Consider This Your Invitation

Hello, Clint. I feel like I'm leaning way out. I think you look great. Yeah. Second to it. How's it going? Everything is good. I'm happy to be here in the Tangerine Room. The Tangerine Room at the Garland Hotel in Studio City. If you guys don't know it, you definitely should come by and check it out. Look at this background. It makes us look good. So think of how good you look sitting here with a cocktail. That's right. It's a cheerstock. Cheers to the Tangerine Room and the Garland for letting us check this view out of all. I like to hang out here. Yeah. I like to hang out with you. A hundred percent, my friend. So what are we talking about today, Clint? Food and beverage trends. Things that we like, things that we don't like, things that we think should go away. Just what we think the guest experience are for some of them. Yeah. So let's start with the basic one. What kind of trends are we seeing right now in F.O.B.? You know, I'm a caterer. You hire a lot of caterers. You also have a very specific idea on how you want to food and beverage part of your events to look and be received with everything. So that's a big part of your events, even though you're not a caterer. I mean, I think that it's about working with our catering team to develop what is that experience that everyone's going to be participating in. Because we do want a certain level of participation. I think that when people get involved and they feel that they are being heard and seen, there is something, there's an evolution that happens there that is really important in what the overall success of the event can be. You know, and I like that there's some certain trends right now that are really embracing customization and looking to the individuals so that they can kind of choose their own adventure. What's the trend spot? What are some of those trends? Some of those trends. Well, you know, I mean, I think there's a lot more dialogue about what do you like? How can you customize this artisanal taco? Whatever that is, you know, the individual action stations are now being a lot more curated towards the individual, especially with so many dietary needs that we have to be mindful on. There's a lot more ahead-based menus that are happening now. We're seeing zero-proof bars, which is very much targeted to the individual now that I think is really important. We're listening. And that's a much deeper intent than we've had before. So is it a trend? All right. It's not going anywhere. You know, I don't know if it's different than we've had before. But I think we need to go deeper than we have ever before. One of the reasons is dietary. Respect. What was I saying? Yeah. Nobody had a dietary restriction, seriously. I mean, you never heard about all the bullshit that we have to deal with now. There may be people that have a little bit faster way because of the lactose issues. We'll never know. Or had it being it. That's definitely made our jobs as event planners and senators heard. I just got an inquiry yesterday where the person on the RFP wanted to tell us how many people have each type of meal we should have in preparing. She said 15% vegan. That's big percentage. That's huge. Yeah. I think 20% vegetarian and then the rest just normal folk, I'm like, no, 15% vegan, that's not going to work. That's difficult. That's taller. But I think that that gives us a look into trends right now. And what we need to do to accommodate the current marketplace. Well, yeah, that wasn't a conversation on the RFP. That was a conversation after you're already committed and comes to work with that usually as a dietary breakdown. Now you're seeing it in RFTs because it's so front of everybody's mind and everyone's so afraid to leave somebody out or offend somebody or kill somebody. Or kill someone. We try to avoid doubt that our events last night we had an event and we found out in the morning that there is a peanut allergy. And so all we could guarantee there were no peanuts in any of our food. But the breads and things that we get are made in facilities that do have peanuts. So it really depends on the severity of the allergy, right? You know, they use some people if you open a packet of peanuts and the front and south of us playing, there could be someone in the back of the plane that just from that microscopic dust can have a reaction. I think that's rare. But yeah, I mean, we're finding out about all that stuff and you really have to pay attention to it and acknowledge it. Do you ever really have to before? So that's not even a trend. It's just kind of something that's become part of the everyday, you know, speak. Absolutely. But there's a new consideration towards attendees that has come into vogue. It should be a trend. You're absolutely right. But it's now something that is a part of the conversation every time we start building my nose. Yeah. And it should be. No, for sure. And my move is I like to make just a spectacular vegan option and that covers vegan and vegetarian. I don't want to make a vegan option. I don't want to make a vegetarian option. Let me make an amazing vegan option that checks your boxes. Well, we're past the day when it's like here, you can have this portable mushroom. Like we can do better than that. And we do. And we do exceeded that phase of where we were when it came to what is the vegetarian? You're an option. You know, the other things about leaning into the customization, you know, I work for a carer or we don't have any print. And that's most dying carers. You just talked to them. They talked to you, the client comes to you with their desires, what they're looking for to put together. You just put together. So you really do lean into that. I was just on a call right before I walked in here and really leaning into the bride and groom's food vibe. Where do they go? Eat. What is their favorite salad? You know, I know. I think you have a favorite salad. I do know. Well, it's true. Well, it's true. You use to. I know. Doesn't just. Yeah. And it's actually an old salad. Yeah. That's true. But that's for the questions that you always ask from my answer. What is your favorite food? Of course. What's your favorite food memory? What's that thing where you're like, oh, back in the day, like I had this one thing and it totally changed how I feel about filling the white? Well, those things are important. A hundred percent. And the other thing that's really important is the style of service. So this, right, really had no idea what she wanted to do as far as her meal. If she wanted a plated meal, if she wanted a buffet, if she wanted stations, if she wanted a fairway style. Oh, I have a lot of thoughts about these things. And so that's good because that's very untranslatable, very untopic. Yeah. And so, you know, I was explaining to her that each one comes with a different guest experience. So what do you want your guest experience? In my mind, plated meal is for a regular family wedding. And this is a wedding client I was talking to you to is the move. It feels elevated. It's actually food cost is actually on the lower side as far as the other options because we can control the amount of food. Staff has made me a bit higher. buffet, I feel like I was working at a catering company in 1987. I don't want to go to a table that has everything from bread to salad on one day. I would rather it for me to station, even though the foods are curated, you're still getting soup to nuts, I'm hopefully no nuts on one station, which I think that's, you guys tell us too. We're sitting here in LA, so it could really be different on what is trending or on trend or done in Indiana, right? So I feel like the thing is it's like, don't make me work for it though. Like now I'm jogging a place in line and now I've got a plate and then I'm having to take it to my, I think maybe I'm just a decent person. That's possible. So that's what I'm talking about. It's the guest experience. So that's what we have to go into the main we're making is what are you making with guests do? Just grandma really want to get up and hold an 11 inch dinner plate and fill it with food and then carry it back to a bite, so I'm going to have to help her. Especially not just wine platforms, especially grandma probably won't be wearing platforms. What I'm a grandma, I'm going to love this. So you know, then there's family style, which is very familial with the platters of food and guests are passing them by themselves. So I prefer totally, I prefer a French family. So it's offered and then take away, you know, so we're, I love to leave it. You like to leave it? Yeah. I want that flatter. I want that second piece of meat. Well, then everyone's like, oh, you got, oh, no, you have it. The French style is also then, as the person doing it, it's mock-worthy. We've got catering staff, remember catering staff is different than restaurant staff, right? Restaurant staff, day and night, they know this recipe back up and they know everything about it. You're getting the gamut sometimes, depending on how large your staff is with servers for catering company, right? So not everyone is well versed in the service or in the style. or just has that finesse, right? So, it can be really clunky for someone to do that in an elegant way. - Yeah, I get you, you know, I-- - But I do like it when it's done right. - I like it when there are certain things on the table, like, you know, maybe that's a salad, maybe that's a side, but the proteins are French in terms of being French past and aren't left on the table. I also don't like a protein sitting on the table for a certain, you know, tiktok, tiktok, tiktok, how's that protein doing? How's it, how's that protein? You know, like, it's not my favorite thing. So, I like it when it's not French past. But I'm open to having sides remain on the table family style. Here's a thought, yeah. Now, pre-choices on your entrees, via the invitation or table-side entrees lunches. How do you feel about this? I have a lot of strong opinions. - Here's how I feel about it. - Yeah, that's weird that I would have a strong opinion. - Here is how I feel about it and how I deal with it with my clients. And 95% of the time, they buy it. I do have a gun trick. - Oh, you kill me. - I do a frickin' like a filet and a seabass. That handles 90% of the people. There's no clunky sending back my beef choice. And then wifey says, oh, his beef looks better. I'll have the beef. You know, you can't switch it up. It saves the clunkiness of the table. Now we're only identifying vegetarians. And I think it's elevated to have a plate for me with two beautiful proteins, you know, to agree? - Listen, if I'm a pescatarian, I don't want my fish touching you. I may have some strong feelings about that. The other thing is I feel that, you know, having the need to choose an advance. I don't know how I'm gonna feel that. Maybe I want fish, maybe I want beef. I don't know how I'm gonna feel. I don't know if I want it touching. But also how's it prepared? Well, I don't know. Salmon is, there's a little fish that I can check on the box. There's a little steak I can check on the box. How was that? - Well, that's right. There's never the whole recipe. - Oh, how do you know? - How do you know? - On your choice card. - I may like my salmon a certain way. And if I know that they were gonna make it that way, I like giving it that salmon. - See your plate. I'll take it. - Right? 1,000%. But I think that's why I like table-side Andre selections. It's more work, it's more expensive. I mean, there's no way around that. But I think it is more hospital. - So I love that. It's a higher cost because you can't count. So you have to like fudge and you kind of have to go with historical knowledge of usually X percentage eats this, X percentage eat and hope you get it right. - Sure. - There's definitely food waste with that. - There is. - However, I love a waiter with a pad. I love the engagement. - Yeah. - I love all that. And that also gives a guest a choice chance to say, I'm allergic to garlic or something like that, you know? So I do like that engagement. I just, you know, we can't control guests. They frickin' move after we take their order. They move, they change when we brought, you know, when we bring it. - Well, they see something on a menu too. And they're like, no, if that, I want that, I want that salmon because I know I know that it's on a cedar plank. - You know, like now I have to have that. Well, it doesn't matter. Like I know I chose beef on my invite, but now I want the salmon. What are you gonna do, stop me. - So yes, we have catering police. - Yeah, well, that's true too. - So how do you feel about a preset salad? I have a lot of feelings about this. - Saying I just discussed it with this bride on the phone earlier, tell me your thoughts. - I don't like any food that's been sitting outside. - Tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick. How long has it been sitting there? Has anyone breathed on my salad? Like what's happened to that salad? - As I'm told, I think the salads sit out for about a day and a half before or the about. - Totally. - They're in a hallway somewhere on those racks. - I can't do it. - I can't do it. I don't want anything sitting out. I want to see it served to me. I'll a menu, which that's what I want. - I told the bride today. The only time is if it's a corporate event and you're on a schedule, right? You've got speeches, you've got a gala, you've got awards and you don't have time to wait for us to serve 300 people in the room. So boom, you just have that salad there. I think it's more digestible in many ways in that atmosphere and that use. I told this bride today, look, you're not on any strict timeline. Let guests sit down to a beautiful place. - Yeah. - Have your champagne toast and then we'll come out and flood the floor with salads. - Well, also, I've designed that table to have a certain look and the salad isn't a part of the aesthetic. - Where's your menu? - I found it. - Yes, where's your menu if you print it in one. Now, your napkin fold is fucked up. Like, where do you, you know, what do you do? So yeah. - Yeah, not about. - No. - Not about. I don't know, there's so many of those things that I feel like we used to see. We don't see any more. I mean, okay, here's one. How do you feel about a cake cut? - No, that's so funny because I also discussed that with her. She thought that they would just get a small cake. She's like, "People really don't like cake. I love cake, okay. I love fucking cake." So I want a cake cutting. I just was Alan nice wedding a couple of months ago and I knew that they were giving cake to go. And I left early and I knew the planner. So I'm like, "There are me." Get me some cakes. I want all the flavors, please. I'm leaving early. - Yeah. - I can't wait until late night snacks come out and I get that cake. - Yeah. - So this girl today was talking about they would get a small cake to cut and then maybe have a dessert station. I do like a dessert station and if you're getting up and you know, dancing and stuff, I do love to have a dessert station out there. I don't think in a wedding, I think it's fine to get up after your meal is done. I don't think you need to wait for the cake to be cut. In fact, I like the cake because at some point during dancing and then we'll just trade out so I'll put it out at the station. - Absolutely great. - It doesn't even need to wait at your table. - No, let's get 'em up and get 'em moving. I also, I know that it's a tradition. It makes it, I feel like it's an old school tradition. Now if your family did it and everyone gathers around or they watched him on cupcake, that's one thing. But I feel like oftentimes it stops the action. Now we finished dinner. Now we're dancing, we're socializing, we're going to the bar, we're doing all this stuff. Now we have to spend our attention watching someone cut a cake. - I don't know, I don't know, we like it applies anymore. - I suggested to her, you could do what I just mentioned is go ahead and have your sample piece, but as a surprise and unexpected and some swag to give out to guests and it's a piece of cake, you just box up a piece of cake. - Yeah, I've not heard about that. - We were just at a networking event at proper hotels in San Monica and the butter end, which is an amazing, great, great. - She had beautiful plexiglass containers, black base and clear. - She does a good job of that. - The cake inside looked like a miniature, just as much attention to detail was put on this time cake as a cake topper. It was beautiful. The piping and everything, they had two flavors. Of course I was a pig and took both flavors. - Totally. - Wait until she turned the other way to grab the second flavor, so I suggested that, but that comes with a cost, too, you know? - She does. - That nice ribbon tie, then everything on it. - It's very special though. I mean, that is a special way to end. - I do. - How excited are you when you get down on the way up? - I mean, I'm excited about cake baseline, yeah. - My son had pies. He and that's why I didn't don't care for cake. They never eat it, and they love pie. So they had pies. - I love that. What was pie from? - So they were in, or they got married in Hood River, Oregon, and there was a cute little little gold pie place. So they were like, and bees pies. They looked very rustic and very cool. You know, they got married during COVID. So there's only spouses, parents, and sibling was pretty much there, and a few of their best friends. As opposed to the 120 that we're gonna have, I wonder if our pie would look for 120. - I will say, well, all of the things, I love cherry juice. My favorite. - Do you know who has a great pie? And have you been a milk bar? - Yeah. - Milk bar does a great pie. - They call it crack pie. It's a famous crack pie because you get addicted to it. - Yeah, well, I like crack, can I like what? So I don't know what you're talking about. - I have not yet gotten addicted to it. I don't think I was. So that rolls into one of our notes here that we have is do you recommend having a dessert course at a wedding, right? So we talked about cake. - I don't. - Okay, of course that's a table. Yeah, I agree. I totally agree. One of the trends we're seeing, and we're kind of touched on a little bit the other day is the caviar bumps. - Yep. - Talks about that. - Totally popular. We're not a fan of licking our filthy hands and then reaching out to shake somebody's hand. - No. - You're touching their lick. Their hands are touching your lick. It's just not cool, I don't think. - It's not my favorite, but I love caviar. You know, there's a thick caviar companies that I go to right now that are just exemplary and their product is beautiful. - Well, that's just a product of this service. Also, putting on your warm hand. - I agree. - I mean, that's not how it's supposed to be in. - No. - But caviar gods probably roll over in their graves. - There's a mixed sort of thought on this. - Really? - Some will say, well, you can actually really taste it. What a wonder. It's not a little bit, you know, then you can then you can really have another standing of the difference in the different types of caviar. I got that, but give me a little squat. Then don't let the service on ice every time. If your caviar is better, if it's warmed a little bit, then maybe other than just this, you need to find another way, you need to find another way to serve it. If it's really, if you really get the full experience, if it's not ice quad. Yeah. Yeah. No, I mean, I mean, I like everything cold, but it goes with my cold dark heart. But I, I, you know, I see, I feel like there's, there's got to be a different way though than the hand lick biggest catering myth. I know when everybody thinks it's cheaper to cater and event at their house, then to go to a rush on the radio, you know, you know, that's 1000% true. It couldn't be further from the truth. It is so opposite to bring everything to make a facility in someone's home versus going somewhere where it's already there. So that to me is the biggest one. Do you have? No, that's, that, that is the perfect example because there's so much that goes into hosting in a residential space. It can be the most built out, elite, beautiful chefs kitchen, but it doesn't mean that it's ready to serve 20 plus attendees that are waiting for food. People tell us we have a beautiful kitchen. You could work in our kitchen or house. I'm like, no, we will need to be out of sight. It won't guess me going in the house to use the restroom. Do they have to walk by the bathroom? But then no, you do not want to see us in a beautiful kitchen and in a beautiful home. Absolutely. Leave it as it should be and put us out in the garage. What? It's often not possible, even even if we are trying to avoid that whole, you know, see that they think they think they do. Well, I have a nice kitchen. It's fine. Really? You can heat 200 meals in your kitchen. I don't think so without blowing over. It is, you know, something that the people don't think about because they think, okay, well, if I have it at my home that there's no sight fees and we don't have to deal with the cost that come with venue and it's simply not true. Because now we have to bring in every stick of everything. It is a to actually have party myth, not just a catering. Indeed. Yeah, it is a myth for sure. And we've just busted it. Mythbusters were here to bust the myths. So tray past versus stations. Okay. So I like tray past because I may not want to leave my conversation to go and search for food, but I don't, I don't hate the combination of those two things. And I think that that a station can offer spectacle. We talked about this before. I think that that's a great, a great thing to get people involved. You get to get their choices. Well, I want this for the, you know, I think that's important. That's great, but I also, I need food to come to me because I may be starving and I may be in a great conversation with the end of the day. That's the whole goal is to get people to connect. And I may not want to leave that conversation. Mm-hmm. I like both. I like a combination of both. I think the tray past is elevated. It's perceived as elevated service. So, you know, and it is. And so people like to have them if we brought to them. It's got to be a one by two, though. However, I'm a three-byte situation. And then I've got a handbag and a cocktail. And I'm now getting a bite that's falling out of my mouth like, come on. You know, you've been to many in a bed with me. Like, do you not eat out of networking bed? That is true. I'm standing there talking. A tray comes up to me. If I want it, I don't take it because I don't want to now have a napkin. I don't want to have cilantro in my teeth and someone like across the room to me. And so I don't eat. I'm also so hyped up just talking to everyone and stuff that I can nurse just one drink and eat nothing in a two-hour networking. You are good like that. It's not really good because then I leave and I drive through some festivals. I know you do. Because I'm starving. And I'm not having the expensive wagyu filly cheese thing. No, you're the one that introduced me to the tiny tacos with chocolate in the box. And I've never appreciated anything more. They are good, the tiny tacos. Loaded though. They have to be loaded, tiny tacos. Loaded. Yeah, for sure. Loaded is a little messy on the road. It's, you have to have more for sure. Do we talk already about champagne towers? I don't know. I have some thoughts about a champagne tower. I think that there's an old, tiny sort of quality about it. There's, there's spectacle and it's grandeur and it there's, it's looks pretty and I love all of that. But like the champagne, if it's not consumed right away, it gets warm. I don't like one thing that I'm supposed to want. No, you don't. No. Tick, tick, tick. Tick, tick, tick. And I also feel that it's a liability. You've got one drunker that like hits that thing and you're in the weeds. Yeah. Yeah. You've got Nana that loses her balance of the platforms. And before you know it, like, it shouldn't have gone sideways, you know? I do love that it harkens back to something traditional. I want to kind of like that. It is pretty. If you do it right, it is, you know, a nice piece of decor. It is, it is. It's a little statement, man. I like that. But, you know, I don't know. I just don't think it's necessary. It seems like a few hundred bucks you don't need to spend. I don't. I don't disagree with that. I mean, is everyone really going to go up there and get their champagne from there and I'd rather bring it to you? And are they going to pull it from the right level? I don't know. I don't know. Because again, it goes back to the disaster of champagne dough. I hope not. Yeah. Troubles? Are you happy to see going away? Okay. So it goes back to- I feel wonderful. All right. It goes back to a lot of the things that we've talked about today, but that is any food that is left out. Don't make me pick my food off of a wall. I don't know how long it's been there. I don't want to- You like to say I don't want a donut off of a rusty nail. I sure don't. Thank you. That is a quote from yesterday or you are not wrong. I don't want a donut from a rusty nail. I don't want to be plucked and stuff off a wall. I don't know how breathy somebody's gotten around that food that I'm about to pluck off the wall. It's all my favorite. You know, people are always trying to come up with teaching ways and fun ways to display things. Which I appreciate. That's an Instagramable moment. It was when it first came out. That's all. People taking pictures of them all the time. For sure, I don't think it's the best way to serve the food and/or keep its freshness. For sure, I don't really dig it either, but it just kind of caught on. I mean, it was an interesting thing that caught on. You know- So many pictures. It's catch on. They don't make sense, but they're photographable moments. And those aren't always user-friendly. For a minute, there were donuts hanging off of umbrellas. Do you remember those? I remember that too, sure, we went from wall to umbrella, because that's going to make it better. I'm like, how am I going to get that? Am I biting at it? Like- That's funny. If that's the case, then it's like bobbing for donuts in the air. That's good. I like that. That's good if we make an activation. Absolutely. Yeah. What else? I mean, you know, like the martini glass for match potatoes, the back-and-cheese bar. No. No, I like back-and-cheese. So- Let me style my own right. Sure. I have to get- Choose your own, you know, journey. Yeah. Just to say the match-and-cheese bar is back-and-so fill it with luxurious bites. There's lobster, and there's things like that. And so it's not just, you know, your mom's match-and-cheese bar, or the match-and-cheese bar from the catering company, and it's from 1996. Tell me about it. Let's just sort of fuel a few, just a few of the food trends. There's so many more food trends, which love you guys, too. Let's start with you. You know, look, we love some feedback about what you guys would like to see this be, and also we want feedback on what we talked about. So if there's some-you're like, "How dare you dis-cavy our bumps?" You know, tell us, or tell us something else that's like in a merging trend that we aren't even aware of or didn't talk about. If we get that kind of communication for you guys, we'll come back on the next episode and kind of address those things. Or apologize. Or apologize. Or ignore it. You bet. It's-there's three different options there. So I don't think we've said it here yet, but we're calling this "The Uninvited." Where have that come from? It sounds a little snooty. It sounds like, hmm, am I invited, am I uninvited? Am I part of the cool kids if I'm-what-I'm not sure. It sounds like we're not inclusive, are we? I think we're inclusive. It's just a little space. Are we the uninvited? Maybe. Maybe that's what things are doing around that. We're invited us to be here. So are we the uninvited? Are they uninvited? Are we the uninvited ourselves to the Tangerine Room because it's the best? So we are uninvited. When you invite yourself, you're uninvited. Yeah, that's true. So that's what we're calling it. Join us back here soon for the next episode- We're not sure when. That's what we're talking about.