Buffet vs. Sit Down Dinner- Which Way to Go if You’re on a Budget?
Every once in a while I browse the Web on the topic of wedding catering to see what people are saying out there. Today I came across a site which reminded me of how many misconceptions there are being tossed around. Here's an old bromide I ran across this morning on a site offering advice on trimming the cost of a wedding reception: "…consider going with a buffet instead of a traditional sit-down dinner. While every catering price list is different, buffet dinners are traditionally cheaper than plated dinners." The common wisdom is that buffet events require less service staff- which admittedly can be expensive- so therefore are less expensive. I've always been suspicious of this bit of "common wisdom", so while I was writing Help I Need a Caterer, I decided to run the question by a couple other caterers and event planners. My suspicions were confirmed, as they agreed with me. While there is a need for more service staff with a formal sit down dinner, a caterer is able to control food portions in a way that is impossible on a buffet. We've all seen guests whose eyes are bigger than their stomachs, and pile their plates with food that ends up getting tossed. While the quantity of each dish needs to be increased on a buffet, I also feel the number of selections need to be increased. For example, clients usually want two main course selections, i.e.like chicken and fish or beef on a buffet, as well as a two or three vegetable selections. As a caterer, I don't know which item will appeal to guests more, so I have to make sure there is enough of each. The fact of the matter is, most people will want to taste both. But here's the real kicker that a colleague pointed out to me. Since guests will undoubtedly return to the buffet more than once, there's a need to rent additional plates and flatware etc., and rentals really do add up. When I'm a guest, I personally favor buffets- I'm more of a casual gal, I like choices, and I like to move around. But which is more economical? I think it's a toss up. The important thing is deciding what's your style, and most important to you. Tune in over the next few days as I look at more of those "common wisdom" assumptions. Bon Appetit, Gisele P.S. If you're planning a wedding, but have question about how to go about putting together your reception,watch for the relaunch of my E-book Help! I Need a Caterer. It 's full of practical tips on planning and hiring a caterer who'll help you create the perfect wedding reception- or any other special party. BTW, the E-book was recently featured in the L.A. Bride section of Valley Magazine....
read morePassover Seder 2009
Wanted to share a little clip from my recent Passover job. It’s taken me a while to figure all this video stuff out, but here we are. Now that I have, there’ll be more video clips to share. You’ll see Sarah (complete with baby Chloe) in the first shot, whose seashore themed baby shower I wrote about last fall, with her new...
read moreLooking 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 moreAnnouncement re: Hiring a Caterer
I am very happy to announce that my new E-book "Help! I Need a Caterer- The Ultimate Guide to Hiring the Perfect Caterer to Create a Fabulous Wedding Reception-or Any Other Special Party" is now online and available for purchase. This book grew out of my repeated observation that many newly engaged couples began planning a reception and seeking a caterer without knowledge that would most certainly ease the process for them. There are often items to rent that young couples don't consider (or budget for) when they select a venue for their reception. There are all sorts of things to consider which they might never have thought about when planning the increasingly popular outdoor wedding. They usually underestimate the costs of a catered reception. And sadly, couples, far too often get burned by caterers they hire. My intention is to walk a newly engaged couple-or anyone else who needs to hire a caterer- step by step through the process, beginning with helping them determine their vision for their celebration, identify special needs they may have to meet, and define their unique style of entertaining. It's my hope that I will help those who read this book, to truly create the wedding reception- or any other special party- of their dreams. As a bonus, you will also receive a free report on the most common wedding reception disasters, and how to deal with them. Ciao,...
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 moreThe Advantages of a Smaller Caterer
Several months back I met with a woman who was in the early planning stages of a small backyard wedding reception for her daughter. She told me that she had called a couple of the bigger “household name” caterers in town. Although one had given her an estimate over the phone, “frankly” she confided, “I just got the impression they didn’t want to bother with me.” Another prospective client planning a smaller party told me she asked a caterer she called if her chef would be coming to work the party. The caterer responded it would be one of several party chefs, and she could not tell her for sure which one it would be. I am proud to say that the woman’s daughter had a small, but truly lovely wedding reception in June. "It was more than we ever expected", she told me the afterwards, which is one of the greatest compliments she could have given me. I was able to give her the attention she deserved in planning her special day. And as with all of my parties, while I had a great support crew, I attended and worked the party in the capacity of chef. If you’re planning a special occasion, here are some question you may want to ask your caterer. Will they be attending the party, or sending a surrogate? If they are planning to send a surrogate, is it someone you have met during the planning stages? How well versed are they in the particular needs of your party- did they receive a page of notes sent out with the party, or have they actually had a meeting with the caterer to discuss the details?...
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