Kicking cancer in the keister is a BFD and deserves a party, damn it! Fitbomb and I wanted to celebrate the completion of his mom’s cancer treatments with a casual family gathering at our home. And we both wanted to enjoy the party (rather than slaving away in the kitchen), so we hired a caterer.
Paying a team of people to throw your party is definitely an indulgence. After careful research (I’m one picky mofo), I settled on Joshua Charles Catering. It was a great choice, if I say so myself. The caterers made sure that the whole process – from suggesting menu items (Paleo, please!), arranging rentals, setting up the venue (our backyard), cooking, staffing the main event, and doing all the clean-up – was seamless.
The catering team arrived promptly two hours before the event. They set to work immediately arranging the tables and chairs outside and preparing the food. By the time the first guests trickled in…
…the feast was ready.
For our lunch buffet, we served broccoli rapini sauteed with chili pepper, garlic and meyer lemon…
…a seasonal roasted vegetable assortment…
…Mediterranean chicken salad with lemon verbena, caper berries, olives, baby romaine lettuce and feta cheese…
…mustard-brined roasted Berkshire pork loin served over shredded ham hocks and arugula…
…herb-marinated New York strip loin served over wild mushrooms and steamed carrots…
…and organic fruit salad with honey lime dressing and mint.
We were hosting an opinionated crowd, including a few non-adventurous eaters, but EVERYONE went back for seconds and thirds.
The food was fantastic and each platter was quickly replenished as soon as we vultures picked them clean.
Most of our guests didn’t know that the menu was designed to be Paleo-compliant. I was delighted that no one missed the gluten, legumes, and soy. Go Paleo!
It wasn’t until dessert that we strayed slightly from the Paleo reservation. I served gluten-free mini cupcakes from Kara’s…
…and we toasted my mother-in-law’s health with flutes of fizzy champagne.
Thank you, to the wonderful staff from Joshua Charles Catering! The party manager, Kelly, was calm, professional and anticipated all our needs. Chefs Scott and Eric plated dish after dish of beautiful, soul-satisfying, rib-sticking food. It was definitely a special event that we won’t forget.
