Reception Style: All Set for Sit-down

All Set for Sit-down
The reception decision is looming. You've ruled out buffets and want more than endless hors d'oeuvres. Let's talk about the sit-down dinner.

Traditional? Yes. Stuffy? No way! While the sit-down is definitely more formal, the atmosphere you create makes all the difference. Everything from the menu to the centerpieces is a reflection of your style, so do it your way. Set a great table and choose food that says something about your interests, heritages or lifestyles.

You can expect a sit-down reception to start with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. That's followed by a three- or four-course dinner including an appetizer, soup or salad and an entree of either meat, poultry or fish served with vegetables. Dessert and/or wedding cake round out the menu.

A professional caterer should have dozens of wonderful, delicious and creative menu selections from which to choose. Dietary restrictions and vegetarian requests should also be accommodated, if necessary. Here are some basic dishes you may come across; your caterer may have her own creative versions of old favorites, as well:

FIRST COURSES:

• Soup or consomme
• Fruit salad
• Pasta with vegetables
• Shrimp cocktail

SECOND COURSES:

• Salad greens with portabello mushrooms
• Sherbet or sorbet
• Fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil
• Prosciutto and melon slices

MAIN COURSES:
(served with items such as baby vegetables, wild rice, etc.)

• Stuffed chicken breasts
• Beef tenderloin
• Lobster ravioli
• Seared tuna
• Chicken Cordon Bleu
• Baby rack of lamb
• Grilled prawns
• New York strip steak
• Ginger chicken

The main entree is sometimes followed by a fourth course, most often a fresh, green salad (in which case soup may be served as the second course, above) or a selection of cheeses.

While the parts of the sit-down dinner are somewhat standard, there are several styles of service. (The style you choose is one factor that determines your final bill, depending on the number of wait staff needed.) Least formal is family style, where platters of food are placed at each table and guests serve themselves. With plated service, the plates are filled in the kitchen then brought out to guests. During French service one waiter holds a tray of food while another serves each guest from it. Finally, Russian service requires extremely coordinated waiters to hold a tray with one hand while serving guests with the other.