When he came to Portland in 1976, Larry Grimes had his sights set on food. Starting in grocery and working in restaurants, Larry went on to owning and running his own restaurant, Columbia, and traveling to Napa for some of the first classes offered at the Culinary Institute of America, Greystone. These experiences, coupled with years working with Portland’s best catering companies, taught Larry invaluable lessons about organization, and the power of genuine teamwork; skills necessary to successfully plan and execute large events.
Over the years Larry worked with some of the best culinarians in the northwest. His singular vision was to create the freshest quality product in the special events arena. So he developed an ambitious new type of kitchen that could change from event to event, and created the most stunning visual presentations this area had ever seen.
Larry’s skills creating innovative, palatable food grew alongside his passion for contemporary art, each complimenting the other. The connection could not be ignored, and the passion flared, forging the amalgam of style and taste with uncompromising service. Larry started Art of Catering in 1998 with this vision and quickly grew to the status of “best in the city”.
Art of Catering’s facility in Portland’s Pearl District embodies that blend of art and cuisine; with a beautiful art gallery/event space and an impressive kitchen, where a sign high on the wall reminds the whole team that; “only the best is good enough”.
Humbled by its top position, the underlying philosophy that motivates Larry and the rest of the company is to always ask, how can we do it even better? It’s the constant questioning and exploration of what’s new in the world of food that keeps Larry and Art of Catering moving forward.
Larry Grimes | President/Creative Director
lgrimes@artofcatering.net
503.231.8185