Situated on the rugged, central coast of California, nestled in a layer of coastal fog you will find Monterey, California. A beautiful quaint town, giving you the best of both worlds: a coastal town surrounded by the beautiful native trees of California. Think Oregon but not as cold or gray. It’s Goldilocks perfect town, not too cold, not too hot, but juuust right.

It’s here in Monterey, hiding among the tourist shops and traps that we met Ardent Cullinaire, an event catering business that gave us a glimpse not just of the culinary world but the culture of a town like Monterey. But before we get into gushing over the culinary art that is Ardent Cullinaire, let’s give a proper introduction to who exactly they are.

An Exclusive Look Into Ardent Cullinaire

Sitting just two blocks away from the heart of Monterey, you will find Ardent’s home. From the outside and unsuspecting white building, but on the inside a business bursting with passion, love, and drive.

You walk in and you will find Executive Chef Efren Diaz in the kitchen prepping for their next event. Pencil tucked behind his ear, apron strapped in, Efren is in his element, the kitchen is a home away from home. Ardent prides itself on using fresh,local ingredients to make their cooking more sustainable. And trust me when I say that is a difference you can smell and taste. The ingredients they are prepping are so fresh that I’m not only smelling the tanginess of onions or the sharpness of fresh herbs, but their kitchen is filled with an earthy aroma that is a staple of fresh ingredients.

The Heart Of Ardent

While the chefs are focused on their work that doesn’t mean the kitchen isn’t bustling with other forms of life. Watching from a corner, I see private conversations, an abundance of laughter, a community of people at home with each other. It’s like cooking at home with family, and it’s comforting to see that the food they’re creating is surrounded by love and laughter, crucial ingredients to any meal.

Past the kitchen, large fridge and freezers, and pantry, you’ll make your way to the office workspace where you will find President Cheyenne Vandenbrook and Corporate Chef Estevan Jimenez. It’s here where they are doing the logistics of each event. They’re looking at customer requests, future events, vendor availability, and curating menus specific to each event and client. The heart of the business that keeps the machine moving and functioning. They are constantly moving, bouncing ideas off each other and other employees of the business, trying to find ways to not only improve but be the best for their customers.

Their Passion Is Unmatched

By the way they work and run their company you’d never guess that Vandenbrook, Diaz, and Jimenez are first time business owners.  But it’s their passion for cooking and creating that is driving their business to new heights each year. The drive of a new business owner is something that can’t be matched, they live and breathe their business as a means to keep their passion alive, and you see this in their work at each event.

Making Event Planning Easier

All the details of event planning are enough to drive a person insane. No matter how much planning ahead you do, last-minute things will always come up. Enter Ardent; here to take one last thing off your plate (no food pun intended) and create an extra wow factor for your guests. Ardent works with you to make your dream event menu come to life. From creating a menu, cooking, serving, and staging food in beautiful ways Ardent has you covered. And boy do they handle the tasks they’ve been given.

They create a food blogger’s dream with each menu they create and serve them flawlessly. If your guests were to remember one thing about your event, I would bet money it’d be Ardents’ delicious food. Sure, guests look at the decor and venue, but guests, without a doubt, will always talk about the food. Good or bad. So do yourself a favor, make your life easier and events more memorable and hire Ardent Today!

They’ve got our vote!