Dear Chris,
Thank you so much for rising to the challenge of dinner for 65 people during a power outage!
I had so much confidence in you and in the staff at the house, I never worried for an instant!
I just visited with our guests, with complete trust that in some way, some dinner would happen.
And it did. You and your staff didn't miss a beat. Pat told me this morning that you were plating
the dinner by flashlight!
I am so grateful to you for making everything happen so that even the power outage didn't
distract from the evening's celebration.
Congratulations!
All best,
Jane Levin
***
Dear Chris,
The Levins were more than happy with the party that you created for them last night & received
any complimentary comments from the guests. It was an elegant affair befitting RCL's
remarkable career that was being honored by his loyal faculty and colleagues. When he called
to tell me of his decision the second thing he said was, "Call Chris". A very nice tribute to
you & your staff (Nicole is a treasure) that I thought you'd like to hear. As always, CC came
through under less than reasonable circumstances, and produced a party fit for a king. Stand
by, there's more to come.
Deepest gratitude.
Patricia Chase[Yale University]
***
Dear Chris,
Could you believe we are still getting compliments about the food at our wedding? And given
now late this note is, that's really saying something! Neil and I were so thrilled about the
amazing job you did at our wedding - everyone agreed the food was the most delicious they'd
ever eaten at a catered event - and on top of that, it was beautifully presented. Your staff
as wonderful and helped make the day special. Most of all, Neil and I really enjoyed all the
time we spent with you planning the big day. Our eyes were way too big for our stomachs and
we loved every minute of it. I know you really worked extra hard on this wedding and it
showed. Thank you so much. We are so proud and grateful that you poured your heart into
our wedding. All the best!
Ellen & Neil
***
Dear Chris,
Thanks for this note. It's just another sign of the thoughtful attention to detail that characterized the entire experience. You did a great job. The food was delicious and absolutely beautiful to look at, from start to finish. Extra special thanks for taking such good care of my mother-in-law. Your staff were as delightful, solicitous, capable, and professional as you had promised they would be."
***
"Chris Bracken,
Thanks for all your help in making last Saturday's Health Fair & Community Dinner a success. The food was simply wonderful and I know all of our guests enjoyed it. Best of luck!
Sincerely, Josh"
***
"To everyone at Culinary Concerts,
Thank you so much for feeding us so well every time we visit!! You really look after us, and The Mexican enchilada was legendary! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!
Best wishes,
Victoria
***
"Dear Mr. Bracken and Staff,
Thank you for your spectacular field trip! We really enjoyed baking and dipping the fruit. The salad spinner was really fun! We loved the tours of the kitchen and the ingredients. You had some silly stories. The freezer was ccccccold! We liked how you put the fire on the creme brulee. We loved making wishes on the belly of the kitchen magician. Thank you for the demonstration. Thank you for everything!
Love,
Ms. Kiely and Mrs. White's Kindergarten class
***
"Chris,
I am sure you've heard by now, but it's worth restating. Mrs. Levin said several times, to make sure that "Chris knows how wonderful everything was and how happy we were with the dinner at the Press." She told all of us more than once until she was satisfied that you would hear her compliments, so well deserved.
I couldn't believe the set-up that you guys had on the patio - that's catering personified!"
***
"Hi
The Celebrate Hopkins annual auction fundraiser is on the calendar for Saturday April 18. We would be thrilled to know you are both on board for the next year.We received wonderful reviews for the lighting and for the food (taste, presentation and staffing). Celebrate Hopkins has a winning formula with both of you involved.
Thank you for a very successful Celebrate last year, we hope we can look forward to another great event in this year."
Sincerely,
Mary, Caroline and Maxine
***
"Chris -
Thank you for doing such a great job with the ninetieth birthday celebration on Christmas Eve!"
***
"Chris,
As usual, you and your staff did an outstanding job at the Yale/Harvard Football Game. Thanks for making us look so good!"
***
"Dear Chris,
Thank you so much for orchestrating such a wonderful evening. Tess was fabulous, Alex amazed, Scott was ever present and the girls were lovely, charming and professional. A 1st class job!"
***
"Dear Chris,
Once again thank-you to you and your staff for a truly professional and memorable evening. Kudos to all!"
***
"Dear Chris,
Thank you again for the magnificient performance your crew put on last night. Every single guest commented on the extraordinary food and gracious service. Would you let Abbie know I think she is fantastic? She took a lot of the little issues off my shoulders and made them magically disappear. Much apprection!"
***
"Dear Mr. Bracken,
Thank you so much for the extraordinary catering of our LEAP Year Event reception. The evening was a phenomenal success. With your help, we raised $135,000 to help LEAP provide enriching programs for the children and youth of New Haven.
We have received so many complements from our guests about the remarkable food and presentation at the reception and saw many picking up your catering cards. LEAP Year Event seems to have become a destination gathering for over 400 leaders of our community - corporate, individual and organizational - with a common interest in improving the quality of life in New Haven.
Than you and your wonderful staff again for being such a vital part of the LEAP family and making good things happen. We hope to see you again next year! Your gift really makes a difference."
***
"Dear Chris & Everyone at Culinary Concerts,
Andy and I would like to thank you all for the absolutely flawless food at our wedding in August. Our guests are still raving! The presentation was amazing and the tent, with Mary's help, looked beautiful. Thank you for working with all our vendors to create a truly magical event."
***
"Chris, Nancy & Staff @ Culinary Concerts,
Thank you so very much for everything you did on my daughter Stephanie's wedding day. The service, the food and everything else that you did was impeccable. My heartfelt thanks!
***
"Dear Chris, What can I say? It was even better than our plans (and our plans were pretty damned good)! Virtually every guest has raved about your food, your staff, and the entire presentation, most of which was your doing.
Most of all, Chris, even beyond the individual components, you helped us create something even more joyful, and meaningful, than we could have imagined. The food and drink were both elegant and unpretentious (which is difficult to pull off), and allowed the loving tribe we had gathered for the day to cut loose and celebrate with abandon. The party was meant to be our gift to these people who have guided us through very tough times, and I think they felt that. In the end it was far more than the sum of its many impressive parts. Thank you.
And the praise and commentary of friends for your staff, while abundant, was hardly necessary for me to appreciate them. They not only took care of everything, so that Gerry and I really had a blast, despite having 175 people in our backyard (!), they did so with unflinching cordiality and just the right measure of casual elegance. I wanted it to feel like a simple garden party, but with better food and drink than anyone could imagine, and it did. So again, all our thanks. Among other things, it was great fun working with you."
***
You may know that Prudential Advisors sponsored a three-day, back-to-back Executive Etiquette and Dining Savvy program which included a dining tutorial. The challenge of orchestrating and executing this tutorial with the precision and professionalism which your staff exemplified was phenomenal.
I write to congratulate you and, Nina, Shay and Laura for everything they did to ensure nothing less than three, perfectly executed dining tutorials. You must know that these ladies are as warm and personable as they are professional; meeting and working with them was a pleasure."
***
"Chris, Thank you for making my Grand Opening party a huge success! The food and the service were amazing! I look forward to sharing many brides with you in the future. Please thank Tess and your staff for me as well!
All the best,
Beth
The White Dress By The Shore
***
"Bravo, Bravo! What a wonderful performance it was this New Year's Day. Everything and I mean everything was superb. Delivery, set up, presentation, and your complete willingness to work with my particular requests were so much appreciated, especially during the hectic holiday season. Did I mention the generous portions, stimulating tastes, etc?
Have a GREAT year and I look forward to using you in the future again."
***
"Colorful Eatery Returns to State"
New Haven Register, "Front Page Article", "Less than eight months after the atmospherically funky restaurant departed Branford for Manhattan, the owners of Nataz have brought the much-beloved eatery, on a smaller scale, to Foxon Road in North Branford.Rick reluctantly closed Nataz on West Main Street in Branford because of overwhelming expenses… Manhattan’s start-up fees shocked McLain. “It became much more expensive than he could justify, McLain said. A discouraged McLain continued his location search, looking as far as Detroit and as close as Madison.While temporarily fulfilling his gustatory desires at Culinary Concerts Inc. in Madison, McLain said he found inspiration from the catering firm’s president, Christopher Bracken. “My spirit was broken as a cook and a businessman,” McLain said. “He picked me up (and) dusted me off.” With Bracken’s professionalism as an inspiration, a determined McLain ventured to rekindle the “intimate” atmosphere Nataz had when it was located at Bittersweet Farms in Branford several moves ago. It will not be intimate, as in romantic, he noted. It will be intimate as in the customers will set the mood and the cook can attend to them individually…“It’s about the love of food, man,” McLain said. “I just want to feed people.”
Editor's Note: "Thanks, Rick! Best Wishes”
***
"Chris, I thank you for working out all the details and providing such seamless service! The presentation was quite lovely and the food was great."
***
"BRAVO! Thank you so much for wonderful performance by you and your able staff on Saturday, November 22, at the Yale Bowl. We received nice comments from our alumni and guests, no doubt a direct result of your good attention to detail, which was evident throughout the event.
We in the Office of Alumni Affairs are most appreciative for your patience and cooperation in the weeks and days leading up to the pre-game party. It is never easy to 'guestimate' attendance at events like this as so many wait until the deadline has passed to respond with their intention to join us.
Please pass our compliments to your staff on their cheerful competence. No request was too menial for any of them to approach with enthusiasm and good humor. When unforeseen events caused so many of our expected guests to be tardy your staff made every effort to keep the buffet tables opened and replenished with warm comfort food...just what the doctor ordered for weary travelers who spent hours in bumper to bumper traffic."
***
"Dear Chris, Our Art For Ice event would not have been as special as it was without your help. The food was delicious, your staff was tremendous and all the items you graciously let me borrow added just the right touch. Thank you so much for your generosity and willingness to participate. Everyone commented on the catering and was duly impressed!"
***
"Dear Chris, I apologize for not having written you sooner, but I wanted you to know how appreciative we are at the Saint Raphael Foundation for your participation in the Cancer Benefit at Venetucci's. Both Lucy and Antoinette , Foundation employees, said that your food was nothing short of spectacular! Your presentation, in particular was wonderful. I'm sorry I missed the event but I won't miss another where Culinary Concerts is involved.
Equally as important as the quality of the food was the fact that the benefit would hardly have been as profitable had you not given of your services so freely. Tony extolled your virtues and credited much of the success of this affair to your generosity. Chris, you're a great friend of Tony's and certainly a great friend of Saint Raphael's. It is selfless acts like yours and Tony's which will help us to stay on the leading edge of cancer care."
"We just wanted to thank you SO much for the wonderful job you did with our wedding. Everything was beautiful, the food was great (so many people commented on this), but more importantly, you were so organized and helped to make sure everything went smoothly. We cannot express how grateful we are that you were there to help us handle the bus mishap, and other issues involving timing and flow. You, of all the professionals who were involved, were the most essential in making our wedding a success. We will never forget the wonderful job you did for us."
***
"Dear Chris, We wanted to thank you for doing such an outstanding job on our wedding. The day was perfect. The presentation was great! Thank you for doing the cocktail hour outside on the front lawn even though it was threatening rain. The tomato and mozzarella salads were awesome and everyone said how great all the food was! Best of all were your staff. Everyone was so friendly and they were extremely efficient. Please extend my thanks to all of them for making our day wonderful!!"
***
"Dear Chris, Thank you for all of your help at the Branford home this past weekend. It was nice to meet you and I hope that all went well. It certainly was nice to watch such an organized operation!"
*Editor's note - Jay is an accomplished designer who has been planning/producing Cleveland, Ohio's most special events for many years.
***
"Chris, What can I say but "WOW"! The party last night was a huge success and established my complete awe in your catering magic. First and foremost I want to thank your staff for an outstanding job. Bauer and I have traveled extensively and know what top-shelf service is; your staff brings an elegance to their professionalism that is rich and lovely. Thanks to Kathy for her planning and Richelle for her oversight. The layout was perfect for the house, and the stations and set-up beautiful to the eye and culinary enticing. I was more than pleased with the choice for service-ware that matched my decor perfectly. We loved the bistro tables - a fun touch! And a special note that the bar location, framed by our picture window, covered in black linen and tended by perfectly coiffed Michele was reminiscent of Manet's famous painting, Bar at the Follies-Bergere. We regret we didn't take any pictures - oh well, next time."
***
"Richelle, Thank you again for making the evening run so smoothly. Everything was perfect and better than I imagined...Thanks so much to you and your staff!"
***
"Dear Chris and Richelle, Where do I start? First, the cuisine was outstanding. I never walked past a group of guests who weren't absolutely raving about what they were eating at that moment. Words used by the guests during and after the party were "stupendous" and "out of sight". At one point, two of the partners pulled me over to a station, and one with a wild eye said, "Katie, have you tried this yet? It's outrageous!" One thing was better than the next. I consider it to have been a perfect appetizer menu. Give my sincere thanks to Dave the chef and his crew.
Next, the decor was so stylishly executed. We ended up working with instead of fighting against the "construction zone" setting of the space and by all accounts we succeeded tremendously. Much kudos to Richelle for leading me in this design direction. And speaking of Richelle, I'd just like to say that she is one of the most conscientious event planners I've had the good fortune to work with. My sincere thanks for her unfailing attention to detail on every aspect of the event.
Lastly, if I am coming across as a bit effusive, I just can't help it. As a professional events manager that plans many functions each year, it's pretty darn nice to host an event that raises the bar another notch. Chris, you're the best. Can I have another crispy scallop now?"
"Another outstanding job, simply FAB darling!!!!!!!!! "
***
"Chris, ...to sum it up WOW! You were right in saying that you would exceed my expectations. But even my wildest food dreams and fantasies couldn't come close to what you, your chef and your staff created for our wedding! Thanks for all the extra treats! You must get up every day and wonder who could be better than you and I can't think of any! I am indeed a lucky girl to have come across you and wish that I had the $$ to have you taking care of everything that day!"
***
"Richelle, you and Chris are absolute stars. The party was fabulous, all guests had a great time, and everyone enjoyed the food tremendously...although I must say that the macaroni and hotdogs were again an all-time favorite! All of the staff were terrific, very polite and professional and the children had a blast...most guests that did not have children had no idea that there were as many kids as there were. You run a great business and it is a pleasure attending your parties (especially when they are at my home!)."
***
"Dear Chris and Richelle and all your fabulous staff, Thank you, thank you, thank you for producing the party of my dreams--amazingly the party we gave surpassed the party I had hoped for! What a memory it makes and what a time was had by all.
My friends and family are dipping deeply into their reservoirs of superlatives to describe the food and service - "simply amazing food" - "divine food" - "elegant service" - "excellent but unobtrusive service" - "outstanding food" - "flawless service" - "perfect food and service" - "the gracious wait staff..." and on and on.
Today and always when I remember this dream I will think of all of you with abiding warmth and gratitude."
***
"Hi Chris, Thank you again for your wonderful service and excellent staff. I hope to be contacting you in the future for other events."
***
"Dear Richelle, I write to thank you, Chris and the staff at Culinary Concerts for orchestrating an exceptional evening for my wedding on October 6. The attention to detail provided by Culinary Concerts made the evening very memorable and one of a kind. The number of compliments I have received and continue to hear echo my sentiments. My guests were most impressed with the quality of food and the manner in which the wait staff served each table. I am a stickler for details and this surpassed all of my expectations.
Richelle, the special service you provide with taking care of every detail and freeing up my time was exceptional. This allowed me to really enjoy the evening and moment. Your professionalism and demeanor, especially in the manner you handled the time line deviation was impressive. The only drawback to the evening was that it had to end. I cannot express enough how pleased James and I are with the way things turned out. We would highly recommend Culinary Concerts, Inc. to anyone. Again thank-you!"
***
"Just wanted to thank you and your staff for making our parents 55th Wedding Anniversary a day to remember for a long time. The food was delicious and the presentation was elegant. Your preparations made the day easy and gave the family more time to visit and enjoy being together. Again, I can't thank you enough for your kindness and thoughtful attention to detail."
***
"Dear Chris, Just a note to thank you and your talented staff for doing such an outstanding job at my daughters engagement party! Everyone was just absolutely thrilled, impressed and delighted by the setting, the wonderful display during cocktail hour, the beautiful tables and the delicious food attended by the friendliness of your crew. It was terrific! Thank you so much!
***
"Dear Richelle, Lewis and I appreciate the exceptional job you and the team from Culinary Concerts performed for us. Thanks to you our house warming party was a huge success, with so many compliments to you all. Your advice and suggestions were right on. The food was delicious and so well presented and the service couldn't have been better. Please extend our thanks to the entire team. We'll be sure to call again and spread the word!"
***
"Dear Richelle, Chris, and all the other workers at Culinary Concerts, This is just a note to say 'Thank you' for all your efforts at our wedding. It was such a relief to feel that we could just let you take care of the event so we could enjoy it (and we did! Such fun!). We got a lot of compliments on the food and you did a great job dealing with the unexpected mishaps...like the weather. Thanks again!"
***
"Dear Richelle and members of the orchestra, The symphony of delights that you provided at my daughter's wedding on Aug. 9th at Eolia made it a magical affair. Your professionalism was beyond reproach and your attention to details did not go unnoticed - like asking about the noisy engraving tool and finding me on arrival to ask about a drink! It was a pleasure - even your patience with indecision. Thank you a thousand times!"
***
"Dear Chris, Thank you for your central role in creating such a lovely wedding for us. Don and I were so pleased by all of the attention to detail. Your guidance before the event, and the hard work of you and your staff during the event, succeeded in making the wedding both warm and elegant (as well as beautiful and delicious!)"
***
"We were thrilled with the party!! Your staff and food were terrific, and we received lots of praise for your group. Thanks for everything!"
***
"Thank you for orchestrating, once again, a magnificent event. As always, the food, presentation and staffing were exceptional."
***
"Bauer and I were very happy with the services provided by Culinary Concerts. Your staff was terrific, and all went well. I appreciate the attention that both you and Richelle gave us in the planning; it made throwing the party for us effortless."
***
"I've seen a lot of caterers come in and out of this museum. I have never seen one that works as well as a team and as efficiently as your staff."
***
"A lot of caterers make promises, you're the only one who always delivers."
***
"Thank you so much for helping our family to have a beautiful, delicious and intimate seder. As usual, you exceeded my expectations, and I look forward to many happy events with you helping me."
***
"...we both wanted to express our genuine awe at and gratitude to your staff for an exceptional performance at and leading up to our wedding last September.
We had the time of our lives that weekend thanks in large part to your attention to every imaginable detail.
Besides just shining on the night of the wedding, it was great fun working with you and your staff in preparation for the big day. So, to put it concisely, thank you for everything!"
***
"I am still basking in the radiance of your beautiful effort to piece everything together for a most spectacular fete. The entrance with torches was just a taste of what was inside. The staff was outstanding. Thank you for such a memorable night. The details were outstanding... the cake, the candles, the colorful napkins... I could go on and on. It was a blessing to find you and if ever I have another opportunity to need catering - you are it!"
***
"Wow, did we have a great party!
My heartfelt thanks to Culinary Concerts and the special interest Chris took in making the party a success. I couldn't believe how beautiful the buffet and tables looked when I walked in with the guest of honor... it was even better than I hoped for. It was so much fun to meet Richelle. You clearly like your job and are a natural at it! The cake was a "standout" and knocked everyone's socks off! I can't wait to do another Culinary Concerts party!"
***
"Mark and I are so pleased with how our party turned out. Thanks to you and your staff, everyone had a wonderful time, marvelous food and fond memories. I would especially like to compliment Richelle for her planning skills and professionalism. It was a pleasure to work with her."
***
"Thank you for all of your attention, efforts, and especially for sharing your outstanding talents with us. You made our New Year's Eve wedding spectacular! Please also extend our thanks to Chris and the staff. We can't say enough about the professional and caring service, the fabulous food and it's presentation, and the beautiful atmosphere you and the staff worked so hard to create."
***
"Thank you again for the beautiful job Culinary Concerts did on Saturday. I could not have been more pleased with the performance by you and your staff. From the food and service, to the decorating and cleanup, it was all wonderful!
We look forward to more joint efforts in the future."
***
"I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful you made our wedding! We knew we were in good hands and everything exceeded our expectations! From the initial planning through the last dance, I didn't worry about a thing. Richelle was amazing - she took care of everything so when the day finally rolled around, I knew I didn't have to think about anything.
As far as then food goes, all I can say is WOW!!! I told myself to make sure I ate because I knew it would be great and is was even better than great. Everyone I talked to said it was, without question, the best food they've ever had period, let alone at a wedding!! Everywhere I looked, people were eating and smiling - always a good sign!
Everything was just so wonderful - I didn't think I can put on paper how happy we were. Your waitstaff was extraordinary - all the guests commented on how solicitous they were - no request was too great - a HUGE thanks to all of them. And you have no idea how much it meant to have you on the floor overseeing everything - once we arrived, I didn't have a worry in the world because you were there taking care of everything - a million thanks!
Two final things and I'll sign off. First, thanks you so very much for all your extra touches - cookies, chocolates, liquors - and many extras I'm sure I've forgotten. We appreciate all your goodies and they made the whole event spectacular. And finally, I can't say enough about your pastry chef and the AMAZING job he (she) did on our cake. It was beautiful AND delicious. Thank you! We had a blast!"
***
"There are not enough superlatives or adjectives to aptly describe your company's services. The food was indescribably superb, the presentation drew many audible praises and the staff was absolutely wonderful. You created a beautiful event and we were all so very pleased."
***
"Summer is just about over and people are still talking about our wedding. You and your staff did a superb job - better than superb! It was seamless, elegant, and FUN! I've been to several other weddings this summer and can't help but compare ... nothing even comes close to ours."
***
"Thank you for helping to make this year’s Expo our best ever! Your very beautiful set-up, great food, and professional service were the perfect finishing touches to Expo. The compliments from artists and visitors were numerous.
Bravo on a great job!"
***
"I would like to thank you for a superb job in orchestrating our daughter Alessia's wedding at the Wadsworth Mansion, Middletown. And for the brunch the day after at our home. The mansion's dining rooms, the outdoor tent with the food stations for the cocktail hour, the main hall and loggia with the wedding cake, everything was beautifully set. The food was delicious and the service impeccable. The florist did spectacular flower displays and arrangements, so much so that the mansion looked quite grand and elegant. Just what I had dreamed for our daughter's wedding.
A special thank you to Richelle for working with me in making all arrangements and for all her special touches in making everything look lovely in the final preparations. It was a memorable wedding enjoyed by all who came to share it with us. I wish to thank you, Richelle, and the staff for handling everything so professionally and with such care."
***
"Thank you so much for providing such delicious food and elegant style to our barrel tasting reception. As always, you and your staff did an outstanding job and we are very grateful. I look forward to working with you again."
***
"I am very happy that I invited you to my party. It certainly lived up to my expectations. You should read some of my "Thank You" notes from my guests!
I am so glad you told me that it was you who was responsible for the red & white roses. I was stumped who to thank, so now I am thanking you, but with a scolding. You are very extravagant. Multiple roses of beautiful red plus white ones too? I feel utterly spoiled and loved."
***
"How can we say "thank you" and where do we begin... it's just not possible! Being parents yourselves you can understand how heartwarming it is to hear your child say "It's everything I've ever dreamed of since I was a child and so much more!!!"
Our sincerest thanks for your unbelievably huge part in making Alycia & Ryan's dream come true. Your attention to detail, the "wow" presentation of the extraordinary feast made the day so Simply Elegant!!!".
***
"The food was wonderful, the presentation and attention to detail were unsurpassed by any we have ever seen. Under your direction the food, band and even the ceremony went off without a hitch and for that we are very appreciative. Not to mention the fact that you took responsibility for pretty much everything, the guest book, favors, cameras, etc., etc. We can't thank you enough for taking on those responsibilities and letting us focus our attentions to our day. We always hear stories of things that went wrong or were not done correctly, but with you and your staff things were perfect and we never had to give a second thought or worry about anything, but enjoying our wedding.
We would remiss if we failed to mention your staff was friendly, courteous and very attentive to our guests. Guests form our wedding are still raving about the wonderful food. Even people that were not there have heard through the "grapevine" that it was an unbelievable wedding and for that we thank you and your staff for making it a memorable day for both our guests and us.
You have two very happy and satisfied clients and we will always give you the highest of recommendations!"
***
The dinner was very successful. Thanks for everyone's efforts. You missed a first in my dining experience: one of the guests, a singer at the Beijing Opera, stood up in our dining room and sang (a cappella) a traditional Chinese opera aria at the top of her lungs.
***
