Local. Sustainable. Seasonal. These are not new concepts to us. They describe the way we’ve been doing business for 35 years. Mary Cleaver catered her first event in the fall of 1978 from her fifth floor walk-up in New York City’s Little Italy. Having been raised to enjoy and appreciate local food, Mary brought this innate sensibility to her work. As Mary started navigating the city’s marketplace, she became confounded by the lack of regional, seasonal food. Examples abounded, but tomatoes were her personal tipping point. In the late 1970s, even the City’s upscale gourmet markets only sold hard, pallid tomatoes flown in from California. What about our region’s 50+ varieties in purple and red and yellow and banded green with their subtle (and not so subtle) variations in flavor? Why did we rely on mediocre food shipped thousands of miles when there were much better – humane, sustainable, healthier and more delicious – options right here at home? Thus began Mary’s quest to provide the finest local food to New York City diners, and to become an ardent supporter of our nearby farmers, growers and producers. A lot has changed in 35 years. But one thing hasn’t and it never will – Mary’s long- standing conviction that the best foods are grown, tended and harvested within a day’s drive of your table. Whether at a gala dinner for 500 catered by The Cleaver Co., a gorgeous personal wedding for 250, or a dinner for two at The Green Table, our philosophy is always clear.
