Loosh Culinaire

Crawford Pressley moved back to Columbia in 2003 and opened Loosh Culinaire, and he still runs the kitchen. He studied economics at Mercer, then cuisine and patisserie at Le Cordon Bleu in London, where he took the Grand Diplome, and cooked at restaurants across the Southeast including the Woodlands Inn in Summerville before going out on his own. He has worked in hospitality since 1993.

The kitchen's stated rule is that nothing arrives pre-made. Sauces and dishes are produced in house for each event, which is also how they handle dietary restrictions: a substitution is another thing cooked to order rather than something pulled off a shelf. Wedding work splits between plated dinners and receptions built on stations and passed hors d'oeuvres.

What separates Loosh from a caterer that only drops off food is the production side. The company describes itself as a team covering the whole event — planning and coordination alongside the cooking and service — and Kristi, who has run events here since 2013 and been in hospitality since 1988, manages the floor on the day. Couples working without a separate planner tend to notice the difference.

Pricing is not published. Loosh quotes each wedding from the menu, the guest count, and the level of service.