Contemporary Flavors offers various menu presentations to compliment your style of event.
Service Styles
Appetizer Dinners
If you want to encourage movement at your event or perhaps there is not enough seating for all, hors d’oeuvres parties are absolutely great for mixers, networking and open houses. Cocktail atmospheres create a less formal service and present multi-items with a variety of flavor.
Passed appetizer dinners are not always a less expensive dinner option. Although many people hope that ordering hors d’oeuvres will reduce overall cost, this is typically not the case. Hors d’oeuvre dinners can be more expensive depending on the menu chosen.
Hors d’oeuvre parties can be fun and dynamic. We will help you consider time of day, right amounts, event style, and menu.
Interactive Action Stations
Today’s savvy party guests expect a bit of fanfare with their dinner fare, which is the reason action stations are cutting into the buffet line. Entertaining and innovative, these chef-attended food stations add that ‘à la minute’ extra freshness to plates. Whether it’s a hot station attended by one of our chefs or a make-your-own bar, these action stations elevate your entire event. Delectable gourmet foods become even more exciting to guests when a chef or server stands behind the station, preparing foods to order or serving guests’ choices of plated hot or cold hors d’oeuvres. Guests who consider themselves to be foodies, or who are fans of shows like Top Chef, find it enticing to watch the chef in action, putting on a show, and making their food choices an experience. Stations add décor, interest and action – something for the guests to do. Stations are creatively decorated to go with any style or decor.
Station options are endless! We are experts at making anything possible. Let us know your vision, and we’ll make it happen for you.
Buffet Service
A buffet is a self-service style where the guests serve themselves. This style is a great method for feeding large numbers of people with minimal help. The dinner buffet is the most practical and congenial way in which to care for your guests. There are many variations of the Buffet Service. It can be either country casual or semi formal. Menu items are prepared in advance, and served from chafing dishes. This gives your guests a selection of items and requires minimal staffing. Buffet service is appropriate for lower budgets or more casual events. An advantage of buffets is that guests have the ability to inspect food before selecting it and taking only the quantity needed. Since a buffet involves people serving themselves, it is less elegant than table service. Buffet Service is used anytime there are large gatherings, even at many formal wedding receptions.
Plated Menu
A plated meal is a dining option in which your guests remain seated for the meal and are served all courses by our wait staff. Plated meals can be done one of two ways: guests can be given options for their entrée or you can opt for a duet meal. Typically when options are given, two entrée options are available each of your guests make their choice prior to your event. If you decide to give your guests options, keep in mind that you will have to keep a record of who ordered what and relay this information to us. Conversely, if you choose to serve a duet meal, there will typically be a half-portion of two different meat options (chicken/beef/fish/pork) served with sides on the same plate. Duet meals are a bit less time-consuming than an optioned plated meal, as everyone will be served the same meal. For either type of plated event, three courses are generally served (soup/salad, entrée, and dessert), and this service style is most appropriate for more formal, black-tie affairs. Our culinary team plates up your food just before it goes into the room, just as it is served at a restaurant. You will never find your meal plated ahead of time. The extensive experience of our culinary team allows us to shine with our plated events.
Family Style
A family style meal will have your guests seated at a table while our service staff brings out the food on large serving platters to be passed around, similar to the experience you have at Mom’s house for Sunday dinner. This is a very inviting and interactive approach to your event, and allows guests to get a chance to get know each other as they dine.
Because you’ll have large platters passed around and set on the table, you may need to invest in larger tablescapes or smaller centerpieces. You want to ensure your guests will have enough room and be comfortable. A family style event requires more wait staff than a buffet dinner.
Desserts
Desserts can also be serviced with the above styles. Inquire with us.