Chestnut Ridge is excited to add two new caterers to our Preferred Vendors list + All Inclusive Package! Check out who they are below.

Goodbye hellacious 2020, hello sweet 2021! (Please don’t let us down). 2020 will undoubtedly go down in history for being one of the most unforgiving years in the history of mankind. Like who knew that a convict who breeds tigers for a living would be the highlight of the year for many lives on a global level? Not I. Although it was a difficult year across the board, there were many wonderful elements that arose from its turmoil. If 2020 taught us anything it was how to adapt, how to grow, and how to refresh. Those pieces are hard to overcome without a pressure driving that force, and look ya’ll, we made it. Our struggle of adaptation is not over, nor will it ever be, but that’s the beauty of it! So cheers for moving forward – cheers to everyone except Carole Baskin. So, let’s dive into one of our greatest additions to the Chestnut Ridge vendor team this year: our new caterers!

Meet the Caterers

Black Eyed Susan Catering

Have you ever heard the expression “sometimes a little comfort food goes a long way”? Well, Cynthia and Brad Brasher, a husband and wife duo catering team live by that motto. The Brashers have been operating a special event catering company for over 12 years. You might say that they know what they are doing! However, as everyone in this industry knows, every wedding is different and teaches us something new. With over a decade of experience in the catering industry, they have learned many “something news” and are ever growing.

Cynthia is a smart cookie. She has a degree in farming with a concentration in organic production. Thus the organic authenticity that their foods hold. Brad has a degree in food & beverage plus 25 years of working in the food industry. It’s no wonder they started one of the tastiest catering companies in the southeast. It is our pleasure to introduce Black Eyed Susan Catering!

What Makes Them Unique?

When asked what sets their catering apart, they responded with,

“Foodies love us because we focus on quality, not quantity. Unlike most caterers, we do not book more than two events per day. We are very hands-on, working each event with our seasoned staff to ensure quality standard. We are focused solely on the catering for your event. We’ve catered for Food Network, Sierra Nevada, Wicked Weed, and even for famous musicians and athletes.

Local wedding venues often send us their most meticulous clients who are looking for the best catered food that Western North Carolina has to offer. We’re proud of the reputation we’ve earned for delicious food, creative set-ups, and gracious service. We want your guests to always remember the food you had at your wedding reception.”

As a couple, you are picky when it comes to selecting vendors for your big day – as you should be. BES catering is also selective in the couples they choose to perform weddings for. This is not to say they are persnickety, however it is to protect the integrity of relationships with couples. Every vendor selected for a big day should have a genuine connection with the couple! BES totally gets this. They want couples to love food just as much as they do so they can provide the finest experience for them. Quality over quantity people!

It is because of these attributes that we wanted to secure a spot for their team on our preferred vendors list. Cynthia is the main point of contact for their team, and this gal leaves no stone unturned. She knows their capabilities better than anyone. She is able to work with planners to inject their catering design, taste, and service that will best fit the elements of the wedding day. Service standards of the highest caliber!

Carrasco Catering

Cuisine is the spice of life – literally! Good food makes our bellies happy, our fiancés less hangry, and honestly the world go round. Can you imagine our world without food? Eateries are some of the most binding elements for cultural societies. So, what better way to celebrate your unique cultural background (or others around you) than to create a menu from scratch with global chefs? “We like to say we are your personal chef. Rather than a drop down list of what you can have for your special day, we want to create a menu with you that is as special as you are! Tori likes to set up a consultation call to discuss your ideal food style, presentation and dietary needs or wants. Then you can create a menu together,” says the Carrasco Catering Team in regards to what makes their style of catering so unique.

So, Who Are They?

We started out as a husband and wife team. Ricardo had 5 restaurants, multiple food trucks and did events in Mexico. Tori planned events for Land Rover for many years. He had an upscale Mexican restaurant with a focus on dietary needs. People kept asking if we did weddings and finally we catered one, then two, then thirty. We built a team which now includes chef Santiago Vargas from Peru (pictured above) and Alana Bennett, former owner of Asheville Lifestyle to run events. – Carrasco Catering Team

What Makes Them So Special?

So what do the caterers from Carrasco specialize in? Well, the better question is what does their team not do. “We love to do Latin food, Asian Food, Italian food and Southern food with a twist. For example – one type of shrimp and grits we do in mini spoons. It has pink Argentinian jumbo shrimp and has a sauce made from morita chile and has piloncillo candied bacon (made from organic sugar cane),” Tori Carrasco from Carrasco Catering states when asked what their spin is on a traditional Southern style cuisine. Tori is the ring leader when it comes to weddings and events. She is a total boss babe that handles their team’s availability, bridal consultation calls, and liaison between couples and chefs.

Why does the CR team love Carrasco Catering? First, their food is always so fresh. Whether you’re looking for a seafood menu, a heavy vegetable feel, or a well balanced plate you’ll by excited to pop their big flavor palettes into your mouth. Secondly, their chefs are always operating at the highest culinary standard! Since the caterers at Carrasco are more like private chefs for your whole wedding, they provide a personable face to their menus. These combined elements illuminate their passion for their couples, their backgrounds, and how best to incorporate them into one of the biggest days of their life.

So, Which Caterer Should You Choose?

Black Eyed Susan Catering is perfect for those couples looking to serve the best southern food they have ever put in their mouth. It is not your run-of-the-mill catering food. They offer a custom menu based on what you are looking to serve! One item that Black Eyed Susan loves to do is recreate family recipes for a couple’s big day. What a timeless and heartfelt way to honor the families being joined together. They really do have a love affair with food, so all you “foodies” should connect with BES!

Carrasco Catering is for those couples looking to serve up something a little unique. They have two internal chefs who originate from other locations in the world, and often introduce other international chefs within the area. All have a diverse set of cooking skills that not many chefs in this area hold. They can accurately create dishes from just about every culture. Talk about authenticity to your heritage! So, all you epicureans out there should look into Carrasco Catering for your big day.

As always, we would highly recommend you chat with your planner to determine what caterers best fit your taste *no pun intended*. Your food is one of those top categories that is talked about for years to come, so it is an important decision. Although it can be a hard decision, just know between these two caterers there is no wrong decision. The gals at CR vouch for them because of their delectable treats, their integrity to their couples, and motivation to perform to the best of their ability. We SO look forward hearing who you choose for your big day!