A friend of mine wrote on his Facebook wall today that he’ll be spending his Father’s Day in the heat grilling for his family, because, after all, it is his day.  To that I ask, “WHY?”  After a year of kissing owies, correcting homework and repairing appliances; it’s finally his turn to do nothing for 24 hours.

Already this morning we’ve had a parade of proud dads, thankful moms and loving kids enjoying the day by letting the Hereford House do the cooking with a wide assortment of meats—including a carving station.  After it’s all over, we do the dishes too!

So come on.  Throw the burgers in the freezer and the family into the car.  Head on over to the Hereford House for fine dining that will tell Dad exactly how much you appreciate him the whole year through.

And Mom, don’t worry.  That meat won’t go to waste.  He’ll cook it up real soon.  The Fourth of July is only a couple weeks away.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s already time to plan for the holidays.  Not too much, just enough to choose a date for any party you may be in charge of throwing.  Dates are beginning to fill up and you want to make sure the message you’re trying to convey to your group matches the place you’ll host your party.

Before you book just any room at any venue, think about the kind of evening you want to have.  Asking yourself one questions will help you decide where you should start looking:

How do I want my guests to feel?

Whether the celebration is for an office, a club or just a close group of friends; you want to keep in mind how you want your guests to feel at the end of the night. 

If you want them to leave invigorated and energized, consider hiring a DJ or band to get everyone out on the dance floor after dinner.  You don’t have to have a lot of people there, just enough of them who want to boogie the night away.

Consider a cocktail dinner if you want your guests to leave with a more relaxed feeling.  Drinks and hors d’oeuvre before a nice meal will allow everyone to mingle and connect after a busy year.  The dinner also gives the host the chance to thank everyone for their work and accomplishments.

Those looking for a more intimate feeling, especially if the group is just a dozen or so, may want to plan a private dinner.  Many restaurants have an out-of-the-way room that can accommodate small groups.  At Hereford House it’s our VIP Room.  Guests often order off the menu and enjoy the added privacy.

You can hold off on planning more details of the night until later in the year.  Really, it is only May.  You just want to know the basics now so your venue’s event coordinator can save the perfect place for you.   It would just be a shame if someone else was throwing your perfect party come December.

Hereford House Chicken Fried Steak

The other day my husband stopped by for lunch.  He read my review of the fried chicken and decided to try it for himself.

Since he was having the chicken fried chicken, I thought it most appropriate to order up the chicken fried steak with a side of mashed potatoes.  I couldn’t wait.  I knew I liked steak and I knew I liked the Hereford House fried chicken batter; I just didn’t know I liked them so well together.

All the spices I remembered from the chicken were still there.  And just like its poultry partner, the steak was juicy and tender–so tender I didn’t even need the steak knife.  The only difference between the two—besides one being white meat and the other being red—is the portion.  I don’t know if I was just hungrier on the day I ate the chicken, but I found myself having trouble finishing the steak.

But I did, almost.  And my husband gladly finished his chicken.  At the end, when I asked him if it was everything he expected, he said it indeed was and that it was the best piece of fried chicken he’d ever had.  That made me feel better because I’d have hated to be eating the best piece of chicken fried steak of my life when he wasn’t getting the same enjoyment out of his meal.

I know, it looks like I should have been able to find room for that tiny piece. I just couldn't.

The trend is bright for bold brides and grooms at Hereford House!  Couples have livened up our Prime Room lately with some fun colors.  Thanh and Lo brought a bright elegance to their reception with each of their favorite colors, coral and lime green.  The trick to making it work: start with coral and accent with lime green.  You only need a little bit for a big effect.

I’m bummed I didn’t find time to snap a couple pictures like I did at Felicia and Andrew’s reception.  Their guests partied all night—and with good reason.  It almost felt like Marti Gras with the couple’s use of eggplant and—again—lime green.

Take a look!

Expect to see more bright, bold colors at the weddings you attend this summer.  The trend is catching on.  Check out how one bride put pink and orange to work for her!

Filet Mignon and Coconut Shrimp

Pardon me.  I just realized I’ve been on a bit of a surf and turf kick lately, but I just have to tell you about the Hereford House Filet and Shrimp.  I had it the other day and it was the perfect way to treat myself for a morning of work well done.

I already told you about the Filet Mignon.  Remember the crackle of the sear when I bit into it, the juicy goodness that came pouring out and the rich flavor from the broiler?  Nothing’s changed.  The Sterling Silver beef is still living up to its reputation.

Try not to reach through the screen and eat this lunch. But yes, it is just that good.

The new addition to this dish is what makes it so great.  The coconut shrimp are the perfect pre-steak and then post-steak treats.  They act almost like another appetizer and then a tease to dessert because of their light finishing taste.

Even as a huge coconut shrimp fan, I knew these were the best I’d ever eaten as soon as I bit into one.  The flavors melded so well it was hard to figure out where the sweet coconut ended and the meaty shrimp began.

Talking to Chef Gilbert afterward I found out why.  He uses the kind of shrimp that not only look big with a bunch of coconut on top, but actually are big underneath.  He also doesn’t try to trick you by adding sugar to the already sweet coconut.  He lets the natural flavors speak to your taste buds themselves.  And you can be sure Gilbert and his staff are in the kitchen hand-breading each piece for you to assure the freshest in meat and sweet.

One of my happiest of Happy Plates so far

It’s May.  As seniors scramble to get those last projects and papers finished, their parents are preparing the perfect parties.

How should we celebrate?
Think about the kind of day you want to have.  Many families opt for the come-and-go style and partner up with others in the class.  Guests are invited to stop by and offer their congratulations any time during the party.  This gives friends and classmates the chance to spend a little time at a lot of get-togethers. Those who prefer for more intimate gatherings might want to plan a dinner for their closest family and friends, about 20 or so.

Where should we celebrate?
This all depends on how many people you plan to invite.  If your home can accommodate the crowd and it’s easy to find, it’s a great place to entertain guests.  Still some families would like to leave the set-up and clean-up to the professionals and opt to rent a space.  Before you decide on a place, make sure it too can accommodate the gusts you expect.  Also make sure it fits the guest of honor’s style. 

What should we serve?
It seems like the easiest question to answer, but so many hosts often struggle with it.  First, take time to enjoy the day and let someone else do the cooking.  Call a caterer.  When I’m working with a client I always ask who the guests are.  If you’re entertaining more 40-somethings than teens, then a giant vegetable or fruit platter is appropriate.  But chances are most of your guests will be your son or daughter’s classmates.  Choose the stuff they want: meatballs, chicken strips, chocolate fountains, quesadillas, chips and dip.  Believe me; they won’t appreciate the money or thought you put into shrimp cocktail nearly as much. 

Of course you should always order a bit of food you like.  After all, you did as much work as your student to get to this incredible celebration.

Hereford House Steak Oscar

There are so many reasons I love my job.  One is that my boss insists I eat filet mignon topped with a crab cake and savor every bite so all you fine people read about it.

When Pedro delivered my plate I was in heaven.  Here is was, my dinner dream, topped with my favorite vegetable–asparagus.  The stalk was perfectly steamed, crisp, fresh and flavorful.

But you clicked for the feature performance, not the opening act; so on to the Filet Oscar.

It is the ultimate in surf and turf.  Once you bite into it, you can feel the sear the 1,200 degree broiler simultaneously puts on both sides of the meat.  It’s obvious this process seals in all the flavor.  The juice hits your tongue like a wave and you don’t even have to see it to know the marbling is perfect.  I had the lunch dish, the 3oz.  I can only imagine how full I would have been with the 6oz cut.

You can’t forget the fresh crab cake on top.  It adds just a little flavor and a bunch of crunch—making the experience of a great meal just perfect.

Wedding season is upon us.  You might be surprised at how many receptions and even ceremonies we’re still booking just a few months out.  While some venues still have some prime summer openings, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind if you just can’t wait until fall or winter to say those “I dos.”

Save the date or maybe the month
Let everyone you hope is at the ceremony know a date is coming.  Even if you only give them a date—or even a month—of when you plan to do it, they’ll know now to start clearing their schedules to attend and help you in the weeks leading up to it.  Out-of-town guests can even start making travel plans.

Be flexible
Most Saturdays are already full for the summer months, but venues often have a tougher time booking those Friday and Sunday dates.  Many couples are opting for a late Friday ceremony and celebration or a Sunday afternoon event and reception.  (Since they’re not prime days, you may even be able to get a break on the room rental or catering minimum.)  Don’t worry; those guests who are important to you will still come, just as long as you tailor your plans to the day.  Friday couples may want to consider serving hors devours before the ceremony to quell the hunger guests may feel during the ceremony.  Sunday brides and grooms might think about when their guests attend church and other religious activities, then schedule around that.  You may even want to consider whether to serve alcohol on Sundays.

 Help!  I need somebody…or sombodies
Some brides take more than a year to plan the perfect wedding.  If you’re looking to do it in a matter of a couple months, get yourself a team of friends who know you well enough to help you.  Let them scout out locations while you find the perfect DJ or florist.  In the end, you’re still making the final decisions.  They’re just helping you narrow it all down.  Once the planning is done, you and your team of angels can sit down with a bottle of wine and make centerpieces, put together invitations or figure out the RSVP cards.

Through it all, remember to have fun.  You should enjoy all the excitement leading up to your perfect day with that perfect somebody.

Even some of our most faithful customers don’t know all our super powers—like catering, for instance.  So, for this food blog, I decided to try the most popular dish requested by our most loyal catering clients: beef stroganoff.

The dish comes with a couple breadsticks when you order it in the dining room.  Since I’m a sucker for those buttery pieces of heaven, I immediately went straight for one.  What I didn’t expect was the little bit of stroganoff sauce that was on it.  Once I caught that little taste I knew I had to put down the breadstick and go for the real meal.

Once I dug into that mixture of penne pasta, tenderloin tips and sauce I could tell why it’s so great for catering events.  It’s tasty with not too much heft and fast-filling.  That trifecta makes it the perfect meal for all-day corporate events when you want a break but find yourself talking more than eating. 

This meal definitely won’t have your stomach growling for more come 2:00.

Hereford House Beef Stroganoff, a catering favorite

Whew!!  What a wild several days it’s been at Hereford House!

Georg Riedel
It started Thursday when Georg Riedel, the maker if the world’s finest wine glasses, stopped by to give us a lesson in why it’s so important to choose the right wine glass for each wine.

Being a wine novice, I was skeptical; but by the end of the night I was convinced.

The science experiment began when we sat down to three glasses: a Shiraz, a burgundy and a cabernet.  In front of the mouth-blown crystal were three different wines.  Everyone in the room poured a little of one wine into all three glasses and tasted it.  The difference was remarkable.  If I had been offered the pinot noir (my favorite) in the cabernet glass, I probably wouldn’t have finished the glass.

The reason, I learned, is the way it falls on your tongue.  The burgundy sends it to the sides of your tongue.  The Shiraz pushes the wine to the back and the cabernet allows the wine to hit the front first.

Our friends at Splurge! Magazine took these great shots fo the event.

Easter Brunch
There was no time to relax after the excitement of hosting Mr. Riedel’s first educational wine tasting in the United States.  We had a wedding to make sure was perfect on Friday night.  And then Sunday we hosted one of our biggest events of the year, the Easter Buffet.

The selections were so vast the question was not, “What will I eat,” it was, “What won’t I eat?”  The buffet included an omelet bar, a waffle station, four salads, two carving stations, at least five desserts and more entrees than I can mention without getting uncomfortably hungry all over again.