Culinary Creatives: In the Kitchen with Austin’s Top Caterers – Part One

In the latest issue of Brides of Austin, we were thrilled to give our readers a peek inside the kitchen with top Austin wedding caterers! Captured by The Bird and The Bear  at Austin wedding venue The Grove, this inside look at the amazingly talented chefs and the delicious dishes they prepare is such a treat and will definitely leave your mouth watering! Feast your eyes on part one today, and be sure to stay tuned for part two as we feature more yumminess from Austin caterers featured in the pages of Brides of Austin! Cheers!

Photos // The Bird and The Bear

Salt Lick Catering & Events

The Chef: Devin K. Glenn

The Style: Rustic Texas tradition with a contemporary flair — the Salt Lick catering department has always stood out for the name, a family-oriented history and traditions and a unique approach to events both on and off-site.

Food for Thought: Have a clear vision of what’s most important to you about the food you serve on your special day. Clearly conveying your ideas up front to your caterer can help them create a really unique experience for you and your guests.

The Dish: Shaved smoked pork tenderloin with black pepper water cracker, tarragon aioli and blackberry chutney, garnished with blood orange zest and tarragon leaves

Royal Fig Catering

The Chef: Chef Dan Stacy

The Style: Farm-to-table, simple-seasonal-fresh — not only do we source the most high quality products from local farms and artisans, but we are also a scratch kitchen, making everything by hand. From smoking our own bacon to churning our own butter, everything is made with love!

Tasty Tip: The meal you provide to your guests is your way of thanking them for sharing the day with you. Deciding on that special gift for your guests is an important decision, so trust your instincts! Choose a caterer who makes you feel as special as you want your guests to feel on your wedding day.

The Dish: Shiner braised short ribs with truffle mash and gremolata

Whim Hospitality

The Chef: Chef Rob McMahon

The Style: While a lot of what we do is classic and elegant, our catering style is customized to the individual client. From high-end dinners to casual buffet-style meals, Whim catering creates memorable dishes to the exact specifications of our diverse clients and exceeds their expectations every time.

Tasty Tip: While I really do enjoy preparing almost anything, I love creating a braised entrée. From a chef’s perspective, anything braised is going to take your meal to an entirely new level. A braised dish uses multiple cooking techniques to really impart a lot of different flavors. From the slow cooking process to the use of aromatics, cooking with a certain amount of complexity helps create a complex flavor palate that really stands out.

The Dish: Crispy duck confit leg with chive-mascarpone anson mills polenta, sweet corn chanterelle consommé and za’atar-roasted heirloom beets

Rosemary’s Catering

The Chef: Chef William Ragsdale

The Style: Traditional, but with creative license — we are a chef-driven company through and through and train our team in every cuisine from Thai to Indian to South American, but sometimes you just want a perfectly cooked steak or Tex-Mex – and that’s okay! Our chefs are happy to create whatever you’re craving.

Tasty Tip: Our favorite dishes are the ones that reflect you as a couple. Are you blending a Mexican and Indian heritage? We want our food to speak to your guests on many levels through customization. From menu design, to décor, to service style, each event we produce, every dish we make, is a true reflection of our clients.

The Dish: Pan seared halibut with lemon oil confit, heirloom tomato, orange and roasted cauliflower gratin, caper and citrus broth

Deep Eddy Vodka

The Mixologist: Ben Seay

The Style: We are homegrown here in Texas and only use the best ingredients for our vodka. Real fruit juice and exceptional water make our product stand out.

Tasty Tip: Sangria is great for all seasons! You can mix up the fruit from summer and fall and make it with red or white wine. It can also be made ahead of time and only gets better the longer it sits.

The Drink: Lemon Rhubarb Mojito – Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka, fresh lime juice, Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters, fresh mint with soda water

Catering With A Twist

The Chef: Chef Lexy Hasley

The Style: We offer a playful fusion of radical and innovative cuisine and design that goes far above the clichéd norm! Catering with a Twist goes beyond the norm, embracing personality and creativity. It is what we do and who we are.

Food for Thought: Our most favorite station is the Smokehouse Station, which includes live carving with our in-house smoked meats and of course, our favorite — bacon jam!

The Dish: Prime rib – smoked garlic stuffed prime rib with creamy horseradish sauce