Syracuse, N.Y. — Celebrity Chef Anne Burrell shouted-out a couple of local restaurateurs today on national TV for the work they did catering her wedding.
Burrell, a Cazenovia native who cooked in top New York City restaurants before rising to fame on the Food Network, appeared on “The Rachael Ray Show” at 9 a.m. today on ABC. As the two chefs prepared a date-night meal of lobster risotto with saffron, tomatoes and zucchini, the talk turned to Burrell’s wedding to Stuart Claxton.
The two married Oct. 16 at the Windridge Estates Redbarn 20 in Caz. Ray was a bridesmaid in the wedding.
“I was in that barn. I was in the wedding in that barn,” Ray said as Burrell stirred the risotto. “We had the best time.”
Dan and Teresa Seeley, the owners of Diamond Catering, were hired to cater the wedding. Burrell hired them after visiting their restaurant, the Cider Mill, in January.
Food Network star Anne Burrell ate at The Cider Mill restaurant on Saturday night. At the end of the meal, she hired Dan Seeley (rear center) to cater her wedding.Photo courtesy of The Cider Mill
The wedding menu started with roasted cauliflower steak with crispy shoestring potatoes and caviar.
Diamond Catering from Syracuse catered TV Chef Anne Burrell's wedding a couple weeks ago. This was the roasted cauliflower starter. (Photo courtesy of Dan Seeley)
The pasta was pumpkin and goat cheese ravioli in sage butter sauce with frizzled brussels sprouts and pepitas.
The is the pumpkin pasta course at Chef Anne Burrell's wedding a couple weeks ago. (Photo courtesy of Dan Seeley)
For the main course, guests were treated to braised short ribs with celery root and parsnip purée, or they could choose herb-and-potato-crusted halibut with spaghetti squash, tuscan kale and pistachio pesto.
The dessert was brown butter ice cream with white chocolate ganache, almond shortbread and local apple. Syracuse’s Glazed & Confused provided donuts for dessert after the wedding.
Today, Burrell raved about the the Seeleys, their crew and the menu.
“The caterers—which were from a local restaurant called the Cider Mill but they have a company called Diamond Catering—did an amazing job,” Burrell said after Ray asked for highlights. “I worked with them with the menu and they were very gracious to allow me to write the menu, but they did an excellent job executing it. It was delicious. It was fun. It was joyful.”
The Seeleys had recorded the program so their family could watch it together.
“We definitely didn’t think we’d get a shoutout on national TV. She gave us tremendous feedback after the wedding and sent us some very thoughtful gifts and a beautiful letter,” Dan Seeley said this afternoon.
“After hearing Chef Burrell say how happy she was with everything on national TV, I looked over at Teresa and she had tears in her eyes,” he added. “That was pretty amazing.”
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Charlie Miller finds the best in food, drink and fun across Central New York. Contact him at 315-382-1984, or by email at cmiller@syracuse.com. You can also find him on Twitter @HoosierCuse.