“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!

Staying Seasonal for Your San Diego Wedding

While the temperatures might not have dropped just yet, we are approaching fall. If you’re planning an autumn wedding, it’s a good idea to consider a seasonal menu for your food.

While the southland provides year-round fruit and vegetables, there are some seasonal variations that you can take advantage of. Some of the fall produce, such as apples, can be a great way to bring an autumnal feel to your menu, even if the weather’s warm. Other foods, like artichokes, are at their best this time of year and offer excellent flavors for your menu.

Much of creating a seasonal menu is in knowing the perfect ways to combine the flavors of the produce. Of course, you’ll also want something that looks beautiful on the plate! When you have fresh food, great recipes, and beautiful presentation, you’re sure to have the perfect wedding menu. Top this off with the right drink pairing and you can be guaranteed you and your guests will love every bite.

To find out what we can offer for your San Diego wedding, whatever season it’s in, give us a call today!

How Much Food Should You Have at Your Wedding?

You want your San Diego wedding to be something to remember, but you don’t want guests’ memories to be of how hungry they were. However, you also don’t want to end the day with loads of wasted food. When you work with an experienced wedding caterer, you won’t need to worry about either extreme!

One of the big mistakes people make in trying to cater their own event is under- or overestimating how much their guests will eat. It’s not as simple as figuring out a meal for four guests, or even a dozen guests. When you have a larger guest list, you need to take all sorts of things into consideration.

A professional caterer will also be prepared for the inevitable problems that arise at any event. If you’ve asked guests to choose their meal in advance, some will insist on changing their mind on the day. If you have a buffet, a few items will be unexpectedly popular. A caterer knows that this is bound to happen, and can prepare for it.

Of course, the biggest advantage of working with an experienced wedding caterer is that you don’t need to worry about the food on your big day. You can focus on enjoying your wedding and celebrating with friends while enjoying some fabulous food! To find out what we can do for your San Diego wedding, get in touch today!

How to Plan Your Wedding Weekend Menus

Wedding weekends are a popular option. You get to spend more than just one day with your friends and family, and they allow you to spread out the festivities. Of course, this can also mean making plans for multiple meals. The best way to plan the food for your wedding weekend is to work with a single caterer for all the events.

In most cases, you’ll want to think about your main wedding menu, a rehearsal dinner, and a morning after brunch. This can give you three wonderful opportunities to bring everyone together, but keep you from feeling like you’re in constant event mode.

By planning all three meals together, you can also make sure they all work together. If you’re planning something very rich and decadent for your wedding meal, for instance, you might want to plan something light and fresh for the rehearsal. If you’re expecting a late-night party for your wedding, give your guests something substantial for the morning after brunch to help them recover.

If you’re planning a wedding weekend in San Diego, we can help provide the perfect food for every meal. To find out more about our wedding catering services, give us a call today!

Planning Your Beach Wedding Food

One of the great things about San Diego is that you can have a fantastic beach wedding. If you’re planning a beach wedding, though, you’ll want to have a menu that suits the surroundings. Here are a few wedding menu ideas that are perfect for your beach wedding.

• Seafood: This is a natural choice for a beach wedding. With the ocean as a part of your wedding, make its bounty a part of your menu. From seared ahi tuna bites and calamari to fish tacos and grilled prawns, there are plenty of fabulous seafood options available for any style of wedding.
• Barbecue: Think about the great fun of a beach barbecue pit, and use that for your big day. Elegant twists on barbecue favorites, such as hamburgers, ribs, and grilled vegetables, can give that smoky flavor while still being formal.
• Iced desserts: No trip to the beach is complete without some ice cream! Grown-up versions of icy treats are a great end to your beach wedding menu. Think about gelatos and granitas in exotic flavors.

For more great ideas for your beach wedding, or any San Diego area event, give us a call today!

Ice Cream Sandwiches Are a Fun and Fabulous Wedding Treat

Did you know that August 2^nd was National Ice Cream Sandwich Day? Whether you celebrated this great holiday or not, it can be a great inspiration for your wedding menu. Here are a few ways to make ice cream sandwiches special for your wedding.

• Traditionalists can stick with a chocolate cookie and vanilla ice cream combination. Make it extra special by dipping it in white chocolate.
• Create a south of the border sandwich with a churro style cookie and margarita ice cream combination.
• French favorite macarons can be used for the cookie, with a delicately infused ice cream flavor like lavender.
• Allow guests to create their own combinations with an ice cream sandwich station. Offer a selection of cookies and let them mix and match with a variety of ice creams and sorbets.

To find out more about including ice cream sandwiches in your San Diego wedding menu, get in touch today!

How to Prepare Your Wedding Bar

Along with great food, your guests will be looking for great drinks at your wedding reception. This means planning the perfect wedding bar.

• Full open bar: This is the most expensive type of bar, and means that your guests will have pretty much any drink, with any brand, and not need to pay anything (though guests are always encouraged to tip the bartender). Your guests will love the free choice, but it could cost you around a third of your overall budget.
• Limited open bar: Whether you limit the available drinks to beer and wine, house brand cocktails, or a signature drink, this can help you save money while not costing your guests on a per-drink basis. The key is to offer some choice, but not every choice. This is often paired with offering wine during the meal and a glass of champagne for the cocktail hour and toasts.
• Cash bar: While your guests might not be thrilled with a cash bar, it will certainly help your budget. Consider offering wine during the meal, and a glass of champagne or cocktail during the cocktail hour or toasts. Your guests will still be able to drink whatever they choose, they’ll just need to be prepared to pay for it.

Your choice of bar type is really down to you, your budget, and any potential concerns you have about guest behavior. To find out more about creating the perfect bar for your San Diego wedding, get in touch today!

Pescetarian Menus Are a Perfect Wedding Choice

If you and your fiancé are pescetarians, you might not want to include a traditional meat option in your wedding menu. You also might not want to stick to just vegetarian options, either. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t offer your guests a pescetarian menu that reflects your diet!

With the Pacific right there, seafood is a natural part of San Diego wedding menus. It can be used in a variety of ways, from sushi-inspired nibbles for the cocktail hour to delicate and tasty fish tacos as an evening snack.

For your main meal, offering seafood options like salmon or tuna along with a vegetarian option can give any guest something they’ll love. A fresh ceviche is a great starter, with a sundried tomato bruschetta for those who don’t want fish.

Whether you go with a certain cuisine or a mix of favorites, a pescetarian menu is a great choice. You and your guests can still enjoy a great variety without any poultry or red meat. To plan the perfect pescetarian menu for your San Diego wedding, give us a call today!

Fantastic Fruit Desserts for a Summer Wedding

If you're planning a summer wedding, you might not want a rich, heavy dessert. When the weather's warm, a fruit dessert is the perfect choice.

One choice that is a perfect sweet finger food is chocolate dipped strawberries. With a mix of white, milk, and dark chocolate, your guests will love this elegant yet refreshing treat.

Another great fruit dessert idea is to offer grilled fruit kebabs. This is a wonderful twist on a basic fruit salad and can look beautiful on a plate. Serve this with a small touch of a luxurious ice cream for the perfect light dessert that your guests will love.

For a dessert that brings in fruit without being all fruit, consider a selection of pies and fruit tarts. Your guests can be served individual fruit tartlets or choose slices of larger pies. Either way, it's a tasty and wonderful dessert option.

To find out more about the many great dessert options for your San Diego wedding, give us a call today!

Fourth of July Inspired Wedding Menu

Want to add some touches of your favorite holiday to your wedding? If the festivities of this week have got you inspired, consider giving your wedding menu a Fourth of July touch.

If you're planning a relaxed or rustic wedding, you can make subtle changes to your standard Independence Day food choices for a great wedding menu. Instead of giving guests full-size burgers, tempt them with sliders during your cocktail hour. Follow this with a buffet of barbecue favorites for your main and a tempting ice cream sundae for dessert.

For a formal wedding, you don't need to ditch the barbecue flavor, though. Opt for fancy versions of your favorites, or work with an experienced San Diego wedding caterer to find the perfect way to present these foods. For example, offer the flavors of a barbecue with a slow-cooked pork or beef main.

Whatever style of wedding you're planning, a Fourth of July inspired wedding menu is a great choice. To find out more about how to plan yours, get in touch today!

Wine or Beer Tasting Cocktail Hour

One of the biggest wedding food trends for 2013 is a twist on the traditional cocktail hour. Instead of just offering guests a glass of champagne or bottle of beer, give them a whole tasting menu.

The trend is inspired by wine tasting tours and beer flights. You can incorporate the great beers and wines of California, or include drinks from other important locations. It doesn't all have to be alcoholic, either. A few special soft drinks can help break up the tasting.

The key to this trend is to give your guests small tasters and a lot of variety. Having different drinks for them to compare can also be a great conversation starter -- your guests can compare notes on which they loved and which they didn't.

For a perfect cocktail hour, add in paired foods for each drink. This can give your guests the best possible taste experience. To find out more about creating the ideal drink tasting menu for your San Diego wedding or event, get in touch today!

Groom's Cakes Are a Great Addition to Your Wedding Menu

The tradition of the groom's cake might date back to Victorian times, but they've been growing in popularity over the past few years, particularly here in Southern California. The idea behind them is that they offer a chance for the groom to have a cake that suits his taste. It can also be decorated to reflect his hobbies.

A groom's cake can actually be any type of dessert. Cheesecakes are a favorite choice for many grooms, but it is also very common to choose a different flavor of cake or even a fruit dessert.

The groom's cake can be served at the same time as the wedding cake, as a smaller late-night treat, or even before the wedding at the rehearsal dinner. Whenever it's served, it's important to choose a delicious dessert that will taste as great as it looks.

If you're looking for help creating the perfect menu for your San Diego area wedding, or want to know more about groom's cakes, get in touch with us today!

Chicken or Beef? How Many Menu Options Should You Offer

We've all been given that typical choice -- chicken or beef (or vegetarian) -- when we've attended other people's weddings. But when you're planning your own nuptials, you might begin to wonder how many choices you need to offer.

More couples are opting to let their guests choose between two vegetarian options or one meat dish. Others don't want to go through the trouble of selecting that many dishes.

The reality of most San Diego wedding menus is that there is no set rule for how many options to offer. It is still the standard practice to ask guests to choose their meal ahead of time, though, unless you're choosing a buffet style service (in which case, you can also have many more meal choices available). It is also up to you whether you provide guests with set menu items or a more vague choice by main ingredient.

The chicken/beef divide also isn't always the go-to set of options. Consider offering a fish choice in lieu of one of the meats, or letting the difference be between mild and spicy.

If you want to know more about how a San Diego caterer can help create the perfect menu for your wedding, get in touch with us today!

The Perfect Southern California Wedding Brunch

Wedding brunches are hugely popular, and with good reason. Many couples prefer to have an earlier wedding, and a brunch is the perfect meal to serve earlier in the day. It also offers plenty of room for creativity in your menu, and is one of everybody's favorite special meals.

Combining breakfast and lunch favorites gives you lots of flexibility. You can serve soft carnitas tacos alongside a vegetable omelette. These savory dishes can work perfectly next to sweeter choices, such as pancakes, waffles, or fresh fruit salad.

No brunch is complete without drinks, though. A mimosa is a brunch standard, as is a bloody Mary. But don't stop there! Champagne cocktails are perfect with brunch, and ideal for a wedding. For non-drinkers, a sparkling fresh fruit punch can be special without the alcohol.

Of course, you'll want to serve something extra special for your wedding day. Why not think about something with a real flair that will wow your guests? We love coming up with the perfect menu for San Diego weddings, bringing together traditional dishes and fresh, contemporary touches. Get in touch today to find out more about what we can bring to your San Diego wedding catering!