Renegade Outpost

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Introduction

Hi there, Renegade Outpost is a full service event planning and chef services company. We've been in business for 12 years and have been associated with Thumbtack for 9 years. We have been hired more than 300 times and have more than 180 excellent 5 STAR reviews. We offer logistical services as well as day/of coordination and securing orders for rentals. Our "rolodex" includes many of the best vendors for all your event needs, whether it be entertainment or lighting to photographers and waitstaff. We take pride in our work with making your job easier as our highest priority. Wonderful food always begins with amazing ingredients, especially produce. We source directly from local farmers, we work with an organic butcher, a wild fish monger and importers of select cheese and specialty products. We make our own duck and lamb prosciutto, smoke our own duck breast and make our own kimchi amongst other things. Food is the heart of every catered event. We work with your ideas and curate the menu based on seasonal delicious produce, expert preparation and beautiful presentation. The produce inspires us and we often build a dish around vegetable. From plated dinners to high end cocktail events... from chef-manned stations to grazing tables... from fundraisers and galas to weddings and themed events, we have the professional staff and connections to ensure your event runs smoothly. Looking forward to working with you and making you a fan as well. We make sure all the elements meld together. We want you to relax and have fun with your guests. We will make your dreams a reality for beautiful memories for years to come... Polished or playful, dynamic or understated, we will work with you on your vision. SMALL EVENT CATERING Organic/local/small farm Almost Zero waste kitchen Menu planning Vegan options Allergy awareness Plated meal Family style Grazing stations Decorative Manned Stations Amazing Plating-unique platters In/house made products-kimchi/burrata/smoked duck Food pricing starts at $55pp WEDDING/COMPLETE PLANNING AND EXECUTION Complete wedding planning and execution Rentals ordering Logistics Menu planning Sourcing decor rentals Liquor order Bar menu Table decor Menu planning Staffing schedule Timeline preparation DJ Lighting Photography Food pricing starts at $65pp CORPORATE/COMPLETE PLANNING AND EXECUTION/CATERING Complete event planning and execution Rentals ordering Logistics Product placement Menu planning Sourcing decor rentals Liquor order Bar menu Table decor Staffing scheduling Timeline preparation Food pricing starts at $50pp Please view our links to our WeddingWire and Zola pages

Overview

Hired 310 times

Background checked

5 employees

10 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Cash, Credit card, and Square cash app.

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Instagram

Top Pro status

Top Pros are among the highest-rated, most popular professionals on Thumbtack.

2019

2018

Featured Projects

276 photos

Industrial Wedding
Wedding and Event Catering

Specialties

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Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, responsiveness, and professionalism.

Great 4.8

190 reviews

88%

Read reviews that mention:

Britt M.

Nov 22, 2021

Hired on Thumbtack

Britt Muñoz 9:20 PM (2 minutes ago) to me I initially hired Chef Ellen as an event planner. My fiancé and I had decided last minute we wanted to throw a housewarming/engagement party, but we also didn’t have the time or skills to throw together one. We essentially wanted someone to just do all the heavy lifting and thinking for us, while keeping it on a tight budget (as we were having it at home) so that we could have some kind of event before the holidays and our families would be happy. In the end, we didn’t really get so much as all that… we ended up having a lot of work we had to do on our ends in order to have the party we wanted within the budget we inevitably exploded anyway. That being said however, there are many details to be mentioned. I did not know what to expect when hiring a planner. Chef Ellen turned out to live further away than I expected (that was my fault because I had done the research), therefore it was difficult for her to travel back and forth. My fiancé and I realized we would have to do much of the outdoor lighting ourselves if we wanted to have the party we wanted. We did just that, and it was A LOT of work, but it was definitely not something that could have been done in a day. We were able to really set the scene as something we truly wanted, saving a lot of man power and obviously, money, better spent on food and other rentals. One of her vendors wouldn’t travel to my location so she had to try someone entirely new. That new vendor ended up messing up big time, installing our massive rental tent completely wrong two days before the event. I had so much going on at the time and it definitely was the tip of the iceberg for me. Although Chef Ellen was unable to come due to a work event and the distance, she was attentive and calling me as often as she could, brainstorming for solutions and trying to ease my anxieties. She apologized as well, stating she had never worked with this vendor before and was only trying to make sure we had a tent. We were able in the end to get the company to come back and fix the problem thankfully. Her other vendor however (tables, chairs, glassware, etc.), came through. This vendor she did have a connection with and they were wonderful. The day of the event, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. We had tornado warnings and downpours for hours leading up to the event which led to serious delays in getting set up. Luckily we had prepared our outdoor lighting 10 days prior, but her staff was unable to set up cocktail tables or outdoor floral arrangements outside of the tents until the rain had stopped (which was moments before the event started). They worked efficiently though despite it all. Chef Ellen was stalled due to the weather since she was transporting the food, but her staff arrived early. We all got started a bit late, but most of our guests also arrived late due to the storm as well. Once the party got started, I just allowed to stress to dissipate and enjoy myself. I did a lot of mingling and little eating. But I will say, what I did eat was fabulous and what my friends and family ate, they all enjoyed as they felt inclined to tell me over and over again. When I finally took a second to walk inside the tent to actually look at how it was all set up, it was all just really beautiful. The flowers, the place settings, everything just looked lovely and everyone looked to be enjoying themselves. Chef Ellen had made a floral arrangement for my banister that I am really glad I decided to add on last minute, because it was really pretty and added elegance and charm to the whole event. Her staff was delightful and friendly, we all enjoyed having a laugh with them and they never were without a smile. I know I had read some reviews about Chef Ellen to be short or rude; I just found her to be in her zone and running a tight ship. Our event was for 60 people, with all of those people coming in through the kitchen to get to the restroom. A couple of friends told me she snapped at them when they were leering over to get food and I laughed and told them, "good. She's got to feed 60 people and make sure all of this stuff goes around and it looks pretty, so wait your turn." It's a lot to run a kitchen with so many small plates/appetizers for an event so I get it. She definitely has a tough, no nonsense personality, but you have to ask yourself if that's what you want. For me, definitely, otherwise, I'd have all my guests running into the kitchen, grubbing food off of the dishes before they made their debut out. The guests belong in the guest area with the smiling staff so you can let the chef work. That being said, Chef threw in a couple of extras (I have to be honest, I didn't notice at the time because I was everywhere all at once) which was nice. Food did come out a little late, but again, the storm did not help so I have to put that into consideration. Lastly, one thing I should probably mention is that our bar list was a bit excessive. We did hire a bartender through her staff (who was very, very sweet, but I do wish he brought more than one shaker, otherwise I would have totally provided more). Once you give your head count, you receive a list of things to buy for the bar. We ended up buying everything on the list and it was a bit much. It wasn't so much the wine or liquor as it was the juices, cases of club sodas, and cases of beer. Definitely could have cut the beer in half and the club soda to 1/2-1 case. Considering my group of people indulge on Vodka/Clubs and beer often, having that much extra means we definitely bought too much. Just a little something to keep in mind going forward. At the end of the day, the party ended up costing us more than we wanted, but was more than we expected it could be. And that counts for something. Our phones blew up the next day with our friends and family thanking us again and truly overwhelmed by how beautiful our party was. They thought we were going to surprise everyone and get married that night it was so beautiful. For people to be that impressed by our party means that it was done correctly. We definitely put more work into it on our ends than we initially wanted to, but it wasn't the worst thing. It gave us an event we could be proud of at the end of the day. I am grateful for Chef Ellen's ideas and guidance on everything. She knew we were trying to save in some areas, so we did our part and she did hers. The party was a success and we were very pleased with it.

Details: Engagement party • 51 - 100 guests • Full service planning (start to finish help) • Day-of coordination • Decor rental • Bartending • Setup • Wait staff • Cleanup • Catering • Floral services • Chairs • Tables • Tents • Lighting • Tablecloths • Centerpiece(s) • 1 - 2 months • My home, venue, etc.

Event Planning

Aline P.

Dec 1, 2020

Hired on Thumbtack

It was an incredible evening for the 70th birthday of my husband at our house. Truly amazing! I was so lucky to have Chef Ellen and her team. Chef Ellen executed a beautifully delicious, balanced menu. Pleasing my family with a few friends all at once is no easy feat, but Chef Ellen, her server Matt and bartender Richard all worked flawlessly together to make everyone feel special. Food was prepared, cooked, and served to perfection. My kitchen was cleaned precisely how I turned it over to them. I could not have asked for anything more-it was beyond our expectations! Everybody was raving about the food and drinks. Chef Ellen and her team was indeed a great find!

Details: Special occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc.) • 11 - 20 guests • Dinner • Cocktail hour / hors d'oeuvres • Standard (basic ingredients) • Cold beverages (alcoholic) • American - casual • Meal prepared onsite • Only once • My home, venue, etc.

Personal Chef

Shelley G.

Jun 3, 2017

Hired on Thumbtack

Chef Ellen, Brenda, and bartender Max were extremely professional, courteous, and made hosting 40 a breeze. Appetizers were meticulously prepared and amazingly fresh. Would highly recommend.

Wedding and Event Catering

Jamie P.

Feb 18, 2015

Hired on Thumbtack

Ellen, was a lot of fun to work with. We planned a cocktail party for 40-50 for my 45th Bday at the very last minute. She made over 500 pcs of appetizers, created a custom dish (which was delicous) at my request, and helped me plan the cocktails to be served. The upshot is the party was a success, the food was a hit and Ellen and her bartender/server Josh added to the party as I have an open kitchen. I would definitely work with her again and recommend her to friends.

Renegade Outpost's reply

Jamie, it was really alot of fun doing your party...looking forward to the next time

Event Catering (Drop-off)

Laura L.

Oct 30, 2015

Hired on Thumbtack

We hired Chef Ellen to cater our wedding and were so pleased with how everything turned out! She has such a broad range of menu items to choose from and was so helpful in helping us select a cohesive, elegant menu for the occasion. The presentation was beautiful and Ellen also provided several servers and a bartender, all of whom were incredibly professional and really helped the event run smoothly. We were so happy with how everything turned out and would highly recommend!

Wedding Catering

Credentials

Background Check

Ellen Deluise

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Food pricing depends on what type of cuisine you want and how many dishes you would like prepared. We also offer basic planning for free if you hire us for the food.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I send them menus and have them pick a few things to get a feel for their palate. I tell them the pricing structure and then help them pick some dishes based on their choice of cuisines.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I've worked in restaurants all around the globe since I was 19.

Renegade Outpost

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