Orange And Olive Caterers And Chef’s Table

It is with great sadness that I give a less than 5 star review to Orange and Olive but based on the fact that we feel disappointed with (part of) the catering at our wedding, we feel this review is only fair.
Let’s start with the positives. Sam and the team at Orange and Olive are incredibly knowledgeable about catering and handling unconventional wedding spaces (I can only imagine how well they would do in a conventional space). I am a person who is extremely passionate about food and had a lot of thoughts and ideas about the food we served at our wedding. Sam and the team helped guide us in a direction that would impress a larger audience and still adhere to the vision we had for the day. Orange and Olive is a full-​service catering company and they handled all of the rentals, wait-​staff, and bartenders. Having one person be responsible for all of those components was incredibly helpful and it made our lives that much easier. On the day of the wedding it was reassuring to see Sam overseeing the event and everyone on the team he brought with him were professional, courteous, and beyond helpful (Timmy was particularly sweet). We got rave reviews about the food (their homemade focaccia was very popular) and we were incredibly grateful for the quality of work they provided. They helped ensure our day was flawless.
Now for the reason we are giving a less than 5 star review — My husband and I choose to add on a midnight snack as a final course, knowing that a snack of cheesesteaks would be very much appreciated (especially with the amount of drinking most do a wedding). The problem is that few people actually got the midnight snack (we made it a point to ask just about everyone). Discovering this was a huge disappointment for us and we reached out to Josh, Sam, and the team at Orange and Olive to try and figure out what happened. Their explanation was that they did attempt to hand them out but no one was taking them so they returned to the kitchen after about half an hour. My husband and I sat on this explanation for about a week but it didn’t sit right with us. We felt that the distribution was not handled the same way the rest of the meal was and we were surprised that they just chose to stop handing them out rather than asking us or a family member what to do (or opt to leave them on a table for people to take on their own). The majority of the party was on the dance floor at midnight and the fact that no one came to the dance floor to hand them out didn’t seem right to us. We wrote Sam and the team another e-​mail in an effort to rectify the situation but never received a response. Having spent a great deal of money for their services, it bothers us that they ultimately dismissed our concerns; it makes it difficult to recommend someone who chooses to ignore a complaint. We still feel Orange and Olive is worth consideration, however you should be sure both sides are clear about expectations before entering into an agreement.

Absolutely splendid experience. From the moment you walk in to the moment dinner service is completed, you will have the most wonderful experience. I took my husband there for his birthday and we had such an amazing treat from every course that was served to us. We enjoyed Hamachi, rabbit, chicken, lamb, and red snapper to list a few. The chef explains what each course is and how it is made. He also allows you to walk behind the scene to see how it is prepared. It is a very relaxed and intimate atmosphere. This allows you to enjoy the company of the guests at the dinner table. Bring plenty of wine to share as our dinner companions for the evening were very kind and generous to share their wines with us.

I haven’t had their catering, but the chef’s table experience is really great. The food is top notch — very technique-​driven without being over the top. I wish I could remember exactly how the chef described each dish as he brought it to the table, but there were several courses and I wasn’t taking notes.
Let me try: salmon tartar, kefir lime soup, poached lobster (I had pork belly to accomodate my allergy), 62 degree egg with reduced leeks and duck crackling, goat cheesed wrapped in a herb sheet with some type of carrot mash, grilled skate, quail, rabbit prepared two different ways, lamb chops, and a dessert that had chocolate pudding, vanilla ice cream, and some other ridiculously delicious chocolate thing that I can’t really describe.
Everything was well executed and tasty. Looking back, I least enjoyed the kefir lime soup, but that’s just my taste preference, not a shortcoming of the preparation. The three highlights for me were the egg and leaks, goat cheese and herb sheet, and the rabbit.
That atmosphere is very friendly and convivial. You can get up and check out the kitchen as Sam prepares the dishes, or you can sit and meet the other guests who are probably like-​minded food enthusiasts who want to swap stories about restaurants.
Getting there by car is the most convenient way. There is plenty of on-​street parking on the side street off Central Ave. If you’re DTJC person without a car, you might consider the Light Rail to the Hoboken elevator. It’s a short walk from there. Go check it out.

The meal at the chefs table at Orange and Olive was over the top delicious, presented beautifully, and the service was impeccable.
We had a very similar menu to the one that Sophia B summarizes in her review from 10÷21÷13. In addition, we upgraded our meal to include the two supplemental courses and the mocktails, which we highly recommend.
We had a reservation for 4 people. We were warmly greeted upon our arrival. Since it’s BYOB, we brought a variety of wines. The reds were immediately opened to breath and the whites were taken to be chilled. As each course arrived, they made sure that we had the correct wine to complement it.
The chef/​owner Sam and his staff made the meal very interactive. We were able to watch them prepare the courses and the details of each were explained.
This is one of the most memorable meals I’ve every had and we plan to go back again.

Let me lead-​off by saying that this is a very pleasant, unexpected surprise in an «emerging» area of Jersey City (The Heights). Five of us booked dinner at their new Chef’s table. Dinner consisted of a ten course tasting menu prepared by the chef in front of us as we relax and enjoy the beautifully designed space at Orange and Olive.
I had no idea what to expect when we booked, but I can tell you that this was one of the most amazing dinners I’ve had in a while and I’m a foodie who eats out a lot. My dining companions felt the same. It began with an amuse bouche a small bite of filet on black fermented garlic with a tiny crisp potato square sitting atop. From there we experienced intricately made, beautifully presented courses increasing in size and creativity as they came. The chef explained each upon being served, which I will not remotely do justice to here. After the amuse…
–carrot ginger soup with little beets and edible flower
–crab with pickled tomato
–homemade raviolis
–cod with squid ink and Chef’s special «just a dip» sauce,
–pork belly and another type of pork with cherry reduction,
–filet of beef with king trumpet mushroom and pickled mustard seeds a cipolini onion and piece of special squash from Vermont,
–brulee’d ricotta cheese
–a beer boot (homemade vanilla soda with housemade rootbeer ice cream)
–walnut maple tart topped with homemade ice cream
Did I mention the food tasted as amazing as it looked. Take note, the chefs were incredible to watch, they made it seem so effortless –barely breaking a sweat as they kept precisely delivering dish after dish of deliciousness in the most immaculate kitchen I’ve ever seen. Sam, the Chef/​Owner was terrific explaining the details about each course. It was definitely not like watching one of those Food Network kitchen shows with kitchen chaos and the like.
You pay one price, water, gratuity included — just bring your own alcohol. I would highly recommend this for anyone who appreciates a true dining experience. I certainly plan to go back.

I used Orange & Olive for a grand opening event my company did in NYC and invited press, clients, partners — the lot! We had over 200 people in our new office space and we needed to impress! Sam, chef owner of O&O, and team were the caterers I selected. They are a full-​service caterer that brought waiters, bartenders, the tables and bars even a coat check for our event. They really wow’d! I was so proud of the food and the professionalism of the staff; the level of food we had at the event was fantastic and we had everything from carnivores to vegans to Koshers. I would highly recommend them for any event! Oh, and Sam was great to work with and extremely responsive and reasonable. Thanks, Sam!