food stall

My "students" and I celebrating a successful cooking class / party! As a caterer, being in someone else's kitchen is just part of what I do. Often my staff and I find myself joined from time to time by a curious guest who loves to cook. And if there is time, we always try to answer all their questions. But, as you can imagine, a catering kitchen when it starts to really rev up is a bit like a roller derby -- hot, fast and just a little dangerous! If you aren't in sync with the action, it sort of passes you by. Which is why we enjoy it so much when we can slow things down and take the time to spend with clients and guests who want to learn a little more about the recipes we make. We have done many cooking classes and they mostly fall into two categories. The first one is the class as a party itself or as a team-building experience. Cooking is always a fun, interactive, and ultimately rewarding activity for bringing people together. The other cooking class we've do...

Oceans of Love was the theme for a wedding reception that took place in Malibu at the edge of the Pacific Ocean but played upon a color scheme popular on an island in the Atlantic -- Cuba. And of course, Oceans of Love also referred to the waves of love for the couple, Tanya and Jared that was showered on them on their special day. But we get ahead of ourselves... The story actually begins several years ago when Pauline Parry, owner of Good Gracious! Events , and Heidi Vail, mother of the bride, and a caterer herself ( Heidi's Events and Catering in Tempe, Arizona) met and became friends through their affiliation with the International Caterers Association . When Tanya and Jared became engaged and it was clear that the wedding would be in the Los Angeles area (his family is from LA, plus it's hot, hot, hot in Arizona in the summer!) they knew they wanted to work with Good Gracious! Events for planning, design and catering of the wedding. "Both Heidi and Tanya had lots of ...

Posted by Pauline Parry Food ... and Love. Where's the fun, you ask? All around! The yellow theme and the easy-going bride and groom really allowed Good Gracious! Events to have some fun with our food. As you can see from the menu below, the event was a non-stop culinary adventure. We introduced the sandwich bar at this event and we provided a full after-party menu of tray-passed hors d'oeuvres for 175 guests at Saddle Rock Ranch in Malibu. As Guests Arrived ... They were greeted by a beverage station featuring lemonade, grape-flavored water and sparkling lychee water Waitstaff also offered trays of Sparkling LOVEcello (lemoncello) in martini glasses Tray-Passed served immediately following the ceremony in the cocktail area by the pool Beef Short Rib Popover c hive petite popover filled with creamy horseradish mashed potato topped with braised short rib in a Cabernet reduction Chicken Salsa Tortilla Spoon five spiced crushed chicken with oven-charred salsa topped with avoc...

By Pauline Parry At today's weddings, everyone is a star! This " wedding rockumentary " was produced by filmmaker John Vitale who works exclusively with Brilliant Studios LA. They are easily uploaded so you can share them easily on your iphone or through YouTube. And actually, I've called it a "trend" but with the ease of video these days, videos that capture the couple's personality and are able to be shared with friends and family are one of the great ideas that are here to stay!

By Pauline Parry Because a picture tells a thousand words, it's always been very important to us to work with top photographers and plan ahead so that we have great photos of the events we produce, design and cater; events that exist just for one night. We use these photos in our portfolio, on our web site, in magazines and the industry awards we enter. Today, I want to share the work of one of our favorite professional photographers, Will Henshall from Brilliant Studios in Los Angeles and five of the TOP TIPS he's passed along to us and the brides with which we've worked. And in the interest of full disclosure, this is the wedding of my son Ross Purnell and his bride, Lauren Bennett at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, California. After producing weddings for 25 years, it was so rewarding -- and fun -- to go over-the-top for family! 1. GOLDEN HOUR Time your ceremony two hours before sunset to make the most of this beautiful natural light. Saddlerock Ranch is owned by Malibu Fa...

By Patrick Sullivan, Director of Service and Management Who among us hasn't had an unpleasant dining experience due to bad service? It happens all the time in restaurants and an event is no different. Which is why, from the telephone to the table, customer service is so important at Good Gracious! Events . We define it by anticipating the demands of the guest or client, and in these times clients are demanding more, specifically in the way of service. The old adage, �You never get a second chance to make a first impression� still holds true today, especially in the hospitality industry. Which is why we never assume what the right service style is for our clients. We always run through a list of questions and points of discussion with each client. I am sharing some of the more important ones with you on this blog post so you too can determine what will be the correct service style for your event, and your guests. Addressing these details will add another dimension quality to yo...