ABOUT US

Old World Sensibility & Global Creativity

Jessie McQuarrie, Executive Chef

Feast Catering represents the culmination of Executive Chef Jesse McQuarrie’s more than 20 years of culinary exploration into Sonoma and Napa’s unique blend of natural bounty and world-renowned wines. A Sonoma County native, Jesse grew up fishing the waters of Bodega Bay with his father, “Tuscan Tom,” aboard his commercial fishing boat. As a young teenager, he studied cooking at River’s End as apprentice to the late Chef Wolfgang Gramatski. Following this invaluable tutelage, Jesse continued with such culinary luminaries as John Ash & Co., Chef Gary Danko (Chateau Souverain) and Chef Terry Lynch (Mustards Grill in Napa), to name but a few.

In the early 1990’s, Jesse met his future wife and business partner Heidi Scott, whose family history is rooted in Sebastopol’s farms and orchards. Heidi’s Japanese Grandmother Tsugiye Ito helped to further shape Jesse’s culinary vision. Tsugiye’s passion for the seasonal beauty and bounty of her orchard, which included Meyer Lemons, Fuyu Persimmons, Babcock Peaches and a variety of Cherries, Blackberries, Grapes, Apples and Asian Pears, combined with a focus on serenely simple food presentations were a source of inspiration for Jesse, who has synthesized these Old World sensibilities with his modern and global approaches to culinary creativity.

From American Bistro to Catering Services

After opening Feast: an American Bistro, to rave reviews in 1999, Heidi and Jesse expanded the restaurant to include catering services. Eventually, they chose to focus on Feast as a versatile and creatively diverse catering company. Meanwhile, in addition to serving as Feast’s Executive Chef, Jesse McQuarrie serves as the Executive Chef of the California Restaurant Project, a traveling restaurant that sets up shop at the world’s largest food, wine and travel shows. As Executive Chef, he designs everything from dining room aesthetics to kitchen logistics to menus and wine lists.

California Restaurant Project has traveled to such venues as Sial, Paris (the world’s largest food show), the London International Wine Show and The Prowein in Dusseldorf, Germany (Europe’s Largest Wine Show). Jesse has also represented the California Wine Institute and the California Agricultural Board to promote California food and wine for Hilton Hotels Europe and the Schweizerhof Hotel in Bern, Switzerland. These opportunities provide Jesse with a continual influx of new ideas, which he then brings home to incorporate into the continual evolution that is Feast Catering.

The Quintessential Wine Country Experience

Feast collaborates with many of both valley’s prestigious wineries, corporate clients, and private clientele who seek to present their guests with a quintessential wine country experience. Specializing in creative and unique food and wine pairings, Jesse’s menus integrate the finest fresh, local ingredients with Californian, European, Latin and Asian influences, fusing these elements into a versatile format to suit a range of tastes, locales, themes and budgets.

The Feast Catering Team is comprised of service and event specialists devoted to the simple ideas of Creative Event Design, Professional Service and Personal Client Relationships. As owner/proprietor, Heidi continues to guide the business in nurturing its valued client relationships and its reputation as a highly regarded Caterer in both Sonoma and Napa Valleys. Toward this end, Feast employs a large staff of service and food preparation professionals, many of whom have been with Feast since its inception.

A Family Business with a Personal Approach

Our pool of service professionals is culled from the finest in both valleys, allowing us to staff all of our events using Feast-trained professionals only, never relying on hiring agencies. Although we consider ourselves a “family business,” the growth of our reputation in both valleys has created a high demand for our unique services. Ever-ready to take on new challenges and strive for perfection, Feast continues to grow and evolve while maintaining our commitment to bringing our clients the most exquisite culinary creations supported by seemless service and detail-oriented, creative event design.

We here at Feast maintain a genuine regard for our client relationships. We take great pride in the food we serve and the professionalism with which we serve it. In short, we are proud of our personal approach to business, and proud to offer our catering services to the greater Napa and Sonoma Valleys. We invite you to contact us regarding any questions you may have about Feast, and to taste the Feast difference…