Food Evolution

We used Food Evolution for our daughters wedding two weeks ago.
We could not be happier with our decision!!! The food was delicious,
the presentation was beautiful and the service was professional and
intuitive. We worked with Sue Waarich who was so knowledgable, helpful
and met our HIGHEST expectations in every way!!! I can not speak more highly of this company and Sue. We looked at two other caterers that were higher in price and one had far less food quality. We received many, many compliments on our wedding throughout the evening and the weeks to follow with the food being at the top of the list!!!
Thank you Food Evolution and Sue for making this a beautiful and memorable day for so many people.

We could have not have been happier with the outcome of our wedding this past weekend that was catered by Food Evolution. My husband and I wanted fall comfort food stations and the presentation and taste of the food was outstanding. The service was seamless! We received so many compliments throughout the night.
We worked with Sue, who I can’t imagine not having on our day. She was conscious of our dollars, and honest but also had great input on how to make the day 100% fabulous.
Overall the service and food truly exceeded our expectations.

We had a bad experience. The food overall was ok but hot foods were not hot and items we asked for were replaced with others. Service was ok. Sue is very accommodating but did not follow through on the day of our wedding. For the amount of money we spent and the end result, we feel we overpaid and were let down.

We had the best experience with Food Evolution!!! Our reception venue had a list of preferred catering vendors so we naturally performed our due diligence on all of them and narrowed it down to about 6 to have initial discussions with and from then scheduled tastings with 4 caterers. From the very first conversation I had with Sue I felt totally comfortable and that she had our best interest in mind she suggested talking to other caterers and gave me some pointers about wedding planning I had never thought of (hadn’t done this before!). Tammy and Sue were so responsive and would get back to me quickly with any questions I had big or small (and I had a lot). I never once doubted the level of service we would get from Food Evolution. After our initial discussions we has scheduled our tasting, Food Evolution was our 3^rd of 4 tastings so we had an idea of what we liked and didn’t like from other vendors. From the moment we walked in and I met Sue in person for the first time she was so caring and knowledgeable she was with us every step of the way, pretty sure she almost cried when I told them our engagement story. Just shows how involved they are and invested in the success of your wedding. The food at the tasting was AMAZING!!! We were beyond stuffed but of course kept eating everything they brought out because it was delicious. There was just more heart and soul put into their presentation, delivery and food than we felt at any other vendor. They were so accommodating if there was anything we wanted to change or switch out it was done with out question. We had a few favorites, the mini tacos and margaritas (a HUGE hit), the soup in the apple (perfect for a fall wedding). The salmon and beef dishes were crowd pleasers as was the butternut squash ravioli (we tried all the food at the tasting and at the wedding too, delicious). Anyway, Food Evolution was definitely the front runner after our tastings, the food was spectacular and most importantly, we LOVED Sue and Tammy, we wanted them at the wedding. It was very important to us that we really got along and enjoyed the vendors we worked with on the most special day of our lives and Food Evolution was much more than a caterer, they helped with all sorts of logistics, floor plans, table layouts, place settings, linens, napkins, silverware, and well everything. They really felt like another mother /​event planner which I loved!!! We did have some budget constraints we were working with and Sue was so accommodating and walked us through the whole process of what were are must haves and what we could maybe do without to make sure we didn’t ever lose any quality of service or food. Flash forward to the weeks leading up to the wedding we had a final walkthrough with Sue at the reception venue and worked out our final details. Beth or contact who was on site with the Food Evolution team the day of the wedding met in person with us the week of the wedding to hand off some items for the wedding and made sure we had everything we needed and made us comfortable that everything would go off without a hitch, which it absolutely did!!! It was beyond perfect and we are still smiling. I cannot thank you the Food Evolution team enough for all they did to execute the most magical perfect wedding experience and day for us. I would 100% recommend them and use them again for any catering needs.

We just used Food Evolution this past weekend for our wedding at The Newberry Library. Everyone told me after the wedding how great the food was and how awesome the service was. I really appreciated the responsiveness whenever I emailed them (Tammy is awesome), and being so on top of things the day of the wedding. I did not have to worry about anything!
Appetizers were delicious — I just wish we had more. The mini margaritas with tacos were such a hit.
For the first course, they brought out soup in mini pumpkins — I mean, that is just amazing and I was not even expecting it. The guests loved it!
I also had a wedding coordinator, and she informed me that everyone from Food Evolution was so nice and helpful the day of the wedding. They also packed up all the unopened alcohol and helped to load it into her car at the end of the night.
Pricing-​wise, there is a small premium compared to some of the other caterers we checked out. But the cost-​benefit is there.
Great job to Sue, Tammy, Beth, and ALL the servers, chefs, etc. at Food Evolution. Thank you for everything!

We just had a 60^th Birthday party at Salvage One catered by Food Evolution this past weekend. Having been in the business in the past, we could not have gotten a better, more professional and unforgettable caterer. Sue Waarich and her staff were amazing putting everything together. After our initial meeting with Sue at a menu tasting evening, we knew Food Evolution would cater our event. Their food is unique, interesting, and outstanding. Our guests who came from all over the country could not have enough great things to say about the food. Make sure you get the fish tacos with the mini margaritas for one of your appetizers. Their execution at the event was flawless. Make no hesitation when deciding on having Food Evolution cater your event!!!

Food Evolution’s catering for my daughter’s wedding was very good. The food was excellent! Everyone raved about the taste and presentation. The appetizers were amazing. My one complaint was on service. We requested a specific gluten free dairy free (both for medical reasons) for guest. She received a gluten free entrée (not the one she ordered) but it wasn’t dairy free. In addition they set up two separate bars when we specifically told them (twice) we wanted only one bar. This ended up costing us more money in the long run since we provided our own alcohol and could return unopened cases. Since two bars were set up twice as many bottles were opened. This, of course, did not affect our guests’ experience of the evening just our pocketbook! Sue was great to work with and answered emails in a timely manner.

My parents, husband and I all agreed that food was going to be a priority for our wedding. Our first tasting was with Sue and Tammy from Food Evolution. They went out of their way to make the tasting special and customized, which really set then bar high for other caterers. The food was fantastic, and Sue promised that if we selected their company for the reception, the food served on our wedding day would be just as good: cold items would be cold, the hot would be hot, and we would not be disappointed. We had more tastings, but kept coming back to Food Evolution. We are so happy we did and our guests have not stopped raving! Sue and the rest of the food staff at the wedding were professional, fun and a pleasure. Sue and the Food Evolution staff were attentive and thoughtful from planning to the wedding day. And the food was inventive, perfectly prepared, and deliciously memorable. We could not have asked for more! Highly, highly recommend.

I can’t say enough how amazing Food Evolution was. We had them cater our wedding in July and from the moment we met them to the day of the wedding Sue, Tammy, and all the people at Food Evolution were so incredibly kind, helpful, and went out of their way to make sure we were happy. And should I mention the food was INCREDIBLE?! After the tasting I kept having flaskbacks to how amazing the food was, and when the wedding finally arrived it was even better than I remembered. Our guests would not stop raving about how great the food was. I would absolutely recommend them (and rave about them) to any and all!

We had our Chicago wedding in June with Food Evolution catering. We could not have asked for more from Sue, Jen, and Tammy, or the food. It was the BEST day and we owe so much of that to Food Evolution. From day one, the ladies had our best interests at heart and really made the experience so fun! We have repeatedly heard from guests that it was the best wedding food/​service the’ve had. The entire experience was nothing but professional and enjoyable. Would recommend them to anyone and if we could would give them 10 stars!

We used food evolution for our wedding last month. My wife and I wanted to make sure the food was unforgettable, which can be tough to do at weddings. Sue Waarich and Food Evolution did not disappoint! The venison was cooked perfectly! And we’ve been told by many guests that the food was among the best wedding food they’ve had. Throughout the entire process, Sue could not have been more accommodating.
Pricing was competitive, and the quality of the food was top notch.
The food was delicious and creative. The entire team was incredibly easy to work with. Cannot recommend highly enough.

I’m sorry you beat me to the punch. Sue Waarich and her team were fantastic. She gave great counsel and made very impactful, helpful, changes which undoubtedly contributed to our completely successful inaugural event!
Be sure to pass along our highest compliments to her and to Jennifer, who also was a pleasure to work with. It was refreshing for all of us to encounter such a «we-​can-​make-​that-​happen» attitude. We will certainly reach out to Food Evolution again.

My company, Giordano Dance Chicago, and I have had the privilege and honor of working with Sue and Jennifer on numerous occasions, and my team and I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Whether in the planning stage or during the execution, whether a major fundraiser or an intimate gathering, they bring creativity and passion to each event.
The food is always delicious, the service incredible, and the behind-​the-​scenes organization unparalleled. Hire Food Evolution — you will be glad that you did.

We used Food Evolution for our wedding and had a wonderful experience — would highly recommend them to others.
The food was absolutely delicious at the tasting and was just as good the day of the wedding. You never know with ‘wedding food’ but we got many compliments from people about how good the meal was. And we loved all the unique and playful ideas they had for the hors d’oeuvres and for a signature drink.
Beyond the food, Sue was extremely helpful as we decided on other rentals — tables, chairs, linens, etc. She seemed to really understand what our vision was and bring us ideas and suggestions that helped bring it to life.
We corresponded with Sue and Tammy throughout the process and they were lovely to work with — quick to respond, helping with last minute asks (like can you cater lunch for the bridal party the day of the wedding) and willing to meet a few days before the wedding or jump on a call to finalize details. They genuinely cared and wanted to make sure they knew exactly what we wanted everything to look like the day of — and they executed perfectly.
Would absolutely recommend them and use them again!

If I could give them 6 stars I would! We use Food Evolution at work (small non-​profit) for meetings, luncheons, receptions and our staff holiday party. The food is exceptional, my mouth starts watering as soon as the menu proposals are emailed to me.
Their menu is unique, ever changing and always delicious. Jennifer, Tammy and Sue work within our budgets offering up unique options that work on our small scale. They are a DREAM to work with and make meeting planning a breeze.
The field of dreams appetizer station is so elegant and make sure whatever you’re hosting the trio bruschetta is there!

We actually just did 2 office holiday parties with Food Evolution and they were FANTASTIC!
The Thanksgiving one was a small employee and family party that was intimate. The food was really nice, eclectic, comfort food-​like with roasted shallot whipped potatoes, wild mushroom ravioli, and of course great turkey.
The Holiday Party was open to employees, clients and vendors. It was a funky and fun menu with mini Christmas tree cupcakes, turkey samosas, roasted apple soup and bistro steaks, so delicious! They also had the most unique passed appetizers i have seen. Mini fish tacos served with an airplane size Patron bottles of margarita and Jack Daniels sliders served with a jack-​n-​coke in a mini Jack Daniels bottle! So fun!
Sue was easy and great to work with… she came in on budget. She was always
available to talk despite our last minute planning. We knew she had numerous
holiday parties going on but she handled our parties as if we were her only party.
Everyone really enjoyed the food and the service was great. I would definitely use Food Evolution again and would highly recommend them.

If you are looking for a caterer for your wedding (or other event) in the Chicago area, don’t look any further. This is one of the best or maybe the best in town.
Most of our guests told us it was the best wedding food they ever had and the service was incredible. Food evolution was a very important part of our wedding planning too. Sue and Tammy from Food Evolution helped us through all the steps of the wedding planning (even things that had nothing to do with catering).
Sue came a few days before the wedding to pick up all the decorations we wanted to bring to the wedding and she took care of setting everything together without asking us anything.
The wedding wouldn’t have been so successful without Food Evolution. Thanks again!

After quite a bit of research and 3 different catering tastings, Food Evolution was the obvious choice for our ⁸⁄₁₆ wedding at Café Brauer. From the moment we met Sue, we knew that she would be a dream to work with. She is so extremely positive, knowledgable, and honest. We only hoped the food would also be great so we could book them.
Lucky for us, the food was absolutely delicious! My husband and I love to try modern cuisine and typically check out new Chicago restaurants as soon as we can. Food Evolution had so many delicious things to offer. Not only did it taste great, but they had creative ways of presenting it. Some examples were our salad and soup combo, with the roasted apple soup served in an apple. We had mini fish tacos at our cocktail hour and they were served with margaritas in miniature Patron bottles. Our guests were talking about the mini margaritas for days afterwards.
On top of offering delicious food, Sue went above and beyond to ensure our wedding was perfect. She ran errands around the city to pick up some items for us, came to our home to get some of our personal things for the wedding, and was always responsive. We grew close to Sue throughout this process and she is fantastic. I would strongly recommend Sue and Food Evolution to anyone looking for outstanding food, presentation, and service.
It was the best food we’ve ever eaten at a wedding, and Sue made the process seamless and FUN!

We chose Food Evolution as our wedding caterer. After initially contacting the caterer for more information, we set up a call with Sue who walked us through the entire process. From the start we felt very confident in their professionalism and ability to handle our wedding. Prior to our tasting, we chose from what seemed to be endless options for all aspects of the meal. When we went to our tasting, our initial feelings were confirmed, as the dish options and quality of their food were also excellent. We were impressed specifically by the unique hors d’oeuvres they presented (especially a fish taco served with a mini-​margarita in a tiny Patron bottle), a salad and soup combo where the soup was served in a cored-​out apple, and a fantastic filet. There was one dish that we weren’t able to taste at the time, and Sue immediately offered another tasting closer to the wedding to try that one before finalizing our choices.
Even though we did not have a kosher wedding, it was really important to us to have a kosher-​style menu and to offer actual kosher meals for our guests who required them. Sue ensured that all of our options followed the limitations we set in place in order to make our guests comfortable. In addition, Food Evolution has an agreement with a kosher caterer who provides complete meals (hors d’oeuvres, appetizers, entrees, and dessert) that mirrored the dish choices we made. Leading up to the wedding date, Sue and her staff made sure that all questions were answered, helped arrange the liquor selections that we chose, and generally assured us that everything was going to be ok!
On the wedding day, we were provided a selection of hors d’oeuvres in the bridal suite before we went down to the cocktail hour to ensure that we were able to grab some food, as there was no chance for us to do so once we joined everyone else. During the reception, the wait staff was very pleasant and worked hard to make sure that our every need was met. Sue was present and made sure that everything ran smoothly the entire night. Throughout the night and months after the wedding, we have heard nothing but raves from our guests over the quality and tastiness of the food. We would absolutely recommend using Food Evolution as a wedding caterer!

Food Evolution catered my wedding in July at Room 1520. I got nothing but compliments from my guests.
The food was great. I was told by multiple guests it was the best wedding food they’d ever had. The hors d’oeuvres were inventive and our guests raved about them (rum cured escolar tacos paired with mini margaritas in mini Patron bottles provided by Food Evolution, jerk crusted mini mignon on a plantain chip, shrimp n’ grits on a tasting spoon, chorizo stuffed bacon wrapped dates, Colombian corn arepas with mushrooms and goat cheese mousse, figs stuffed with apple and walnut compote). The salad was amazing (goat cheese, mango, strawberry and greens stacked). And the entrees were fantastic (salmon with tomato bruschetta and asparagus sage cream and herbed potatoes and asparagus bundle, chicken with wilted spinach and sage beurre blanc and an asparagus bundle and gruyère whipped potatoes in the cutest little potato lattice basket, and artichoke risotto that was artfully presented).
Bar service was good. They helped me get in touch with Binny’s and helped with the order. They helped us figure out our cocktails, made ginger syrup in their kitchen for one of our signature drinks (Cucumber Moscow Mule… so good) and provided a mixer package tailored to our needs without upcharging us. Our bartenders were fast and friendly and there was almost never a line-​up at the bar.
The service was excellent. Sue was adamant that while the staff was extensive (and thus the price of staff on the contract was fairly high even compared to other caterers whose overall contract prices were higher), good service was worth it. I couldn’t agree more. The staff was attentive, they worked hard, and service to the tables was FAST. And the room flip happened (with all details properly in place) in the perfect amount of time, which was a sticking point for my mom.
The decorations were gorgeous. Sue provided suggestions throughout planning, I bought what I needed, organized it accordingly, and Sue and team placed it. It turned out so well. Everything looked beautiful.
Pricing was fair and I felt it was a good value for what we got and the level of service and attention. They fell above a few caterers we looked at that were inflexible (and we wanted a better menu than standard bruschetta and one entrée option), and were a better price option than others we looked at. Most importantly, they delivered a lot. I had a quote from one caterer that was more expensive, but they would have delivered less in terms of service, day-​of coordination, and menu options. Food Evolution is very competitive in their space in terms of what they deliver and what it costs.
Sue Waarich is great to work with. If I had questions, they were addressed in a timely manner with good explanations. She was organized, and the day was executed beautifully, much in part to her direction. And most importantly, she took a lot of stress off my plate. I was able to pass off decorations to her and she just handled it. I was significantly less stressed because Sue took so much on. I’m so grateful.