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Eric And Sara Watson: To New Beginnings

Photos By Hillary Ehlen

Many readers of this publication know Eric and Sara Watson. They are, in the purest sense, the culinary family of Fargo-Moorhead. Once owners of Mezzaluna, they opted to pass along the downtown staple to their general manager and head chef (who happens to contribute to Fargo Monthly).

Then, they shifted their focus to Rustica Eatery and Tavern, a restaurant they owned simultaneously with Mezzaluna. The Watsons turned Rustica into one of the finest eating establishments in the region. In July, the Watson duo sold Rustica to members of their team. Throughout this culinary journey, they have passed along their knowledge of the industry to the next generation of restaurateurs. Truly, we may not know the impact the Watsons have had on the Fargo-Moorhead restaurant business.

However, one mainstay of the Watson culinary empire has been their catering company, Mosaic Catering. In recent months, the couple has taken on an entirely new venture in their journey. Upon selling Rustica, they partnered with the Delta By Marriott hotel on 42nd Street in Fargo. In turn, they began taking on event catering and assisting the sales team with event planning for the hotel. They will also operate and manage Urban 42, the restaurant located inside the hotel. Eric is the Executive Chef while Sara is the Food & Beverage Director. Not only are they managing a restaurant and doing event planning but they are also taking on a catering project too, this is a lot for one couple to take on but by the looks of things they are up for the challenge, let’s hope that they have checked out how they can buy bulk catering supplies in Australia to have them shipped over, or have spoken with their local catering supply store to get them going.

Mosaic now has a new home inside the Delta By Marriott now operating as Mosaic Catering by Delta Marriott, opening a new chapter in the lives of Eric and Sara Watson. Rather than prepping for an evening of dinner service, they are preparing for large scale events held in one of the Delta’s many event and conference rooms. Instead of concerning themselves with the number of diners inhabiting their restaurant on a daily basis, they are concerned with the number of guests staying in the hotel at a given time.

They service everything from weddings to business conferences. The Delta’s Crystal Ballroom is one of the premier locations in the Midwest to host various events. Now, if you choose to hold your event in the Crystal Ballroom, the Watsons will be catering. Coupled with the incredible hospitality by the Delta, you have a winning partnership for your next event. They will also offer offsite catering too.

The Urban Burger with Pesto, Aioli, Roasted Garlic & Provolone

That is not to say that the Watsons have gone away from the restaurant side of things either. Their venture into Urban 42, a beautiful space inside the hotel has provided Eric the ability to flex his culinary muscles. For those who know Eric’s cooking ability, you know it is quite vast and unafraid to take risks. Urban 42 offers a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu as well as a Sunday brunch menu.

What you’ll find on Eric’s new menu is an eclectic grouping of foods. From walleye hash for breakfast to a club croissant sandwich for lunch or some bacon-wrapped bison meatloaf for dinner, there are dishes touching each sector of your palate.

It’s certainly a new avenue in some ways for Eric and Sara Watson. Yet, it is not a major departure from what they’re used to. They’re still catering the biggest events in town inside the Delta, but they are also serving their own style of food at events and inside Urban 42.

Truthfully, our area would be satisfied with just one of those facets from the Watsons, but yet they continue to give us more. We’ll gladly accept more, Eric and Sara, but not without giving thanks first.

Smoked Salmon & Avocado Toast with Watermelon Radish & Sprouts

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