Ken Wolfe and Christopher Robbins with Julie Fitzgerald of Bay Street Theatre.

Robbins Wolfe Eventeurs (RWE) is celebrating their 20th year and what a ride it's been. As the Official VIP Caterer at the Hampton Classic Horseshow (serving over 8,000 guests in 8 days) as well as the Exclusive Caterer at the Bridgehampton Tennis & Surf Club where they host events during the season, and at parties too numerous to mention they have served it all.

Back in the 1980's, these Hampton friends didn't foresee how their lives would someday intertwine. Christopher Robbins and partners Ken and Paula Wolfe founded the company in 1987. Robbins was a chef at a Wainscott caterer, R.C. Wilford from 1981-1987. The Wolfe's were former owners of the famed early 80s East Hampton's House on Toilsome Restaurant. When they decided to merge their talents there was no stopping them.

Robbins said that his six years as a chef at R. C. Wilford prepared him to enter into any situation, in any space and be successful. "There are a lot of things that can't be achieved in a tent than in a temperature controlled atmosphere. Knowing the limiting factors, gave me a broader knowledge of all the pieces of the puzzle," he admitted. "Parties are somewhat organized chaos and as many details that you can focus on and eliminate the more successful the party will be."

Robbins remembered that at nine or ten years old he enjoyed cooking. "The first scenario was a family night potluck supper after church. It was like the original catered party. I was into that event and my mother started asking me to help out. My parents did a lot of entertaining and enlisted my sisters and me to lend a hand."

But it was in High School that the young Robbins would get his first catering job with JRS Parties. "I was a waiter at this mansion on Rye Beach in N. H. The owner saw how diligent a worker I was and asked me if I wanted to work part time assisting the kitchen staff. I did, and eventually it became full time," he recalled.

Christopher Robbins with Senator Hillary Clinton and the RWE staff.

After graduating from Traip Academy High School in Kittery, Maine, Robbins attended Southampton College. It's where he started out in Business Administration then after an Accounting 101 class he realized he didn't have the brains for it. "I was much more creative and didn't know it at the time. So I changed to an English Literature and Professional Writing major and did well. I was encouraged by my professor to continue on that path."

Once in the Hamptons, Robbins decided to rent a house for the summer. And divine intervention stepped in by way of Miriam Ungerer, the cookbook author and later, The East Hampton Star food columnist. Robbins was at the bar in O'Malley's in Sag Harbor having a drink when she ponied up beside him to ask what he was drinking. "I think I was drinking a Peach Pina Colada and she began to tell me about her daughter's end of the summer party. She thought she needed help for it and I told her I had catering experience and she handed me the name and number to the owner of R. C. Wilford Catering. When I called him he said the only reason why he gave me an interview was because I dropped her name. That was 1981."

At the time, the pioneer in off-premise catering was Robert Day Dean and Sean Driscoll of Glorious Foods. And RWE inched their way up one tray at a time. One of their first celebrity clients was Marty Richards, the producer of the 2002 Oscar winner for Best Picture, "Chicago". "He's so nice. He's been a loyal client and friend since 1984. He's incredibly generous, genuine and a good soul," Robbins said endearingly.

In 1997, Colin Cowie was instrumental in teaching Robbins how to think globally. And in 1998 Robbins knew RWE finally arrived and became an equal to Glorious Foods and Robert Isabell, when they were asked to cater two celebrity weddings first for Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke and then for Annette Roque and Matt Lauer. Robbins says, "They're great people, down to earth." His favorite event was for Hillary and Bryant Gumbel, "Because together they're such a wonderful couple. They know what they want and they're loyal clients."

Christopher Robbins and Giada DeLaurentis for the Food Network's Behind the Bash.

His most surprising phone call came from Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, "I didn't believe it, at first I thought someone was playing a prank. But once I heard her voice I knew it was her. She was having a little party and asked that I call her in Aspen to set up the details. When Kurt answered the phone, he called out for her just as anyone else would." Even with Hawn's Hollywood legacy in television and film, he said they were just 'regular people.'

In 2005 Absolute Magazine voted RWE as one of the top ten Society Caterers. Robbins has contributed to InStyle Magazine's, "The Party Guide," and was selected as one of their 12 event designers in 2005. RWE has also been featured in numerous publications including; The New York Times, New York Magazine, Food & Wine, and Martha Stewarts Weddings.

For the past three years, Robbins and RWE have been featured in books by two of the most notable in party planning, "The Best of Martha Stewart Weddings," and "Weddings" by Colin Cowie. He's also been able to utilize his gift of writing as the Society/Entertaining Editor of Long Islands Gold Coast magazine, Elements Magazine, where he writes the society column, "Social Pulse."

Robbins, his wife Tammy and their two daughters, Jillian and Mallory reside in Nassau County. And even though he's able to satisfy the elite palates of the society world, when it comes to feeding the kids, Tammy does the cooking. "I can't make macaroni and cheese like she does. Because when I cook I like to add different ingredients to everything, and the kids don't like it. Although as they get older they seem to be more experimental," he admits.

And when he goes home to see mom and dad he always brings either a filet of beef, a country baked ham, or a brick of shrimp, "Because I can get it wholesale," he exclaimed. Since his mother still entertains, inevitably they all still gather in the kitchen preparing dishes of all sorts.

Robbins favorite meal is a perfectly grilled, Kosher, all beef hot dog with brown mustard. But he also enjoys foir gras, seared rare tuna, or rack of lamb. He loves strawberries for desert, or strawberry shortcake. "If I had to choose between sweet and savory I'd pick savory. But I love a warm chocolate chip cookie."

When it comes to the taste buds of his clients, they all lean towards shrimp and cheese straws hors d'oeuvres. "Shrimp is our classic staple. It's on 94 percent of our menus and you have to make it many different ways. We have eight to ten different preparations for shrimp. We make our own cheese straws; they're made out of puff pastry. We begin the holiday season with 20,000 of them in the freezer, and within one month we're down to 1000," he informed.

In December, Robbins appeared on the Today show with Cambell Brown discussing Holiday Decor for hors d'oeuvres. He's no stranger to television spots. RWE has partaken in The Food Network "Behind the Bash" with Giada DeLaurentis, InStyle Magazine, "What's Sexy Now" with Colin Cowie Lifestyle, and NBC/ Bravo Network's 2004 Emmy Award recipient, "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."

RWE has catered galas of over 1,400 guests. But is any event too big? "I would say the biggest was a 3,000 person high profile event. With A list performers…that was pretty wonderful." Robbins said of his own aptitude to please, "If someone called asking for a party for 5,000…I'd blink a little in a psychotic way, and say, 'what's your date?' Because basically, even with more trays, once you do dinner for 100 it equals 10 entrée trays, 1,500 people equals 150 entrée trays, and when you can achieve 600 – 800 - 900 well, you can do any number you want with a wonderful key staff," he states.

Adding, dinner for 12 is more difficult than a dinner for 1,200. "Because of the scrutiny on the menu and the service is at epic level. It has to be totally flawless. If you can't serve the same food for five people at a tasting then don't offer it for 500 people at a charity dinner," he advises. "We are a society caterer. They're buying a five star experience served perfectly. We have a 72 percent repeat business rate which is unheard of." From April 28th - May 19th RWE served over 8,000 people throughout the Tri-State and NYC region.

Robbins says the best thing about being a society caterer is, "That I make people happy - my life is a party." The worst aspect, "Running out of ice," he ended. He said his one dream event would be, to be flown to a ski resort so RWE could throw a great winter gala on a mountain. No ice worries there.
It's hard not to name drop when talking about RWE, who have catered to some of the countries most exclusive clients. Their cup overflows with corporate events for the likes of Burberry, Deutsche Bank, FENDI, Giorgio Armani/Emporio Armani, House & Garden Magazine, Microsoft, Tiffany, Revlon/Almay, and Polo/Ralph Lauren. Then there are the benefits for American Academy of Arts & Letters, Cornell University School of Architecture, Steven Spielberg's SHOAH Foundation, The Jane Goodale Institute, The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center Theater, Mt. Sinai Hospital, The New York Public Library, New York City Ballet, and the Pratt Institute. And don't forget the private celebrations for Nina Griscom, Jessica and Jerry Seinfeld, Jonathan Tisch, Ellen Barkin, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, and Debra Winger to name a few.

If you're fortunate enough to be a guest at one of RWE upcoming Hamptons events -
Bay Street Theater Gala on July 21st, Guild Hall's Gala on August 10th, or the ARF Gala on August 18th you'll be amazed.

You can also expect to find his culinary delights at all the "Hamptons Social" Concert Series Events at the Ross School including Prince on July 14th, Dave Matthews Band on July 28th, and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers on August 25th. Although, if you come too late don't expect to find a morsel left. Their leftovers are sparse, and Robbins plans it that way. If by chance it's a buffet, and the client doesn't want the remainder, RWE donates in the clients name to Long Island Cares or in NYC, City Harvest.

Robbins Wolfe Eventeurs has three offices – Bridgehampton, Locust Valley, and New York City. They can be reached at 212-924-6500, 516-671-2127, 631-537-1926, and online at www.robbinswolfe.com.