D’absolute Catering

We got appetizers and desserts dropped off at our reception space and were so happy with both. They were on time, priced VERY FAIRLY, and the food was delicious. The assorted dessert bars were absolutely perfect. I only wish I had saved some to take home with me. So Good!

There are so many catering companies in Chicago, sometimes it’s hard to decide on which one to use. D’absolute Catering had so many rave reviews on Unilocal that I wanted to give them a try.
On the contract, I specifically said that the food had to be set up by 5:00 PM for a 5:30 corporate meeting start. By 4:30 the food had already not arrived and I was worried. Bottom line is the food was not completely ready to go until 5:45. The guys setting up were busting their asses to get it set up though, which I appreciated.
Being MLK Day, the building’s dock closed early and held up the guys for about half an hour, but if the owner had dispatched the crew to set up the food at the appropriate time with time to spare instead of waiting until the last minute because of the «cold temperatures that would make the food cold,» then we would have had time to work around the building closing the dock unexpectedly. I think the owner or the crew should have done more to get around the dock being closed, or should have gone to the front to talk to security instead of waiting downstairs for 30 minutes for something to happen. While I’m setting up for my event, I don’t have the time to worry about whether or not the dock is open or how the food will get up— that’s the responsibility of the catering company.
What I expect from catering companies that I use is the foresight to overcome unexpected obstacles so that everything is set up on time, as specified on the contract.
If you’re looking for a reliable catering company, best to go with another company. Blue Plate has never failed me.

Our wedding reception was at Room 1520 in August of 2015. D’Absolute was on their preferred list along with about 16 others. Through a «Value Based Analytical Hierarchy Process» (a term my Project Manager Groomzilla used when planning for the wedding), we narrowed it down to just three for a tasting. D’Absolute was the first one we on our list so we had no expectations. The ‘tasting room’ was a small restaurant-​like room with a bar. Nothing fancy at all. Chris was the one to great us, offer us a drink, and served us the food. The food was delicious — appetizers, short ribs, the chicken, and even the ravioli. In terms of food, this first tasting set the bar. Although we were already impressed with D’Absolute we still attended the tastings with the other caterers. Their tastings included a decorated table, servers, cute menus, and other extras to try and impress us but their food was just as good as D’Absolute. Our final decision was based on the cost and D’Absolute beat the rest by several thousand dollars.
About a month before our wedding we met with Natalie to discuss the final count, the menu, the signature drinks, the table cloth colors, and other important details. She was just as down to earth as Chris and very easy to talk to. On the day of the wedding the place looked amazing; the foyer, the table settings in the main room, and the bar area. Our signature drinks, sangria & mojito, were a hit. More importantly, every one raved about the food. A friend of mine said that she was already full but she couldn’t stop eating because it was so good. Statements like that confirmed to us that we made the right choice with D’Absolute.
Thank you, Chris & Natalie, for providing us with exceptional service & food!

D’Absolute catered our wedding in August of 2014 and they were just hands down incredible. Chris and Natalie (dynamic duo) had everything covered. The first time we met with Chris, he said that he would be able to take care of everything and that we did not have to worry. In our heads, we were thinking that of course you would say that because you are trying to sell your services. BUT, everything that he promised came true. Chris and Natalie are more than just caterers. They understand the logistics and the wedding business so they know how to work with other vendors and get things done. I almost want to say that they were like our other wedding planner because they went above and beyond. That is just how good they are!
As for the food, the one dish that sold us was the ahi tuna mini tacos. My goodness, those things are worth every penny. Our guests had the options of Filet Mignon, Salmon or a Squash Pasta. Everything looked and tasted incredible. We had multiple guests come up to us asking who catered the food because it was that amazing. I personally had the Filet Mignon and it was cooked perfectly.
Chris and Natalie are truly some of the best in the business. They are both very professional but also very personable. Two great people doing great work and serving great food. Hands down, one of the best caterers in Chicago.

Chris, Natalie & Mena were an absolute all-​star team. From the first correspondence and the tasting, Chris had us completely at ease. Natalie was a dream to work with, she was present at any and all meetings at our venue, detail-​oriented, prepared, quick to reply, thoughtful of any and everything and such a gem overall! Mena was incredible on the day of! We had mostly corresponded with Natalie so we were nervous when she told us she wouldn’t be there, but Mena was as incredible as we could’ve asked for! The food and service were amazing and she was friendly and so attentive to everything throughout the night! All of the staff and especially the bartenders were a delight and our guests were so well-​taken care of! BOOK TODAY! You won’t regret it!

D’absolute did a fantastic job with our wedding last week! My then-​fiancé and I are pretty easygoing when it comes to working with vendors and pretty much trusted them to do their thing, which made me a little nervous, because we do have high standards! I wondered if I had given them enough direction, but I needn’t have worried. These guys are serious pros and executed the day perfectly. The food was absolutely delicious (once Chris mentioned truffle fries, I was sold) and our guests raved about it — some said it was the best wedding food they had. We worked with Chris for the menu setup and tasting, Nathalie for the details, and then Mena was the day-​of manager. Their staff was extremely friendly and professional as well. Oh, and they really take care of everything, down to boxing up all the stuff we brought to the wedding and carrying it out to the car at the end of the night.
One minor quibble — as a couple others have mentioned, the scheduling for the tasting is challenging since it’s typically just during normal business hours (at least this was the case in July when we were choosing a caterer), and Chris insists all decision-​makers (i.e. both members of the couple) be there. We almost didn’t use them at all because of this since my fiancé had a new job at the time and couldn’t really take off work, but ultimately we were able to compromise. We’re so glad we did, because their food was leaps and bounds better than the other company we were considering, and the process was smooth sailing after that.

LOVED this caterer! I can’t recommend them more highly.
Chris and Natalie were so easy to work with and helped us plan our day. Not only did they help us with the food, which was delicious, but they gave us suggestions about what would work and what wouldn’t work in other aspects of the wedding. We didn’t have a wedding planner but you wouldn’t have known that based on how they kept the day organized. Mena was the coordinator from D’Absolute on the day of the wedding and she was fantastic.
Overall, they were very receptive to any changes or additions that we needed to make. The food really was delicious and our guests told us later it was some of the best wedding food they ever had.

Chris and Natalie catered our wedding on 6÷21÷2014.
I can’t even begin to express the gratitude I have to Chris and Natalie for all they did to make our wedding day happen. They went so, so far beyond just being our ‘caterer.‘
First of all, we initially chose D’absolute based on their food and their hospitality. We had visited several other caterers, including some who would be considered more high-​end, but after a few cold main courses and one bout of sudden illness, we stepped into D’absolute’s tasting room and knew instantly they were the best choice for our wedding. The food was delicious, Chris was professional but still down to earth, and it was an overall great experience. (Chris also got along swimmingly with my Mom, which may have had something to do with it :)
I’m STILL thanking my lucky stars that we made the D’absolute decision, because I’m not sure I would have been able to handle all of the problems that we encountered later, without them:
After 14 months of planning, we found out that our venue had closed it’s doors and we had nowhere to host our wedding. Chris instantly jumped in to help, being my main source for info on where to look and who to contact, and maybe even acting as a therapist during the tougher times…
He contacted people for us, negotiated for us, and changed the ENTIRE plan around just a mere 5 weeks before the wedding. He took meetings and phone calls at all hours of the day (and night). He was brutally honest when he needed to be, and saved me from making an epically terrible venue decision based on pure exhaustion. And, he did all of this while dealing with a bunch of other brides who were going through the exact same thing. (In fact if I recall, he found one couple a new venue in 3 days, because that’s how much notice they got)
The day of ended up being absolutely beautiful. Again, because of the last-​minute wedding planning chaos, D’absolute stepped in to help with things that I don’t think a typical caterer would even consider. I honestly think it turned out better than it would have if our original venue had just stayed open.
Oh and the food? Guests were telling us it was the best wedding food they’d ever had.
So, to sum it all up… D’absolute is a company run by good people, who are in the business because they love what they do, care about the people they do it for, and wouldn’t do it for any other reason. The result is exceptional food and exceptional service, that your guests will remember for years (and you’ll remember forever).

Can’t say enough great things about Chris and his team. They delivered exceptional food, service and fun to our wedding 12÷31÷14. He worked tirelessly throughout the year, going above and beyond what is expected of a caterer to ensure we had the absolute best night. We went table to table saying hello to people that night and every plate was empty and all our guests could do was rave about their meals! Thank you again Chris and Natalie!

D’Absolute catered my Oct. 3 wedding at Ignite Glass Studios. Chris and Natalie were so fantastic and we couldn’t be happier with how the food turned out! I don’t remember how I found D’Absolute while researching caterers but from the minute we contacted them for an intial proposal, to the tasting, to the menu adjustments, and final wedding day — they were so easy to work with an very communicative. They were mindful of our budget and we ended up coming in under our catering budget.
On the wedding day there was a minor hiccup with uncooperative weather. We were supposed to have our ceremony on the roof top. All 200 chairs were set on the roof and then high winds and uncharacteristically cold temps that day made us want to bring the ceremony inside. About an hour and a half before the ceremony was meant to start my sweet hubby told Chris we wanted it brought inside… I’m sure not an ideal circumstance for the caterer! They made it happen though and pushed all reception tables to the sides of the space so we could fit 200 chairs in there for our ceremony. It was top notch service and we truly appreciated them working with our last minute change so efficiently.
Everyone had only good things to say about the food! We had the yummiest passed apps: goat cheese crositini, baby lamps chops, bacon wrapped dates, and ahi tuna tacos. Dinner was beef tenderloin, chicken, or grilled veggies and tofu… all with potato and green bean sides.
The bar service was great too! They were able to manage a wedding of heavy drinkers and keep the drinks flowing!
I would definitely recommend D’Absolute to anyone.

D’Absolute catered my wedding this past June and did an outstanding job! I’ve got several years of corporate event experience in my background and was pretty picky about who would be handling this portion of our wedding. We decided not to use a wedding planner so we knew the caterer was going to be responsible for more than just food, it would be the fine tuning the décor, layout, the flow, set up and tear down, etc.
Chris was excellent about welcoming us in for a tasting (which far exceeded my expectations!) and answering all of my questions. He listened and understood our vision, helped us refine it when necessary, and wasn’t afraid to tell us when we were heading down a path that wouldn’t work.
Once we signed the contract we worked directly with Nathalie who was amazing! Just like Chris she helped us mold our vision into a really cool experience for us and our guests including a beer tasting during cocktails and some late night Chicago dogs and mini grilled cheese sandwiches. She was easy to work with and each time my husband and I met with her we’d walk away talking about how happy we were that we picked D’Absolute and Nathalie would be doing this with us. While I had done a number of corporate events, I’d never done a wedding. And Nathalie did a great job guiding us when necessary.
When it came to the actual wedding, D’Absolute and Nathalie nailed it! Set up was done ahead of time, the food was excellent, they made sure we had drinks and food at all times, worked with all the vendors to make sure it was seamless and went with the flow when the schedule changed on the fly. They went beyond «food and drink» and really helped us orchestrate the experience we wanted. It exceeded our expectations, I HIGHLY recommend D’Absolute!!!

We couldn’t have asked for a better caterer for our wedding! Chris and his team went above and beyond to make sure our wedding reception went smoothly. My fiancée and I planned our wedding from out of town, and Chris was so responsive whenever we had any questions. They are probably the best caterer for an affordable price and they even allowed us to bring in outside food since my fiancée and I wanted to make sure our Korean and Chinese backgrounds were also reflected in the food.
On the day of the wedding, during cocktail hour and dinner, they were always bringing out food and drinks promptly, and Chris himself made sure we were comfortable throughout the reception. Chris was so open to our vision of what we wanted our signature cocktails and food to be, and so easy to work with. D’absolute was one of the best decisions of our wedding!

Out of six caterers approved by The Newberry Library, this is the only one that would require my fiancé to take off a half day of work because they do not conduct tastings any later than 4 pm. Since my schedule is more flexible, I could attend the tasting alone but that is not ok with Chris because he wants «all of the decision-​makers» there. His associate Mena never conveyed this issue to me in our correspondence so I was prepared to come to a tasting alone and it seemed as though they had availability during the day on weekdays. Yesterday Chris told that we would have to wait until October.
I have now spoken to Chris twice over the phone and he keeps emphasizing the point that these tastings cost him $ 300-​$ 400 so he does not like to do them unless there is a likelihood of a good outcome. This last time I spoke to him he conveyed the message that he basically does not want to work with me because he thinks I have already found the caterer that I want. Chris, if that were true, I would not be wasting my time talking to you and corresponding with your associates. I was interested in you because your work seems to be really good and I wanted to see if your food was the best of the companies from which we have to choose. I can’t make that decision from looking at descriptions and pictures.
I was looking forward to experiencing what the positive reviews are saying. But I have come to understand that I am not welcome at your house. Perhaps it is all a misunderstanding, perhaps I am just not your kind of client. I never realized I would have to face caterer rejection as part of the wedding planning process. Isn’t the hunt for the dress stressful enough? Ah well, c’est la vie.

Chris and Nathalie catered our wedding on August 1^st, 2014. They were absolutely wonderful to work with! From the beginning of the planning process to the day of the event their communication and attention to detail was perfect. They listened to exactly what we wanted and completely exceeded our expectations. The food was amazing and our guests kept mentioning how kind and attentive their staff was. They also were willing to work with our budget and our vision of the day.
Thank you again for making our day so special! I would recommend D’Absolute to anyone planning a wedding in the Chicagoland area!

D’absolute catered my daughter’s wedding at Newberry Library a few weeks ago. Everything was amazing. People raved about the food! Chris and Natalie are wonderful to work with and were able to accommodate many special menu requests.
Their staff is top notch and very professional. Do not hesitate to hire D’Absolute Catering… a class act!

I cannot say enough good things about D’absolute. This is a very long overdue review. D’absolute catered our wedding in January 2014 at the Skyline Loft at Bridgeport Art Center. They were an absolute pleasure to work with from day one. Chris and his wife Nathalie have so much experience in this field and we welcomed and appreciated any feedback they had to offer. Chris had some wonderful advice that would help make our day run more smoothly and he was open to any new ideas that we had to share. Their food is delicious and the tasting was an experience in and of itself. We got so many wonderful compliments on the food and service from our guests who attended the wedding.
Chris and his team went above and beyond their call of duty and also acted as our day of wedding coordinators, from setting up our entire cocktail and dinner reception rooms, to breaking down, cleaning and packing up our supplies at the end of the night. We would have been absolutely lost without their service.
Since our wedding we have recommended them to many of our friends who have also had nothing but wonderful things to say about their service!

If I could rate Chris and D’Absolute with more stars I absolutely would! My husband and I were married in May of this year at Prairie Production, and I cannot say enough about how amazing it was to work with Chris!
Not only was Chris always available, he was extremely flexible and willing to work with us in regards to our budget. We brought him our ideas, and he worked closely with us to make them a reality for the most wonderful day.
The FOOD! It is a few months after the wedding, and I still have guests talking about the food and how much they ate at our reception. That was our number one goal, and D’Absolute made it happen!
Chris handled the day of coordination, working with my other vendors and making sure the entire reception ran smoothly!
Thanks to Chris and D’Absolute, we had a blast and so did our guests!

D’absolute catered our wedding at The Newberry Library on 5÷24÷14 and did an absolutely AMAZING job. We first met we Chris early on who took our food vision and created an absolutely delicious menu! We had many comments from our guests about how great our food was. The whole team was a breeze to work with — Chris, Natalie and Mena especially. Natalie specifically was present for the entire event and made sure everything went off without a hitch. I also really liked how she always made sure my husband and I were eating and drinking. The staff in general was fantastic and even loaded up our car with the things we needed to take home at the end of the night.
We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day and D’absolute is in large part to thank for that! We recommend them to everyone!

This is a long overdue review. Our wedding was June 2013 at the Zhou B Art Center. Venue only provided the space (no chairs, tables, etc.). Other than the flowers and ordering of the chairs and tables, D’Absolute took care of everything else.
Nathalie and Chris at D’Absolute did an amazing job. We reviewed 10+ caters and DAbsolute showed the most expertise and capability in providing the level of service, menu selections, and price we were looking for. Many caterers we reviewed had pre-​set menus and if you asked questions outside of their menu’s, they would start getting tongue tied. Chris did the best in coming up with ideas based on my input. Chris was very professional. Different from other caterers was his emphasis in making sure you were happy and the solution best addressed what you were looking for instead of just making a deal. Minor changes to the menu were made with no charges. As the final head count came a few days before, the total price was adjusted. I was a little concerned about hidden costs based on another review. I asked Chris about the review. He provided justification and assured me this would not happen with us. We had to rent additional tables used for catering services (e.g. bar, serving tables), however, there were no unexpected costs in food or service.
From a process perspective, Chris handles the front end (e.g. sales and tastings). Natalie handles ‘everything else’. Nathalie becomes your point of contact after the contract is signed. I came to the realization of this myself. It was a little confusing at first as I thought we would continue to work with Chris throughout the process.
Nathalie is super easy to work with, organized, and flexible. In the beginning, I was skeptical as emails from her were short and I sometimes had to repeat what I had already noted in prior emails. I took that as lack of detail, but later on realized she is always on the go and is not in the office as often as Chris is. She is a workhorse. It is amazing how she keeps everything all together. She handled the ordering, planning for the day of, walk through, etc. On the day of, she managed all the activities including service, setting up tables/​chairs, food, execution of the day of timeline, and break down clean up. Our friend that had helped with coordinating day of activities and was a wedding coordinator for her church for many years complimented at how well she had things organized. For example, at a snap of her fingers, rose petals were positioned correctly. There were a few things we forgot to give her (like the seating chart). Even with the many things that came up or things that were missing, she did a really GREAT job.
On top of the great service and execution, the food was AMAZING :). We received many compliments from our guests on the food. We would recommend D’Absolute for any occasion!

Chris, Nathalie and D’Absolute did an amazing job catering our Dec. 20, 2013 wedding at the Newberry Library. They are a husband and wife team whose care and concern for doing an exceptional job is evident from the start. From designing a distinct and seasonally appropriate menu to ensuring our guests were well-​served with food and drink to acting as a day-​of coordinator, D’Absolute is a full service caterer who will make your wedding day truly memorable. We loved that they are a smaller company who add personal touches throughout the whole experience. A few specific comments:
Food. It was important to us that the food was not typical wedding day chicken with white sauce and green beans. You will see none of that with D’Absolute. Chris and Nathalie designed a delicious menu and per our request offered three different entrees (filet, salmon and vegetarian) to make sure our guests had several choices. The appetizers they prepared were delicious and creative and seasonally appropriate – not easy for winter in Chicago! There were both healthy and more hearty options (including late night snacks) which made all of our guests happy. We received so many compliments on how delicious the food was.
Drinks. Chris gave us some ideas for signature drinks and helped us choose the appropriate amount and mixture of drinks. One of the reasons we chose the Newberry is they allow you to purchase your own alcohol (at least in 2013), so making sure our guests had the right mixture of booze was very important to us. Chris helped make sure we purchased the appropriate amount and mix, and he provided all of the glassware for each of our cocktail options. When we told him we liked bourbon, he offered to provide a «bourbon barrel» where we could offer tastings to our like-​minded friends. This was a fun and different touch.
Service. The service was elegant, efficient and very professional. All of the staff were very friendly and seemed enthusiastic about their work. D’Absolute provided beautiful linens and glassware — everything you need for the evening.
Day of Coordination. We designed a timeline for the night and presented it to Nathalie during the walk through and she made sure each and every detail was taken care of. For the cocktails and reception, you really do not need a day of coordinator if you have D’Absolute on your side. They will take care of everything, from place cards to menus to seating to linens and glassware, as long as you give them everything in advance. We did not have to worry about any of this.
Pricing and Contract. For people who are busy, Chris made it very easy to see exactly what we would be charged. Navigating through catering pricing can be tricky and stressful, and Chris cut through all of that by indicating exactly what we would be charged per person, and whether there were any «extras» or gratuity. If he says you will not be charged extra for mixers or garnishes or what not, you will not be. And for what you receive, the price is definitely reasonable.
Special Touches. We will never forget this special touch – after the ceremony we retired upstairs to take a breather before the night began, and Nathalie found us and offered us a plate of appetizers and a drink. I cannot emphasize how meaningful this was for us, as even after all of the planning, you as the bride and groom will have very little time to eat or drink too much until well into the night. It was just the moment we needed to remember the meaning of all of the planning and to take in the quiet excitement we felt. This special touch differentiated D’Absolute from other experiences.
For those who are planning for an elegant, unforgettable event at an unconventional space, I highly recommend Chris, Nathalie and the D’Absolute team!

When I was planning for my August 2013 wedding with the Glessner House museum, I learned that D’absolute Catering is the exclusive caterer for the location, due to their knowledge of the space and respect for the somewhat regimented guidelines of the museum space. My fiancé and I were originally a bit concerned to not have a choice in the matter, but after reviewing the menu, chatting with Chris and Nathalie, and enjoying the most comprehensive «tasting» ever, we were hooked!
Chris and Nathalie not only deliver on exquisite food, they will work with you on your menu personally and help identify the best options for your budget. Plus, they are lovely to work with! They try to help make the process as easy as possible — one example was when my sister was shipping some alcohol for the wedding (Glessner museum allows you to bring in your own, a real cost saver!), but it needed to be shipped somewhere with a liquor license. Chris helped take care of that, which took another worry off of our plates.
At the reception itself, Nathalie was very hands on with her staff to ensure the service — and their brand — lived up to what we expected. A lovely touch was her putting aside some appetizers for me, since the bride is running around a lot! We were wholly pleased with the service and the food, and would highly recommend D’absolute for any and all of your special occasions.