‘Happiness is back’ according to Christian O’Dowd, but judging by his own upbeat attitude, I don’t think his happiness ever left. Husband, father and caterer extraordinaire, he is energetic, engaging and passionate about food and it was nothing short of delightful speaking with him via phone last week. His outlook on life is downright enviable and his talent evident, from the posts on his blog, Catering Talk to the clip of him on MyFox NY, he has an air about him that is at once high-class and average nice-guy.
Leaving high school early to travel and learn from life, he made his own way and eventually settled down to start The Cantering Caterer, Westport, Connecticut’s premier catering service, and has been going strong for 9 years. With 140 event staff, they handle everything from the small and cozy to the large and upscale with ease. His most recent gigs had him serving 200 at a Coney Island party complete with a competitive eater to a benefit for Earthplace Nature Discovery Center along with weddings and estate parties thrown in the mix.
I asked Christian what’s good for the 2009 Holiday Season and his answer was immediate: comfort food with a twist. People are wanting the comforts of home with a little extra thrown in; not just macaroni & cheese, but macaroni & cheese with black truffle. His hottest and most requested dessert right now is his own grandmother’s bread pudding. And, while you may think, as I did, that budget is King, O’Dowd is seeing just the opposite.
Living as close to Wall Street as he does, he gets to experience upticks and downturns before much of the nation and his call, and the behavior of his clients supports this, is that things are on the upswing. Companies are opting for larger holiday parties to boost morale and even smaller clients are looking for a bit more luxury. Everyone is tired of scrimping, and this catering season is showing it.
Beyond the recipes that Christian already has uploaded to Half Hour Meals, I asked him what his choice of a quick meal would be and he responded with, “What my wife and I had last night. Homemade Cavatelli (previously frozen) tossed with capers, tomatoes and garlic, deglazed with a pinot noir and finished with lots and lots of butter and grated cheese.” Perfect!
What’s next for this Cantering Caterer? A full-scale Thanksgiving feast for 90 people who would otherwise not be able to have Thanksgiving Dinner and an overfull roster of clients for that day as well.
Keep your eyes out for this caterer and his fabulous offerings and if you live in the Westport, Connecticut area, you know who to call for your next big (or small) event. And don’t forget to check out Christian’s page here at Half Hour Meals.
Tags: blogging, catering, community member