The Caterist Files ~ Rehearsal Dinner, Gone Medieval!

The Rehearsal Dinner is one of the final big events before the big day! It's The Big Night Before!!

The dinner takes place immediately after the final wedding ceremony rehearsal, and is not to be missed! This dinner, traditionally, will include the bride and groom, their parents, step-parents and grandparents. Brothers and sisters of the bride and groom, and their respective dates or spouses will be included. The wedding party, best man, maid of honor, bridesmaids and groomsmen, and their respective dates or spouses will be there. The flower girl and ring bearer and their parents. The preacher and his/her spouse or date are often invited, and many will include their out of town guests, as well.

The meal for the Rehearsal Dinner is never to upstage the actual Wedding Dinner, so we almost always find that a buffet is in order for the evening. It lets everyone relax a little bit, loosen the ties, kick off the high heels...aaaahhh!! Relief!

The trending poll indicates that the majority of Rehearsal Dinners request the Texas BBQ Buffet (Oven BBQ Beef Brisket, BBQ Pulled Pork, Mac & Cheese, BBQ Beans, Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Rolls and White Bread) or the Tex Mex Buffet (Tacos or Fajitas with all the Fixin's, with the cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsas red and green, Mexican Rice, Mexican Casera Beans, White & Corn Tortillas, Queso & Chips). And yes, those are great! We've done a lot of those, and the food is fantastic! Links to our menus for each are in the buffet pictures, below! We'll be most happy to accommodate any menu that you wish!

We just want to show a different, new direction for the menu that can be remarkably fun! And with the recent interest in Game of Thrones, it's current newsworthy! Oh, and have I mentioned tasty?!?!!

Let's walk along the Medieval path for just a brief interlude!

For your Medieval Bar, I'd suggest a simple Beer & Wine Bar...you'll be getting up early tomorrow, and that's gonna be a BIG day! We'll have a 45 minute to 60 minute Meet & Greet before buffet. The Rehearsal Dinner Bar will be set up at one end of the auditorium (the large room), either near the entryway or at the far end opposite. Your food buffet will be set up in the parlor, for easy access from the kitchen.

Simple decorations for your bar table, a black cloth overlay with silver sconces, maybe a decorative silver bowl of oranges and apples, a silver bowl for Honey Spiced Nuts and a simple silver platter for a Cheese and Charcuterie Tray, with a small variety of cheese bites (cheddar, Swiss, and a smoked variety), sausage bites (summer sausage, smoked sausage medallions) with fresh cherries (seasonal) and multi-colored grapes to fill out the platter.

Now, of course, if you happen to have one of these bad boys, (below) by all means, bring it! As seen on Ebay.

For you table setting, a simple dark cloth, table runner with seasonal décor, dried pumpkins and squash for fall and winter, seasonal fruit and fresh grapes and flowers for summer and spring. And candles, lots of candles. Silver or raffia chargers are nice touch, with a simple setting of water goblets. Add wine glasses, if you wish to have wine with your dinner. In that case, a cute, artisanal bottle of wine for each table is the tradition.

Now, we're offering a Soup Course as part of this Medieval Buffet, which our wait staff will set out at your designated serving time, after your drinks, as cue to your guests to be seated, and begin the meal. While you're enjoying your soup, the entrée items will be set out on the buffet line. Our staff will pick up your bowls, as you finish. The Bride & Groom's Table will begin the buffet, with immediate family following, and the guests. If you opt out of the Soup Course, we'll simply set out the Buffet at your designated time. A silver bell would be ideal to call your guests to order in a proud Medieval fashion!

Let's talk food!! Now, while these are historically inspired, I DO take my liberties!! It's all in the spirit of the game, after all! I'm sure your guests will enjoy this thoroughly!!

Your Appetizer Soup tonight, will be the Tuscan Sausage White Bean & Kale Soup, garnished with Parmesan shreds with Girdle Bread on the side, for dipping. Girdle Bread is a thick flour tortilla type of bread. It's stovetop charred and so fabulous with the soup!

This will be set out ahead, the rest of dinner will be served on the buffet.

In the primary station place on the buffet, we have a Medieval inspired Fruited Chopped Salad with romaine, spinach, oranges, apples, red onions and almonds. A Citrus Vinaigrette will be on the side.

Next on the Medieval Buffet is Herbed Pork Roast, which is marinated for at least 24 hours in a very special blend of vinegar and olive oil, coarse salt and pepper, oregano and a special proprietary blend. It's slow cooked and develops a fabulous crust. We serve this carved, but I wanted you to see what it looks like before the carving! Divine!!! For serving presentation, it's plated, sliced, with stewed apple slices and plumped dried cranberries.

A wonderful silver gravy bowl will be appropriate here, for this gravy is to die for! And, it goes with the rest of the menu wonderfully!

Gilded Hens...Cornish Game Hens, overnight brined with a water solution with vinegar and herbs, then roasted and glazed with an apricot rosemary sauce. These are fabulous!

Shown whole here; when presented on the buffet, the hens will be carved into halves or quarters, as you wish. Roasted Grapes will be the garnish for this dish, in its place on the buffet.

Stywyd Beef...Medieval Beef Stew, our well seasoned Texas cut of boneless beef ribs, with salt, pepper and herbs, overnight dry brined, then slow cooked in a rich beef stock to a melt in your mouth tenderness! This is really good even without the Medieval party!

Here's Liberty Number #1! Paprika Mashed Potatoes... First, they're delicious! Second, almost everyone loves buttery mashed potatoes! Third, they go, so well, with the mains on the buffet! Fourth, you need another outlet for that gravy!

If you'd prefer a rice side dish, the Spinach Rice Pilaf fits the bill! This savory rice blend has sautéed spinach, with onions and red bell pepper and is steamed with our secret blend of flavorings. We can add wild rice to this pilaf if you'd like.

Next, on the Buffet are Medieval Roasted Carrots & Turnips with Green Onions and Dill (pictured, right)

Renaissance Garlic Roast Mushrooms

(pictured, left)

Now,the familiar dishes, and Liberty #2... Green Bean Casserole! It just works with the idea! And, it's an all time crowd favorite! Or, we could do Buttery Corn on the Cob with Herbs and Parmesan. It's Medieval in that whole food-on-a-stick way. Or, Sweet Peas with Mushrooms and Pearl Onions.

At any rate, you'll get to select two meats for the Medieval Buffet, one starch and three veggie sides. Of course, Ms. Debra's Rolls will be on the buffet!

It wouldn't be dinner without them!!

And, finally, the Dessert Course! We'll serve the dessert course with coffee, for you and your guests.

The Medieval Dessert for the event will be Syllabub. Syllabub is flavored whipped cream with flecks of fruit running through it. This is flavored with an orange liquer, orange zest and mandarin orange bits.

And, with that, we wrap up our Medieval Wedding Rehearsal Dinner!! Book your event today! Call the Kinsloe House at 903-874-5791