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Weddings

Simons Catering Reviews

Simons Catering View more information

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 rating
13 Reviews
  • Quality of service
    4.7 out of 5 rating
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    4.7 out of 5 rating
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    4.7 out of 5 rating
92% Recommended by couples

Awards

13
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    Maeve E. Sent on 10/11/2019
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    Highly Recommend!

    In planning our wedding, my husband and I wanted food that our guests would enjoy. We have been to many weddings and the food is usually far from memorable. We set out to find local food that could work with our allergy constraints and provide tasty food for our guests. Simons delivered! We had a delicious tasting at their site in Kinderhook. I had requested that there be no beans or soy in the dishes, since my dad is very allergic, and they went out of their way to not only accommodate this, but explore alternative options that he could enjoy (carrot dip and babaganoush instead if hummus). We were sold and on our wedding day, they were professional and delicious. Our guests have been raving about the food, from the passed apps to the entrees.
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    Edwina S. Sent on 09/08/2019
    5 out of 5 rating
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    100 % excellent!

    Mara, Owner of Simons Catering was outstanding to work with. She was flexible and considerate of all our wishes for our daughter's big day. The staff that she came with were nothing short of perfect. courteous and respectful. the food was plentiful and delicious. we highly recommend Simons catering in Kinderhook New York. definitely my "Go to " Chef!
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    Lilly Sent on 10/27/2019
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    Amazing local food! Great caterers!

    Mara and the Simons Catering team were so great to work with and the food was exceptional! We love how they support local agriculture. Our guests kept commenting on how great the food was. Mara was very organized and professional throughout the process. We would hire Simons Catering again and highly recommend them to anyone having a wedding or event in the area!
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    Rachel S. Sent on 06/17/2019
    5 out of 5 rating
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    Wonderful people, delicious food!

    We were SO HAPPY with Mara, James, and everyone on their team at Simons Catering. My husband and I got married this past weekend and keep remarking to one another on how it would not have been the same without them. During the planning process, Mara and James had wonderful ideas for the menu and then were very collaborative and responsive to our preferences. They were also organized and responsive on email and over the phone. We loved that Mara sourced her ingredients from local farms and we really appreciated that the business as a whole had a small, local (as opposed to large, corporate) feel to it. On top of all that, the food was just incredible. Not the typical, subpar wedding cuisine you tend to see, but actual delicious food you would happily eat and pay for at a nice restaurant.

    During the wedding itself, the servers, bartenders, and kitchen staff were so helpful, organized and sweet. Drew, Connie, and everyone else on the team created a seamless event and Chris and I felt incredibly supported (seriously, both emotionally and logistically) the entire time.

    We cannot recommend Simons highly enough. Thank you so much for everything!
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    Ellen Sent on 10/30/2017
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    There simply aren't enough positive things that I can say about my experience with the team at Simon's Catering. Our wedding was truly the happiest day of my life, and that is owed in no small part to Mara and her incredible staff. First, the food was absolutely phenomenal. I was told over and over again by my friends and family that it was the best food that they had ever tasted at a wedding. While I agree with them, I would go a step further -- this food was incredible, period. It was totally outside of what you would ever expect for catered food and reached a level of being better than the food at most restaurants. Every single dish was mind-blowing. Some of the appetizers -- particularly the fried cheese curds, which were made specifically for me at my request -- were the best I had ever tasted. Over and over again, I could not believe that the food at my wedding was as amazing as it turned out to be. I can't overstate this enough -- it was beautiful, delicious, plentiful, creative, and customized. It made the day feel so special! It made me so happy! But beyond the food, Mara and her staff made me feel reassured and calm on my wedding day and during all of the planning leading up to it, which is a truly priceless feeling during a time that has so much potential to feel overwhelming. Mara was such a pleasure to deal with leading up to the big day, and when it finally arrived, everything she and her staff did was seamless and perfect. They were so friendly and so professional, I am positive that our guests thought we spent ten times as much on catering as we did. Highest recommendation I can possibly give!
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    Katie Sent on 09/13/2017
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    The food and staff were superb! My guests raved about this being the best food they've ever had at a wedding and the cocktail hour display was the best they'd ever seen! Mara and her staff are incredible at what they do!
  • User3484788 Sent on 05/16/2018
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    Working with Mara and her team was one of the best decisions we made in planning our wedding. The food was incredible! And almost a year later we continue to hear similar reviews from guests. The passed hors d’oeuvres were delicious (I am still craving the sliders!). We opted for a family style dinner which worked perfectly. Our requests along with Mara’s recommendations worked well together. As for her team, they did a terrific job! The reception was outside and we were dodging crazy rain storms just up to the dinner hour and they were very helpful in rearranging logistics as needed. We cannot thank them enough!!!
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    Daniel Sent on 01/08/2018
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    We can't say enough about how perfect our wedding was using Simon's Caterers. Everything was magical during our farm style wedding. The service was timely, friendly and accommodating. The food - THE FOOD! We asked for an all vegan wedding for an audience of mixed diets - many ominivores and meat-eaters. Simon's worked magic in creating a vegan spread that was tasty, varied, very satisfying, and included so many gluten free options. Everyone was content! Highlights include the hor'deurves, the nonalcoholic special drinks, the desserts and wedding cake... and the entire dinner. So, well, everything. Presented beautifully and lovingly crafted, the food was just superb, Mara was a pure pleasure to work with very professional, warm hearted and adaptable. We can't wait to have another special occasion with which to use Simon's!!!
  • User2474049 Sent on 12/18/2015
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    I loved working with Mara from start to finish. She was extremely responsive and obliging with all of our requests, including the somewhat-complicated specialty cocktail we decided on. The menu was the perfect mix of fancy and casual, light and rich, that I was aiming for, and the local Hudson Valley farm sourcing of ingredients was meaningful and delicious. (THE HOME-BAKED BREAD, oh my god!) Many guests told us that ours was the best wedding food they'd ever had, and the staff was so, so sweet and good at their jobs. I would recommend Mara and Carlucci-Simons without reservation.
  • User1634322 Sent on 05/27/2014
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    We are still getting compliments about the food at our wedding. Mara was super responsive and worked with us throughout the entire planning. Great food and great service.
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    N Sent on 11/13/2017
    4.9 out of 5 rating
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    Pros:

    Mara - Mara and her team did an amazing job on our wedding, honoring every (no matter how minor) request in our contract. We found Mara through exhaustive searching of the Hudson Valley, and she was luckily able to squeeze us in. In addition to being a full time even caterer, Mara also provides ethical, locally sourced, and organic lunches to schools in the area ... a wonderful person, and an asset to the community.

    The Tasting -The food was simply some of the best that we've have ever had. We left the tasting full for days feeling like gluttons, but IT WAS WORTH IT!!!! My husband and I are especially crazy about her breads.

    The Wedding - During the wedding, everything went smoothly. We had a picky almost-vegetarian wedding, and every dish came with informed staff and clear labels. To top it all off, her people even remembered to bring a baked potato to the mother of the bride to fulfill a long run inside joke. Our guests, even people in the food industry, have mentioned to us how amazing the food was at our wedding. Mara not only blew us away not only with the quality of the food and service, but also the presentation, the professional staff, the signature drinks, and the cake.

    Cons:

    Mara's a busy woman who is the center of the whole company. Every interaction was a pleasure and she exuded confidence, but we had to give her a couple of days to get back to us. If the amount of seasoning on a specific dish becomes such a concern that you can't wait a few days to get an answer, you might have the wrong priorities... Mara's low key and understated managerial style is a perfect for the bride and groom that don't want to worry, and will trust a professional.

    Best moment:

    While strolling through the wedding making sure that everybody had a great time, I walked past the temporary kitchen Mara had set up. There she was with bandanna and clogs, the conductor in the middle of the maelstrom, in her element.

    We totally recommend Mara!
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    Emma Sent on 10/04/2015
    4.8 out of 5 rating
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    Mara and her team were absolutely amazing. We didn't have a wedding planner, and didn't feel like we needed one because we were in such good hands. Mara and her staff were friendly and attentive, they were extremely accommodating for guests with dietary restrictions, and most importantly the food was delicious!
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    Laura Sent on 10/23/2017
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    This is not an easy review to write. Mara blew us away at the tasting. The food was great, prices were great and she was focused on local/sustainable food which we cared about. But Mara & her team over promised and significantly under delivered.

    About a month prior to the wedding I couldn't get Mara to respond to my emails or phone calls. Our other vendors were also having a difficult time engaging her for coordination. And on our Wedding Day, she didn't show up which was never communicated otherwise. Nor did she appropriately plan/prepare her staff to handle the event without her.

    They were incredibly understaffed, the bar garnishes and mixers were gone half way through cocktail hour, enough glassware wasn't ordered, there wasn't enough fry oil, the food styling that we discussed didn't happen...

    They didn't know what they were serving. We had special dietary restrictions but when asked, servers couldn't say what was what. This was the very first thing I asked Mara about when I reached out to her about being our caterer.

    Their truck left two hours before the event was over and didn't take any trash with it. The kitchen area was left in total disarray.

    This caused both our Wedding Planners and Rental Company to compromise their contracted services to us in order to help the catering team execute and we received additional bills from these other vendors.

    The only reason I have not gotten lawyers involved is because I think the lawyer would cost more than this is worth. But the side of me that believes in standing up for what is right in the world did not let this go easily.

    I tried to work this out with Mara and understand what happened. If she had even bothered to respond to my concerns, I would not have written such a candid review, because stuff happens, you know? But given that lack of ownership over the issues and a lack of willingness to do anything to resolve it I was left with no other choice.

    Simons Catering's reply:

    This obviously was not a good fit at all. It's worth clarifying that not only did I have multiple correspondence with Laura after the event, but I also sent her a check to reimburse her for some of non alcoholic beverages. Also, the rental company supplies all of the glassware for the event, and had directly indicated that the fryer needed 4 gallons of oil, when it required 18 gallons. Our friendly and hard working staff was on site from 11 am to 1 am. We're always grateful for the feedback to continue to improve our business.