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Chef Rossi, Charmaine, and the team at Raging Skillet were a dream to work with from start to finish. Chef Rossi was by far the most responsive of the caterers my husband and I contacted, quickly answering e-mails and setting up a call. She was an amazing combination of professional, competent, and friendly — we knew from the outset we would be in very capable hands but also that we would have a lot of fun working with her and that she would embrace our vision for a laid-back wedding at which all our guests felt taken care of. At our first meeting, which wasn't presented as a tasting, Rossi brought out a huge assortment of hors d'oeuvres and desserts for us to try, and we got to sample the bulk of the appetizers we wound up serving at our wedding.

(There was a later tasting at which we got to try even more amazing options and drink copious amounts of wine.) Rossi was happy to work with us on budget and help us reach an amount with which we were comfortable, with no shaming or upselling. Throughout the process, Rossi was super responsive and accommodating, answering all our questions and getting on the phone as needed. She presented an initial menu based on our (complicated!) dietary restrictions, worked with us to make sure the menu fit our needs, and repeatedly expressed willingness to tweak the menu over time. (For reference, I am gluten- and dairy-free, my husband is a pescatarian who doesn't eat shellfish, and we had a number of vegans as well, and every person at the wedding had multiple great food options.) But it was once I met Charmaine that I realized what an incredible company the Raging Skillet really is, even beyond how fabulous Rossi is herself. Until our walkthrough at the venue, I had been uncertain about how all the details of the wedding would come together, and I had worried that I might be doing a lot of the choreography on the wedding day myself. Charmaine promptly relieved me of that fear, demonstrating a complete knowledge of the venue and answering all my nagging questions about setup, service, breakdown, and troubleshooting. She was an amazing resource in the month leading up to the wedding, advising on timeline, handling the rentals with only minimal input from me (which was just how I wanted it), consulting on our proposed alcohol plan, and convincing me at every turn that she had things covered. At the wedding itself, Charmaine thoughtfully put aside a plate of passed apps for my husband and me to eat between the ceremony and cocktail hour and sent it to us with some champagne — I'm not sure we would have remembered to try the hors d'oeuvres otherwise, and I'm so grateful we did! She also prepared our dinner plates. Rossi showed up to supervise the kitchen, and both she and Charmaine were so sweet and supportive; I was genuinely thrilled to see and chat with them both at the wedding because they are so lovely, personable, and fun. And, of course, the food was phenomenally good! Not just "good for a wedding" but completely delicious and innovative. My favorites were the sweet potato latkes with apple chutney and deviled eggs, my husband loved the vegan nori rolls, and MANY of our guests are still talking about the tuna tartare on potato chips — you really can't go wrong. The Raging Skillet played an enormous role in making our wedding the wonderful and relaxed experience we had hoped for, and I truly can't imagine that there is a better wedding caterer out there.

Chef Rossi and the Raging Skillet team were super easy and just plain fun to work with. Chef Rossi helped us curate a Latin flavored menu that was a perfect mix of some of her greatest hits and our favorite things. The Raging Skillet team experience really shows and day of the wedding was super seamless. Charmaine was so attentive during the wedding and made sure we had all of our appetizers and drinks available while we took some post ceremony photos and didn't miss a bite or drink! The service was great and special props to the bartenders who showed some serious skill making our specialty drinks to perfection. Can't say or thank this team enough!

My pre-wife (now wife-wife!) and I decided when we got engaged that our wedding would be the biggest, best party we had ever thrown, and we needed vendors to help us make that party-vibe a reality. We chose our venue first, The Bell House, and started with their preferred vendors list. We met with most of the caterers on this list, but Chef Rossi and her crew at The Raging Skillet really got our intentions and were the exact right amount of chill about catering. It set our minds at ease knowing we were working with one of NYC's longest serving queer caterers, and that she had a staff of people to back her up who were on top of their game. We loved working with Charmaine, her maitre d', who was essential to getting everything coordinated for the day of the wedding. She connected us with our rental company, and held smelling salts under our noses when the initial estimate we got from them sent us flying. She worked with us closely to bring the number down, and on the morning of the wedding, was there to receive deliveries and work with our wedding coordinators to execute our vision.

And the food! We can't speak highly enough of Rossi's food. We wanted an eclectic mix of Mexican and Southern to honor our roots, and Rossi delivered with an amazing family style menu that even our vegan friends could walk away from happy and full.

We didn't know walking into this just how much an NYC caterer actually does for a couple during their wedding planning process, and we are so grateful that we had Rossi, Charmaine, and The Raging Skillet team along for the ride.

Chef Rossi and Charmaine are absolute rock stars and deserve the absolute highest praise for the work they did at our wedding. Together, we worked up a phenomenal fusion menu and they delivered beyond our expectations. Leave it to this crew to execute an Indian-German meal perfectly. Many of our wedding guests said it was the best wedding food they'd ever tasted -- and we agree! From the get go Rossi and her team were very helpful and accommodative of our slightly left field request of a family style Indian meal and Indian/German hors d'oeuvres. We would recommend them to anyone who loves delicious food and wants it to be a real showstopper on their wedding day!

'She's an innovator and artist when it comes to food' 

posted 06/07/2016

Chef Rossi is absolutely amazing. She's an innovator and artist when it comes to food; this is NOT your typical caterer. She is the "anti-caterer." So, if you're looking for flat, boring, bland dishes that you see at every wedding, this is not the caterer for you. Her dishes are colorful, flavorful, bold, trendy and fresh. Not only that, they are on-point with each couples unique needs.

Chef Rossi is an absolute pleasure to work with; she's compassionate, hilarious and responsive. She works closely with each couple to create a truly unique and personalized menu within their budget. She doesn't try to sell you on more expensive items, yet she still manages to create a spectacular menu with each dish being presented in a truly artistic manner, which you will see if you attend her tasting. 

For our passed hors d'oeuvres, we wanted to incorporate our favorite international flavors - dishes that represented our journey as a couple. It was really important to both of us that we include an Indian paneer dish. Despite her vast menu, Chef Rossi had not yet created a paneer dish. When we spoke with her about it, she was very excited. She said she loves when couples challenge her to create something new. So, don't be afraid to ask for something you want that you do not see on her menu. 

Our final hors d'oeuvres menu included flavors of Italy, Ireland, Greece, China, India, etc. Chef Rossi managed to make all of these flavors work together in a truly delicious way. 

In addition, my husband and I are self-proclaimed foodies, but our relatives are not. Our families prefer familiar dishes. Somehow, Chef Rossi managed to wow our foodie friends & also satisfy our picky relatives. She is a genius. Some of our guests favorite appetizers included: our paneer dish, pork buns, shepard's pie, and mushroom wontons. 

Also to keep our costs down, we opted to go with a buffet. Honestly, I was wary. Buffets are usually terrible and irritate guests. I was worried this would cast a negative shadow over our wedding. Man, was I wrong. Our guests loved the buffet & the food was glorious, especially the filet, which melted in your mouth, and the salmon. 

Chef Rossi's team are also spectacular from the bartenders to her maitre d', Charmaine who joined us for our final walk through of our venue. She helped us determine how to best utilize the venue space and worked patiently with us to create our table arrangements (which I changed several times and she never complained). She also worked closely with our wedding planner to ensure the day ran seamlessly. 

Our wedding was perfect. And much of this is thanks to Chef Rossi & her team. I cannot thank them enough and would highly recommend them and plan to use them for any future catered events.

'Our guests are still raving'   

posted 11/07/2015

Mere hours after our tasting with Chef Rossi and we signed the contract—she was the easiest choice among all of our wedding vendors, hands down. Her inspiration and creativity are boundless. Boring chicken cutlets tremble at the sight of Chef Rossi. Our menu dipped into Southern, Asian, New American, and Italian influences, to name but a few, yet gelled into a deliciously coherent whole. Our guests are still raving about the food and service, and our planner admitted she had never seen such a long line for the dessert table. Everything was perfect—if we could, we'd hold a second wedding to work with Chef Rossi on another theme so we could taste her awesome cooking once again.

'we couldn't have chosen a better caterer'  

posted 10/31/2015

I highly recommend Chef Rossi and her team! My wife and I wanted a menu that caters to both of our Asian and Jewish families and Chef Rossi did just that and more. Our wedding was in October and our guests are still talking about how wonderful the food was and how great the staff were. Our venue had only a small prep area so it must have been magic that each dish came out fresh and delicious as if it was cooked on site. We had a short time frame with which to plan our wedding and Chef Rossi was great -from the first visit with her suggestions and keeping us on track, all the way up to the wedding in making sure we had enough mixers for all our guests. On our wedding day, the staff (Karl and his team) made everyone feel welcome and ensured we had a smooth event. It allowed my wife and I to focus on each other and our family. We couldn't have chosen a better caterer for our wedding. Big thank you to the Raging Skillet, you guys are the best!

'AMAZZZZINNNGG!!!'  

posted 10/17/2015

AMAZZZZINNNGG!!! Chef Rossi is AMAZING. We came across the Raging Skillet almost four years ago at a wedding we attended and couldn't stop raving about it. 4 years after that, when we were getting married, we went to one tasting at Chef Rossi's and not only fell in love with her food all over again but fell in love with her. She's the most warm, caring, and genuine person ever - which is SO rare in a wedding vendor. Our guests have been texting us non stop about how amazing the food is and we couldn't be happier with everything. Incredible!

'they listen and work with you'    

posted 9/30/2013

The team at raging skillet is fantastic.they make your event yours-they don't have preset menus (though they are happy to suggest). they listen to you and work with you to come up with the right menu for you. some of the items we wanted-crawfish Monica, pimento cheese-weren't on their usual menu, so they learned how to make them. and they were amazing. plus, they took great care of us at the wedding itself-making sure we had plenty to eat and drink. then they packed up the extras for us to take home which was a great treat! we are huge fans! definitely recommend using RS

All those great reviews about Chef Rossi and Charmaine are true! From the initial email to the countless emails that followed to the big day they were a blast to work with and the end result was exactly what we wanted. Both Chef Rossi and Charmaine were super responsive, answered all our million questions, gave us guidance, and did their best to alleviate our wedding planning stress. Having our wedding at The Foundry meant that we had to coordinate a lot of moving parts and The Raging Skillet team worked seamlessly with the rest of our vendors. We did not want a cookie-cutter sit down dinner so we did a floating dinner instead and it was fabulous! We received many compliments from our guests about the food. Every time I turned around Charmaine was there handing me a drink or a plate of food and Chef Rossi was so excited to have us taste a dessert that she made for us (mini banoffee pies!). We were so so happy with our decision to use The Raging Skillet and I plan on recommending Chef Rossi to all my friends, hoping I get to eat her delicious food again!

 Chef Rossi and Charmaine are champs. The team was incredible. We planned as best we could but there are always going to be loose ends with any event like a wedding. Raging's team always picked up the slack. It was a great fit from the beginning but they pulled through more than we thought they could day of. Charmaine was calm, helpful and ran the reception like a pro. Moreso, everyone was kind and a fantastic force in our wedding. If you want to have awesome, dynamic and memorable food at your event, Raging is the caterer for you.

We had the pleasure of working with the Raging Skillet team for our wedding at the Prospect Park Picnic House in October. From pre-event planning through event's conclusion (when they gave us some delicious leftovers) Chef Rossi, Charmaine and their talented team helped make our wedding a memorable event for all. The food/drink was a big priority for us and Chef Rossi did a great job helping us hone our vision pre-event. We followed Chef's recommendation to go with a Floating Supper, something neither of us had experienced before, and were thrilled with the results. We came up with a creative menu (which went through a few revisions) that they executed flawlessly. The service was impeccable - they kept wave after wave of appetizers and small plates coming, ensuring our guests ate as much as they pleased. The bartenders were also outstanding, making delicious drinks and keeping everyone's glasses full throughout. They not only did a superb job anticipating the needs of the crowd, but kept a close eye on my wife and I to make sure we too had plenty to eat and drink. We couldn't be happier with choosing the Raging Skillet team and give them our highest endorsement for being a talented, professional and attentive caterer!

'every step of the way she was thoughtful'  

posted 04/11/2015

Chef Rossi is warm, friendly, funny, and professional. She's part bubbe, part wise-craker, and part heavenly cook. Every step of the way she was thoughtful, extremely flexible, with input and knowledge that really created an incredible experience. We had such a wide variety of ideas and she really helped us narrow them down and curate a meal that people wouldn't forget. People who didn't normally eat fish, loved the bass she prepared, people who couldn't handle vegetables, ate her's with glee! We got so many compliments! Half family-style, half served, every guest felt comfortable and left COMPLETELY full. There's so many caterers that serve a passable and bland meal, but Chef Rossi served a meal that was epic: delicious, beautiful served, and heavily consumed. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Chef Rossi IS the best. You will not regret working with her. I cannot wait to throw another party!

Absolutely Amazing!!!  

posted 12/2/2010

Chef Rossi and Crew did a fantastic job at our wedding!!! When we first met her we instantly fell in love with her personality, she is wonderful and full of energy. She is also very flexible when it comes to the menu which is why we had originally met with her. We enjoyed working with her and Monica (:)) they were very responsive and would answer any silly question we threw at them. During our wedding day everything went absolutely perfect! (with the exception of the rain, but not even Chef Rossi and crew can control the weather!) During the wedding all of the staff was great and well dressed, they were friendly and professional. The food was amazing especially the appetizers (the sliders were AMAZING!!) all of our guest couldn't stop talking about how great the appetizers were. (Most guest couldn't fully enjoy the main course they were stuffed with the appetizers :) ) the food display was just as amazing as the the pictures posted on this website. Chef Rossi is just so amazing and detailed .. for example when we first met Sean (the groom) insisted that we taste everything on the day of our wedding so Chef Rossi made sure that one of the waiters followed us around with a plate of appetizers for Sean and I. :) the waiter literally followed us around the whole cocktail hour. I can not express how much we enjoyed working with Chef Rossi and Crew, we loved everything!!! the group tasting, the communications/updates before the wedding, the organization for the day of the wedding, the FOOD!!!!!!, the clean up, absolutely everything was great!!!!

Wedding: 11/13/2010

Member Since: 11/17/2008

Amazing Rossi & The Raging Skillet team  

posted 12/1/2010

We chose Chef Rossi and The Raging Skillet even before we set a date....the day we met Rossi, she was on the phone calling vendors she knew making us appointments to go visit! The venue we chose was actually one of them. She was awesome from the beginning, totally went along with our theme and had no problem making changes along the way. We had a blast at our tasting along with 2 other couples, it was like hanging out at a friend's house. Chef Rossi is simply a really cool, down to earth person. The presentation, quality and care that her & the team put into the whole event was amazing. The staff were super professional and especially took care of me throughout the evening. We loved every minute of it, and are still receiving calls from guests commenting on the food! Rossi will always get rave reviews from us!!

Wedding: 10/9/2010

Member Since: 9/21/2009

rossi rules!  

posted 11/23/2010

From the initial tasting experience through the back and forth with our menu indecision to the actual execution Rossi was awesome. Personable- so, so personable- and an excellent chef, she had our guests raving about the Indian-inspired menu we conjured up. All for a crowd including many who were averse to anything other than standard American fare prior to our wedding. I am still getting compliments on the food, which is a huge relief. She wasn't the least bit condescending about our small-ish budget- very refreshing from a wedding vendor. The pride and care she takes in her craft is evident in every aspect of her business: she's professional, available, patient, honest and a creator of delicious food. We absolutely made the right choice.

Wedding: 5/13/2011

Member Since: 3/15/2010

The best and only Caterer for this Anti-Bride  

posted 10/12/2011 (updated 10/12/2011)

If I had to do my wedding all over again I wouldn’t change a thing when it came to choosing Chef Rossi and members of the Raging Skillet. I knew she was the one for me when I saw her website stating that she is the anti-caterer. Looking to break the mold on plain old wedding food then look no further, you won't get plain old shrimp cocktail and bland stuffed mushroom caps. Chef Rossi is fantastic to work with and a true professional all the way. I didn’t have to be involved with anything except menu decisions and what color plates to use. Her food was fantastic, her edible tables (and yes you need one) added something extra to the décor. Her staff (Monica especially) kept my guests fed and well saturated which has been a big problem for me at other peoples' weddings. All the things you didn’t like at your friends’ and families’ weddings when it came to the food and beverages was so not the case with the Skillet. And here is something extra special….Chef Rossi knows Gluten-free. I was required to give up gluten 3 months before the wedding and was not going to change the menu being that my guests are not gluten-free (I wasn’t giving up the the shepherds' pies and Louisiana crab cakes). HOWEVER, Chef Rossi was accommodating and served almost all gluten-free food and not one person could tell. Go Rossi. I also want to thank Monica for all the help and making sure I and my husband had a full glass at all times. For all you brides out there that consider yourself food lovers and want to impress your guests, this is the caterer for you.

Wedding: 6/30/2011

Member Since: 6/17/2009

Top notch catering--both service and food!  

posted 10/6/2011

Chef Rossi put together a creative menu for my event, and was very accommodating when I decided to be picky (I don't like coconut so I nixed them from the dessert menu). The food was even better than how it sounded on paper. I heard nothing but compliments from my guests! One of my good friends had to attend eleven weddings already this summer--including one from the weekend before mine--and she swore that this was the best wedding food she'd ever had. Furthermore, my wedding was not at an established venue, but my parents' backyard on Long Island. I was worried that travel, catering and service would be bumpy, but everything went flawlessly and the caterers, bartenders, staff were such a pleasure to work with. They were complete professionals and delivered amazing, attentive service. At the end, everything was cleaned up perfectly and we were left with many delicious leftovers for the next day.

Wedding: 2/19/2011

Member Since: 8/27/2010

We Love Everything About the Raging Skillet  

posted 10/13/2011

Chef Rossi and her crew are professional, creative, fun, and awesome at what they do, from start to finish. Besides being an excellent chef and a total pro, Rossi is a wonderful person. Warm, funny, down-to-earth, and charming. She took our ideas for a cozy winter menu and ran with them, working within our budget and making sure the carnivores and the vegans would all be happily well fed. The food was so delicious and beautifully presented. The fantastic Monica helped us decide how to set up the space and how to stock the bar, coordinated the rentals, and acted as point person for all the vendors on the wedding day. We didn't have to worry about a thing. So many of our guests mentioned the amazing meal, their perfect cocktail, or the lovely staff. Every step of the way with Raging Skillet was a total pleasure and a reminder that we’d made the right choice.

Wedding: 2/20/2011

Member Since: 7/3/2010

Great food, great service, great value  

posted 10/6/2011

We splurged on some aspects of the wedding (venue), so when it came to the food we were really on a tight budget. In the end, though, we were amazed to find that the food we liked best was also one of the most affordable. Chef Rossi was easy to work with from the beginning, flexible and creative with our menu and completely in control on the day of the event. At some of the other caterers it seemed like you just got lost in the shuffle, but that was never the case with Rossi. We highly recommend her.

Wedding: 5/15/2010

Member Since: 9/22/2009

FIRST IMPRESSION TO THE LAST!  

posted 10/28/2011

Dear Chef Rossi, FIRST IMPRESSION: Chef Rossi, from day one, you were amazing and then some. The first thing Tim and I noticed when we met you (other than greeting us like we were family you hadn’t seen in awhile), is your kitchen! With other caterers we were meeting them in their cramped kitchen in their home, or a shared space. This was a big, beautiful, clean and professional space, but Tim and I still had the sense that we were still stepping into your home. THE HOOK: Your tasting had the perfect setup. We loved being grouped around a big table in your dining room with seven other couples (one of which also booked The Foundry). From your first presentation to the last, our mouth was having one party after another. Loved how you spent time explaining what each dish was, and why it could work beautifully for our event, while effortlessly interjecting your spicy personality. It was truly love at first bite! LEADING UP TO: Once we hired you, it became apparent that you were more than just a “caterer”. You weren’t just about the food and the liquor. After all, being a gay couple, we weren’t really sure how to approach certain aspects of our wedding. You became such a great guidance for us in terms of figuring out our needs--what did we want traditionally and we didn't. You gave us a lot of advice and became, in a sense, our fairy Godmother with a Chef’s hat! DAY OF: Being Puerto Rican, and Tim, a good ‘ole white boy from a dairy farm Upstate, as you know, it was important that we had a fusion of food. I gave you the challenge of having to make a traditional Puerto Rican dish “pernil” - slow roasted pork shoulder, which is VERY easy to mess it up. I knew that if you didn’t get it right, it was gonna be the only thing my family remembered from our wedding! We're happy to tell you, that to this day my family still RAVES about your food, ESPECIALLY the pernil! Guests still bring up your beef empanadas with green apple chimichurri and your grilled Moroccan shrimp with mango ginger sauce. They still talk about your Chilean Sea bass in Veracruz sauce! It was ALL good! LAST IMPRESSION: Outside of the food, our favorite touch was you assigning one of your waiters to casually be behind us to make sure we had something to drink and eat. You totally understood that we would be pulled in different directions, and you wanted to make sure we were well taken care of. We loved how you made sure we had what we need in our “gay” bridal suite:-) Also, with all the different spaces at The Foundry, for you and your staff to effortlessly flip the spaces without our guests knowing - brilliant! Considering all the ways you went above and beyond, you were worth every penny and then some. After the wedding, Tim and I thought, "Gay wedding, straight wedding, whatever wedding - she’s your gal!" Thanks Chef Rossi for making our wedding far more than we expected! Lots of love, Jose & Tim!

Wedding: 9/2/2012

Member Since: 2/14/2012

Fun catering   

posted 10/3/2012 (updated 10/3/2012)

We were married at the Metropolitan Building so one we decided not to use the in-house caterer, all signs pointed toward Rossi. We set up an initial meeting and the sample menus started instantly. Then we went to a group tasty and had a wonderful time. My husband is from St. Louis so we were prepared to fly in Toasted Raviolis as a passed app. Chef told us that she has made these before, but as Jewish lady from Jersey, we had out doubts she could pull it off. She did! And all the other apps and entrees she served us that night were equally wonderful so we signed on for the Rossi ride. Rossi is so laid back and easy to work with. We shared a few menus back and forth and talk out our cocktail style wedding with stations for dinner. Chef Rossi was a doll to work with. She has so much energy and creativity and loves to work around whatever idea you can think of. As the bride, I didn't have much time to eat. However, the plate of apps that Chef prepared for us was outstanding. I have only heard good things about the food from our guests. We got married at the Metropolitan building and having Chef Rossi's knowledge and experience in the space was really worth the piece of mind. Little details that we were worried about seemed to flow seamless because we had her.