A Fabulous Dinner ~ with Special Decor

Recently I attended a dinner held by the National Association of Catering Executives, at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel near the Research Triangle Park.

Would you have enjoyed being there? I offer for your gustatory imagination, the menu for the evening:

Piedmont Salad: baby red oak (lettuce), buffalo mozzarella cheese, teardrop tomatoes and pine nuts, mixed in Spumante Vinaigrette.

Portuguese Dinner Rolls with whipped butter.

Tuscan Style Ballontine: roasted semi-boneless quail with porcini, pancetta and pheasant forcemeat served with shallot confit and a tian of potatoes and grilled vegetables.

Parfait with Moscato: Parfait of mango sobreto served with tropical fruit cheesecake and sprinkled with muscat wine.

All of it was excellent, except I am no fan of quail. I could have, however, eaten several portions of the salad, rolls, potatoes, vegetables and the dessert was divine (and I do not use that word lightly).

The highlight of the evening was the decor. I will kick myself in the shins often for deciding not to take my camera. I was afraid that they would not allow photos, and I didn't want to carry the camera needlessly. Each of the 15-20 tables was decorated by a different designer, planner, caterer or florist. The theme was celebration, be it a wedding, rehearsal dinner, anniversary or other type party. Most of the tables were fantastic in their perception and their execution. The one that won the contest was a "Dinner in Tuscany", under a grape covered vine gazebo, with butterscotch gold and terra cotta dinnerware and linen which complemented the flowers, in all shades of an autumn sunset. It really was magnificent. They even made a slate floor, with mosses growing in the cracks!

Another winner was a wedding reception table with a bird nest theme, in the popular current color scheme of brown and light blue. A concrete bird bath held lush flowers and corkscrew willow; which was hung with many small bird nests, replete with robin-blue eggs. The table appointments were in brown speckled, light-blue plates, copper colored napkins, bird's nests holding photos of the happy couple and place cards. It was wonderful.

My host supplied a theme party table featuring Harry Potter. A wrought-iron tree was hung with pumpkins, spiders, owls, ravens and candles. Sprouting out of the top of the tree was a host of calla lilies, curly willow and monstera leaves. The backs of the chairs held banners from each section of Hogwarts School, and white owls held a copy in their beaks of the menu for the evening. More pumpkins and witches and candles completed the look, along with small bags of the jelly beans made popular in Harry Potter books - Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans (including vomit and ear wax)! The napkin rings were eyeglass frames like those worn by the main character (complete with masking tape). I cannot believe it didn't win a prize!

These are only a few of the fabulous tables, at which we got to actually sit and eat our wonderful meal. This is just one of the perks of the business I am in. Can you understand why I might never retire? Again, I apologize for not having photos to share. If they become available later, I will definitely re-post with illustrations.

P.S. No real birds, bird nests, owls, pumpkins, etc. were harmed in the execution of this event. Only the candles expired!