Viola's Kitchen — Local services in Maine Township

Viola's Kitchen is the absolute best of the best! From food to event planning and logistics, Viola takes care of it all with such ease. No matter what we threw at her, she was ready to tackle any challenges that came our way (one of the biggest being a venue change due to the pandemic--she did not miss a beat and went to work right away to pivot our plans). She walked through the wedding planning process with my family and I and we knew we made the right decision to go with her after our initial meeting. She is so, so supportive and the absolute hardest worker. Her level of detail and organization made us feel so taken care of and supported.

Our first event with Viola and her team was the bridal shower. Nearly 6 months later, I STILL have people raving how delicious the food was at the bridal shower and how lovely the decor was that Viola brought in. It was so beautiful and delicious! Also, special shout out to Ania from the Viola's Kitchen team--she is Viola's right hand woman and absolutely amazing when it came to executing the bridal shower (and wedding!). The tasting for the food was a whole other experience - our families left so full and so indecisive on what to select for the wedding menu, it was all so amazing! We eventually narrowed down our menu options and the food was a hit and incredible the day of the wedding. I also appreciated that Viola was able to make certain dishes vegan so I can have the full food experience at my own wedding. Post-wedding, I have guests still tell me that the food was so flavorful, and delicious. Also, the desserts were too pretty to eat (but of course, people ate them :) )!

Back to the logistics--Viola provided a timeline so I made sure I was meeting any deadlines and kept track of all vendor information and emails. She walked through our venue multiple times and mapped out exactly where tables would be set, sweetheart table, the placement of the bar (which was a stunning California style bar!!) and sweets table, the DJ, and the overall flow of her staff as it was an unconventional venue. The day before the wedding, Viola coordinated our rehearsal and it went smoothly because of her organization. Come the day of the wedding, Viola and her team made sure that us, the bride and groom, felt taken care of. She went the extra mile in all her efforts, and she made sure we ate before our grand entrance during cocktail hour. I'll never forget how amazing our wedding went, and I have Viola, her team, and her husband (the bartender) to thank! I would highly recommend Viola for any and all event needs and I will immediately come back to Viola for any future event planning and...

My vision for my wedding was modern, elegant, understated, and full of hydrangeas. Viola listened to all the pieces I had brought together and made sure her catering team executed on making it a reality! Each appetizer was so flavorful, the perfect size, and presented beautifully, every time the smoked salmon cones came by me I made whoever I was talking to eat one. The charcuterie grazing table was priced very appropriately for what you get – a full European spread of gourmet meats and cheeses. The food we selected for family style was phenomenal, and the way it was presented was not simply putting the food in a bowl to pass around, but looked like a bountiful feast full of colors and flavors. The details she took upon herself like putting the bud vases on high boys, adding little edible flowers to the butter dishes , adding fruit and herbs to the decanters of water on the tables, creating new runners to give the fluffy, gathered look, adding additional flowers to the head table, gave us special glassware for the head table that fit our theme!, making us our own his & hers mini charcuterie pedestal at the head table so we could try all the food! Let’s not forget the 15 FOOT PATISSERIE DISPLAY!!! It was an absolute spectacle in the best way, and she told me at the tasting “don’t worry, this is going to be a centerpiece everyone will take photos with” ….we trusted her 1000% and she did not disappoint.

The best part about Viola’s Kitchen is the ownership and accountability she takes on to make your big day absolutely perfect. Especially when compared to other bigger caterers we looked at, we got so much more by going with Viola’s team. A champagne tower, the candle votives, doing wine service during dinner, putting flowers into tables on the high boys, providing picture frames for the in memory table…every other caterer looked to throw extra fees on us, and Viola was very fair and gracious.

Viola has thought through each facet of the day, is an artist with an eye for elegance and has the highest regard for quality. Tomek and the rest of the team were attentive, professional, detail oriented and a delight! They welcomed us into their home for the tasting, owned every aspect of the catering and went waaayyy above and beyond because this is their craft, their business and their family and make sure that the day is nothing short of perfection. We will only be using and recommending Viola’s Kitchen for catering from now on, and can’t wait for more excuses to use their...

From the moment we met Viola, we knew she was the person we wanted catering and coordinating our wedding. She quickly established herself as the best choice for our catering needs with her clear and prompt communication. She invited us to a tasting in her beautiful and inviting home where she made each dish we discussed from scratch. This tasting experience, complete with expertly paired wines, ensured we had the full experience and made it easy for us to choose the best dishes to serve on our big day. She even made an extensive selection of appetizers for us to taste, savor, and decide on. All of which were absolutely delicious. It was very difficult for us not to choose all of them!

Viola made the entire process easy and stress free for the two of us. She meticulously listened to our vision and dream for our wedding day and made it a reality. As we further discussed our vision, Viola took on the day of coordinator role as part of her catering commitment. This alleviated a lot of stress we were anticipating, Viola served as our point of contact for other vendors , and helped ensure that there were no issues loading, setting up, and tearing down everything that made our wedding what it was. Viola took the time to customize some large prints of our engagement photos to decorate the space, made us a beautiful customs welcome sign, and created our seating chart. This level of service went above and beyond anything we imagined. It was so highly appreciated. Viola showed us how committed she was to making our big day special. Further, Viola’s staff were fantastic at everything they did from bartending, to waiting, and general service. They were genuinely great people to have at our wedding. Her staff were highly attentive and professional, ensuring an extremely smooth service all night. We received many compliments from our guests noting how classy the presentation was. From the table settings, to the dishware, and food presentation, everything was mentioned and appreciated by all. Our guests continue to rave about how incredible the food was, and how well the drinks were crafted by the bartenders. This confirmed what we already knew. We made the right choice hiring Viola. If you are looking for the best caterer/event coordinator in the Chicagoland area, please do yourself a favor and hire Viola’s Kitchen. There is simply no one better! Our wedding day wouldn’t have been what it was without Viola and her team....