Central Coast Wedding Catering Blog

A Paso Robles hilltop wine country wedding

Spring on the Central Coast can be the most amazing time of year. The weather warms up, the hills are green, the wildflowers are abundant, and the fresh produce is delicious!
We recently catered a wedding at beautiful Calcareous Winery in Paso Robles for a lovely couple who had a vision of non-conventional seasonal cuisine. They wanted to incorporate what was at it’s seasonal best while also having some fun with their cuisine & colors. They chose California rack of lamb encrusted with lavender as one their entree choices, as well as local sea bass. Both were served with grilled baby artichokes & Farmers Market vegetables.

Before dinner, guests enjoyed local cheeses, Korean beef sliders & ahi tar tar cones with wasabi potato mash. The ahi appetizer was served in black faux painter’s palletes. The cones are shaped by hand then filled with the wasabi mash & topped with sushi-grade ahi. Now, what isn’t fun (and tasty) about that?

This cake below was brought all the way from a bakery near Yosemite. It was the most amazing lemon cake ever!

So, what should you take away from this blog post? Have fun with your menu & have fun with your colors. Find inspiration from your venue as this couple did. There are no limits!

Pacific Harvest featured on Style Me Pretty blog!

We had been meaning to post pictures sooner about Amber & Sean’s beautiful wedding we catered at Spanish oaks Ranch…but sometimes life just gets busy.

Today, we noticed that Style Me Pretty, a popular national wedding web site had featured their lovely wedding!
This wedding was all about rustic elegance from the setting, Spanish Oaks Ranch, to the flowers, the antiques, and of course, THE MENU!
Spanish Oaks Ranch is a lovely wedding venue between San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles.
Amber & Sean were so great to work with. They were fun and laid back, and even came to a “back door” tasting at another event we were catering at Taft Ranch. I think seeing us in action and tasting the delicious oak-grilled tri tip sealed the deal for them.
Their menu was ideal for the venue…a little bit rustic but all delicious. Thanks to Ken Kienow for the amazing photos which are seen here and on Style Me Pretty.

Stationary Appetizers:
Farmers Market Antipasti Platter Including Grilled Vegetables, Italian Cured Meats, & Mixed Olives

Cheese Boards with Seasonal Berries, Almonds & Sliced Baguettes

Tray-Passed Crostinis:
Goat Cheese, Fig & Candied Pecans
Artichoke, Roasted Red Pepper & Fresh Mozzarella

Dinner:
Organic Mixed Greens with Candied Walnuts, Gorgonzola, Poached Pear & Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Herb-Marinated Tri-Tip with Fire-Roasted Chili & Orange Salsa Fresca

Herb-Marinated Grilled Chicken

Whipped Garlic Potatoes

Farmers Market Grilled Seasonal Vegetables

Fresh Baked Rolls with Local Honey Butter

Dessert Bar featuring cupcakes from Cassie’s Custom Cakes
Congrats to Amber & Sean! Thanks for letting us be a part of your special day.

Leah & Neal’s Wedding Part 2

When we last posted photos from Leah & Neal’s fabulous wedding at Santa Margarita Ranch, we didn’t have access to all the photos that showcased the delicious food created that evening.
That’s because as caterers, we’re busy making sure the food is fresh, tasty and beautifully presented so we rarely make time for photos. Thank goodness for Cameron Ingalls, an amazing San Luis Obispo wedding photographer.
Leah, a food and wine writer, had a vision of local products from nearby farms to create an elegant dinner menu in the barn at Santa Margarita Ranch.

So, that’s what we made happen.

We visited our favorite farmers market at the Templeton Park and found awesome fava beans, purple baby artichokes, mixed greens, blackberries, and so on.

The fava beans were pureed, mixed with herbs, garlic, & truffle oil and then spread on crostinis made from Hush Harbor artisan breads.

For a more exotic appetizer, we paired duck confit with grilled sundried tomato polenta cakes, blackberries and herbed goat cheese.
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And to stay true to the classic hor dourves, we did a spread of charcuterie that included local artisan cheeses, sliced cured meats, duck sausage, and pates.

Guests also enjoyed local wines, beers handcrafted by the groom and a signature tray-passed cocktail of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, gin, simple syrup & candied grapefruit (made by the bride herself!)

Dinner was served “family-style” to keep with the couple’s vision of a large elegant dinner party. The menu was:
First course of two salads:
Roasted Fennel and Citrus Salad with a Tangerine Chervil Dressing
& Baby Arugula with Toasted Almonds, Goat Cheese & Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette
Second Course-Pasta:
Housemade Traditional Tortellini En Brodo
Third Course-Entrees:
Rack of Lamb with Lavender Salt, with Roasted New Potatoes & Braised Artichoke & Halibut en Papillote, Meyer Lemon, Fennel, Kalamata Compound Butter with Purple Baby Carrots & Seasonal Vegetables

We love our brides & grooms that make our job so fun. Thanks Leah & Neal for loving food as much as we do! To see the bride’s food and wine blog, please click here and for more details on the wedding, see the blog below!

An Enchanting Evening at Venteux Vineyards

We cater so many weddings each year in the wine country of San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles but some weddings are more memorable than others. Tommy & Rosanna’s wedding at Venteux Vineyards was one such wedding.

The couple walked down the aisle together holding hands and were so amazing to work with throughout the whole process. We are grateful they let us be a part of their big day.

Now, for the fun part–the menu! Guests dined on oysters & champagne shortly after the happy couple said “I Do.” Then the cocktail hour continued in the the winery tasting room where tray-passed mini beef wellingtons and ahi tar tar circulated.
Once it was time for dinner, guests dined on a salad of mixed greens with gorgonzola, Zinfandel-poached pear, candied pecan & pomegranate vinaigrette. Entrees included Kalbi-style short ribs and Kurabuta pork chop served with risotto cake & market fresh vegetables.

The couple asked for “rustic winery cuisine which incorporates Asian fusion” which is how the chefs came up with this amazing menu.

The awesome ambience in the Venteux Vineyards Barrel Room was created by Kramer Entertainment and Allure Events

Some Bagpipes & a little bit of Haggis…

So, this past weekend we were delighted to cater the annual Central Coast Scottish Society event at the Pavilion on the Lake in Atascadero. The Pavilion is an awesome North County event venue.
The event pays tribute to Robert Burns, and is filled with festivities that include parading one of our chefs around with a tray full of haggis. Don’t know what haggis is? (Traditional Scottish dish that is unappealing to some, although loved by many…) While many of our clients know us as Paso Robles wedding caterer, we love these annual events that are festive, unique and fun.
Here’s Chef Joey as he begins the Haggis Parade.