Crayons Catering

Crayons catered my mother-in-law’s 85^th surprise birthday party a week ago. There were so many things about Mark and his crew that I absolutely loved: attention to the smallest detail, totally professional, very respectful, extremely organized, genuinely nice, a complete understanding of the guest list and how to tailor a menu to it, amazingly fresh food, extremely knowledgeable, attentive, expert setup and breakdown… I could go on an on, they are that good. Crayon’s will have all my business.

Marc and his staff do an outstanding job in all the ways that are mentioned in the five star reviews. Trust them and they will not disappoint. The food was excellent, the staff were gracious and charming and the customer service was phenomenal. Marc pays attention to EVERY detail. When our friends jumped in the pool with their drinks in glasses, he immediately sent staff over to put their drinks in plastic and get them a refill if they needed it. He stayed in close contact with us through every step and just handled it so we didn’t have to worry.
To the reviewer who ditched him with two weeks to go, I have this to say: We live in Los Angeles and had planned to have a friend, who is a private chef not a caterer, provide a dinner on Friday and brunch on Sunday for 110 people. As we got closer to the event it was clear that the LA plan was going to be far too expensive and way too much work for us so, WITH TWO WEEKS TO GO, we called Crayons. Luckily, they were available and Marc started working with us on the plan. I’d read her review and was a bit cautious but Marc worked with us to quickly plan a great menu to accommodate our various food needs and wants (raw vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian and total indulgent omnivore.) He was on point at every turn, came to our house in Palm Springs to plan out the layout, made great recommendations on space and flow as well a staying within budget for a delicious couple of events. All the guests were highly impressed and remarked constantly about the quality of the food and staff.
I can’t say enough about Marc himself, despite being extremely busy (I got calls in the morning and, on several occasions, would talk to him to go over a detail just as he was leaving for an event.) He was always polite, friendly and responsive; he clearly enjoys what he does and helping people throw a great party. He arranged all the rentals and worked with the elements that we had already planned (lighting, flowers, etc.) He also, cooked the omelettes for our friends and stayed throughout both events. The weather for the weekend was unusual and Marc held my nervous hand watching every detail and explaining what the microclimate weather pattern are in Palm Springs almost every hour up to the time we called for a tent or not. (Ultimately not — and it was great.) I work in customer service and the hallmark of good service is going the extra mile (i.e. Ritz-​Carlton, Nordstroms). Mark is the Ritz-​Carlton of catering in Palm Springs.
I would not hesitate to recommend him highly and will use him again for any event we have.

We have just returned from our Wedding in Palm Springs, which was fully organized in every detail by Marc and his crew at Crayons.
As we are out of town, we really needed someone who could get everything sorted out end to end and Marc completely delivered. Because it was a destination wedding and everyone was flying in either internationally or from around the US, we decided we needed to put on a multi-​day event, so it was even more complicated I suspect than normal.
Everything went without a hitch on both days, from the lighting, to the flowers, to the equipment hire, the service, the cake, everything.
But I have to call out the food. Oh my god, the food. So delicious and every single person we talked to said they had never had such amazing food at a wedding. Even Grandma, who told us that the «food had better be good, because that’s all people will remember» raved about it.
As well as tray passed lovely things, we had a four course meal with rib eye hand carved at the table, the most amazing salad course ever, and a desert bar with about 10 amazing choices.
Marc and his team are event artists, with barely an eye blink when at the last minute we had strict vegans, wanted floating flowers in the pool, and a hotel manager who didn’t want the lighting to be put up at the time we had organized with Marc’s vendors…
I have to address one point in other reviews, the pre-​event paperwork and contracts. Yes, it can be nerve wracking to not have everything signed and sealed and delivered months in advance. It was for us, too. Crayons are extremely in demand, and Marc in particular is extremely hands on when he is running a party.
Here’s the thing though: we didn’t necessarily have all the paperwork signed weeks in advance, but as soon as we were in the Crayon’s diary (which was about 4 months in advance), the team was booking vendors and starting to get things moving.
When your event comes around, you won’t be sorry you booked Crayons. We are booking them again to do our housewarming as soon as we’ve actually closed on the house we want.
Marc, thank you, thank you, thank you for making our special two days so memorable.

I hired Mark for our March wedding at Colony 29 Estates, and I’m very happy with my choice to go with Crayons Catering. We had an outdoor wedding, so to give you an idea of how detailed this man is, when I sat down with him for the first time, he literally pulled out a stack of papers with dates and associated time of day that the sun was expected to set with average temps.
What I loved about his service is he included the event coordination in with the cost of the catering, and the prices he outsourced were really reasonable. I was a very hands on bride, and so I liked that I could describe my vision to Mark and then he would go out and procure options at different price points. The guests raved about the food, venue decorations and the excellent staff service — they still talk about it to this day!
I know other reviews have commented that it can sometimes be difficult to coordinate with Mark’s schedule, but I think that’s because he is hired for so many parties and is extremely hands on with his business. It’s also important to know that he works a lot on your party in the background, but may not always proactively communicate that. If you are a hands on person like me, I would recommend having a discussion so you can understand his work style and then know you will have to be proactive in your engagements with him. If you like to outsource everything, then you could not be picking a better person as Mark has every detail thought of and under control. Candidly, I’m still so happy I chose Mark and Crayons. Everything worked out really great, and it was at a very reasonable price.

PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
We were recommended Crayons from friends who live in PS, and I’m sure if they do the job, they do a wonderful job (otherwise, how do you get reviews/​ratings this high?), BUT, we could not get the owner to:
1) Give us an estimate or budget — not even a RANGE of what to expect to pay/​person
2) Return our calls/​emails/​texts in a timely manner (if at all)
3) Commit to a date, time or range of money we needed to spend
We were so nervous that they wouldn’t even show up that 2 WEEKS before our event, we had to bail and find another catering company for a weekend long event. Talk about nerve wracking and irritating.
(On the other hand, Dash & A Handful couldn’t have been MORE professional or dependable, so it all worked out at the very LAST hour!)

And another wonderful event thanks to Crayons Catering!
Crayons catered our advisory board meeting on 4÷10÷15 and they once again did an amazing job! What I love about Crayons is that they think of the small details that you never would have thought of in order to make sure your event is special. Food was amazing, fresh and the set up they came up with was tastefully decorated and welcoming.
Mark is just wonderful to work with and even though he was booked for Coachella events, he still came by to check in to make sure that everything was going well the day of the event.
The staff — absolutely amazing! The team Mark sent us for our event was very professional, they were on time and when our event began, they put on their uniforms and they matched our college colors! Again, these are the details that Crayons thinks about that really make the difference.
Mark if you are reading this, thank you so much and please extend our thanks to your team. They were wonderful and really made our advisory board members feel welcome and special.

Mark catered our Valentine’s Day party for 24 guests and I must say he is definitely the consummate catering professional. His attention to detail and organization skills are flawless. But most impressive is the food and service! The appetizers, main course and desserts were delicious and impressive AND the abundance of food per person left everyone equally impressed.
He and his staff were impeccably attired and flawless in the services they provided. We wanted to be able to enjoy our own party and do nothing but enjoy the evening, which is exactly what Crayons delivered!
We, as well as the many compliments from our guests, feel it was one of, if not THE best party, we’ve ever attended!
Koudos to Mark and his talented staff!

There are three words to describe my experience with Mark & Crayons Catering… FABULOUS, FABULOUS FABULOUS!
The food was absolutely delicious!
We had about 70 guests for «heavy» appetizers & an open bar. Our guests were blown away by the service of Mark & his friendly staff not to mention the quality of the food!
Mark should be your «go to» caterer.

Would have loved to give these caterers a glowing review but sadly after more than a month and a half of waiting for just a proposal for my upcoming wedding I never received one. I wish the owner Mark could have taken a moment to consider losing not only my business but any future business from my recommendation.

Fantastic picture-​perfect experience for my smaller wedding (which happened to be gay).
I recently held my wedding at my home in Palm Springs (October 2014). The entire experience was absolutely fantastic. Crayons Catering was absolutely perfect for our catering our smaller wedding (20 people).
The food was absolutely amazing. Guests were raving about how good the food was in every course, and we agreed. And it was amazing from start to finish — including the amazing cocktail hour hors d’oeuvres, unbelievable salad (and I’m not a salad guy), perfection main-​course, and absolutely delicious wedding cake.
My sister-​in-​law who is not easy to impress, and is always incredibly difficult and picky about food, said during the meal «Whatever you are paying this catering company, it’s worth it».
Mark was absolutely excellent in providing information, including our initial phone calls and emails, his personal tour of our home and all subsequent communications.
In planning the wedding Mark provided an extensive menu of choices, and he also provided an example of a menu based on our conversations. We easily went with his recommendations — all amazing.
During the house visit he was able to plan the lay-​out for our outdoor wedding, including taking the time of day into account as to where shading would be. He also made recommendations about working with neighbors to make sure everything was picture-​perfect. Mark’s many year’s of experience was clearly self-​evident.
His continued follow-​up communications up to the event were always timely and relevant. And he was personally there at the time of the event to make sure all went as planned — Mark’s personal touch at every moment from the initial planning to our wedding date was very appreciated.
Marks catering services included organization of all aspects of the wedding, including arranging for tables, seating, flower arrangements, etc. We literally had to do nothing but wake-​up that day. And he had a fantastic recommendation for a photographer (Kiki Haynes — she was nothing short of fabulous). Absolutely stress-​free.
Mark discussed in advance the timeframe for the order of the events (cocktail hour, seating of guests, performance of wedding, etc.) and on our wedding day he «ran» the wedding making sure we were on schedule. This made it an incredibly easy and enjoyable time for us.
Mark also recommended us preparing a photo slideshow of the two grooms from when we met up to our wedding date. This ran on the 60″ TV in our living room and was viewable before the wedding, during the cocktail hour and after the wedding. This was a great touch and was really enjoyed by all.
Overall this was a fantastic wedding with great memories and great photos. Afterwards we said we would not have changed a single thing.

«This was one swanky party,» our family and friends said to us. The setting for our wedding in a beautiful Palm Springs home was complemented by perfect weather, superb food, attentive service staff, and a lovely stringed trio. Except for the house and weather, Crayons provided the rest.
Our November wedding was planned entirely from Chicago, and we needed a caterer who could do it all. We weren’t going to arrive in Palm Springs until two days before the wedding, so we depended on Mark at Crayons to pull together not only the food, but to help us arrange for music and flowers. We needed a full service caterer to help us coordinate all the elements. Except for some missed promised dates to get us information or updates, working with Mark was delightful.
The planning process was really pretty effortless. Mark makes good recommendations based on two decades of experience, yet was more than willing to yield to our specific desires to have a casual event tinged with just enough elegance. He arranged to visit the house we had rented for the occasion to meet the owners and make recommendations on a layout for the bar and buffet, as well as the ceremony itself.
On the day of the event, the whole Crayons crew showed up in plenty of time to do the set ups. There was never a sense of the staff being hurried or disorganized. Everything was ready exactly on time. We did not have to concern ourselves with anything other than being with our family and friends. Everyone raved about the food, from the passed hors d’oeuvres through to the exquisite desserts.
While we won’t be throwing a party quite like that for a long time to come, the memory of this one will last a long time for us and our guests. Without a moment’s hesitation, I’d call Mark at Crayons Catering.

We contacted Mark from Crayon in August as part of our due diligence for a catering partner for our wedding in May of 2015– plenty of time. We had two phone conversations detailing our needs and then Mark asked us to review 10 pages of menu options to make selections so that he could prepare a proposal. We then arranged a time (a month in advance) to meet in Palm Springs to review a formal proposal and have a tasting. While we were able to confirm a meeting with Mark on October 4^th, he never sent us a proposal and informed us days before a meeting that he was not prepared for a tasting and that he needed more details from us. Not sure what else he needed outside of the many items we selected as possibilities for our menu. Nonetheless, we gave him the benefit of the doubt, drove to PS for our meeting which went well. Mark said he would send us a proposal that week. I’m writing this review on November 13^th and have never received a proposal from Mark. Despite repeated inquiries from us and REPEATED commitments from Mark that we will have a formal proposal on a specific date, he’s never delivered. In our last ditch attempt, he responded with an email about how busy he was and because he is so hands on with every client, he can’t respond as quickly as other caterers.
For those of you in planning mode, you know how important it is to have deadlines met, have effective communication with your catering partner and above and beyond, be provided a proposal with cost. In over two months of wasting our time, I couldn’t even guess at Mark/crayon’s pricing structure.
While I can appreciate when someone is busy, a professional would inform a potential client that they just don’t have the bandwidth to entertain a new client, rather than string them along for weeks and weeks and weeks knowing that timing is very sensitive in planning. Mark completely disregarded our timing and strong interest in locking down our catering partner despite being told he was a top pick. Painful experience.
If you are comfortable being at the whim of someone else’s agenda, missed commitments, and poor communication– Crayon is probably a great pick for you.

Mark at Crayons catered our wedding brunch and we could not have been more pleased! From the very beginning his attention to details, asking questions we hadn’t thought of, helping decide an appropriate menu for the event, and coordinating other vendors went above and beyond what we expected. And the food was delicious. Our guests could not stop talking about how great the food was. The level of service, quality of food and overall experience make Crayons the cater to use for any event. He helped make our wedding a perfect, flawless event.

Crayons catered my wedding, and It turned out AMAZING. From the very beginning Mark was wonderful to work with. Super detailed… responded to emails right away… After the first phone meeting I felt complete confidence that my wedding would turn out perfect in Mark’s hands, which was just what I needed being from out of town, and it allowed me the priceless experience of being a calm, relaxed bride.
The day of the wedding: The set up was beautiful, the food was beyond delicious, the staff was wonderful. Mark was so attentive — he even brought the groom and I a plate of hors d’oeuvres while we were with the photographer so that we wouldn’t miss out. Little details like that really show the level of service you get with Crayons Catering. Mark and his staff went above and beyond any expectations I had, and all of our guests said it was the best wedding they’ve been to.
Thank you, Mark, for helping create the wedding of my dreams!

Crayons catered my sister’s wedding. I worked with Mark for the entire event and he was nothing but a perfectionist. The food, service, staff and quality was all outstanding. Coming from a professional event planning background my standards are very high and I am very critical. There is not one thing I would suggest they improve on. The prices are high, but you get what you pay for.
I would highly suggest Crayons for any important event that you want to go off without a hitch and that you will not have to worry or do anything yourself.

Crayons Catering was the best from start to finish. I called almost all the Catering companies in Palm Springs for a big event I was hosting our their. Everyone I talked to said Crayons was the company to talk to, but I wanted to make sure and check all my options.
From beginning to end they were the best. The food was amazing. Believe me I had some foodies, and people who mostly complain out, they all love the food. But the big selling point was the service. They handled the food, dessert, and rentals for me. Even giving tips on the event, and helping with all the details that I missed.
Anyways can’t say enough about how happy I am with the event that they put on for us. their menu is extensive and they will work with you for you specific needs.

I had high hopes for Mark when I booked him in November 2013 for my son’s rehearsal dinner on May 2^nd, 2014. I had a bit of trouble getting him to confirm the date. Then in January, I had a terrible time getting an appointment with him. Finally had a good meeting in February and I was expecting a quote shortly after. Days passed and many emails and promises. Finally because time was getting short I gave up and found another caterer with a few weeks to go.
I have never known a caterer not to be professional and quote on a job promptly and move forward with a project. Do not count on Crayons Catering.

Where can I even start with how amazing Mark and all of his staff at Crayons are.
I recently got married and we looked at several different caterers in the palm springs area to use for our wedding. Mark sold me when he asked «Have you thought about who is going to change the toilet paper in the bathroom?»
From our day one of meeting with Mark he had every little detail covered. He completely understood our entire scatterbrained concept of a wedding. We wanted elegant but casual. We wanted traditional but non-​traditional. Mark took our fragments of ideas and turned them into a wedding that was better than we could have imagined.
From the food, to the decorations, to the staff, Mark makes sure everything is perfect. Not just great… but perfect. That is why he’s the best caterer/​event planner/​wedding planner/​you name it, Mark will get the job done! Here are just a few things he took care of for our wedding.
–Food and Drinks
–Flowers/​Bouquets/​Boutonnières
–Chair and Table rentals (including delivery, setup and pickup)
–Sign in table ideas and gifts
–Valet Parking
–Linens and decorations
–The Sound System
–Seating Guests
–EVERY LITTLE THING
Mark even made sure every lightbulb in the estate was working. I think most importantly he assured me everything was under control as I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown before the wedding. I would run up to him panicking about some minor detail and he was say «We’re taking care of everything don’t worry about anything just get ready.» And this is just the groom speaking…
From our signature blood orange cocktail to the fried mac and cheese balls to the watermelon gazpacho to the marinated lamb pizza. Mark made it all happen better than the way we envisioned.
I didn’t think a perfect wedding was possible but Mark and Crayons proved me wrong. I can’t wait to have any other event in the area just to have the pleasure of using Crayons again.

They just hosted a party for our company, for 250 people. Everything went perfect, great food, super nice wait-​staff– very well organized. No glitches!
We had a lot of changes prior to the actual event because the count kept changing– and Mark was very accommodating! I will use them again. The only drawback, is they don’t take credit cards, but other then that, thumbs up.

What a pleasure it was to work with Mark at Crayons Catering! We had Mark cater and coordinate our wedding on November 5^th, 2011 and we couldn’t be more pleased.
Like most newly engaged couples, we had no idea how to throw a wedding ceremony and celebration. We aimed for a unique classy and fun affair and Mark delivered. Everything ran smoothly and beautifully because of Mark and his amazing staff. He runs his business with the utmost care and professionalism and worked with us on all aspects — (delicious) food, cake, rentals, linens, scheduling, and budget — taking care to dot every «i» and cross every «t». Our thanks to Mark for such a memorable evening!