Bring it HOME

how kim hauger and the avalon event center’s cuisine meet every appetite

Standing by mother’s side. Chokecherry jam bubbling on the stove. The yeasty smell of warm flatbread wafting through the air. The aromas of the two intertwining and teasing the tongue for delights later to be enjoyed.

They say some of your earliest memories are formed as young as four years old. If that were true, these memories make it no surprise as to why Kim Hauger ended up staying in the kitchen into adulthood. Now, as the executive chef at the Avalon Event Center, Hauger continues to bring those warm feelings of home to celebrations for couples throughout the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Before creating feasts fit for weddings, Hauger’s plates started much more simply at a privately owned burger jointed called Big Burger in Fergus Falls. That was 1979, and he was in high school at the time, working in his hometown. He later moved to Fargo to grow his career and become part of the opening team of Chi-Chi’s in 1980 and then the Radisson Hotel in 1985. “That’s where I learned most of my culinary skills,” Hauger credits.

As he continued to grow as a chef, his skills eventually led him to the Avalon Event Center where three weddings on a Friday and four on a Saturday are not uncommon. Yet each meal at each celebration is given the unique attention that has earned the Avalon Event Center’s cuisine an unparalleled reputation. “I would challenge anyone to find someone who wasn’t totally happy with their food that they had at their reception at the Avalon,” says Hauger.

How does Hauger meet excited newlyweds’ high standards for their big day? “When you are serving thousands of people you have to be able to execute it properly,” explains Hauger “What is chosen for our menu is good comfort food. We use fresh vegetables and real potatoes. The meal is prepared right here in facility.”

Some of the most popular dishes at the Avalon include Chicken Supreme served on a bed of wild rice pilaf, roasted red potatoes and authentic mashed potatoes. The chef carved prime rib is also a hit, carved by Chef Hauger himself. He has also ventured into new dishes that meet a variety of diets and palates. “We offer gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options,” Hauger says. “It was new to me at first, but now I have been able to create some excellent recipes that everyone likes.”

Beyond the technical skill of creating feasts, something else fuels the exceptional results: passion and gratitude.“Being a part of someone’s wedding — to be trusted on that important occasion — is pretty rewarding,” Hauger smiles.

So, whether your event is as grand as a gala, or as meaningful as your special day, Kim Hauger and his team at the Avalon Event Center give each event a meal that will bring guests feelings of joy and home.