Aah, barbecue! Just think about it for a moment and chances are that, in your imagination, you can smell (and hear) those sizzling beef burgers, succulent ribs, tasty chicken, and all the mouth-watering side dishes that go along with a delicious BBQ meal.
Fact is that just about everyone loves a barbecue. It’s a down-to-earth, friendly meal that’s meant to be shared with friends and family, and the food that’s offered at such an event can range from simple burgers and dogs to more elaborate items like steaks and seafood. For many, barbecues are a highly-anticipated summer tradition and many foodies just can’t get enough.
At Catering Visions, however, we believe a great barbecue meal mustn’t be limited to the summer months. Fall is the ideal time for enjoying such a feast, so we offer BBQ catering throughout the autumn months for those who want to hold onto a piece of summer, even when the weather has turned a bit, along with the leaves on the trees.
A Fete for Friends
If summer got away from you and you didn’t have the opportunity to invite your best buds over for a meal and some camaraderie, it’s not too late. And, if you let an experienced caterer handle the particulars, you can sit back and relax and enjoy spending time with your pals instead of at the grill or in the kitchen.
Furthermore, the meal doesn’t need to be elaborate or expensive to make your friends smile. BBQ catering can be quite basic but still delicious, offering entrees such as those perennial cook-out favorites, juicy hamburgers and scrumptious hot dogs with all the fixins’. Add a few sides, such as potato salad, a green salad, fruit, and some sweet delights, and you’ll have a meal that fills the stomach and the heart.
Of course, if you want to move towards the slightly more elaborate, there are many more options beyond the burgers and dogs. Chicken is often a welcome addition to the menu, especially for those who prefer not to eat red meat. It can be simply seasoned and then grilled or can be marinated in BBQ sauce (or similar) for a zesty taste.
Want to go a step further? Take advantage of amazing local seafood and add it to your menu. It’ll be the highlight of the party along with perhaps some juicy, delicious steaks. You can spruce up the side dishes too, adding items such as Caesar salads, corn-on-the-cob, baked potatoes, baked beans, and more.
Companies that do BBQ catering have plenty of experience in customizing menus for their customers and they’ll be eager to sit down with you and come up with a selection that will encompass the tastes of all your guests, including vegetarians or vegans.
Corporate Cook-outs Rule!
In the summertime, a lot of companies deal with a “skeleton staff” because employees are busy taking time for their holidays. However, in the fall, everyone is back at work and it’s a great time to have a “welcome back” get-together where everyone can actually chat about what they did this summer! It’s an ideal way to kick-off a new project, give a jump start to a brand new fiscal year, or just to say “we appreciate you” and we want to show you how much.
Similar to barbecues you might have at your home, corporate cook-outs with food provided by a BBQ caterer can run the gamut from modest to quite extravagant, depending on your budget and/or the size of your company.
So, why a barbecue and not a fancy sit-down event at a restaurant or catering venue? Simple! Corporate BBQs encourage and allow much more interaction between individuals. Employees are not confined to a table with 8 to 10 people, where they are likely to stay for hours when the event is more formal. With an informal event such as a barbecue, there’s likely to be more moving around or you’ll find that many people will stand and eat, allowing them to go from co-worker to co-worker to get the scoop on their summer adventures and upcoming fall plans.
BBQ for the Bride and Groom?
An outdoor autumn wedding. They’re more popular than you might imagine. It’s a great time of year to be outside…and think about the wonderful pictures the photographer will take among the fall foliage and other greenery!
With an outdoor wedding in the pleasant early fall weather, there’s no reason to limit the wedding dinner to formal food in a big white fancy tent. Many brides and grooms these days opt for something a little less expensive and perhaps a little more rustic, and a barbecue could be ideal.
If the chosen reception venue seems suitable for a barbecue dinner, go for it! Again, those experienced in BBQ catering can recommend the right menu for your autumn wedding and perhaps even suggest a few foods that might match the time of year, like something made with everyone’s favorite fall gourd – the pumpkin.
Choosing a Caterer
So, if you’ve decided a cook-out might be the right choice for your next event, look for a company that has plenty of experience in barbecue catering…and don’t be afraid to ask them if you can do a little tasting and perhaps call some references. A quality BBQ caterer can help you craft a sumptuous menu for your event and will take care of all the little stuff too, like set-up, serving stations, servers, condiments, napkins and tableware, breakdown, and anything else that’s needed to complete the event, whether it’s at your home, business, or elsewhere.