Looking Back to Share a Catering Success Story
I am spending this afternoon finishing up my goals and plans for 2009. Part of that process has been reviewing 2008, the shortcomings and the successes. I'd like to share with you one of my greatest successes of 2008. In September I catered the Golden Gala of the Shawl Anderson Dance Center in Berkeley which celebrated 5 decades of dance in the East Bay. I walked into the Shawl Anderson Dance Center as a young woman of 20 years old, fresh out of college with a degree in Dance and Theater Design, and began a wonderful relationship with the owners, Frank Shawl and Victor Anderson, that has followed me throughout my life. So I was greatly honored when they offered me the opportunity to be such a big part of their special moment. It meant taking my show on the road, so to speak, but I had wonderful assistance from Carrie Dove Catering in Emeryville, who helped by renting me kitchen space, and with staffing. Frank and Victor are amazing people. They left behind careers in New York City 50 years ago, and pioneered in creating the first modern dance school in the East San Francisco Bay. They have trained and mentored countless young (and not so young people) over the years, including me. In my New York years, I had the occasion to deepen my relationship with Frank, as he spent a good deal of time there in the 1980's. I hardly ever walked down the street in lower Manhattan where many dance studios are located, without someone stopping Frank and commented that they had studied or performed with him, and thanking him. He has just celebrated his 77th birthday last week, and Victor celebrated his 80th this past summer. And they still both do a dance warm up every morning ! Now there are role models for you. I also had the wonderful opportunity to work with their great young assistant director, Jill Randall, who got a quick education in event planning. She did a fabulous job. I've posted some pics below of the food, and of Jill, checking in guests, Frank and Victor, welcoming and thanking them. Check out the petits fours platters decorated with little feet shortbread cookies, supplied by Anni Amberger. Call her if you're in the Bay Area, and want a dessert which also happens to be an art project (510) 236-4084. Besides saying he was so proud of me (like a good papa) here is what else Frank had to say: “It was so wonderful. You did a spectacular job.Everyone was very complimentary and commented how wonderful the food was.It went like silk…the event was a wonderful success. You did a splendid job!” -Frank Shawl Ciao and Happy New Year! Giselewww.smallpleasurescatering.comwww.helpineedacaterer.com ...
read moreYour Catered Feast and ” The Last Chinese Chef”
"Apprentices have asked me, what is the most exalted peak of cuisine? Is it the freshest ingredients,the most complex flavors? Is it the rustic, or the rare? It is none of these. The peak is neither eating nor cooking, but the giving and sharing of food. Great food should never be taken alone. What pleasures can a man take in fine cuisine unless he invites cherished friends, counts the days until the banquet, and composes an anticipatory poem for his letter of invitation?" – Liang Wei "The Last Chinese Chef", pub. Peking 1925 As I mentioned in my last post, the wonderful little novel The Last Chinese Chef: A Novel by Nicole Mones, develops the theme of creating a whole culture of the giving and sharing food with others. When I first read this opening quote from the book, I couldn't help but think it was almost an anthem for the great catered party. I've always felt my job is much more than solely providing great food. Okay, so food is pretty important, but I consider it my mission to create memorable celebrations for those special moments in my clients' lives. And creating a memorable celebration goes beyond food. A good caterer should be able and willing to help a client create a whole experience. Need suggestions on a theme, decor, flowers? Looking for a great photographer? Need music to enhance or enliven the mood? Your caterer should be able to make suggestions and point you to other vendors who can help you create the experience. A caterer can rent the perfect table coverings and bring just the right serving platters and decor items.They can hire a great florist for you, and book live entertainment, or a great DJ . I have even, on occasion, provided appropriate CD's for a client. And while not every caterer will feel comfortable composing an "anticipatory poem" for your invitation, they can certainly point you to a great designer and printer. A good caterer is always on the lookout for, and will have relationships with several other party providers. So leverage your time and your caterer's experience by using your caterer as the great resource they are. Ciao, Gisele www.smallpleasurescatering.com P.S. Would you like more great insights into how a caterer can help you create a whole experience for your special celebration? Order my new E-book at...
read moreLife is too short to eat bad food!
A few months back I received an e-mail from someone who had attended many parties which I had I catered before she moved across the country. She opened with this line: “I was thinking about you the other day, and thought I’d drop you a line, after 2 years of being away… I was at a small reception with the worst food I’ve ever had, and wished that you had been the one to cater this event…I was at a conference and everything served was pre-packaged stuff that you just pulled out of the freezer and re-heated…Yuck!” I have always been very proud of the quality of food I serve at events. I believe in using quality ingredients, and buy much of my produce at local farmer’s markets. I don’t serve frozen pre-made hors d’oeuvre or desserts, two areas where many caterers choose to trim costs. I make all my own salad dressings and sauces. Making these items in house can be labor intensive, and buying seasonal and vine and field ripened locally grown produce can sometimes be more expensive. It can be frustrating to get calls from prospective clients who don’t seem to understand that quality food always costs more. I’m sorry to say, that on many more than one occasion I have had prospects contact me saying they had a budget of $15-$20 a person for their wedding or other special event. Now, I believe these people must surely understand that you may be able to go to Denny’s and get a full meal for $15 to $20 per person, but for a fine dining experience, it’s going to cost a whole lot more than that. If you were taking your guests to a restaurant and picking up the bill, plus tip, and if the restaurant were closing its doors to accommodate only your party for that evening, surely you would expect to pay more. So perhaps it’s helpful to think of catering in this way. The caterer is picking up a restaurant and bringing it to your home or venue for the evening, and creating a dining experience hopefully way beyond the experience of dining at Denny’s. I recently had someone say to me, “no one is coming to my wedding just for the food.” Well, that’s probably true, but I am sure we have all had the experience of attending a wedding where the food was exceptionally good – or exceptionally bad- that people talked about for months, maybe even years to come. People do remember. Your guests may have traveled a great distance, bought you a gift, and spent their time, effort and money to join you in celebrating on your special day So don’t you owe it to them – and yourself – to serve great...
read moreSometimes money is the cheapest way out
My coach made this statement to me earlier this week. It's a statement I couldn't agree with more when it comes to hiring a caterer. A few years back someone I know well (who shall remain nameless!) had a big bash to celebrate her 50th birthday. She was trying to save money, so decided to do the work herself. She selected a great menu (she is a great cook), planned her shopping and prep work, shopped for a couple of days, cooked for a couple of days, pulled out all her serving platters, bowls and utensils, and decorated her buffet table. And then, of course, she had to clean her kitchen before her guests showed up, since we all know guests always like to hang out in the kitchen. Especially when the hostess is still doing last minute cooking when her guests show up. She was at least smart enough to hire a helper to be there at the time of the party. The night before the party the hostess/honoree tossed and turned in her sleep being overtired and concerned about everything going well. She hadn't spent time deciding what she was going to wear at the party, and still wasn't quite dressed before the first few guests started showing up, and she didn't have time to fix her hair the way she would have liked. While her guest all heartily enjoyed her party, she was pretty exhausted through it all. Her helper had kept the kitchen clean during the party, and was able to wash many of the platters and serving dishes, but when she woke up the next morning, she still had to pack them, along with all the table cloths, away again. Later that day she had to return the items she had rented. A couple of years later, I catered a 50th birthday party for a client. I met her at her home a couple of weeks before her party. Together we walked through her home and yard, decided where we would place buffet and guests tables. I was able to see what her decorative sense was. It was clear that she loved lots of color, so I made a point of bringing brightly colored fabrics to drape her buffet table. On the day of her party, my staff and I arrived a couple of hours before her guests were scheduled to arrive. She let us in, said hello to everyone, then disappeared into her private quarters from which she emerged an hour or so later looking fabulous- coiffed, made-up and dressed to kill. She greeted her guests in a relaxed manner and partied hard all night long. My staff greeted her guests as soon as they arrived with drinks, passed hors d'oeuvre and at the appropriate time, a beautifully appointed buffet. At the end of the night, when my staff and I had put away the leftover food, packed up all the serving pieces I had brought, we stopped off to say goodbye to my client, who was still enjoying drinks with her last few guests. I'm sure she slept in the next morning. The contrast between these two provided a stark lesson for me. While it certainly cost more to hire a caterer, isn't it nice to really be able to enjoy your...
read moreMore Advantages to Booking your Holiday Party Early
The first and second weekends of December are prime time for holiday parties. Everybody in town will be busy. This includes not only your primary contractor, i.e. hotel, restaurant, caterer, but sub- contractors (ie. rental companies, food purveyors, florists, servers, etc),as well. Most servers, for example, are independent contractors, with many of them working with several different establishments. When they get booked for those hot dates, it lessens the available pool. You will have someone serving your function, but it’s likely the most seasoned service staff will be booked early. And usually at some point, the top rental companies will close their reservations for the busiest dates. And here's an important point- a caterer or sales person will be able to give more of their time if you call a month or two early rather than in December. So, if you are thinking about a holiday party and want to make sure you receive the attention you deserve, the key word is...
read moreCatered Parties in this Current Economic Climate ?
All the news these past couple of weeks has been about the economic mess we find ourselves in right now. That situation, on top of the election cycle we are in, is cause for a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. As I was faced with putting out a newsletter to my client list this past week, I wondered what I could possibly say that would be pertinent. The holidays are coming and traditionally this is the time to book those parties. But who’s thinking about throwing a catered party, right now, with such other pressing matters on their minds, I asked myself? By the way, it turns out people are still entertaining. I had a pretty busy September. I thought back to one of my favorite quotes- a quote from the immortal and irrepressible Julia Child- which I have often used when speaking before groups. "Dining with one’s friends and beloved family is certainly one of life’s primal and most innocent delights, one that is both soul-satisfying and eternal". Wise words indeed! This crisis, too, shall pass. What’s important in life is those beloved family and friends. And still during times like these-maybe especially during times like these, it’s important to gather together and dine with our loved ones. After all, Julia Child developed her culinary and hostessing skills during post World War II Europe- certainly a challenging...
read moreSarah’s Baby Shower
I had the privilege this weekend of catering Sarah’s baby shower. A couple of years back I had catered her wedding shower, so it’s an ongoing story. That’s one of the reasons I love private special event catering. Sarah’s aunt, Lola, is a long time client of mine for whom I have catered many holiday and special celebration parties over the years. I have watched Sarah grow from a very young woman, to career woman, to wife and now mother. Natalie, one of Sarah’s closest friends was a guest at the shower. Several years back, I catered Natalie’s wedding reception. Natalie also brought her teenaged daughter to the shower (the wedding reception I catered was a second marriage for Natalie)- I was delighted to see the lovely child I remember running around in lovely girly dresses now a beautiful teenager verging on womanhood – almost 6 feet tall. So I have "vicarious" family thrills. Sarah loves the ocean, so her friends asked for a "sea shore" theme for both her baby and wedding shower.I have posted some of the pictures from her shower. I hope you will enjoy them. Bon Appetit!...
read moreThe Question I Love to Hate
Last night I was asked a question I’ve come to hate. It’s the one question I am most asked when I tell people I am a caterer. It is- “what is your specialty”? Now granted, a questioner doesn’t necessarily mean “what kind of food do you specialize in?” (they might mean do you specialize in private parties, corporate etc.), but often that is the intent of the question, and it is asked just that way. And unfortunately, after 12 years of hearing the question I’m afraid I don’t have much patience left for it. I’ve explained to people that I don’t specialize in any one type of food, that I believe the caterer’s job is to suit the client’s taste, and hopefully to match my tastes to theirs. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes I have to prepare and serve items that I would never serve at a party of my own. I’ve even had a client once give me her family’s recipes to work from for her mother’s birthday party. And this leads me to the insight I had driving home last night. A catering company is not like a restaurant. Diners will often pick a restaurant specifically for the kind of food it serves, as in- “I feel like eating Italian tonight, or Mexican”. But the starting point of a catered event is not the food, but the event, the special occasion. A high school graduation party where the guest of honor is an 18 football star, will require very different food than a bridal shower where the guest of honor will be a 28 year old woman. And who are your guests? Are they primarily clients and associates, or friends and family? A holiday party where clients and associates are the invited guests will require very different food than a backyard 4th of July bash for family and friends. What is the client’s intention for the event and in entertaining their guests? Is the event casual, or more formal? Is it to impress, or to kick back or get down? Even a wedding may be a hybrid sort of event where clients and associates are invited, in addition to family and friends. This may require juggling different styles of parties, and a more varied menu if your family expects a certain kind of food that may not necessarily be to the liking of some of your other guests. And yes, I will always consider my client’s tastes, and their food likes and dislikes. Are you and your guests adventurous diners? Do you love spicy ethnic foods? Or would you like to stay more “middle of the road” if there are many guests whose taste you don’t know quite as well? So, what’s my specialty? Well, I believe, it’s to fulfill the needs of my clients and their guests, and to do it supremely well, of course. Until next time- Bon Appetit! Gisele ...
read moreSpecial Event Catering- Why I Do It
Why do catering? For the moments you know you’ve helped to create a special moment in someone’s life.
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