Wedding Food
Today we are picking out the food for our wedding next month. While I totally trust the venue, I don't have very high hopes. My lack of high hopes was creating by an essay by Julie Powell in this book
.
Powell states that: "Hundreds of guests + unreasonable expectations + catering - billions of dollars = rubber chicken. "
She also goes on to say: "Very long names for things should have set off the first alarm bells. The long-name thing is something that works for fancy restaurants. But when caterers employ the trick, it's to try to convince you that they are fancy restaurants rather than what they are, which is caterers. Unlike chefs, caterers do not cook to order. Caterers cook great huge batches of things, then pack them into large tin containers and carry them in vans to church basements or the grounds of local art museums, where they reheat the food on chafing dishes. Many foods can be eaten very satisfactorily this way, but these foods usually have simple names — macaroni and cheese, barbecued brisket. Certainly not Citrus-Scented Wild Rice Salad with Toasted Louisiana Pecans and Fresh Mint."
. Powell states that: "Hundreds of guests + unreasonable expectations + catering - billions of dollars = rubber chicken. "
She also goes on to say: "Very long names for things should have set off the first alarm bells. The long-name thing is something that works for fancy restaurants. But when caterers employ the trick, it's to try to convince you that they are fancy restaurants rather than what they are, which is caterers. Unlike chefs, caterers do not cook to order. Caterers cook great huge batches of things, then pack them into large tin containers and carry them in vans to church basements or the grounds of local art museums, where they reheat the food on chafing dishes. Many foods can be eaten very satisfactorily this way, but these foods usually have simple names — macaroni and cheese, barbecued brisket. Certainly not Citrus-Scented Wild Rice Salad with Toasted Louisiana Pecans and Fresh Mint."
Oh, good luck! It's true that most "chicken a la wedding" dishes aren't generally thrilling, but it's also true that people won't care, it's about the celebration!
ReplyDeleteMore to discuss on this topic, but I'll save it for our Wine Bar discussion :)
Yes, I am quoting from the book club book! Oh I am taking over the book club with my own wedding planning haha! :) We may not even go with chicken, but she says that won't even save you, rubber chicken can be Shrimp Emeril(A Refined Take on Cajun Barbecue Shrimp).
ReplyDeleteUpdate: it was all delicious and we think they have very good food. We were most interested in the Chicken Saltimbocca and Herb Crusted Salmon.
ReplyDeleteWe actually do have high hopes for our food, but we ask your forbearance if in fact we are deluded. Certainly the alcohol package was less than fantastic, if that's a sign.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Minnie Pearl!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWell, I thought the alcohol seemed alright since the lowest gin they were offering was Beefeater which I think is fine. Scott did ask to add some bourbons and something other things maybe. One thing is weird is that a dessert buffet comes with the buffet, when you are already having cake.. but if we don't get that we can have a prime rib carving station for the same price.
ReplyDeleteSo it is very expensive, and obviously I want it to be good, but after reading Julie Powell I am prepared if it isn't.
Our scenario is this--the reception hall has a built-in caterer. It's one of the best restaurants in the area, but their alcohol packages are not good. The tier 1 was atrocious well crap. Tier 2, which we went with, is the kind of standard fair you'd expect--Cuervo, Jim Beam, etc. Tier 3 was absurd--"upgrading" from Jim Beam to Jack Daniels is hardly worth paying extra money and a lot of the other alcohols were the same between the 2 tiers. We had to add Irish whiskey because of the attendees and we added some Guinness as well, but this is not exactly the ideal alcohol set up.
ReplyDeleteWe're also going with a plated meal and because of that we cut out the superfluous additional desert.
Exactly they are already having cake, and a huge meal, and cocktail hour appetizers, why the hell would we also want a dessert bar?
ReplyDeleteThat is weird with the alcohol, almost seems arranged by people who don't know what anything actually tastes like.. That is good you added some Irish spirits though! Just like we added a Canadian beer, you gotta keep it in mind who the guests are.
The beer list is not terrible. At least it includes Sierra Nevada which is palatable, if not excellent. But yeah, this has been one of the more frustrating things about the wedding on my end. Although this may be because of my relative indifference about most everything that doesn't revolve around food, alcohol, and music.
ReplyDeleteI attended a wedding earlier this year where I literally hadn't heard of a single brand of alcohol on offer. Fortunately, I was the designated driver...
ReplyDeleteOur beer situation is not good. That Labbat Blue is the best beer available...
We do have an excellent bar for the afterparty. Irish bar with pretty solid beer list, good atmosphere. Or we could go to the bar in downtown Poughkeepsie that Snooki goes to when she's in town, which even before I knew this was already my idea of the precise bar I don't want to be at.
ReplyDeleteSnooks!!! The pride of Poughkeepsie hahaha...I think I heard JWOW is from East Greenbush, maybe I can find the bar she goes to hahaha...That is awesome!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of wedding music, that is something we have to figure out soon...
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