Robert Dorsey, Team & Our Mission
We create unique culinary experiences that become the memorable moments in your life.
Chef
Robert Dorsey
A life spent pursuing a love of food
Chef Dorsey’s culinary roots run deep. Literally. His first food memories include helping his grandmother in her vegetable garden as a child. When to pick a tomato and when to let it continue to ripen. How to use the shadows of the corn to shield tender greens. Observing the cycles of seasonality before it was in vogue. Then, with the day’s bounty in hand, Robert learned the beauty of simplicity and how to let quality ingredients speak for themselves whether it was his Granny’s pickled peppers or her infamous peach cobbler. “My job as Chef is to be a supporting character to the ingredients. Starting with the best product and your role is to make them by shine. It’s about finding the right balance of flavor, texture and of course, color.”
Since the days in his grandmother’s garden, Chef Dorsey’s has honed his craft in some of the finest Bay Area restaurants. His first Executive Chef position was at the at Elysium Café in San Francisco, where San Francisco Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer awarded him a 3-star review, and the accolade “Best Burger.” Soon after, Dorsey was invited to become a chef at the storied Bay Wolf Restaurant in Oakland. There, he helped develop seasonal Mediterranean menus and assisted with the Bay Wolf cookbook.
In 2014, Chef Dorsey focused his passion for food, desire to share his craft and bringing people together by launching Robert Dorsey Catering & Events. Every menu is infused with Chef Dorsey’s signature style – an elegant Californian spin on culinary traditions from around the globe. Core values of family, community, and sustainability underlie every aspect of his company.
Mission and Values
We live here.
The team at RDCE is deeply rooted in the community and community building. As a black owned business based in Oakland, it’s our responsibility to give back, mentor and be a source of good will. Here are a few of our passion projects: Beyond Emancipation and Elevate Oakland.
Sustainability
Our footprint matters.
We take being a citizen of the earth seriously. We care not just about the quality of the product, but also about environmental, social and economic aspects of bringing food to your event. At Robert Dorsey Catering & Events, we pride ourselves on partnering with purveyors who align with these values. Partnering with organic, small farms who pay fair wages and specialize in seasonality is just one of the many ways we do this. Working with local purveyors such as Monterey Fish Market is another.
Team
The joy of creating and sharing food is at the core of who we are.
Fueled by a passion for food and a love of hospitality, the dedication of the RDCE team can be felt at event turn. From the first phone call to when the last glass is put away, the team at RDCE ensures no detail has been overlooked. With years of experience under our belts, we bring a breadth of knowledge and enthusiasm to each event that is unparalleled.
Partners
Quality is our obsession.
Northern California is blessed with robust agriculture, providing top-quality ingredients year-round. RDCE sources from the best partners who share our passion for cultivating the best product. Our purveyors are local and our relationships are decades long. They are friendships built on years of shared love of food and heirloom traditions. Together, we bring the best ingredients to your plate.