OFFERING FULL TAPAS MENU

COME JOIN US IN OUR NEW VENTURE…SMALL PLATES AND LIVE MUSIC IN THE EVENING. FUN, ROMANTIC, SEXY, COZY, ALL HAVE BEEN USED TO DESCRIBE OUR NEW SPACE. 304-9754 FOR RESERVATIONS……….SEE YOU SOON.

I have had the recent opportunity to eat at the various establishments that I deem as competition. AM I CRAZY?? What competition? We have the best food at the the best value,,,,,,,,,,,anywhere in Naples. Our corned beef hash is not out of a can, I make it fresh every time its ordered. And can we discuss the sausage gravy? I ate a “…. grill” in North Naples yesterday, and it was simply crap, plain and simply put,crap. Tasteless gravy, was like eating snot. On a separate occasion I had the pleasure of trying a breakfast wrap, you know the one on Shirly street? So with scrambled eggs, bacon and swiss cheese, along with an iced tea, before tax and tip, I spent 6.25!! Whats going on here? What has happened to the general palate of our local people? Holy crap people, step out of the box, out of your habits and see what quality really is.

Food is a subject close to many of our hearts. Not only is it essential for our health and wellbeing but it is also inextricably linked to our happiness. Many people are never happier than when sitting in front of some good food. I count myself as one of them!

Appetites and tastes are as varied as it is possible to be. Not only are there cultural and regional cuisines, but also specialties of particular towns or cities. Spaghetti Bolognese from Bologna or a New York Steak as examples. Naples has a heady mix of world cuisines as well as fresh local seafood.

Patrics can cater for almost any taste or palate. From Asian or Middle Eastern, casual dining to fine dining, we can make it happen. All of our menus are designed around our client’s needs and tastes as well as the type of event being hosted.

From a simple buffet lunch to a full seven course wedding reception, we have you covered. Many things will influence a Patric menu. From the type and style of event, to the clients taste, culture and budget. All of these factors are taken into consideration when we create an experience to be remembered!

Types of Dining

There is an unofficial but well known hierarchy in the restaurant business which the catering trade can usually avoid. The types of dining experience offered by an establishment places it within this hierarchy. Catering can offer all the different types of food, but doesn’t pigeonhole itself by only offering a particular kind of food.

At the bottom of the list is fast food. You know the chains, burgers, chicken, tacos and the like. Popular more for their speed and convenience than tasty food.

Next up is ‘fast casual dining’. This places itself slightly more upscale than fast food by offering better ingredients. Often there are open grills or kitchens where you can see your food being prepared.

Café style dining is still casual but slightly more refined than fast casual. It generally doesn’t have waiter service, with customers choosing from a menu and ordering from the bar. As the name implies, the influences here are mainly coffee and pastry orientated, often showing its roots in French culture. A lot more relaxed than the previous two.

Pub dining is very popular in Europe. Pubs or bars offer food services alongside their drinks to varying degrees. Some will offer bar food or snacks, while some others will offer full menus and dining experiences.

Casual Style dining is predominantly family dining. Middle of the road restaurants offering full menus and table service at reasonable prices. This is currently the largest market out there.

Fine dining covers a lot of ground from haute or nouvelle cuisine to a la carte menus. This dining experience is a lot more refined than the others. The food is much better quality and the atmosphere more sophisticated with prices to match. Some of the best restaurants in the world are in this category.

Patrics can combine any and all of these types of dining into an event, depending on your tastes. Contact us now for more information.

If you have ever attended a wedding, fundraiser or bridal shower, chances are that you have experienced catering to some degree. Well laid tables, napkins and smiling waiting staff are normally signs of a good catering company. Catering forms a big part of planning any event, big or small. It can make or break any occasion as it forms one of the most important events of the day. Even a fluffed wedding can be forgiven if the dinner is good!

The whole aim of the caterer is to make the guests happy. According to the dictionary to cater is to;

“provide food, service as for a party or wedding, to provide or supply what amuses, is desired or give pleasure or comfort.”

Nobody takes this more literally than Patric. His standards are some of the highest around and is equaled only by his ingenuity. With a flair for mixing tastes and textures with the freshest ingredients to create dishes that delight even the most unrefined palate.

Setting the scene

The process of catering an even is much more involved than the guests would ever imagine, and that’s the idea. Once you have contacted a caterer the first activity is fact finding. What kind of event is it? How many guests? What kind of food or tastes does the client have? The next biggest, most obvious is the budget. You don’t have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to make an event memorable. A good caterer will adapt his menu for each and provide the best possible service for the money.

The initial discussion with you chosen caterer can seem a little long. The more information you give them, and the more of their questions you answer, the better the service you will receive. Many people will concentrate on the budget, but although important, it isn’t the most critical by far.

Armed with all this information your caterer can then go away and create a proposal. This will include the menu, staff and equipment requirements, and any other costs. The second most important item this will discuss is any beverages. Depending on the type of event being held, drinks will also form an important part of the proceedings. Again, depending on the type, tastes and budget involved this can be anything from pink champagne to apple juice. The refreshment side of any event is planned as meticulously as the food.

Once the proposal is refined and accepted by the client there are more decisions to make. Ones like the décor, layout and a timeline. The timeline is critical. The caterer will need preparation time and adequate time to serve and change courses depending on the event. Time has to be managed to the nth degree as fresh food can spoil very quickly, and drinks can lose their chill. If guests arrive late or have to transfer from one venue to another it can create delays, which can spoil the service. All these things have to be planned in advance so the caterer can factor them in on the day.

On the day itself the caterer will want to arrive as early as they can. Most will bring their own equipment and will want to set up and begin preparations in order to be ready for the event. Depending on the venue, the caterer may have to provide their own ovens and cookers. This will require more planning and will have been discussed at the planning stage. This again has to be planned, as the venue may hold multiple events and kitchen time may be limited or have time constraints. Nothing for the client to concern themselves with, but something the caterer has to bear in mind.

Generally, any caterer will prepare as much in advance as possible and leave the final creation to the last minute. It is no mystery that the fresher an ingredient, the better the taste. This is why the timeline is so critical. Each course will be served seconds after completion to ensure it is as hot or as fresh as it can be. This is especially critical for puddings. Anything including ice cream or delicate sugar constructions have to be in front of the guests as quickly as possible to maximize the effect.

After the event itself there is the inevitable cleanup. The caterer will need time to clear down and pack everything up. The venue will need to be left as clean as it was found, and this takes time. Depending on the event, the catering team can still be cleaning up and packing three hours after the event has finished!

As you can see, there is much more that goes on behind the scenes than you may imagine. Fortunately most of the headaches and complications are for the caterer to handle, which is why you are paying them after all!

Naples Catering

Patric was born and raised in Vermont, in a climate that is about as different to Naples as it is possible to be in the US. Having developed a passion for food from his family, Patric learned to cook from recipes handed down through generations.

After refining these traditional recipes he has combined them with new ones he has learned through his travel and experience. These form the basis of what is now Patric’s Catering in Naples Florida.

As well as running his own business and learning and refining new recipes , Patric still finds time to write. His new book ‘Cook Your Way to a Happy Ending’ is a collection of his favourite dishes.

Patric’s Catering offers a wide range of services from cooking for an intimate dinner party in the clients home, to a full scale society wedding with hundred of guests. Each event is styled and created around the client so it is as individual as they are.

Now is time for a great, refreshing summer-time salad. White corn and celery with edamame. You can find this recipe in my book, page 28, or log in to www.patrics.com to purchase.

My cook book is now available, not only through direct buy from me, but through the internet. Just go to patrickitchen.com and type in the title of the book….it’s that easy!! Isn’t it time for your Happy Ending?

Well the Flower and Garden show was a huge success!! Lots of exposure for both the network and catering. If you haven’t seen the expansion of the garden, it is scheduled to reopen to the public in November of 2009. Now is the time to think about BBQ’s, Clam bakes and all the food that brings friends together after a busy season. Book early, you never know what the weather will bring.

Join me this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, March 28th/29th at the Botanical Gardens for the Naples Flower and Garden show. I will be featuring not only my new cookbook, but assorted gift jams and jellies. See you there, 10-4.

Well, season must come to an end at some point. Now is the time to think about having ALL your friends over for that last party here in paradise. Book NOW and be a guest at your own party!