Landau’s Catering and Events

Choosing a catering firm is an important decision. Whether corporate or personal, it’s likely a one-time event. Talking with previous customers is a good idea, as well as knowing the firm’s history and what sets them apart. Landau’s has an extensive history in the culinary world.

Mary Jane Landau was born in Seattle. Her family moved to Saigon in 1957 where her sister Carol Ann was born. When the war broke out, they moved to Hong Kong. In the 60s, Hong Kong was quiet. There were few restaurants; mainly Jimmy’s; and most expats entertained at home. "Our dining room sat 24," says Mary Jane. "I grew up around entertaining." One of her high school classmates was David Landau. She returned to the US for college, attending the University of Denver Hotel and Restaurant School and missing her own graduation because the University had hired her as Head of Catering and she had to manage the graduation event! When she and David married, they returned to Hong Kong.

Photo: Carol Ann, David and Mary Jane in the "Library" at Landau headquarters

David Landau was born into a family of restaurateurs. His grandfather had the first restaurant in Shanghai. In 1928, the family moved to Hong Kong where his father opened Jimmy’s. It became an institution. David took a classic European apprenticeship, finding his dream job at the Dorchester in London where he worked under two chefs. The first, Chef Kaufler, was the chef de cuisine for 35 years. He retired and his sous chef, Anton Mossiman, took over. It was Mossiman who began the move away from heavy sauces and toward the use of natural products. "I was very fortunate to apprentice with both," says David. After his apprenticeship, he returned to work with his father.

A rough place, Jimmy’s was upgraded by David’s father to a white-tablecloth-restaurant that garnered world-wide attention and a write up in the New York Times. The Wall Street Journal named it "one of the top ten business bars in the world" in the 70s. The eclectic menu listed over 200 items. "It was a little like Rosellini’s in Seattle," says David. "It was the place to be and filled with grumpy old waiters." When the building was to be demolished, his father decided to retire. David opened a restaurant nearby and the two operated simultaneously for six months. He was 21. Eventually, David owned five restaurants. "As we added restaurants, I realized I was moving from chef to manager," David recalls. "I went back to school for business management." They sold Jimmy’s in 1985 when they returned to the States.

Landau’s Restaurant in Bellevue opened in 1987 and closed in 1992. "We got caught in the construction moratorium," Mary Jane and David remember. "Buildings weren’t completed or full. The night trade wasn’t there." But the critics loved them. They are the only restaurant ever reviewed by The Seattle Times and The P-I on the same day, receiving the top four stars from both.

After closing, Mary Jane and Carol Ann started a cooking school. People asked about catering and eventually they and David started a small café called At Home that also catered. They were one of the first to offer prepared meals to take home. After three years, they closed the café to concentrate on catering and are now in their 15^th year. "After over 30 years in the business," says Mary Jane, "it’s still a learning experience. To succeed, you have to have great observation and organizational skills." Three years ago, they moved into larger quarters in Redmond. "We now have the space to double our business if we want to," says David. They did 300 events in 2009.

A background in both restaurants and catering has helped. "Catering is different," explains David. "The way you cook is different, the type of items you use and how you reheat. You have to transport safely and always consider temperature and hygiene. We have consistently received 100% kitchen inspections from the Health Department. I’m a fanatic about it." Mary Jane agrees. "We are very customer focused, yet sometimes have to say something won’t work. We won’t do something that is a poor reflection of what the customer wants or what we can do. So much is based on the venue. Knowledge of food is so important."

Customers create a plan with Mary Jane and Carol Ann. "Sample menus are on our website," says Mary Jane. "But nothing is set in stone." Once finalized, David and his chefs Sky Toda-Peters and Robin Hinz are brought in. "They have to understand why we put it together the way we did," says Mary Jane. "It can be a challenge because we customize everything. We literally cater to the customer," says Mary Jane.

Either Mary Jane or David or both are at every event at some point. "People expect us and we want to ensure it all happens correctly," says David. "The size of the event doesn’t determine our involvement." For the Landau’s, catering is more intimate than running a restaurant. "We are in much closer contact with the client," says Mary Jane. They primarily cater events at outside venues but also hold small dinners in the "Library" at their headquarters. They also offer a more affordable way to cater by dropping off the food and letting the customer handle the service. There is a small drop-off fee, but no labor cost. "We try to be creative in keeping costs down and setting the right price point for each client," says Mary Jane. They’re also becoming more green. "We cater for a small chain of hotels with no kitchens and use compostable disposables," explains David. This too is a learning experience as Carol Ann recalls. "We did a cooking demo on the hottest day of the year and were using compostables made out of corn. The utensils started to melt. Our lesson was that compostable flatware should be kept out of the sun!"

Photo: David, Mary Jane and Chef Sky Toda-Peters, courtesy of James Rawson

Mary Jane’s mantra is "special made simple." As she says, "If something goes wrong, it’s the caterers fault. So we make sure it’s right." David agrees. "It should look easy. Timing has to be perfect. It’s all in the details." And you have to be ready to do anything—like the time David put on his swim trunks and got into a pool to set up the floating balloons. "My title became Chef and Pool Boy."

Aside from mastering details, timing and customization, their presentation is beautiful. Certain dishes are requested over and over like the lacquered salmon, their gravlax, marinated tenderloin, prawns in balsalmico, lemon bars, Amaretto bread pudding. All desserts are made in-house by Mary Jane and Robin, including wedding cakes. In 2009, they were voted second best caterer in the KING 5 Best of Western Washington. Clearly their customers are happy with their choice of caterer.

Connie Adams/February 2010

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