Brick Lane Catering had the wonderful pleasure of catering a recent wedding at the Gadsden House. This beautiful new venue is a vision of Charleston with it’s manicured courtyard, long wide porches, and the detailed architecture that can be found inside and out. We have had the pleasure of catering at the Gadsden House before and were excited to be back for such a special wedding.
Since the wedding was in July, the Bride and Groom decided to focus on bright summer colors and a flow that allowed guests to be inside and out. The ceremony was held outside and after, while guests enjoyed cocktail hour on the second floor, Kathleen Shuler (wedding planner at the Gadsden House), flipped the ceremony site into the reception space. Their bar displayed a beautiful floral display and a basket of flip flops so guests could kick off their shoes for something more comfortable. During dinner Brick Lane offered Small Plate Stations so guests could mingle and enjoy the inside of the house or the courtyard. With two stations inside and one out on the porch, it offered the best flow for guests. The highlight was the Taco Station on the porch where the bright summer colors popped next to the Open Faced Taco designed by Chef/Owner Charlie Giordano. Take a look at the menu and a few photos:
Passed Bites Charleston Lump Crab "Bon Bons" Boursin Mousse, Chives Fried Green Tomato "BLT" White Cheddar Pimento, Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Arugula Petite Honey Cured Ham Biscuits Buttermilk Biscuits, Pear & Bacon Jam Station One Low Country Shrimp and Grits Wild Caught Shrimp, Coarse Grained White Grits, Corn, Lobster Tasso Gravy Small Plate Carving Station Chef Attended Southern Style Steak au Poivre Slow Roasted Shoulder Tenderloin of Beef, Gorgonzola Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus Black Pepper Bourbon Cream Sauce Small Plate Open Faced Taco Station Chef Attended Cumin Seared Local Mahi-mahi Flour Tortilla, Pickled Red Onions, Ginger Braised Red Cabbage, Mango Salsa Chicken Mojo Flour Tortilla, Yellow Tomato Pico de Gallo, Cotija Cheese, Cucumber Kim Chee 2-3 Different Hot Sauces
What is a wedding without Passed Hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail hour? Brides want their guest to have a bite while they take photos and before dinner starts. Here are a few things to keep in mind when picking these items out:
Season
-Brick Lane Catering loves to use seasonal ingredients fresh from our local farmers whenever we can. Ask your caterer what is in season locally and how you can incorporate it in your Passed Hors d’oeuvres.
-You also want to keep the temperature of the season in mind as well. You want to provide a possible variety of cold, warm, and ambient temperature items. If it is a warmer month, you definitely want to stay away from a hot soup. However, that doesn’t mean a soup shooter can’t be included. There are some wonderful cold soups like a traditional Gazpacho or some of our personal favorites;
Fresh Peach Shooters
Curried Yogurt, Crisp Prosciutto, Chives
Chilled Cantaloupe Soup
Crisp Prosciutto,Balsamic “Caviar”
Chilled Yellow Tomato Bisque
Balsamic “Caviar”, Basil Oil
Dinner Menu
-Maybe there were a few items you didn’t include in your dinner menu because we were hesitant as to if all your guests would enjoy them. We suggest that you use your Passed Hors d’oeuvres as your chance to offer your guests a variety of flavors and/or items you love but were too afraid other guests wouldn’t.
Size
-Passed Hors d’oeuvres are meant to be 1-2…maybe 3…bites. You want your guests to be able to easily eat these items while mingling and holding a drink. Some items may require more than one bite, and that is ok. Just make sure they are worth it. Here is one of our more popular “big” bites:
Buttermilk Fried Oyster Crostini
Edemame Puree, Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Sweet Indonesian Soy
Guest Allergies/Aversions
-It is always good to have a mix of items such as Seafood, Chicken, Beef, Vegetarian, etc. This way you have a better chance of providing items that the majority of your guests enjoy. Consider making sure there is one item that is Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Cheese Free, or Shellfish Free. This obviously will completely depend on your guests. Remember you know your guests better than your caterer so make sure to make them aware of these allergies/aversions so they can build your menu accordingly.
-Brick Lane Catering suggests never building a menu around a few allergies/aversions. We can always accommodate these needs as they come up and promise to not let anyone leave hungry.
We look forward to helping guide you through the process of picking the best Passed Hors d’oeuvres for your wedding. Until then, enjoy a peak at a few of our most popular items:
Open Faced Triple Cream Brie “PBJ”
Buttermilk Biscuit, Blackberry Preserves, Triple Cream Brie-Peanut Brittle Dust, Fresh Strawberry
Fried Green Tomato “BLT”
White Cheddar Pimento, Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Arugula
“Chicken and Waffles”
Mini Sweet Waffle Cone, Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast, Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce, Micro Greens
Grilled Shrimp and Chorizo Skewers
Sweet Red Pepper Coulis
Charleston Lump Crab “Bon Bons”
Boursin Mousse, Chives
Shrimp and Grit Truffle
Pesto Mayonnaise
Brick Lane Catering is always honoredto be featured alongside of the otherwonderful vendors on Borrowed & Blue. Cibi Eventssure knocked it out of the park with the amazing design of Anna & Anthony’s Charleston wedding at Hibernian Hall. With the vibrant fuchsia and purples tones, theHall was transformed into what one might describe as a high end dance club. When a bride and groom are ready to step outside of the box with a design and idea that isn’t “normal”, Brick Lane Catering can’t wait to jump aboard.
What was Served:
The menu was a mix of Southern staples along with a few unique items. Guestswere greeted at Hibernian Hall with four Passed Items for the first hour. One of the passed was the Brick Lane version of Pigs in a Blanket:
After cocktail hour, guests sat down for a served first course of a menu item that is quickly becoming a hugely popular item, especially in the summer. When guests see this listed on the menu, they are always pleasantly surprised with what they are actually served.
“Spaghetti and Meat Balls”
Local Cucumber “Noodles”, Watermelon, Feta Cheese, African Blue Basil,
Smoked Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette
When guests finished the first course, we opened up Chef Attended Small Plate Stations so that guests got a taste of a variety of flavors and felt free to mingle and take their time enjoying dinner. We ended their catering experience with a beautiful dessert display with three different desserts options. Look at this dessert that fit in just perfect with their color scheme:
Check out the rest of the menu:
Dana Cubbage Weddingscaptured it all and now all the wonderful vendors are featured on Borrowed & Blue. Take a look!
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