// Vendors that Pop: On The Marc Catering //

This past November my buddy Dan the Man of Shindig Lighting attended a holiday networking event for ISES at the Clarke Kitchen Showroom in Norwalk where various caterers set up shop at the different kitchen displays and sautéed up their talents. It was there when I met the super cool Marc of On The Marc Events and his amazing team, Lauren, Amanda and Chef Amos. They were serving up a cerviche bar & a Moscow mule that were all to die for. I may have sampled every cerviche type that night, and each one was better than the next. Fast forward a few months later, and Dan and I were invited to a tasting at the On The Marc Kitchen which was the such an awesome experience. We sat around the prep tables as Chef Amos prepared some of the best food I've ever tasted. Like fried avocado with a siracha dipping sauce = mind blown, or the duck on a pancake, or the variety of mini tacos? Everything was amazing and the presentation was second to none. With the launch of their new ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE new website and a few fabulously successful projects under our belts I thought its about time for a vendor showcase on the man, the legend Marc Weber and his team!

AC: How did you figure out that a 110 ++ degree kitchen would be the place you call home?

MW: It all started when I was three and supposedly I asked my mom for a toy kitchen for the holidays. By five years old I was helping my mom make dinner each night after she returned home from working in New York City. When she traveled, I would make dinner for my father and brother. When I was 15 my mother and I were walking through a parking lot and saw some chefs eating dinner outside. She told me to go talk to them and ask if they needed help. They did and I spent the first few weeks peeling and shaving carrots. I then migrated to a prep cook, salad helper, bread slicer and dish washer (pretty much whatever needed to be done). Within days I was hooked and I knew that I had found my calling.

AC : You and your staff have some of the most unique + interesting options when it comes to selecting a menu for an event. What is the creative process for coming up with your masterpieces?

MW: One of my chefs once told me that when he conceptualizes food he can think of it in his mind and it could be for example a red square. When he takes into account his food cost, equipment, the talent of his cooks, and his customers it turns out as a blue triangle. I try to design menus that are fun, delicious and approachable. I like to make people feel comfortable by simplifying the food and allowing the customer to see what they are eating. Most of our new dishes are created when Amos and I find something that inspires us. We then share with one another the various ways we can execute that for our clients.

AC: Planners like Caterers are a dime a dozen, we all need to have something that sets us apart and gives us staying power. What would you say differentiates your company from the competition?

MW: I think we are unique in the way we execute a party. We place a great amount of emphasis on execution and designing menus that work with the venue at hand. That means that each menu is created based on the individual details of an event. Often times people call and ask us to send a menu. We can't because we have no set menus. We create a customized menu once we understand what it is the person is trying to accomplish. As a boutique company, we pride ourselves on providing an enormous amount of support and feedback for our clients. There is little, if anything, that we won't do to create a successful event.

AC: If you could cook alongside of anyone living or dead who would it be and what would you make?

MW: I would want to cook with Jiro Ono. I have never been able to make rice well. I believe that the more simple a dish, the more important it is for each element to be perfect. To me, good rice is the most important part of sushi. I would love to learn how to make sushi from the man who has dedicated his life to studying it. I was so inspired by watching the movie Jiro Dreams of Sushi and I would love to experience his passion for food first hand.