Are you looking for an economical way to entertain guests? We can provide the professionally prepared food and displayed in such a way to make most cruise ships envious. We take the time to meticulously prepare your event with the utmost care and in a very professional and cordial manner. Here are a few pictures from one of our most recent events. Thanks for stopping by, thanks for taking a look. Impressed? We thought so.
Tilted basket of bread
Note the use of props in our displays.
Brownies and cheesecake on a mirror as opposed to some tin platter
We can make any table look like a plentiful bounty!
Platter of Grilled Vegetables displayed on a ceramic platter (NOT plastic)
Arrangement of domestic and imported cheese & fresh fruit.
Please see the right margin for information to make preparations for your next event. You can reach us by phone or email. Please visit our Facebook Mandoline Vista Catering Page. that is set for the "Public" for similar pictures. We are insured and have all the necessary Health and Sanitation Licenses.
The holiday season brings Christmas Parties, Madrigal Dinners and all sorts of Festive Activities for the rest of us. Mandoline Vista Catering is no exception. Here are a few recent photos of our catering displays from recent catering events from December 2011. Please see our contact information in the right-hand margin to book your party or event. Also, the link for the Mandoline Vista Facebook Page is set up for the "Public" to view. You don't even have to be our "friend". You can see more photos of our eye appealing displays there if you click on the highlighted link. Thanks for visiting. Stay hungry!
View of Fruit and Cheese. The chaffer has risotto.
Bruschetta (foreground) and Melange of Grilled Vegetables.
Caesar Salad and Carvery Station
Fruit & Cheese, Grilled Vegetables
Crab Cakes. Wonderful.
Another view, the sauce for the Crab Cakes is Mango Coulis
As we explore scenes from an Italian Restaurant in Elgin we find a great place, Villa Verone. Villa Verone is nestled on a small city block on Douglas Ave. A great place for dinner, the occasional live band, or even just to stop for a drink or even a gourmet cup of coffee. After all, we all know that coffee just tastes better in a ceramic cup and a saucer.
Around this time last year, the owner, Pietro Verone began the idea of having an "Elgin Person of the Week" each Thursday night. The EPOW (as it has become known as) is just a great occasion to honor someone or organization in town with a night of friendship, conversation, camaraderie, some appetizers, drinks, and karaoke. It was with great honor that I was chosen for this event on July 21st, 2011. Thanks to Pietro and all the staff at Villa Verone for letting me, on behalf of Rediscover Records, be the guest of honor. Thanks to all of those who attended, thought about attending, or even wished they had intended. I even tried my hand as bus boy and bartender to help out. When I couldn't even make a kiddie cocktail I was kicked out from behind the bar!
I was even coaxed into singing karaoke for the first time in my life. While I may have strummed, fumbled my way through a song or two on my guitar at an open mic, I had never sung karaoke to "canned" music. With a person with very little range, is there something in a person's range who has no range? I looked through the karaoke handbook and found one song by Kris Kristofferson, "Why Me". It was the only Kristofferson song in the entire book of literally thousands of songs! Fortunately, or unfortunately, depends how you look at it, it was one I thought I could sing. While thankfully, there seems to be no evidence, other than a phone photo or two, of video of this strange singing occurrence. Truth be told, it was probably just okay, I probably just sounded like a guy who never sang karaoke and rarely sings in public.
Here is Kris Kristofferson with the original version of "Why Me".
On April 9th 2011 we had the honor of being asked to participate in the launching of "Landscapes of Mexico". "Landscapes of Mexico" is a photo exhibit in the Lords Park Public Museum to showcase Mexico's Biodiversity. The exhibit runs until May 29th, 2011. Please make time to visit the exhibit. The Lords Park Museum is conveniently open on the weekends from 12-4 Saturdays and Sundays.
There were also distinguished guests there including; Ed Schock Mayor of Elgin, Federal Judge Manuel Barbosa, President of LULAC Helen Lopez Strom, Manuel Rodriguez-Arriaga the Consul General of Mexico, and local Historian E.C. "Mike" Alft. Other notable guests included Elgin Chief of Police Jeff Swoboda, Elgin Commnunity College Trustee John Dalton, and Elgin Councilwoman elect, Anna Moeller. In addition, there was a crowd of over 100 people to enjoy the festivites. The Folklorico Ballet was fantastico. A very special thank you goes out to Peggie Stromberg and the staff at Lords Park Museum for having us. Great hosts!
We were flattered to able to supply the Hor d'oeurves for the event. Here are a few of the photos from the event. Most of these feature the idea of different props in our display to reflect the theme of the event. There are various native to Mexico bowls used for the food, Mexican books, coffee cups, a Cafe Tacvba CD, and various Elgin History items from our own collection.
Chips and roasted tomato salsa
Since this was an Elgin event, we often use appropriate props like a menu from the Elgin National Watch Factory "National House" from Thanksgiving 1921
Full view of the display. Grilled Shrimp Cocktail, Fresh Fruit
and Sliced Cheese, Medley of Grilled Vegetables
Black and white view of the display, just for a different look
A nicely skirted table (Thank you Peggie Stomberg and EPM)
with a full view of two of the art pieces,
"Reflections of Mexico"
Once again, the use of props appropriate for the event, Spanish - English books,
Mexican rock band Cafe Tacuba CD's, Elgin History Books
Los Chivas! Viva!
Just another look at the utilization of props in our Catering displays.
We recently had the privilege to cater a dinner at Barrington United Methodist Church. It was a post-concert dinner held at the church. The menu included Grilled Chicken Breast with Basil Tomato Cream Sauce, Red Bliss Potatoes with Roasted Garlic, Fresh Cut Green Beans with Grauffrette cut Carrots, Crisp Fresh Mixed Greens of Salad (with choice of dressings) and Mini Cheesecakes and Browniesfor dessert. The event was a success and we were thrilled to be there.
If you notice the middle chaffer is on a riser.
It's just an inverted break rack to create a
little elevation.
We would also like to thank some of the volunteers at the church in clean up.
On Sunday, March 20th, 2011, we had the privilege of catering an event for Patricia Harkin. Patty was sponsoring a fund raiser & coffee meeting for Anna Moeller, who is running for Elgin City Council. If you are an Elgin-ite and reading this before the April 5th election, please consider voting for Anna Moeller. The Harkin's home is a wonderful "Painted Lady" of a home in the Historic District of Elgin's magnificent "north end" near where the old Sherman Hospital was located. Here are a few pictures of the events menu selections.
Brie Cheese Display
Fresh Display of Bruschetta, table centerpiece.
Display of wonderful domestic and imported cheese
Carvery Station, marinated flank steak, wheat and white rolls, horseradish sauce, Boursin Cheese.
Display talbe at a distance. The Harkin's home is a Grand Painted Lady of a House located in the Historic District of the North End of Elgin
Greetings! We will continue to update this blog, maybe not as much as a music blog as it has been in the past, but more of an amalgam of Mandoline Vista Catering Productions, music as always, sports, and periodic news regarding Elgin, Illinois.
This photo is from a recent event we did. It's a fabulous display of fresh seasonal fruit and sliced gourmet cheese. We take great pride in displays and our food production. We try to remember the idea that people eat with their eyes before they eat with their mouth. Eye appealing as well as taste appealing.
Around this time last year, the owner, Pietro Verone began the idea of having an "Elgin Person of the Week" each Thursday night. The EPOW (as it has become known as) is just a great occasion to honor someone or organization in town with a night of friendship, conversation, camaraderie, some appetizers, drinks, and karaoke. It was with great honor that I was chosen for this event on July 21st, 2011. Thanks to Pietro and all the staff at Villa Verone for letting me, on behalf of Rediscover Records, be the guest of honor. Thanks to all of those who attended, thought about attending, or even wished they had intended. I even tried my hand as bus boy and bartender to help out. When I couldn't even make a kiddie cocktail I was kicked out from behind the bar!
