OFF THE MENU

Going Off Menu

Couples look outside the box to create a unique and personal dining experience. By Amy Zimmerman

FOOD BY: 612 NORTH

Chicken, beef, or sh? How about sliders, barbecue, and tacos? Couples are serving wedding reception menus that create a unique experience for their guests with an emphasis on foods that are inspired by their relationship.

“Buck tradition. Forget about what you’re expected to do and focus on what you want to do. A three-course meal with passed appetizers is no longer the go-to menu for every wedding. Couples are looking for ideas outside of the box for their menu,” says Cassy Vires, Director of Culinary Development for The Fifth Wheel Catering.

Brad Bardon, Executive Chef for The Social Affair, agrees, “Their party should feel like their party instead of feeling like dinner is just checked off the to-do list.”

INSPIRED BY LOCATION

It could be the place you met, your rst date, where you got engaged, or a combination of several signi cant locations that inspire your wedding menu.

“We just had a couple that traveled to Hawaii a few times. They were engaged in Hawaii, they are taking their honeymoon to Hawaii. We talked with them about what foods and meals they enjoy while they are visiting Hawaii and we brought those types of items into their wedding menu,” says Kelly Spencer, Founder of The Social Affair.

Spencer says meeting with couples and building a relationship with them helps the catering team create a menu that truly represents the couple.

“We have a conversation with them and ask what they like, what are their favorite cuisines. Tell us about a meal that

FOOD BY FIFTH WHEEL CATERING

meant something special to you or somewhere you traveled where the food was signi cant. We also talk about what they don’t like. It’s all about getting to know them so we can bring their vision to life,” says Spencer.

Madison Payne, Sales Manager for 612 North, says many of her clients are inspired by the venue, which features views of the St. Louis Arch, the riverfront, and the city skyline.

“A lot of couples want to include the St. Louis station in their menu to tie in with the reception venue. It’s a fun station that includes traditional St. Louis dishes such as toasted ravioli, Italian salads, mostaccioli, and pasta con broccoli,” says Payne.

There are no steadfast rules for developing the menu. Couples may let a signi cant location inspire just one of the courses or dishes served.

“We get a lot of couples who want to incorporate a meaningful location into the latenight snack,” says Carleen Kramer, Vice President of Catering St. Louis. “Maybe they got engaged at Forest Park or had their rst date at the St. Louis Zoo so the late-night snack could be Ted Drewes, toasted ravioli, or St. Louis style pizza.”

INSPIRED BY HERITAGE

Many couples are embracing their culture as the inspiration for their wedding menu. Vires and her staff at The Fifth Wheel Catering recently catered a wedding menu based on the couple’s Persian heritage.

“They sent me a whole Google doc with recipes that were signi cant to them, even pictures of handwritten family recipes. You don’t have to follow these exactly but it helps to understand the food and the avors to inspire a menu,” says Vires.

Spencer worked with a gentleman who had family from Brazil and wanted to include that heritage in a multi-course dinner for the wedding reception. The staff at The Social Affair worked with him to develop traditional Brazilian dishes that were approachable for guests from St. Louis.

Nick Suna, Corporate Culinary Director for So Hospitality Group, developed a Spanish menu for a couple that included chorizo, atbreads, empanadas, taquitos, and more.

“The groom was so into the food that he visited the kitchen the day before to see what we were doing and took pictures with us. We want to give people the best night of their life and create memories,” says Suna.

Celebrating a shared heritage means a lot not just to the couple, but also to the extended family attending the wedding. For couples from St. Louis that often means German and Irish in uence. Stations could feature items such as house-made sausages, pretzels, potato salad and German beer tastings.

If you are trying to recreate a speci c dish from your childhood, it helps to share the recipe.

“I had a couple hand me a recipe for their grandmother’s cookie that no one had been able to replicate. No one in the family had tasted it for decades. If you can master that, it brings people to tears,” says Bardon.

INSPIRED BY LIFE

Telling your story through food doesn’t have to be such a literal interpretation as a speci c location or culture. Shared activities or passions may also inspire your menu. Maybe breakfast is your favorite meal or you both love the St. Louis Cardinals. Caterers can translate those loves into a personalized menu.

“We had a couple come to us who loved pizza and wanted different kinds of pizza for their wedding stations. Breakfast receptions are popular. Some couples want to emphasize their love for St. Louis. We can do a barbecue station with St. Louis barbecue, a ballpark station with mini hot dogs, nachos, and Red Hot Riplets popcorn. It’s fun and it’s quirky but it isn’t silly. The dishes are elevated and we keep it elegant while allowing the guests to have fun,” says Vires.

FOOD BY: LEFT, THE DOGWOOD IN THE GROVE RIGHT, CATERING ST. LOUIS

Vires worked with a couple who wanted a gluten-free menu. It was important to them to highlight the foods they love while showing their guests that they can eat amazing foods while maintaining a gluten-free diet.

“The gluten-free wedding was really good. We had a stir fry station with General Tso’s chicken, a pizza station with amazing gluten free atbread crusts. We even did a gluten-free wedding cake,” says Vires.

For an upcoming wedding, Vires is making a rainbow cake.

“The exterior is decorated with white frosting and owers but when you slice into it, the cake is the colors of the rainbow. It’s for a same-sex couple who wanted to represent LGBTQ pride,” says Vires.

CREATIVE PRESENTATION

The way you serve the meal can be as creative as the dishes on the menu. Couples should not feel tied to a sit-down dinner or a traditional buffet. Caterers specialize in unique, multicourse meals and tasting stations that are far different from the old-fashioned buffet with silver cha ng dishes.

Vires says most couples she works with prefer food stations that provide a variety of menu items and get people moving around the room rather than sitting at their table. She suggests that couples stagger food stations throughout the reception to keep the party going. Start the event with appetizers, move into the main food stations, and end with a late-night snack after guests have been dancing.

Presentation is an important part of food stations. Caterers work with couples to make sure the themed stations look as exciting as the food they are serving tastes.

“Display is important. We use large cast iron skillets and copper bowls. The décor of our themed stations matches the food we are serving. For example, we don’t just serve popcorn in a bowl, we use a popcorn popper,” says Vires.

Spencer agrees, “Our stations are like deconstructed dinners that not only offer a variety of food but also are styled with the vision of the couple.”

For those who do want a sit-down dinner, tasting dinners are different from the normal salad, entrée, dessert that are often served at events. Each course can be customized by the couple.

“Multi-plate dinners vary from couple to couple. The rst course doesn’t have to be a salad. Maybe we start with a cheese course or crab cakes. We like to start by giving the guests something unexpected to let them know they are in for a real treat,” says Bardon.

Couples also should consider the atmosphere they are trying to establish. For some couples, the food is the most important part of the event and the dinner becomes the experience so they may choose a dinner with ve or more courses. Others want a great meal but also want to get everyone on the dance oor to enjoy the band so they may choose a three or four-course meal.

There is no right way to serve a meal. Payne worked with two couples who wanted a Nigerian inspired menu. One chose food stations while the other served plated dishes. Both were successful and t with the atmosphere of the event.

BUT WHAT ABOUT GRANDPA?

Occasionally couples worry that a creative, unique menu won’t appeal to all guests but caterers say there are ways to satisfy all appetites. When doing small plates, multi-tasting dinners, or food stations couples can offer dishes that are more adventurous along with something more traditional and approachable. And caterers can help if a guest needs a special plate because of a dietary restriction.

“This wedding is for you and you get to do whatever you want. Everyone is there to celebrate you. Whatever choices you make are the right choices,” says Vires.