First Tasting for the Wedding

So, about a month ago, Kevin and I picked the venue for our wedding.  It was between a rustic, waterfront inn OR a stone, country inn.  

I love stone.

I love water too.

Did I mention that Oscar can be a part of the wedding here?

photo sources

We went with the Stone Manor Inn and cant wait until next June 2011!

Time to test out some caterers.  The best part, right?  A few weeks ago, I won tickets to a Bridal Show from the Baltimore magazine via twitter.  I ended up meeting Paul, the chef/owner of Dionysus Kitchen, and was impressed.  I loved his passion and approach to food.  I contacted him online when I got home and was talking with him on the phone the next day.  

We decided to set up a tasting and were invited to the his family's home for a 5-course meal.  The goal of this tasting was "not to sell you on a particular menu, but to illustrate our ethic of cooking from scratch using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible."  

We were eating with two other couples and had a great time talking with everyone.  We had numerous things in common and realized how small the world really is.

I will attempt to describe each course with as much detail as we were given, but I would never be able to do it justice.

First course: roasted beets, blue cheese, walnuts, vanilla vinaigrette, fresh chives.

Second course: trumpet shaped pasta (forget the name!), fresh chickpeas, asparagus, parsley, parmigiano-reggiano, truffle oil.

Third course: tilapia croquette, fresh tarragon, savory strawberry sauce, spinach puree.

Fourth course: Pear soaked in wine(?), three types of cheese.

Fifth course: Banana Bread Pudding.

I enjoyed every bite.  A few highlights:

• I tried fresh chickpeas for the first time.  Never knew they were green!
• Wine served with each course, one being a homemade red wine.
• Paul keeps a bag full of all kinds of cheeses in his freezer for making pizzas over the fire. (I want to move in!)
• I pet a chicken in the coup behind their house. 

The menu flexibility appeals to us in a big way because we could incorporate our favorites!  Also, knowing all the effort this caterer puts into reducing waste and using local & organic ingredients is a big positive.

Looking forward to the next tasting and getting all of these big decisions out of the way!