- About Us -

Our Story

Elegant Fare—41 years of best-in-class food and impressive service excellence

Elegant Fare has a long history serving as Cincinnati’s premiere award-winning catering and events firm; providing excellent food and service for more than 41 years.

Frankly, our level of success was never dreamed of when Anne Lisbin founded Elegant Fare in 1981 as a home-delivered food service for gourmet meals. Elegant Fare grew rapidly to become the provider of choice for off-premise catering of impressive food and top-notch service. A quantum growth leap came in 1993, when the company built the first facility in the tri-state area designed exclusively for off-premise catering and event planning.

Over the years, Elegant Fare has been the caterer of choice for events honoring royalty and notables such as the Dali Lama, U.S. presidents, and celebrities such as Luciano Pavarotti, Rosa Parks, Elton John, and Tom Hanks. We have served as exclusive caterer and food services provider for the ATP Western & Southern Financial Group Masters’ and Women’s Open and for other high-profile events.

Awards? Of course. Elegant Fare has been named “Best Caterer” six times by Cincinnati Magazine Reader’s Poll, received a “Best Kept Secret” award from Cincinnati Magazine for our catering work with The Cincinnati Art Museum’s café, and has been touted by the magazine for “setting the gold standard” in Cincinnati as its “Best Black-Tie Caterer.” And the kudos keep coming.

We’re always excited when high-profile leaders like Procter & Gamble, American Financial, and Western-Southern, as well as many other companies, continue to trust Elegant Fare for our impeccable planning, food, and service.

And what a privilege it continues to be for Elegant Fare to make dreams come true with wedding celebrations of all sizes and styles!

We are fortunate to collaborate with amazing venue partners and service providers in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Greater Dayton, and we share our success with them.

Elegant Fare has always been a family-run, woman-owned company. Anne Lisbin’s daughter and family continued the tradition after Anne’s retirement several year ago. Our fresh, new leadership includes many who served in the firm’s key leadership positions for decades. And our company is still woman-owned, and now also minority-owned. We are the new generation of the Elegant Fare family.

Introducing the Elegant Fare Family

Please meet a few of our key family members.

Rajeev Pradhan

Managing Director

Emily Gibbons Pradhan

Managing Director

Renée Fink

Catering/Events Consultant

Kyle Merkl, CTA

Catering/Events Consultant

Kathyna Salazar

Catering/Events Consultant

Gabriella Godwin

Operations Manager

Betty Wall

Kitchen Manager

Mary Jane

Culinary Team

Service Team

TESTIMONIALS

Rajeev (“Raj”) Pradhan, MBA, CPA

Managing Director

In more than 20 years with Elegant Fare, Raj served most recently as controller, with financial and management responsibilities, and gained expertise in high-end catering and hospitality management.
“I have always been impressed with the staff of Elegant Fare: their skills, professionalism, and can-do attitude,” Raj said. “It is my personal pleasure to work together with them on behalf of our clientele.”
A native of Kathmandu, Nepal and a Cincinnati resident since 1994, Raj is a weekly soccer player and avid FC Cincinnati fan. Other talents: musician (piano and guitar), photographer, and self-described “at-home chef” who credits Elegant Fare with elevating his skills and creativity. His specialty: authentic Nepalese cuisine.


Call : +1 (513) 200 9979

 

mail : rpradhan@elegantfare.com

 

 

Emily Gibbons Pradhan

Managing Director

How does a highly experienced special education teacher and trainer step into leadership of a successful catering & events firm?
   “I’ve always enjoyed activities that require both sides of the brain—creative, as well as practical, logical thinking,” Emily commented. “I am especially comfortable with managing strategic direction, growth, training, and building strong relationships with our clients, amazing venues, and other service providers. I enjoy the challenge of planning events that bring people together and delight them with exceptional food and service.”
   Most of Emily’s family time focuses on nurturing their daughter and enjoying two “doodle” dogs and a rescue cat. In her spare moments, she tends to her garden expansion.

Call :    +1 (513) 200 9979

email : epradhan@elegantfare.com

Renée Fink

Catering/Events Consultant

Imagine a little girl who enjoys planning pretend dinner party menus. That little girl is now accomplished catering/events consultant Renée Fink, Elegant Fare staffer for 20-plus years and previously in hospitality for 13 years at the Cincinnati Art Museum. A Cincinnati native, she attended Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.
Renée works closely with Elegant Fare wedding, corporate, and social clients to personalize each event. An admitted foodie, her focus on the art of combining fine food, top-notch service, and attention to event details means your event will be one to celebrate.

Call : +1 (513) 765 987

mail : rfink@elegantfare.com

Kyle Merkl, CTA

Catering/Events Consultant

Formerly with Newport Aquarium, Kyle most recently served as senior events manager there. A UC grad in Business Administration, his studies focused on marketing and sales.
   “During my seven years at the Aquarium, my favorite caterer hands-down was Elegant Fare because of their service, the people, and definitely the fine food!” Kyle commented. He is passionate about creating successful events, from just-right menu selections to table settings and all the finishing touches. Kyle assures every client of a worry-free event—and we deliver.

Call :  513-552-1340

mail : kmerkl@elegantfare.com

Kathyna Salazar

Catering/Events Consultant

With over 20 years in the hospitality industry, Kathyna (pronounced Ka-tina) Salazar is our newest catering/events consultant to join the Elegant Fare family. Her extensive experience includes the planning and coordination of large corporate events, multi-cultural weddings, and social events. Kathyna prides herself on her unparalleled commitment to ensuring every detail is executed successfully for 100% client satisfaction. A native of Venezuela, she is bi-lingual and is ready to help with your special event.

Call : 513-552-1340

mail : ksalazar@elegantfare.com

Gabriella Godwin

Operations Manager

Call : 513-552-1340

mail : events@elegantfare.com

Betty Wall

Kitchen Manager

Call : 513-552-1340

mail : events@elegantfare.com

Mary Jane Brunk

Service Manager

Call : 513-552-1340

mail : events@elegantfare.com

Culinary Team

Our outstanding culinary team includes many members who have decades of experience in the hospitality setting. In addition, several have been with Elegant Fare for more than a decade. Among the renowned culinary schools represented: The Culinary Institute of America and the Midwest Culinary Institute. The full complement of culinary staff includes chefs, kitchen managers, cooks, and a pastry chef, plus a call list of experienced culinarians with specialties in authentic ethnic cuisines.

Call : 513-552-1340

mail : events@elegantfare.com

Service Team

Elegant Fare is proud of our high service standards, as well as the longevity of our service team leadership—some with more than 20 years as members of the Elegant Fare “food family.” The team includes both full- and part-time highly trained staff, plus a call list of “as needed” staff. Elegant Fare also has a cohort of TIPS-trained bartenders. Working closely with the catering/event consultants, several event captains manage service staff at Elegant Fare events, while back-of-house captains manage kitchen staff. For every event, Elegant Fare catering/events consultants and captains collaborate closely with venue partners’ event staff.

Call : 513-552-1340

mail : events@elegantfare.com