Tables of Content Catering

We are truly privileged to have chosen Table of Contents catering for our September wedding, as the decision to use them turned out to be one of the best that we made and we would strongly encourage anyone to do the same for any event that you might be planning. The quality and presentation of the food was truly exceptional and the level of service from the friendly, highly professional and hard working staff at the event was beyond our expectations. It was a daunting experience to have to choose a caterer from the many companies available, however after meeting with Linda DeFranco Barck and Stephen Barck we easily knew we were with the right company. We immediately loved Linda and the bride felt an immediate kinship with her. Linda was also a joy to work with throughout the process and her impressive skill at organizing the many facets of the event for us together with the answering of all our questions and wishes prior to the wedding was unparalleled. And when we met Stephen we were impressed with his love for his delectable creations and the desire to give us exactly what we needed to make our event a success. Stephen has a tremendous artistic flair for the presentation of food, ranging from a heart shaped beet in each guest's salad, and the decorative embellishments on the passed hors d'oeuvres, to the perfect execution and flavor on an absolutely divine entrée. We really felt as though both Linda and Stephen were a part of our wedding throughout the organization and on the day itself and that they cared strongly about ensuring that our wedding was a great success. They and their staff, including the manager on duty Kathy, really demonstrated this throughout the wedding by the attentive service to us and our families. We may not have been exactly "easy" guests to work with, we had invited guests from the UK and across the US and we wanted to offer them all an experience of the type of quality and local food that can be found in Boston and from the New England, and enlisted TOC to help. We asked them to make a signature cocktail with very short instructions, a Fall themed menu using only local produce and we had a special request that our 140 split entrées of beef tenderloin and lobster scampi be presented in such a way that each of the lobster portions were served in small lobster shells to give people the "New England feel". I'm surprised Linda even responded to our email, but she did with enthusiasm and she was happy to accommodate and encourage our eccentric and restricting requests. When we told Linda that our event was going to be held in a tent and that her kitchen would need to be hooked up to hoses and generators, she did not even flinch and gave us considerable comfort that she would be able to provide whatever dish we wanted with no limitations due to our chosen reception site. The cocktail hour was elegant and the service was run smoothly by Table of Contents so that none of our guests were ever left waiting for drinks or hors d'oeuvres. We had a few guests go absolutely wild for the fish n' chip hors d'oeuvres and the kitchen was quick to bring more to satisfy. Also during the cocktail hour there was also a truly wonderful gentleman assigned to assist us (the bride and groom), and while we were taking our many pictures in the neighboring field he would come by with new drinks and appetizers and fetch any item that we fancied. There was another example of excellent service during the seated meal when two of my aunts needed to have their entrees kept warm while they were momentarily out of their seats -the server removed their meals while they were gone and replaced their meals at their seats just moments before they returned to ensure that they had a perfectly presented and warm entree. Even three weeks after the wedding, we still have numerous friends (including the band) telling us that this was the best food and service that they had ever experienced at a wedding and many people have asked for the contact details for their engaged friends to use for weddings as well as for other events. We have even learned of our dear vegetarian friend, who after tasting her entrée leapt to her feet to praise the chef on his creation, stating it was the best meal she had ever had. People are still talking about the steak, how it was loaded with flavor (without being too heavy) and perfectly tender, one of their best meals as well. Tables of Content has won a number of awards which factored into our search when we were looking around Boston for a caterer to use for our wedding and we must add ourselves to their list of admirers. Tables of Content singlehandedly made our wedding the talk of the town, the awe of our friends and neighbors, and the celebration of our lifetimes. Please accept this as our heartfelt & glowing testimonial, as emphatic a recommendation as we can provide, that they surpassed our expectations and made our wedding an incredible and unforgettable experience for us and our guests!

Tables of Content Catering was our wedding super hero. They quite literally saved the day. After a very negative experience with our original catering company that resulted in us not having a caterer one week before our wedding, I called Linda to see if they might be able to help us and they swooped in to rescue us. They were professional and accommodating, and the food was amazing....or so I hear. :) (unfortunately we were too busy chatting to eat much). They came in at the last minute and took notes on exactly what we were planning, and then topped it to make it even better party than we imagined. Linda and the crew at Tables of Content are amazing!

When beginning the process of planning a Celebration, one quickly becomes overwhelmed... so many decisions, so many possibilities, so many costs. I would recommend coming to Tables of Content first! Linda - the owner - gently and professionally guides you thru the options and what offers the best value for your budget. I became so at ease and confident as the time for my Celebration neared - something you cannot put a price on. And then the Day arrived. The entire staff of Tables of Content was attentive, respectful and gracious. The food was deliciously prepared and beautifully served. Every need was taken care of. I also felt very good about working with a "husband and wife team" - Linda's husband, Stephen, is the Chef. They put their heart and soul into everything and you could tell!

TOC catered our engagement party and they were fantastic to work with. They were responsive and professional, and the food arrived on time to my parents' home (which is hard to find). The food was excellent and the presentation was great. We'd absolutely use them again!

I cannot say enough about how great Linda and TOC were to work with. Catering is such an enormous expense at a wedding, and being foodies, we wanted to make certain that our food was out of this world. Which it was - Linda's team executed our Southwestern theme with impeccable flair -- our guests (and we) thought it was the best food they (and we) had ever had a wedding. And it was gorgeously presented -- no lumpy piles of cheese, no cold, sad hors d'oeuvres. Plus, Linda worked closely with us to help us keep costs down. I must pay special attention to her staff, though -- we did not have a planner, and only had TOC's event manager along with the site manager at the property. When I arrived at the property on the day of, her event manager, Nancy, came out to talk to me fully prepared, and made me feel utterly at ease with the flow of the evening. Not a single detail was missed, nor were there any hitches at all. Simply and absolutely worth every single dollar.

Our wedding was a black tie affair at the Crane Estate in Ipswich, MA in Summer 2009 with 3 courses of Butler-served buffets done throughout the night. It was an all-French classics menu that included things like Coquille st jacques, Coq au Vin, and Bouillabaisse. It also included a giant Croquembouche in lieu of a wedding cake, French macaroons presented in the traditional cone displays, and gourmet cheeses with ports and cognacs during the dessert course. We also had a gourmet clam bake on the beach for our rehearsal dinner the night before. The clam bake looked like something out of a movie with the pristine linen and tables dotting the natural landscape of Crane Beach. Tables of Content executed everything with exceptional skill, including taking on some traditional wedding planning responsibilities. Many of my New Yorker family and friends have told me it was the cinematic wedding of not just the year, but the decade. I believe it was due in large part to Tables of Content's vision for presentation, culinary powerhouse chefs, and exquisitely professional planners and staff. I was wowed when upon eating dinner at the Michelin starred Gordon Ramsay au Trianon in Versailles, France on my honeymoon, we ate some of the same exact dishes Tables of Content had managed to serve for a crowd of 60.

I cannot say enough about this catering service, Linda the owner is exceptional, I loved meeting with her , the tasting was what sold us, I am still hearing from my guests how wonderful the food was, it was perfect

really good food

Tables of Content are great. Everyone at our wedding raved about the taste of the food and said it was not only the best food they'd ever had at a wedding, but that it was just delicious! Dianne and her team were great to work with. The catering manager kept checking in with my husband and I throughout the event to make sure we had everything we needed. And in addition to the food, they made everything so easy. They ordered all of the tables, china, glassware, etc.....for us to make it one stop shopping. They also had great presentation. Each of the apps had a great serving tray. We had little soup sippers, and shell plates for the scallops, etc.........

wonderful food! i was left in awe! the guest said the same!

My mother wanted quality, I wanted a sit-down dinner where the caterers would never deign to remove someone's food or drink before they were done. We both won out and then some. We had an outdoor ceremony in August, so I was concerned that some of the grandparents would be uncomfortable. They coordinated setting up water in the back of the arbor. We got completely off-schedule and our schedule had already been tight. The caterer's and I worked out a schedule and a way so that the staff could clear a room for the dancefloor while I was throwing my bouquet and none of the guests had any clue that anything out of the ordinary was happening. The food was great, beautiful presentation, perfect quantities. I couldn't have asked for more. I will admit that the steak that was served did taste different that what I had at the tasting but the guests all loved it and so did I. Well worth the price.

Overall, my opinions of Tables of Content are quite high. I have many positives to mention, however as with any business arrangement, there were ‘highlights’ as well as ‘lowlights’ which I’d be happy to share with brides who are doing their best to suss out the crowds of caterers from which to choose. We met Linda 5 months before our wedding. She was awesome during our early planning stages... helped us think through the whole thing, really acted much more as a wedding planner than "just a caterer." She was patient as we processed through other caterers and decided on her. She created a menu which was exactly what we were looking for, edited the menu and generously lowered her costs when our budget was tight, and in the end, she and her husband delivered EXACTLY what we dreamed of with regard to food and presentation. I do have 3 points at which I became frustrated with the process, which really is not much in comparison to the hundreds of moments in which I was thrilled with Tables of content. I list these here, not to lambast ToC, but more as tips to other brides on questions/comments they should add to their list as they are meeting with caterers. First of all, approximately 1-2 months before my wedding, the company was a little tough to get a hold of. I had to send more than one email request for information on two different occasions. On top of this, Linda didn’t show up for our final meeting one month before our wedding- we were supposed to meet on site at the venue and she didn’t arrive until I called her office to ask where she was… and she was at her desk. Second, the woman assigned to manage our day didn't understand that questions were supposed to go to my friend, Katie, rather than to me. Despite the fact that she had Katie’s cell phone and Katie had checked in with ToC when she arrived, the manager interrupted my new husband and I repeatedly during the reception, asking questions about how things should go, if we could change the timeline, etc. Brides-to-be, I recommend you be clearer about your expectations here than I was with ToC. In the end, my biggest frustration with Tables of Content came after the wedding was over. I'd given them my debt card number and approved them to charge the final payment to it before the wedding. However, when I returned from my honeymoon, I found that they'd charged extra $$ to my card without my approval. To clarify, it was money that we DID owe them to pay staff who stayed longer than scheduled (tip for Brides-to-be—budget a little wiggle room like we did). So the problem wasn’t the cost, but rather that the card was charged before I was asked or told. No big deal if you’re putting a huge wedding on a credit card, however since my new husband and I paid for out entire small wedding in cash... it was frustrating. When I asked Linda about the extra money, she said, "Oh, didn't you get the note with our final invoice?" What invoice? What note? She hadn't sent either. And of course, three days later, I received the note and the invoice... postmarked the day after our conversation. In the end, the food was wonderful, the wait staff did exactly what we'd asked for, and our guests had a great time- no idea of our troubles... But there are of course lessons to learn in every situation. I hope brides-to-be can learn from my troubles as I learned from those who came before me.