Thoughts on my cockatil style menu

classicalandedgy · February 2015

So because we are getting married in a museum, we decided not to have a sit down dinner to encourage mingling/ walking about looking at exhibits. We plan on doing everything cocktail and tappas style. But, I still want to make sure there is plenty of food, so I'm looking for thoughts if you think this is enough food:

The ceremony and reception are on site. It will be a very brief ceremony and no pause between the ceremony and reception and it's 4 hours in total.

So the first hour will be 5 different passed apps, both hot and cold, meat and vegetarian options. Then, there will be two "dinner" tappas stations. The first would be a gyro bar with falafel and lamb kofte and all the fixings, including hummus, babaganoush etc... the second would be lemon grilled chicken with salsa verde, greek salad, assorted grilled vegetables, a white bean Tuscan salad and assorted cured olives.

We are then going to have an ice cream sundae bar, and all the fixings, cupcakes, macaroons and chocolate dipped strawberries for dessert.

Do you think I need to add another "dinner" tappas station?

theartistformerlyknownas · February 2015

I would. I know my H wouldn't eat either of those stations, and I wouldn't eat the first one. I know quite a lot of people who don't eat lamb. There's no way I'd get enough from that to constitute a dinner. I'd add something more mainstream.

You will still have places for everyone to sit with their food, right?

classicalandedgy · February 2015

Yes, we are having both high-tops and low-tops, enough seating for all the guests. It's a small wedding and I pretty much know what everyone eats. I'm not concerned that people won't like the food, just that it's enough to eat.

lolo883 said:

I would. I know my H wouldn't eat either of those stations, and I wouldn't eat the first one. I know quite a lot of people who don't eat lamb. There's no way I'd get enough from that to
constitute a dinner. I'd add something more mainstream.

You will still have places for everyone to sit with their food, right

southernbelle0915 · February 2015

classicalandedgy said:

So because we are getting married in a museum, we decided not to have a sit down dinner to encourage mingling/ walking about looking at exhibits. We plan on doing everything cocktail and tappas style. But, I still want to make sure there is plenty of food, so I'm looking for thoughts if you think this is enough food:
The ceremony and reception are on site. It will be a very brief ceremony and no pause between the ceremony and reception and it's 4 hours in total.
So the first hour will be 5 different passed apps, both hot and cold, meat and vegetarian options. Then, there will be two "dinner" tappas stations. The first would be a gyro bar with falafel and lamb kofte and all the fixings, including hummus, babaganoush etc... the second would be lemon grilled chicken with salsa verde, greek salad, assorted grilled vegetables, a white bean Tuscan salad and assorted cured olives.
We are then going to have an ice cream sundae bar, and all the fixings, cupcakes, macaroons and chocolate dipped strawberries for dessert.
Do you think I need to add another "dinner" tappas station?

To the bolded - are you having seats for everyone? That's a must. It's fine to have stations and cocktail tables all around to encourage mingling, but every butt needs a chair in case that butt wants to sit down.

Your stations kind of sound like meal stations, not tapas. Tapas are a Spanish tradition of small plates with appetizer like foods. Nothing about this says "tapas" to me. It says "dinner stations". If you want more of a tapas feel, I would have more stations/options with small portions.

bethsmiles · February 2015

I would add another tappas station. What you have sounds delicious to me, but you might want to add something more mainstream for guests who might be pickier.

Also, what time is your wedding at because I'm just not sure even with another station it will really be enough to constitute a dinner.

classicalandedgy · February 2015

southernbelle0915 said:

show previous quotes

classicalandedgy said:

So because we are getting married in a museum, we decided not to have a sit down dinner to encourage mingling/ walking about looking at exhibits. We plan on doing everything cocktail and tappas style. But, I still want to make sure there is plenty of food, so I'm looking for thoughts if you think this is enough food:
The ceremony and reception are on site. It will be a very brief ceremony and no pause between the ceremony and reception and it's 4 hours in total.
So the first hour will be 5 different passed apps, both hot and cold, meat and vegetarian options. Then, there will be two "dinner" tappas stations. The first would be a gyro bar with falafel and lamb kofte and all the fixings, including hummus, babaganoush etc... the second would be lemon grilled chicken with salsa verde, greek salad, assorted grilled vegetables, a white bean Tuscan salad and assorted cured olives.
We are then going to have an ice cream sundae bar, and all the fixings, cupcakes, macaroons and chocolate dipped strawberries for dessert.
Do you think I need to add another "dinner" tappas station?

To the bolded - are you having seats for everyone? That's a must. It's fine to have stations and cocktail tables all around to encourage mingling, but every butt needs a chair in case that butt wants to sit down.

Your stations kind of sound like meal stations, not tapas. Tapas are a Spanish tradition of small plates with appetizer like foods. Nothing about this says "tapas" to me. It says "dinner stations". If you want more of a tapas feel, I would have more stations/options with small portions.

Yes, we will have seating for everyone.

novella1186 · February 2015

That sounds freaking delicious. And the setting sounds awesome. Can I come?!!! I love all the food you listed.

I would agree with lolo that you need something more mainstream, but if you know for a fact that every single on of your guests will eat that type of food, then it sounds like it's enough. I even re-read your list from a vegan or vegetarian standpoint, and with my weird sensitive stomach in mind, and it seems like you have enough options.

tpwkalyn · February 2015

IMHO, this sounds perfect.

As long as everyone has a place to sit if they so choose. This definitely sounds like an appropriate amount of food. It also sounds delish! Have fun!

ashley8918 · February 2015

I would add a vegetarian "dinner station". Otherwise, if i'm reading correctly, they (any vegitarians) will only be able to eat appetizers.

classicalandedgy · February 2015

ashley8918 said:

I would add a vegetarian "dinner station". Otherwise, if i'm reading correctly, they (any vegitarians) will only be able to eat appetizers.

I will only have one vegetarian guest, we have arranged for a separate meal for her. It's a really small wedding.

novella1186 · February 2015

ashley8918 said:

I would add a vegetarian "dinner station". Otherwise, if i'm reading correctly, they (any vegitarians) will only be able to eat appetizers.

I might be way off, but I saw this stuff as all being vegetarian friendly:

An app or two

falafel and all the fixings, including hummus, babaganoush etc...

greek salad

assorted grilled vegetables

a white bean Tuscan salad

assorted cured olives.

most of that wouldn't constitute a full dinner for me (if I was eating vegetarian) but if I could have falafel with all the extra stuff loaded on it with hummus and whatnot, and then grilled veggies and salads, I'd be golden. (But not every vegetarian likes falafel, so that's just me, and some people might want more than just that)

ETA and also the OP already said the vegetarian gets their own special meal so my post is irrelevant to this lol

Inkdancer · February 2015

I think one more station would not hurt. Sounds delicious though!

GoldenPenguin · February 2015

My FI & I are doing something very similar - we're getting married at an art gallery. We will have constant passed apps all night (six different choices) and two stations.

Station I: Red Wine Braised Beef Short Rib, Parsnip & Yukon Gold Mash, Green Beans, and Artisanal Breads (French Baguette, Olive Oil Boule, Ancient Grain Rolls with Sweet Cream Butter)

Station II: Penne or Cheese Tortellini Pasta, Prepared to Order with a Selection of Sauces (Tomato Vodka with Fresh Basil, Fresh Garden Pesto, Three Cheese Alfredo) with a Salad of Romaine Lettuce, Parmesan Cheese, Garlic Rubbed Croutons, Classic Caesar Dressing. Add-ins to Include Sliced Chicken, Shrimp, Smoked Bacon Lardons, Caramelized Onions, Shredded Swiss Cheese, Smoked Gouda, Wilted Spinach, Sautéed Mushrooms.

We will also have seats for everyone - I'm thinking of doing long tables, instead of small rounds, to maximize the space in the gallery.

theartistformerlyknownas · February 2015

GoldenPenguin said:

My FI & I are doing something very similar - we're getting married at an art gallery. We will have constant passed apps all night (six different choices) and two stations.

Station I: Red Wine Braised Beef Short Rib, Parsnip & Yukon Gold Mash, Green Beans, and Artisanal Breads (French Baguette, Olive Oil Boule, Ancient Grain Rolls with Sweet Cream Butter)

Station II: Penne or Cheese Tortellini Pasta, Prepared to Order with a Selection of Sauces (Tomato Vodka with Fresh Basil, Fresh Garden Pesto, Three Cheese Alfredo) with a Salad of Romaine Lettuce, Parmesan Cheese, Garlic Rubbed Croutons, Classic Caesar Dressing. Add-ins to Include Sliced Chicken, Shrimp, Smoked Bacon Lardons, Caramelized Onions, Shredded Swiss Cheese, Smoked Gouda, Wilted Spinach, Sautéed Mushrooms.

We will also have seats for everyone - I'm thinking of doing long tables, instead of small rounds, to maximize the space in the gallery.

Can I come? That sounds amazing.

classicalandedgy · February 2015

novella1186 said:

That sounds freaking delicious. And the setting sounds awesome. Can I come?!!! I love all the food you listed.

I would agree with lolo that you need something more mainstream, but if you know for a fact that every single on of your guests will eat that type of food, then it sounds like it's enough. I even re-read your list from a vegan or vegetarian standpoint, and with my weird sensitive stomach in mind, and it seems like you have enough options.

Come on over to CT Novella! We'd love to have you...

classicalandedgy · February 2015

So it seems the consensus is to add another station a more mainstream one. Any thoughts? I don't do mainstream well...

classicalandedgy · February 2015

GoldenPenguin said:

My FI & I are doing something very similar - we're getting married at an art gallery. We will have constant passed apps all night (six different choices) and two stations.

Station I: Red Wine Braised Beef Short Rib, Parsnip & Yukon Gold Mash, Green Beans, and Artisanal Breads (French Baguette, Olive Oil Boule, Ancient Grain Rolls with Sweet Cream Butter)

Station II: Penne or Cheese Tortellini Pasta, Prepared to Order with a Selection of Sauces (Tomato Vodka with Fresh Basil, Fresh Garden Pesto, Three Cheese Alfredo) with a Salad of Romaine Lettuce, Parmesan Cheese, Garlic Rubbed Croutons, Classic Caesar Dressing. Add-ins to Include Sliced Chicken, Shrimp, Smoked Bacon Lardons, Caramelized Onions, Shredded Swiss Cheese, Smoked Gouda, Wilted Spinach, Sautéed Mushrooms.

We will also have seats for everyone - I'm thinking of doing long tables, instead of small rounds, to maximize the space in the gallery.

This sounds great too. Maybe instead of another station I do the passed apps all night. We are doing a mix of high-tops and low-tops for seating, but there will be seating for everyone.

Inkdancer · February 2015

classicalandedgy said:

So it seems the consensus is to add another station a more mainstream one. Any thoughts? I don't do mainstream well...

Italian might be a good choice, and would fit in well with your other mediterranean-inspired foods. A pasta station would be delicious, and simple. You could have 2 pastas with 2 sauce options and some toppings (chicken, sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms). Done and done.

southernbelle0915 · February 2015

classicalandedgy said:

So it seems the consensus is to add another station a more mainstream one. Any thoughts? I don't do mainstream well...

I think @GoldenPenguin's beef and pasta stations would work well for a mainstream option. Depending on the formality, a made to order mac and cheese station might be popular.

GoldenPenguin · February 2015

I would recommend adding a pasta station. It's mainstream enough, you can do different sauces/add-ins, etc.

Also, my wedding is in Connecticut too @classicalandedgy - I meant to say that in my original post. Where are you having yours?

@lolo883 - We're having our tasting at the end of the month, and I am SO FRICKEN EXCITED. I can't wait to eat all of the things. Our caterer just one Best of CT for 2014. When we went for our initial meeting with them, they fed me the best, most amazing, delicious scone I have ever put in my mouth. I might need to let my dress out prior to the reception, just so I have room to grow two sizes from all the food.

esstee33 · February 2015

I would add another station for more mainstream eaters -- maybe something simple like beef and chicken kabobs, which would easily fit in your theme.

I assume the answer is yes, but will you have pita with your falafel and hummus station? Because that would be awesome for vegetarians. When I was a vegetarian, I ate falafel constantly. You could also have veggies at the kabob station and a separate grilling area for those JIC.

(I know you said you only have one vegetarian coming, but you never know who might become one by the time your wedding rolls around, and it's always best to be super prepared.)

classicalandedgy · February 2015

southernbelle0915 said:

show previous quotes

classicalandedgy said:

So it seems the consensus is to add another station a more mainstream one. Any thoughts? I don't do mainstream well...

I think @GoldenPenguin's beef and pasta stations would work well for a mainstream option. Depending on the formality, a made to order mac and cheese station might be popular.

That' awesome, the CT board is kind of dead, so I haven't had a chance to talk to too many other CT wedding knotties, we're getting married at the New Britian Museum of American Art. How about you? At, what gallery are you having your wedding?

classicalandedgy · February 2015

esstee33 said:

I would add another station for more mainstream eaters -- maybe something simple like beef and chicken kabobs, which would easily fit in your theme.

I assume the answer is yes, but will you have pita with your falafel and hummus station? Because that would be awesome for vegetarians. When I was a vegetarian, I ate falafel constantly. You could also have veggies at the kabob station and a separate grilling area for those JIC.

(I know you said you only have one vegetarian coming, but you never know who might become one by the time your wedding rolls around, and it's always best to be super prepared.)

Thanks good ideas! And yes, there will absolutely be pita at the falafel station.

dcbride86 · February 2015

This sounds amazing, and now I really want tapas.

GoldenPenguin · February 2015

@classicalandedgy - ours is at the Mystic Arts Center. I also check out the CT board every now & then, but it is pretty dead.

And then I lurk over here & pop in like a ridiculous random & hope you all don't think I'm nuts haha. I've been on NEY for years, so that's my regular spot.

theartistformerlyknownas · February 2015

I ditto the pasta station. It would go well with the other Mediterranean foods, and can be as dolled up or simple as each person wants. I'd totally throw some grilled chicken and veggies onto some pesto pasta and call it a day.

classicalandedgy · February 2015

GoldenPenguin said:

@classicalandedgy - ours is at the Mystic Arts Center. I also check out the CT board every now & then, but it is pretty dead.

And then I lurk over here & pop in like a ridiculous random & hope you all don't think I'm nuts haha. I've been on NEY for years, so that's my regular spot.

That's awesome, we first thought of doing the train and steam boat in Essex... But then decided against the boat since we can't control the weather lol... This is my second wedding, and my second time on the knot... I kind of lurk everywhere. Just taking it all in.

MairePoppy · February 2015

classicalandedgy said:

show previous quotes

GoldenPenguin said:

@classicalandedgy - ours is at the Mystic Arts Center. I also check out the CT board every now & then, but it is pretty dead.

And then I lurk over here & pop in like a ridiculous random & hope you all don't think I'm nuts haha. I've been on NEY for years, so that's my regular spot.

That's awesome, we first thought of doing the train and steam boat in Essex... But then decided against the boat since we can't control the weather lol... This is my second wedding, and my second time on the knot... I kind of lurk everywhere. Just taking it all in.

Both your menus sound fabulous, to me.

@classicandedgy, if your reception falls during a meal time, I'd add in a pasta station.

@GoldenPenguin. I love the MysticArt center. Maybe we should get a roll call going on the CT board. It's dead over there.

KatieinBkln · February 2015

classicalandedgy said:

So it seems the consensus is to add another station a more mainstream one. Any thoughts? I don't do mainstream well...

Count me as the unpopular opinion--I'm not sure how much more mainstream you can get than chicken. What on earth am I missing?

STARMOON44 · February 2015

I think this is plenty of food and mainstream enough. If people won't eat grilled chicken you don't have to solve that problem. But those stations don't sound like tapas to me at all. They're just two options that could just as easily be on a buffet table.

theartistformerlyknownas · February 2015

KatieinBkln said:

show previous quotes

classicalandedgy said:

So it seems the consensus is to add another station a more mainstream one. Any thoughts? I don't do mainstream well...

Count me as the unpopular opinion--I'm not sure how much more mainstream you can get than chicken. What on earth am I missing?

I was looking at it from the salsa verda/greek salad/olives perspective. My H wouldn't touch that. He'd eat the shit out of plain grilled chicken, but that would be a really sad dinner.

Thoughts on my cockatil style menu

Re: Thoughts on my cockatil style menu

Choose Another Board

Search Boards