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!

Catering for Food Allergies

If you're planning a wedding or event, you might be worried about how to cater for guests with food allergies. No matter how great the food is, if your guests are all on gluten free diets they won't be able to enjoy your bread buffet.

As a caterer in San Digo, we know that paying attention to allergies can be a bigger task than just having peanut-free recipes. If you have guests with known allergies, it's worth mentioning this to us when we come up with your dream menu. We can work with you to plan a menu that is suitable for your guests, and that uses ingredients and preparation that take any allergies into consideration.

No matter how much you plan, though, you might get thrown closer to the day when a third cousin announces that his date for the day has a list of allergies longer than most cookbooks. In general, guests will expect that most of the common dietary requirements are catered for. 

It's common to offer two meat options and a vegetarian choice. As many meat eaters are also happy to have vegetarian options, it is also possible to offer one meat and one vegetarian option.

You might not see every allergy coming, but it is worth asking your bridal party and immediate family members if they have any special requirements. All other guests will usually happily work with what you provide.

If you're planning a wedding or other event in the San Diego area, get in touch today to discuss how we can prepare the perfect menu for you and your guests.

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.

How to incorporate this year's catering trends

Mint is one of the big flavors used in 2013 weddings. So how do you incorporate this strong and refreshing herb into your own San Diego wedding menu?

Here at Authentic Flavors we've got quite a few ideas for you to consider:

• Mojitos. If you have a spring or summer wedding coming up then your guests will love a drink of  peach puree, peach liqueur, ginger ale, rum and fine sprinkling of mint leaves. If your wedding is due to take place in the next couple of months then swop the peach for spicy, warm ginger.
• Ice cream. Who doesn't love chocolate chip and mint ice cream - especially of the home made variety?
• Mint and pea puree. This is a great accompaniment to dishes with ingredients such as spicy chorizo and bacon, or lamb and scallops.

We're always happy to discuss your wedding catering plans here at Authentic Flavors in San Diego, please give us a call if you fancy an informal chat.

Desiree & Cory Rohlf's wedding | Rancho La Jolla

We had an amazing time with Desiree & Cory at the Rancho La Jolla.  Their childhood dream wedding came true and we were honored to be a part of it.

Held at the 6 acre Rancho La Jolla Estate above black’s beach the couple’s 120 guests were treated to an impeccable 6 course dinner by our executive Chef, Jeff Stanko who prepared entrees that were not only unique and a departure from the expected wedding food, but cooked to perfection. 

Items such as individual Insalata Mistas served in Parmesan cups along with Macadamia Nut and Horse Radish crusted Halibut left guests raving  about the food.  

With a wedding of this magnitude a great amount of planning and creativity was put into place by Authentic Flavor’s expert Coordinator, Mark Vogel.    Mark has a way of making you feel like you're the only bride he’s ever worked with and brings the excitement of planning a dream wedding for the first time said the elated bride.  

 

Thank you Desiree and Cory for giving us the privilege of spending your special day with you.