Rosita Fichtel of Larchmont never would have guessed her stay in the hospital for hip-replacement surgery would lead to the discovery of a great caterer. “Some friends of mine gave me a gift certificate for Dinner in Hand’s home-delivery dinner service,” she says. “It was a thoughtful gift for somebody recovering. I loved their food.”
About a year later, Fichtel found herself with a happier need for a caterer: Two of her three daughters were getting married a month apart. While one daughter married in Hot Springs, Virginia, the other held her festivities closer to home—with Dinner in Hand catering. The company provided all the food for the 50-person May affair. “[Owner] Candida Canfield really tailors your event to what you want,” Fichtel says.
Lisa Brenner of Scarsdale agrees. She used Dinner in Hand for an after-service Kiddush at Westchester Reform Temple for her daughter’s bat mitzvah as well as a brunch at her home. “Candida is willing to do as much or little as you need,” she says. “She didn’t mind if I wanted to cook a dish or bring in Nova lox from a purveyor.”
Larchmont’s Fichtel was so happy with how Dinner in Hand handled her daughter’s wedding, she hired the company for her “Meet the Brides and Grooms Party”—a party held for those who couldn’t make both daughters’ weddings. “It was a big cocktail party with a bartender and a lot of hors d’œuvres,” she says. “They helped me set up the house, decide where the tables should go, estimate how much liquor I should bring in, etc. They have a good staff, are very organized, and always have new dishes.”
Fichtel looks forward to a time she can use Dinner in Hand again: “I know with each party I could get something different and exciting.”
CATERER: Dinner in Hand (134 Calton Rd, New Rochelle 914-380-5084; dinnerinhand.com) COST PER PERSON: $25-$65; WILL FEED: 12-360 (possibly more, depending on size of space); NEWEST FOOD CREATION: Mini gourmet pizzas (e.g., goat cheese prosciutto baked in balsamic glaze) cut into bite-size pieces; NEWEST CATERING TREND: Themed parties. The company will be catering a Moroccan-themed party in the near future.
