Attending our tasting made both us and our parents feel so relaxed about our venue choice, not that I was doubting it. We met our coordinator, Alex, for the first time, and she was unbelievably organized and sweet, putting us all at ease. She led us into a private room in the kitchen, with a glass wall so we could watch the chef do his thing (I didn't realize this and sat with my back to the view- whoops!).
We started with wine. Our venue offers a red and white option served tableside during the party, and our wine waiter (yes, wine waiter) led us through a tasting of three whites and three reds. We settled on a Laboure-Roi Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir for the table wine, though all six varietals will be available at the bars throughout the reception.
Next, we sampled three appetizer choices: a delicious crab cake, perfectly seared scallops with chive oil, and mozzarella en carozza, basically a fancy grilled cheese with slices of salty prosciutto. Though all were delicious, we chose the mozzarella option, figuring it was the most crowd pleasing.
We also chose to combine our appetizer and salad courses to leave more time for dancing, so that's the big pile of baby greens you see there. It's topped with a smoked tomato vinaigrette.
We sampled the three entree choices for the wedding. They were served exactly as they would be presented on the big day, both in look and generous portion size.
For the seafood option, we selected halibut served over risotto and wilted greens, and topped with a relish of capers, olives, and sundried tomatoes. It was delicious. Mr. B's mom loved it.
For the chicken dish, we chose a garlic and herb roasted Cornish hen, cut up and served with a bread pudding (which reminded me of Rachael Ray's "stuffin muffins"), and roasted root vegetables. This was easily the majority favorite.
And for the beef, we'll be serving an herb-seared filet mignon with a port wine sauce. I don't eat steak, yet I'm considering ordering this, that's how good it was. It was tender with a nice charred crust, mmm. We sampled it with a potato gratin with gruyere cheese (delicious!) and rosemary baby carrots, but opted to swap the carrots for asparagaus to get a little green on the plate. I have a hang up of always thinking a plate needs green.
We will be having a Viennese display for dessert, so we got to sample a chef's selection of desserts, including pineapple upside down cake, blueberry frangipane, cherry chocolate mousse, mini tarts, and cheesecake. Our Viennese also features a flambe station and a "boardwalk station," serving zeppoles in mini paper bags. My Jersey shore upbringing is extremely excited about this.
We sampled our cake as well. I loved the way they presented it- we chose three sponges and three fillings, and were able to mix and match to find the flavor combo we liked.
We also got to go through our cocktail hour menu options, though we didn't taste anything. It's extensive, with fifteen passed hors d'ouevres and multiple stations. We chose the offerings for our carving station, pasta station, saute stations, and opted to include a paella station and raw bar as well.
Overall, our tasting was phenomenal. I do expect that the food quality may drop a bit when they're cooking for 225, but it started out so good that I really don't think anything will be bad. I was super happy with our venue and the classy, organized way they handled everything.
The wedding is starting to feel really real now and it is so exciting to see it all take shape! I loved going for the tasting!
(All pics courtesy my iPhone)
Oh My I just got hungry looking at this post. Your food looks like it will be absolutely amazing! Yum!
ReplyDelete