Fresh. Innovative. Refined Catering
Western Michigan
Service area
Gabe Lava
OWNER
Typically responds within 24h
Based out of Traverse City, MI, Gabe's Old Fashioned Foods is a wedding catering company. With a large range of dishes on offer, this business is ready to work with you to design a one-of-a-kind menu for your milestone. They are happy to work with couples based throughout western Michigan.
Each dish from Gabe's Old Fashioned Foods is made using fresh ingredients sourced from local producers and farms, perfect for seasonal meals. The team here will work closely with you to find the best meals to fit your tastes and vision for the day, whatever they might be. This includes an initial tasting where you can sample some of the various dishes on offer.
Cuisine from Gabe's Old Fashion Foods ranges from Cajun comfort food to warming Thai dishes. Chef Gabe is happy to provide alternatives for guests that might have dietary restrictions, whether they need gluten-free, dairy-free, kosher, or nut-free options. Sugar-free, vegan, and vegetarian dishes are also available. The team here is happy to take care of delivery, setup, serving, and cleanup on the day.
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Details
Cuisine
American
BBQ
Cajun
Chinese
Eastern European
French
Fusion
Greek
Hawaiian
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Latin American
Mexican
Middle Eastern
Northeastern
Seafood
Southern
Southwestern
Specialty
Thai
Dietary Options
Dairy Free
Gluten Free
Kosher
Nut Free
Organic
Sugar Free
Vegan
Vegetarian
Food & Catering
Buffet
Catering Clean Up
Catering Delivery & Setup
Chef Stations
Family Style
Menu Tastings
Passed Appetizers
Seated Meal
Servers
Any questions?
Meet the team
Gabe Lava
Owner
Chef Gabe brings over a decade of experience in top kitchens around the world like Le Chateaubriand, Geranium, Lula Cafe, Spiaggia, Bonsoiree, No. 9 Park, Ma Peche, and more. His style is best described as local, seasonal, and eclectic, and loves to bring a special touch to all occasions - every moment is unique and should be treated that way.
Availability
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.010 reviews
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Gabe and his catering team received glowing reviews for their exceptional food and service at various weddings. Reviewers were impressed by Gabe's attention to detail, ability to cater to dietary restrictions, and creativity in crafting unique menus tailored to each couple's preferences. Guests were thrilled with the delicious dishes, from appetizers to desserts, and multiple reviewers mentioned that it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding. Despite a minor issue with venue power causing food delays at one event, Gabe's professionalism and talent shone through, making him a highly recommended caterer for those seeking top-notch service and delectable cuisine on their special day.Review photos
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Rachel P
5.0
10/30/2024
We had some of the best food of our lives on our big day thanks to Gabe and his awesome team. Working with Gabe was so much fun, and so easy - he made everything feel incredibly stress-free and generally lovely. We had the pleasure of doing a tasting a few months before the big day and were not disappointed by a single thing he made for us. We had a few dietary restrictions and he made sure to take care of every single one of them, from gluten allergies to dairy intolerances to vegetarian diners - you name it, we had it. We were looking for an upscale BBQ sort of vibe for our outdoor wedding, and he hit every essential you could imagine - cornbread (GF!) with vegetarian chili, Mac and cheese, an awesome Autumnal salad, roasted chicken with an unbelievable sweet potato soubise. All absolutely delicious. The biggest hits, though, were his insane smashed and fried potatoes with black garlic vinaigrette (I could eat it by the bucketful), and his Carolina-style pulled pork with pork belly. We are still getting people raving about his food, from appetizers to dinner to desserts, well over a week after the fact. Selfishly, I'd like to do the whole day over again just so I could actually sit and enjoy more of the food.
Gabe made everything feel stress-free, fun and exciting. He listened to every goofy request we had, answered every hyper-detailed question with patience and made sure our guests were beyond well taken care of. I will be searching for an excuse to work with him again on any event in the future (if he'll have us!), and will be quietly hoping he and his crew open a restaurant sometime in the future so we can enjoy what he makes more often.
Rebecca T
5.0
7/25/2024
Gabe catered our wedding and he did an outstanding job. We are foodies and wanted a menu that would wow our guests and wow it did! I had a handful of guests tell me that it was the best food they'd ever had at a wedding. He worked with us to create dishes that not only showcased fresh and local ingredients but also paid homage to our favorite foods. On our wedding day he turned out 60+ wagyu steaks that were amazing. Other hits were the appetizers- pork belly, tataki, and arancini. I truly could not stop eating them. We also received many compliments on the herb butter he made for the bread, perfectly cooked walleye, crème brûlée for dessert, and the fried chicken sandwiches and sliders he served for late night. He made a special dish for our vegan guests and they raved about it. I would highly recommend working with Gabe. He's not only extremely talented but also just a great professional and person. Service was fast and smooth! Booking Gabe was one of the best decisions we made.
Any questions?
Jacob S
5.0
7/25/2024
Gabe and his team were the best! The food was incredible. Our guests still keep talking about how it was the best dinner they have ever had at a wedding. Highly recommend!
Kelly W
5.0
6/20/2024
The food itself was fantastic - from the get-go Gabe spent over an hour with us on our initial call learning about our cultural background and food preferences! This led to a completely unique menu just for our wedding.
We did have an issue day of regarding power at our venue which did cause some food-related delays, but the food itself was delicious!
Cristian B
5.0
10/05/2023
Gabe went above and beyond to ensure that our special day was not only memorable but also filled with delicious food.
The quality and taste of the dishes were exceptional. The appetizers, main courses, and desserts were not only visually stunning but also incredibly delicious.
Our wedding day was made even more memorable because of Gabe's exceptional catering services. We received numerous compliments from our guests about the delicious food.
We recommend Gabe's catering services to anyone in need of top-notch catering.
Eden E
5.0
9/27/2023
Gabe catered our wedding 9/2023 and exceeded all our expectations! He worked with us more than anyone else we contacted and created a custom plan that was absolutely delicious! Everyone was talking about how wonderful the food was! Would recommend to anyone looking for a caterer.
Amanda M
5.0
7/25/2023
Gabe is incredible! The private dinner he curated for our intimate wedding was spot on in every way. From ideation to execution, Gabe was professional, collaborative, and trustworthy. Further, he responded to our wishes (locally-sourced/"elevated" backyard bbq) in a way that was better than we could possibly imagine. As far as private chefs go, Gabe is a star. And, even as I write this review, I'm already fearing how difficult it will soon become to book him for all of our family/friend occasions (let's be real-I'm shooting to do so every summer).
Darlene K
5.0
10/26/2022
Gabe came up with an incredibly special menu for our wedding that perfectly reflected our tastes and personalities! The food was absolutely AMAZING -- all of our guests are still raving about it. We loved every bite. From start to finish, Gabe was kind, professional, creative, and talented. We truly couldn't have imagined a better experience for our wedding day. Thank you Gabe!
Sam T
5.0
7/01/2022
Gabe is THE BEST! We wanted the food at our wedding to reflect us as a couple, our adventurousness, our taste for different cuisines, and our love of clean fresh, sustainable eating. Gabe gave it all to us. He crafted a tapas style culinary experience that was gluten free, nut free, and vegan friendly. His prices were very fair and he worked hard to find us compostable dinnerware so we could be more environmentally friendly. Plus, he put up with all of my back and forth changing my mind about dessert options!
Gabe gave us a unique wedding menu that reflected us as a couple for the same price other caterers charged for a basic buffet. He is also simply a great human who is an absolute pleasure to work with.
Libby B
5.0
1/18/2022
I've worked with this caterer several times & I can confidently say Gabe & his team are bringing a new energy to the TC catering scene. Their menus are creative & well-balanced & the service is attentive. I'd hire Gabe 100x over for any private event in the future. It's been such a pleasure working with him. He just gets it!
Service area & Contact info
2259 Traversefield Dr, Traverse City, MI
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Western Michigan
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Gabe's Old Fashioned Foods
Gabe Lava
|
Owner
Typically responds within 24h
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Gabe's Old Fashioned Foods
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