Bon Soir Caterers

Almost ruined our wedding last July.
We should have gone with our gut after the first tasting with Jeff, but he had the lowest prices and came recommended by our venue. The food at our first tasting was really bad. We asked for shrimp and grits to sample; the shrimp had not been cleaned and were inedibly gritty, the grits were not seasoned, we had asked that the dish be pescatarian and there was bacon in the dish. The other food seemed like it was just reheated leftovers from another event.
Getting in touch with Jeff after the first tasting was very difficult. I e-​mailed him to say that we were very disappointed with the food and very worried. I didn’t hear back from him for almost a week. He finally e-​mailed a very apologetic letter saying that he’d given a new chef a chance and that the chef was now on probation for serving such terrible food. He offered to have us come in for another tasting, and said he’d have a different chef, Erica, call me.
After speaking with Erica, we decided to give Bön Soir another shot. The second tasting went really well. Erica and I had even worked at the same restaurant a few years apart. Unfortunately, Erica’s food was our only positive experience with Bön Soir on our wedding day.
After we booked Bön Soir, Jeff was very hard to get in touch with. I would call and call his office and his assistant would tell me that he was out of the office, or the phone would go to voicemail. When I did get him on the phone he was really blasé about everything, telling me to relax and that he’d done this a thousand times.
Jeff did show up at our venue on the day of our event, but all he did was introduce us to a cook (who, I might add was eating a bagel with tuna salad and dropping tuna salad on the floor) and tell us that everything was taken care of.
The issues started right away when we were changing into our wedding clothes; our friend who was marrying us informed me that servers had started to serve the wine to arriving guests. We had specifically instructed them that no alcohol was to be served without food. Our maid of honor’s boyfriend ran downstairs and told them to stop serving alcohol. They then stopped serving ALL drinks. I found out later that they’d even refused to give my mother a glass of water! Then, when we went outside for passed hors d’oeuvres, the servers were supposed to pour champagne, but they didn’t. I had to leave my family and friends to go over and ask them to start serving it.
The service captain then kept coming up to me and asking when he was supposed to do things, as if he had never been given any instructions for the day. He interrupted my conversations with my family who had flown from England to be with me. Finally my father took him aside, told him not to bother me, and to direct questions to him. Dessert was never announced and most of our guests left without knowing we had served it.
The worst service mistake came at the end of the night, after my father had tipped the service staff. The staff began to clean up without letting anyone know, and many guests returned to their tables to find their handmade wedding favours were thrown away. A friend of ours quickly rescued them from the trash, thank goodness. Then the service staff refused to clean up anything that was not from the rental company. My wife and I, and her parents spent the last part of our wedding tracking down electric tea lights that Jeff had suggested we buy instead of rent ‘because we could re-​sell them’ (it’s a year later and we still have not managed to sell them despite multiple postings on craigslist and amazon), emptying mason jars of flowers, and tracking down ‘missing’ bottles of wine.
All this after Jeff had assured me no less than three times both over the phone and by e-​mail that we would not have to clean up anything, and that at the end of our wedding we could just leave. I guess that’s what we should have done after the first tasting.
About a month after our wedding I sent an e-​mail similar to this review to Jeff. I have not heard from him.

I’d like to add to my husband’s review below.
The day we went for our tasting at Bön Soir, we were already running late due to crazy Brooklyn traffic, and then we blew out a tire when we hit a massive pothole. We called Jeff to let him know we’d be running late, and he offered to come pick us up from the gas station so we could eat while we waited for AAA to arrive. He went above and beyond to help us out in this situation, and that really meant something to us. The tasting was amazing, more food than we could even eat in one sitting, and Jeff gave us so much helpful information while we ate. When we finished, one of the chefs gave us a ride back to the gas station to get our car.
Jeff helped us set up our order for the rental company, and also helped us decide on a table layout for our venue. Some of my husband’s family was coming in from India and they are strict vegetarians, so we wanted to bring in food from an Indian food restaurant to be served during the wedding in addition to the other food that Bön Soir was providing. Jeff was very accommodating and agreed to have his team serve the outside food to our guests as well.
The catering went very smoothly the day of and the team definitely made sure the bride and groom were taken care of throughout the night! The food was great, guests especially loved the BBQ station! We wanted something a little different than the traditional seated 3 course meal at our wedding, and Bön Soir was definitely up to the challenge. Book Bön Soir, you won’t be disappointed!

I feel like people might be weary of a business that only has 5 star reviews and nothing else — but I can guarantee you this is a real review from a real customer!
Bön Soir catered our wedding on 9÷19÷14 at the Green Building in Brooklyn. It was a pleasure working with Jeff. He was able to work within our budget and was very professional throughout the process.
The day of went flawlessly. Whoever was in charge on site (we were so busy we couldnt really have a formal intro) was on top of everything. As soon as cocktail hour started, they came to us personally with a plate of apps that were being passed to make sure we ate… that was one thing all couples that got married told us… you’re so busy you have no time to eat. It was much appreciated. He checked in on us throughout the night, offering to make us our plate for dinner and bring us drinks. It was unexpected and much appreciated even if we did not take him up on the offer all the time.
So in the end, we were very happy with their services for our big day. No issues whatsoever.

We just had our daughter’s Sweet 16 catered by Bön Soir. It could not have been any better!
The food was delicious and so beautifully presented. Jeff and his team know what they are doing and I was able to relax and enjoy the party, free of any worries.
I hope to use them again in the future!

We had a March 2013 wedding. Bön Soir Caterers was one of the first vendors we picked for our wedding. They did not disappoint.
We had a meeting with Jeff early in August and he recommended The Picnic House in Prosect Park, after we had described to him the look we were looking for for the wedding. It was an AMAZING choice and the location was a few block from where we were to live. The guests LOVED it and it was EXACTLY what we were looking for. (We wanted windows all around and for it to be near the church)
I had been praying for snow since my engagement and four inches of snow fell the night before into that morning. It was gorgeous and a dream come true. The reception hall looked awesome.
Jeff the head of Bön Soir was extremely considerate and consistent in getting back to us, more so then all the vendors we were in contact with through out the entire wedding process. Even though we had a tiny budget and a small wedding, he treated us with great kindness and gave us his direct attention whenever we had questions. We weren’t exactly a big client, but he treated us like we were. :’)
THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS!
Jeff was always very confident about his chefs/​cooks. He often boasted (genuinely and not in an overly proud way) about the quality and flexibility of their cooking. We definitely knew why after tasting the food. Everyone kept telling us how good the food was and many got up for seconds. We thoroughly enjoyed it and ate up during the wedding! We had an ice cream bar from Bön Soir too, which was excellently executed and had various cute toppings. Our guest/​families all had their own cultural food backgrounds and still all loved the food from the menu.
We had buffet style and the guest were all treated very well by the staff, and the line moved neatly and quickly. I had been to weddings where people stood for long periods of time waiting to get their plated filled. The staff members were attentive, quick to help out and very friendly! We had never seen such a kind and helpful staff. We were VERY VERY impressed and touched by how sincere they were.
Overall Bön Soir TOTALLY delivered. They are now our preferred catering company for all future events. From corresponding with Jeff to the food and service, they played a significant role in making our wedding planning and wedding day run smoothly and beautifully.
THANK YOU JEFF & THE BON SOIR TEAM!!!
Daniel + Kassandra

We attended a wedding on August 4, 2012 and everything was perfect!
There were endless appetizers of varied sorts. There was delicious fruit and cheese platters.
The main course left nothing to want for. There was plenty of food. Service was excellent, and I can’t wait to attend another party by them!

Otherworldly.
From the first conversation to the final hug, you’re family with Jeff and his team. Above all else Jeff genuinely cares about you and ensuring everything about your event will be as beautiful as it can be. Their attention and care combined with experience, vision, and professionalism make Bön Soir an unparalleled choice in ensuring your event exceeds what you thought possible.
My wife and I chose Bön Soir to cater our wedding knowing that we, and our friends, had high expectations as a destination event. We walked into his office with a date, a venue, high hopes, a broad idea, and nothing else. Jeff took the time and extra care to ensure that he fully understood our vision. After researching our venue, Jeff employed his creativity and experience to produce an array of options to fill in our details– from flowers to DJ. His 35+ years of experience in the industry have given him a genuine understanding of the nuances of all vendors and their ability to adapt to a client’s desires and space. On such a special day, and as detail-​oriented people, we were thrilled to be given such a thorough understanding of the possibilities and limitations of our space from the ceremony to the cocktail hour to the 11pm dance to Journey. He offered recommendations and was candid in feedback, but always understood that it was our wedding and would do anything to ensure that our hopes were surpassed. Jeff delivered.
The day of the event: Jeff’s team arrived well in advance to leave nothing to chance. The team introduced themselves and I immediately knew that they would be great with our guests. Given the that our wedding was 3 hours outside of the city, the staff was more than friendly and excited to be a part of our special day.
The ceremony: His team helped everyone find their seats and even helped keep the bridal party at ease and execute the ceremony without being imposing. They went above and beyond to ensure that our day went off without a hitch. They didn’t have to do this.
Cocktail hour: Guests are still talking about the appetizers. Hot, fresh, and full of flavor in what is often an overlooked portion of the evening. Each appetizer was better than the last. Guests were scouring the event space trying to find more of what had been raved about by friends, but were easily distracted by passing trays not wanting to miss anything. The scallops wrapped in bacon and ceviche were our personal favorites. Both perfectly prepared and fresh. Unbelievable for appetizers passed on a tray.
Dinner: We started with a gorgeous arcadian field green and beet salad with dijon vinaigrette. Fresh, balanced, and beautiful. The bread was fresh. I later found out that Jeff had our butter rosettes shipped in from Wisconsin hours before because he wasn’t satisfied with the local offerings. He insisted on the best. We served steamed carrots, asparagus and whipped potatoes with a choice of filet mignon or mahi mahi with a mango chutney. First, the filet– beautifully cooked on the grills set up outside. Beautiful medium to medium-​rare at our request. Guest comments: «One of the best steaks I’ve ever had» and «I can’t believe this quality of steak was served at a wedding.» The mahi mahi was perfectly cooked also. I was skeptical of serving fish at an event for 130 people, but if was beautifully prepared, fresh, and not dry! The mango chutney was freshly prepared and fantastic. Not from a jar.
Dessert: Between the chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis and the desserts which were passed around the event (Breyer’s vanilla milkshake shooters!), there was something for everyone. For those of us that eat everything, this was dangerous because I couldn’t help but eat everything.
Special menus: My brother and his girlfriend are both vegan. Both raved about the cuisine. Just because someone has special dietary needs doesn’t mean they have to be restricted! Jeff paid as much attention to their two entrees as he did to each of the beautiful filets. I even snuck bites of their food because I couldn’t help myself.
Do not look elsewhere. The food is comparable to the finest in the city, but the attention to detail and care you receive cannot be overlooked. In what can be a stressful time, finding someone you can trust is critical. I admire Jeff for the excellence he brings to his profession, and I could not imagine my wedding without his passion for ensuring our special day was truly unforgettable. You will not be disappointed.

My new husband and I had to make a ton of choices for our wedding at The Foundry in Long Island City… choosing a caterer was proving to be a challenge until we met Jeff and thanks to fellow Unilocalers, we found him through Unilocal!
From my first phone call with Jeff to the very last goodbye hug at the end of our perfect wedding, every encounter with Jeff was great. Our first tasting (no charge, as some others do) — was great, he had everything we had previously discussed freshly cooked for us, and even more food that we didn’t pick. Everything was delish and the presentation was unexpected — wowed us a bit. We met a couple of times to go finalize the menu and the seating. Jeff was no stranger at our venue and had great recommendations on how to arrange the tables and seating, with complete confidence he had a vision in his mind and showed us on his nifty program on his computer. Even if he hasn’t done a venue, the guy knows what he is talking about.
The excellent service of the waiters, chefs, and bartenders… the delicious food and gorgeous presentation were all we heard about all night among the compliments. A very important concern of mine besides the normal ones, were allergies — I had two very allergic family members. From the beginning, I made this clear to Jeff. I gave him the table they were at and listed each allergy… it may sound insignificant to some, but we have had some horror stories at previous weddings with allergic reactions that ended the night at the hospital because some caterers do not understand the importance. Jeff was allover it, he even saved my aunt from eating an appetizer she would have had a reaction too (clearly she wasn’t paying attention! — but our caterer was, and then some).
Our Menu:
Arcadian Spring Salad Mix
Chateaubriand
Chicken Florentine
Lemon Salmon
We had quite a few restaurateurs among our guests who said the quality of the fish and meat were a step above what they used in their OWN restaurants and they were impressed. That was great to hear.
Jeff is very open to discuss budgets and will always find the right fit for you and your party. I was told by our furniture rental company that Jeff was the best in the business, and on May 6, 2012 — I saw it for myself. Jeff AND team — thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

Jeff and his team at Bön Soir are the only caterers we use. They have done our birthday parties, our showers and our wedding. They are simply the best.
They walk you through the menu step-​by-​step and really make you feel so comfortable in what can be a stressful process.
We are particular fans of their BBQ menu. After sampling their food, we actually had an all BBQ wedding menu. Bön Soir may have a French name, but they cook like they are from the deep south. There is love in the food.
The pull pork sliders haunt my dreams, they are so delectable. My friend, who has his own catering business, came to me after one event to get Bön Soir’s card. He said «that is the best pulled pork sandwich I have ever had.» And this is coming from a guy who cooks for a living.
They also do an amazing traditional American catering menu and work well with any budget you might have. We went to a wedding they did on what I know was a shoestring budget and the spread was still impressive. Their creamy pesto pasta is one of my wife’s favorite pasta dishes ever.
Whatever the event and whatever the location, I strongly recommend trying Bön Soir… your tummy will thank you.

I was so happy to have found Bön Soir caterers to cater our wedding. Jeff Riley, the owner, helped us throughout the process and he was able to come within budget while providing a menu that was diverse and included many fresh seasonal ingredients. Jeff and his team have been catering events for a long time, which, trust me on this one, is one of the most important factors when considering a caterer for any large event.
The food was fantastic (our guests still rave about the grilled mahi, coconut shrimp, and amazing gourmet mac ‘n cheese!) and the servers were total pros. They helped us set up our centerpieces and took care of details we hadn’t even thought about. We were able to enjoy our wedding and have zero concerns other than have fun with our family and friends.
Overall, a great experience. Highly recommended!