- Our Team -

Bruce Riezenman is one of the California Wine Country’s most sought-after chefs, and a foremost speaker on the subject of Food & Wine Pairing. Inspired by the natural luxury of wine country living, his distinctive style centers around creating a complete experience, whether at a private event with service from his Park Avenue Catering Co. or engaging guests with a teaching presentation.

Riezenman has taught, cooked, consulted and hosted in Italy, Hong Kong, Thailand, throughout Canada and the US for organizations that include Certified Angus, Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Darden’s Restaurant Group, Starbucks and others. Chef Riezenman has presented at the Boston Wine Expo and has been a guest chef three times at the prestigious James Beard House in NYC.

Bruce’s career began at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY where he graduated in 1979 with high honors, after previously majoring in Chemistry. Originally from New York City, Bruce was Chef/Owner of the New Deal Restaurant (Manhattan). After moving to California, he opened Prospect Park Restaurant (Santa Rosa) and Buona Sera Ristorante (Petaluma). Bruce is currently the owner & Executive Chef of Park Avenue Catering, the most highly regarded catering company in the North Bay area, serving sophisticated Sonoma cuisine, sourced from local, family farms.

Riezenman is also the author of PairIt!, the highly acclaimed Food & Wine Pairing app for the iPhone and Android, with over 1,000 dishes and 20,000 pairings based on varietals and regions. Bruce’s experience in entrepreneurship and as a chef are marked by his passions for sustainability, culinary arts, quality craftsmanship and technology, topics he continues to explore in both his food and speaking engagements, always applying his innovative California fingerprint on classic international concepts and menus. His approach is really about savoring–savoring the flavor of wine and food and the way they taste together, but also savoring the moment, the place, and the people we share them with. He shares his vision of food and wine as opportunities to enjoy the things in life that truly matter: health, happiness, family and friends. That’s what wine country living is really all about.

Ari Weiswasser, a Food & Wine People’s Best New Chef 2015, spent his formative culinary years in numerous fine-dining establishments in New York City and Philadelphia, mastering the fundamentals of elevated cuisine and service before moving to California and deciding to do things differently.
Glen Ellen Star—which he operates with his wife, Erinn Benziger-Weiswasser, in the Wine Country town of Glen Ellen, CA— opened in May 2012 and utilizes his acutely honed culinary expertise in an inviting, rustic farmhouse-style environment.

Weiswasser spent two years at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry in Yountville before opening Glen Ellen Star down the street from his wife’s family’s biodynamic property, planting gardens that provide much of the kitchen’s produce.

Since 2001

Dianne grew up in Cape Town, South Africa and started her career in the hotel industry planning corporate & social events. She found the perfect home for combining her passion for food, wine and event planning with Park Avenue Catering. Dianne currently manages corporate accounts, winery events, business development and leads an outstanding team of event specialists.

Since 1998

Josue was born and raised in San Salvador, El Salvador. Josue learned the catering business from the ground up, beginning his career with us as a dishwasher and working through several positions before taking the helm as our Operations Manager. As a result, Josue is a most valuable resource when orchestrating the many moving parts of each event and brings a calm focus as lead chef for our largest events.

Since 1996

Fran and Bruce met in 1986 when Fran owned and operated Piotrkowski Smoked Poultry. According to Bruce, it was the best smoked duck and chicken on the market! Fran has an affinity for gardening, which ties in beautifully with her ability to create amazing farm-to-table menus.

Since 1998

Sharon launched her event-planning career in 1995 at Current Affairs in Hawaii as the Special Events Coordinator for an event of 10,000 (featured in Special Events Magazine). Her other experiences, including retail, hotel and restaurant management enable Sharon to offer her wealth of knowledge for clients and colleagues alike.

Since 2003

Janine was a catering manager in her native South Africa. After making the move stateside, Janine joined Park Avenue Catering, bringing with her a fantastic combination of commitment, charisma and comprehensive attention to detail.

Since 2011

Justine was born and raised in San Francisco where she spent more than 20 years in the restaurant industry- largely focused on special events and management. In 2008, she and her family made the move to the wine country where she became a part of the Park Avenue team. Justine dedicates herself to providing her clients with positivity and professionalism.

Since 2013

Anthony brings more than 20 years of experience in special events. A founding member of the Napa-Sonoma Int’l. Special Events Society and currently serves on the board of directors. Born and raised in England, Anthony has never taken for granted the bounty of fresh, local ingredients we are so lucky to enjoy in Sonoma County and relishes sharing this influence with his clients.

Since 2015

Caitlin, a Sonoma County native, is the newest member of our incredible wedding catering team! After graduating from Sonoma State University in 2015, she joined the Park Avenue team and quickly moved up the ranks. She has worked as an event captain for 3+ years and has gained an extensive knowledge of our company. Caitlin is eager to share her expertise on a variety of venues, her meticulous attention to detail and her overall fun personality with wedding clients.

Since 2022

John, a Sonoma and Napa County native is part of the corporate team. With a degree in Hospitality and Beverage Management from UNLV and 12+ years experience in Napa Valley’s food and wine industry. He is welcomed addition to Park Avenue Catering.

Since 2013

Kelly Jo joined the Park Avenue Catering team in 2013 and quickly became one of our most valued on-site captains. Managing weddings, social and corporate event catering on-site gave her insight & experience to take on the huge task of coordinating our team’s rental needs. She is the master of logistics in and out of the office.

Since 2016

Lauren started working with Park Avenue Catering as a server in 2016. Her knowledge and expertise was quickly discovered by captains and she was offered a position in our staffing department in 2017. Lauren comes with much experience in dining management. She was the Assistant Manager of the Azusa Pacific University Dining Hall from 2012-2016, where she graduated with her Bachelors in Psychology. Her empathy, kindness, and overall love for people makes her the perfect person to take on the task of managing and training our staff onsite.

Since 2023

Layla joined Park Avenue with a passion for hospitality, as well as a deep interest in the business and coordination aspect of the event industry. She began as a server in 2021, her positivity, attention to detail and warmth have been an asset onsite with client interaction. She was offered a position in the staffing department earlier this year and is excited to continue utilizing her experience and understanding of the company values both onsite and in office.

Since 2021

While mainly working in the rentals department now with Kelly Jo, Khouansiva started at PAC in a general assistant role and still handles a multitude of administrative duties that contribute to the smooth operation of our business. Versatile and flexible, she enjoys applying her strong organization skills and creativity to the tasks set before her and to the projects given to her in order to be the best support possible to her amazing colleagues who make the magic happen at every event!

Freddy was born & raised in Sonoma County. He graduated from the SRJC culinary program, and has worked as a Head Chef in many local restaurants. He is one of our Lead Event Chefs, as well as our in-house Kitchen Manager. He works with local vendors to obtain the highest quality food & ingredients for our events and helps prioritize the reduction of food waste company-wide.

Alex is our global ambassador of sorts- he was born in Morocco, grew up in France, studied in Italy and explored the east coast of the US, before settling in Sonoma County. Along the way he learned that food was an essential ingredient to good living. Alex earned his culinary degree in Florida and survived ten brutal winters in New England, honing his skills and expanding his knowledge before making his way west. Alex  joined our Park Avenue family in 2010 and brings a certain joie du vivre to our kitchen!

Since 2017

The newest member of our chef team graduated from the Culinary Institute of America Greystone in 2014. Originally from Cincinnati Ohio, she was drawn to California by her love of great food and our fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. She loves to give traditional comfort food an infusion of style to create upscale approachable menu items.

Bio coming soon

David brings over 30 years of pastry experience.  From Boutique bakeries to corporate and celebrity events , his wide range of skills and attention to detail are a perfect addition to our team. Not to mention, his creations are beyond extraordinary.