Choosing a Caterer

by Bobby Mitchell, Putting on the Ritz Catering

The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing a caterer for your Bar or Bat Mitzvah is to remember that it is your event, not the caterer’s. You want to find a caterer who will sit down with you, in person, and discuss the details that will make it a special day, not a rerun of the party they did last week. Listen to all of their creative ideas and determine which ones will fit into your plans. Caterers can also be very helpful with non-food details, such as decorating, entertainment and interesting sites at which to host your party.
A good caterer will review all your options in food service, from buffets to stations to served meals. Listen to how creative they can be with selections of food geared towards your theme, should you choose to have one.
Talk over all options from a luncheon to a dinner. Many times you can save thousands of dollars with a luncheon instead of an evening affair.
Also remember to include the guest of honor in some of the decision making. Who knows better than a thirteen-year-old what a room full of thirteen-year-old would like to eat.
In choosing your caterer, make certain it is someone with whom you have a good rapport. You will be spending many hours together and you want to have someone who will be easy to talk to and receptive to changes. It is important to meet the person who will be in charge on the day of your event. If this is not the person with whom you have been dealing, make sure you are satisfied with their choice.
Always request a tasting. Everyone’s palate is different, and a good caterer will want to customize your meal for you. Make sure that your caterer is licensed and insured for the safety of you and your guests.
Recommendations from friends and family are always good, but nothing is better then first hand experience. If you were at a function that you truly loved, call the host and ask them who did the catering.
Many halls and special occasion places will have their own in-house caterer, and those that do not usually offer a list of preferred caterers who are familiar with that site. While a good caterer can do a fine job at any location, it is often helpful to have one who is familiar with that site.
Most of all, enjoy that special day with your family and loved ones. Mazel Tov!

Selecting a Catering Company

It’s about much more than the menu

By Jody Birnbaum | caterconsult, inc. | Founder, Pear Tree Catering, Ltd

When choosing a catering company for your Mitzvah or Wedding, it’s important to remember that the catering staff becomes your home team on the day of your event. It’s a given that your caterer will provide the food and beverage service at your event, but often times your caterer is involved with many additional aspects of your event, both in the planning stages and behind the scenes on the day of your event. It’s the catering staff setting up the rental equipment and linens, and working diligently with the entertainers, designers and planners in making your vision a reality. The catering company is usually the first one on site and the last to leave

Be sure to choose a licensed and insured catering company, and one that you feel comfortable with. The caterer should always be willing and able to provide references, and should also have an informative and substantive website which lends credibility to their company. Once you have done your due diligence in checking references or narrowing your selection, you might want to consider choosing the caterer who will confidently offer a customized menu that meets your criteria, but also allows for the freshness and seasonality of ingredients. Ask your caterer to offer options within their proposals to allow for any budget concerns. Often menus for weddings and mitzvahs are determined many months or more in advance, in order to facilitate a contract. However, your caterer should be willing to revisit your menu within 60 days of your event and offer either new or seasonal items based upon new food trends and interesting items that may have been recently added to their menu. Many times these accommodations are not more expensive, just more fun and interesting.

Caterers have the unique opportunity to work with their clients at some of the most joyous and emotional times of their lives. There is a great sense of satisfaction in successfully helping our clients through these momentous occasions. It may be that this is your first time hosting a wedding or mitzvah, but likely the catering company has been through many similar events, and they are the best resource for helping you make the best decisions for your event. Remember that your caterer wants to make your event as unique and special as you do, but they are experts at logistics and what works for large groups of people within the particular venue that has been selected. Sometimes you may want to reinvent the wheel, and sometimes it doesn’t make sense. Count on your caterer to offer the best advice based upon your event scenario.

Remember that there are many great caterers all over the country. Look for resources online, ask your friends or the venue where you are hosting your event who they recommend, find out who catered an event at which you were a guest and loved the food, it doesn’t matter how you create your initial list. What does matter is selecting the catering company that will bring creativity, talent and professionalism to the table and peace of mind for you.

What to Expect from a Brunch Caterer

By David Model, Mr. Omelette Caterers, www.mromelettemd.com

Brunch is one of the best meals to have catered, as it is a special meal that replaces both breakfast and lunch and is typically more relaxed and fun. Depending on the event for which you contact a brunch caterer, there are many ways to ensure your guests have the best possible experience at your event. A brunch option can be successfully used at Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, weddings and rehearsals, small gatherings or large events. Because the use of stations is so flexible, you can expect to have more options than traditional served meals, and your guests will enjoy that flexibility as well.

The typical Brunch event can be exciting and fun and great at any time of the day or evening. So many brunch menu options and other foods can be incorporated into your foundation menu like omelettes, waffles, blintzes, fresh Salads, crepes, pasta stations. A good brunch caterer provides all of these elements. Having a professionally catered brunch should not be a financial burden on your pocket. With careful planning an experienced brunch caterer will provide you with hot off the grill ideas while you get to enjoy your party and friends stress-free. I always say that a great brunch is great food!

Great Tips about Tipping the Caterer

by Lisa Horton

When planning a large “shindig”there are so many things you will have to deal with: the invitations, booking the venue, finding the entertainment, and-ugh-hiring the caterer.

Here is actually where the question of if/how much you should tip the caterer might be answered for you. After gathering recommendations and calling various companies for price quotes, but before signing that contract, make sure you have an extensive itemized list of everything included in the bill. In this list, you might discover that you have luckily avoided any awkwardness of figuring out how much you should tip because some caterers include an 18-20% gratuity charge (written sometimes as a “service fee”).

If, however, you have chosen a caterer who didn’t cover tip for you in the bill, never fear. Take the cue from the caterers themselves. Since many caterers have put their seal of approval on the 18-20% range, you can take that as the standard for how much to tip. The quality of service (and perhaps your budget) will dictate how much you end up giving. But unless the service was so unsatisfactory to the point that the food has burnt to a crisp, tipping is definitely expected and the “norm” of party etiquette.

And if you have particularly enjoyed the service, whether the tip has been included or not, show your gratitude by adding a little extra gratuity onto that 18-20% standard. Or if your budget allows, you might even want to give some individualized tips to any servers who seemed to go above and beyond the call of duty.

Party on!