“Top Chef” Stephanie Izard’s Wedding Menu

She’s the winner of “Top Chef” and he’s a craft beer consultant. Together, their wedding menu was nothing short of fantastic. Stephanie Izard and Gary Valentine were married earlier this month, and nobody can stop talking about their crazy wedding cake.

The cake, created by the pastry chef at Stephanie’s Chicago restaurant, included a layer made of chocolate-covered Cheez-Its, peanut butter, and chocolate ganache. Another layer of the cake was flavored with strawberry Nesquik and chocolate with bacon buttercream.

While much of the media focus has been on the cake, it’s worth mentioning the rest of the couple’s family style menu. It included a pasta course that combined cavatelli with smoked eggplant and heirloom tomatoes. The main course was red wine braised beef short ribs, grilled broccoli, and a bacon vinaigrette. In honor of the groom, the menu also featured a selection of craft brewed beers.

Stephanie and Gary’s menu shows that it’s possible for a wedding’s food to be creative and delicious. If you’re looking for a stand-out menu for your San Diego wedding, give us a call today!

British Invasion: Take Your Wedding Menu Inspiration from Across the Pond

While we love local food, one of the coming year’s big catering trends is to take inspiration from some British favorites.

• Bangers and Mash: This mainstay meal of sausage and mashed potatoes, can be given a gourmet twist. Locally reared sausages and fabulous root vegetables can make this a worthy wedding menu item.
  
• Fish and Chips: For a main meal or a cocktail hour, battered cod and fries are a delicious treat. You can serve them in the traditional newspaper cone for a fun hors d’oeuvre.
• Pies: Another hearty menu option is pie. Steak and ale or chicken and leek pies can be served with a flaky pastry crust. Other pies, such as fish pie or cottage pie replace the pastry with creamy mashed potatoes.

If you want to explore the tastes of Britain at your wedding, give us a call. We can help create the perfect international menu for your San Diego wedding or event.

Do You Need a Kids’ Menu for Your Wedding?

Having kids at your wedding can be a great way to make it a family friendly event. While some couples choose to invite children for the ceremony only, others will also want to include little ones at their reception. As you choose your perfect wedding menu, though, should you also plan a second menu for the kids?

In many cases, this decision comes down to the type of food you want to serve and the age of the children attending, and how many kids will be at your wedding. In general, teenagers can be expected to eat the same menu as the rest of your guests. Younger children might be better with a simpler menu, or foods they are more familiar with. You can consult with the parents to find out what their kids will or won’t eat.

When you work with your San Diego wedding caterer, you can discuss menu options that are suited to children and how to include them. You might find that the delicious sliders you’re planning for your cocktail hour are also the perfect main course for your younger guests!

If you’re still looking for the right caterer for your San Diego wedding, give us a call today!

Treat Yourself to a Beautiful Breakfast

The morning of your wedding will be full of jobs that need to get done. Between your hair and makeup appointments and getting your dress on, you’ll easily lose the whole morning. Your groom will also be busy doing his last minute preparations. One thing you shouldn’t forget is your breakfast.

The saying that it’s the most important meal of the day is even more true on your wedding day. While your guests will have a bit of food before they go out, and small bites during your cocktail hour, you might not get to eat until your dinner.

One way to ensure you have a great and healthy breakfast is to have it catered. As you get ready, you can have a beautiful spread laid out. Whether it’s frittatas or fresh fruit, your wedding caterer can help with this meal that will help you get off on the right foot.

To find out more about breakfast catering before your San Diego wedding, or for any other morning event, give us a call today!

How Should You Cater for Special Diets?

Creating the perfect wedding meal can mean making sure that your guests all feel included, whether they have restricted diets or not. Still, many couples are left wondering just how many special diets they need to cater for.

If you or your fiance have a special diet, it’s perfectly acceptable to have the entire menu fit this. Whether you’re vegetarian, gluten-free, or paleo, you can choose a wedding menu that reflects what you want to eat.

When it comes to your guests, it can get tricky. Obviously you don’t want anyone’s allergies to keep them from enjoying your wedding, but you also don’t want to have to offer every guest a different meal. Instead, work with an experienced caterer to create a menu option that suits a number of dietary restrictions.

In general, you shouldn’t need to provide more than two or three menu choices. If you’re struggling to come up with a menu that suits everyone, a buffet service might give you the chance to offer more dishes so that guests can mix and match to fit their diets.

Whatever dietary requirements you might need to meet, working with a great San Diego wedding caterer can make things much easier. To find out more about our services, or to discuss the perfect menu for your San Diego wedding, get in touch with us today!

Summer Events Give Inspiration for Fall

Summer is always gorgeous here in San Diego. It’s the perfect time for events, too. We’ve been a part of some great events this season, and each one can be an inspiration for the fall.

We were invited to cater the La Jolla Playhouse’s premiere night for their play, Sideways. Their VIP members enjoyed micro-station foods, including port wine filet mignon over herbed new potatoes. This menu is also perfect for a formal wedding’s cocktail hour!

Another event that can inspire your fall wedding or event is the Neiman Marcus Fall Hot Trends event. We fashionably served great bites at this event, including goat cheese and honey stuffed figs and lavender creme brulee cheesecake bites.

One of the big trends for fall weddings, and any event in the coming year, is to keep things local. We catered the La Jolla Farm Estate’s “A Berry Good Night” event with this in mind. Each course was inspired by and created from local and organic produce.

Whether you’re planning a wedding or other event in San Diego, we can offer a delicious and creative menu that is perfect. Give us a call today to find out more!

How to Choose a Wedding Cake

The cake is more than just a dessert for your wedding -- it’s the centerpiece of your reception. Along with the bride’s dress, it’s probably the part that your guests are most looking forward to seeing. Anyone with a sweet tooth with all be dying to get a taste of what you have chosen. This is why choosing the right wedding cake can be so important.

While you might want to focus on flavor, it’s also important to consider size. If you’re not using the cake as your dessert, your guests will want smaller slices, which will mean a smaller cake. If you’re planning on keeping the top tier, you won’t want to include it in the number of slices available to serve to guests.

The size of your cake will also have an impact on the style of cake you choose, but in most cases you’ll be able to choose between the most popular tiered and non-tiered styles. Any cake can be decorate to fit your wedding theme.

Of course, this isn’t to say that flavor isn’t a big concern! You’ll want something delicious and truly special for such a big day. We can create a variety of special flavors that aren’t your ordinary vanilla, but can also make your classic favorites. To find out more about the perfect cake for your San Diego wedding, give us a call today!