“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 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!

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!

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!

A menu to fit your theme

We love creating special menus to fit a couple’s wedding theme. We’ve had great fun coming up with a baseball themed menu for one couple last year.

The two baseball fans, Julie and Keith, had their wedding at the beautiful Diamond View Tower Ultimate Skybox that features a lovely view of the San Diego ballpark stadium and downtown, and our food was inspired by some ballpark favorites.

Of course, it wasn’t all hot dogs and peanuts. We gave them a top quality meal that wasn’t out of place in the venue.

Whatever your theme, there’s a perfect menu to match. One of the best parts of planning a wedding menu is talking to the couple to find out more about what they love and what they want for their special day.

Of course, you don’t need to match your food to your theme. A rustic wedding can have a sushi bar, and a black tie night of glamor can include sliders. The important thing is that it’s what you and your fiancé want for your day.

If you’re planning a San Diego wedding, get in touch with us today to discuss how we can help make your perfect menu.

Ideas for Providing Sweet Wedding Treats

If you have a sweet tooth, we think you should be able to indulge it on your wedding day! 

Some clever ideas and fantastic presentation will make the hearts of your guests truly melt. 

Why not use some of these options at your San Diego reception venue?

• For a really pretty look, place delicate cake stands on each table.  It’s easy to offer a selection of cakes that have soft pink or blue icing and butterfly, bow or flower decorations.
  
• To give your guests an energy boost during the dancing, chocolate lollipops presented on silver platters are a fun option.  If they’re large enough, you could even have them personalized with your initials.
  
• If you really want to go for it, set up a ‘sweet table’ and put trays of cakes, jars of candy and iced biscuits on a table decorated with bright jazzy colors.
  
• Treats shaped in the letters that make up ‘I love you’ or hearts are a lovely little thought for favors or throughout the day.
  
• There are few things more decadent than a rich chocolate mousse with extra cream and bite-size pieces of fruit.
  
• You could even sweeten up the cocktails you offer by choosing strawberry mojitos or a fruity summer punch.

We can provide the ideal sweet treats for your San Diego wedding menu.  Please give us a call to chat things through.