Thought did an excellent job of catering, everything was taken cared of appropriately and everyone was served on time. The food options they had were lots, so it wasn't hard finding something we both liked. Overall one of the more easier things to take care of for the wedding, in part to FFT.

We chose Food for Thought as our caterer and could not have been happier! We worked with Abby England and Christine Grant and they were wonderful! My husand and I are big foodies and it is by far the best food I have ever had at a wedding (and I am not just saying that because it is my own wedding)! We not only received a ton of compliments on the food from our guests, but we also received a lot of compliments on the service. If you are looking for a caterer that will provide exceptional service, wonderful food, at very reasonable prices, then I recommend Food for Thought. They treated us wonderfully throughout our whole wedding process!

Brian keifer and the staff at FFT are the best! We can't say enought great things about their food, service, personalism and the fact that they went over and above for us! We had a plate of hors d'oevres aside for us after the service, so we would be sure to eat, and the room at the back of the museum had a wine buket and ice waiting for us as well as the apps. We would use them again in a heartbeat for any event we needed a caterere for!!!

A food for thought is a awesome vendor to have....food and service was amazing. Rosemary Reed is the BEST. She made our wedding an event no one will forget! Thank you so much for everything!

The wedding was at the Adler and we worked with Rosie Reed. She was so helpful and organized and professional. Things ran smoothly and guest after guest commented on the setting and how great the food was. I would highly recommend having an event there.Cheryl Makris

Rosemarie Reed and Food for Thought are the best! Rosemarie was patient and thorough with all details of my daughters wedding at the Adler Planetarium. I am a very particular person and a nut about details and I was 100% satisfied with everything they did. Every guest I spoke to, commented about how great the food was and how well the staff handled everything. I would not hestitate one nano scond to use them for my next event.

I can't say enought good things about Food For Thought. At first, I was very worried because they were the exclusive cateror for the Adler -- so I was actually forced to use them....but it turned out to be the best part of our wedding.They are SO organized and professional -- Barbara is a saint and she did an absolutely amazing job. From the initial meeting, through the tasting, the subsequent meetings, and the night of the event - she was always incredibly responsive and helpful.The tables were set up exactly how I envisioned with the centerpieces, candles, table numbers, etc..and there was a lot of set up involved with that.The food was amazing and we have had so many compliments. The vegetarian dish was probably the most raved about.The dessert was the absolute topper though. They didn't just cut up my cake and serve it. They drizzled it with fruit compote, served it with a small piece of chocolate, and dusted the plate with cocoa. It was absolutely fantastic.

they were great the food was wonderful. everyone is still commenting to us how good the food was as our wedding. rosemary was a joy to work with anyone who gets her to help them is lucky she is a sweatheart.

Food for Thought is simply amazing. Rosemary is such a delight to work with. She makes the tasting fun and enjoyable and does not miss any details. Her staff is wonderful and respectful. Without Food for Thought and Rosemary, I do not think our wedding would have been what it was. Everything looked so beautiful at the reception. To see everything come together was amazing and I was at ease knowing Rosemary was there to make sure everything went as planned. Words can not thank Food for Thought enough for all they did to make our day so memorable. We are still getting compliments on how nice and elegant everything was. Thank You Food for Thought, we will always remember our special day.

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.

What a great caterer! Our sales rep, Ashley, was particularly phenomenal - very responsive, thoughtful, easy going and supportive. She (and I hear many others at FFT) are actually more like wedding planners. She even directed the procession and sent us photos after the event. She worked very well with A New Leaf where we had the ceremony, met with us several times and prevented any Bridezilla attacks on my part by being so flexible to our changes and on top of the multitude of minute details. Guests loved the food. I loved the eggplant steak personally. The petite sweets went fast. Service was on time, on target and unobtrusive. A flawless day (except for the "adult" who wanted the tater tots in the kids meal - he had to share!).

Steve and I were married at The Adler Planetarium on June 26th. They recommended Food for Thought as their preferred caterer. We were referred to Rosemary Reed. She was the best. She was incredibly attentive down to every detail. We needed special meals for the moms (sensitive tummies) and she delivered their meals herself. She went over and above the call on everything. She made the process easy and a total joy. Planning a wedding can be stressful but with her help it was stress free and a pleasure. We just got back from our honeymoon and every one of our guests have contacted us to tell us how great the food and service was...yes all of them, it was a small wedding. I would recommend Food For Thought to anyone who was in need of a caterer. The food and service were superb. We were treated very well.

I would definitely recommend Food for Thought. The staff (Brian) was really helpful and the food was the best I've ever had at an event this size. My guests agreed.

We were very impressed with the presentation and quality of the food and service. Setting up appointments was easy. On the day of our wedding the staff was incredible. They catered to our guests and paid attention to even the smallest details. Our families and guests commented on how attentive the staff was throughout the evening. Food for Thought truly made the evening memorable. We will be recommending them to all of our friends on their upcoming weddings!

Ashley was great to work with throughout the whole process of wedding planning. She was very responsive and very calm (this was very helpful to me). She knew what she was doing, knew our space, and most importantly knew how to pull off the cocktail style dinner thing we were going for. This style was the most important thing for both of us – we didn’t want a stuffy wedding, and we also didn’t want people to have to wait in line for food. The design of our event was a little different, and this is mainly why we choose FFT, because they had experience in throwing parties that focused on passed small plates. Ashley’s skills were apparent – she didn’t try and oversell items to me (I was very nervous about there not being enough food, but she kept insisting that there was enough) and she was very patient with my indecisiveness. She stuck to our timeline like clockwork as well! This made Aaron very happy, as our party progressed at the pace we wanted it to. I really don’t think I could have worked better with another coordinator – as far as service she would get a highly recommend. The guests also raved abut the presentation of the food. This was my biggest concern, doing a tapas style wedding, that the guests wouldn’t “get it.” On paper they didn’t, but were impressed and loved the style once they were there. I truly believe this couldn’t have been done well without FFT – Ashley knew what she was doing.
The report on the food (since I didn’t eat much of it myself) was that is was great to amazing. I didn’t see the cocktail spread, but she saved us a small sample plate of appetizers. The presentation of the other items was just what I wanted – artsy fartsy ☺ Some of the portions were a bit smaller than at our tasting, but none of our guests knew that. I did hear that the service was impeccable – that if someone asked for a dish, the waiter would return promptly with whatever was requested. The food I tasted (which wasn’t very much – too busy running around) was very good. We received compliments on the food from guests, specifically the lamb chops and the mac and cheese. The steak was also cooked perfectly (considering there is no kitchen at a new leaf).
Couple of little things – we had asked for bar stools, but they never got added to the proposal (so we had a about 4 guests that “parked” at a highboy that were left standing). There was seating outside, but mostly smokers went out there. Also, the only last minute expense we got hit with was coffee service. It hadn’t been included in our original proposal, and added a few hundred dollars to our bill (Renting that crap is expensive). We had told Ashley that we planned on ended at 10:30, but may stay later in case the party was still going (we had the space until 12) – so in the proposal she put a ? next to the time. At 10:30 (Ashley was obviously gone by this time) the staff started breaking things down and cleaning up. They told the DJ to stop playing (Which he wouldn’t – review on him below). Aaron finally had to go and talk to them and straighten things out (basically threatened to cancel their check). We only stayed an extra 15 minutes, but it was the point of the matter – we wanted to hear a couple of songs more. Again, these are small things, nothing that really put a dent in our evening.

We weren't looking forward to the catering process AT ALL. We put it off for a month or so because of it. We were surprised at how well Food for Thought fit us. They made the process so simple for us, as we asked, but the end result was so spectacular, as we wanted.We couldn't believe the process went so smoothly from day one. We started the process on the night of December 29, knowing we wouldn't get very far before the NY's holiday. We were wrong, we got a call on the 30th (as everyone else was already shut down for the holiday), we had a quick conversatoin about what we were looking for, and then had an outline to us by January 2 (end of day). We fell in love instanlty. They were straight forward about working through the process together, openly and honestly. The other vendors we had started to talk to all seemed just a touch more "salesy". Our team was relaxed. They were extremely attentive when we had things to take care and let us go when we didn't need them. They knew their audience WELL. Everything from our first meeting at a local Starbuck's (which they offered so we didn't have to drive to meet them), to our tasting, to the day off, service was outstanding. Of course, we paid more for the best service in town, but lived up to it. Never once did we have to ask a question more than once, nothing was missed, not a beat skipped, the staff was so extremely friendly. I can't say enough.One last note - we were so pleased with how well the Food for Thought team knew our venue space and their team at the Ivy Room. They worked directly with each other on so much. It made the overall experience so seemless!

Food For Thought covered everything! We had planned a destination Chicago wedding, which meant that we relied on our event manager Linda for most everything the day of! The servers were fantastic and attentive to our guests needs. Our glasses were never empty! FFT helped us make the most of our budget, giving us great advice when it came time for menu selection. I would highly recommend them!

Our catering was superb! We had amazing individualized attention and received exactly the setup, food, linens, and service that we had hoped for. The company went out of their way to accommodate us. In fact, most of our guests remember how good the dessert was still.

This caterer was one picked for me due to our choice in reception site. But I was completely surprised at how wonderful things went though them. They are impeccable about not only providing food but SERVICE! The staff was so friendly and had a flare for presenting the dishes at the tables. My main point of contact was through Rosemary, and she was such a sweetheart! After everything was over, the bakery kept hounding me about returning a silver tray they said they put the cake on. Rosemary went above and beyond trying to locate this tray, going through their stuff and even asking the table rental people if they had it. In the end, we found out the bakery didn't lend us any tray after all!

This is one of the most elegant caterers in the Chicago area, and I was pleasently shocked at what a great value they offered us. We did a buffet luncheon for 50 guests, and everything was personalized and customized. They even developed an entire menu around our favorite French-Vietnamese cuisine from two excellent restaurants in the area. The tastings were really hands-on, and they even delivered the revised dishes to our home so we could taste them be sure all the changes were just right. They use Bittersweet bakery for the wedding cake, which was quite honestly the best I've ever had. All in all, I can't recommend them enough.

Our guests raved about the food -- the beef tenderloin and blue cheese mashed potatoes were most often mentioned. My bulky uncles came away from the reception "fat and happy." Food for Thought was willing to work with our suggestions and within our budget. My father said he had his best Brandy Old Fashioned ever at our reception. A great feat, considering the bartender had learned the "recipe" per our request. The service was extremely friendly and accommodating.

Food For Thought did an excellent job of catering, everything was taken cared of appropriately and everyone was served on time. The food options they had were lots, so it wasn't hard finding something we both liked.

Food For Thought - Food For Thought Catering, the FFT Hospitality Group and Food Box Catering create a unique company
with expertise in managing café, drop-off and catering services. They have created a niche that allows them to bring
premium-level food and service to their clients and to accommodate a wide variety of foodservice needs.

500 North Michigan Avenue | Chicago, IL 60611 | 312.572.7234 | www.foodforthought-chicago.com