"That was the best food I have ever had at a wedding, hands down" - multiple guests at and after our wedding. We booked The Rookery and worked with Jewell right off the bat. We booked our venue almost 2 years in advance, so we were not in a rush whatsoever, and we always felt calm and at ease with Jewell. Our first tasting was amazing, and then soon after, the President, Greg, took over our contract and we had a second tasting because, in his words "we can do a better chicken dish." He was absolutely right! Everything we tasted, at both tastings, was literally impeccable. Greg and his staff know food. Jewell really went above and beyond throughout the whole process and Maria is such a pleasant and kind human. On the day of the wedding, everything was incredible. There were a few extremely minor misunderstandings that were frustrating for a moment but nothing huge or that made our event any less spectacular. The service staff was so incredibly fun, kind, and really elevated our wedding with their kindness and thoughtfulness. I would highly recommend working with Jewell, Greg and Maria if you have the chance! read more

I have worked with Jewell many times since 2015, this was my first time using "Jewell To Go Catering" and the service and quality is just as high level. Most recently used for a cold serve lunch of 3 proteins, salad and starch for 20ppl - everything was great. The sauces did not have much punch to them, they were super mild, but I thought this was ideal for a business lunch where everyone had to be comfortable in a long meeting following eating without getting to brush their teeth, etc. read more

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We recently had to cancel our March wedding due to COVID-19 issues and are disappointed with the shady business practices this vendor is pushing on us. They're trying to shortpay us 50% of our deposit ($5,000 deposit) for administrative expenses. I can understand billing us for the food at tasting, but they're billing us for writing emails and talking on the phone for 11 hours (I can assure you neither my fiancée or I spent this amount of time on the phone with them). When we pressed for further details on what this meant, we were given a hastily made excel table with random decimal hours with no billable rate or justification. It's disappointing to see people try to take advantage of us to eat their fixed overhead. On top of that, they're unable to pay us back in a timely fashion and are trying to put us on a payment plan (doubt we'll see a dollar). I would recommend avoiding this business if you want your caterer to be in business when your wedding comes and not to just pocket your money and run. read more

Jewell Events Catering - Hastily made excel "backup" of administrative charges. - Caterers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I am never a big fan of catered food but I have to say Jewell Events Catering is definitely an exception. I was amazed at the taste and quality of what they produced. When I first saw them bring in the food, I was like sushi? In fact, it was healthy choice options of salmon, chicken, vegetarians and etc. So I got the salmon box and it came with salad, bread with cheese on the side, a piece of macaroon and caramel chocolate for dessert. There were left over boxes at the end so I went and picked on the desserts in every box. The lemon meringue was super delicious (not every box had it). I wanted to go for seconds but I was too full to have seconds. Overall, It was definitely a treat. I am not sure how much they charge because my firm ordered it and not myself. They are very detailed in presentation and I am sure a lot of people picked them because of that. I highly recommend them for any events. read more

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If I could give 10 stars I would. Jewel was the first caterer I contacted, we hit it off immediately, we are from New Orleans and planned a destination wedding in Chicago and Greg, the owner had been an exec. chef in NOLA. It was a perfect match. He was incredible, he helped us find our perfect venue (Chicago Cultural Center), and recommend the most amazing flower/ decor company (The Flower Firm). The tasting was fun and delicious. The wedding was extremely elegant with fabulous food. The presentation was beautiful, the tenderloin was cooked to perfection and every detail was looked after! The staff was professional and efficient. We had approx. 140 guests plus vendor meals. They even designed a dessert cart for the bride and groom for NOLA bread pudding and bananas foster. Additional, the grooms side had Jewel to Go cater a groomsmen luncheon the day of the wedding. Additionally, our wedding cake that I bought elsewhere was a complete fail, I called Jewel to see if they could help. When I saw the cake I couldn't believe it, I think they actually baked another layer and iced it for us, no one knew we almost didn't have a cake. It was perfect. Cudo's to Jewel, Greg, Maria, and everyone involved it making the night so magical! You guys are amazing. (I just wish they were in NOLA now for the next wedding :). Thank you again! read more

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Jewell was the perfect caterer for our lovely winter wedding at the Newberry library! We especially appreciated how accommodating they were. Every time we got excited about an idea--from having mini donuts and a hot chocolate station to doing something different with our table linens--they came up with solutions on how we could implement it within our budget. We also loved how special they made us feel during our two tastings--they were genuinely our favorite part of wedding planning, hands down! read more

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Service was great food awesome all the way from Florida as a truck driver we get tired of eating fast food we deserve to eat good

Jewell Catering provided such a great meal and planning service. Everyone keeps raving about all of the food that we had at our wedding. We had a simple cake for cutting which was delicious. The team was incredible, and they were very professonial and helpful throughout the event. Our ceremony went very smoothly and the staff did a phenomenal job. read more

Another seamless meeting catering experience by Jewell To Go- I had the pleasure of using them again for in-house weekend meetings. Their food is always a big hit, and they are so easy to work with. I'm sure my small meeting orders are a pittance compared to a wedding catering event, but Jewell treats me like a top customer, and is always on point. Kudos. read more

A close friend of mine had her wedding at the Artifacts Event space in Chicago and we had a lovely tasting with Jewell Events Catering but the food at the wedding was a complete bate and switch. Things at the tasting were delicious and well seasoned but day of, the food was bland, the portions were small and the plates were sloppily executed. I would not recommend this caterer, especially for what she was charged for this mediocre food. read more

Kristin Kramer & Stephanie G. were absolutely amazing to work with for our wedding day. My husband and I live & work on the Near West Side were initially overwhelmed with all of the catering options just in our neighborhood! Jewell was the only catering group that was able to meet both our budget and food expectations. From our tasting experience until the last box was walked out, the catering team was absolutely incredible. We were so thankful for the extras that this group offered us, such as wine tasting their selection of wines and making sure we knew options for switching out sides for entrees and varying our bar package. I often hear about couples being disappointed with the quality of food at the time of their actual wedding - but we actually liked the appetizers and entrees more at our reception!!! Our guests continue to comment on the quality and taste of the food and I am so thankful that we picked Jewell. Kristen & Stephanie were life-savers in helping me decide on so many things such as the lay out of the room or the flow of the ceremony - I was so undecided or confused about various things, and with their experience with my venue they were able to help me get it all organized for a flawless night. Thank you! read more

Jewell Events Catering - Caterers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Used these folks tonight for a fundraiser that I was doing and I have to tell you that I was impressed! While I didn't get to see the full extent of their catering abilities- the presentation and taste of the foods that they did serve was absolutely sublime. While they can do catering at venues around town (the Field Museum, the Aragon Ballroom and the Rookery to name a few) they also do catering at your home or business. They are involved as much or as little as you want taking care of some or all of the details. I was also recently at an event they did at Catalyst Ranch and it too was very well done. Their professionalism alone in this pro bono event will have me calling them the next time I need a caterer for that special event! read more

AH-MAZE-ING. If you have an opportunity to work with Dana and her team to plan your wedding, do NOT hesitate! Dana is a total rockstar and will do everything she can to help create the wedding of your dreams. I guess since we are talking "catering" I should mention that the food at our wedding was the best I have ever had at a catered event. We even had a LOT of restrictions with nut allergies, vegetarians, gluten/lactose allergies and a preference of a seasonal menu. Our wedding was in October 2012 and I still am hearing compliments from our wedding guests about how much they enjoyed everything that was served. Dana and team also helped us with rentals, bartenders (we provided our own liquor, they did the mixers & service), and centerpieces/decorations. Everything exceeded our expectations. The service onsite was also wonderful - the servers were willing to greet our guests with umbrellas as it was raining cats & dogs, and Jose was always available to help us with the venue temperature or whatever needs we had. Thanks Dana & Jewell Events!!! read more

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We said $3000 is the budget. They gave us a proposal for $9000. We repeated that the budget is $3000. They gave us a proposal for $8500. We said goodbye. They gave us a proposal for $7600. Although they were kind via email, our experience with this company is that they are trying to gouge their customers for the most money possible. I am not interested in feeling like I'm a corporate negotiator when I am planning my wedding. I do not recommend this company. Take your money to another caterer that listens to and partners with your vision. This is my first negative review on Yelp, so take that for what it is worth. read more

I was looking into using the Columbus Park Refectory for my wedding and Jewell Events Catering is one of their approved caterers. I called them up to get an idea of their prices and culinary capabilities. I worked with Jenna and Dana who were fully present and available for phone conversations and followed up with friendly emails. Jewell Events Catering was the only caterer to provide me with a cost estimate up front before I signed a contract with the Columbus Park Refectory. This was extremely important because (as I discovered) caterers make up the bulk of wedding costs. It would have been tragic for us if we signed a contract with the refectory only to later discover that we couldn't afford a caterer! Anyway, Dana and Jenna were real gems with whom to work. They were patient with me, forever pleasant, and clear in their explanations. If I remember correctly, they put together two quotes: the first was everything we wanted but soared above our budget and the next one was within our budget but reflected the bathos of our dreams to reality. I learned that event caterers do a lot. They bring chairs, tables, linens, place settings, decorations, food, and employees. They deliver EVERYTHING and then they clean it all up. Dana and Jenna would provide me with detailed time-lines for orchestration and tuxedoed ushers to help herd our guests from the ceremony to cocktail hour, to the reception. No wonder they're pricey! And God bless them for letting me know how much they'd cost before we signed anything with the refectory! This whole decision process took months and I am genuinely appreciative of their professionalism and kindness to me. read more

We just had our wedding this past weekend and LOVED working with Dana and the team at Jewell. Total professionals and such a pleasure to work with. Dana is a rockstar and made me feel completely comfortable throughout the wedding process. The day of the wedding, she was there and ensure my groom and I had our drinks or choice ready to go at every step. She truly made me feel like a princess. And let's talk about the food - we are still receiving so many compliments. Everything from apps, to salads to main entrees was amazing and flawless. A bit on the pricey side but you get what to you pay for and we are so glad we did. Thank you, Dana and Jewell for helping make out special day so amazing, care-free and most of all, delicious! read more

The situation: PR gal tasked with handling the catering for an upcoming company summer soiree. Healthy budget at her disposal for an event of approx 150 So she calls Jewell Events Catering because their website looks pretty and they come recommended from the event venue. What a mistake that was! Girl gives specific menu requests and quotes the budget upfront. Caterer seemingly incapable of following directions, providing timely responses, or sometimes responding at all! There are multiple times when girl has to pick up the phone and follow up not once, but TWICE on the email request she had sent, and sometimes days later! Long story short: I had it with Jewell Catering after I asked for a slightly revised menu with just one additional option that would still be within our budget and I was sent a COMPLETELY different menu that was nearly $3,000 over budget!!! I decided to scrap them before I let them ruin our event because I found their customer service unprofessional and quite unforgiveable. I wouldn't trust this company to cater a vendor lunch much less my wedding! Jewell Catering, good riddance! read more

We had our wedding October 1, 2016 and it wouldn't have been as perfect if it hadn't been for Kristin Kramer and the team at Jewell Catering. We got engaged 2 years ago and started planning immediately and decided on The Rookery as the venue. We had to choose between Blue Plate and Jewell and decided on Jewell because of their long standing stellar reputation in Chicago and they delivered! They were so amazing from the start of the process 1.5 years ago and helping us all the way through to help pick every little detail. When we had questions through the 1.5 year planning, they were there for us to help either through a phone call or over email which was so amazing and so helpful. There are so many things to do and think about to plan an event for 200 people and they had an answer for every question. And the closer we got to the wedding, Kristin and I talked even more to check in and help me with details even down to getting an opinion on what I wanted to do for placecards for each person coming. When we got to a couple months before to do the food tasting, they were so accommodating to my dad who is very particular about food and drink. They went above and beyond for our tasting to make me dairy-free options to try and everyone else got the normal options. Everything was so delicious and we left the tasting feeling stuffed and excited for the real wedding dinner. We ultimately decided on 5 appetizers for cocktail hour, 4 entrees (beef, chicken, fish and vegan), a salad, and 3 late night food snacks. The night of the wedding there were nothing but rave reviews from everyone about how awesome the food was and that they couldn't get enough of it. Appetizers: Bosc Pear Basil Leaf Wraps Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce Glazed Mu Shoo Duck Crepe with Hoisin Spicy Cajun Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Tuna Tartar Summer Roll with Mango, Carrot and Sprouts Salad : Pear and Walnut Salad -my dad initially wanted to do 2 salads as family style on each table and they were willing to accommodate at no extra cost, but we ultimately decided to just do 1 so we didn't have so much extra stuff on the tables. This salad was AMAZING! I wish I could have the frizzled beets that were on top all the time. Entrees: Guava-Stuffed Chicken with Caramelized Mango Lemon Picatta Salmon Grilled Herb Crusted Bistro Beef Filet Vegan Grilled Red Pepper Cup with Risotto Sides: Roasted Red Skin Potato Coins Haricot Vert Late night snacks: Wrigleyville Sliders with Mertz Cheese and Ketchup Navy Pier Chicago Style Hot Dogs in a Sesame Bun Chinatown Pad Tai with Tofu in Chinese Take Boxes While we did our receiving line, Kristin was there with apps and drinks for us to enjoy so we wouldn't miss out or go hungry. We ordered all of our alcohol through Binny's and then Jewell served everything. it was seamless and they were so helpful about how much we should order for everything even though we were not buying through Jewell. Same with the cupcakes we ordered through Sprinkles instead of having a wedding cake. They were so helpful at helping figure out how many to order and what flavors. I wanted to have bags of Garrett's popcorn as favors for everyone and Kristin offered to order them for me which ended up being cheaper and easier than if I had done it myself. At the end of the night, they packed everything up for us and took it back to our hotel room at the W. Everything meaning everything even leftover alcohol, pictures, cupcakes, popcorn, gifts and favors. Everything was so amazing and more than I could have ever imagined. Kristin and team are truly the best such professionals at this. It was such a pleasure and so fun to work with the team. They were beyond amazing and it will be a day that we will never forget. I truly appreciate everything they did for us and could not have imagined it being anymore perfect than it was. If you have a choice, book with Jewell. If you don't have a choice, then rest assured knowing that you will have an incredible team on your side. Kristin and team were so amazing. I would work with them again in a heartbeat. They made my wedding day beyond perfect and I can't thank them enough for that experience. read more

Dana and the Jewell team were absolutely the best choice for our wedding! We actually used Jewell To Go to cater our welcome reception and then the Jewell wedding division as our wedding caterers, and they were stellar on both fronts! For the catering for our welcome reception, they were so helpful in letting us know how much food they thought we'd need for our guest count and they were spot on! On the day of, they were right on time with delivery, very professional in helping to set up the food, and the food was met with great reviews, especially the red velvet sheet cake! For our actual wedding day, Dana was an absolute lifesaver! I had a TON of spreadsheets and very small details for each guest and Dana patiently went through each one with me and executed everything PERFECTLY. On the day of, she knew exactly where we wanted everything to go and helped keep us on track in terms of timing, even through some last minute changes. Throughout the whole process, she had a smile on her face and an infectiously positive attitude, that helped me and my husband feel at ease in the middle of the craziness. Thank you, Dana and Jewell, for helping us have our dream wedding! read more

We worked with Jenna from Jewell Events Catering for our wedding. She was fantastic! Super sweet, very accommodating, and overall a great partner to have as we went through the catering process. Jenna was able to get us everything we wanted, even when the requests were a little out there. The bartenders were amazing, too! We had margaritas during cocktail hour and everyone loved them. Jenna also took excellent care of us that night and made sure we had everything we needed. Jewell is a great choice for catering! read more

Hands down one of the best elements of our wedding. Our contact, Les, was a pleasure to work with from start to finish. He listened to exactly what it was we were looking for, and made adaptations as we changed our mind along the way. We always felt he was in control and had a clear vision. Les and his team arrived day-of and got to work immediately. The tables were set flawlessly and the service from start to finish was perfect. I cannot tell you how many compliments I received on both the food and beverage and overall service. I look forward to utilizing Jewell Events (and Les!) for future celebrations. read more

Things started off perfectly! My fiance and I loved Emily!!!! She was super involved and was constantly emailing us about our upcoming wedding. The wedding was wonderful. Of course a few things went wrong (as they always do). The buttercream on the cake had a huge gauge in the front on the top. I was promised by someone on staff it would be fixed and it never was. A few other things went wrong that if it were not for my first complaint would be no big deal. Emily left our wedding from set up to after dinner to go to another event!!!!!! First, we were promised that they only take on one event at a time. Second, the set up through dinner is the most important time to be at a wedding for the coordinator. This is when stuff is most likely to go wrong. Third, she told no one she was leaving. My sister needed to ask her something and she lied saying she just had to run to the office really quick. This was at 2-ish and she was not seen until at least 8:30-ish. My mom and sister kept looking for her all night. The staff lied and no one would mention that she left. She left no one in charge and her staff was lost. Orders got messed up. My photographers were not given their meals until very late. It was a mess (luckily everyone hid this from me and my husband). After the wedding my mom complained and Emily continued to lie until she finally admitted that she booked another event. We were disappointed that we were not given the attention we were promised and then were lied to. If we knew she would have been gone and she had put someone else in charge and we knew who we had to go to, none of this would be such an issue. My mom and sister could not fully relax because all night they were running around trying to put out fires. read more

Katherine did a wonderful job of listening to our suggestions, helping us determine our food preferences and choices, and providing quality food for the night of our wedding! We had so many compliments from guests that it was the best food they have ever had at the wedding. We enjoyed five passed appetizers, dinner course, cake, and late night bites. It was all delicious. The quality of service from everyone at Jewell was outstanding. read more

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Have you ever gone to weddings and you get the typical wedding food and it's horrible! Well, I didn't have that problem at my wedding, because I hired Jewell catering. People couldn't stop raving about the food! I even had a guest ask for seconds for guests that didn't show that's how great the food was. Everything tasted so fresh and had great flavor. Also, everything tasted like it came right out of the oven! I had the pleasure of working with Kristen Kramer, she is wonderful! She has the bright and bubbly personality. I loved every meeting with her, because she was so positive. She is also very knowledgeable about their food as well. She was all about making this the best experience for us. She kept saying anything we want or need, please let her know. If we wanted to change anything, they would make it happen for us! Not only was the food great, but they made our wedding cake! It was awesome! The flavor was great! The icing was too die for! It was moist and flavorful! They even offered to make another topper for our wedding anniversary! If you are looking for great wedding food and a wonderful company. Please go to Jewell! Pick Kristin she's amazing! read more

Jewell catered our wedding at the Cheney Mansion in Oak Park in June 2018, and they were absolutely perfect! The food and drinks were delicious and the service was incredible, both day-of and during the year-long planning. Dana was consistently so thoughtful and responsive and really went the extra mile in taking care of every detail and special request. I loved working with her, and because of her and the Jewell team, did not have to worry about anything the day of my wedding except to have fun! I cannot recommend them enough. You can tell even from the initial contact and first tasting, Jewell really stands out as exceptional. read more

UPDATE: Just had the wedding a week ago and Jewell (& Emily) did an amazing job! The food was really good. The mango salad was so interesting and yummy (lots of raves from guests) and the beef was also excellent. The staff was always polite and did a great job of attending to our guests needs. --------- Just had the tasting! It was YUMMY. Marscapone stuffed salmon & cabernet-gorgonzola beef! mmmmm..... -------- I was prompted to write a review when I saw the one star review on here. My experience has been quite the opposite -- it has been very positive! We are working with Jewell Events Catering for my July 11th 2009 wedding. Gotta say, so far so very, very good. Kristin Kramer and Danielle Vogelheim are fantastic. They are very quick with responding to emails/calls and all sorts of questions. Very kind and considerate. Just a true delight. The tasting is on Tuesday Nov 25th. I'll let you know how it goes! Oh - by the way - I think they use to be called "George Jewell" because all of my other vendors seem to refer to my caterer by that name. I guess George is the owner? I have never met him. read more

Jewell events catered our wedding on Sept. 26, 2010 and did a nice job. From the start the customer service was pretty great - I worked with Dana and she did a very nice job. I thought the food was pretty great but some guests complained that it was a bit spicy - not sure how to take that. I really liked that Dana arranged for my husband and I to have a plate or apps in a room upstairs just for us so that we could have a snack before making our entrance into the cocktail reception. The folks at Jewell are pros and you can tell by the way they execute an event - I will say that you def pay for that professional service, they are NOT cheap, but they are good at what they do. I thought service was running a bit slow so I had to tell one of the servers to bring out the dessert - it seemed like people were getting antsy, but aside from that, it all went pretty well. If you're looking for a caterer that goes above and beyond and knows the ins and outs of Catering in Chicago, then this is the company for you. No need to micromanage bc these people know what's up. Overall, a pleasant experience working with the team at Jewell. read more

We had our wedding reception @ The Rookery building, and were limited to Blue Plate vs George-Jewell events. I went with George-Jewell due to better customer service via phone and e-mail. Prices were comparable, ie outrageously expensive. The only reason Im knocking down a star is that I was supposed to be working with Kristin and Dana, but never did meet Dana. She was absent at the wedding tasting and then again on my wedding day! Which after reading below I realize she was at another wedding (mine was also June 2nd, but I was told she was on maternity leave). Also, I had a hard time finding anywhere at The Rookery to freshen up after being out on the trolley all afternoon doing photos, so I was walked outside around the entire building and into a tiny bathroom (which was apparently the only bathroom in the building available for use for weddings). During this time, I was supposed to be able to get a sample of all the hors d'oeuvres since I was not participating in the cocktail hour, but never did. Now for the positives. Kristin is amazing. Thankfully, she does an incredible job without Dana. She was like having a wedding coordinator and a caterer on site. I didn't have a wedding planner so having Kristin around until the bitter end was a lifesaver. First, she allowed me to drop everything off the day before and then she had everything set up perfectly on the wedding day. She was also available to meet with the florist and cake designer for their needs. Everything looked PERFECT at the reception. On to the food. As mentioned above, I missed out on all the hors d'oeuvres which was a huge bummer. The salad was beautiful, but I wasn't impressed with the taste. The entree's were pretty good for catered food, definitely better than most wedding food. But I'm a bit of a food snob, so it's hard to be impressed with wedding food. However, I will say our friends and family were blown away by the food so that is what matters most. Here is why I really love Kristin. It got really hot in there, and even though the AC was cranked, we had a live orchestra and a packed dance floor. My dress must have weighed 30lbs. I started to feel sick. Kristin managed to rummage up some TUMS and kept water readily available for me. It was very sweet of her, she was by my side tending to my needs all night. At the end of the night, I was responsible for clearing out the centerpieces since I wanted to keep them. Kristin and the staff helped carry them all out to the Rolls for us, then kept our plate chargers and glasses to clean them before returning them to us. They even washed our crystal champagne flutes, then boxed up everything for us to bring home. Kristin really went above and beyond. If you don't hire the company for the food, then at least hire them to have Kristin at your wedding:) read more

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Though I've never dealt with Jewell on the logistics side, seeing the many favorable reviews on here is on par with my experiences attending events where Jewell provided the catering. My taste buds have always been pleasantly surprised, and I find the offerings - food and drink - to be of high quality and not institutional or mass-produced fare. Last week I had attended the library's reception to kick off One Book, One Chicago. This year's selection is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, which I mention because all of the passed appetizers lined up with the theme of superheroes- even the grilled cheese triangles, spinach puffs, and bacon-wrapped dates had inventive names that tied in with the book, and were plated on trays bearing artwork from the cover. There were little brownie bites in the shape of Batman's logo at the end. The level of detail also extended to the catering staff, as the guy working the bar was wearing a superhero mask and a superman t-shirt under his jacket. Before that event, I'd attended another library reception, catered by Jewell, that tied in with the 100 Years of Wrigley book. The appetizers featured mini versions of traditional stadium fare - bitty ice cream cones, hot dogs/burgers, cones of popcorn, all in shrunken down form. It was absolutely adorable and put everyone in the mood of being at the ballpark. Everything about this outfit speaks to a high level of professionalism and pride in creating customized and inventive experiences, even for routine events where wine and cheese trays are more often the norm. I look forward to attending more events catered by Jewell and would definitely recommend this company to anyone looking to coordinate an event where a higher level of culinary excellence is required. read more

Dana and Gregory arranged a tasting for our wedding catering last month, and they blew us away. In the time leading up to the tasting, they were completely on-the-ball with communications, and very responsive to our needs and concerns. My fiance and I knew squat about catering and event planning, so we were the ultimate pain-in-the-patoot potential clients, needing everything explained to us. So we were quite relieved that they were patient and happy to educate us about how wedding catering works and how best to plan a menu. Importantly, they were very willing to work with our budget, and told us what we could do to keep costs down. We wanted to do different themes of food stations, so they had everything laid out for us at the tasting. They tried to present everything as it would be during the actual event, and it turned out beautiful. It looked good, but did it taste good, I wondered...? YES. They injected just the right amount of creative with traditional flavors; sure to please many diverse palettes. Dana and Gregory were sparkling people to be around, and clearly know their stuff. They're very organized and accommodating, and I would trust their judgment to be classy and tasteful. I would highly recommend working with them if you are interested in Jewell. Tip: Try the bacon-wrapped dates. They beat Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba's varietal, and that's really saying somethin'! read more

Top notch service, kind professionals and tasty food. We had Jewell cater our cocktail style reception at Salvage One (9/2/11) and would highly recommend them for any of your event needs. We worked with Gregory and Dana and they were incredible. Dana was just coming back from maternity leave and helped near the end of our event and was lovely to be around with made sure we were taken care of on the wedding date. Gregory - if i could give him 1MM stars. I would. From the second we met him, we felt like he really understood what we wanted and went to great strides to help our vision come true. From suggesting new menu options to incorporating our wedding colors and designs into the service - he was nothing short of creative, attentive and an absolute pleasure. He chimed in with just much excitement over our wedding, with as much enthusiasm as a close friend, I knew that we could trust him to help deliver an amazing night. When you're looking for a caterer, of course the food needs to be excellent, but remember that you don't always get this type of class and professionalism any where. We've been to other weddings where the servers and bartenders were rude and pushy. The Jewell team was not anywhere close to that. They were a joy to be around and made sure that they were a part celebration in every way with their friendly demeanor. And yes, the food was delicious. Stacked up wheels of cheese for a wedding cake, taco stand, Asian food station, a candy buffet and two signature cocktails -- they did not miss a beat. In fact to make an authentic Vietnamese banh mi sandwich - Gregory made sure they ordered their bread from a local Vietnamese bakery. I could go on about Gregory and Dana but in the end you'll need to see how amazing they are in person. read more

Our wedding was Sept. 25th 2010, everything was so wonderful, people all night were telling us how wonderful the food was and how great the staff was. They made sure my Aunt with celiac was taken care of which was great. My Uncle made a point to go over to my dad and ask "who hired these caterers?"... we were a bit worried till he found me and just gushed on how great the staff was, he was put in charge of the fire and Jewell staff took it over and made a fantastic fire for us! All night they just did a wonderful Job going above and beyond they made sure to come up to my husband and I and make sure we were taken care of. We had a sandwich station and heavy appetizers When we first started looking at Caterers (the approved CPD list) they all pretty much laughed at our budget, which wasn't super small. Dana did not and really helped us find ways to cut things we really didn't need and put money where it was needed... into the food NOT rentals! She was awesome and made us feel great about the wedding after our first meeting. So food... AMAZING! at the tasting they seemed kind of small and I swear they doubled in size on the wedding day, everyone left saying they were stuffed and that it was so much fun not to have a sit down dinner it got everyone up and dancing! OUR FAVORITE Passed Hors d'Oeuvres: Petite Brie and Apricot Tartlets in Phyllo Cups with Toasted Almonds Tomatoes, Red Onions, Basil, Garlic, Olive Oil and Goat Cheese on Round Crostini (EVERYONES FAVORITE) Petite Seafood Ceviche with Avocado Puree in Toasted Tortilla Cups Shrimp in Spiral Puff Pastry with Lemon Aioli Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce Slider on Brioche with Melted Mertz Cheddar Pulled Pork on Brioche Silder on Brioche with Caramelized Onions (Half with Bleu Cheese, Half without) Hors d'Oeuvres Station: Tavern Ham on a Orange Biscuit with Yam Butter Smoked Turkey on a Currant Biscuit with Raspberry Marmalade Grilled Late Summer Vegetables and Goat Cheese in a Spinach Wrap Asian Barbeque Grilled Beef on a Red Pepper Gougeres Carribean Papaya and Sweet Red Pepper read more

I am coming off of one of the most amazing nights of my life and have Jewell to thank for it. I started working with Jewell about six months ago and had a dream of doing a fancy Taste of Chicago wedding. When I met with Gregory he really worked with my ideas to make a classy five station taste of chicago wedding. They were able to decorate each and every station and my guests said it was quite possibly the best food they had ever had at a wedding. Everyone from the wait staff to the banquet manger to the bartenders went out of their way for us but I would like to give a special shout out to Gregory who was one of the most attentive catering managers I have ever worked at. Jewell is a family owned business and treated us like we were family. I could not have asked for more. Thank you for making our event so special. read more

We chose Jewell to cater our wedding reception at the Rookery Building Memorial Day weekend. We had the pleasure to work with Dana and her assistant Gregory. From the very first phone call to the last email, both Dana and Gregory were very friendly, professional, responsive, and accommodating. They worked with our budget and helped make the planning process as painless as possible. They were easily accessible and responded promptly to emails and phone calls. Right before the reception started, we discovered we ordered the wrong whiskey from a separate vendor; Dana immediately called her vendor and brought in a supply of the correct whiskey in time for cocktail hour. She also took the time to introduce us to the head waiter who took care of us throughout the party. We received so many wonderful compliments on the food and service from our friends and family. I highly recommend Jewell Events Catering for any special event. Thanks to Dana and Gregory for helping make our wedding reception very memorable!! read more

Patrick Greene is literally the best bartender and server ever!!!!! He has an amazing personality!!!! I am as at an event and he LITERALLY BLEW AWAY THE OTHER BARTENDER!!! If I were to host an event, I would request Patrick!! read more

The company I work for used Jewell Catering for an event that we hosted in our office. To be honest, I was completely blown away by the efficiency and professionalism that every member of the staff seemed to have! They were extremely early and well prepared, incredibly friendly, and did a phenomenal job at making our event a success. I'd like to shout out Katherine, Angela, Eric, Mike (naw'leans!), and the rest of the team for everything they did. At the end of the night, they even pulled out a mop for our kitchen. I told the man to not worry about it since we have a cleaning service, but he insisted saying, "we always clean up after our mess". Exceptional! Thanks again everyone! I would highly recommend this service for any event. read more

Definitely another five star rating for Dana and Jewell Events Catering. We just had our wedding catered by Jewell, so the fabulous experience is still fresh in our minds. Dana was such a pleasure to work with. Not only was she knowledgeable, helpful - more specifically, eager to help with any aspect of the wedding planning, but she gave us a sense of confidence and calm that our wedding could and would be amazing. Dana was responsive, easy to work with, and extremely professional. Jewell's execution at the event was spot on. My wife and I did little more than share our vision with Dana, and her crew set up the space better than we could have imagined. The food service, from cocktail hour hors d'oeuvres through the reception dinner, was fantastic. We received a number of "best wedding food ever" comments, and it was clear as my wife and I gazed across the reception floor that people were loving the service. In short, Dana and Jewell Catering gave an incredibly high class touch to our wedding for what we believe to be an extremely reasonable price (we received quotes from five caterers before making a choice...). We could not have been more pleased with how everything turned out. Like some of the other reviews, we had to hear about Jewell through a friend of a friend - we hope this review helps to catapult Jewell to the top of Yelp searches for "catering" where it belongs! read more

We could not have been happier with Dana from Jewell Events Catering. When we expressed interest in having our wedding at the Rookery this past June, Dana was the first person we contacted to see the space. From the moment we met her she was professional, incredibly friendly, and just plain fun to work with. Even though she herself was planning an out of town wedding she incredibly easy to contact, and timely with returning calls or e-mails. Whenever we made any changes to our contract she would update us minutes later by attaching a copy of the new contract in an e-mail. She was even helpful with suggestions on other vendors to use for things like alcohol and wedding cake. Jewell Events itself was outstanding as well. My husband and I love to eat out, and it takes a lot to impress us when it comes to food. Needless to say, we were nervous going into our tasting. After our first bite we were in heaven! They have some of the most delicious appetizers, and their entree choices were outstanding as well. There are so many options, and they are fantastic about working with your budget. We were even able to have them prepare two organic meals for us because we are very particular about where our meat comes from. Even though Jewell Events is the exclusive caterer for the Rookery, I would highly recommend them to anyone needing a catering service for a wedding, or any catered event for that matter. I will dream about their dates stuffed with goat cheese forever. Yum! read more

I was recently the Sommelier host for a 50th Birthday that Jewell catered to and the food was amazing! They worked well with myself and the client to help fit their menu into the wine pairing and I couldn't have been more pleased. When Windy City Wine Guy Consulting clients are in need of catering services in the future, I'll be sure to recommend Jewell! read more

Our experience with Jewell (and Dana Konya in particular) was top-notch - talk about service! Jewell has amazing food and are competitively priced for Chicago wedding standards. Prior to our wedding, we had a tasting with Jewell; most caterers offer this so our expectations weren't high going in. We were greeted by tuxedo-ed wait staff and a specialty champagne cocktail - WHAT?! From there, we went into a private room with a table set with our colored linens and choice chairs. Everything about the tasting was marvelous - SOLD. During the planning process, Dana walked us through upgrades, pricing and options without putting any pressure on us. She was flexible when it came to making payments and worked with us when we needed an extra week. (Side note - make sure you have your Jewell coordinator explain the payment options and credit card policy thoroughly - we were a little unclear in the beginning and then couldn't use our credit card later. Completely our fault but just make sure you ask for clarity first!) Fast forward to our wedding week and Dana was the calmest, easiest person to work with. Her turn-around time on layouts and invoices was quick; it was as if I was the only bride she was working with! During cocktail hour on our wedding day, Dana hand-delivered appetizers and champagne to my husband and I while we were busy taking photos - very much appreciated! The food was outstanding and the service was impeccable. The entire wait staff was so attentive and most importantly, unobtrusive; you didn't even know they were there. All in all, I would highly recommend Jewell for any bride looking for the best value in a caterer. Ask to work with Dana specifically and you will not regret it! The biggest lesson I learned from our wedding planning process was to surround yourself with people/vendors you trust, and your day will go off without a hitch! read more