Cork Catering & Special Events

We used Cork Catering for my wedding last month, and it was absolutely beautiful! Even at our initial meeting with Judi M at the tasting, she was so easygoing and fun and helpful, Cork was the obvious choice for us. Judi truly went above and beyond to make it so pretty and so simple for me and my family. She was in contact with me and my mom all week prior to the wedding and made us feel very comfortable that things would go smoothly, and even accommodated an extra pre-​planning call with my panicking mother almost two full weeks before the wedding (Typically they start the detail planning 10 days before the event).The décor was beautiful, they used all of the candles, table runners, homemade table numbers and things that we had made, and set them up wonderfully. It was truly special. The entire staff was very professional and pleasant and made the evening run smoothly. I want to give a special shout out to the Captain, Michael, who was an absolute gentleman and for a physically big guy, managed to be everywhere at once, filling glasses, fixing napkins, and just doing all the little things proactively so that no one had anything at all to worry about. Oh, and the food was delicious! We got many compliments. I highly recommend Cork for special events!!!

Cork catered our wedding, headed up by Jennifer Messerges. They did an absolutely fabulous job.
Awesome:
– Jennifer did an amazing job of organizing all of the catering details day of.
– Cork was the only caterer we talked to who was willing to put aside their egos and work with another catering service (Smoque) to give us the wedding of our dreams. Jennifer took on the task of ensuring all the serving dishes were the same and that all the staff worked well together.
– The staff was genuinely kind — one server noticed my Grandmother with her cane in the buffet line. She walked next to her and built her plate, then carried it back to the table. My Grandma hates to be an intrusion, but this woman made it seem very natural.
– The food was AWESOME.
– Our venue came with NOTHING. Jennifer masterfully helped us choose tables, linens, chairs (which were later upgraded due to a vendor error), and all the special details that helped make the hall feel like a wedding.
– They allowed us to purchase a minimal drink package and pay a nominal corkage fee so that we could purchase our own alcohol. This saved us a TON of money, and allowed us to customize our drink menu to our guests’ tastes.
– Cork genuinely made us feel like our event was important and special, no matter the budget.
Could be Better:
– It was tough to get a hold of Jennifer a couple weeks before the wedding. Based on the level of commitment she gave the week before our wedding, though, I would assume she was consumed by another event. They’d do well to have someone else able to answer basic questions and lighten her load.
– Jennifer was pitched as a «day of coordinator». While she did an amazing job at coordinating the catering, she did not handle the timing of events with the DJ, photographer, or the wedding party as I expected. It didn’t end up being an issue, but it would have been great to have more realistic expectations going into the day.

Working with Cork and Jennifer Messerges was a fabulous experience! Our wedding reception was held in a large, open, empty loft space and they helped us to fill the space and make it look stunning!
We have received nothing but compliments on our food. Cork offers very innovative and delicious dishes at a reasonable price. We had a vision in mind of what the food should be at our wedding and Cork really delivered. We had shopped around at several catering companies and nobody even came close to giving us what we wanted within our budget. Cork stuck to the budget and still delivered magnificent food — very impressive.
We were sold on the food at the tasting. I dare you to find better tasting dishes from another caterer in Chicago! Cork was very flexible as well, and Jennifer took all of our crazy mind-​changes (of which there were many…) in stride, and had helpful suggestions on how best to pull off our vision. I could not say enough good things about this company. You will not be disappointed!

I never tasted any of the food before my wedding. I planned it in 2 months from California. Loft on Lake, where we got married, had recommended them. Their menu looked mouth-​watering, the reviews were stellar, the prices extremely reasonable and they were great to work with.
The food was delicious! Of the guests, there was the owner of a high-​end restaurant and the GM of a Michelin rated restaurant who separately came up to me, unsolicited, to tell me how incredible the appetizers were. Well done, Cork!
Not only did Jennifer and Jamie handle all of the food, linens and table rentals, but they ordered the flowers and gave me a breakdown of what alcohol to buy from Binny’s in order to save money. Jennifer even acted as a wedding planner on the day: she had written down the order of the processional and was ready to direct people when to walk down the aisle.
We felt so lucky to have worked with them. Not only did they make our wedding great, but we feasted :). I was so busy chowing down that my maid of honor had to remind me to get up and greet people.

I used Cork’s Catering for my recent wedding in September at South Shore Cultural Center. They exceeded all of my expectations and helped to create my dream wedding. The food was excellent and the service was impeccable. My contact Jennifer Anderson worked along with me and my planner to ensure every detail was perfect from my linens to my signature drinks to the tasty food: all staying within my budget. All my guests raved about the food and I would highly recommend Cork to others!

I used Cork to cater my wedding reception and would highly recommend them for your next event.
The staff was reliable and professional throughout the whole experience. Jennifer was my main contact and helped coordinate everything — so I didn’t even need a wedding planner. On the day of the wedding, Jennifer and her staff were friendly and attentive even under high stress.
And the food exceeded my expectations. It was really delicious! We got many compliments from our guests on the quality of the food.

We were introduced to Cork Catering at an open-​house event at The Grove, and right away we were impressed. The professionalism and enthusiasm of the staff, the quality and inventiveness of the food, and the tasteful artistry of their presentation made Cork stand out above all the other caterers we were looking into for our upcoming wedding.
We hired them, and while discussing all the details, they were incredibly helpful and flexible in planning a terrific menu for us. Jennifer Anderson, whom we worked with, was always responsive to questions we had, and had great advice and ideas for presentation of the hors d’oeuvres and food stations for our guests. They were also helpful in accommodating our budget without sacrificing the quality of the event.
Our wedding reception went off without a hitch. We received so many compliments from our guests about the unique menu and the excellent service. Many said it was the best food they’d ever had at a wedding.
Bottom Line: choosing Cork Catering was one of the best decisions we made.

I used Cork Catering for my event for Jenny Yoo Collection. They were great to work with. Jennifer is so organized and accommodating to changes. Natalie was there on the day of and was on target with everything and made sure things went smoothly. Of all the vendors at the event I did not have to worry or have any concerns for Cork. They made my day less stressful definitely.
The presentation for the guests at the event was impeccable. I was very impressed. Not to mention, the feedback I received from the guests was all positive and how great the food was. I even sampled a few pieces and they weren’t kidding!
The staff was also very friendly and approachable during the event.
GREAT JOB CORK! I will definitely use you again and recommend you to others! :)

We had many events at the Stan Mansion with them and I am very happy with the service — very professional, great staff, great presentation .I work with Jennifer Anderson and is always a pleasure to have her coordinate the events at the Stan Mansion .They have grate prices and they will serve your liqueur and charge you a small fee for the mix package.