Blackstone Caterers

Reviews 3

CH

Chris Chiera

Over a year ago, after a long search we found the Glen Manor and fell in love. Previously we had lists of pros and cons of wedding venues but when we experienced the Glen we simply asked where to sign. The catering staff were setting up and we asked which company they worked for. They replied, "Blackstone" with a joyous sense of pride. That night we Googled the company and were overwhelmed with their accolades, website, and delectable offerings. While we were not previously aware of the brand, it seems they have an incredible faithful following as many of our friends and family knew of them as the premier caterer for all of greater Newport. They have even catered for President Obama! I quickly reminded my food connoisseur partner, that the best food in the world would come at a cost and so we braced for the initial email response from the cater on pricing. To our relief, they were able to accommodate our budget. Anyone considering a Newport wedding will certainly need to set realistic expectations no matter whom they choose. That being said, they can tailor a menu from an extravagant several course sit down meal to a simpler beautiful buffet. My husband and I are both meticulous planners and typically take control of every aspect in our jobs in lives. With a wedding their is simply too much to worry about every detail. Thankfully, we simply shared them our vision, and they filled in the blanks using their years of experience to turn that dream into a reality. Our main contact Karen, exudes energy and passion. When you walk into a room, she lights up to see you as if you were a present on Christmas day or a long lost friend. The moment we met her, we knew Blackstone was the right choice for us. Honestly, of all our amazing vendors, she left the largest impression. The owner also warmly greeted us at our first meeting. We reserved Blackstone over a year in advance, and they were always available to answer any questions via email or phone that we had as the day grew closer. Karen worked with us to prepare a wonderful tasting menu that we were able to invite our close family to. The day of the wedding their was a glitch with the florist, and without missing a beat Blackstone stepped in to help resolve that issue without ever worrying us. While one might consider a cater to only deal with food, they had their hand in nearly all aspects of the day and worked in perfect harmony with the venue care taker like Jennifer Lopez in the Wedding Planner. The food was fantastic and our guests are still raving about it. The clam chowder was mouth watering and the corn soufflé tasted like angels swimming through a cloud and gluten free and vegetarian options galore. Everyone warned us that you never get to eat at your own wedding. Not the case at Blackstone. We actually had a personally waiter who appeared out of thin air at the exact moment we needed a drink or a bite to eat. Christine the event manager for the day of the wedding was a bundle of joy. Often managers get the work done but their obvious stress fills the room. Not so with Christine. She was always smiling and if there were any issues, she must have resolved them before they happened because we and our guests never noticed a single slip. They deserve more stars than there are in the sky. We could carry on for longer than Beowulf, but the more we reminisce the more hungry we get. So after picking your venue, your next decision should always be the caterer. If you are in the greater Newport area and your budget allows, you absolutely must consider Blackstone for the top shelf catering experience you both deserve.

VA

Valerie Broznak

Blackstone Caterers were phenomenal! We knew from their reputation they were the best on island, so we expected their prices to be out of our budget for our wedding. We were pleasantly surprised they had competitive prices but offered so much and were so professional and easy to work with, the decision was a no brainer. The day of Karen and her team were flawless in getting everything set up. Every person was warm and made me feel special. Karen even stayed with us, fluffing my train before the ceremony and making us feel completely cared for. Every guest was wowed. We had a few special meal issues – dearly loved guests with severe food allergies, gluten intolerances, and a vegan. Every guest was made to feel so special and received exactly the right meal. When our newly pregnant guest needed to have her steak cooked a bit longer, it was treated as completely no problem. Our one guest with severe allergies has gotten used to not being able to eat at weddings and receptions --- she ate every bite and knew how much we cared. We were thrilled to watch her enjoy her night thanks to Blackstone! Karen and the team also thought to bring my groom and I a wide selection of hour d’ouvres to our pre-determined location with a bottle of wine so we could sneak a few bites before we joined our guests. It was wonderful and exactly the moment we needed. Also our food was so yummy we did not suffer that bride and groom problem of not eating --- we made sure we had at least half each of our plates before joining our guests and even had a second piece of cake. It was amazing. Even prior to our big day, Karen was such a joy to work with! She recommended other awesome vendors and made our food tasting turn into a fun date! When we had a snag on our wedding cake (vendor lost the order and then was overbooked!) Karen worked to get another bakery to make the flavors we were attached to and provided us with extra dessert options as a surprise! When the weather took a change in the days immediately before our wedding, Karen immediately secured us a reservation on heaters and then asked us if we wanted to rent them --- when we called the same vendor that day at the recommendation of the venue, we were told they were already booked! When the chill came in my guests were taken care of because Karen thought well ahead of the problem and gave us all the right options. She went well above and beyond traditional services! So highly recommended!

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J Baba

I have been postponing writing this review because Im having such a hard time finding words to describe this wonderful team. From day one Karen and the rest of the Blackstone team was incredible to work with. We wanted to do a tasting before booking with any caterer, because we did not want typical wedding food. They worked with us on the cocktail hour food and on the main entrees, to customize everything to what we wanted. As the planning process went on, they helped us work on every little detail. As I didnt have a wedding planner, I really appreciated all the little tips Blackstone gave us. The same can be said for the wedding day: they literally thought of every single little detail to ensure that everyone has a fantastic experience. All our guests were saying that they were blown away my how incredible the food was. And the service was just as fantastic. They especially paid attention to myself and the groom. There was always a glass of champagne in my hand, they put aside food from the cocktail hour for us; sent up drinks before the ceremony, etc. They also helped us set up the cigar and scotch bar; and served our guests with our special wine pairing request. They even provided special desert wine glasses, that the rental company did not have available. As our wedding was on the smaller side (approx. 55 people) - we were concerned that some vendors may not want to spend the time to customize everything. But Blackstone made us feel like our event was the most important one of the year. They cooked traditional ethnic dishes for us that are not typically on their menu to allow us to make our day truly unique. Of course their usual stations were fresh and delicious as well. We had the tuscan table and the raw bar, as well as the cheesecake station. I also wanted to note that Karen went beyond her job as a catering coordinator. We had troubles with our rental company, and she took it upon herself to deal with them, to ensure that I didnt have to stress about anything. She and her team was truly incredible and we can never thank them enough for everything they did for us. All in all, I would absolutely recommend Blackstone for any special event. Both the food and the service will exceed your wildest expectations.

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