By Tarina from St. Louis Post Dispatch

It’s officially wedding season and Butler’s Pantry, St. Louis’ premiere caterer, knows that planning a wedding involves multiple people. The bride’s and groom’s parents, family members and friends all step up to the plate. From the rehearsal dinner to the post-wedding brunch, the couples’ parents are running ragged throughout the entire weekend.

Butler’s Pantry has seen the zombie MOB (mother of the bride) too many times. “A wedding weekend is supposed to be about celebrating and enjoying quality time with family and friends, but all too often family members are running in 100 different directions,” said Richard Nix, Jr., President of Butler’s Pantry. “We hate to see the parents too exhausted to enjoy themselves.”

Butler’s Pantry suggests the following tips to help families avoid wedding-weekend stress:

1. Traditionally, the rehearsal dinner responsibilities fall to the groom’s parents. The groom’s parents could consider hosting a catered rehearsal dinner in their home. The two families will be more relaxed in a private home and guests can come and go as they please. Grandma and Grandpa might want to leave early, but other out-of-town guests might not arrive until after dinner. 

2. To lessen the stress for the groom’s parents, let your caterer design edible centerpieces for the rehearsal dinner; it’s just one less thing to think about. Your caterer can create a lovely fruit display, show-stopping bread and cheese centerpieces or a dessert display.

3. Of course, the parents of the bride might be the ones overwhelmed on the wedding day. The bride’s parents should know the schedule of events prior to the wedding. The bride and her parents can work with the caterer to nail down a timeline for the wedding weekend, especially the day of the ceremony. Make sure the timeline is also distributed to your photographer, band or DJ, and key family members or friends.

4. Delegate a friend of the family to be the point person for the wedding day. This will help the bride’s parents tremendously. Should one of the vendors have last minute questions, they can ask this designated person. With peace of mind, the MOB can enjoy a hair and make-up appointment with her daughter and the bridesmaids.

5. Dine out for the post-wedding brunch. The wedding day will be a roller coaster of emotions for the parents, and the last thing they want to do is stand over a stove to scramble eggs and fry bacon. Simply reserve a room at a local brunch spot (consider Bixby’s, located on the second floor of the Missouri History Museum), and the professionals will take care of all the details.

6. Don’t sweat the small stuff and trust your vendors—they’re the experts!

Shakespeare Party on Art Hill was on June 1^st, 2013 for 200 guests. This semi annual event is for Shakespeare enthusiasts and donors located in Forest Park on the top of Art Hill, with the St. Louis Statue completing the backdrop of the evening. The guests arrive and partake in signature cocktails, based on the Twelfth Night performance characters of Viola (champagne & st. germaine, with a edible pansy) & Cesario (bourbon and ginger ale with a lime twist)

The event is a tight timeline as the guests need to leave promptly at 7:40pm to arrive at the Shakespeare Festival performance of Twelfth Night scheduled to begin at 8:00pm. The guests sit down at 6:00pm to their pre set 1^st course of lemon oregano shrimp topped with micro greens & black olive, cucumber and feta orzo with dollops of citrus yogurt. This course was promptly followed by the grilled chicken and sliced beef tenderloin with Yukon gold & sweet potato stacks, and asparagus with julienned vegetables.

The ricotta pound cake dipped in chocolate, vanilla poached strawberries & raspberries and piped with piccione cream finished the meal. The guests were served boxes of popcorn to enjoy at the performance, while they walked the path down the hill to the Shakespeare Festival Glen.

-Sarah Glass, Director of Sales & Catering

“Always impressed with the great quality of staff. And of course the food was amazing!”

- Children’s Hospital Foundation

“We had so many comments on how beautiful the event site was and how great the food was! Such a happy event! Thank you!”

- Gen

“The servers were absolutely fantastic and did everything to make our party a huge success! Food was fabulous and delicious!

- Julie

“Great Party! Thanks for classing it up!”

- Rung Boutique

“Thanks so much for making our party a great one. Will definitely recommend!”

- Deanna

“Great Job. Friendly, well staffed. Would use again.”

- Barb

“We are extremely happy with our whole experience with you.”

- Robert

Guest Blog post by: Anna Sachse from salisburypost.com

In the past, wedding cake was the big day’s lone sweet treat. But recently brides and grooms have started capitalizing on the popularity of the bag-your-own-candy favor station by providing creative build-your-own dessert buffets in addition to the classic tiered confection.

“Couples are always looking for ways to make their wedding unique without spending a lot of money, and an interactive dessert station is a good way to accomplish that,” says Bridget Pelster, a sales  and catering manager for the St. Louis-based Butler’s Pantry. “Allowing guests to customize their own dessert ensures that everyone will find something they like.”

Not only that, these colorful displays are visually appealing and add to the décor of your soirée, says Kristina Armstrong, owner of the Atlanta-based My Bride Idea Event Planning Services.

If you want a really decadent spread, Armstrong suggests creating a sundae buffet with three different flavors of ice cream, caramel and chocolate sauces, and a whole range of toppings, such as fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, whipped cream, sprinkles and cherries. Or set up a nostalgic s’mores station with jars of graham crackers, chocolate bars, marshmallows, skewers and a burner for marshmallow toasting.

At Butler’s Pantry, Pelster has whipped up BYO stations that range from providing different flavors of ice cream that can be blended with candy, cookie and fruit mix-ins and then served in fresh waffle cones, Cold Stone-style, to laying out a variety of pies that guests can top with whipped cream or multiple flavors à la mode.

Other fun options include doughnut hole, candy apple or Rice Krispie treat carts, in which guests can customize their pastry, fruit or cereal bar with melted caramel and dark, milk and white chocolate, as well as toppings like nuts, crushed Oreos, mini M&M’s and sprinkles.

© Brides 365

Butler’s Pantry had quite the turnout Saturday, April 13th at the Make a Wish Walk in Forest Park. Thank you to everyone who came out to walk and/or donated money. We had a blast and raised money for a good cause! Check out some photos below and click here to see more.

The Butler’s team was thrilled to feature the newest member of the family, Piccione Pastry, at the Tenth Annual Table Tops event today at The Ritz-Carlton in Clayton! This stunning event benefitted the Friends of St. Louis Children’s Hospital Endowment Fund for Camp Rhythm, a summer camp designed for children with heart conditions.

A total of 71 elaborately-decorated table tops were created by local designers and showcased various boutiques and businesses in the St. Louis area. Brian Blasingame, our Director of Visual Design, was the talented designer of Piccione Pastry’s table top. Brian created a grand entrance for the much-anticipated Italian pastry shop, attracting an overwhelming amount of attention with displays of mouthwatering Italian pastries. An assortment of mini Italian Cannoli’s, Tiramisu Cups, Cream Puffs, Tricolor Cakes, and Italian Spritz cookies were just a few of the goodies on display (sampling encouraged!).

Elizabeth and Richard Nix, Jr. opened the doors to Piccione Pastry at the heart of the Delmar Loop this past Tuesday, April 16^th. The name Piccione, meaning “pigeon” in Italian, and was inspired by Rick’s grandmother, Grace Viviano Piccione along with his family’s history on Delmar. The late-night pastry shop features authentic Italian desserts and savory snacks made from scratch, along with premium Lavazza Italian coffees and beverages. Located at the corner of Delmar and Skinker at 6197 Delmar Ave., Piccione Pastry is open every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm and Thursday through Saturday 11:00 am – 11:00 pm. It is the perfect spot to stop in for an afternoon treat, after dinner dessert, or late night snack!

Virginia Green, Sales & Catering Assistant

© Paha_l | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

Chef Greg shared the perfect make at home recipe for Mothers day because Dad can work his magic grilling the lamb while the kids prepare the “salsa “ to accompany the lamb. Serve this delicious lamb with some sautéed baby spinach, roast potatoes with fresh oregano and garlic and a loaf of crusty calamata olive bread and you are sure to make points with your wife.

Char grilled rack of lamb with golden raisin , mint and pine nut “salsa”

Recipe by: Chef Greg Ziegenfuss
Lamb:

• 3 racks of lamb, 8 bone  racks, 1.5 pounds each “frenched” by your butcher
• 2 cups extra virgin olive oil
• Zest and juice of 8 lemons
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 medium yellow onion fine diced
• 2 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoon sea salt
• I Tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients except the lamb in a mixing bowl. Place the lamb in a non reactive dish and pour the marinade over. Allow to marinate over night refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator one hour before planning on grilling. Grill over a hot charcoal fire turning often so not to burn for approximately 20 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 125 degrees. Allow to rest for ten minutes , carve and serve with the golden raisin “salsa” (recipe follows)

Golden Raisin, mint and pine nut salsa:

• 1 cup fresh mint leaves chiffonade
• ½ cup golden raisins rehydrated 1 cup apple juice and 1 cup dry white wine heated to a boil and allow to rest for 10 minutes
• ½ cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

In a small bowl combine all ingredients , season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Allow to come to room temperature for an hour before serving.

Chef Greg prepared Braised Pork Shoulder on a Citrus Risotto Cake for the Butler’s Pantry table and it was a huge hit!

stlmag.com wrote:

“One of the most anticipated charity events of the year is nearly here, and local foodies and philantropists alike are jumping at the opportunity to attend A Tasteful Affair 25, hosted by Food Outreach. This year, the local organization is celebrating 25 years of food, friends, and fundraising with a blowout party that will knock your socks off!

On Sunday, April 7, Food Outreach is pairing up with St. Louis Magazine and five other media partners—in addition to 22 sponsors—to put on a memorable festivity that will raise funds for those in need. This year, for the first time ever, A Tasteful Affair 25 will be held at the fabulous Four Seasons Hotel Ballroom in Downtown St. Louis and is co-hosted by KMOV‘s Virginia Kerr and KSDK‘s Heidi Glaus! Nearly 40 of the tastiest local restaurants will provide hors d’oeuvres, savory snacks, and delicious desserts while guests have the chance at bidding on concert tickets, get-aways, beauty products (and more!) in silent and live auctions.

Last year, the debut of the VIP lounge was a huge success, and Food Outreach plans on making this year’s lounge even more exciting. With upscale food tastings by Cielo, Chef Nick Hatfield of Food Outreach, and Orlando’s Catering, complimentary cocktails, and fun entertainment, being a VIP will be better than ever!”

Food Outreach is the only St. Louis area organization whose mission is to provide nutritional support and enhance the quality of life of men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS or Cancer. All proceeds from the event will benefit the organization and their goals of helping those who need it most. Don’t miss out on all the fun! VIP lounge admission is $175. General admission is $75 in advance, and $85 at the door. Be sure to purchase your ticket to A Tasteful Affair 25 here.

On this blustery Friday, March 1, 2013, go ahead and thank your receptionist, give your employees a high-five and pat yourself on the back! We worked hard this year – it’s only right we take a day to celebrate and really take time to appreciate the employees who get the job done!

In fact, why not make a month of it? We’re making it easier than ever to extend the celebration!

During the month of March, place an order of $250 or more with Butler’s Boardroom, the drop-off catering division of Butler’s Pantry, and you’ll receive a $25 gift certificate to Café Madeleine, our brunch location in the Piper Palm House of Tower Grove Park!

Call 314.664.7681 to place your order today!

Roll out the red carpet for the Academy Awards™. The Oscars are just around the corner, and this is the perfect time to throw a Hollywood party. Whether you tune in to judge the fashion, watch a leading lady steal the show, or vote for Best Picture, it’s important to have the right food and beverage for the party. Simple movie-theater popcorn just won’t do for this blockbuster occasion.

Theme your menu items from this year’s “Best Picture” nominations: Life of Pi, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Les Misérables, Amour, Lincoln, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Silver Linings Playbook, and Django Unchained.

In honor of Life of Pi’s adventure, we suggest making authentic Indian dishes such as grilled curried chicken satay with honey-poppy seed dipping sauce.

Both Argo and Zero Dark Thirty are set in the Middle East, where there’s no shortage of tasty plates. Butler’s Pantry’s roasted red pepper hummus with sliced English cucumber, jicama, and carrot is the perfect accouterment for this Middle Eastern delight.

Les Misérables is a rousing tour de force set during the French Revolution. Amour is a heartbreaking French film focusing on the different flavors of love. Enjoy French bites to please any crowd such as crepes, croissants, and more.

Lincoln, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Django Unchained shine a light on American history. In that spirit, consider making American classics the theme of your Oscar party this year. Serve fried chicken or Lincoln’s favorite’s—chicken fricassee with biscuits and oyster stew—finished with hot apple pie.

Play with fun cocktails such as “The Starlet” champagne spritzer with raspberries, or the “Leading Man” Manhattan with whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters. Your guests will enjoy the diverse selection of menu items and the red-carpet themed event.

We’ve even created a “Play-At-Home” ballot that can be downloaded here. Gather your friends this Sunday and celebrate in true Hollywood style while watching the Oscars.

-Cassidy Cleveland