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Merion Food Tasting Done!!

RangergirlRangergirl
100 Comments
in New Jersey - South

I had my food tasting at the Merion tonight and I just wanted to share how fantastic it was.. for everyone who warned us all about how much food there was, I apologize for underestimating how true that was. It was so lovely though and I just wanted to give one little word of advice... I have seen a bunch of people recommend a few dishes and I wanted to throw one out there. I accidently picked the Chicken Oscar when I submitted my menu selections - for some reason the name stood out when I gave them to Stephanie and after the fact I realized I did not want that one. I am SO glad I ended up keeping it... It was the best thing we tasted!! Good luck to anyone who has their tasting still to come, you're going to love it. Just don't eat the entire day before hand. The good thing? They wrap up everything you don't eat to bring home!

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Re: Merion Food Tasting Done!!

  • aprovencher21aprovencher21
    2500 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    I'm surprised you did a food tasting already.  Who is your coordinator?? Was it a group tasting session?
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  • ev4149ev4149 member
    500 Comments Third Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    Yay!!!  I can't wait for ours!!  Stephanie told us to plan our tasting for October, and I can't wait!  When did you call to schedule yours?
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  • jayme707jayme707 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    What other dishes did you choose?!
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  • hillmanl2hillmanl2 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I'm so glad that you are saying the food is fantastic.  We did a tasting last winter and I left pretty much in tears.  We had already booked and the food was not good at all.  I'm not sure why we did the tasting so early.  I am going to ask to go to another tasting I think since we are not getting married until June 18, 2011.
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  • CHarley2BCHarley2B
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I'm glad you enjoyed it. What did you pick for your final menu? What else did you try?  We scheduled our tasting for the end of September which I am really looking forward to.

    I'm still wondering on the timing of the cake and how the bakery does everything. Have any of you other Merion brides contacted the bakery for the tasting/designing of your cake?
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  • jayme707jayme707 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I just did my cake tasting 2 weeks ago for our Sept 17th wedding.  We went to Isgros and they had 5 flavors for us to try: lemon, raspberry marble, chocolate marble, chocolate chip, and vanilla.  Everything was really good but we went with 2 layers of raspberry marble and 2 layers of chocolate marble.  They have a book for you to look through to pick what design you want.  We ended up picking something that wasn't included in the cake package but it's only costing another $80.  They're willing to do whatever you want if you don't mind paying extra for it.  We're supposed to just send the extra cost directly to the bakery before the wedding.  The entire tasting lasted about a half hour, it was very quick but they were very nice and the cake was really good :) 
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  • cynnnabuncynnnabun member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I was there last night too!!! I was gonna post before I went to see if any other knotties were going but then I didn't. That's too funny.
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  • CHarley2BCHarley2B
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011

    cynnabun you had your tasting last night?? How'd it go for you? What did you pick?

    Jayme how many designs are in the cake book? Is it a limited selection or do they have some nice options?  How do they decide the layers? by the number of guests?

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  • jayme707jayme707 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011

    It is a limited selection, there are probably about 8-10 cake designs that are part of the Merion package.... they're in the front of the book, but if you keep going through the pictures, they get more elaborate (and expensive).  In my opinion, the ones that were included were a little basic which is why I opted to pay the extra money for something a little more decorative.  But if they cake isn't a big deal to you, then the designs that were included would definitely suffice! 
    As for the size, I'm not really sure how they decide.  The cake I picked was pictured with 5 teirs but they told me mine would be 4, we're having about 150 guests.  Idk if they based it on my guest # or if 4 teirs is just the standard package.     

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  • jayme707jayme707 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Oh, also buttercream is what is included, fondant is extra... however they will recommend buttercream bc they say fondant doesn't keep well and gets hard if you keep it in the fridge.  We're sending the cake home with people since there are already so many desserts, so we just went with the buttercream. 
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  • misschristinecmisschristinec
    500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    ahhhh -- I'm soooe excited to read these posts!! Rangergirl-  isn't your wedding in January?  Did they contact you about doing your tasting? or did you contact them? 
    Were there lots of people?? give us more details!! You too Cynnabun.. don't hold out on us! :)
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  • ev4149ev4149 member
    500 Comments Third Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    I know!!!  I LOVE some additional details!!  What else did you try?  Also, did you get to try the veggie option? (I know I have quite a few vegetarians).

    And what are you all thinking for your cocktail hour stations and chafing dishes for cocktail hour? 
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  • babyt1528babyt1528
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Such a small world...I was there at the tasting last night too!!!  The food was absolutely DELICIOUS and we had so much fun!!!  They really accomodate you there and we were all VERY impressed...I am sooo anxious for the BIG DAY now!!!
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  • RangergirlRangergirl
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Sorry for the delayed response! I have been crazy at work the last few days...

    Stephanie had recommended we do the tasting early (I think I saw someone else say on here they don't do tastings some months, maybe thats why...) We were fine with that because I wouldn't have been able to do anything in September or October and trying to do this stuff around the holidays would have been a nightmare. We happened to be there a few weeks ago to show our parents the hall so we made the appointment then.

    Our selections are almost set - we are doing the Chateaubriand and the Chicken Oscar for sure but we are still having a large debate around the salmon and the tilapia. Everyone liked the tilapia better but I liked the salmon better. I also feel the portion is a bit nicer and honestly think more people would order salmon than tilapia. Both were very good but the salmon was prepared so well and tilapia seems so... basic...

    We also tried the Balsamic Chicken and the Champagne Chicken... (We did three chicken dishes instead of two meats because we knew we were going with the Chateaubriand.) The Champagne Chicken was... weird to be honest. That was the one I was MOST looking forward to but it was much sweeter than I anticipated and there was a LOT of spinach. The Balsamic chicken... my future in laws LOVED that one but the rest of us were not crazy about it and to be honest the people from the staff didn't seem to care for it either. It didn't taste bad but balsamic is such a strong flavor for people who may not be familiar with it. Also the part of the chicken without the sauce was a bit dry and because of the type of breadcrumbs they used, it looked uncooked because it was so light. The Chicken Oscar was to die for though!

    The ceasar salad was great and all the other appetizers they gave us were wonderful. The only thing is it really puts just how much food we're really going to have into perspective!

    The stations.. we are still trying to decide between a few but we definitely ruled a few out. No carving station because we felt it just wasn't necessary to have full cuts of meat when we have dinner following. Not doing the second type of pasta station because we felt the first would be enough. We like both the Grooms Station and Street Vendor stations but I feel like doing both of them might be too much. They just seem like fun.

    I can't wait to do my cake tasting, we wanted to do it the same day but apparently they are closed Mon-Wed for the month of August which I find kind of weird... so I guess I will have to try and fit that in somewhere... the bad thing about living in Staten Island is traveling down there for all this.

    Incidentally for anyone who was asking about hotels recently, we did go to the Wyndham to talk to the sales manager also about our room block and such. I have a bunch of info from them if anyone wants it!
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  • marianthebmariantheb member
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I did my tasting last month and we are going for a final cocktail hour tasting August 15th! Very excited!

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  • CHarley2BCHarley2B
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    What's a final cocktail hour tasting?
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  • ev4149ev4149 member
    500 Comments Third Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    I was thinking the same thing!  I only thought there was a tasting for the dinner menu.  Also, did you girls try out the soups?
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  • RangergirlRangergirl
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    No soup here :( We are pretty set on the Italian Wedding Soup but if anyone has tried any of the soups and has recommendations, that would be great.
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  • jayme707jayme707 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Yeah, I was never told about a final cocktail hour tasting either!!! I want one!
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  • marianthebmariantheb member
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Oh well Cathy said it is when we come in and pick our sauces for our pasta station, choose soups, pick our linens and I am not sure what else but I am going Sunday so I will let you know!

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  • jayme707jayme707 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011

    Mariantheb, we did all of that at our "menu finalization" meeting but we didn't get to eat anything while we were there lol... please let me know if I'm missing out on something!! 

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  • marianthebmariantheb member
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Hmmmm I will...maybe I was mistaken; I will call Cathy tomorrow. Maybe I misunderstood! Sorry everybody!!!! When she said choosing pastas and salads, I thought that was what she meant...Sorry!!!

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  • CHarley2BCHarley2B
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    How close to your wedding date does this meeting occur? I generally feel a little out of the loop with my coordinator and I'm wondering if it's just because my wedding isn't for a few more months or what the deal is. I typically/always have to send 2 emails on the same topic before I get a response. Anyone else have this issue??
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  • jayme707jayme707 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    CHarley2B I totally feel the same way!  I've gotten more information from the posts on here than from my coordinator, it's very frustrating.  I wish they would give you a timeline or something of how things will work when you book.   
    We had our menu finalization meeting at the end of July and our wedding is Sept 17.  You'll pretty much go over everything about your wedding and how you want things set up, etc.  So if I kind of wish i had waited a little bit longer to do the meeting.  I feel like they're going to forget everything I said by the time the wedding comes.  I wish i had done it like 3 or 4 weeks prior rather than 2 months.  
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  • ev4149ev4149 member
    500 Comments Third Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    They gave me the dates for my menu tasting and menu finalization when I signed my contract back in April.  When I signed my contract, they told me October for tastings, February for menu finalization (wedding is April 30).  I have Stephanie as a coordinator.  She went through a timeline with me verbally when I signed the contract.  She's pretty quick to getting back to me (unless she's off that day).  I usually hear back that day or the day after. 

    I haven't heard much, but my wedding is a long way off. 
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  • jayme707jayme707 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    well, I'm working with Cathy and she doesn't tell me anything ahead of time.  I didn't even know there was such thing as a menu finalization until we went for our tasting in June...  AND she never told me I could do my tasting months in advance, I thought I had to wait until August for our September wedding!  I def could have benefitted from any kind of heads up back when we booked in July '09!!  Thank God for the knot!
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  • cynnnabuncynnnabun member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I have Sue, AND I know them all personally cause I used to work there as a server, and I still feel totally out of the loop. I'm going in Tuesday for my final menu meeting/linens and what not. I'm thinking about adding in the seafood station, with the ice sculpture, but IDK how much extra it is.

    I was also REALLY agitated about the tasting. Apparently, they changed the menu since I signed my contract, and added like the Chicken Oscar and some others, but I didn't know that, so I chose what I wanted to try off the original menu. I really wish I had known about the Chicken Oscar so I could have tried it. That bothers me.

    Now IDK what foods I want to pick, cause I feel like I didn't really choose the right things to taste. hmmm.
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  • mscando2003mscando2003 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We just signed our contract today for Oct 2011... Soo excited! I think its great that there are so many people are on here discussing the food menu and every thing! Really helps to put things into perspective...  Does anyone have the name of the bakery? I wanted to look them up, but I forgot what it was? I know its located in south philly.
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  • ev4149ev4149 member
    500 Comments Third Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    The bakery is Isgro's... I got pastries for my engagement party there.  They were delicious!
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  • jayme707jayme707 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Cynnabun, the exact same thing happened to me.  I chose my entrees from the first menu then found out a week before my tasting that there was a new menu... and I only found out because someone on here posted something about their tasting.  It's really frustrating, I know!!!
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