Entrusting your next catering event to just anyone isn’t necessarily a good idea. Instead, find a caterer with passion, someone who is always looking to push the culinary envelope, has a lifetime worth of experience, and of course, someone you can trust.

All of these traits and more can be found in Mario Vena, owner of Catering by Mario and La Reserve restaurant.

Starting the catering business as a bit of an afterthought, Vena says it was his clients at La Reserve asking him to cook for them in their homes that encouraged him to open Catering by Mario.

“I didn’t realize at the time,” Vena reminisces of the many years ago when the idea of catering was first introduced, “I didn’t realize how fun it was going to be… and how interesting.” Getting to meet so many different people and to be invited into their homes is very rewarding for Vena. “All of a sudden they’re your friends,” and that works towards building a trusting relationship.

“You have to earn their respect,” Vena says, “you have to earn their trust, it’s not like they give it to you just because you’re good looking!”

Having started his culinary foray in Toronto, Vena says moving to Thornhill has opened many new horizons. “La Reserve has been around for 20 years, a little bit more than that, but I’ve personally been in it about 15 or so.”

Due to proximity, Vena’s client base is really in the northern part of the city, dealing with North York, Markham and Newmarket, but Vena admits he’ll go just about anywhere to cater personal or corporate events.

To learn how you can have Mario Vena cater your next function, visit www.cateringbymario.ca or www.mariositaly.com for more information.