Smoked Trout Spread
The Blackbird Waterhouse

The Blackbird Waterhouse

4896 Paw Paw Lake Rd, 49038, Coloma, US, United States

Beer • Wine • Vegan • American


"We had reservations for a Friday night a couple weeks ago. First time visit. We drove 45 mins in heavy rain and were so glad to arrive.(Backstory: when we made the reservation we asked about the music and no limitations were given to us so we figured we were good. We wanted to see our friends who knew the band and eat dinner/have drinks/relax.)The host stand is in the entry area next to the bar. There are a few tables out in this bleak, chilly entryway, which is all you can see. The host asks if we have a reservation and seats us literally right next to the host stand. What we don’t know/weren’t told is that there are 2 other rooms, the last of which is where the music will be starting in 45 mins. Oh well. We sit and assume we will be trampled by the dinner rush on their way to better seating areas.Someone nice comes over and offers us a different table because I had said we were there to see the band. We are glad to move. Now we are directly in front of the stage in the back room and the party is already so loud we can’t hear. (We will later realize the acoustics of this room -designed with that stage/setup in mind- are awful and echoey and we are all going to be deaf by the end of the night.)Anyway Brandon comes to take our order. We get drinks. For how busy they got since we arrived our food was fairly timely, I thought. The very impressive-looking menu we had researched is based on about a cup of garlic per plate. It stuck with us for days. Boyfriend’s short ribs were so dry. The risotto was sad and pasty. That ceasar salad is pretty great tho.As we needed refills and had been passed by at least 3 times, we had to go ask Brandon (who was standing by the drink station watching the show). These poor servers have no hustle, don’t know their menus and do not multitask. Meanwhile the big table is howling louder than the band and we need to leave before we have an aneurysm.What a mess. Then apparently the toilets all started to overflow and we escaped. It’s such a cool building and they have good ideas, but falls so far from the mark. You can’t sustain your new customer base with high prices and soggy zucchini. We will come back someday, maybe, if we can sit outside and we don’t have to worry about getting out of there in one piece doused in garlic."

Krave Cafe Caterers

Krave Cafe Caterers

102 Sparta Ave, 07860, Newton, United States

Cafe • Pizza • Coffee • Organic


"My husband and I cannot say enough good things about Krave Caterers! Our daughter got married last month and her reception was held at the Conservatory at the Sussex County Fairgrounds. Kate and Anna spent a lot of time on the phone with us explaining everything they never rushed us or made us feel like we were bothering them with all our questions. We met Liz at the tasting and she made it a special time with our daughter and future son in law. Kate spent a lot of time with my daughter and I when we did the walk through a couple months before the wedding. She was patient with us as we asked all sorts of questions and threw all kinds of ideas at her. She was also a wealth of information and suggestions. We had a last minute request to change one of the passed hors devours the week before the wedding and when my daughter texted Kate, Kate was quick to respond with “of course!” The actual wedding day reception was a dream! The attention to details was top notch. Everything was beautiful and the food was second to none! My husband and I were impressed with the personal attention we received during both the cocktail hour and the dinner hour. When we arrived at the Conservatory, my husband and I were met by Kate who had our drinks in hand, and Liz brought us plates of food so that we could mingle with our guests instead of spending time filling our plates during the cocktail hour. They checked on us and were also very attentive to the groom’s parents as well as the bridal party. I think what was really impressed me was the emphasis on making sure that not only were the bride and groom made to feel special, but also the parents! (I had never experienced this before with other venues and caterers. From cocktail hour to dessert, the food was incredible! For days, my husband and I received texts and comments from friends about how amazing the food was. I can keep gushing, but one last thing. Towards the end of the evening, when my husband and I were exhausted, we asked Kate about a something that needed to be taken care of and she immediately told us not to worry about it, that she and her team were taking care of it and we were to just finish enjoying the evening of our daughter’s wedding. I could go on, but you get the idea you can’t go wrong hiring Kate, Rich, Liz, Anna and the rest of the team at Krave to cater your event! Thank you Krave for a memorable time!"