PArk avenue catering
“It’s our consistency and our quality. That’s who we are.”—Bruce Riezenman, owner and executive chef.
Bruce Riezenman used to work in the back-of-the-house as a chef and restaurant owner, but now he’s involved in every aspect of his operation, food included, at Park Avenue Catering. That way, he can look after all facets of the business and stay on top of every situation, large or small, ensuring customer satisfaction. “More than 30 years of high quality and attention to detail. I’m a detail orientated guy,” says Riezenman, from his office in Cotati. “I don’t get overburdened to where things start to slip.”
As owner and executive chef, Riezenman has guided Park Avenue to nine of the last 10 wins in NorthBay biz magazine’s Best Catering category, and added Gold Medal recognition in 2014. “It’s our consistency and our quality. That’s who we are,” says Riezenman, who adds that his entire staff is hired and trained by Park Avenue—rather than an agency—to ensure top-flight customer service.
Riezenman, a New York City native, operated a restaurant in Manhattan before moving to the North Bay and opening two such establishments. “This county was a whole different ballgame. I was as excited about getting to know the farmers and producers as I was about the actual product,” he says. Eventually, catering requests from his restaurant customers took over, and Riezenman established Park Avenue in 1989.
“I work in some of the most beautiful places,” he says. “It’s the diversity, from the cuisine to the locations. It’s a different entity. And it fits my personality well.” The move has worked out for the catering industry, too. Riezenman created the Pair It mobile app more than five years ago. “I taught food and wine pairing in Europe and Boston, LA and throughout Canada. So I took what I learned and I built an app from it.”
“Right now, we’re calling it the Park 101 Mobile Kitchen. It’s different than anything you’ve ever seen—like a mobile open kitchen where you have two or three chefs inside,” says Riezenman. Dianne Martin, the head of business development and corporate accounts and team member at Park Avenue since 1996, described the new venture this way: “It’s simplicity and quality, in a really casual way. We could roll it into the parking lot of anybody’s business, open up the awnings, put some tables out and they can interact. It’s beautiful.”
Riezenman, Martin and the staff at Park Avenue have endeared themselves to the North Bay through their quality of cuisine and service and by giving back to the community, and they haven’t become complacent. It all goes back to their attention to detail, led by Riezenman. “It’s a very closely held, tight-knit company, and everybody has me to come to,” he says. “That’s really, as far as I’m concerned, the key to our success.”
