With years of experience in the restaurant business, Chef Stevenson was ready to be part of a catering company in which he could explore his creativity and love for food.  Most surprisingly, Chef Stevenson had not cooked professionally in ten years prior to the start of Laurier.  Ready to take on the beginning of a catering company, only a name was needed.  It was in a visit to Ottawa that the name for the catering company came about. The historic building, Chateau Laurier, became the inspiration for Laurier Catering Company.

The very first meal at Laurier, 14 years ago, was a tasting menu.  You may be asking “Why a tasting menu?” Chef Stevenson describes the idea based on Matrie D’Hotel menu’s (Multiple Course), that you will often find in Europe.  It is through this style, Chef Stevenson, as well as others that work at Laurier, are able to get to know their customers.  You will often see the servers engaged in conversations with the diners to get to know what they enjoyed about their meals and what they are looking to see in future meals. After my meal at Laurier, Chef Stevenson came out and greeted each table.  He enjoys making personal and lasting connections with those that eat at Laurier.

We tasted the September menu and were led through beautiful presentations of our dinner.  The first course was a colorfully plated grilled ciabatta bread with creamy goat cheese, roasted peppers, and basil, drizzled with olive oil and a balsamic reduction.  Each bite led you to wanting more.

The second course was a lobster ravioli with roasted shrimp and tarragon, in a lobster beurre blanc sauce.  The shrimp was cooked perfectly and the flavor left a lasting impression.

The third course was a mix of baby arugula, red leaf, and boston lettuce topped with cranberries, mandarin oranges, and candied pecans in a champagne vinaigrette.  The mandarin oranges provided a refreshing taste in the salad.

For my main course, I had the Tournedos of Beef Tenderloin atop a whipped potato and heirloom tomato vegetable ratatouille.  This was paired with a rosemary Zinfandel demi-glace.  Each bite of the beef tenderloin melted in my mouth and I found myself savoring each bite.  The tenderloin was also perfectly seasoned and had a perfect sear.  It was clear that Chef Stevenson attended to detail.  My husband had the Pan Seared Wild Caught Chilean Sea Bass in a white wine sauce, with grilled vegetables.  The sauce was a nice accompaniment to the sea bass.

The final course was a Grand Marnier Creme Bruelee with sliced strawberries.  The strawberries paired perfectly with the creme brûlée and the delicate hint of orange from the Grand Marnier was tasted throughout each bite.

Dinners are served on Friday and Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. The dining room is quaint and fills quickly.  It is recommended to call soon after the tasting menu of the month is revealed.  Make sure you sign up on Laurier’s website for their mailing list and you can have the monthly menus emailed to you!  I am excited for the October menu featuring seasonal ingredients, like roasted butternut squash soup with sage and creme fresh and a warm apple crumb tart with a cider caramel sauce drizzled over a vanilla bean ice cream.  Mouth watering?  Check out the rest of the menu here.

Laurier Catering Company
10 Assembly Drive
Mendon, NY 14506