Serendipity Catering

Address:	950 Danby Rd #20, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
Phone:	+1 607-273-2145
Site:	serendipitycatering.biz
Rating:	4.3

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 4

Kelley Maria

I was extremely disappointed with Serendipity Catering at my wedding. I feel like I was tricked. They were originally pretty rude to my mother and I, asking for a $500.00 deposit before we even met with them. When we said we would gladly pay them at the actual meeting (about a week away) it became a big issue to them and they threatened to cancel the meeting. We decided to go to the meeting and see where things went, and not sign any contract or pay them anything unless their attitudes dramatically changed. (Stupid move, but we had heard that they were the best so we tried to chalk it up to a misunderstanding.) Lo and behold they were very accommodating at the meeting, and made me feel like things would be completely taken care of and exactly how I wanted them. Everything I asked for they said “no problem at all!” and made me feel like they understood what I wanted and that I was going to have a really beautiful and amazing day. Every meeting thereafter went well and I continued to feel like I had made the right choice in choosing Serendipity to cater my wedding. I am still hearing various complaints about the catering at the event. I was so busy and excited on the day that I didn’t let it get to me or even bother freaking out- but now that it is all said and done I felt like I should give a proper review so that others don’t make the same mistake I did: - The event planner Stephanie was really rude to my bridesmaids. They told me afterwards that when they arrived for the reception things were not set up, and they started to try and help where they could. Everything that I had worked on myself- table names and numbers, seating cards, arrangements, centerpieces- Stephanie had something rude to say about it. I did have a unique wedding, but it was beautiful and I carefully created all of my own little details that I wanted to be expressed. I was told this wasn’t a problem and it was a great idea in the many weeks prior to the event. - The hours d’ouvres were gone before half of the guests arrived and they ran out of most of the food before half of the tables had even gone to the buffet. It was disappointing that some of my vegan and vegetarian friends didn’t get to eat dinner because she had not brought enough food. ( I told her well in advance, and reminded her several times that we would need to feed a lot of vegan/vegetarians and she assured me it wasn’t a problem.) - The dessert table was sparse. I ordered over 300 desserts (cookies, cupcakes) for the wedding and all Serendipity had to do was put them on the serving plates (provided) and put them on a table. The table was so bare that many guests did not eat dessert to be polite, feeling like there wasn’t enough for everyone. I have no idea where the other desserts went. I did notice this and went to ask about it and I was told “they’re on their way out there with more right now.” Right. Well. I ended up with a lot of leftovers. I am disappointed in the service that I received and I think that we paid an exorbitant amount of money for what we got. Catering is a huge part of an event. I loved my wedding and I am very happy with all of the choices we made, with the exception of hiring Serendipity. I feel like I was manipulated and that they only cared about getting paid- they are a catering company and they should at least know how much food to order and prepare for a large event.

Ami Stuart

I love these guys. They are great and I use them year in and year out (for 5+ years now). Excellent attention to detail: they even created menu cards to match the theme of our event! Quick and efficient to work with, I personally prefer email and they always respond within 24hrs. Food Quality: The food quality is outstanding, cant be beat. Its the only caterer Ill order crème puffs from because they are always at the peak of freshness and never soggy. The breads, croissants, etc are always fresh, the fruit never bruised. The grilled veggies (grilled carrots will be your new favorite veggie), cheese and charcuterie are exceptional, chicken salad sandwiches are a perennial favorite, as is the pasta salad. Food is always exactly as described, the condiments, bread, etc are always exactly as described (they never substitute). Presentation/Preparedness They bring extra utensils, plates, cups, napkins and linens to be on the safe side. They skirt the tables, provide appropriate center pieces, and bring garbage can covers! YES, garbage can covers so that large plastic cans are covered in sleek black stretchy covers. (I love this). The food presentation is great, tiered plates & presentation, 4 sided buffets, etc. They will match the linen colors to your theme upon request. They are predictable and that is why I use them every year, several times per year. As an events manager, I want predictable, I want things exactly as expected. They are also great at working within my budget creating high-quality, high-end menus while remaining price conscious. I absolutely recommend them without hesitation for any corporate or personal special event.

Sally McConnell-Ginet

Serendipity is fantastic. They catered our 50th anniversary party a few years ago, and it was sensational. Not only was the food amazing, including an ice cream sundae bar that all the kids adored, but Stephanie actually brought a dress form so that I could display my wedding gown. The catering was not inexpensive but the quality was exceptional, and Stephanie and staff were wonderfully attentive to every detail--and also contributed to the generally convivial atmosphere. Since then Ive worked with Serendipity on several events for the Hangar Theatre. It was a pleasure--food was terrific, and there was enormous attention to aesthetics as well as to tastes. (I should mention that Serendipity is a major sponsor for the Hangar, a nonprofit treasure--this speaks to Stephanies deep commitment to the local community.) Ive also now attended a number of occasions where I was not an organizer but Serendipity was catering. Some examples: a beautiful wedding with nice signs for those with culinary restrictions, a couple of exceptional receptions at Kroch Library, and, most recently, opening night at the Hangar Theatres production of "Red"--beautiful deep red roses and tulips on serving tables and elsewhere set the theme for lovely food. I recommend them unreservedly.

Deborah Brown

We had an emergency situation. 2 months before Cornell Graduation there were no restaurants with reservations available to accommodate us, a party of 15. Serendipity was clearly fully booked with catering engagements but Andrew said he would see if he could manage to squeeze us in. I have worked with caterers in Boston and New York that are highly esteemed. Serendipity pulled off a beautiful event with incredible wait staff, excellent food, an extraordinary bar...we have many mixologists in our crowd, and a perfectly executed set up. Rentals arrived well before set-up. We returned from Graduation to a beautifully arranged table setting, bar set-up, food stations and smiling faces. Appetizers were excellent and plentiful, entrees were fresh and served at the proper temperature and the pastry chef created a tower cake that everyone agreed had a wow factor. Clean up and removal was quick and unimposing as we continued to enjoy the last of the libations. We were thrilled and felt fortunate that Andrew agreed to coordinate and orchestrate the perfect celebration on short notice during the busiest time of the year in Ithaca. Cudos to the entire staff for your professionalism and the comfort zone you created for our guests.