Ridgewells Catering

I had worked with Eileen and Ridgewells for work years ago and knew I wanted to work with them on my wedding day! I can't thank them enough!!! We got so many compliments on the food and how wonderful and attentive your staff was! I truly appreciate your attention to detail, especially around my dietary restrictions and my mom's food preferences. You made my day extra special. Thank you so much!

From our initial consultation to the big day itself, the Ridgewells staff were wonderful to work with. I like to think my husband and I were not particularly challenging customers, but the whole process with Ridgewells was honestly a lot of fun. The food was great, the table settings were beautiful, and the service was excellent! I would highly recommend Ridgewells for all kinds of special events!

Great Caterer! Ridgewells and their coordinator, Maggie, did a fantastic job for us. The food was everything we wanted it to be and tasted just as delicious as it did when we did our tasting. The staff on site were extremely professional and very accommodating. When we did our tasting, Maggie was extremely well prepared to talk with us about all of our options and was always quick to provide some alternatives if we were looking for options. We didn’t even think of having a “signature drink” but Maggie has us try an apple cider for our fall wedding that I never stop getting compliments on. It’s almost six months after our wedding and we still have guests ask us about the recipe! Our venue was a winery so we had to use our own wine from the winery – Ridgewells didn’t skip a beat and even worked with us to make sure that our rehearsal dinner, while on the same property, had a totally different feel than the wedding (they catered both events).

Thank you so much for making our daughter & son-in-laws dream wedding happen. The food was delicious and service was impeccable. Everyone who attended said it was the best food they had ever has at a wedding. Colleen and the whole team was amazing. Hats off to all of you. Dave & Sharon Slacum

I can't say enough about Ridgewells Catering. Not only are they professional and easy to work with, their food is delicious! Flawless wedding.

Great menu offerings but definitely the most expensive I considered. Got back to me timely and very helpful staff.

Where do I begin? I had previously used Ridgewells for catering at my office, primarily drop-offs. When it came time for me to get married, I knew they were my number one pick. The food was absolutely amazing - it's been over a year and people STILL rave about our dinner! We received the most positive compliment ever: "that was the best wedding food I have ever had" from more than one person. Ridgewells helped us carve a special menu for cocktail hour (we have random tastes and are big hors d's fans), a dual entree and vegetarian option, along with an ice cream sundae bar for dessert. Very responsive and helpful along the way, and the staff truly stepped up during the main event. They took special care of me and my groom, making sure we had plenty to eat and drink (i don't think my glass was ever empty). We will definitely be using them for future events!

We used Ridgewell's for our rehearsal dinner and couldn't have been more pleased. We had a broad idea for a theme dinner and Ridgewells' team did an amazing job of translating it. They chose food, linens and even the set-up for the event space that really brought our vision together. We worked with Blythe Swift, who was particularly helpful. And the food was incredible! We had to accommodate some dietary restrictions, which was pulled off without a hitch. The appetizers, buffet and dessert courses included really unique takes on comfort food favorites (just what we were looking for!). No request was beyond them--they pulled together local beers for the bar and dealt with a huge rain storm during the event. They also delivered a fantastic groom's cake, based on just a sketch! Our guests were extremely happy with dinner and we were thrilled with how everything turned out. I'd definitely recommend them, especially to couples who need some expert help in executing their vision.

I have known about the excellent reputation of Ridgewells for many years, so when it was time for my wedding, they were the first company I turned to. From beginning to end, their prefessionalism, service, attention to detail, and customer service was top notch. They created dishes that suited our very specific palate and worked tirelessly with us until everything was perfect. At the end of the day, this was by far the best vendor I used for my wedding and worth every penny.

Ridgewells is a well established and consistently trend setting catering company. Their attention to detail, care for their clients and staffing is fantastic. You are in great hands with their caterer for your wedding!

We were referred to Ridgewells from our wedding venue, after our first meeting with Talia we never considered looking at any other caterers. From start to finish Talia worked with us to make sure our wedding would be exactly as we imagined. She offered suggestions and was available to answer any questions we had along the way. She was always aware of our budget and worked with us to make sure we got the event we wanted, staying within our price-range. Ridgewells had beautiful china, linens and chairs etc. which were all rented at a very reasonable price. At our tasting Talia had the table set beautifully and served us a cranberry sprtizer which we ultimately decided to serve at our wedding. The food was delicious and exceeded our expectations, both at the tasting and on our wedding day. Our guests are still raving about how amazing the meal was. Ridgewells was able to accomodate all of our special dietary needs (food allergies, vegan etc.) and all of our guests received the correct meal - which was great. Our wedding cake was also made by Ridgewells. Talia worked with us to get the exact design and cake decor that we wanted, she also coordinated with our florist to make sure the fresh flowers on top of our cake would work. The cake was incredible. I really appreciated how hard Talia and ALL of the Ridgewells staff worked leading up to our wedding and especially the day of. Our wedding went off exactly how we had hoped. I cannot thank Ridgewells enough for sharing our vision and making sure our special day was spectacular.

I cannot say enough good things about our experience with Ridgewells catering, and our coordinator, Blythe Swift, for our April 28, 2012 wedding. Blythe was engaged and helpful from day 1. She even set me up with our wedding planner! Menu planning: Blythe and I had many conversations about the type of food we were interested in for the wedding. Initially I wanted stations with our favorite foods. Then, because of the logistics of the venue and the size of our wedding, paired with my mom's desire for a more formal dinner led us to a full sit down meal. Which meant we went through several iterations of the menu. Blythe was patient, accommodating and helpful throughout the entire process. Tasting: Once we settled on the basis for the menu, we had our formal tasting in the Ridgewell's tasting room. YUM. They covered everything! We tried different variations of salads and sauces and all sorts of combinations which led us to settle on our final menu successfully! The experience was lovely -- they have a dining room set up and accommodated my husband and I along with my parents. Extras: In conjunction with our tasting, we reviewed different place setting options for the wedding (from linens to forks). Blythe worked with our wedding planner and florist to showcase 3 full options. We mixed and matched until we decided on the perfect setup! Blythe also provided advice on what extra tables would fit the space for the reception. It was so nice to be able to knock out the menu, table design, and other extras in one afternoon! Other: We brought in our own wedding cake (that was baked by a friend) and also provided our own coffee beans (from a family friend in Kona) -- Ridgewells was easy to work with on both of these special requests. We also provided all of our own liquor, including ingredients for our signature drink (a moscow mule). Final Prep: Ridgewells is a one-stop shop! Our venue had very little in terms of a kitchen but Ridgewells takes care of everything. Blythe had a full plan in place, including a rain plan (which, unfortunately, we needed). Everything was drawn out and designed in advance. She joined my wedding planner for the final walk through (which, unfortunately, I couldn't even attend!). The Day: I've never worried less about anything in my life. Blythe was amazing. The team she had in place was incredible. The staff went above and beyond their duties for the day to ensure that our guests enjoyed their time. Everything went off seamlessly. Our photographers took my husband and I on an adventure during cocktail hour that delayed dinner -- but I'm sure no one even noticed because they handled it smoothly. Later, a guest's scarf got caught on one of the propane heaters and it was a Ridgewell's server who saved the day -- he acted quickly and smothered the fire before anyone was hurt. I would say that the food service went off without a hitch but I'll never know for sure -- Blythe kept me (and my parents!) blissfully unaware of any issues that may have arisen. Oh, and did I mention that the food was amazing?

There aren't enough words to describe how happy me and my family were with Ridgewells. The food, presentation, staff, decor - Everything was amazing. I owe it ALL to my incredibly talented and PATIENT event designer, Polly Ernst, who guided us through what could have been a very stressful event! Her suggestions were always spot-on (and so creative) and never once did I feel pressured to spend more than my budget or have a traditional, sit-down dinner. I wanted to do something out of the box and Polly made my dream wedding come to life! I got married at the Decatur House in DC and had a cocktail-style wedding reception instead of a formal dinner. I was nervous about how it would all turn out but Polly encouraged me to go with my vision and she executed it seamlessly! My guests raved about the food and they kept going back for more - mini crabcake sandwiches, risotto, beef short ribs - yum, yum yum!!! And I have to mention the staff- who were so polite, professional and accommodating to all of my guests. One of my favorite parts of the night was when we returned to our wedding suite. Polly had arranged for the leftovers to be waiting for me and my husband in perfect little boxes... So incredibly thoughtful. We had the best time eating the DELICIOUS leftovers and re-hashing the wedding the next day. THANK YOU THANK YOU Ridgewells and Polly!!!

We used Ridgewells Catering because it came highly recommended and was listed as one of my venues must use caterers. During the planning process they were very hands-off and averaged about 4 weeks to get back to us with simple requests like arranging a tasting. I ignored my reservations because our initial consultation was great and I hoped they would pull it together for the wedding. The day of they were all over the place. We had requested a signature cocktail a grapefruit mojito, which I was told would be served on trays to our guests as they walked in. Not only did I never get offered a glass of our "signature drink" but my guests told me that it was disgusting because the bartender used grenadine instead of the bucket of simple sugar we provided him. We also gave the caterers a box of dried fruit and jordan almonds to put out on the dessert table in specific containers that I had purchased for the wedding. Neither of the items ever made it to the table. The serving staff were rude and ill tempered. Apparently the bar tender berated a number of my guests and was generally a jerk all night. One of my guests told me that when she told one of the servers that there was broken glass on the floor (it was a windy night in an outdoor tent) that the server said there was nothing she would do about it. Then my guest started picking it up herself and the server finally agreed to help. The one good thing I will say is that, I honestly didn't notice these things the night of the wedding but I was very disappointed to hear about them after the fact. Ridgewells is not an inexpensive service and I will not be using them in the future or recommending them to anyone.

We got several catering quotes and decided to do a tasting with Ridgewells and one other caterer. We were very impressed by the food, my husband and I are into food so we were very pleased with the offerings. Our budget was smaller than our food tastes would have liked but Ridgewells really worked with us so that we could offer something delicious to our guests and not go too far over what we initially had in mind. Their selection of plates, chairs, and linens was great and we were able to see all the options rather than selecting from a book. We worked with Colleen and she was great, very easy to work with and willing to go the extra mile. The day of the wedding we had weather issues and had to go with an alternate plan and the catering team did an awesome job making it look like that was our plan all along. They set up our cocktail hour in less than 30 minutes among a leaky ceiling but we nor our guests had any clue. They were true professionals and the staff was so attentive and efficient. Overall they helped make our wedding a great day!

My new husband and I are both foodies (and I'm a chef) so the food was extremely important to us. Ridgewells definitely delivered! We requested hors d'oeuvres from around the world and a dinner that was light Northern California cuisine. It was the best wedding food I've ever tasted (and I'm a hard sell!) and it was much better than you would get from any other caterer. Eileen helped us, and she was great! She saw our vision, and helped us execute it. She was there all night making sure my husband and I were happy as well! Our signature drink was also fantastic...we asked for a fresh peach puree bellini, and she elevated that with a few blueberries in the glass (restrictions in the venue didn't allow us to use certain fruits) and it matched beautifully with the theme of our wedding...elegance and sophistication. They are amazing.

Ridgewells exceeded our expectations. Guests are still raving about the food and presentation. Among the most commented items was our wedding cake - Ridgewells prepared a beautiful cake which many guests said was the best they've ever had. I am not typically a big cake eater, but it really was delicious! Our catering coordinator, Blythe, was so helpful throughout the whole process, we truly couldn't have done it without her assistance. She answered every question promptly and gave us her recommendations if we needed guidance. Everything was spot on and they did a great job of incorporating some of our heritage into the food. They didn't bat an eyelash when we asked for some out-of-the-box hors d'oeuvres. Blythe also put us in contact with a great vendor for the alcohol, allowing us to save some money by buying it wholesale ourselves. Ridgewells also assisted in creating our signature drink which was a big crowd pleaser. The service flowed seamlessly the whole evening and touches of extra detail made us feel our wedding was unique. Blythe even checked in with me periodically to make sure we were happy and got a bite to eat. We could not be happier with the experience we had with Ridgewells. You can feel confident that your food and wedding day will be memorably delicious.

After researching caterers in the DC area, it was clear that Ridgewells was the best. Friends who work at local businesses, universities and embassies raved about the events that Ridegwells catered for them. In choosing them as the caterer for our wedding, what we discovered was that not only is Ridgewells an amazing business, but they also employ two of the best people, Toby and Chris. They were absolutely incredible. They found ways to accommodate our various (and sometimes random) desires for our multi-cultural wedding. They were totally on board with integrating at times very different ideas, and really worked with us to make our wedding fantastic. Importantly, they did so while working within our strict budget. Toby and Chris emailed us regularly with ideas, and they always responded promptly to questions, no matter the day or time. We did not have a wedding planner; Toby and Chris effectively coordinated our wedding day-of. Obviously, the main thing to look for in a caterer is the food. We were a little concerned about not getting to taste it before signing the contract, but once we met with them, there was no hesitation. It was clear from the way that they handled themselves and the facilities that everything would be top notch. They did a great job of finding a menu that accommodated our diverse guests, most of whom are still talking about the food, the cake, and the attentive staff. We could keep going on about Ridgewells, but one last thing is that the day of the event, which Ridgewell's ran from start to finish, it rained. It rained a lot. Instead of trying to force our events inside and get things going, Toby and Chris came up with an alternative plan and we were able to wait out the rain. It would have been fine to have our ceremony indoors, but it was really nice to see how much they cared about ensuring that we got the wedding that we wanted. Ultimately, this is why we were so happy with Ridgewells. Throughout the process, we felt that Toby and Chris had one goal: doing whatever they could to make sure we were happy on our wedding day.

Ridgewells is easily the best catering company in the DC area! We had a wonderful experience working with Polly. She knew our venue well, knew how to handle the heat (late July wedding) and was offered exceptional service. The food was delicious. We told her what we were interested in and she came up with a menu that was spot on. We did a buffet that included beef tenderloin, salmon, mac and cheese, potatoes, spinach and strawberry salad, summer succotash, biscuits, and corn muffins. Everyone raved about the food! The apps were perfect, especially the fried green tomato slider, mini crab cake, and mini lobster roll. Even the lemonade and ice tea were great. The staff was professional and made sure the bride and groom had what they needed. The best touch was the wet towels they brought around for people to put on their necks to cool down in the heat. I couldn’t have asked for a better catering company!

We held our reception at the Camden Club at Oriole Park in Baltimore. The Orioles fired Aramark as their caterers the week of our tasting. The new company, Deleware North Catering (DNC) did not yet have a catering license in MD, so they used Ridgewell's to cater our wedding. Our tasting was simply amazing, once we finally got it set up (one month before the wedding!!!). The food was divine and the head chef really listened to what we wanted and made great suggestions about what would or would not work as a plated dinner. Our biggest concern was how the food would taste after sitting under heat lamps until all plates were plated and ready to serve. He made specific suggestions and we were thrilled with the food. We even bragged to our guests that they would love it. The food served at our reception IN NO WAY resembled the food we tasted at our tasting. The eggplant parmesan with romesco sauce, in particular was INEDIBLE. Rubbery. Tasteless. Nearly impossible to cut / chew. I was appalled and so upset. Our guests couldn't eat their dinners. I am preparing a letter to send to both DNC and Ridgewell's expressing our dismay and humiliation (since we told all of our guests how amazing the food would be). The servers hired by Ridgewell's / DNC were also awful. Any plate or glass set down for a moment was cleared without question. I did not get a single bite of my wedding cake, except for the "first bite". I set my plate down (with whole, uncut / uneaten) pieces on it and it was cleared within minutes. My champagne glasses were cleared with only one sip gone. I can understand this at the end of the night, but not throughout the evening. I was galled at how we were treated.

The food from Ridgewells was the best we tasted from a number of caterers. The staff was great and everything was very efficient and professional. I had a great experience with them!