Pierpoint Catering

Look, I get the DIY ethos of hiring your friends or “amateur caterers” for your big day. Not only do you get to save a few bucks plus that good feeling of keeping it local. It’s a romantic idea and easy to talk yourself into. Don’t. Just don’t. First, catering is really, really hard! It’s “open a new restaurant and serve a perfect meal the first day to packed house hard.” There’s no practice and no room for error. And this is your big day! And no, it’s not the same as “cooking for that big house party” the one time. There’s venues to consider, chairs, tables, linens. There’s knowing how different kitchens operate, how to get food out in an orderly fashion, how to clear tables in an orderly and unobtrusive way. There’s silverware, condiments, serving utensils and handling special requests, allergies and about a billion other different things that never cross the mind of non-professionals. That’s all without touching upon food safety and sanitation. Second, take a look at everything listed above. It’s a lot. Now think about all the cosmic tumblers you’re trusting to amateurs to come together to create what’s probably one of the most important meals you’ve ever planned. Yes, it’s about the couple and not about the food. But bad wedding food is just a bummer and not what you want to be serving friends and family who are going out of their way to be a part of your big day. Third, think about what your menu says about you, your spouse, your future. You probably know some people who have their own “killer” version of some dish. But is this what you want? What about other parts of the meal? Can they handle the special requests? Before we knew what we wanted to do for the food part of our big day, we went and interviewed a couple of places. This included Pierpont Restaurant, where we sat down with Chef Nancy Longo. During the conversation, we jokingly mentioned something about a “seafood turducken” based on us being from Baltimore (crabs) and Boston (lobster). To our endless fascination, Chef thought about for a moment and excused herself. A short while later she came out with the … well, it didn’t have a name. But it was a lobster tail, stuffed with jumbo shrimp, stuffed with crab, wrapped in bacon. It was broiled and then sliced up sushi style. It was amazing. So we did our due diligence and asked around, and there was nothing but good things to say. Then we hired Nancy and her staff to cater our wedding. Not only did she know the owner of our wedding location (the Elm in Hampden, highly recommend it), but the two of them worked seamlessly together to coordinate all the little details. How many chairs, how to set up, when to deliver stuff. In the end, the meal was perfect, We got so many compliments on the unique menu and quality. There were vegetarian and vegan options that were well done and creative. Everything ran perfectly and she even knew when to grab us to make sure we got to eat too. (hint: it’s easy to not get the chance to eat at your own wedding). So two takeaways from this: first, go the professional route. You only get married once and the food part is an incredibly complex operation. The last thing you want to be doing is worrying about things. Second, if you’re in the Maryland area and are looking for a professional caterer, Nancy Longo and Pierpont are top notch and they will do an amazing job for you. We still have people tell us how good "our" wedding food was! Cheers and eat well, Dan and Elizabeth Reed

I didn't think it was possible to make the best crab cake AND still cater a fantastic wedding! Our intial caterer pulled a bait and switch, leaving us with an astronical quote just weeks before our wedding. Luckily I found Nancy Longo, who's CONFIDENCE and expereince sold us rather quickly. Neither boring nor pretentious, Nancy cooks honest, wholesome food focusing on Maryland cuisine. Both our local and out-of-town guests spoke highly of the night, and her friendly and professional staff left us with no complaints. Most of all, Nancy was very easy to work with. Friendly and reassuring, it was a pleasant and low-stress experience. She seamlessly catered to all of our needs, while also thoughtfully incorporating a lot of her own ideas. All of which, just made the night that much more memorable. Oh by the way, her restaurant is great too. A true Baltimore Gem.

Nancy (chef & owner) is wonderful. 1) She can transform a space (empty field, warehouse building, existing beautiful building) into a beautiful stylish wedding. Just tell her your intent. 2) Incredible food. 5 stars doesn't cut it. 7 starts. She's a chef. The best crab cakes and brussel sprouts I've ever had!! I'm a good cook and picky. You pick the menu and she'll make anything!! 3) She's an entreprenur. She's not corporate and has a list of options and lots of "can't/won't do". She'll create what you want. I had something in mind that typical places couldn't offer. She can do it all. 4) Great person. Numberous employees at her resteraunt. The years working for her range from 7 to 20 years!! 7 years!! That told me she's a great person I could trust. I trusted her, and she pulled it all together. 5) She has a young woman who specifically does design for her. I spoke to her the morning of to give her my vision, and then I was told the next day she worked overtime to get it beautiful. Great people are at Pierpoint Catering. 6) She has lots of ideas, lessons learned, and recommendations that helped me plan. 7) She does only one wedding a weekend. So she's devoting her staff to you. 8) Value for money. You get much more than you paid for. 9) She was very flexible until the end. And the last couple days before the wedding are annoying, so having a flexible caterer who does everything - was awesome. LOVED HER. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED. The choices can seem endless when planning, but you won't be disappointed.

We had a great wedding ceremony and reception with Pierpoint Catering. Nancy Longo and Pierpoint provided all the seating chairs, tables, food and bar. I liked how I was dealing with a person and not a company. She has an informal attitude that you might have to get used to but it was what we were looking for. She didn't get stuck on contract details. We wanted candles on the stage, Asian foods, a wedding cake, and an open bar... all of which she provided! If you're looking for a caterer that won't nickel and dime you then Pierpoint is the way to go.

Nancy Longo of Pierpoint Restaurant and Catering did an amazing job with our wedding reception. She was very patient, understanding, and flexible throughout the entire process. Her ability to anticipate our needs and offer personalized items such as linens and other decor was also very helpful. She and her staff were extremely professional yet relaxed which worked perfectly with the nature of our reception. All of our family and friends raved about the quality of the food and service!

Nancy Longo and her team helped me in so many ways. Not only was the food amazing but she truly loves what she does and it shows in her generosity. Everything from flameless votives to a wedding arbor she provided free of charge. Our venue was tented and she was able to provide the lighting as well as set it up at a very reasonable price. She did the cake and dessert table as well. It really was like all in one spot shopping which made things so much easier. She listened to what you want and gave you honest opinions even if short changing herself. I loved her candid honesty. Her staff was amazing as well. You barely even noticed them as they worked the room so quickly and efficiently. At the end of the night one of the staff handed me a dollar she had found on the floor. Nancy's honesty reflects in her staff as well. You can trust they would do anything they could to make your event everything you imagined. They did for me.

Nancy was very professional and easy to work with. Always one step ahead of us! We put together a custom menu and she ran with it. The food was amazing! Our guests commented that they felt they had just been out to a top notch restaurant. Can't say that after many weddings! Her staff was professional and easy going. Overall Pierpoint was a great choice!

My wedding was a few years ago when Nancy Longo was a just starting her catering. She was and is a celebrated chef, and her food is wonderful. We talked her into doing our wedding,because it was a large crowd and we are so glad she agreed! The food was amazing, very fresh , not fussy, just delicious.We had the smoked crabcakes,filet mignon and ceasar salad, and mashes sweet potatoes. We also had passed h'ors d'ouvres, which were wonderful and a huge hit. Nancy also did a large fruit and cheese display, which helped us offer more to our guests and stay in our budget. Nancy was so accommodating, I've never met anyone so willing to go above and beyond. She took me to the Flower Mart, let me bake my own cake in her restaurant kitchen, and make great efforts to work with me on keeping the cost down. She was very generous with her time and attention. She is great to work with and the food is terrific. Fast forward to this past fall, I suggested Nancy to my best friend who got married, and the food was fantastic! Everyone loved it , and just as before, Nancy was incredibly accommodating. She also helped me with tables, tablecloths, other rentals, and wine for a party I threw for the bride and groom. Pierpoints Catering has a very wide menu to choose from, and Nancy will do whatever you want if you don't see it on the menu. She also has a huge collection of table gear and tents, and other rentals, which can save you a lot of $ and hassle from using multiple vendors. If I had it to do again, I might choose a buffet over table service, and I think Nancy is more comfortable with parties smaller than 250 guests. If you want to try her food, just go to her restaurant! I would recommend her highly for parties large and small, not just weddings.