I can only speak from festival experience, as they were at Riot Fest. The food I had from their stall was absolutely delicious, albeit a little but overdone. They were lavender infused chicken strips served with peach BBQ sauce and coleslaw. The coleslaw was fine, pretty standard. The chicken strips (ignoring the touch over cooked) had a really nice flavor. I was afraid it was going to be super floral and weird, but it balanced out really nicely. The BBQ sauce was absolutely delicious, and I would put that on absolutely anything. I don't know much about this place as a caterer, but if this sampling is any indication of their skills, they're a safe bet! read more

Inspired Catering and Events - Lavender chicken tenders with peach bbq sauce and slaw from Riot Fest. - Caterers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Inspired was so helpful and easy to work with for our corporate lunches during our all-staff meetings last week. Liz made everything easy--and worked quickly on our last-minute event! The food is creative and delicious. So many people commented on the cocoa-dusted chicken, in particular! And all of the salads got rave reviews. Basically, if you're looking for a great caterer, you've found it. read more

EVENTS It seems like everywhere I go Phil is catering the event. I've actually attended several events in his upstairs party room at the restaurant and at various venues in downtown Chicago. First I must mention the staff. The servers and bartenders are all really nice. They keep the food on the table looking good. They also make sure to get around the room so everyone can try the hot Apps. Bartenders are always friendly and make great drinks. I hate when event bartenders put in a splash of spirit. That doesn't make a corporate meeting any fun but a real pour and now were talking. In fact, some of these events need the loose juice to get people to open up. One of the food items I always see are sandwiches. Yeah these are easy to eat for lunch events. I have tried them all. I am impressed with the quality and taste for the sandwich being catered. The roast beef is always a little on the rare side which is more tasty. I am even impressed with there Italian sub sandwiches. It is hard to compete with all of the amazing Italian Sub places in Chicago. They also have the typical platters of cheese, fruit and veggies. These are always good staples at an event. The veggie tray covers the non meat eaters and the meat eaters can feel healthy by grabbing some raw carrots. Everyone is happy and the veggie tray always seems untouched. The staff also offered to wrap up the food after an event instead of throwing it away. They even carried it to my friends car for her. That was so nice of them but she had cube cheese for months. Everyone loves cheese. So depending on where you hold your event you may be forced to have Phil supply the food but that may not be a bad think. Phil knows how to keep a customer happy. So if u find yourself at that choice, then chose Phil because he rocks. read more

We used Inspired Catering for my daughters wedding and if I could give more stars I would!. Inspired Catering served the most delicious food. My guests were in heaven! From the very beginning, Tom K. guided us and handled everything with care and professionalism. We did not worry about a single thing because they know exactly what to do. Tom and all of the servers were amazing. So kind, nice, professional, and service oriented. I highly recommend Inspired Catering. You will not go wrong! read more

We hired Inspired Catering for our wedding this past weekend and it was the best decision we ever made honestly. I'm naturally a skeptic & do tons of research before making any sizable decisions, so to save any brides-to-be (or anyone planning an event) out there looking for a caterer, the time and hassle of doing tons of unnecessary research: INSPIRED CATERING IS THE BEST VALUE OUT THERE AND ARE THEY ARE AN ABSOLUTE DREAM TO WORK WITH. Trust. Everyone LOVEDDDDD the food at our wedding, like I can't even believe the amount of people who complimented the catering the night of and are still telling me about how delicious their meals were and how much they enjoyed the food, from the appetizers down to the entrees. Even the most hard to impress foodies have been throwing out praise for the catering at our wedding. I was blown away by the food personally, as was my husband. The quality and depth of flavor they present with each dish is truly top tier. Additionally they were incredibly understanding, professional, and so easy to work with. We had a horrible medical situation take over our lives for a year and were so beyond depleted/behind when we finally got the opportunity to plan our wedding, and at that point it really felt like having the wedding we wanted would be impossible. But Inspired Catering's ability to so easily work with our situation and deliver at such a high level was a godsend that turned our wedding planning around completely for the better. The owner Karen, personally connected with us to make sure we were getting exactly what we wanted, she also ensured that we were able to get it all without exceeding our budget, and provided extra insight that really helped guide us while we were making our final decisions. We also worked with Maribell, their Sales Manager, who could not have been kinder or more accommodating and professional. She gave us so many tips and honest opinions, truly went above and beyond. She literally managed an event setup and helped us select cost effective/complimentary color beautiful linens (it was the only time we were both available to meet with her), at the same time, and was still somehow so calm cool and collected while doing it. Having Maribell onsite at my wedding was SUCH a value add, she held things together keeping the whole wedding reception running smoothly and on schedule (I.e. helping the bridal party lineup for entrance etc...), all while she managed her staff in delivering flawless service and meals to all of the guests. Each of their servers were also so professional, knowledgeable, friendly and helpful! All in all....The best advice I could give any future bride (or any event planner) is to hire Inspired Catering. They really helped make our special day the absolute dream boat that it was! Our wedding was absolute perfection and I cannot thank the team at Inspired Catering enough. read more

Don't be scared off when thinking about working with a catering company. I can be the first one to admit I was very intimidated when we picked our wedding venue (Prairie Production). I had never planned a party where everything down to the fork was going to be brought into the venue. While this can be scary, if you pick the right catering company you should not be afraid! At first look I did not think we would be able to afford Stefani's, they are the big guys and we were having a smaller wedding. After visiting another company we thought what the heck lets call Stefani's and see if we can afford it. To our surprise we could and not only that they welcomed us in for a tasting before we signed with them. We met with Anna Pindara, who is a saint lets just start right there! I was a busy bride and email was my best way of communication and Anna was always there with an answer right away, there was no delay responses from her. She listened to exactly what we were looking for. Having good Italian food was on the top of our list, as we are Italian so the sauce had to be good. Not only was it amazing, but they offered us a special Arrabbiata sauce for the two of us for our wedding dinner as we loved it so much. Since we knew the spicy sauce would not be for the masses it was nice that they gave us the option for just us. Since we are used to doing family style at home, we thought it would be most appropriate at our wedding and Anna made it happen. Their staffed started cocktail hour off with passed Hors d'oeuvres, of bruschetta, feta w/watermelon, and meatballs. I can tell you people are still raving on the meatballs! No one went hungry or thirsty during the cocktail hour. The staffed passed wine and the bartender was quick with the mixed drinks. I honestly don't think I ever had to order a drink as one was handed to me without even asking, now that's service! Family style dinner was a great hit as we had some big pasta lovers, whose platters kept getting refilled, as well as the chicken limone. I'm still not sure what was on top of the salad but people are still commenting on it. My father (who's off the boat from Sicily) and is one of the pickiest eater I know, was very impressed with the food. We could not be happier with Phill Stefani''s, Anna and their staff. She was great to work with, and on the day of our wedding she was our go to girl. She really acted as a day of coordinator and really put us at ease that everything would be OK and it was more than OK it was Amazing! We look forward to having the opportunity to work with her once again! read more

Inspired Catering and Events - Caterers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Inspired catered our daughter's wedding this past weekend and I can't say enough about great they were. The food was delicious and they accommodated our taste for Korean, Indian, Italian, and Thai food, and our desire for lots of vegetarian and vegan options along with meat dishes. The tables looked elegant and festive. The service was great--wait staff even brought hors d'ouevres to the post-ceremony photo shoot!--there when you need them, but not hovering or rushing. Tom and his staff were flexible, even when we made last minute table changes, and super helpful answering all this first-time mother-of-the-bride's questions about wedding planning. Five star food, service, and just plain helpfulness. Thanks, Tom! read more

Liz is amazing!!! That girl has a true love of helping others and it shows. The amount of proposals she sent to us to make sure we had exactly what we wanted was, for some, probably annoying. But not Liz; she was eager to give us the best wedding and I believe we did. Instead of a buffet or plated dinner, we had pizza delivered from next door and, while some caters wouldn't dare work with another company when it comes to a wedding dinner, Liz was excited by the idea and helped us pick appetizers to pair well with it. The only concern our guests had throughout the night was that her staff was TOO efficient; they would put their drink or food down to dance or talk to someone and when they turned back to grab it, it had been taken away. But, honestly, if that was the only negative thing people were talking about, that's a pretty freakin good night! read more

Substituted brioche for tomato focaccia in my catered lunch box but the turkey sandwich and the rest were so delicious and filling

A well run caterer is one of the most important components to a successful event. Inspired Catering did our wedding this past weekend and wow, great job! Lots of great feedback from our guests as well. Tom and Teo were on top of everything, from the tasting to the actual event. Excellent communication and advice. read more

I must admit being born & raised in Cali my dining experiences in Chicago have been some of the best dining experiences in my short 28yrs... with that being said Phil Stefani is a classic old school Italian steakhouse in the heart of chicago. If you are ever in Chicago Stefani's is a must!! Impeccable food & service. The menu has many great italian dishes, Maccheroni Cipriani, Ravioli Alle Erbette, Gnocchetti, Spaghetti Al Pomodoro, Linguine Ai Frutti Di Mare, and many more. Lot's to experience and enjoy. My meal began with a great glass of red wine & the fried calamari. My main course I had the petite filet & italian mashed potatoes, very, very good. Dessert I had the mango sorbet, A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! Phil Stefani is a classy joint. I look forward to my next meal and enjoying their great homemade italian masterpieces.... I had a wonderful dining experience. read more

Working with Anna was great... however the outcome not so much. We chose Stefani to cater our nighttime boat cruise (we were only give 4 options) and thought Stefani was the easiest to work with/most understanding. We were not looking for a lot of food and wanted to take the cheapest route possible however still get a good deal for the money we were spending. Overall, we paid $1,100 dollars for 4 bowls of chips, a cheese plate, and 2 small bowls of dip. This is not an exaggeration. Not sure if they knew we were a group in our min-20's and thought they could take advantage. But when i expressed my disappointment and requested some sort of compensation they declined. read more

Inspired Catering and Events - to serve 150 people................... - Caterers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Still recovering from the coat-check trauma, which I only bring up because the food/service/atmosphere were not enough to justify. To be fair, I came here (to one of the upstairs rooms) for a networking event, so perhaps this was reflected in the questionable quality of wine and paltry appetizers -- think small pizzas reminiscent of the totino's pizza rolls that I used to have as after-school snacks in my middle-school heyday. I will say that the space itself was good and allowed for mingling. One extra star since there was actually a place for my bag, which was monster-sized since I came right from work, without having to resort to the scary coat check. read more

Phil Stefani was the caterer for our wedding a few weeks ago. We were bummed when early on, we were told our contact Anna was no longer with the company. Luckily, our new contact Maribell as well as other staff were terrific. Both Anna and Maribel were both a joy to work with, flexible and courteous. The food is also spectacular, and the service the day of my wedding was outstanding. In the end, MARIBELL is to thank for a fantastic reception!! The food was on point, and everyone was raving about the service. Our venue looked great, and Maribell went out of her way to be sure my new husband and I were happy throughout the entire reception. However, I don't feel the same about Karen Stefani, who thinks putting food on the table is the highest level of customer service allowed. Karen was not my primary contact, though she often stepped in to tell me what I could and couldn't do when it came to coordinating our wedding at the Ballroom at 12 E Erie. There was a lot of miscommunication - me being told one thing, then finding out later that I 'misunderstood'. I realize when there is a staff transition, things may fall through the cracks. However, things that were agreed upon verbally with Anna (and Maribell) were quickly changed and shut down by Karen, who in my opinion, felt the need to micromanage her staff. Let the sales managers handle their own accounts, please. For example, we were able to buy our own liquor and I was told because of the liquor license, the caterer had to bring the liquor to the reception venue. When I showed up to drop it off a week before our wedding, Karen gave us a hard time and told us they could not store it and that I had to drop it off the day of the wedding (as if the bride and groom have time for that.) She also said they wouldn't be able to set up my decorations at the venue though I was told previously the staff could do it during set-up, so I had to ask a friend to go to the reception to ensure it was set up appropriately. Once she arrived, they told my friend they weren't supplying water and she went to 7-11 to buy bottled water for our guests!! They reimbursed her, thankfully. My advice is to get EVERYTHING you agree on in writing, and to be sure you read over the contract before you sign! Though Karen ended up agreeing to what I was previously promised, she caused unnecessary stress for me the week of my wedding. Such a shame to give them 3 stars, since without Karen, they would have received 5. read more

Without a doubt - the best decision we made in our wedding planning was working with Phil Stefani Catering -- in particular -- Michelle D. was an absolute hero during the entire planning process. Not only did she go above and beyond prior to the event, but also during the day of the event, she offered us advice and counsel that only a true professional could provide. The execution of the event was even better than I could've imagined. The service was outstanding, drinks were great and the food was delicious and beautifully displayed. Michelle & her team were able to accommodate all of our requests (family style, whole roast pig, etc.) and made sure everything was spot on. She even made sure we received snacks from the cocktail reception during our photography time - very thoughtful. Without her, I don't think we would have been able to pull of such a successful wedding and party. We also had great experience with the Head Chef who was very open to fine-tuning and adjusting the menu. He was very cool, able to make wonderful food and he gave us a sweet treat after our tasting. Also very noteworthy was one of the head servers, Zachary J. Not only was he super nice during our tasting, but he did an outstanding job at the wedding reception. He was by far the best bartender and I saw people lining up specifically for him at the bar. Awesome job! Highly recommend booking Stefani Catering. You truly will not regret this decision as Michelle D. and this organization are top notch. read more

WOW...INCREDIBLE...AMAZING...PERFECT....These are a few of the comments we received in regards to our perfect night which was all pulled together and so well orchestrated by Stefanis...specifically Michelle Dallas! At the very start all the way to the end, Michelle made the experience enjoyable and so easy. The service and food quality is certainly the best in Chicago and I venture to say and beyond! They made our wedding and reception one of the best many of our guests said they had ever attended. THANK YOU MICHELLE AND STEFANIS!!!! We would not have changed a thing!!!!! read more

We used Inspired Catering for our wedding, and they did an INCREDIBLE job! The team was extremely kind, professional, and executed great service. When we were doing our tastings, Inspired had a great showing. What sold us on them though, was Tom K. We felt so at ease with him, trusted his experience, and really knew that he would do a great job. He was always very honest with us and has a great energy. When it came to the wedding, the Inspired team was efficient and professional. We spoke to a few members of the team as we were getting ready for the day to start, and they were all so sweet and so enthusiastic! Aside from the service, the food was delicious!! We had also used them for lunch catering earlier in the day, and that food was also great. We used them once more at our Sunday brunch at the hotel, and the food was again, great. I appreciate Tom and the hard work that he put into the wedding, and for always making sure that we had what we needed. read more

Karen and her team catered my daughters wedding reception last night and it was incredible. I got so many compliments on the dinner "best meal of any wedding I have been to" was heard multiple times. Many guests stopped and shared how awesome everything was. Whatever your next event, the ownership and staff are wonderful to work with. I will definitely use them again. read more

Inspired Catering and Events catered our wedding at the Museum of Surgical Science last weekend and it was amazing! EVERYONE came up to us during or after the wedding to tell us that the food was incredible, and that really is what having a great caterer is all about! Having great food and drink at our wedding was probably #1 on our list. Inspired was one of the approved vendors for the museum, and one of 3 catering choices we narrowed the list down to. We had tasted 1 other caterer before going to Inspired for their tasting, and Inspired really blew us away right from the beginning. They treated us extremely well at our first tasting (you might think that's obvious, but the 1st caterer we tried really didn't seem to care about what we thought), really listened to what we wanted for the food and drink, and seemed eager to customize everything to our liking. For instance, we wanted to have the sauce for the fish on the chicken instead, and they were really happy to do that for us. The food really needs to be highlighted - all the food was delicious, from the passed hors d'oeuvres to the plated meal to the drinks. I don't just mean it was passable. I mean it was REALLY good. We loved it, and guests kept telling us at the wedding that they loved it too. During our tasting, we also got a lot of information about the process and what the evening would look like, which was all really helpful. The tasting experience was so wonderful, we cancelled our 3rd tasting and went with Inspired right away, and we are extremely happy we made that choice! The day-of, everything went really smoothly. Set-up was really fast and efficient. The passed hors d'oeuvres made it all the way around all the rooms and nobody complained about food running out. Our bartender made some excellent drinks, and the service captain Teo made sure all the service staff were doing exactly what they needed to do. The service was very attentive but not overbearing. We had a plated dinner and dessert with coffee service and everything was quick and professional. We worked with Liz throughout the planning process and she really made the effort to make sure the food, service, linens, and everything else really matched exactly what we wanted. We had a plated dessert as opposed to a wedding cake, and scheduled a special dessert tasting to select that and that was also very easy and went smoothly. Neither of us had been to many weddings, and Liz really made the process very easy and stress-free. She walked us through some of the decisions we had to make and was very communicative throughout the entire process with us, the venue, and our DJ. She answered all of our questions promptly and was just really wonderful to work with. I would definitely recommend Inspired and especially Liz for anyone's event! read more

We used Inspired Catering for a 60-guest family event on board one of the Wendella river cruises in early October of 2019. Liz and Katie were incredibly helpful throughout the planning process, giving guidance for both menu options and quantity suggestions. Several of our guests had food sensitivity issues, and the accommodations and flexibility that Inspired provided were greatly appreciated. The execution of the event was seamless. The relationship between the Inspired and Wendella crews made the logistics run smoothly, so we didn't have to think about a thing on board and could enjoy the time with our guests. The head of Inspired's on-board crew, Michelle, was absolutely amazing, making sure things at the buffet were flowing smoothly and that we and all of our guests were being taking care of and enjoying ourselves. And the food was delicious!! Guests were commenting and complimenting well beyond the event. read more

Inspired Catering and Events catered our wedding at the Columbus Park Refectory a couple of weeks ago and we're still incredibly blown away by Liz and her team. From the start, Liz stood out as incredibly receptive and accommodating. This continued throughout the process and culminated in their incredible service on our big day. We truly could not have pulled off our wedding day without her expertise and dedicated work ethic-- even more so when we pushed up our wedding by almost a year. Thanks to Liz and her incredible staff, we had the day we had always imagined, put together in two months. We were even able to salvage our outdoor ceremony after an unseasonable cold snap, thanks to an eleventh hour heater acquisition. Our intimate group thoroughly enjoyed their meals and everyone was well taken care of, including two vegans in a crowd of meat-lovers. Inspired's quinoa enchiladas will forever change how my husband and I see quinoa-- it was that good. However, we're still dreaming about the short rib and potato au gratin we had on our wedding night. That alone should be all the convincing you need to hire them for your next event. Truly, none of us have never been to a wedding where we loved the food so, so much. From two families who love food, thank you. read more

We chose Phil Stefani Signature Events to cater our wedding reception for 70 of our family and friends. We couldn't have picked better. Jennifer Monti was the best, easiest to work with, and most accommodating planner of everyone we considered. We'd highly recommend working with her. She's professional AND fun! Planning a reception is stressful. Monti took a lot of that stress away and helped us enjoy ourselves and create a delicious menu and awesome party. We wanted a Hawaiian theme to our reception with Hawaiian food as the star including an imu-style whole roasted pig. Monti loved the idea and created a delicious menu with everything from mahi mahi steaks to coconut sweet potatoes to a whole roasted pig carved on-site. The tasting was delicious, and the food for the reception turned out the same. Hors d'oeuvres were delicious and enjoyed by all. Dinner was buffet-style with 8 different dishes and a salad course, and there was enough of every dish for everyone. Our biggest complements for the reception were how good the food was and how it was (direct quote) "so much better than any other reception food I've ever had." The service staff was also great. We held the reception at a private venue, and Phil Stefani provided professional experienced staff who kept everyone stocked with food and drinks. The staff all arrived early, setup was a breeze, and everything went smooth as silk through the entire evening. Prices were good and in line with other reception proposals we received, but overall, we got a lot more quality with Phil Stefani. Now we're looking for a reason to have another catered party. Post-wedding shower perhaps? :) read more

After reading through comments it is pretty apparent that Maribell, Karen and Stefani itself are elite! They were such a huge and integral part of our wedding that we did not even need a wedding coordinator, Maribell is truly a triple-threat. Previous posts accusing her of being inattentive is flat out wrong! My wife and I both through many catered events in Indianapolis and never had a better point of contact than Maribell! With that being said, we had a very intimate wedding, only 60 attendees, and I would say that at least 7 out of 10 people stated that this was the best wedding food they have ever had. These were Executives to actual owners of their own restaurants and at least 70% said there was no comparison. It is hard to get Duck consisted from plate to plate and it was, absolutely amazing! Both Karen and Maribell were at our wedding to make sure everything went well and you have no idea how much we appreciated that. They did not have to both attend and they did which was just so professional. My mother especially appreciated to meet both of them, she heard so, so many great things that she wanted to personally thank them herself. When speeches were given, my wife wanted to make sure that she made a special thank you to Stefani and especially Maribell, that is how much we care for them now. Let me repeat that, in the middle of thanking her guests, her parents and her new family she just joined, she stopped and said, " I want to personally thank Stefani Catering and Maribell, who has just been an angel heaven sent to us!" That is how much they mean to us now! Without a doubt, we will always and I mean always use Karen Stefani and Maribell Villagomez in the future for any catering needs. Without a doubt! Cheers to you Karen and Maribell! Nosdarovia! Robert & Elena Wilkinson read more

Phil Stefani's made my wedding PERFECT. Our coordinator, Michelle Dallas, was absolutely AMAZING! From our first call, to her expert management during our wedding, everything was extraordinary. I shopped around quite a bit before selecting Stefani's and the quality and service that I got for the price simply blew me away. Also, many of my guests raved about the service of the wait staff and the quality of the food. I could not be happier with our experience with Stefani's and HIGHLY recommend them. read more

Inspired Catering and Events - Caterers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My husband and I were married April 21, 2012 at the South Shore Cultural Center. Working with Anna Pindara from Phil Stefani was the best experience I have had with a caterer. For me, its the care and attention I get from a company that encourages me to use their business. I first got in contact with Phil Stefani about an October wedding, and that's the first time I met Anna. From that date on (even when we continued to change the date) Anna made it a point to email and check up on my progress which gave it such a personal touch. When we finally decided on a date my husband hands down said, lets call Anna! Anna helped us to find a great menu within our budget, she was patient, professional, personable, and my number one go to person. Anna returned every call and email within a resaonable amount of time, and continued to check on me as a bride. She far exceeded the expectations of myself, my husband and my family. I still have people calling me to say how professional and elegant our wedding was, how extraordinary the service was and how amazing the food was. I am so pleased and hope to work with Anna and Phil Stefani again. Thank you PSSE and Anna Pindara fro helping to make my day easy, memorable, elegant, and meeting all of my expectations and beyond. You made my dream come true....Thank you, thank you, thank you! read more

Fresh, appealing food that our guests enjoyed. They are accommodating re: tastings and keeping in touch with clients and coordinating with other vendors working on your event. Their chef was very cool about helping us tweak the menu and explaining what would go well with what we agreed upon, what was in season, etc. read more

My husband and I decided to go with Phil Stefani's for our wedding back in May and we are so glad we did! Phil Stefani's has lots of 5 star ratings for a reason. The food is delicious and the staff is top notch. Anna was our catering manager and she did an excellent job, from start to finish. All of our other vendors liked working with her as well. Kudos to Phil Stefani's - chefs and staff. Everyone did an excellent job! read more

Recently had Inspired cater our son's wedding at Artifact Events, Chicago. They did an amazing job. The wait staff was beyond professional. I'm still getting calls from friends and family that the food was delicious. Liz K. was wonderful to work with from day one. You won't be disappointed with Inspired. Kathy and Harry Michas read more

I had the pleasure of working with Tom Kokinakos,Senior Catering Sales Manager at Inspired Catering & Events by Karen & Gina Stefani formerly Phil Stefani Catering, when I was consulting with several couples planning their weddings. From the tastings to the wedding days Tom was completely professional and so easy and fun to work with, I really felt I had a wonderful partner. And the food was TOTALLY AMAZING, just as fabulous as the tastings. Their staff was extremely attentive and proficient and the events were thoroughly enjoyed by all, myself included! I very much look forward to working with Tom and Inspired Catering & Events in the future creating exquisite events!!! Virginia K. Lionberger VKL Consulting Group, LLC read more

We could not have asked for a better experience in planning our reception with Michelle Dallas and Inspired Catering. We came late to the game in planning our wedding. We checked out several caterers, but none of them had the menu variety and flair we found with the Inspired team. Michelle listened closely to what we wanted, and found creative ways to work within our budget. Michelle is the consummate professional. No problem was too big for her to tackle. She worked seamlessly with our venue manager and DJ to create an evening that was more than we could have hoped for. Family and friends are still talking about the fabulous food, great music, beautiful decor and the warmth and attentiveness of the wait staff. Honestly, we could not have done it without Michelle Dallas and the talented team at Inspired Catering. read more

Inspired Catering was perfect for my wedding! The service was amazing and beyond that the food was delicious! I always say that people only remember really bad food or amazing food at weddings, nothing in between. Well, guests keep talking about how outstanding my food was, even the foodies! The staff was great and Liz, our main contact, was so wonderful! She was easy to work with and quick to respond. I can't recommend Inspired more for your wedding or any catering needs! read more

The day-of servers/cooks/bartenders and food are amazing. That's worth 5 stars. However, the whole process leading up to my event was a complete nightmare because of Maribel. She was completely inattentive, unprofessional, rude, and even the day of the event--making excuses to not have to do work. Firstly, I wanted to work with Stefani and had to repeatedly reach out to them in order to get the ball rolling. I was basically ignored via email until I called a few times to express my true desire to work with "the best caterer in town." Maribel was so difficult to get in touch with. She would often tell me that she wouldn't be able to respond to my emails because she wanted to head home early from work. ??? At a venue meeting for my event, Maribel showed up 10 minutes late, acted as if our meeting was an inconvenience to her and even had the audacity to state: "Uhh, I'm missing lunch to be here. They always feed us at 12 at work!" Wow, professional. Not to mention, every single contract she presented was full of inaccuracies; notably, financial inaccuracies that gave the catering company far more money than was appropriately calculable. I pointed this out numerous times, but she insisted she was correct. It wasn't until I had my partner speak with her and re-iterate the incorrect aspects that she claimed she got it. This simple task took days. We did far more in terms of correcting and writing paperwork than she did. We basically did her job for her. Perhaps the most appalling professionalism I witnessed was when I inquired as to whom the day-of waitstaff should have their check made-out to. Maribel then insisted I use cash instead because "they take less taxes out!" The day of the event Maribel basically sat around making excuses about why she couldn't fix things or get things done. Interesting... my unpaid friend, completely unfamiliar with the venue, staff, or layout, jumped into action correcting things, and making things happen--without requiring a paycheck for her services. When Maribel wasn't making multitudes of excuses-- she WAS inserting herself right smack in the center of bride/father, groom/mother walking down the aisle pictures-- even though she had promised prior that none of her staff would be in the background area during the ceremony. SHE WAS. The whole process of working with Maribel was a nightmare. She consistently made excuses for her errors (that she believed were correct until we had to beg her to simply LOOK at the paperwork), she was unprofessional and lazy. While I would recommend Stefani catering in terms of quality of food and day-of servers and waitstaff, I would not wish my experience having to work with Maribel on anyone. It left such a bad memory and intense feeling of upset-- which no one wants on their special day/ special event. read more

My boyfriend and I had a weekend in Chicago and had no idea where to go eat. Saw the sign for Phil Stefani's from our room at Homewood Suites. Just walked in with no reservation. The host sang as he walked us to our table, quite well I might add. The ambiance was wonderful and he let us have our choice of table, which was nice. I had a dirty martini that was like most martini's and Jeff ordered a Silver Oak Cabernet that was decently priced for the amazing red. We both ordered petit filets that in my opinion was much larger than any petit i've had and probably 1 of the top 10 steaks I've ever tasted. I had the tri-color salad and Jeff had lobster bisque. I assumed it would be a little higher priced than what I'm used to downstate but I thought it was reasonable. It is a la carte. I WOULD GO BACK AGAIN! read more

I cannot begin to say enough amazing things about Inspired Catering & Events! We just got married on 10/21/17 and everything was absolutely perfect! Working with Karen and Maribell has been a dream! They made everything so easy and were so attentive and helpful along the way and were both at the event the night of! They made us feel like they were apart of our family with the time and thought they put into everything! The night of the staff was simply amazing and the food as my Guests called it was "the best wedding food ever" and they cannot stop talking about!! If you want things done absolutely flawless and amazing go with Inspired Catering & Events! read more

Phil Stefani Signature Events catered my wedding this past weekend, and I can't say enough great things about them! First off, having a wedding at a different venue (ours was the Nature Museum) where you have to bring in a caterer can be a bit stressful. But we knew that we wanted the food to be excellent, hence we decided to go away from a hotel venue. Our catering manager, Anna, was the BEST! If we could've constructed the perfect person to handle our catering, it would be Anna. She was always on top of everything we needed, and her personality was so calming. A big asset for a stressful time of wedding planning. We met a lot of caterers and Anna was the best by far. Now the food. The hor'deurves were amazing. Yellowfin tuna on a risotto square, apple/garlic/brie on a toasted point, and curried lobster! The beet salad was excellent and refreshing, and the entrees were even more amazing. The braised beef was tender and cooked perfectly with the vegetable medley and mashed potatos in a wine reduction sauce. The halibut was cooked perfectly and was flaky as it was cut. Served with a baked yam and asparagus, it was delicious. After dinner, we had several people approach us and said it was the best wedding food they had ever eaten! Service was flawless, and it was clear that the servers/bartenders were experienced and professional. I will continue to use Phil Stefani's Signature Events for future catering needs and highly recommend them for any weddings! read more

I'm going to sound like a copycat but... We had the good fortune to choose Stefani for our wedding on 8/18/13 at Garfield Park Conservatory (great venue, BTW). Everything was exactly as we'd planned. The food, drink and service were all topnotch. But the best attribute of Stefani's is their staff, especially Anna Pindara. This woman couldn't have been any friendlier or more helpful. She really is as fantastic as so many other Yelpers have said. If you want to be in the best possible hands (and not have to worry about anything) on your wedding day, get thee to Anna. The rest of the staff was very pleasant and efficient too, but Anna is in a whole different category. read more

We used inspired for a VIP outdoor breakfast downtown -- it was a small group and we were looking for a simple, yet delicious menu. Liz was wonderful with putting together a buffet that was perfectly portioned and visually beautiful. She paid extra attention to the details. She offered to put the food on china platters instead of disposable trays and provided decorative stands to give the simple buffet a little extra oomph. It was definitely above and beyond the last two caterers we used (who did fine, but didn't go the extra mile), and it was a slightly lower cost. Win, win! Thank you, Inspired -- we will be calling you again! read more

Somebody seriously needs to give Anna Pindara a raise! Anna was the caterer I worked with through Phil Stefani events for my wedding at a Chicago Park District building. She is seriously more of a wedding coordinator than just a caterer. She was incredibly easy to communicate with, always super prompt and thorough in her replies, super flexible and accommodating when it came to my schedule, and easily handled any last minute changes or details without any difficulty or stress. I seriously must have spoken with at least 6-7 different caterers after getting the list from the CPD once I decided to have my wedding at one of their venues (I think I contacted all of the catering companies, but only this many decided to reply). Anna and Phil Stefani were by far the most prompt, most courteous, and most easy to deal with. It's true that their catering services are pricey, but she also helped me to get it within my budget and cut smaller, extraneous costs. And, to be fair, all of the caterers that the CPD requires you to work with came within a few hundred dollars of one another with their proposed budgets. If you want easy communication, very little stress, impeccable professionalism, and a beautiful event, definitely go with Phil Stefani Catering. read more

Expensive, but amazing food, especially hors d'oeuvres for our wedding. Michelle Dallas was very helpful, giving us suggestions about wedding planning in general, not just the food and tables. The staff made everything run smoothly and helped us to stick to our timeline. They were prompt and professional. The dessert bindys were quite good and unlike anything I have had before. Highly recommended. read more

What class and sophistication! I hired Phil Stefani to cater my wedding. I scheduled a tasting with my fiance, now husband, and we were so impressed. We had been to several tastings because food was extremely important to us. The table was set, the head waiter greeted us with our coordinator, and the chef came out to greet us. They were organized, professional, and really no how to cater to their client's needs. (Excuse the pun.) We were extremely impressed with the quality of service and the quality of the food. Everything was locally produced and bought at the farmer's market. We ended up choosing a fresh spinach salad with a champagne vinaigrette. The spinach had a snap to it and a freshness that has since been unrivaled. It truly was delicious. We then tried the filet and the halibut. We ate every bite of both. They were both cooked perfectly and the accoutrements were fantastic. We had selected a roasted red potato and grilled asparagus. We sampled several hors d'oeuvres, all of which we loved. At the end of the meal, the chef greeted us with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. You just can't put a price on that kind of class and service. In addition to providing the food, they also rented the linens and set them up, set up a sweets room with coffee, set up a champagne and fruit tent outside for the ceremony beforehand, setup the liquor shots at the greeting line, and did a walk-through with us a week before the event at the venue to make sure that everything would go smoothly. On the day of the event, everything was set up perfectly. The serving staff all wore gloves, and served each table in impeccable fashion. They were very attentive to each guest's needs. My guests are still talking about the food at my wedding, and truly, it was the best meal that I had had in months. Greg and I couldn't have been more pleased. My parents loved all of their added touches and professionalism. I help coordinate events for a living, and if I am ever planning one in Chicago, I will always turn to Phil Stefani because they know how to deliver top-notch food and top-notch service. read more