Vibrant Table
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Catering to the Senses

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What to Expect at Your Upcoming Tasting

Filed Under: Biz Buzz, Catering Chronicles, Factual FAQs

tasting policy

What is a client’s favorite part of planning their event? Tastings of course! As part of the event or wedding planning process, clients often want to test the food to ensure it’s to their liking. Though this usually doesn’t require too much convincing of our clients, below we have shared some important details to get you fully prepared for your upcoming tasting with Vibrant Table.

Vibrant Table Catering & Events offers a complimentary tasting for up to 4 guests, for confirmed events valued at $8,000.00 (exclusive of venue rental).

Tastings take place at The Loft at 8th Avenue on Wednesday, starting between 11am – 3pm.

Clients are invited to taste their prospective menu, selecting from up to three hors d’oeuvres, two salads, and two entrées with sides. If dessert will be part of your Vibrant Table menu, you may select up to two for your tasting. For hors d’oeuvres receptions, guests may taste up to 8 items.

If you would like to sample wine, beer, or specialty cocktails, please notify your planner at least one week prior to the tasting; see current drink menus for pricing.

For events totaling less than $8,000.00, or for tastings prior to client confirmation, the price for a tasting is $50.00 – $100.00 per person, based on your menu selections. For events totaling $8,000.00 or more, the tasting fee will be credited to your event invoice when you confirm with Vibrant Table.

Please confirm your tasting with a credit card or check at least one week prior to tasting date. Should you decide to cancel your tasting, notify your planner at least 7 days prior to the scheduled tasting; otherwise, the full tasting fee will be charged.

Think of your tasting as a trial run of what the event will feel like. Your caterer, especially if they are helping with event planning, will want to discuss the specifics of your entire event during the tasting, including the timeline of events. You don’t need to know everything at this time, but this information will help them to put together a list of outstanding items to discuss and decide upon in the future. We know no one will turn down the chance to eat delicious food, so a tasting is the perfect way to mix business with taste bud pleasure. Enjoy!

Recipe of the Month: Sticky Toffee Pudding

Filed Under: Catering Chronicles, Festive Fare, Inspiring Ideas

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list of ingredients
  • 1 cup & 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ cup pitted dates
  • 1 ¼ cups boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
toffee sauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup pecans
  • 1 cup heavy cream & 2T Sugar, whipped
  toffee_pudding
DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch round or square baking dish. Sift the flour and baking powder onto a sheet of waxed paper. Finely chop the dates. Place in a small bowl and add the boiling water and baking soda; set aside. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until blended. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Add the date mixture to the batter and fold until blended with a rubber spatula. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake until pudding is set and firm on top, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack.

Toffee Sauce: Combine the butter, heavy cream and brown sugar in a small heavy saucepan; heat to boiling, stir constantly. Boil gently over medium low heat until mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes. After the cake is cool, cut slices and drizzle with toffee sauce, top with a spoonful of sweetened whipped cream.

*recipe photo from whatjessicabakednext.com/
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Recipe: Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Filed Under: Festive Fare

Want to satisfy your sweet tooth? Our Executive Chef, Eric Petrus makes a killer creme brulee. It’s a perfect introduction for the fall season and a great way to impress, well, anybody. You get to use a torch!
pumpkin creme brulee
INGREDIENTS:
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  2. Whisk egg yolks and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Stir in heavy cream, pumpkin puree, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
  3. Divide pumpkin mixture between seven (5-inch) ramekins about 1/2 inch from the top.
  4. Place the ramekins in a baking dish and fill with the baking dish hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
  5. Bake in preheated oven until just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove ramekins and refrigerate until completely cool, at least 2 hours.
  6. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of sugar onto each creme brulee. Melt the sugar with a chef’s torch until crisp and dark brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

 

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Know Your Style: A Bride’s Guide to Personalizing Bouquets

Filed Under: Brilliant Blooms

During our floral consultations we ask brides a lot of questions. For starters,
What are your wedding colors?
What are your favorite flowers?
What shape bouquet appeals to you?
What about the ribbon color and treatment of the bouquet?

We ask details, down to the tiniest pearl pinhead decoration. Choosing a bridal bouquet style while also considering your flower’s seasonal availability can be overwhelming for a bride that has to make many detailed decisions.
Vibrant Flowers is here to help! Through these questions we find out what your wedding day vision is, help you personalize your look and provide you with creative support.

If you are not sure what style of flowers you want for your bridal bouquet, here are some suggestions to help make the process more enjoyable and less stressful.

STYLE CHOICES
biedermeier   Biedermeier – Composed of different layers, the placement of each bloom is strategically designed to create concentric circles, emphasizing pattern and repetition. This style became popular in Europe in the 1800s.
Visit our Pinterest Board on Biedermeier bouquets to see some examples!
 
cascade copy   Cascade – Elegant, sculptural bouquets with long trailing flowers and greens.
Visit our Pinterest Board on Cascade and Trailing bouquets to see some examples!
round   Round – More manicured bouquet with minimal greens, Simple, clean and classic.
Visit our Pinterest Board on Round bouquets to see some examples!
crescent   Crescent – Sculptural bouquet focusing more on line, form and symmetry (or asymmetry) to create a a two sided cascade of flowers.
Visit our Pinterest Board on Crescent bouquets to see some examples!
 
garden copy   Garden or Hand-tied – Organic bouquet of mixed flowers, diverse textures and more and foliage/greens to give a very natural “picked from the garden” feel.
Visit our Pinterest Board on Garden bouquets to see some examples!
 
arm   Pageant – Dramatic long-stemmed bouquet that the bride carries on her arm. Generally composed of focal and line flowers.
Visit our Pinterest Board on Pageant bouquets to see some examples!
 
pomander copy   Pomander – Complete round sphere of blooms often carried by a handle of ribbons or pearls.
Visit our Pinterest Board on Pomander bouquets to see some examples!
 
composite copy   Composite – Uniquely made, these bouquets are formed from individual petals to make one large flower. This technique originated during the war, when Camellia flowers were very expensive. So instead, people took the petals of the less expensive Gladiolas and made them into what looked like a more expensive flower.
Visit our Pinterest board on Composite bouquets to see some examples!
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VT Group Receives ACE Award from Catersource

Filed Under: Biz Buzz, Catering Chronicles

Button_Read-Press-ReleaseWe have some exciting news! VT Group has been recognized with an ACE Award. We are still swooning from the honor and can’t wait to share why this is such big news for us.
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ACE_WINNER_LOGO

What is the ACE Award?
Standing for ‘Achievement in Catering Excellence’, the ACE Award is a recognition from Catersource. There are three regional categories — East, West and International — and two financial categories — businesses above $2 million in sales and businesses below $2 million in sales. VT Group received the ACE Award for the Western region, which is everything west of the Mississippi River, in the above $2 million category.

What are the criteria?
Caterers are judged on a variety of factors in two stages. The first stage reviews culinary achievements, outstanding business practices, and contributions to community. Five finalists are then selected. The second round of judging looks at brand materials, recent events, and testimonials.

Who are the judges?
Judges are Catersource board members and the previous year’s winners. That means we get to help choose the recipients of the 2015 ACE Awards!

What is Catersource?
Catersource is one of catering’s leading industry organizations and is dedicated to the education and growth of professional caterers. Their outreach includes an industry magazine, tradeshow and conference. They also have formed the Leading Caterers of America (LCA), a professional peer organization of award-winning caterers that support each other by sharing experience and knowledge. Vibrant Table has proudly been a member of LCA since 2010.

Why is winning the ACE Award a ‘big deal’?
The ACE Award is one of our industry’s highest honors. Being in the same category as larger markets such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston, we believe that a win for VT Group is a win for Portland. President Art Fortuna says it best: “We’re proud to be able to score another win for the Portland food scene as a whole – particularly since we believe serving such a unique and discerning market is what puts us at the top of our game.” So way to go, Portland! Thank you for challenging us to ever-greater levels of excellence and creativity!

Who is VT Group?
VT-Group_logo_smallVT Group is a collection of hospitality and event companies based in Portland, Oregon. Flagship brands include Vibrant Table Catering & Events, Food in Bloom Catering, f&b cafe and catering and Vibrant Flowers. They also manage event venues including the new Exchange Ballroom, Treasury Ballroom, Atrium at Montgomery Park, Lan Su Chinese Garden and the Loft on Belmont.

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Photo Credit

Thank you to Evrim Icoz Photography for allowing us to use his image in our header image. This image has been stylized by Vibrant Table.