Yung Sent on 11/16/2025

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10/10 Culinary Concerts

Chris and team were great with allowing us to be flexible with our budget and suiting our needs from beginning to end. Communication was great and the food was amazing! Chris is an amazing chef himself and the food did not disappoint. He was able to make a variety of cuisines and suit the needs of everyone. There was an open bar with an assortment of drinks which all the guests loved. Thank you Chris and team!

Alexa Sent on 10/13/2024

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We really enjoyed working with Culinary Concerts!

Chris, Arianna, and his team did a wonderful job as our wedding catering team! The food was fantastic and Chris did a great job in taking into account our hopes for the wedding. Arianna was very attentive and made sure all the logistics of the event went very seamlessly. Our guests all said the food was great and the team was very friendly. We really enjoyed working with Culinary Concerts!

Haleigh Sent on 02/14/2020

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Made Our Wedding Day everything and more

There is so much to be said about Culinary Concerts -that I do not know where to begin. I have worked in the food industry all my life, including catering- so the vendor that my husband and I choose for our wedding needed to be SPOT ON- and Chris and his team NAILED IT and Never missed a beat!

The Team that Chris has was amazing and Devon and Chris took every vision that we had and brought them to life. They are extremely professional, dedicated, and hardworking.
Chris went above and beyond our expectations on the day of the wedding. Everything was done on time, organized, and dealt with professionalism. Our guests were beyond impressed with the amazing food and the cocktails. We wanted a station style menu and it was executed perfectly! They really care about making all of the food special and unique to the couple. We wanted a home style flavor with elegance and they delivered! They are so creative and I can't emphasize enough just how delicious all of the food was!
Everything is so fresh and local! Can't recommend highly enough!

Bo Dixon. Sent on 10/15/2019

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Best food and service

CC completely delivered everything we asked for. Tasty, awesome food, good service and they price was less for more than other caterers. We could not have been happier. The desserts were sinfully delicious!!!:)

Grace Sent on 10/31/2018

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highly recommend!

It was a pleasure working with Chris and his team. From the tasting to the wedding day, we were truly impressed with his culinary creations. Several guests came up to us throughout the night and were raving about the food too! Chris was very flexible in working with our budget and providing us many options, we ending up opting with a "stations" style menu that truly captured some of our absolute favorite foods! Not only is Chris a character, but his team is extremely nice and helpful as well. The day of our wedding we were running late and there was a real crunch to get the flowers and decorations set up--Chris' team jumped in and helped seamlessly to make everything perfect. Would definitely recommend, especially to those getting married at Eolia...he was an expert and gave us some great advice about the flow of the venue and setup.

Nina Sent on 09/13/2018

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HIGHLY recommend Chris from Culinary Concerts! We would've given more stars if it were possible on here! Chris is an amazing caterer who will get the job DONE at your wedding. He worked with us to make a menu that 100% defined our preferences as a couple. He made great suggestions and his food is so delicious! People are still talking about the meal at our wedding! We booked Chris pretty quickly because he really works with couples to make sure that the menu is not the typically steak, fish, vegetarian option sort of thing. We had 2 meetings with him where we tried his food (which is just so good!). We decided to go with a sit down dinner with restaurant style ordering. The options were a veggie burger and chicken kebobs, which is not traditional wedding food. The portions were fairly large and each entree had a couple of side dishes on the plate. The cake we got was White Chocolate and it was so moist and our guests loved it. We also had a gelato bar and donuts. Honestly, it makes us a little sad that our wedding is over because we will miss our relationship with Chris and his amazing team and food!!! HIGHLY recommend! You will not regret it!

Haley Sent on 07/14/2018

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Chris is truly fantastic. We had him cater our wedding at Eolia Mansion in June and we would not have been happier. The food was incredible (we got so many compliments) and his staff were great. He dealt with a change in policy from the venue (they got rid of all the tables we were planning to use 6 weeks before the wedding...) and found a great solution in two days. His priority is the quality of the food and service on the day of -- and not as much the administrative stuff -- but as long as you're at least a little bit organized you'll be in good shape. Would hire him again in a second!!

Denise Sent on 06/28/2017

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Chris Bracken and his staff were exceptional. Throughout our meetings and tastings I knew we were in great hands. Our family and friends were truly pampered with flowing drinks and fabulous food. They all admitted that it was the best wedding food they ever had! His staff ran around like ants. They were so incredibly attentive and pleasant! Incredibly spectacular job!

Lisa Sent on 10/26/2015

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Culinary Concerts was amazing to work with!
We were not the bride and groom that knew exactly how we wanted everything, we just knew we wanted to have an unforgettable party with great food and drinks. Chris and his team worked with us to create the perfect menu, with such amazing food. When I say amazing, I mean AMAZING! We had tray served hors d’oeuvres consisting of black mission figs with prosciutto walnuts and 7 year balsamic, butternut squash samosa with ginger tamarind sauce, avocado and queso fresco crostini, arancini with sage and fontina marinara, seared beef artichoke arugula garlic croute and those were just the hor d’oeuvres! A delicious dinner followed and wedding cake. Lastly, a late night finale of house-made ice cream sandwiches-blueberry, limoncello, vanilla and graham cookie and a salted chocolate and caramel chocolate cookie. In addition to providing us with a full bar they also made a fabulous signature cocktail- gin, basil, cucumber gimlet. Iced caramel coffee was served with dessert as well as hot coffee and tea. Prior to our wedding ceremony they served our guests pink lemonade and minted honeydew melon lemonade. Immediately following our wedding ceremony guests were welcomed to the reception by a champagne tower! Our wedding was in July-it's now almost November and we still get comments about how beautiful our wedding was and how great the food was.
In addition to the Amazing food, Chris and his team are very familiar with our wedding venue, Eolia Mansion at Harkness Memorial State Park. They were able suggested the best layout for tables, where the band should be located and the bars. They also provided us with the itinerary for the day and on our wedding day the made sure everything flowed perfectly.
Chris and his team did an amazing job, they are so kind, accommodating and happily work with you to get everything how you want it. We would not have changed a thing about our wedding and highly recommend them!

User6506519 Sent on 07/25/2015

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I can not say enough about how amazing Chris Bracken and his team are! Chris helped us come up with a beautiful menu that incorporated all the tastes we wanted and stuck to our budget! He came up with "grazing" stations that were mini buffets with different menus that got guests moving around our venue and created a great atmosphere. Every little detail was planned out to perfection (just how I like it) and not a single problem arose! The tables were laid out beautifully and every detail I asked them for was supplied to the fullest! I highly recommend you consider Chris and his team for your future catering event, you will not be disappointed! ~Jillian & Tullio

Bill Sent on 07/07/2015

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Anne and her staff made everything look beautiful and classy, and it looked effortless! The food was perfect, from unique and tasty appetizers to the wonderful entrees. The sea salt butter for the bread was a nice touch! Anne was friendly and helpful from the moment she arrived until the last person left (me and my wife). Thank you all for making our daughter's vision a reality and ensuring the day was perfect and memorable.

Bill & Melanie Lavimoniere

Judy Sent on 10/17/2014

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Chris and his entire team was very enjoyable to do business with. The food was very high quality. We continue to get feedback from our guest on how it was the best wedding they've ever been to and the wonderful food is always mentioned in their comments..

Vikki Sent on 10/15/2014

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Chris and his staff were delightful to work with. They have wonderful ideas but are also willing to incorporate anything you might like into making your day a memorable one. We had an outdoor wedding under a tent which was very elegant and formal. You would have thought the meal was served directly from a 5 star restaurant. Our guests still talk about it to this day. Thank you Chris for making our day a perfect one!

Alex Sent on 10/01/2014

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Chris and his team were simply outstanding at every stage of their work on our wedding. We talked to a lot of different caterers, but as soon as we met Chris we stopped shopping. He has marvelous taste as a chef and an exacting sense of professionalism and style. His food is beautifully presented and tastes even better. On our wedding day he took the lead coordinating all of our vendors and provided a seamless, high touch service that made our special day incredibly enjoyable--it felt every bit like our party, reflecting our tastes and sense of hospitality, but he and his team took care of everything!

Jill Sent on 09/18/2014

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The chef presented numerous menu ideas and scenarios for the reception, making the final solution one that catered to our individual preferences. The food, the presentation, and the attention to detail were impeccable. The reception flowed smoothly from beginning to end. The staff was courteous and friendly but remained professional. My guests raved about the food and how the reception was so well executed. It was truly a very enjoyable encounter and I wouldn't have changed one thing about the whole experience.

User1951174 Sent on 09/06/2014

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Chris and Ann were absolutely amazing from the first time that we met them. We opted to do stations for our wedding at Eolia on 8/29/14 and they didn't disappoint! Chris was so passionate about the menu and creative process from the start. He helped us put together a menu that was out of this world delicious. The passed hous d'oeuvres specifically the butternut squash samosa and scallop sauté were a huge hit, everyone kept complementing us on how tasty everything was. The stations were beautifully presented and had guest coming back for seconds! The "grilled beef filet martini's" and "seafood paella" were by far the stars of the night. Ann made sure that we had everything in order for our big day and helped us with so many little things that often get overlooked without a wedding planner. She was always accessible and answered our numerous questions with excitement and really put us a ease, not an easy feat I might add. The amount of compliments that we received throughout the night about the quality of the food and service from our guests was astounding.

We can't wait to hire them again for other catering needs in the future. If you are getting married at Eolia and want to wow your guests with gourmet food then look no further!

Chris & Ann… From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for making our wedding a night our guest will talk about forever! WIth love, Mr. & Mrs. Jon Lamoureux

Jane Sent on 08/20/2014

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Thank you so much to Chris, Ann, Janice and the wonderful staff from Culinary Concerts! My daughters wedding was simply a delight and all of your hard work and passion was greatly appreciated! I would highly recommend all of you for any event, the planning was fun and easy, the food was inventive, fun and sooooo good and the staff was professional and delightful!

Kelsey Sent on 08/13/2014

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Chris, Ann, and all of Culinary Concerts made our wedding at the Eolia Mansion perfect. The food was delicious, prepared beautifully, and the service was spectacular. Culinary Concerts made everything come together and I never had to worry about a thing. I would highly recommended them to anyone and their event. Their professionalism before the wedding, during the planning, and throughout the entire night put my mind at ease and made our night perfect. Thank you!

Amy Sent on 05/27/2014

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Chris, Chef Scott & team were an absolute delight to work with for our Graduation party. The team exceeded our expectations in every way and really made this a very special event for us. I'm so glad we had their help. They really allowed us to relax and enjoy ourselves, were extremely flexible with special requests and were a pleasure to have at the party. Highly recommended!

Alycia Sent on 05/26/2014

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Christopher and his entire staff at Culinary Concerts made our wedding 13 years ago absolutely perfect! We just celebrated our anniversary and reminisced about the day with such amazing memories. The food was absolutely perfect but beyond the food was the professionalism and the unparalleled attention to detail. For the majority of the wedding we were planning from another state so it was imperative that we trust Christopher and his team implicitly to make many decisions….we were never let down! To this day people remember the food with such a vividness. The presentation and how seamlessly the whole day went over was a credit to Christopher and his team. 13 years later and we simply would not change a single detail. Christopher totally understood the timeless, classy feel that we wanted and his creativity and vision made our dream come true! Thank you!

User1629369 Sent on 05/22/2014

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Wonderful food, served with style. Wonderful staff and very happy guests.

User1629036 Sent on 05/22/2014

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Chris Bracken and his team from Culinary Concerts handling of our son's Engagement Party was pure perfection. From menu selection, decor, presentation to clean-up - the experience was painless and came off like clockwork. The food was unique and each dish was spot on. His team moved into our home, took over our kitchen and worked the crowd so effectively, you didn't know they were even there. My wife and I could not have been happier and have used Chris and his team several times since. They are as professional as it gets!

Jenna Sent on 03/12/2014

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I loved working with Culinary Concerts and know they were such a perfect choice for us.
My husband and I were married at the Eolia Mansion and had three caterers to choose between... Considering our very short 8-week planning, Chris really put a lot of care into his prompt responses, many tweaks and helpful suggestions back and forth into planning a menu that maintained our budget while still providing a great offering of both buffet and family-style food. Everything about the service was truly personalized to our (my) picky tastes and desire to provide a unique and intimate experience. Chris was so easy going to work with and his staff really impressed not only me but several guests commented on their day-of professionalism. To top it all off, the food was great! The cake we chose, Chocolate Truffle, was absolutely delicious... so good that I'm planning to order another smaller version for my husbands upcoming birthday!
Overall I have nothing but positive remarks for Chris, staff, and the food and services provided!

Diane Sent on 10/19/2013

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I really liked working with Chris and everyone at Culinary Concerts. I was not a hands-off bride. I have always liked planning menus and parties and really had a vision for the reception for our Jazz Age Wedding, and Chris brought those visions to life.

Reasons I'm giving Culinary Concerts five stars include:
- Every email I sent was replied to promptly and in full. Chris printed out and took notes on all the Pintrest boards I sent him.
- Chris enthusiastically made us a custom "1920s French Picnic" menu for us based on food we've eaten at one of our favorite restaurants here in Brooklyn.
- The service was amazing! Serving dinner family style meant food had to be brought out to a lot of tables at once! And I have a few friends who have told me that they asked for seconds and thirds on cake, and were promptly brought more cake from the kitchen.
- We wanted to have both a "Bride's Cocktail" and a "Groom's Cocktail”. Chris made sure the bartenders were trained and they made I don't know how many hundred of these shaken cocktails at our reception. It made the event so much more 1920s.
- Culinary Concerts has a lot of experience and were able to recommend other wedding vendors. They knew how good Bales-Gitlin Band is, and for a good 1920s party music is important!
- And most importantly, Chris was really nice to me. I'd love to say that my parents and I were perfect customers, but I know that's not the case. All the same, Chris was nothing but kind to me. A few days before the wedding I brought my maid-of-honor by the kitchen to introduce her to our event coordinators and Chris and he had nothing but hugs and tastes of ratatouille for us, and during the reception Chris came out to make sure that the dinner service was meeting our expectations. I felt like Culinary Concerts had everything under control and genuinely wanted to make our wedding one of the happiest days of our life.

User1368455 Sent on 10/07/2013

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Culinary Concerts provided us with excellent food, impeccable service, a friendly and polite staff, and a general feeling of confidence so that even the parents of the bride and groom could relax and enjoy the wedding! We received so many comments that this was the best wedding many people had ever attended. Culinary Concerts played a major role in making this event tasty, smoothly run, and lots of fun.

Alyssia Sent on 10/04/2013

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The food and presentation of the food was definitely top notch. Everyone was raving that this was the best wedding food they have ever had.

Leslie Sent on 09/16/2013

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Culinary Concerts exceeded out expectations for our wedding meal. As serious foodies, my husband and I are particular about food and wine and we wanted a caterer who understood our preferences. Our experience with Chris was very collaborative. He gave us wonderful food recommendations and pairings, patiently worked with us when we were indecisive and was honest about what would work and what wouldn't. Our guests were floored, we couldn't have been happier. Worth the extra cost for superlative quality.

Joseph Sent on 09/13/2013

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Our experience with Culinary Concerts exceeded our expectations in every way! We had our wedding at the Harkness Mansion in Waterford, CT which is one of the premier venues in CT and Culinary Concerts was one of the three approved Caterers so we knew we couldn't go wrong when we started searching.
After inquiring in detail with all three, we decided to go with Culinary Concerts, because Chris Bracken, the owner, dealt with us personally at the outset and worked hard with us and our budget so that we got the best value for our money. We had him evaluate many different options and in this regard he was flexible and in general a pleasure to work with, responsive, professional, and experienced. Ultimately we felt we were in good hands. We went with first class options, but minimized the extras to stay within budget. We had the cake and bar included in the contract.
We weren't disappointed, because the catering was a big success. We had guests from three foreign countries as well as locals and all enjoyed the food. The hors d'oeuvres were all wonderful as was the main course and deserts/wedding cake. We received nothing but compliments on the food, which Chris lightened up from the standard menu for the summer weather, which worked out well since it was quite warm. We also had a number of special drink options, which were well received. Ultimately, everyone was left satisfied and raving.
The service staff was also impeccable. Although it was warm, hectic, and we had some differences in the guest counts at different tables, the staff reacted instantly. All of the servers were moving quickly satisfying everyone without a hint of stress and all smiles and upbeat.
We would certainly and emphatically recommend Culinary Concerts to anyone looking for high value first class catering for any special occasion.
Renata and Joe

Robert Sent on 08/12/2013

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Chris Bracken and all the folks at "Culinary Concerts" provided exceptional and exemplary guidance and service for our daughter's wedding, at every step of the way. He worked tirelessly to customize the menu and the presentation for our daughter and her husband's tastes and the setting of the reception, and also insured that the entire affair - from the arrival of the first guests to the departure of the last one, hours later - went off flawlessly, and without a concern for anyone in the family. That left us to enjoy a memorable moment. Several years later, we still receive compliments on the cuisine offered that day (the variety and quality) and the entire nature of the ceremony and reception.

Alexis Sent on 07/26/2013

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Chris and his team are absolutely wonderful! Our guests kept commenting on how delicious all of the food was as well as the themed cocktail. They also liked the friendliness of the wait staff.

Having Ann thrown in to help coordinate all of the little details on the day of was icing on the cake. She made sure the groom and I didn't have to worry about a thing and that we were well prepared.

Our wedding was pretty close to perfect and a big portion of that came from the skill and expertise of Culinary Concerts. I highly recommend hiring them for your event!

Kelly Sent on 04/10/2013

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Working with Culinary Concerts was an absolute dream. Chis and Nicole were creative, professional, organized and flexible. Every little detail was taken care of, the service was tremendous and the food was to die for. They made our reception a night my husband and I will never forget!

Brooke Sent on 10/21/2012

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Part One:
One of the biggest rollercoasters in life is planning a wedding. Moments after finding the wedding venue of our dream, the realization settled in that we needed to choose a caterer... and when it comes to weddings food is EVERYTHING!

Harkness Memorial State Park uses only five caterers... so the hunt began. After speaking with a few of the caterers, my husband and I were still torn. All the reviews were similar, and every vendor seemed professional. What made one better than the other? Then we called Culinary Concerts. Within moments, I felt as if I was talking to someone I knew all my life. The warmth and compassion for food and getting to know their clients shined through the phone. We chatted and chatted, and I found myself pouring my wedding frustrations and concerns over the phone. It was if I was talking to a good friend, not a caterer I just met. And with that... our caterer was chosen.

As our wedding approached, Chris and Nicole worked with my husband and I to create a menu of our dreams... well my husband's dreams. I married a good one ladies... he's the cook! (Doesn't help my hips though). Chris was able to not only add the food we desired but did so with a creative spin. He made lamb chops into mouth watering lamb chops. My Mom, who hates meat, even fell all over them!

Of course, no wedding happens without drama... our wedding the drama was a hurricane, Irene to be exact. She came through like woman in need of chocolate a week before our wedding and knocked out Chris and Nicole's power... But that did not stop them. They sat with as a few streams of sunlight shined in... Chris was determined to make our wedding and the menu of our dreams happen even though his kitchen had no power. Then, Chris created a plan to save our wedding.

Maria Sent on 09/07/2012

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Such a great choice!!! They were amazing! Chris the Chef had great ideas onfood choices for the wdding. He listened to my thoughts and made it easy to work with him. His food was delicious to say the least. I have a huge Italian family and I needed to make sure they were satisfied and they were... They loved everything he preparedfor the wedding. ll of the apptetizers were gre and un for both adults and kids. They had a great set up and it worked for all the picky eaters in the family. The catering manager Kathy is wonderful!!I loved her.. She made sure everything went smoothly and I never worried about a thing all night. The staff was great, always attentive to whatever I needed and made sure all of our guests were happy. Kathy stood by me the whole night making sure I was eating and my champagne glass was full! I would recommend them in a heartbeat. They have the culinary skills and the hospitality of a 5 star restaurant. Having a culinary back round myself my expectations were pretty high and they exceeded that. Kathy repeatedly said to me "I never saw such a happier bride" well it is very easy when you have a great person and staff making your special day everything you wanted it to be.... A special thanks to you, Culinary Concerts, and cheers to a job well done! Thank you, Mario and Maria Sgro..oh and Dante! xo

Woodie Sent on 09/05/2012

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Chris and his wonderful staff stepped in when our original caterer was unable to handle my daughter's wedding - not the most auspicious way to begin a relationship, but they handled the situation with complete aplomb! Our event entailed a welcome dinner at the beach for 110 people and the reception at our home for 145 the following day. Having been in the wine business with professional exposure to many fine restaurants, our expectations for food were very high and both meals involved many choices at various stations. We were simply thrilled with the results and feel Chris and company met our very high standards. When we recently needed catering at our home for a gathering of 50 people, we naturally called Chris and I'm sure will do so again in the future.

Terry Sent on 08/27/2012

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To Chris (owner and chef), Nicole (coordinator), and all the staff of Culinary Concerts...

Thank you for making my daughter's wedding such a memorable, beautiful experience!

I don't even know where to start, so maybe at the beginning...

Chris, when I first spoke to you on the phone, when I was simply contacting caterers to gather information...you went above and beyond! This was my first time planning a wedding, and you gave me information that I wouldn't have even thought of to ask! You were so open and helpful, with ideas and suggestions!

Nicole, when we met you for the first time, you were the same way...full of ideas, questions, suggestions...again, things we wouldn't have thought of! We felt so comfortable and welcomed by you! You seemed as excited and happy as we were!

You brought us along through every step of the wedding planning, and we knew we had nothing to worry about...that you had it all covered...so we never had any stress!

I was amazed at how quickly and completely your staff transformed the mansion into "Kathy & Bill's wedding"...everything looked beautiful! Thank you to the entire staff!

Nicole, you had everything timed perfectly and made sure we were always right where we needed to be.

Chris, the food was absolutely delicious...and the presentation beautiful! MANY people commented on how great the food was, from appetizers to dessert! And the warm cookies and milk...what a lovely surprise!

We are so happy that you were part of our celebration!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Terry Duffy

Augusta Sent on 08/11/2012

5 out of 5 rating

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What can I say - Chris and the staff at Culinary Concerts are AMAZING! I would highly recommend them for any event. Chris created the most outstanding menu for our reception, which included many non-traditional foods making for a very unique culinary experience for our guests. Since we are foodies we really appreciated this level of detail. Nicole was a pleasure to work with coordinating details and was onsite providing a high level of service that evening. We have heard from many of our guests - not only about the various food offerings and what their favorites were but also about the staff and how wonderful they were that night. Many thanks!!

Paul Sent on 06/24/2012

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Culinary Concerts of Madision catered my daughters wedding which was held at The Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown Ct. We had never done business with this group and hired them on a referral. I was very pleased with the overall experienced. The food was delicious, the preparation, staff were excellent and I wouldn't hestitate to use them again.

Madolyn Sent on 09/02/2015

4.9 out of 5 rating

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Chris and his staff were absolutely incredible. My husband and I were married in September 2014 at Eolia Mansion, and honestly, we couldn't have asked for a better experience with Culinary Concerts. From the attention to detail in planning the menu and itinerary for the day to the amazing quality and flawless execution of the food, Chris and his team were fantastic all around. Leah was an amazing person to have with us on the day of. She did a great job as Coordinator, keeping everything running smoothly and taking care of us throughout the night. We had a number of personal touches in the menu, including a premium sandwich station and a freshly made donut tower instead of a wedding cake (so good!), and Chris absolutely crushed these (in a good way). He put a lot of work and effort into making each item it’s own showcase-- getting on board immediately with our ideas and bringing his signature touch and expertise to make it all happen. His excitement regarding some of our nontraditional choices was obvious from the beginning of our planning and was reflected in just how amazing everything came out. We got so many compliments that night about how awesome the food was, and our guests still talk about it! There was a prime rib french dip slider that my husband and I STILL crave almost a year later. And gosh, if I get started on those donuts, we might be here for a while.

Chris was also extremely honest and flexible in figuring out how to make our special day come out like we envisioned, within our budget. If you're getting married at Eolia or in the area, and Culinary Concerts is a catering option, you should go with them. You won’t regret it.

Casey Sent on 09/19/2014

4.9 out of 5 rating

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No words can fully describe our satisfaction with this company! They truly made our wedding an unforgettable experience. They provide Exceptional customer service, creativity and mouth watering food.

Meredith Sent on 11/19/2012

4.9 out of 5 rating

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My husband and I are very happy that we selected Culinary Concerts as the caterer for our wedding at Eolia Mansion at Harkness Memorial Park. They offered a great value and delivered exactly what we asked for. The food was absolutely delicious and presented beautifully. Chris worked with us to stay on budget with simple, creative and delicious choices. We also cannot say enough good things about Nicole. She is such a hard worker, with a terrific personality and we couldn't have been more delighted with her assistance on our big day. She made sure that we actually got to sit down to eat and that we always had what we needed, from our favorite hors d'oeuvres to dinner to our drinks of choice. Our guests are still raving about the food, from the stationary and passed hors d'oeuvres to the delightful stations meal and the best wedding cake ever. They even sent us home with lots of leftovers which we enjoyed for days until we left for our honeymoon. We enthusiastically recommend Culinary Concerts!

Louise Sent on 07/13/2012

4.9 out of 5 rating

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My husband and I got married last July 28th (2011) at Eolia Mansion on the grounds of Harkness State Memorial Park in Waterford, CT. Nicole and Chris were outstanding in service, professionalism, responsiveness, and flexibility from the very beginning. They truly listened to what we had in mind as related to the food stations we had and the overall atmosphere we wanted to create on all levels. We had some creative food and drink items at our reception and they made it work beautifully! We still have people telling us how fresh and delicious the food was at our wedding. It was so special and they made that happen. Most importantly Chris and Nicole were so pleasant to work with and made us feel most comfortable both before the wedding and on the wedding day for sure. We actually planned on personally sending them a thank you note on our one year anniversary because of the wonderful memories they helped us to create on our special day. :-) With Sincere Appreciation and Gratitude, Roy and Louise Seitsinger

Douglas Sent on 08/20/2009

4.9 out of 5 rating

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the lobster bake was the best

Zachary Sent on 06/25/2025

4.8 out of 5 rating

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The food was delicious!

Culinary Concerts catered our wedding, and we couldn't be happier with how everything turned out. From our very first conversation with Chris, the owner and head chef, we knew we were in great hands. He clearly cares deeply about creating high-quality food, and that absolutely came through on our wedding day — everything was delicious!

Chris was also great to work with throughout the planning process. He was consistently responsive over email, took time to answer all of our questions thoroughly, and made sure every concern was addressed. As the big day approached and the weather forecast looked questionable, he came up with the incredibly thoughtful idea to rent heaters to keep our guests comfortable — and he took care of arranging it all, which turned out to be so important and appreciated.

For so many reasons, we’re so glad we chose Chris and his team to be part of our special day.

Kate Sent on 07/13/2015

4.8 out of 5 rating

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Chris and Anne did an amazing job at our wedding in June of 2015. The food is the best, the service is professional and the options are fun endless (champagne tower! raw bar displayed in a skiff!). All the service and presentation of appetizers was amazing. Chris worked with the menu as a whole and everything from the bar snacks to the gelato cookie sandwich finale was a complete concept. The phenomenal quality is reflected in the cost but well worth every penny. Chris has a lot of unique ideas and has the skill to make it work which made the process very enjoyable and fun.

Chris had a lot of connections and was able to help us with a tent and other rentals getting quotes and securing the vendors. We didn't have to worry about coordinating these aspects. It was the first time doing an event at our venue but no trouble at all.

Amy Sent on 09/14/2014

4.8 out of 5 rating

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We got married at Eolia Mansion in Harkness State Park. We loved the food and so did all of our guests. We were able to go for a food tasting and received samples. Chris makes awesome food! They were very flexible with options between food choices and drinks. They also took care of the organizing for event. We just had to give them some of our accessories (table cards, favors, etc). Everything was on schedule and we are very pleased!

Carol Sent on 08/05/2014

4.8 out of 5 rating

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The annual SHYC Ladies Nite Thimble Island Cruise was exquisite. To compliment a beautiful August evening at high tide, the Club secured Chris Bracken's Culinary Concerts to
provide well chosen wines, light dinner and sweets as we relaxed together, laughed, grazed and gazed. The real roast beef edibles were wrapped in what must have been home garden grown bib lettuce, and among other delectable delights were a variety of clearly homemade dark chocolate candy savories.
It was perfection!

C. Sent on 06/07/2014

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Our event was actually a college graduation party. We also used Culinary Concerts for a high school graduation in 2008. We were extremely pleased with both events. Chef Jim served us all a wonderful menu which received a thumbs-up and nothing but praise for his skill and talent. The platters were abundant and were displayed beautifully. Marissa the bartender was pleasant to work with and set up a beautiful bar table as she greeted our guests politely. The sangrias, iced teas and lemonades were delicious and refreshing. Janice our coordinator, did a wonderful job juggling all of her responsibilites - and there were plenty. She communicated well with us, the hosts, and was very professional. She met all requests expeditiously. She wins the "Hustle Award."

User1290216 Sent on 08/17/2013

4.8 out of 5 rating

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Our wedding was PERFECT, thanks to the hard work and dedication on the part of Chris and the CC team. We had fun planning the menu and working out all the details of the event. As a result, our wedding day was totally stress free and very fun. Guests raved about the delicious food and the beautiful presentation. The wait staff was super professional and friendly. The bar tenders were creative mixologists and everyone enjoyed the spoils of their labors. We highly recommend Culinary Concerts for any catering needs!! Thank you!!

User1283831 Sent on 08/12/2013

4.7 out of 5 rating

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Culinary concerts provided me with excellent food and assistance at my wedding! They are beautiful people....thank you!

User1360097 Sent on 10/02/2013

4.6 out of 5 rating

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4.5 out of 5 rating

The day of my wedding, Ann the coordinator and the staff worked very hard to make sure my husband and I were attended to at all times. The setup at our venue was more magnificent than I ever imagined! Chris, the owner, had the most amazing,incredible, and "best wedding" food and our guests are still talking about it. Overall good to work with since their promptness was not their strong point during the planning stage.

User1024426 Sent on 11/23/2012

4.6 out of 5 rating

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4.5 out of 5 rating

Culinary Concerts was the perfect vendor to cater our wedding. My venue only allowed events to be catered by a select few businesses and I am so glad Culinary Concerts was on that short list. I love that Culinary Concerts offers, in addition to completely custom menus, a variety of pre-set menus at different price points because it means they can provide gourmet food and fabulous service for all budgets. We started with one of their pre-compiled stations menus, but worked with the chef/owner to give it a some twists and additions to suit our taste/style and it worked out perfectly. Also, Culinary Concerts provided me with what was essentially a day-of-coordinator at no extra charge! She helped set up our personal decorations, run the ceremony, and keep our event on time all night. I gave them 4 stars for responsiveness because I had some difficulty getting in touch with them when I first put down my deposit, but I think they were going through some staff changes at that point and I had no other troubles after that. On the big day, the food was delicious and the service was great. I would highly recommend this vendor!

User958313 Sent on 10/03/2012

4.6 out of 5 rating

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Although I did have some communication issues with culinary concerts the end result is that they put on an awesome party!! I would recommend this company because they are good at what they do. The food is A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!! So, they have a little problem with communication but the food delivered is everything you could ever want or ask for. The communication issues really center around if you want something off the beaten path and the pricing of those things (one person will tell you one thing, while another is telling you something else). Its a little confusing and made me very uneasy but at the end of the day it came out exactly how we wanted it!! As a little advice, read every e-mail and double check that the menu they have is the menu you told them. With that being said the actual wedding day and event turned out amazing!! They had everything I wanted plus more. Kathy is a sweetheart and Nicole is the best event coordinator that you could ever meet! All and all I had the best wedding I've ever been to and I wish I could eat that food everyday!!

Emily Sent on 09/14/2009

4.6 out of 5 rating

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4 out of 5 rating

Rock Star team, led by our "front of house" Nicole and "back of house" and chef extraordinaire Chris. We were so happy with every aspect our our big day and are still getting accolades for our caterer choice. The food was beyond fabulous: cooked perfectly, an incredibly innovative and unique menu, the service and staff that was impeccable, flawless execution, the superlatives are endless. A little pricey but you absolutely get what you pay for with the CC team. Sometimes the response rate was a little slower than we'd have liked in the planning mode but once everything was nailed down it was smooth sailing. We purchased one of their limited time summer menu packages and had a great choice of items to serve, and a decent alcohol selection, though we decided to upgrade a bit there and spent a bit more than the published package price, but it was worth it in the end. Highly recommend them for weddings and any other catered affair.

User1301960 Sent on 08/26/2013

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The food was delicious and the service was great.

User1439125 Sent on 11/15/2013

4.4 out of 5 rating

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It was a pleasure to work with Ann and Chris. Everything on the day of the wedding ran smoothly and all the food was absolutely delicious. Even almost 2 months after the wedding, people are still talking about the food. It was tough at times to get a response from Chris in regards to the menu or price.

Tina Sent on 06/15/2012

4.4 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating

My fiance and I signed with "Culinary Concerts" a few months ago and since, have been VERY HAPPY with the professionalism and responsiveness of the whole team thus far. Our wedding is not till next year, and already, the chef and his creative collective (you know who you are Kathy!) Have not only been at my beck and call for every little question I've had, but have created a dozen menus for our consideration, BEFORE WE EVEN SIGNED WITH THEM! When we met with Kathy, we were greeted with, what seemed like endless samples of their delectable cuisine. The other two caterers exclusive to our venue, not only required us to reserve a formal tasting appointment, but also wanted to charge us 65 bucks, PER PERSON, just to taste the food. BOO...
Also, they have arranged a time for us to "Watch them in action!" We were invited to a sneak peak of an actual wedding reception, just to get an idea of how they perform. They are OBVIOUSLY confident and proud to show their skills to us and I can't wait.
I tell you, they have been amazing so far and I have total faith in the whole "Culinary Concerts" team, I can't wait to see what menu we finally decide on and how wonderful our wedding day will be!

User1239737 Sent on 07/10/2013

3.8 out of 5 rating

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Culinary does EXCELLENT food. Chris and his team deliver a great product (beautiful, tasty food), which is what you are paying them for. Guests kept telling us how great the food was. We had an amazing wedding and were very pleased with Culinary overall. The two reasons I didn't give them higher marks was because 1) they had unforeseen staff turnover in the ~14 mo leading up to our wedding (we dealt with 3 different event managers during that team, each of which assured us they would be the ones 'orchestrating' everything on our big day, the last switch occurring ~3wks before the big day. We were understandably nervous, but in fairness, it worked out fine in the end), 2) we would've liked them to be a little more on top of the events and schedules that night... minor issues, but we were late with cake cutting (b/c long speeches) so my maid of honor took it upon herself to get that moving; during the speeches/toasts, my dad spoke but then didn't get served any sparkling wine when it actually came time to make his toast... and even after jokingly saying (into the mic) that he didn't have a glass, no waiter came to his aid so he went on without it.

J.j. Sent on 01/26/2015

3 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
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1 out of 5 rating
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3.5 out of 5 rating

- Pros -
Food (guests raved about the selection -- obviously this is extremely important)
Chef (definitely cares about his product and is very personable)
Overall a good experience for the wedding

- Cons -
Organization (it's a long story but basically our "point person" involuntarily changed 3 times on us during our preparation)
Bar (the wine we provided was rarely served and instead guests were given wine we had to pay for)
Payment (we called repeatedly asking for our price total which we didn't receive until a few days before the wedding -- Culinary Concerts then had specific requirements for payment that we had to follow through on such short notice)

Kristin Sent on 03/26/2023

2.4 out of 5 rating

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Proceed with Caution

To avoid additional stress and price increases outside of your catering contract 44 days before your wedding - please proceed with caution before booking with this company. Basically breach of contract. If you expect the bride and groom to be attended to as laid out in contract, it did not happen for us.

Overall, working with this group was not worth all the extra aggravation and stress. In addition to the pompous and dismissive attitude of the owner. To date, our concerns have still not been responded to.

Had the other limited # of caterers for the venue not been booked, we would have moved on earlier in the planning process.

Diana Sent on 10/06/2011

1.4 out of 5 rating

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1 out of 5 rating

I would recommend avoiding these guys if you want to save yourself a boat load of anxiety. Chris, the owner provided us quotes with one price (knowing the details of the place close to 2 years in advance) – and billed us something completely different 1 week before the wedding. The contract was confusing; updates were made untimely, responses to questions often conflicted amongst the owner and staff and overall the communication was extremely poor. They may appear to be a good price compared to the other top rated caterers in the area (A Thyme to Cook, Gourmet Galley, etc.), but they stick it to you in the end – when you have no choice. I met with them a handful of times prior to the wedding, including a detailed meeting 3 months ahead of time to go through any changes. What was discussed in the meeting and what was billed 1 week before were two completely different things. We never received an updated quote – just a sloppy email with line items that did not make sense given the original contract. The food was good – but not worth it with the planning hassles. They are extremely unprofessional.

Mark Sent on 02/11/2014

0.5 out of 5 rating

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The best I can say for them is they managed not to ruin our wedding. From last-minute charges (which they threatened to back out if we did not accept) to absenteeism the day of the wedding to cold food served to our guests, we simply cannot recommend them. Thankfully, we had a wonderful day otherwise.

Culinary Concerts, Inc. Reviews

Reviews

Culinary Concerts, Inc.