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The Only Lakeside Events Center in Grand Lake, Colorado
Creating Grand
Traditions in Every Season - The Spirit of Grand Lake™
TESTIMONIALS
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August, 2011 |
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Hi Alyda and
Jon,
People are still talking about the fabulous meal you
served at our wedding on Saturday August 6th, 2011. It
was better than anything we had ever hoped for. |
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From the
bacon wrapped figs to the decadent salad, and the fiesta
shrimp to the Santa Maria style beef with fresh salsa,
everything was remarkable and gave our taste buds a
thrill. Still, our favorite was the Gorgonzola &
fig-compote bruschetta with fresh figs and drizzled
honey. We also appreciate that you were able to provide
the exact wine selections we requested. |
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The Western Riviera Lakeside Event
Center is a perfect venue for all to
enjoy the beauty of Grand Lake in an
indoor/outdoor reception that offers
plenty of room for dancing, dining, and
star gazing. You are gracious hosts who
listened to our requests and made them
happen. You were sensitive to things
that we felt were important and helped
us work within our budget.
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We very much enjoyed arriving to the
wedding reception by boat and have all of
our friends and family cheer for us on the
big deck as we made our way up the stairs.
If we could do it all again we wouldn't
change a thing!
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Thank
you for reaching out to us on the front range and
encouraging us to come see what a charming town
Grand Lake is, we will be back for many years to
come. All of our wedding guests loved our
destination mountain wedding and the staff at the
Western Riviera made lodging easy for people to stay
a few days and enjoy all there is to do in Grand
Lake. You are good people, excellent chefs, and
truly made our special day unforgettable! Thanks
again for everything!!!
Graham
and Lauren Wincott
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July,
2011
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Words seem hardly adequate to express the
joy we experienced working with Alyda and
JR's Grill & Catering during our amazing
wedding weekend. The moment we met Alyda, we
felt extremely comfortable in trusting her
with our festivities. She listened to our
ideas and worked diligently in making our
visions come true. As residents of Denver,
we were a little hesitant in giving so much
planning to someone else; however, Alyda and
her husband, Jon, made us feel at ease
planning a "destination wedding" and
consulted with us on each particular detail. |
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Her
energy and desire to please is unparalleled and
her positive attitude is infectious. However,
her beautiful spirit is just the beginning. It
is the food and attention to detail that sets
Alyda and JR’s Grill & Catering apart from
others. |
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From
the delectable bridesmaid's luncheon treats to
the old fashioned rehearsal dinner cook out to
the elegant Southern reception buffet, food was
definitely a highlight of our wedding weekend.
What really set Alyda apart was her desire to
take our family recipes and give them her own
spin. Adding her own flair to our grandmother's
staple foods provided the weekend a familiar,
yet sophisticated feel. |
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Our
guests continue to rave about the delicious
concoctions. Hiring Alyda is not just hiring a
caterer, it is like having a friend be a part
your special moment.
Greer Anthony Sabin, Bride |
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July, 2010
PROFESSIONALS WITH A HEART!
What do you remember most about a wedding? The bride?
Certainly, the beautiful bride. And, the food? Ah, the
food.
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The food from J.R.'s Grill Catering at the Western
Riviera Event Center in Grand Lake, Colorado is a visual
feast as well as scrumptious eating. Figs drizzled with
honey glisten on golden toasts, grilled vegetables are
slightly charred & aromatic, peppered, pink
tinged tenderloin waits to be carved & dressed with
flavorful mushroom au jus sauce. Delicious! |
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J.R.'s Grill Catering will not disappoint.
Alyda & J.R., the owners, are as competent
as they are caring. It's not just the food -
and you have a lot of options to choose
from; from hamburger to tenderloin, from
chicken wings to chicken piccata and
everything in between. It's really the two
of them who knock themselves out to make
your event one to remember. Alyda & J.R. are
wonderful to work with. They are willing to
help with every detail of a party or event,
not just with the food. |
Grand Lake is a beautiful spot, a town fairly self
contained, far from a metropolitan center, so the people
they recommend as vendors must be people they trust & up
to their high standards.
We couldn't have been more pleased with J.R.'s Grill
Catering & the Western Riviera Event Center. At our
daughter's wedding, when the bride & groom, and some of
their friends went to a local bar after the wedding to
continue celebrating, Alyda's son & one of Alyda's
friends went to pick them up and made sure they got back
to their rooms even though everything in Grand Lake is
within walking distance. Professionals with a heart -
you bet!
Cooks, caterers, event planners - yes, but in the end
it's Alyda & J.R.'s warmth & willingness to make your
event as special as it can be that shines through. That
- and the food is superb.
Susie Levy
(mother of the bride) |
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September,
2011
Alyda and
Jon:
Kristine and I would like to thank you from the bottom
of our hearts for making our wedding day the most
amazing day of our lives. No words can describe how
perfect the entire day was and how beautiful reception
was it paled only in comparison to my bride's beauty
that night.
We knew that the food was going to be wonderful, but we
cannot even begin to tell you just how delicious it was.
We have had multiple compliments about the fact that
this was the best food anyone has ever had at a wedding,
and Kristine and I could not agree more.
What was even more amazing than the food was the
dedication you both showed after the recent deaths of
your parents. In a time of such suffering you were both
incredibly professional and not a soul would have known
of your internal suffering that night. Your persevering
to meet your promises of making our wedding the most
incredible day of our lives was nothing short of
selfless heroism. We only hope that our celebration of
life and our new family's beginning helped to ease some
of your pain.
Again thank you both for the most beautiful, wonderful,
amazingly perfect day. We could not have done it without
you and you will both always have a special place in our
hearts.
Love,
John and Kristine Wood |
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August,
2011
To Jon & Alyda and all the staff at the Western Riviera:
THANK YOU for the wonderful job hosting our wedding
reception on August 6, 2011! It was everything we ever
dreamed of and more! All of our guests raved that our
venue was fantastic! We very much enjoyed arriving to
our wedding reception by boat and coming up the stairs
to all our guests cheering us on from the big deck
over-looking the lake. The food provided by JR's Grill &
Catering was delectable! Anyone considering having a
mountain wedding near the lake: this is the place to
have your reception! We made our wedding day into a
wedding weekend retreat and many of our guests stayed
3-5 nights so everyone could enjoy all that Grand Lake
has to offer. I can't wait to come back to this charming
and stunningly beautiful place for many years to come!
:)
Lauren Rae Wincott |
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August,
2011 |
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John and
Alyda,
We wanted to let you know how wonderful everything was
for our daughter's August 14th wedding reception at the
Western Riviera Lakeside Events Center.
The two of you were helpful from start to finish,
beginning months before the event when our thoughts were
just formulating. Your expertise and suggestions on the
menu, the wine, the timeline of the evening, the set up
of the tables, the table covering and even how the
napkins should be folded were all very much appreciated.
How fantastic everything looked when we arrived.
The food was spectacular. Great tasting, beautiful
presentation and something for everyone. Our guests
raved about it.
It was an awesome venue (who could not like the view)
for a joyous occasion. We had a great time and thank you
very much for all you did to make our evening special.
Carol & John Wolff |
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August,
2011
JR's Grill and Catering was amazing. We held a 50th
Anniversary Celebration at the Western Riviera on Grand
Lake catered by them and everything was perfect. Alyda
and Jon were always available prior to the event to
answer questions, work out details and make sure
everything was squared away. The venue was beautiful.
Inside there was a bar and lots of space for tables,
buffet etc. and outside was a nice, large patio
overlooking the lake. I would say this venue is good for
a small group like ours (20 people) up to a large group
of about 150. The entire place was well kept,
contemporary and very clean. The town of Grand Lake is
beautiful, friendly and fun. We rented a projector from
the Library down the street and played a nice slideshow
during our celebration as well. JR's Grill was very
accommodating in every way to your needs. Before, during
and after our event they were well prepared, friendly,
helpful and fun. Their food was also very good. Many of
our guests commented on how wonderful the smoked brisket
and grilled chicken were. Their salad and rolls were
also very good. I also found their prices to be very
reasonable. We would highly recommend JR's Grill and
Catering as well as the Western Riviera venue to anyone
who is looking to have a successful celebration.
Sincerely,
Abby Bankson |
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July,
2011
Thank you so much for your services on my big day. The
food was incredible and so were you!
I was planning my wedding for July 2011 and had talked
to numerous caterers in the Grand County area. Money was
an issue so I was determined to get the best deal I
could find but not give up on flavor and variety,
unfortunately, no one that I spoke with could get me
what I wanted within the budget that I had. I had pretty
much hit panic mode and was rethinking the need to feed
the 100+ guests I had coming when I heard about J R's
Grill from an acquaintance of mine and called Alyda up
right away. She was out of town at the time, but emailed
me promptly and assured me we could have appetizers as
well as a nice dinner and still stay within my budget.
Alyda continued to keep in touch with me and answered
any questions I had about the food and service. My
family and I decorated for the reception, and we were
worried about the time crunch. Finally the big day
arrived and of course we were running late. Alyda served
the appetizers and held the dinner for about 20 minutes
until we could get situated. The food was amazing! We
had the shrimp and mango cerviche served on Chinese
spoons and a tomato, mozzarella and basil pesto
bruchetta for appetizers and they were a hit! They even
made sure to put one of each at the head table
placements to be sure my wedding party had a chance to
try them. I had great reviews from all the guests on the
Jack Daniels Smoked Brisket that Alyda had recommended.
The food and people were wonderful and I would recommend
their services for all occasions. Thanks again!!
Christine Houghton-Andersen |
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July,
2011
In addition to preparing outstanding food, J.R.’s Grill
and Catering did many other things for our wedding
reception to make it an exceptional event that our
guests are still talking about. We received their full
attention as our event was the only one on their docket
for the day.
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The Lakeside Event Center has great views
and is located in the middle of Grand Lake. |
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Alyda and
J.R. were very personable and attentive; we were able to
relax and enjoy ourselves knowing we were in capable
hands.
Nadin & Matt Hare |
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July,
2011
J.R.’s Grill Catering Service provided the most
beautiful dinner for our daughter’s wedding reception
this summer. With Grand Lake, Colorado being a popular
venue for destination weddings, one cannot always be
assured of quality, creativity, and professionalism.
Alyda and Jon Parker provided us with the service,
planning detail, quality of food and outstanding
presentation that I had hoped for and then more. I
cannot tell you the number of guests who complimented
the food and professionalism of the wait staff and
bartenders. You would expect this from a 5 star
restaurant and hope for it in the mountains. It was
truly everything that we had hoped for and more!
I would like to recommend J.R.’s Grill and their
fabulous facility, Western Riviera Lakeside Events
Center, over and over to the next wedding party,
reunion, meeting, and event in Grand Lake, Colorado. You
will not be disappointed!
Betsy, Ryan and I would just like to say thank you from
the bottom of our hearts. Thank you, for everything!!! I
will forever be grateful for the hard work and efforts
that were put forth from the two of you and your staff
to make our day the best one!! You are the best and keep
up the beautiful work.
Alice Fleming |
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July,
2011
My son got married in Grand Lake this summer. I had the
rehearsal dinner catered by JR’s Grill & Catering. The
dinner was excellent, and both Alyda and Jon were a
pleasure to work with. They were open to every
suggestion. They are extremely knowledgeable about the
area and would always present any options available, and
take the time to discuss them. They were also excellent
in working with whatever the budget might be.
I would highly recommend them for any occasion and the
scenery is spectacular. They told me to try not to
stress they would take care of everything and they did.
It was a certainly a delightful experience working with
them and they are truly nice people.
Sincerely,
Sally Sabin |
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July,
2011 |
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Thanks for
your email. I did have good trip home .... but I sure do
miss that gorgeous Grand Lake, CO!! What a spectacular
spot, and the weather is perfect .... cool and dry, and
fabulous "hair days". :) The view from my upstairs
bedroom was one of the prettiest I have ever enjoyed
.... especially with the moon shining down/reflecting on
that lake. It'd be a great spot for Honeymooners! |
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You all did a superb job with the catering. It was a
pleasure working with you on all the pre-planning stages
of the event. And, the food was so scrumptious, as well.
You were very thoughtful to "go the extra mile" in
preparing "Southern" Recipes for our Luncheon.
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And, you did a fantastic job on every
one of our recipes from the "Deep South"
.... Scarlett O'Hara ("Gone with the Wind")
would have been so impressed! Plus, all your staff did
an exceptional job of serving our guests with great
flair and graciousness. They all deserve an extra "pat
on the back" for that, as well. |
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Thanks again for everything. I know you all had such a
busy weekend for Greer's Wedding, and worked so hard to
prepare for the Luncheon, Rehearsal Dinner and the
Reception. Hope you all have had time just to "rest-up"
some yourselves. :) Take care, and I wish you all
continued success with your Catering Business!
Fondly,
Betty B. McRae
Waynesville, NC |
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May,
2011
We chose the Western Riviera Lakeside Events Center for
our rehearsal dinner and ceremony. We chose this
location for our ceremony because of the fabulous view
of Rocky Mountain National Park and Grand Lake. It just
made sense to have our rehearsal dinner in the same
location, so the wedding party would be familiar with
the location before the big day. Working with the
caterer/event coordinator, Alyda, we chose from a long
list of appetizers, entrees, sides, and desserts to
create a customized buffet menu which would meet the
needs of our diverse list of guests. The quality and
quantity of the food exceeded our high expectations, and
our guests were delighted to have so many options.
Before dessert, we passed out gifts to our family
members and wedding parties. Well, dessert was so good
that my mother casually placed her unwrapped gift - a
small silver pendant wrapped in white tissue paper - on
the table while she was eating and then forgot to pick
up it up off the table before she left for the evening.
By the time we realized what had happened, the table was
empty and we could not find the hand-made pendant
anywhere. When I told, she Alyda what had happened, she
told me not to worry, she would find it. A couple
minutes later, she came out of the kitchen with the
small tissue-wrapped pendant in hand! Assuming it had
been mistaken for a used napkin and ended up in the
trash, Alyda had thrown on a pair of gloves and quickly
rummaged through the garbage and found the precious
pendant. I was so moved; I could barely believe she had
cared enough to dig through the trash for us! The
ceremony went smoothly the next day and our guests were
so impressed with the amazing view. We are forever
grateful to Alyda, Jon, and everyone else at Western
Riviera for helping us to make our rehearsal dinner and
ceremony go so smoothly. |
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April, 2011
Dear Jon and
Alyda,
We would like to thank you for your
wonderful service. Our wedding, was
definitely the best day of our lives. Thanks
to your upfront approach to doing business
with us on a budget, your availability,
flexibility and exceptional service; it was
a day to remember for us and our guests. |
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The Western Riviera Lakeside Events Center
had everything we desired in a wedding venue; easy to
locate, quiet small town atmosphere (that can only be
found in a mountain town like Grand Lake), lodging near
by and a view. It was important to us that we could hold
our entire event there, wedding ceremony and reception. |
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We wanted our guests to experience the
Colorado Rockies that we know and love,
Grand Lake was an excellent choice.
J.R.'s Grill Catering supplied us with endless menu
choices and we were able to create a menu that satisfied
tastes on both sides of the family. Their professional,
polite and clean staff were an absolute delight. The
pass appetizers are a must. The buffet style dinner
service was excellent, the tri-tip sirloin was a big
hit, especially with the salsa! The bar service was
prompt and very professional, with beverages everyone
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We danced the night away at the Events Center. When our
guests were through with the evening their motel rooms
and cabins were only a short walk.
Our families and friends had a wonderful time, it was a
great success! Thank you for a wonderful wedding day.
Sincerely,
Olivia and Brian Clark |
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February,
2011
We attended
the Sat night concert at the Western Riv. It was one of
the most enjoyable nights I can remember. The venue is
wonderful - so beautiful!! The caterers were absolutely
the BEST!!!! And, of course, the singers were awesome!!
I look
forward to attending other events at your special place.
Karen &
Paul Gilbert |
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December,
2010
We had our
Grand Lake Plumbing Christmas party at the Western
Rivera Event Center and it was PERFECT! If you are
looking for the ideal mountain setting for a party this
is the place to be! The food was amazing, and the
atmosphere was great for our small intimate party! Merry
Christmas, Jackie and thanks again for everything!
Frank Appelhans |
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August, 2010
I want to
express my appreciation for the fabulous rehearsal
luncheon that John and Alyda orchestrated for our son's
wedding celebration. Their expertise in catering was
magnified in the many facets of this event. Alyda was
so helpful in assisting me through long distance
planning - through our conversations, she provided
insights in the planning that proved invaluable.
When we
arrived at the site, it was set up beautifully. It was
obvious countless hours had been rendered in our behalf.
We have had rave reviews on the menu. Alyda fine tuned
it to meet our needs, and it was absolutely delicious.
It was what one might expect from a five star restaurant
- the meat was succulent and the salad and dressings
fresh and tantalizing.
I commend
both Alyda and John for this exceptional event that will
stay etched in our lifetime celebrations as one of the
best ever!
With
"grand" appreciation,
Claudia Miller |
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August, 2010
Hello Alyda
- My friends and I had a wonderful time at your
restaurant several weeks ago and really enjoyed the
food. We will definitely be back!
Kind
Regards,
Wendy Wildt |
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August, 2010
Hi there, I just wanted to let
you know my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our meal
as you had opened it up to the public. The food was
top tier quality and the tri-tip steak sandwich was
fantastic.
All the best !!!
Gary & Silvana Keirstead
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July, 2010
Our
family has come to know and appreciate the
natural beauty of Grand Lake over the last ten
years.
Our experiences have now been greatly enhanced
with the opening of the Western Riviera Lakeside
Events Center where we and dozens of guests
thoroughly enjoyed a wedding reception there
yesterday.
This venue was the perfect place to enjoy the
spectacular scenery and lakeside activities and the experience was greatly enhanced by the
services provided by J.R.'s Grill Catering. What
a perfect combination.
Thank you Mike and Jackie Tompkins and the
J.R.'s Grill staff for growing our appreciation
of Grand Lake to unexpectedly higher levels. The
Western Riviera Lakeside Events Center is a
perfect place to host a special for any
occasion.
Best Regards,
Robert C. "Bob" Balink |
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September, 2008
My
husband and I wanted an intimate setting to share
our vows with our family and friends. Grand Lake was
the perfect place. The staff at the Western Riviera
was knowledgeable and easy to work with; they helped
us create a wonderful weekend for all.
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Our guests were transported across the
picture perfect lake by boat to Point
Park for our wedding ceremony where we
said our vows looking out at Mt. Baldy. |
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Everyone enjoyed a boat ride back across
the lake to the beautiful event
center... |
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while we were whisked away in our own
private boat to toast our new life
together. |
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Then we rejoined our guests as
they greeted us on the deck of
the event center. What a delight
to enjoy the deck, the view and
the delicious food. There was
plenty of room for dancing and
celebrating. It was truly a
fairytale come true! |
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Western Riviera Lakeside Motel, Cabins & Events Venue
419 Garfield Street, PO Box 1286
Grand Lake, CO 80447
Phone (970) 627-3580
Fax (970) 627-3320
Email
motel@westernriv.com
Websites
www.westernriv.com
www.westernrivlakesideevents.com
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Copyright Grand
Spirit LLC 2000-2012
Western Riviera and Grand Spirit are trademarks of Grand Spirit LLC
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