Wedding Menu Choices

[mjso]

So, I''m trying to narrow down our menu, since we went to the tasting and its something I feel like we can easily get done. But, of course, it is turning out to not be that easy.

The major problem is that my parents LOVE seafood and eat it all of the time. Meanwhile, my MOH has problems with shellfish and my FI doesn''t eat a lot of seafood at all (he generally likes shrimp when he eats it, but that''s usually when it is covered in garlic and butter).

So, we are getting married by the ocean, and I''m having trouble gauging if the "average" person or the general public will eat seafood. We''ve narrowed down our main courses, so we are going to have Filet Mignon, Chicken Francaise and a Crusted Tilapia.

The area I''m most concerned with is the First Course. The choices are:

1 - Melon and Berries ~ I think this is boring, and so its probably at the bottom of my list
2 - Mozzerella, Tomato and Basil ~ Yummy, but we are having a cocktail hour where this will be part of the presentation of the Antipasto Salad
3 - Spinach Ravioli ~ Again, yummy, but we are having a pasta station for the cocktail hour as well, do people need more pasta?
4 - Shrimp Scampi Rissoto Cake ~ My parents obv. favorite, but my MOH wouldn''t eat it and I don''t know about FI.

How many people do you think would be turned off by a first course of a shrimp offering?

After the first course, there''s a salad and then the main course of their selection.

There''s a ton of food at the cocktail hour. Part of which I''m still deciding on. I feel like people will be "full" enough from the hour before that it won''t really matter if they don''t like the shrimp rissoto, but I also feel kind of weird offering something that a lot of guests might not eat.

So what do you think? Which "First Course" selection should I go with?

P.S. - I did a survey on googlepages of the Parents of the Bride, Parents of the Groom, FI, MOH, and the brother''s of the bride and groom. I got six responses, but I feel like because two of them were my parents, the vote was heavily biased in their favor. They are paying though, so maybe they should get what they want and the other people can deal...

 

[Shoopy]

Personal choice: either the Melon and Berries or the Mozzerella, Tomato, and Basil. I think that both the pasta and the shrimp rissoto would be a little too heavy with bigger meals following.

 

[October2008bride]

I''d go with the mozzarella/basil/tomato. I think it will please the most people. One of the best tips I received when picking my menu was that this isn''t the time to challenge people''s tastebuds. Go with what you know the most people will like but that can be presented in a nice way (so it feels like htey aren''t eating at home!).

Anyways - I think the mozzarella one would be my choice either way - I wouldn''t love the shrimp one. And you are right about not needing more pasta if you have a pasta station during cocktails.

 

[allycat0303]

I would go with the shrimp ! I am actually serving shrimp as a starter (one of the many at my wedding).....even though I don''t like shrimp that much. Mostly because I think variety is nice. Evidently, you can''t please everyone, so I feel like people that like pasta will have had it, and so will the tomato basil thingy (redundant I think to keep giving it to them).

Yeah. Shrimp is definitely my choice. Good luck deciding!

 

[kstar512]

My vote is for the tomato and mozerella. I''m not a seafood person. I only like shrimp when its fried

 

[mjso]

Thanks for the input!!

For those of your who think we should go with the Tomato and Mozz with Basil, you don''t think it would be redundant since we are already having that out with the antipasto display in the cocktail hour? (Similar to the pasta)

Anyone else? Opinions?

 

[zoebartlett]

I''d go with mozzarella, tomato, and basil also (for the same reasons mentioned). My second choice would be melon and berries (although that seems like more of a dessert to me). Are you able to substitute the mozzarella, tomato, and basil for something else during the cocktail hour? I know you had said that it''s part of the antipasto salad, but could you include something else in the antipasto instead?

 

[Sabine]

My personal choice would be the tomato and basil (and I wouldn''t care if it was in the cocktail hour too), but it sounds like you are having plenty of food, so really, I would pick whatever you want. If some people don''t eat the starting course, they will still have plenty to eat. You aren''t going to be able to please everyone, so I wouldn''t worry too much about some people not liking one course.

 

[lesco]

I would go with the melon and berries. It is the most refreshing of all four choices, a nice transition from the cocktail hour and a good "palate cleanser" before the main courses. Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil are second, just because you are serving them during the cocktail hr.

 

[taovandel]

I agree about the melon and berries....it would be a great palate cleanser and a nice way to segue into the sit down dinner.

Plus, how much basil is offered with the tomato/mozzeralla dish? Some places put so much it''s pretty much a salad.....

 

[JulieN]

1 - Melon and Berries ~ I think this is boring, and so its probably at the bottom of my list
2 - Mozzerella, Tomato and Basil ~ Yummy, but we are having a cocktail hour where this will be part of the presentation of the Antipasto Salad
3 - Spinach Ravioli ~ Again, yummy, but we are having a pasta station for the cocktail hour as well, do people need more pasta?
4 - Shrimp Scampi Rissoto Cake ~ My parents obv. favorite, but my MOH wouldn''t eat it and I don''t know about FI.

1. the beginning is sort of an odd place for melon and berries.
2. more of an antipasto/starter.
3. Good choice, but there is the issue of redundancy.
4. Is the risotto cake fried? If they are breaded and fried, and you can pop them into your mouth by hand, they are sort of more cocktail snacky. If they are better tackled with a fork, then this gets my vote.

 

[kellybelly]

my vote goes to the tomato/mozz/basil or the melon & berries. it appeals to the most people. i am a vegetarian so i often have problems at weddings with not being able to eat the only thing that is served to me. not sure if this is an issue with any of your guests, but it''s not a bad idea to keep it in the back of your head.

also, i like interesting new dishes and think people should try new things. however, do that at the cocktail hour where people have other choices. if i sit down and am being served, i would expect to be able to eat what is put in front of me. now you can''t account for every person with a nut allergy or picky eaters, but going with the thing that appeals to the most people is the best idea.

and if you''re worried about redundancy, pull the tomato/mozz/basil from the cocktail hour. we are having a served pasta course, so we pulled the pasta from the cocktail hour in favor of a mashed potato bar. the venue should be willing to work with you on something like that.

good luck!

 

[Morgie44]

Could you go with the tomato mozz for the first course and instead of the antipasto salad sub in some kind of shrimp dish so that those who like shrimp can choose to eat it during the cocktail hour, then for the seated meal there will be a more neutral(?) option

 

[mjso]

Thanks again for the added opinions!

I guess I can ask about subbing out the Tom, Mozz and Basil during the Antipasto, but people will probably get less of it as a seated portion than they will during the cocktail hour.

And yep, I''ve definitely thought about Vegitarians - I didn''t eat any meat for 7 years of my life and barely eat any now.

There will be a shrimp cocktail station and there will be a passed cajun shrimp appetizer.

I''ve heard from people to went to weddings at our venue and they thought the food at the cocktail hour was the entire dinner. Then they were brought upstairs for the seated dinner!

I''m sure no one is going to go hungry

Oh and I don''t believe the shrimp rissoto is fried. I think it is just regular rissoto with shrimp and garlic, then made into a circular mold on the plate. But that''s a good question to ask!

 

[marchswallowbird]

My personal favorite is the shrimp risotto cake. YUM. But if you KNOW people won't like it, then I'd choose something else.

ETA: I just re-read your first post more carefully. With all of the food being served at cocktail hour and the dinner to follow, I'd serve the shrimp risotto cake and let people deal. The other stuff is boring, in my opinion, especially if you're already serving a version of it at cocktail hour. Personally, I find mozarella and tomatoes bland in the extreme.

Warn MOH, and she can make sure to compensate by eating more at the cocktail hour. DH will probably love the cake, because it is shrimp mixed in with a lot of other yummy incredients, not just plain shrimp. I think the seafood offering of this dish fits your theme perfectly.

 

[JulieN]

Date: 11/3/2008 8:47:27 PM
Author: marchswallowbird
My personal favorite is the shrimp risotto cake. YUM. But if you KNOW people won''t like it, then I''d choose something else.


ETA: I just re-read your first post more carefully. With all of the food being served at cocktail hour and the dinner to follow, I''d serve the shrimp risotto cake and let people deal. The other stuff is boring, in my opinion, especially if you''re already serving a version of it at cocktail hour. Personally, I find mozarella and tomatoes bland in the extreme.


Warn MOH, and she can make sure to compensate by eating more at the cocktail hour. DH will probably love the cake, because it is shrimp mixed in with a lot of other yummy incredients, not just plain shrimp. I think the seafood offering of this dish fits your theme perfectly.

ditto. sounds like there will be enough food that if someone doesn''t want to eat it, they aren''t going to go hungry or anything.