Launched in May, Halcyon Gourmet is a full-service catering and event planning firm, run by partners Maria Rizzo and Archie Giannzio. Rizzo, the former chef de cuisine at ‘Cesca, handles the culinary side of the business. Although she creates custom menus for every event, her specialties include homemade pasta and pan-seared Chilean sea bass with saffron beurre blanc. Giannzio, who has worked on events for the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Carnegie Hill Neighborhood Association, takes care of all the other components, including invitations, floral design, and rentals. For now, the company can handle events for as many as 100 people (within the tri-state area), but is working to open a commercial kitchen later this summer that will allow it to handle bigger functions.
