ELIZABETH D. KENNEDY & CO. RETURNS TO MCKEE BOTANICAL GARDEN TO OPEN ELIZABETH’S AT THE GARDEN CAFÉ
McKee Botanical Garden visitors enjoyed their first taste of the delicious and inventive cuisine of celebrated local caterer Elizabeth D. Kennedy & Co. for the first time last year when Kennedy and her team became the new operators of McKee’s onsite café, The Garden Café Featuring Elizabeth D. Kennedy & Co. McKee Botanical Garden is pleased to announce the return of Elizabeth D. Kennedy & Co. as they partner once again to open Elizabeth’s at the Garden Café.
“The addition of Elizabeth D. Kennedy & Co. to our Garden Café in 2010 enabled us to provide our guests with an elevated dining experience, “states McKee Botanical Garden Executive Director Christine Hobart. “We were thrilled with the comments from our visitors during our first year, and are very excited to welcome back Elizabeth and her team for another successful season.”
Elizabeth’s at the Garden Café is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 2:30 p.m. The new menu features a tempting variety of sandwiches, wraps, and salads including pulled BBQ chicken, ham and brie, Ropa Vieja beef sandwich, Southwest Caesar salad, and house made hummus, among others. Children’s choices include organic peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese sandwiches served with natural apple sauce and carrot sticks.
In addition to serving lunch daily, the Garden Café can be rented for dinner parties from 10 to 100 attendees. Kennedy will also serve as the exclusive caterer for all of McKee’s on-site weddings and events. Those interested in booking weddings, dinner parties or corporate holiday events should contact Kim Russell at 772-794-0601 or russell@mckeegarden.org.
Kennedy’s head chef for Elizabeth’s at the Garden Café is Vero Beach native Chad Leighton. Leighton is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who has held executive chef positions at the famous Jazz de Opus and Opus, too, in Portland, Oregon; Fish Grotto Seafood Restaurant; and hybrid restaurant/lounge AURA where he spent 8 years preparing locally inspired meals in the fine dining restaurant and catering events for up to 650 people. Leighton returned to Vero in 2009 and worked as sous chef for Citrus Grillhouse before joining Elizabeth D. Kennedy & Co.
About Elizabeth D. Kennedy & Co.:
Renowned for creative menus and captivating events, Elizabeth D. Kennedy & Co. has served Vero Beach for more than 26 years with professional catering, party planning and home bistro dishes to go. From intimate family gatherings to galas for hundreds - and thousands! - of guests, Elizabeth D. Kennedy & Co. helps orchestrate entire events to create affairs to remember. For more information, call 772-563-0646 or visit www.elizabethkennedycatering.com.
