Weddingbee

Mr. Pomegranate and I love our food - and we like it to be fresh (Mr. Pom’s BeeTV Cooking Show aside). We’re big supporters of finding food locally - be it through farmer’s markets or our CSA subscription - as it is not only an eco-friendly way of consuming, but it is also pretty darn tasty! You’ll always get what’s in season and that makes it extremely fresh. This is one of the reasons why we love our caterer so much - he gets all of his restaurant’s produce from the same organic CSA that we belong to.

Not expecting a true “tasting” per se, we jetted over to Mulvaney’s Building & Loan (the fruits of the Culinary Specialists catering labor) right after work and dove into a glass of wine at the bar while waiting for the catering manager to appear. Margo was a delight with her warm, friendly demeanor - even more appreciated was the very professional air about her. We had just sat down at a table for four, when a waiter plunked a very large plate of my (now) favorite appetizer displayed on the menu: In-House Irish Smoked Salmon with Accompaniments.

The freshly smoked salmon had the bright color you’d expect from a freshly shaved fish right out of Pike’s Market in Seattle - to which, until this day, I had claimed had the best smoked fish I’d ever tasted. The large slabs of fish were surrounded by mounds of beautifully prepared capers, egg and a couple of hunks of beautiful Irish Brown Bread covered in a soft, creamy butter. Mr Pom and I dug in, mouths full of the soft, silky, smoky, fish; salty egg; tangy capers and the firm crust of the soft brown bread. Divine.

We will be having the Irish Smoked Salmon on Potato Chips with Creme Fraiche.

Props to Garrett for this lovely photo.

We discussed menu options with Margo and she suggested we take a moment to sit down with Chef Patrick Mulvaney to add the creative flair to the menu we’ve been looking for. He suggested that we add his crystallized cranberries to the classic Caesar we’ve been requesting to add a personal Fall touch. He jumped up and brought over a few for us to try. They were SO AMAZINGLY GOOD! You get the crunch of the crystallized sugar on the outside, the crunch of the fresh cranberry and then the sweet juices of the berry itself - not to mention they are a festive, sparkling, beautiful way to accent your salad.

The rest of the evening went quite the same. Patrick would mention something delectable, hop out of his seat and return with tiny tastes for us to sample. He must know, that in the culinary world, taste buds do the best decision making.

The final menu is amazing - I can’t say enough about the quality and creativity of Culinary Specialists’ food. They make the best of the region’s produce strengths and have a knack for seasonal specialties. I am so excited for the wedding, for this reason alone and I hope I’m not too busy to eat on the day of the big event (as they say that can happen). The menu is displayed below and will be served Family Style:

Smoked Salmon
on a Housemade Potato Chip
Crème Fraiche ~ Chives

Crispy Phyllo Tartlets
Almond Chicken ~ Summer Ratatouille
Roasted Sloughouse Corn and Black Beans

Wild Mushroom Risotto Cakes
Parmesan and Truffle ~ Herbed Aioli

Traditional Caesar
Housemade Croutons ~ Freshly Shaved Parmesan
Crystallized Cranberries

Roasted Atlantic Salmon
Meyer Lemon Aioli

Sutter County Wild Rice

Dry Rubbed and Grilled Tri Tip
Tuscan Salsa Verde

Mulvaney’s Mashed Potatoes

Roasted & Grilled Autumn Harvest Vegetables

Acme Company Bakery Breads
Creamery Butter

We will also be hosting an Old Soul Coffee Bar paired with soon-to-be local legend Ginger Elizabeth’s Chocolates. I am going to PIG OUT. Let’s hope I don’t burst a seam!

• Giant Hanging Pomanders
• A Puffy-Eyed Meltdown