Chef's Table Catering of Philadelphia catered my friend's wedding ceremony cocktail hour and dinner reception. It was a vegetarian buffet, a first for me at a wedding reception (and I've been to a lot). I'm not a big fan of vegetarian food (as a meal), so I think it's pretty impressive that Chef's Table was able to cater a spread of vegetarian food that I thought was quite good. Some items, in particular, were fantastic.
The cocktail hour took place at the ceremony site, Chinese Christian Church and Center in Chinatown North/Callowhill (Vine Campus) (https://www.yelp.com/biz/chinese-christian-church-and-center-philadelphia). Chef's Table set up a bar with two bartenders and a small self-serve buffet of hors d'oeuvres just inside the entrance of the sanctuary.
Cocktail hour menu:
* Antipasto tray - soppressata, pepperoni, sharp Provolone, Italian Fontina, grilled artichoke hearts, marinated olives, button mushrooms, and artichoke hearts
* Crudite tray - assorted raw and blanched vegetables
* Mezza tray - stuffed grape leaves and green olives with lemon and coriander, hummus, baba ghanoush, muhammara
I thought the spread of hors d'oeuvres was great. The foods were very fresh and healthy. I like eating raw veggies and appreciated the variety that included not only standard veggies like broccoli and grape tomatoes, but also endives and beets. The stuffed grape leaves were scrumptious, but the star of the show was the muhammara. Muhammara is a Middle Eastern red pepper and walnut spread. Chef's Table's version was delicious, full of flavor, with an appetizing, almost creamy, consistency.
The dinner reception took place down the street at the Asian Arts Initiative (https://www.yelp.com/biz/asian-arts-initiative-philadelphia). Chef's Table once again had a two-man bar plus four self-serve dinner stations set up and spread out along the perimeter of the venue.
Dinner reception menu:
Pasta station
* Roasted stone fruit salad - arugula and mixed greens, mango vinaigrette
* Rigatoni with fresh pomodoro sauce - balsamic caramelized onions
* Penne primavera - garlic and olive oil with garden vegetables
Jackfruit "crab" cake station
* Sauteed spinach
* Pakora potato cake - peas and cauliflower
Middle East station
* Moroccan braised seitan - tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, onions, golden raisins, and chickpeas over jasmine rice
* Cajun-spiced butternut squash - tomato caper
Dessert station
* Almond pistachio baklava
* Fruit tarts
* Cardamom apple crumb cakes
Bar menu
* Beer - Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, Yuengling, Corona, Shock Top
* Wine - Pinot Noir, red blend, Malbec, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, rose
* Spirits - rum, vodka, whiskey, gin, tequila
* "First Sunset" cocktail - orange juice, rum, grenadine, lime slice
Drink station
* Fresh coffee
* Decaf coffee
* Half and half, almond milk
* Hot water - assorted teas
My favorite dish, without a doubt, was the roasted stone fruit salad. I got that dish three times because the peaches were ripe and incredibly juicy and sweet. So good. I also like arugula and greens, so it was a nice combination. The most memorable dish to me was the jackfruit "crab" cake. I'm allergic to crab, so I enjoyed being able to eat this version of "crab" cake. The use of ingredients like jackfruit and offering menu items like muhammara, Moroccan braised seitan, and baklava really showed off the breadth of Chef's Table's offerings. I thought the bride did a wonderful job choosing a menu that was diverse and showed off a number of cuisines from around the world. My second favorite dish was the collection of desserts, all three. They were terrific, high quality. Everything was presented nicely. Overall, I found the dinner menu to be creative, unique, and tasty.
The two bartenders were polite and friendly. As an out-of-town guest, they definitely didn't seem like the stereotypical Philadelphians to me. They were warm and hospitable, both at cocktail hour and at the reception. That kind of hospitality makes a big difference to me. They made Chef's Table look good. read more