FIG Catering is FIGilicious

Fig Catering catered our wedding reception earlier this month. I know that both Molly and Justin are frequent contributors to LTH but didn't know about their contributions until after we booked them. Justin was our main contact and was just amazing. From the very beginning when I called to get a quote he "just knew" what we were looking for. We had some ideas about food but Justin made them come to fruition. We wanted the food Tuscan, with both passed appetizers and a buffet. The menu they emailed over to us made us salivate right away. From then on, we knew FIG was going to be our caterer.

Since we did not want a "wedding" reception, we called it the cocktail party following the wedding. Justin worked with me to find a signature cocktail/martini. We told him what we loved and he worked with that.

Passed was proscuitto wrapped asparagus, beef carpaccio and heirloom tomato bruschetta. Let's just say that the guests devoured every little bit. Needless to say, I did not get to try the carpaccio . The antipasti buffet consisted of breads, infused olive oils, insalada di mare, Italian cured meats, porcini stuffed arancini (which was the most popular, guests were loading up on them), artisinal Italian cheeses, grilled vegetables and of course FIG & balsamic polenta squares. Sweets were assorted Italian cookies (the hazelnut brittle was stuff of dreams), Limoncello panna cotta and we bought a smallish cake from Deerfield's Bakery. Everything was high quality, fresh and delicious. Guests are still raving about the food. We wanted the food to be the highlight and it most certainly was.

They made everything so special, rented tables, chairs, linens. Set up tables with our candles. They greeted us and our guests back from the wedding with glasses of champagne and hors d'oeuvres. The staff was professional and unobtrusive. They cleaned everything and put leftovers away. The cost was within our budget and we really liked the fact that the beverage service was per person and not counting bottles. We could go on and on, basically our open love letter to FIG... If you are looking for a caterer that really cares about food first and foremost, FIG should be your top choice.

FIG Catering
http://www.figcatering.com/
773-793-1035

Give credit where credit is due!

Fig Catering did an in-home cooking class for my friend's birthday a few weeks ago. Molly and Justin were great instructors. They were knowlegeable, creative with the topic, and approachable. The food we prepared was tasty, too!

It was a very enjoyable evening.

This just in...
Check out Fig Justin's Top Chef Audition Video.

He's no Fabio, but I might be able to root for him anyway. Good luck, Justin.

justin, i watched your audition tape-i thought it was terrific. you come across as someone with a strong, fun personality which i'm sure is something they are looking for. i've never seen top chef (no cable), but i wish you the best of luck! justjoan

Just watched it too. Made me smile. Good luck!

A couple months ago, I convinced my boss to give FIG a try for our Creative Summit that took place last week.* After emailing Justin back-and-forth a few times and getting some menu ideas, we took the plunge and had them provide all the food for our 3-day event.

We thought, as the creative bunch, we should have food that's a little beyond the norm & FIG really delivered on that. I have to say, out of 50 people, 49 had their socks blown off+. I heard almost nothing but glowing remarks about the quality of the food.

I find myself looking ahead to meetings, events, or whatever that I can work a caterer into the deal, just so I can taste those brie & poached pear quesadillas again.

I should type more, but I'm at work right now, still trying to catch up from last week.

* back-story: I work in the Graphics department of an Architecture/Engineering/Construction firm with offices all over the country. Every couple years, we get all of the artists, designers, and random creatives together to share recent work and get re-inspired.

+The 50th person is a picky bastard and I wouldn't trust his opinion anyways, but I thought I should put it in for full transparency's sake.

Didn't know where else to post this, but I almost fell out of my chair last night when it was mentioned that Gov. Florrick and his wife (aka "The Good Wife") were having their son's graduation party catered by Fig Catering "on Blue Island."
Talk about product placement!--especially since I believe most of the show actually shoots in New York....

Congratulations to FIG Catering. I just got an announcement from Slow Food that FIG was one of only five Chicago food purveyors to receive the organization's new "Snail of Approval" award.

Here's what the email related:
"The Snail of Approval program honors local restaurants and food businesses that exemplify the principles of Slow Food and contribute to the quality, authenticity and sustainability in our food community.

"These five businesses have surpassed Slow Food Chicago's strict list of qualifications such as using in-season local produce, sustainably raised local meat, quality menus that contribute to the uniqueness and richness of Chicago's culinary scene, as well as fair business and labor practices. Complete guidelines are available at the Slow Food Chicago website."

Good work.

Cynthia, thanks for bringing this thread forward. I love discovering a thread I somehow missed in the past.

Justin, I just watched your video for Top Chef today though it was posted in 2009. What a fun and entertaining video. You and Molly are an extremely likeable couple.

I wish you continued success.

From their facebook page just now:

I have started writing this so many times and there is just no perfect way to say it. So, I'm just going to do it and be brief. After 15 years in business, FIG is closing our doors permanently. I know that other caterers will make different decisions and survive this, but with the tremendous hit we've already taken and the uncertainty of the future I just cannot financially or mentally do it. It is a heart-wrenching decision and one that I wish didn't happen in this manner.

I want to THANK Justin Hall for starting this wild ride with me, all of our employees and staff (your the ones that made FIG special), the producers and farmers that we tried so hard to honor in everything we created, the venues and vendors that we worked with so closely, and, of course, all of our clients who gave us such great times and memories. There are way too many people to tag, but please know that I love all of you and wish you well through this trying time.

I will try to look at and respond to comments, but I know that's going so difficult so bear with me if it takes a while. (I was also looking for the perfect photo, but settled for this throwback shot of Justin & I when we were just babies.)

So sad. Hope something positive comes out of it for them.