Food Glorious Food

The most enjoyable events are often those in which the food is divine. Oliver Twist said, “Please Sir, can I have some more?” And although it is doubtful that you will be serving gruel at your next catered event, you’ll want your guests feeling pleased.

If Woody Allen is on your guest list, be certain to alert your catering service when you sit to menu plan. Allen has made it very clear, “I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead. Not sick, not wounded, dead." Perhaps Woody Allen would prefer to eat your mother’s fruitcake; some caterers will prepare ‘family favorites’ upon request. According to Harper's Index, 1991, the ratio of the density of the average fruitcake to the density of mahogany is 1:1.

Henry miller wrote, "Americans will eat garbage provided you sprinkle it liberally with ketchup." Well, maybe not exactly garbage but Richard Nixon liked ketchup on his cottage cheese.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s catering service knew that the English adored their sausages when hot dogs were served to King George VI of England during his 1939 visit to the United States.

Jimmy Carter is pleased that It takes about 550 peanuts to make a 12 ounce jar of creamy peanut butter. People who become hysterical when peanut butter sticks to the roof of their mouth have 'arachibutyrophobia'. If someone attending your catered event has a tendency to suffer from this condition, be certain to alert your caterer about this dietary restriction.

If you are planning to request that your catering service provide ice cream at your event, remind your guests not to eat too quickly because they may get a very painful headache. This is caused by blood vessel spasms which are triggered by the intense cold from the ice cream. The resulting headache is much the same as a migraine - the spasms interrupt the blood flow and cause the vessels to swell.

Quiche is a popular item to serve at events. Depending on how many guests will be attending your event, it is good to know how large a quiche can be: The largest being a quiche made in Paris, November 22, 1997. Chef Alain Marcotullio used 125 quarts of milk, 1,928 eggs, 156 pounds of bacon, 134 pounds of butter, and more than 140 pounds of flour to make the world's largest quiche. It baked for over 18 hours and fed more than 125 people.

Shelly Phegley

Catering director adds drama to Houston event planning

With degrees in theater and business, Paul-David Van Atta puts his education to good use as director of catering at the 1,200-room Hilton Americas-Houston, which opened one year ago.

Van Atta's parents always told him to have something to fall back on because he was planning a career in theater. Now, his job capitalizes on all of his training.

"We are charged with creating an experience," he said. "If you take that approach, you will always be successful. Everybody has a marble foyer--you're competing with the content."

He first entered the lodging industry at the front desk, earning money to make ends meet while in school. In four years, Van Atta worked his way up to director of sales and marketing of the 200-room property.

"My hotel experience captivated me," he said.

Van Atta is especially happy with his current position.

"Houston is unparalleled in gala activity, second only to New York," he said. "The production events here are phenomenal."

He attributes the event culture to the sophisticated, wealthy community that expects a high caliber of experience.

Fund-raisers are a significant portion of his business.

"Houston gets it," Van Atta said. "If you're sitting at a fund-raiser waiting on grants to come in, you're not going to prosper. You've got to be innovative to make this happen. And you do it through events--auctions, silent auctions and dinners. Nothing is over the top."

For the first big event at the Hilton, Van Atta worked with Emily Crosswell, a Houston philanthropist, on a Texas Children's Hospital fund-raiser, which included a gospel choir and fireworks show.

"It set the standard for me working in this market," he said.

And it all has to do with the "wow" factor.

"We are always looking for the 'wow,'" Van Atta said. "Hearing somebody's ideas and theme and expanding on that."

While he admits that the job is hard work, Van Atta said he loves the challenge of creating the experience with his dedicated staff.

"It's amazing that you can put together a team from all different backgrounds and different experiences and still be able to mesh and hold on to the staff through all of the growing pains and creation of systems," he said. "I've never worked with a group with more dedication to the end result. It's not a job, it's an ambition."

Catering Contract - Using catering experience to open a restaurant

Hungry for the restaurant of your dreams but can't raise the capital? Some entrepreneurs are opting for a catering service. "But you still need to plan and do the research, because there are various markets you can go into," says Pamela Moore, owner of the award-winning Somerset Catering Co. in Fort Worth, Texas. Moore began her business with her husband, Maurice, in 1994 and specializes in weddings, receptions, party planning and business meetings. She also runs a Southwestern Bell corporate cafeteria and three concession stands at the Texas Motor Speedway.

Like any other business, a catering service has to be carefully marketed, advises Peter Rainsford and David H. Bangs, Jr., authors of The Restaurant Start-Up Guide: A 12-Month Plan for Successfully Starting a Restaurant, 2nd Edition (Dearborn Trade). They offer these tips on developing your business:

* Determine who can use your catering service, then learn who your competitors are and how they market their services.

* Decide what will make you stand out. Prices alone won't do it.

* When discussing your services with a potential customer, include menu samples in your presentation.

* Network constantly. Ask customers for referrals and endorsements. Give them brochures, business cards and pictures of events you successfully catered. And don't forget the handwritten thank-you note.

* Use ads, direct mail, fliers, the Yellow Pages and the Internet to spread the word.

* Show customers why the per-person cost is $15 or $50 or $150.

* Repond promptly to a potential client's inquiry. It demonstrates your proficiency.

Women-owned businesses get fewer than 10 percent of institutional investment deals. They generally obtain equity capital from "angel" investors, family members or friends, says The National Foundation for Women Business Owners (nfwbo.org or [202] 638-3060).

Catering Boot Camp!

If you dream about putting hors d'oeuvres on little toothpicks for large parties, you might want to check out your local Catering Boot Camp seminar. Produced by Bill Hansen, founder of Bill Hansen Catering and LeadingCaterers.com, a website for caterers and consumers searching for catering services, the boot camps are one-day seminars held all around the country, detailing the ins and outs of the catering business. "We walk [participants] through a step-by-step process," says Hansen. "It's not a cooking school--we talk about how to start, menu ideas, where to buy insurance. Cooking is only about 20 percent of the catering job."

Hansen's workshops give aspiring caterers the skinny on how to staff an event and gauge how much food to order, as well as the logistics of serving a large group of people at once. Topics like selecting linens, knowing your on-site facilities and timing an event are discussed. Hansen even touches on the legalities of serving alcohol at events and discusses developing a marketing plan and website. The bevy of information offered at the Catering Boot Camp should help dispel the most common catering myth: "That [catering] is an easy way to make a living," notes Hansen. "It's hard work, and [people] overlook the number of details involved."

The cost runs $295 for one person, and $200 for a second or third person in your company. For the dates and registration information for your nearest Catering Boot Camp, check out LeadingCaterers.com. While catering's still a tough gig, Hansen says, "It's a great time to be a caterer, [with] the amount of business that's out there. People are booking events on a shorter and shorter fuse ... and they're shopping [for caterers] 24/7."--N.L.T.