As the Summer comes to a close many businesses are going through the end of season ritual of saying goodbye to their Summer interns.  We bid farewell to our two interns a few weeks back and their absence is surely being felt in all departments.  While some may part ways with a simple lunch or card signed by all the employees one of our clients decided to wish their students and summer associates well with a luncheon at a private residence last week.

Guests were treated to a variety of passed hors d’oeuvre including grilled scallops on a wasabi cracker with sweet chili sauce, grilled vegetable napoleons with herbed cheese, and spedini de mozzarella with prosciutto just to name a few.

The buffet, adorned with rustic BBQ themed décor, included grilled sirloin with discs of blue cheese walnut butter and grilled chicken breasts with sun-dried tomato demi.  Accompaniments to the main dishes consisted of Summer garden cheese tortellini salad, fresh fruit and chocolate dipped strawberries.

The atmosphere and conversation was full of wisdom and sound advice from veteran employees.  While the interns set out for another year of schooling, maybe their second, maybe their last, they have their whole lives ahead of them; they need only open the door to a world of possibility.  We so enjoyed being a part of this celebration of learning and thank our long time client for once again choosing J. Scott Catering.

Today, while feeling quite sentimental, I leave you with this-

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand. ~Vince Lombardi

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Every culture celebrates this bond with different traditions symbolizing the journey the couple is about to embark upon.  This past weekend we catered a wedding for a young couple of which the bride was of Polish decent.  At the reception it is tradition for the parents of the bride to give the gift of bread, salt and wine to the couple to help them understand their new lives together.  The bread is for the hope that the couple will never go hungry, the salt is a reminder that life may be difficult at times and the wine gives hope that the couple will never go thirsty.  While these traditions may have been born from years past filled with hardship, they find a place in the 21^st century to remind us how fortunate we all are.

Through food, we are able to assist couples in making this seamless transition by incorporating items that celebrate the bride and grooms different cultures while also embracing new traditions they will create together. The couple themed their wedding around Hawaii and as such the décor for the stationary hor d’oeuvre table, which included a varietal cheese display, was Hawaiian inspired.

The hor d’oeuvre list included sesame California rolls, miniature classic Caesar salads, chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce, Portobello mushroom and fontina quesadilla and several other culturally diverse dishes.

Entrees included seared tilapia with jalapeno pineapple salsa and pesto rubbed flank steak thinly sliced and topped with tomato concasse.  Both entrees were accompanied by roasted red bliss potatoes and grilled seasonal vegetable batons.

The guests enjoyed a J. Scott exclusive in our black bars at the Phoenixville Foundry where this couples wedding was celebrated.  Adorned with candlelight filled lanterns and tall black lighthouses it is a piece that adds a special character to the venues atmosphere. The Foundry itself is a celebration of old meets new as it is a fully renovated steel foundry used for over 100 years.

We truly enjoy working with couples to achieve their dream wedding whether it is 100% traditional, a mix of the past and present or a modern affair.  Congratulations to the couple, from all of us at J. Scott Catering we wish you the best in the years to come.

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It appears Chef Morrison and his team are constantly serving up new and interesting hors d’oeuvres for the many J. Scott Catering events. You are never given the opportunity to make a second first impression. The tantalizingly tasty morsels that our servers distribute throughout the party are the event attendees’ first taste of J. Scott cuisine. It is extremely important to be sure that these appetizers generate excitement and anticipation for the meal to come. This week the office conference room was home to yet another client tasting. Our hors d’oeuvres stole center stage as the tasting was set for a cocktail reception. The afternoon’s clients were happy to sit back and enjoy some fabulous finger foods courtesy of the J. Scott kitchen.

First, three different skewered appetizers were served to our hungry guests. They started with a lime marinated chicken skewer with an avocado cream dip. The hint of lime superbly complimented the creamy avocado. The next two Asian inspired dishes were a wok prepared Cantonese Chow Chow beef skewer, and a Japanese style grilled beef skewer with Ponzu sauce. Ponzu has a tart, citrus flavor and is combined with soy sauce to make a unique and savory dressing for the beef.

As our menu direction took a turn and moved away from the Far East, we picked up a few seafood dishes crossing the great pond en route back west. The clients were treated to a seared, bacon wrapped scallop, as well as a set if lump crab cakes with chile crème fraiche. Both dishes sported a fresh caught taste, and were a great addition to the chicken and beef skewers.

Our tasting trip around the globe came to a close as our menu items touched down gracefully back home in Malvern P.A. The journey would not be complete without adding a taste of home sweet home into the mix. The mini cheese steaks with whiz added a touch of Philly flair, and the tray of mini whimpy burgers made for an unmistakably classic American taste. In the end the clients appeared to be incredibly pleased with the selection, and were sure their cocktail was going to be a hit.

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Last Week the J. Scott team had a blast gathering together with the premiere restaurateurs, retailers, and personalities of the area at Main Line Today’s annual Best of the Main Line Party. This year’s theme was a summer bash beach blowout as the Drexelbrook was transformed into a shore-goer’s paradise.

Guests eagerly funneled into the venue by way of the boardwalk entrance. Signs of the beach could be seen everywhere, from the gigantic sandcastle and shovel that guarded the door, to the many boardwalk themed games and eateries. We at J. Scott were able to add a touch of summer spirit to the party by providing our own highly qualified and surprisingly talented lifeguard to man the elevated post. Luckily enough, his life saving services were not needed for this year’s celebration; however, he was able to provide some supplementary entertainment with the musical stylings of his Ukulele playing. A few famous mainline faces were intrigued by our multitalented crew member, and stopped to take the time to snap a quick picture or two.

Our team was rubbing elbows with everyone from government officials, local news and weather personalities, collegiate athletes and coaches, not to mention the strong showing of representatives from the many “Best of” candidates. Spirits were soaring high as everyone in attendance was excited to sample the many treats and gifts, meet some new faces, and dance the night away to the rhythms of local Philly band Jellyroll.

Our life guard stand wasn’t the only thing attracting guests to the J. Scott Catering booth. Chef Erin Morrison’s team was able to put together a sampler dish that had visitors feeling “just beachy”. A variation of your classic boardwalk burger and fries, our crew was serving up pulled Jamaican jerk chicken sandwiches. The sandwiches were topped with a grilled pineapple salsa and accompanied by a side of sweet potato chips. Guests were able to wash these spicy morsels down with an icy cold draft of Dos Equis Beer.

The night had one more great surprise in store. The J. Scott party planners put a ton of time and effort into making sure that our beached themed display was ship shape, and up to the highest standards. The bamboo tent was dressed up to look like a trendy beach hideaway. Decorated with grass skirting, colorful sea shells, and authentic pier lanterns, our display looked like an illustration from Robert Luis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. We found that our hard work truly paid off as our booth was awarded first place for “Best Display Down the Shore Theme”.

J. Scott Catering was honored to receive the award because there were so many other fantastic beach themed displays at the venue. Heading home with the “Best of” award for Best Caterer, as well as Best Beach Display, was definitely a great achievement for our organization as we are constantly striving to improve and deliver at a high level of quality and creativity. After a great night at the awards party, J. Scott hopes to continue to be the best of the Main Line, and make an appearance at the event again next year.

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