Dinner by Design
Imagine preparing food service for 1000+ guests in one day. Think about spring salads presented with jicama wrapped in a thinly sliced cucumber drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette. Think about grilling 500 beef tenderloins to perfection to be stacked over rich, cheesy dauphinaise potatoes. Seems like quite an undertaking right? Well, Philip Ferry, the Executive Chef with Ovations Food Services at the Ortiz Center does this on a regular basis.
In the past year and a half, Chef and the team at the Ortiz Center have been creating new and innovative plate presentations. Chef Ferry shared with me that during his career he has seen the food trends change regularly. Trends also vary from state to state. Most recently, unique vegetables have increased in popularity along with local and homegrown menu items. Chef has used these pieces to design decorative plate displays.
Did you know that a salad could be wrapped in sliced cucumber? Or that asparagus can be wrapped in tiny strips of carrots? These are all beautiful, fun ideas that Chef has been working with in the past years. I encourage brides to spend some time thinking about the menu and how you can showcase something delicious and memorable to your friends and family.
You don’t want dinner to just be dinner, you want it to be a reflection of you and the things that you, as a couple, love and enjoy. One of the most unique wedding menus I’ve done was with a couple that loved to travel. Through meetings with Chef and the bride and groom, the couple created a completely customized menu to showcase their most beloved destinations. The couple loved Brazil so they requested grilled beef and pork shish-kabobs. New Orleans also had a place in their hearts so they served fluffy beignets with chocolate sauce. These unique menu items along with beautiful Brazilian vinaigrette shrimp cocktails, a roasted potato medley and specially requested fine wine were all served family style in bowls on each table.
This type of food service gives your guests a chance to mingle with everyone at their table. It lends itself to a very casual and fun atmosphere. Family style, along with seated, buffet, and food stations, all lend themselves to a different look and feel for your event…
By Aubrey Winston
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-The One Bride Guide Team