10 Questions with Andrew Brackner

Talk of the Town

Caterers - Andrew Brackner

10 Questions with Andrew Brackner

1. Introduction: What's your story?

I am the owner of Talk of the Town Catering but I am not new to the service industry.
I have spent the majority of my life providing the best service to every guest he encounters.
My positions have led me to work for a variety of positions from prestigious hotels to breakfast and lunch counters but through all my positions the one thing that remains the same is the commitment to quality in guest satisfaction.
Over the many years working for Talk of the Town Catering I found a love for the challenges of off premises catering.
No two events are going to be same, each requires a new plan to meet the needs of the clients.
My culinary philosophy of food is simple, use the best quality ingredients available, use the proper cooking techniques, and season the food accurately. Let the ingredients be the star!
The origins of the food we eat are so paramount in our industry that I have made several trips to the locations where I chad the opportunity to walk the fields and meet with the families that produce our raw ingredients. GA department of agriculture took me on a south GA farm tour. Our coffee partners took me to Costa Rica to meet the growers. Our produce company took me to Salinas Valley CA to tour “the salad bowl of the world”. I frequently take trips to ME to visit with the salmon and lobster industry leaders along with meeting our sea salt harvester and the family of our mustard partner.
I first started cooking at the age of 11 when my mother went back to school for her masters and father was a traveling salesman. I learned to cook by watching Justin Wilson / Julia Childs / Yan can cook on PBS. My first professional cooking job was at a family Italian restaurant (bagging pasta / pizza / washing dishes) at 16 I worked for waffle house and in 6 months was the lead grill cook for Saturday and Sunday mornings. Next was a steak house and then a single owner operator from scratch restaurant. At 18 I started a 3 year apprenticeship under a German Master Chef. After 9 years working in the Hotel industry, I decided to move forward with a culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu where and graduated Summa Cum Laude and was asked to return years later and deliver the commencement speech for the graduation class.

2. How many weddings have you done in the past?

Due to COVID, we have only done about 200 weddings this year. We typically average over 500.

3. Do you charge a bulk fee or cost per person? What are your rates like?

We charge per person. Everything is al la carte and an average price is $65.00 per person

4. Do you have a static menu, or can you do a custom menu? And can you take care of various allergy/dietary requests?

All of our menus are customized and we can accommodate any allergy or dietary requests.

5. What are your most popular dishes?

We have a wide arrange of different options for guests to choose from. I would have to say our appetizers are what we are most famous for. We try to make unique items. We are also famous for our Brisket. We have a smoker and smoke our own meats.

6. Do you provide linens, table settings, and accessories? If you don’t provide linens, table settings, etc., will you handle coordinating the rental?

Yes we provide all and if a client wants something special we will order it for them

7. Will food be made on-site or brought in?

We prep our food in our kitchen but all cooking is done on site.

8. Are tastings available and what is involved?

Yes tastings are available and can be arranged with our sales team

9. Who else is in your team and how many people on your staff will be at the wedding?

Every event has a captain, chef, serving staff and bartenders if needed

10. What is your cancellation and/or refund policy?

The agreement may be terminated by written notification to Talk of
the Town Catering and Special Events. If agreement is terminated by customer within 60 days of
their scheduled event date, Talk of the Town Catering and Special Events will honor the total
retainer(s) (100%) and any additional charges that have been paid toward a future event, dated
within six months from the date of the scheduled original date. If the Customer does not wish the
reschedule per the terms listed here, Customer agrees to full forfeiture of retainer(s). If event is
canceled within fourteen (14) calendar days of your scheduled event, one hundred percent (100%) of
the expected charges will apply. Payment for liquidated damages due as a result of cancellation of
this agreement shall be made at the time of cancellation.

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Awards

WeddingRule Editor's Choice 2023WeddingRule Editor’s Choice 2022