I Rolled the Dice on a New Caterer. Here’s What Happened.
I hired a young duo—whose food I'd never even tasted—as private chefs for a party. Talk about going out on a limb!
Note: Paid subscribers got first dibs on this—I sent it to them Monday, May 12. I wanted my supporters to have the early scoop, since Zach and Cody’s summer schedule is filling up fast. I often share time-sensitive updates like this with paying readers first—their support makes this work possible. Want early access next time? Upgrade your subscription.
Dinner by “The Food Life of Zach and Cody”
The Food Life of Zach and Cody
Private Chefs for Hire
Website: foodlifeofzachandcody.com
Catering by Cyd has long been my go-to. But as someone who covers the local food scene, I can’t just stick with one caterer—any more than I can eat at the same restaurant every time I dine out. So when it came time to throw a party for 20 to celebrate a cluster of friends’ birthdays, I decided to roll the dice on someone entirely new.
In fact, I raised the risk factor: I hired The Food Life of Zach and Cody (Zach Allard and Cody Hughey)—a duo whose food I hadn’t even tasted. Still, when I interviewed them last year, something told me they knew what they were doing. (For a bit of their backstory, see last year’s piece.)
Why I Wasn’t That Scared
All week, I kept wondering, why am I not more worried about the food?
These guys aren’t even 30. They haven’t been in business that long. I had to look up the reference in their name—it’s apparently a nod to an early 2000s Disney show, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Their vibe is strikingly casual. And I had serious food people coming to this party.
This could’ve gone south.
But here’s the thing: I only invite fun-loving people to my parties—and you should, too. My friends are real food-lovers, but they’re not jerks. They want to eat well, yes, but more than anything, they want to have a good time.
That doesn’t mean I’m going to throw out some cold cuts and Busch Light and call it a night. I’ll always put care into the food. But if you’ve got the right people, you can roll the dice. Worst-case scenario? The caterers flake, we order Noah’s Ark pizza, and still laugh our way through the night.
Here’s How It Went
I told them I wanted appetizers at 6; dinner at 7. They told me they’d get there between 3:30 and 3:45.
They arrived right at 3:30. As they prepped and cooked in the kitchen and Dave and I set up the party room, we overheard a few bursts of laughter. I raised an eyebrow at Dave and said, “They might be having a little too much fun back there—I wouldn’t mind hearing just a hint of urgency…”
Later, when we went into the kitchen to grab some ice, we noticed it was stifling hot back there; Dave told them how to blast the air conditioning.
“Nah. We’re good. We’re kitchen workers. We’re used to the heat,” they said. I started thinking, if these guys were any more laid back, they’d be dead.
*****
When appetizers were ready at 6 (again, right on the dot), none of our guests had yet arrived.
“Yikes!” I said. “Hopefully this food will still taste good at room temp.”
They laughed. “We’re not going to let the food get cold!” They’d brought a heat lamp for serving, and replenished the hot food as needed.
Soon, the guests piled in and, dang it, I was so busy welcoming our guests that I did not take photos of the brilliant roasted chili-dusted cauliflower with sweet corn aioli and the absolutely striking pan con tomate (a Catalan take on bruschetta that they made ultra-easy to navigate as a party nibble).
Dinner was ready at 7 p.m.; the entree was picanha beef that they’d grilled outdoors. Picanha, a cut prized in Brazil, is beautifully rich and tender with a thick fat cap that partly renders, partly softens—turning simple tacos into something worthy of my kind of party. Dinner was buffet-style, with beef-topped tortillas plated in the kitchen to keep the carved meat fresh and flowing. Guests helped themselves to the toppings, including a particularly bright guacamole and a lovely homemade salsa verde. A side salad—mixed greens with asparagus, peas, feta, pistachios, roasted chickpeas, basil, mint, and radishes—felt perfectly in step with the spring evening.
I had purchased the dessert—a lavish birthday cake—from another local source. So, after the main course was enjoyed by all, Zach and Cody helped clear plates, did the dishes, tidied the kitchen, and quietly slipped out—leaving behind a room swelling with the kind of easy cheer that follows a meal done right.
A Few More Things to Appreciate (and Know) about Zach and Cody
• These days, many caterers ask for full payment—and even a tip (!)—before the event. Zach and Cody do it differently: they give you an estimate, ask for grocery costs up front, and send the final bill the day after.
• The total cost for the event—including how I figured the tip—is listed here, in a post that will remain exclusive to paid subscribers.
• If you want the chefs to cook on-site, make sure they know what equipment you have. We went back and forth to be sure the kitchen setup would deliver the best results.
• Reach out early—responses sometimes took a day or two (even on my end), but with a few weeks’ lead time, we had plenty of room to plan.
• For my event, things got a little complicated and the email trail got long. So, a week before the event, I recapped everything I was expecting, including the timings for serving, on one page. This worked. I suggest you do the same.
• Of course, Zach and Cody know I write this column, so they were surely motivated to do their best. But in my experience, while talented chefs can miss the mark now and then, lesser ones can’t suddenly rise to the occasion just because someone’s watching. These pros know what they’re doing.
P.S.: A Preview of Next Week’s Post
Coming next week: among other things, I’ll tell you about the lavish birthday cake I ordered from a boutique micro-baker. Be sure to subscribe, or you might miss this one!
The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative
As always, check out the Iowa Writers Collaborative if you want to read some great stories from professional writers reporting from all over Iowa.
so great, I love everyone's confidence and that heat lamp! The "we got this attitude."
The food was great. We have also used Zach and Cody to cook for our on farm dinners, and it all worked out well! You forgot to mention they may be the friendliest cooks ever too--no big egos, no tension. Just smiles and kind words.