Chef Mavis Linnemann-Clark

Chef Mavis Linnemann-Clark founded The Delish Dish and Made By Mavis Jams & Jellies to bring her passion for gourmet food, global flavors, and knack for Southern hospitality and events to Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

As a young girl, Mavis worked in bakeries, candy stores, and coffee shops, all the while improving her baking skills at home with chocolate mousses and layer cakes. Later, Mavis studied magazine journalism at Syracuse University in New York and in Florence, Italy. After graduation, she fell in love with cooking while living in Philadelphia near the historic Italian Market. When she wasn’t cooking, she traveled, visiting five continents and taking cooking classes in Umbria, Italy.

In 2008, she moved to Chicago and began hosting dinner parties to make new friends. In 2010, she enrolled in Kendall College, a world-class culinary art and hospitality management program. At Kendall, Mavis was classically trained in French culinary techniques and participated in a Mexican Master Class with renowned Mexican chefs. In 2011, she graduated with a certificate in Catering and Personal Chef. She now has 25 years of experience working in the food service industry.

Mavis moved back home to Northern Kentucky, got married, and established The Delish Dish in 2012 to bring globally inspired dishes and artisan jams to her hometown. She launched the business out of her apartment. Mavis was, and continues to be, dedicated to making almost everything in-house from-scratch and as authentically as possible.

In 2013, Mavis was a finalist in the spring class of Bad Girl Ventures (now Aviatra Accelerators). That same year, she joined the Northern Kentucky Incubator Kitchen and launched her artisan jam line, Made by Mavis Artisan Jams. In 2015, Mavis was proud to be one of the faces of the Kroger Buys Local campaign through the Kentucky Proud program, and won the Start-Up Spirit Award from the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce for her entrepreneurial efforts.

As the catering business grew, The Delish Dish became a full-service boutique catering firm providing detailed event and wedding planning and catering services, and the business had outgrown its allotment of the shared kitchen.

In late 2016, Mavis had the opportunity to take over the 5,500 sq. ft. kitchen at 1032 Madison Avenue in Covington, Ky. In 2017, she launched Kickstart Kitchen, a food business incubator that provides temporary leased commercial kitchen space for food entrepreneurs to launch or grow their small businesses.

In 2018, Mavis and The Delish Dish team were awarded the Small Business Administration’s Kentucky Woman-Owned Business of the Year and the Small Business Development Center’s 2018 Pacesetter Award.

In 2019, Mavis was awarded the Next Generation Leader Award in the Entrepreneurial Category by the Northern Kentucky Young Professionals branch of the Northern Kentucky Chamber.

After 8 years of growing her business, Mavis was excited to welcome her daughter Alanna into the world in January 2020. That same year, Mavis was announced as the 2020 Kentucky Small Business of the Year  by the Small Business Administration. Although the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected her companies, Mavis is proud that the companies survived the pandemic by pivoting to carry out meals and have since returned to their original iterations.

Mavis welcomed her other daughter, Althea, in January 2022. That same year, The Delish Dish won the contract to operate the concession stand at the regional theater, Playhouse in the Park, and began operating the stand in March 2023, when the newly renovated theater was re-opened.

Mavis still owns 100% of the company and currently has 14 full-time employees and 30 part-time employees, and rents out Kickstart Kitchen to 6 small and growing food businesses. The Delish Dish celebrates 12 years in business in February 2024.

The Delish Dish has several major preferred venue catering partners, including but not limited to: Premier Parks (Ault Park, Alms Park, Krohn Conservatory, among others); Rhinegeist Brewery; Braxton Brewery; Cincinnati Nature Center; The Marmalade Lily; The Spot on West 5th; and Clifton Cultural Arts Center, to name a few.

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Testimonials

Holly V, 2023

"We cannot recommend The Delish Dish enough!!!! The food deliciousness, quality and presentation are beyond expectations!! This is not your average run-of-the-mill catering company…they truly put their heart and soul into everything!! Mavis with her trusted staff go above and beyond from start to finish!! We worked with Hannah H. every step of the way, who was absolutely exceptional and we can’t speak highly enough of her!!! It is overwhelming for any couple first starting out down the wedding planning road. Delish Dish and Hannah made this part of planning so incredibly smooth!! The way everything was handled made us feel at ease with their promptness, professionalism yet also being real with you, making sure they touched base throughout the months leading up, answering all of our questions thoroughly and even helping us navigate through a couple of things they were not even responsible for! We have heard soooo many positive great comments on our catering and we have The Delish Dish team to thank for helping make our special day so magical!!!"
The Delish Dish
5
2014-11-24T03:36:17+00:00
"We cannot recommend The Delish Dish enough!!!! The food deliciousness, quality and presentation are beyond expectations!! This is not your average run-of-the-mill catering company…they truly put their heart and soul into everything!! Mavis with her trusted staff go above and beyond from start to finish!! We worked with Hannah H. every step of the way, who was absolutely exceptional and we can’t speak highly enough of her!!! It is overwhelming for any couple first starting out down the wedding planning road. Delish Dish and Hannah made this part of planning so incredibly smooth!! The way everything was handled made us feel at ease with their promptness, professionalism yet also being real with you, making sure they touched base throughout the months leading up, answering all of our questions thoroughly and even helping us navigate through a couple of things they were not even responsible for! We have heard soooo many positive great comments on our catering and we have The Delish Dish team to thank for helping make our special day so magical!!!"

Heidi R, 2022

"Mavis and her team did a wonderful job for my Mom’s 80th birthday party. We wanted to recreate a fine dining experience for my Mom at home since she didn’t want to go out. The “Motherboard” really was spectacular. We had beef tenderloin and risotto as well as gazpacho. Everything was really yummy. The staff was friendly, efficient and helpful. Planning for the event was easy because expectations were clearly communicated. Thanks for making my Mom’s day special."
The Delish Dish
5
2015-06-02T02:35:40+00:00
"Mavis and her team did a wonderful job for my Mom’s 80th birthday party. We wanted to recreate a fine dining experience for my Mom at home since she didn’t want to go out. The “Motherboard” really was spectacular. We had beef tenderloin and risotto as well as gazpacho. Everything was really yummy. The staff was friendly, efficient and helpful. Planning for the event was easy because expectations were clearly communicated. Thanks for making my Mom’s day special."

Emily Sweeney, 2022

"We have used The Delish Dish on multiple occasions - from a quick pickup to fill in gaps for a cocktail party to a fully catered event.
Most recently Hannah, Lauryn, and team helped pull off a fantastic party! They took care of the setup, breakdown, bar-tending, and everything in between. Their presence allowed my husband and I to truly enjoy the event and spend time with our guests. We will ABSOLUTELY be using them again!"
The Delish Dish
5
2015-06-02T02:36:03+00:00
"We have used The Delish Dish on multiple occasions - from a quick pickup to fill in gaps for a cocktail party to a fully catered event. Most recently Hannah, Lauryn, and team helped pull off a fantastic party! They took care of the setup, breakdown, bar-tending, and everything in between. Their presence allowed my husband and I to truly enjoy the event and spend time with our guests. We will ABSOLUTELY be using them again!"

Chris D, 2022

"The Delish Dish catered our wedding reception. The food was a huge hit!! Every item on the menu was incredible! Our guests are still raving about it!! Mavis and her team put on a top notch dinner. The service was smooth, the presentation was impressive, and the staff was so friendly!! Highly Recommend!"
The Delish Dish
5
2015-08-04T14:45:39+00:00
"The Delish Dish catered our wedding reception. The food was a huge hit!! Every item on the menu was incredible! Our guests are still raving about it!! Mavis and her team put on a top notch dinner. The service was smooth, the presentation was impressive, and the staff was so friendly!! Highly Recommend!"

Lauren W, 2023

"Janie and her team were incredible to work with. They are wildly detailed and made our wedding go so smoothly. The food was 10/10 and the dessert table was so fun. We even had them make our wedding cake! The bartenders they had and attendants were the NICEST people ever. I had so many people tell us that they had their drink order memorized and as they walked up the bartender was already on it. Janie was an absolute angel and just could not recommend doing business with her team enough! 🙌♥️"
The Delish Dish
5
2020-01-08T18:49:26+00:00
"Janie and her team were incredible to work with. They are wildly detailed and made our wedding go so smoothly. The food was 10/10 and the dessert table was so fun. We even had them make our wedding cake! The bartenders they had and attendants were the NICEST people ever. I had so many people tell us that they had their drink order memorized and as they walked up the bartender was already on it. Janie was an absolute angel and just could not recommend doing business with her team enough! 🙌♥️"

Audrey D, 2021

"The Delish Dish was great to work with, from start to finish! Jenna was extremely attentive to our budget and food preferences and gave a lot of great options that would fit in our price range. There were SO many choices on the menu, it has a little something for everyone. Not to mention the food was very yummy. I have had guests telling me for weeks after the wedding how good it was! I could not have been happier with the way the table settings, service and meal turned out. Everything was beautiful, and exactly how my husband and I imagined it. Special thanks to Janie and her team for being extremely organized and helpful the day of! She was ready to go with every single thing we had talked about in our meetings and emails leading up to the day, and it was great to not have to worry about the tiny details. I would highly recommend using the Delish Dish for your wedding, I will definitely be re-using them for future events!"
The Delish Dish
5
2020-01-08T19:06:16+00:00
"The Delish Dish was great to work with, from start to finish! Jenna was extremely attentive to our budget and food preferences and gave a lot of great options that would fit in our price range. There were SO many choices on the menu, it has a little something for everyone. Not to mention the food was very yummy. I have had guests telling me for weeks after the wedding how good it was! I could not have been happier with the way the table settings, service and meal turned out. Everything was beautiful, and exactly how my husband and I imagined it. Special thanks to Janie and her team for being extremely organized and helpful the day of! She was ready to go with every single thing we had talked about in our meetings and emails leading up to the day, and it was great to not have to worry about the tiny details. I would highly recommend using the Delish Dish for your wedding, I will definitely be re-using them for future events!"

Shaun F, 2023

"The staff, service, and food provided by The Delish Dish were outstanding. We had them for a party of 40 at the American Sign Museum. Creating the menu and working around specific food allergies was incredibly easy. The food and staff were outstanding. I would 100% recommend them and use them again."
The Delish Dish
5
2020-01-08T19:06:54+00:00
"The staff, service, and food provided by The Delish Dish were outstanding. We had them for a party of 40 at the American Sign Museum. Creating the menu and working around specific food allergies was incredibly easy. The food and staff were outstanding. I would 100% recommend them and use them again."

Darian G, 2023

"I was looking to host a Baby shower/engagement party for my daughter and I had three proposals from caterers. Hannah and the whole crew at the Delish dish Catering were absolutely wonderful and hands-on from the very beginning. From the beginning, to the day of the event, they executed everything they had said they would do! I highly recommend them for any event that you need catering!"
The Delish Dish
5
2020-01-08T19:07:44+00:00
"I was looking to host a Baby shower/engagement party for my daughter and I had three proposals from caterers. Hannah and the whole crew at the Delish dish Catering were absolutely wonderful and hands-on from the very beginning. From the beginning, to the day of the event, they executed everything they had said they would do! I highly recommend them for any event that you need catering!"

Susan S, 2023

"We hosted my nieces wedding on Oct. 7th at our home in Lebanon Ohio. We had several catering companies we interviewed and once we did the tastings with Mavis and her team we were sold. I wanted the food to stand out and be part of the memory of this special day and Mavis and Janie made that happen. I still have people commenting on how great the food was. The customer service was also over the top they did a home visit to make sure they could use our kitchen to prep and do the risotto and the wait staff executed flawlessly down to cutting our cakes and making coffee to clean up. Mavis has her own jam she makes and it’s over the top on the mother board. We did the Mother Board as app, we did buffet of Beef Braciole, the spinach and Artichoke smothered chicken, roasted potatoes and the Balsamic Veggies. Salad and rolls. Outdoor wedding so the black heavy duty paper products were excellent quality as was the silver wear. The team came on site and knocked the evening out of the park. You have the big caterers out there but when it comes to quality of food, price and value along with truly caring how the Big Day goes you need to do yourself a favor and go do a tasting and get a quote!"
The Delish Dish
5
2020-01-08T19:08:24+00:00
"We hosted my nieces wedding on Oct. 7th at our home in Lebanon Ohio. We had several catering companies we interviewed and once we did the tastings with Mavis and her team we were sold. I wanted the food to stand out and be part of the memory of this special day and Mavis and Janie made that happen. I still have people commenting on how great the food was. The customer service was also over the top they did a home visit to make sure they could use our kitchen to prep and do the risotto and the wait staff executed flawlessly down to cutting our cakes and making coffee to clean up. Mavis has her own jam she makes and it’s over the top on the mother board. We did the Mother Board as app, we did buffet of Beef Braciole, the spinach and Artichoke smothered chicken, roasted potatoes and the Balsamic Veggies. Salad and rolls. Outdoor wedding so the black heavy duty paper products were excellent quality as was the silver wear. The team came on site and knocked the evening out of the park. You have the big caterers out there but when it comes to quality of food, price and value along with truly caring how the Big Day goes you need to do yourself a favor and go do a tasting and get a quote!"

Sarah F, 2023

"This is not your average wedding caterer. Delish Dish is a kick butt team of rockstars who made our wedding even more memorable. The food alone is five stars. Seriously, everyone complimented the food. I feel like most people expect "meh" food at weddings, but Delish Dish surpassed all expectations and then some. I wish I could eat the short ribs and biscuits every day of my life. Not only was the food amazing, but the service was perfect. Lauryn, Janie, Mavis, and all of the Delish Dish squad were so fun, professional, thorough, hardworking, kind, and flexible. I changed my mind one million times and they were along for the ride with smiles on their faces. I really appreciated Lauryn's promptness, warmness, and willingness to make my wedding everything that I ever imagined. If you are reading this review, stop and go hire Delish Dish right now."
The Delish Dish
5
2020-01-08T19:09:04+00:00
"This is not your average wedding caterer. Delish Dish is a kick butt team of rockstars who made our wedding even more memorable. The food alone is five stars. Seriously, everyone complimented the food. I feel like most people expect "meh" food at weddings, but Delish Dish surpassed all expectations and then some. I wish I could eat the short ribs and biscuits every day of my life. Not only was the food amazing, but the service was perfect. Lauryn, Janie, Mavis, and all of the Delish Dish squad were so fun, professional, thorough, hardworking, kind, and flexible. I changed my mind one million times and they were along for the ride with smiles on their faces. I really appreciated Lauryn's promptness, warmness, and willingness to make my wedding everything that I ever imagined. If you are reading this review, stop and go hire Delish Dish right now."

Gabrielle J, 2023

"We are so so glad we chose Delish Dish for our wedding catering. The food is DELICIOUS (everyone there told us that it was the best meal they’ve had at a wedding), Lauryn (my main point of contact) was responsive, personable and so so accommodating. I was so overwhelmed and frankly confused going into the planning process and she was there every step of the way. We got their beef bourguignon, lemon rosemary chicken, mashed potatoes, roasted carrots & green beans. Several appetizers for cocktail hour and a LARGE variety of their desserts— and holy wow. Every thing was delicious. We had a few vegetarians and gluten free guests too and they made it so easy to accommodate them. We were also able to get linens, dishes, bar garnishes, everything we would need from them as well. From food quality to staff— they are the absolute best. 10/10, 5 stars, A+. You won’t regret working with them!!!"
The Delish Dish
5
2020-01-08T19:09:57+00:00
"We are so so glad we chose Delish Dish for our wedding catering. The food is DELICIOUS (everyone there told us that it was the best meal they’ve had at a wedding), Lauryn (my main point of contact) was responsive, personable and so so accommodating. I was so overwhelmed and frankly confused going into the planning process and she was there every step of the way. We got their beef bourguignon, lemon rosemary chicken, mashed potatoes, roasted carrots & green beans. Several appetizers for cocktail hour and a LARGE variety of their desserts— and holy wow. Every thing was delicious. We had a few vegetarians and gluten free guests too and they made it so easy to accommodate them. We were also able to get linens, dishes, bar garnishes, everything we would need from them as well. From food quality to staff— they are the absolute best. 10/10, 5 stars, A+. You won’t regret working with them!!!"
5
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The Delish Dish