Blog | Vibrant Table Catering & Events

Our House Serves Up “Dinner at My House” Series

June 27, 2017 Filed Under: Biz Buzz, Catering, Events, News

VT Group Joins in on 25 Years of Celebration

Portland non-profit, Our House, has announced their 25^thanniversary line up for their highly revered dinner series, “Dinner at My House for Our House”. Spanning from July 2017 to March 2018, 66 different dinner events around the city are slated to bring together iconic food and beverage Portland All Stars and philanthropic community members to support the important work of Our House. All proceeds from the dinner events go directly to Our House, who provide healthcare, housing and other vital services to low-income people living with HIV.

VT Group owners, Art Fortuna and Kurt Beadell, are both sharing their unique private residences for two separate dining events. On July 9^th, Kurt invites you to a bountiful brunch, at “Get Down in the Garden”. July 15^th, Art shares his newly designed patio space in the West Hills, at “Fortuna’s Delicious Fortune”. Additionally, Kurt and Art collaborate with Maryellen and Mike McCulloch for a sensory experience at their Lavender Farm on September 8^th.

VT Group’s main office, The Loft at 8^th Ave. is also playing venue host to several other “Dinner at My House” events throughout the 2017/2018 cycle, such as “Fun and French” with Little Bird Bistro’s Chef Marcelle Crooks and Elk Cove Vineyards, and “Korean Comfort Food” showcasing James Beard award nominee, Chef Rachel Yang of Portland’s Revelry, and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, poured by our favorite Allison Blythe. Check out the robust “Dinner at My House for Our House” line up HERE.

Portland Showcase at the Armory

June 9, 2017 Filed Under: Catering, Events, News, Spectacular Spaces, Uncategorized, Venues, Vibrant Vendors

Vibrant Table showcased Portland’s bounty to the nation’s elite organization for American theaters, the Theater Communications Group, on Thursday, June 8, 2017.

Portland Center Stage hosted the annual TCG conference in early June, and invited their preferred Portland catering vendors to participate, offering prime exposure to impress upon the masses, Portland’s amazing culinary talent. The Armory’s space was transformed into a Portland Wonderland with entertainment lined up by the Ukeladies, break dancers, Oregon’s iconic Unipiper, and more.

Beverages were provided by Artslandia and Deschutes, and on the Mezzanine level, Vibrant Table was accompanied by fellow Portland based catering companies including Artemis, Art of Catering, Devil’s Food and Hunt & Gather.

Our Oregon-centric hors d’oeuvres were the crowd favorite Beet Napoleon with chevre, orange-honey and toasted hazelnuts, and our Spicy Port-Poached Figs wrapped in prosciutto.

Take a bow for a job well done, Portland Center Stage. Thank you for inviting us to participate.

©Evrim Icoz Photography

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As one of Oregon’s premier hospitality purveyors, VT Group provides casual to high-end, full-service catering, event production and facility management. VT Group’s flagship brands include Vibrant Table Catering & Events, Food in Bloom Catering, f&b cafe and catering, and Vibrant Flowers. VT Group also manages several of the city’s most beautiful and diverse spaces including five event venues and three cafe locations in the Portland Metro area.

Our mission is to foster exemplary relationships within our community, developing and maintaining quality connections with partners who share our same ambition, drive and values.

Dinner at My House for Our House

October 5, 2016 Filed Under: Events, News

Our House, a non profit organization that provides healthcare, housing and vital services to low-income Portlander’s living with HIV, is in the midst of their 2016-2017 dinner series, “Dinner at My House for Our House”. Earlier this summer, our Creative Director and Principal, Kurt Beadell, hosted his annual garden party, “Get Down in the Garden”, switching gears this year to focus on Portland’s darling meal period, brunch. Alongside his eclectic art collection and boozy brunch cocktails, guests were treated to Kurt and co-host Lucy Hardiman’s lush gardens in the heart of the Buckman heighborhood. Miniature chicken n’waffles, mini eggs benedict and smoked roulade were passed about the garden leading up to waffles made on site and a hearty display of Oregon’s bounty in buffet form.

Our House’s dinner series spans nearly 80 intimate events taking place throughout Portland that encompass some of our region’s iconic chefs, venues and vendors. Portland Opera, Oregon Historical Society, Elk Cove Vineyards, revered restaurants, back yard gardens, and even VT Group’s brand new facility in inner southeast are hosting incredible wining and dining events. The nonprofit’s premiere dinners, the brainchild from Kurt dubbed “Chef’s Table Series”, invites top chefs and wineries to create multiple course meals and pairings to satiate guests and Our House’s Circle of Friends. Aaron Adams from Farm Spirit, Chris Paquette of Bamboo Sushi, Chris Lascik and Cathy Whims from Portland’s iconic Nostrana, and Chef Christopher Israel, most recently of Gruner highlight the elevated dinner series taking place throughout late summer to early January.

To learn more about the incredible work Our House does, how you can get involved, and to see the full schedule of events and bevvy of participants, head over to Ourhouseofportland.org

Why Karaoke, Grapefruit and Drag Queens Will Save Your Holiday Party

August 24, 2016 Filed Under: Catering, Holiday Parties

©Evrim Icoz Photography

How many holiday work parties have you been to that feel obligatory? Do they feel obligatory because they’re just, well… boring? Yeah. We hear ya. So, we’ve got some great ideas to shake things up for the run of show, the menu, and the entertainment.

Switch Up the Line Up.
If you’re planning the event, and you’ve planned a lot of these, try shuffling the deck with your time frame. If you traditionally have a very conservative three course meal, add in a cocktail reception where your colleagues can have a glass of wine, mingle and loosen up a bit. Or, perhaps make dessert interactive by having an action station where the guests have to get up and include themselves in preparing the dessert to order. You can further this idea by having palette cleansing activities in between courses, like a scavenger hunt between the salad and entrée course. Instead of having a cocktail hour before your party, you can opt for a low key after dinner parlor party with cognac and digestifs.

Engage Your Audience.
The easiest way to keep people happy and entertained is to keep them engaged. Keep them busy, keep them laughing and having fun. Ping Pong, Karaoke, an Ice Luge with signature drink, or even a good old fashioned “Soul Train Dance Off” are fantastic ways to make the static holiday party a bit more electric. If you’re going all out with live entertainment, make sure to do your research. Nothing makes a party more awkward than a comedian who doesn’t know their audience, a singer who can’t banter with the crowd, or a drag queen who makes mean spirited jokes. You want this to be an amazing time for all!

Surprise the Tastebuds.
Classic green salad. Choice of chicken or salmon. Wow. Mouthwatering. Surprise your guests with an innovative menu. If you are a traditionalist and really want to abide by the three course, then start off with an invigorating salad that is more than just Romaine. Radicchio, arugula, fennel, endive, butter lettuce, frisee or kale are all great bases, and don’t be afraid to add zing with herbs like mint or basil, even citrus notes like grapefruit. As for your main entrees, chicken and salmon are always a safe bet, but you can take it up a notch and impress the table with a simple seasonal vegetable option, an appropriately suited beef or pork entrée, or go rogue with lamb or buffalo. Desserts are the final hurdle, and mini desserts are always playful and offer variety. Pick three different types, a fruity, a chocolatey and a creamy, keeping textures in mind, and you’ll nail the lasting impression.

If you want to steer away from the three course approach, incorporate passed hors d’oeuvres or action stations during your cocktail reception, create a mesmerizing buffet for your main meal period, or keep the party lively and tables engaged with family style service.

The dos and don’ts of drink tickets

August 3, 2016 Filed Under: Alcohol, Catering

Evrim Icoz Photography

Be it a corporate, social or nonprofit event, drink tickets can play a pivotal role. Drink tickets might have a handful of pros and cons, but at the end of the day they can provide an easy assist with creating a smooth and successful party.

What to think about—

Will you be offering hosted drink tickets to your guests?
If so, how many will drink tickets will each guest receive?
Who will get the drink tickets?
If you are not offering hosted drink tickets not, how much will guests be expected to pay per ticket? Will the price be different for alcohol, beer & wine?
Limit the amount of drink tickets your guests can purchase.
Keeping your caterer in the loop. We can help.

The perks –

Drink tickets help limit alcohol consumption.

This helps:

Guests, employees, friends, colleagues and family wake up the next day without the feeling of embarrassment, as do you.
Avoid driving under the influence. Although, any event where alcohol is served, you as the host, should provide adequate alternative transportation services, like cabs, public transit, or car services (Uber, Lyft).
If you provide guests with hosted drink tickets it will control your costs, instead of hosting a full bar where guests can line up and order crazy pricy and complicated drinks with no limit.

What to avoid –

Tasting the rainbow. Stick to one or two drink ticket colors. One for alcohol. One for beer & wine. Don’t make it too complicated. You are hosting the event and already have a lot on your plate. Two ticket colors is simple for you, your guests, and the serving and bartending staff to understand.
Offering certain guests more drink tickets than others. The last thing you want to do is upset somebody at a celebratory event because you provided favoritism. That being said, you may have a very good reason for giving your CEO or owner an extra ticket, since ya know, he is paying for the whole event.
Cash bars. If you are offering drink tickets for your guests to purchase, you are also avoiding any cash handling with the bartenders and serving staff. This is great news, because they can focus on making drinks, and you and your team can handle the cash.