About Simons Catering Services

About Simons Catering services

As Columbia County’s premiere catering company, we are experienced with all types and sizes of events. Our food is always prepared as fresh as possible. From baking our own breads each morning to grilling on site in the evening, we strive to produce the freshest and most delicious food possible.

Columbia County, New York is Our Home

We take full advantage of the region’s local farms and value-added products. We are committed to serving the highest quality locally grown products and we enjoy long-standing relationships with many of the area’s most respected suppliers. We even have farmers willing to grow custom heirloom vegetables exclusively for Simons Catering!

Innovative, Imaginative and Individual Catering Services

Mara and her team of skilled chefs regularly receive accolades not just for the quality of the dishes they serve but for their understanding of what makes a great catering experience for the client. While the Simons Catering team approaches each event with excitement for the opportunity to demonstrate their skill and creativity, that is backed up by 20-plus years of experience serving clients from Columbia County south to Westchester and New York City, north to the Albany Capital Region, east to Berkshire County, Massachusetts and west to the Catskills. We have worked successfully in venues and circumstances of every description!

The Simons Catering history dates back to 1995, when Carlucci Catering was started by Tommy Carlucci, whose love of food and passion for cooking developed at his father’s knee. Mara Simons-Jones joined the catering crew in 2009, after three years as a restaurant manager in Austin, Texas. Mara brought with her more than 10 years of experience in the restaurant business, as well as her own special passion for innovation and a first-hand knowledge of some of the world’s most exotic cuisines, through her extensive travels through Africa, the Pacific Islands, Europe and Asia. In October of 2010, Mara acquired the business from Tommy, changing the name first to Carlucci Simons Catering and later to Simons Catering. Joined by Chef de Cuisine, James Mannix, and many other talented sous chefs, Simons Catering continually produces fresh, delicious and innovative cuisine.

Apart from the usual fare of catered events, you might see Simons Catering at Hawthorne Valley School, where Mara and James prepare organic hot lunches for the students four days a week. Simons Catering is also the house caterer for the artist residency program at Art/Omi, which extends from March through November and hosts scores of artists from around the world. Simons Catering also enjoys catering for the Columbia Land Conservancy, Chatham Film Club, Etsy, multiple local fire departments, as well as for many film and television production crews.

Voted Best Caterer in Columbia County Two Years In A Row

Simons Catering is an active member of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce. Simons Catering was also voted ‘Best Caterer’ in 2014 and 2015 by the Chamber of Commerce and Register Star.
Simons Catering is also a proud member of the local business alliances in the Villages of Chatham and Kinderhook.

The growth and success of Simons Catering has led to the opening of a modern new fully-equipped catering kitchen and tasting room at 86 Broad Street on the outskirts of the Village of Kinderhook.