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Savory Venues

January 10, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

Savory Cuisines works very hard to make sure that the venues in which we have preferred status receive our full recommendation when ever possible. Working with preferred venues and vendors helps event planners have confidence that their event will go off without a hitch. This is because of the frequency in which the different entities work together will, in most cases, make for a streamlined event with less unforeseen issues. The following is a brief description of Savory Cuisines’ top four venues.

Rembrandt Yard is one of our favorite venues to work at purely because of its premium location and the sheer beauty of the event center. They are located at 1301 Spruce Street right in the heart of downtown Boulder. This venue is bright, airy, and adorned with positively gorgeous art. The floor to ceiling windows not only let in a tremendous amount of light but it also provides an amazing backdrop for any event. This venue can accommodate guests on two different floors which each hold up to 150 people for sit-down dinners and 300 people for stand-up events.

The Boulder Theater is also located in the heart of downtown Boulder and is available for private event rentals. This historical art deco building offers event planners with a vast array of options as it is a multi-use facility. Since this venue is still a fully functional theater, it is great for events like meetings, conferences, concerts, movie screenings, weddings, and family reunions. The Boulder Theater can comfortably hold anywhere from 100 to 700 people for private events and up to 1000 people for concerts.

The Koenig Alumni Center located on the CU campus and is also an historical building. This beautiful building was constructed in 1884 and was originally used as the university president’s place of residence. Over the last 128 years the building has gone through many renovations which have made it one of the most sought after venues in Boulder. The first floor, including the backyard, is available for rent for private events typically from May through mid-August. They do also have some availability during the holidays for those kinds of events as well.

The Stone Mountain Lodge is located in Lyons Colorado which is just north of Boulder. This venue offers the best of what Colorado has in terms of outdoor events even in the rain! Their unique location makes them a convenient choice for those who want a somewhat rustic feel without traveling too far. This venue can easily accommodate 150-200 people per reception tent.

Filed Under: All Blog Postings, Boulder Catering, Helpful Hints Tagged With: Boulder Catering, Boulder Event Centers, Boulder Event Venues

Winter Weather Party Planning Tips

December 5, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

During the winter months there are many opportunities to host events for friends and families. In fact a winter wonderland is a very popular wedding theme in addition to a holiday party theme. While the snow is a beautiful backdrop, especially in Boulder Colorado, it can also present some challenges as well. For this reason it is important to have some sort of back plan in action just incase of sever or bad weather. Some event centers actually provide event insurance that will help recoup the costs of an event that has to be cancelled due to things that are out of the control of the planner. This kind of insurance is not always necessary of course, but it is a good idea to be informed of your options when planning a winter event.

One of the most important things you can do as an event planner or host is to prepare your guests for what they can expect in term of the weather. This means staying on top of weather forecasts and relaying updated information prior to the event. Most of the time even if a sort ceremony is going to be held outdoors the main event is usually not. If you plan to have more than just a short or simple outdoor activity you need to inform your guest of this during the invitation process. Likewise reminding your guests to bring things with them to help keep warm will also be a good idea if it is applicable.

Furthermore accepting the fact that the weather is out of your control will allow you better cope if you encounter changes in your event timeline. Although timelines are important to the success of more formal type events they must also allow for some wiggle room. In cases where roads are closed or extremely backed up, staying in contact with your vendors can help to reduce your stress.

Lastly, it is important to make sure that the venue you are hosting your event at is properly dealing with the weather by shoveling, plowing, and salting icy areas. A weather related accident such as a slip and fall can turn an otherwise wonderful event into a not so great night for a guest. If you have any question on how to plan a winter weather party consulting with a professional Boulder catering company, like Savory Cuisines, is your best bet. Happy safe planning!

Filed Under: All Blog Postings, Helpful Hints, Holiday Catering Tagged With: Boulder Catering, Holdiay Party Planning Tips, Holiday Catering, Winter Party Planning Tips

Food, Health, And Large Scale Party Planning

November 11, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Regardless what kind of event you are planning, the size of the event does matter as there are certain details that must be addressed when serving food to a very big group is concerned. For this reason hiring a professional catering company, like Savory Cuisines Catering, is your best bet at having stress free, well executed, food safe event.

If you are just in the beginning stages of planning your event, here are a few food and health safety tips that can help move you along the way. As with anything else, planning ahead of time is your best defense against encountering problems in the future. If you are planning a large event, where the general public will be attending, you will need to contact your local health department for directions on what type of permits you are required to hold. If food is being served than in most case a temporary food service permit is require. Other instances where a permit is not required to host an event include when that event is to be held in a facility that already has a food permit or when the food is being prepared by a licensed catering company. The health department will also be able to provide you with details regarding where the food should be prepared or stored onsite and menu planning guidelines as well. For example if you are hosting a Christmas fundraiser for children you will not be aloud to serve any peanuts for safety reasons.

The best way to plan a food safe event is to keep the menus simple and to avoid things that require special handling to prevent bacteria growth. Also practicing good health and hygiene is imperative when executing the event. It is important to make sure anyone who is handling food wears gloves and has their hair pulled back. Cleaning up and breakdown also presents opportunities for cross contamination so this process need to be handled with care as well.

When putting on large scale events you are generally not allowed to have any “home cooking” what-so-ever and may only have food that has been produced by a trust licensed catering company. This is because these companies have already been inspected by the health department and are familiar with the kinds of regulations that must be followed.

Filed Under: Boulder Catering, Helpful Hints Tagged With: Boulder Event Planning, Food Permits, Fundraiser Event Planning

Party Planner Do’s and Don’ts For This Holiday Season

October 12, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

With the holiday season quickly approaching many people are already thinking about planning holiday parties and events. It is never too early to get organized for an event especially if it’s large and formal. Many corporations work several months in advance in an effort to secure the best services for their events since this is a very busy time of the year for catering companies, rental companies, and venues. With that being said, it is best to contact local companies now to prevent scrambling for vendors the minute. Savory Cuisines Catering is one of the premier catering companies in Boulder Colorado and provides everything needed to pull of an amazing event under one roof. This article will go over several general do’s and don’ts that are helpful to keep in mind while planning a holiday event.

Do: Contact Savory Cuisines Catering today for a quote and to schedule a tasting if you are in the Denver/Boulder area of Colorado.

Don’t: Leave planning an important event to the last minute as this can oftentimes result in having to be more flexible with details than you would otherwise have to be.

Do: If you are planning on having an event in your home or at your place of business, it is important to make sure there is ample space for caterers to come and set up.

Don’t: Expect the vendors you hire to work around a mess as it will hinder there ability to be efficient.

Do: If you are planning on having volunteers from your organization or family help with party set up and clean up, make sure you inform the companies you hire so that they know what tasks they are responsible for and which ones that are not.

Don’t: Assign volunteers jobs or tasks that they are not prepared to handle especially if the companies you hire provide staff.

Do: Regardless the size of the event or location, it is always a good idea to make a rough timeline and turn that in to the catering company so that the event will run according to plan.

Don’t: Get too involved with planning every single minute of the timeline, as it is important to be flexible the day of the event.

Do: Make sure you have provided all the decorations and instructions to the caterers prior to or at the very beginning of an event so important aspects such as the CEO’s special toast is not forgotten.

Don’t: Leave details like deciding on centerpieces or seating arrangements to the last minute.

Do: Turn all final guest counts, deposits and other important details in on time to your vendors in an effort to make the transition from planning to execution.

Don’t: Try to do everything yourself especially if you are not experienced in planning a holiday event.

Do: Consider your guests taste preferences and work with a professional to plan a menu that will be well received by all.

Savory Cuisines Catering is full service catering company with talented event planners on staff. Although planning ahead of time is best Savory Cuisines does honor last minute orders as well. Be sure to call today to get a quote for your next event.

Filed Under: All Blog Postings, Boulder Catering, Helpful Hints, Holiday Catering Tagged With: Boulder Catering, Helpful Hints, Holiday Catering

Back To School And The Importance Of Eating Right

September 12, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

As caterers, lovers of food, and parents we understand the importance of a healthy diet in regards to getting your kids ready for the challenges they will face this school year. Numerous studies have shown that a healthy low-sugar diet in young children promotes a higher level of focus and more stamina throughout the day. Research has also shown that kids who regularly eat breakfast and lunch have higher standardized test scores, better behaved, and are not as hyperactive. Food is a major supporter of the immune system and for kids; food provides a huge defense against germs that breed in the classroom. Good eating habits also contribute to good sleeping habits. Feeding your little ones sugary sweet foods an hour or two prior to going to bed can lead to a fussy night time routine and tossing and turning.

Establishing a well set breakfast routine is a good way to encourage your kids to fuel up for a full day of learning. As the most important meal of the day, breakfast not only feeds your body but feeds your mind literally. Scrambled eggs, a slice of whole grain toast, fruit and a glass of milk is an excellent breakfast for just about anyone. However with the rush of the morning there is not always time for a full sit down meal. So when in a hurry, try a health alternative to sugary cereal like a protein nut bar, banana, and a yogurt beverage instead. Adding protein and fiber to your morning meal will help keep tummies full until lunch time.

When touring the cafeteria of a school, most parents are surprised to find that there are not too many health choices available. This is why many folk opt to pack a school lunch for their child instead allowing them to eat unhealthy fast food options like pizza, fries, and soda. Take it from a caterer, the easiest and most economical way to do this is to find healthy bulk items that can be prepared a head of time, such as hearty healthy soups, vegetable crudites, hummus, sliced fruits, home-made whole grain muffins, and roasted chicken salad. If you can not pack a lunch it is essential to teach your kids, early on, the importance of choosing fruits, vegetables, salads, and lean proteins over poor quality food. If you have an older kid who skips lunch all together, try to pack a light snack for them that they can eat in between class and stress how important it is to have a balanced diet. A light after school snack followed by a healthy dinner is a perfect way to finish up the day.

Of course eating right and having a balanced diet is beneficial to children of all ages and adults. It is especially important to teach your children how to have a positive relationship with food. Many kids who have poor eating habits never grow out of it and end up having skin problems, being overweight, and can even develop diabetes over time. Try to keep your menus interesting and fun; and get your kids involved in the preparation and planning. This way they will hopefully learn how to make the right choices and be encouraged to eat right, after all you are what you eat!

Filed Under: Food News, Helpful Hints Tagged With: Balanced Diet, Eating Right, Healthy Breakfast

What is a full-service catering company?

October 15, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

The definition of full-service is providing comprehensive service of a particular kind or offering the complete range of services for a business of its type.

In regards to Savory Cuisines Catering it means our clients can obtain everything they need for an event in their home or at a separate location, all in one place. We provide our clients with an extensive array of event planning services which include but are not limited to, menu planning with tasting and preview, rental coordination, day-of setup and management services, staff planning, walk-through pre-planning and preparation, theme and room design, table-scaping, ambience and much, much more.

Besides the food the next most important aspect of an event is its design. Some people may not know that every single aspect of any great event is designed, or planned, to be just that way. Careful attention is given to specific details such as the colors of table linens and napkins, centerpieces, decorations, the flow of traffic through the event and table layout, timing, lighting, music and accommodations. Depending on what kind of event you are hosting the details can be endless and ever-changing. Oftentimes people can become overwhelmed by the experience and frequently waste time and money by either over-thinking or under-thinking the event. This is why hiring a full-service catering company is helpful to both professional and novice party planners.

Large parties can obviously be a bit more difficult to arrange as greater complications come with greater numbers, however small intimate events can also have their fair share of challenges. Savory Cuisines offers all of our clients, regardless the size of the contact, the same level of service. Our party planners are dedicated to making your event a success and will do everything they can so that your vision for event happens. This means going over books of color and pattern options for your tables, different glass and flatware selections, chairs, flowers, and decorations. It also means a three course food tasting, which helps us create a menu specific to your likes, dislikes and special dietary needs. We schedule a walk-through of every facility in order to visualize the event and finalize details. Last but not least this means we follow-up with clients to make sure the event was everything they wanted and more.

So whether you are planning a wedding, a large corporate party, or your small 30th birthday; we want to help you make it a stress-free and spectacular event!

Filed Under: All Blog Postings, Company Information, Helpful Hints

Things to Consider When Looking for a Caterer:

April 2, 2008 By admin Leave a Comment

Catering is the most important service of the wedding reception; therefore specific details should be thought out thoroughly before contacting your local companies.

You need to start looking for a caterer at least 9 month prior to the wedding. The entire process of determining your menu and establishing which one is best for you will be time consuming, so plan ahead. Many catering companies & facilities are already booking for Spring/Summer 2009.

On-site caterers and off-premise caterers are the two kinds of service you can contract for. Both offer delicious food and quality services. When making your final decision, it’s important to consider your needs, your guest’s needs and the services each company provides.

Certain companies may specialize in a particular type of cuisine or offer special services, so get to know each company and ask as many questions as possible.

Filed Under: All Blog Postings, Helpful Hints

Top Five Ways to Keep Your Wedding Budget Manageable

March 31, 2008 By admin Leave a Comment

1. Set a budget and stick to it. Things can start adding up pretty quickly, so keeping in mind that more is less in 2008 should help you stay on track.

2. Set a limit on your guest list. This will ensure you don’t over extend your funds. The average wedding cost $100 per person, so by limiting your guest list to 100 people instead of 150, theoretically you could save around $5000.

3. Skip the five course sit down dinner. It takes more catering staff to prepare and serve a plated dinner; therefore it is more cost effective to have an elegant buffet.

4. Order a smaller cake. Everyone likes cake but not everyone needs a huge piece. As caterers we are always shock at the amount of cake that gets thrown out at EVERY wedding.

5. Offer a signature drink instead of a full bar. Limiting your guest selection will maximize you liquor return at the end of the night.

Filed Under: All Blog Postings, Helpful Hints