Measuring the success of a catered evening is somewhat different than assessing a restaurant experience. The chef who endeavors to take his or her show on the road faces a unique set of challenges. To begin with, they guide the menu choices, but do not always choose them. The personality of the client and the composition of their guest list will often dictate the choices that are made. Then the food needs to be packed for safe travel to where it will be finished and served. And finally, the meal is usually served all at once. The chef is as a conductor at the event.
On a recent April evening One and Two arrived at Nova Care Center for a Children's Hospital special event to kick off the Eagles partnership with CHOP's Center for Autism Research, or CAR. The evening started in the sun flooded entryway of the building with cocktails. Guests were then moved to a cheese table further into the building. While the venue was lovely, it was an "event facility", and certainly did not have the charm of a quaint bistro in ambiance. Nonetheless our chef/caterer for the evening managed to create a culinary ambiance with a wonderful combination of cheeses and cured meats from DeBruno Brothers. The Mole Salami was wonderfully spiced with chocolate, cinnamon, ancho and chipotle peppers. There was a mustard oil and pear preserve as well as a white truffle infused honey both of which were wonderfully paired with the cheeses. His hot selections included a traditional as well as a lobster risotto. Both came steaming from the kitchen, something not always easy to accomplish in a catering situation. One wolfed down his lobster risotto before Two had a chance to try it, but from the look on his face it was pretty good. The sliders were made from local grass fed beef and were moist and flavorful. The duck steamed dumplings were very good. The quesadillas were also worth seconds that Two indulged herself. While the list of choices was not unusual or surprising, they did make sense for the cross section of palettes at the event where physicians, philanthropists, coaches, and hulking football players stood side by side enjoying the food. Dinner was more challenging for the group. The fresh pea soup was utterly Spring green...so green Two expected a tulip to pop from the center of the bowl. The peas were the stars with no other flavor overpowering them. One and Two loved the soup. Others at the table were not so sure. Two was reminded of her first pureed fresh spinach soup she served to her dad who promptly asked if she had cleaned the underside of his mower for the ingredients. The dinner was a simple selection of chicken with carrots and green beans with roasted potatoes. It was light, direct, and approachable. Dessert was served in the Eagles locker room. Calm down boys. Once the air started to clear of testosterone and the men started to collect themselves, the single bite pastries didn't stand a chance. Each was a delightfully subtle combination of flavor and texture, from little dollops of almond to miniature carrot cakes to raspberry with chocolate...all delightful.
Planning a catered meal requires both attention to detail as well as understanding the gestalt of an event. One course needs to flow seamlessly to another. It occurred to Two that dessert could easily have been placed right next to cheese and the two would have sung a beautiful song together. Overall, Wild Blue did a lovely job with the evening. One and Two also appreciated Chef Koye's use of local produce and grass fed beef, as well as his friendly and approachable presence at the event.
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