Fandango Catering and Events Offers Tips for Choosing an Event Menu

In our continuing blog series, "Event Guide 101," today we offer 7 tips on choosing a menu for your event.

The menu is one of the key components of an event, but choosing a menu doesn't have to be difficult. Here are some easy tips.

Balance is key--By balance we mean the right balance of items as a combination in your menu. One of the easiest ways to do this is to take the items you're considering for your menu and list them (write, type, or whatever is easiest for you). If you're using a caterer you can highlight the menu items you like or if you're doing your own food gather the recipes. Why list them? Because this is the way you can see if what you thought was a good menu looks right--so you can see the trees and not just the forest, so to speak. Believe us, keeping this in your head doesn't work because you won't catch if you have an overall balance.
Now check: do you have a mix of salty, sweet, creamy, spicy? Are any ingredients repeated too often? We recently heard of a crostini bar, but we find this too boring and more convenient for the caterer than pleasing to the guests.

Always offer at least one vegetarian option--To make things easy on you, you can include it as one of the options for everyone if serving hors d'ouevres or take their plated vegetarian food to your veg guests at a seated event.

Return to your listed menu: Is everything the same color? Is all the food the same color or do you have a mix of dark and light? If you now see that everyhing will be the same color either substitute other foods to add color or have your caterer do garnishes to add color or add garnishes yourself. Simple garnishes are: sprigs of fresh dill (not parsley, too dated) for trays or plates or tiny fruits such as sprigs of seedless grapes or kumquats or tiny apples for trays.

Ask your caterer what they think of your menu--A good caterer will give you guidance and suggestions to help you easily and pleasantly arrive at the best menu for your event. Many also customize menus.

If your event is a potluck ask guests to bring food from specific categories--Or you'll end up with three potato salads or some other snafu.

If someone else is doing the cooking make sure they know about any food allergies--You don't want any of your guests with food allergies to have a reaction.

Please consider buying your event food locally, seasonally, and/or organically--This is easy to do nowadays: go to a farmer's market, restaurant produce outlet, or coop; many supermarkets now offer these kinds of foods; or go to Whole Foods. If you use a caterer, ask them if they can use local, seasonal, or organic food.

Finally, it's better to do a few hors d'oeuvres or courses really well than to serve many things that are mediocre.

Warmly,

Kristina

Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales and Operations/Event Manager
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
info@fandango-catering.com
http://www.fandango-catering.com