Catering * WS 2002

A grass-roots revolution has begun in bridal catering as couples increasingly demand the same type of menus and foods they enjoy at small exclusive restaurants. Food and wine are moving center stage, providing the entertainment and even the decor.

"People are getting more in to wine and adapting each course to the wine they have," explains Jack Milan, head chef of Different Tastes, a Boston, Massachusetts catering firm. Six to eight different wines along with champagne may be served, beginning at the cocktail hour and continuing through dessert, with the best wines reserved for the entre. Open bars are being limited to the cocktail hour and even then, may feature only a specialty cocktail like martinis or margaritas or simply wine and beer.

Tapas-style dining is the newest twist in gourmet catering. While tapas literally means "small dishes," it refers to meals in which one or more courses involve "tastings" of small portions of complementary foods - if only as condiments or desserts. The cutting-edge in tapas dining is the seven- or eight-course dinner composed of small individual tastings. Maxwell, former executive chef of the Cheeky Monkey, a Newport restaurant renown for its tapas-style menus, explains that this type of exotic dining had formerly been available only for small parties. Such dinners may begin with unusual canaps like zucchini nestled with deviled quail egg and Ossetra caviar or a shucked oyster creation. An intermezzo such as a sorbet or a cold soup served in a martini glass is offered before the entre to cleanse the palate. Dessert is followed by a cheese course topped off with port and brandy.

Sacchi has also developed the Spanish Tapas dinner, an alternative to Tuscan dining in which paella for 200 can be dramatically made in front of guests. The flavor of saffron and authentic Spanish sausages, olive oil, cheeses and olives complement the cuisine...