TAPAS - [Tah-pahs] pl n.

(especially in Spain) a snack or appetizer, typically served with wine or beer.

By Dictionary Definition, Tapas is listed as a snack or appetizer typically served with wine or beer, but here at Christiani's we know that Tapas are so much more than that. For us, it's an art form in the purest sense. It's a way for us to focus on the theme of a dish and turn it into something spectacular. Our Chefs create intricate stations that allow your guests to graze from one station to the next and experience many different types of food. This may seem very different from your standard  buffet, but that's because it is. Tapas gives you the option to step back from the traditional buffet display, and encourages your guests to mingle! This less formal style of dining is set for some guest seating but with many open cocktail tables (again, to encourage a light and easy flow). Typically our clients choose between 3 and 4 of these stations from a large variety of tapas options listed on our website. One of the most popular station combinations includes:

A Fresh Salad Bar, served in fun Chinese Takeout Boxes Including

•  Fresh Tuscan Salad with Summer Melon
• Sesame Asian Noodle Salad
• Classic Caesar Salad
• Spring Garden Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

A Delicious Pasta Bar Served to Order Including

• Stuffed Shells with Marinara Sauce
• Penne with Meatballs and Sweet Sausage
• Fettucini with Creamy Basil Pesto
• Grated Romano Cheese, Red Pepper Flakes, Italian Bread and Butter

And A Succulent Carving Station Sliced and Served Right in Front of You

• Top of the Round Roast Beef with Au Jus and Horseradish Cream Sauce
• Garlic and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Chianti Demiglace
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes 

Most of our stations are attended by a Chef, so they are also interacting with your guests as they enjoy a delicious variety of flavors. Our newest interactive station can really bring the heat to any event. We call it The Brazilian Flame Station, where our trained chefs dazzle your guests with open skillets and glowing torches toasting your meat selections to absolute perfection, right there before your very eyes. This upgraded station is a true conversation piece for any type of celebration and can be customized to toast and roast your favorite Christiani's delicacies.

The Flame Station

Drink Stations

                                                                           The Beer Buffet

What would Tapas be without the perfect drink companion? If you haven't already got your heart set on a signature drink, then the sky's the limit with our interchangeable drink stations. Depending on your style and menu selections we can recommend a beverage pair or you can choose from a wide list of beer and wine selections displayed as you desire. Does a loaded Beer Buffet sound right up your ally? Or does a glistening                Wine Tree speak to your style? Perhaps a 4 foot Mojito Giraffe will act as the perfect compliment to your menu selection. Either way, we've got you covered.

The Wine Tree

OR.....          Make it an Appetizer Tree

Beverage Giraffes

The Bubbly Bar

                                                                      P ass the Bubbly!

 

Truly the most interactive station yet, our BRAND NEW BUBBLY BAR features an incredible selection of juices and fresh fruits to be added to sparkling champagne for a unique custom made drink by you! Find out more information about this trendy station as well as many other specialty drink ideas on our "Specialty Drink" blog post!

Don't Forget Desert!

The Tower 

One of our most popular displays over the last few years has proven itself time and time again, The Temptation Tower. This 5 foot acrylic mountain is a show stopper at every event. Its clean, sharp lines and massive height makes this production something your guests won't soon forget. It works as a display piece for your choice of superb deserts, whether it be traditional wedding cupcakes or fresh individual cakes and pastries. Its the must-have alternative to a traditional wedding cake.  

                THE FONDUE STATION

Another popular alternative to the traditional wedding cake set up is our bubbling Fondue Station. Delicious fresh strawberry's, giant fluffy marshmallows, juicy pineapple, and crunchy salted pretzels make for the perfect dunkers in our chocolate fondue. That's right, that pink stuff is chocolate! And not just any chocolate, rich & creamy sweet milk chocolates custom colored and ordered to perfectly match your theme.

THE S'MORES BAR

Our S'mores Bar is one of our newest creation and it has been a HUGE success! Crunchy grahm crackers hand-dipped in rich milk chocolate and covered in sweet, fluffy marshmallow toasted right in front of you by our trained staff for that warm goey fireside feeling. This station goes over extremely well as a Late Night Snack station to be enjoyed as your guests dance the night away.

To see more Desert ideas go to our youtube archive and click on the "Deserts" video. Or visit our facebook page to find a direct link at Christianis Catering and Events

Wed. Ed. Signature Drinks

  

Vodka Lemonade Fountain

  Signature Drinks 101


1. SIGNATURE STYLE Signature Drinks are a fun and unique way to show off your wedding style as a couple. A signature drink can say a lot about the newly-weds, for example; Is a towering Vodka Lemonade Fountain (as featured right) your style? Or are you more of a sassy Strawberry Champagne Martini? Maybe Classy Cosmo speaks more to you? Signature drinks are popular because they appeal to a broad range of guests without being too over the top, and it adds an extra memory to the wedding experience.

 

   


Beverage Giraffes

 

 

2. GO SEASONAL  Get inspired by the seasons when choosing party elements like reception cocktails. Many specialty drinks are based on the time of year - Sangria is great for summer weddings with fresh fruit medleys and refreshing chilled wine. Keep the Spirit of the season throughout your event - Bright colored fruits in summers, natural textures in fall and in-season florals like tulips and daffodils in spring time.

 

 

Wed. Ed. CHAIR COVERS

TIPS FROM THE TEAM :

RULE #26  GO FOR THE CAPS!
 
 
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that every bride wants to get the biggest 'BANG' for her buck, but all the individual costs of decor enhancements can add up fast. Brides frequently ask me,
"What's best way to stretch my decor enhancements without stretching my budget?" And I almost always say, "Go for the CHAIR CAPS" 
So many brides love the chic cohesive look of chair covers, especially if the chairs your venue provides are less than fashionable. However, when they see the price tag, many shut the idea down entirely. A full sized chair cover can cost up to 5 or 6 dollars PER CHAIR, and thats just your standard white covers. Amazingly enough, our designers have come up with a better, cheaper way to hide those shabby chairs and transform the look of a hall with our new Chair Caps. These babies cover the back of the chair as well as the back legs, so whether the chairs are pushed in, or the guests are seated, the most important part is covered, and they only cost TWO dollars. Here at Christianis, we're so excited about this new product that we're even throwing in custom colored sashes to match your accents! So for HALF THE PRICE you get TWICE THE WOW. How's that for 'BANG'?

Exclusively at JESTER PARK LODGE

Tips From the Team

TIPS FROM THE TEAM :
Remember that bridal magazines are a guideline for inquiring brides, not a sacred scripture. Many columns will give you tips on every loophole and corner to cut when trying to save a few extra pennies, but there are a few things they don't tell you that you would do well to consider.

RULE #253
LESS IS NOT ALWAYS MORE


CONSIDER THIS :: LESS IS NOT ALWAYS MORE : when trying to decide what kind of bar package to choose, overshooting is okay. No, not everyone will be drinking alcohol at your event but why worry about running out? Don't you have enough to fret over? There's no faster way to bring a raging party to a screeching halt than to run out of bar supplies, and no bride wants to hear "sorry we're all out, you only ordered drinks for half of your guests" at 9:00pm... So while trying to save a few bucks by low-balling the estimate of drinkers, consider your priorities. Perhaps you'd rather shoot low for your Hors D'eouvres considering that everyone will be mingling, bubbly, and waiting to congratulate you.

Salisbury House : Wedding Reception
May 19th, 2012

As previously mentioned in our last blog post, one of the most unique and highly esteemed venues in Des Moines (and arguably the state of Iowa) is the Salisbury House and Gardens located just south of Grand Ave. This regal estate stretches over a breathtaking terrace of cobblestone paths and looming brick archways lined with freshly primped shrubs and elegant gardens. Last Saturday we had the pleasure of catering a fabulous wedding reception at this priceless venue. Take a look at the video we've posted and see for yourself! This clip is a quick glance of the set up uniquely designed for this event. You'll get a sneak peek of the hors d'ouevres display as well as the bar set-up, the desert station, and guest seating arrangements.

What They Loved: something that can make or break the vibe or feel of your event but is often overlooked : THE FLOW : This event couldn't have run any smoother if we had greased the aisle with shea butter ourselves! The ceremony took place just a few yards away from the dance floor/patio in the extraordinary serene Salisbury Garden, so when it was over, the guests turned right around and walked up the cobblestone steps right into cocktail hour! There was no hustle and confusion between guests lining up to get directions and drive over to the reception hall because it was literally a bouquet-toss distance away. The guests were greeted with friendly smiles from our highly-trained staff at Christiani's as well as : HAND PASSED HORS D'EOUVRES : This new functional way of treating your friends and family to tasty appetizers and scrumptious sangria is a huge hit with this years brides. This Saturday's bride chose a mouth-watering trifecta of Tomato Basil Mozzarella Bruschetta; Mango, Chimmi-Churi, and Cocktail Shrimp Shooters; and Fruity Traditional Sangria to be hand passed to their guests as they entered the reception area. As seen in the video, they also opted for a Stuffed Mushroom Station on the patio to be served along with the hand-passed appetizers.  And to tempt their guests even further, just behind the bar wall you'll see the towering desert station that we've fittingly named
: THE TEMPTATION TOWER : This massive desert display was the talk of all the guests as it was gradually filled with one decadently sweet treat after the other. This bride ixnayed the traditional 2 tiered wedding cake and opted for a whopping 5 foot beautifully lit display of Heath Bar Cheesecakes, Chocolate Bacci Tortes, Peach Crostadas, and Lemon Blueberry Tarts. Needless to say, it more than won over her guests, and it's convenient location just inside the bar cove played well with the flow of the event.

Venue vs Caterer

May 23rd, 2012 : Venue VS Caterer
                                                                                                -NO LONGER A BATTLE

One of my favorite parts as a Event Designer is viewing and experiencing new Venues and taking the "vision" our brides create and tastefully fusing them with the natural beauty and unique qualities a venue has to offer. At the Salisbury House (for example), original beauty and traditional class are never in short supply. The highly esteemed layout offers a truly unique, yet extremely functional flow for your guests to enjoy while helping you celebrate your big day. This being said, the antique style mansion isn't exactly paved for just any bulky caterer and all the works that accompany such.

So, when it comes time to choose your venue, keep in mind that not all caterers will be able to accommodate such unique work spaces kink-free. When you fall in love with that perfect spot, do your homework! Take time to talk with the hall coordinator and ask them who's on their preferred caterers list. They'll be able to tell you which caterers they've had the best experiences with, and who this season's brides are raving about. Lucky for us, Christiani's Catering is on the preferred caterers list for over a dozen venues in the Greater Des Moines area, and the Exclusive Caterer at Jester Park Lodge in Granger.

So what does this mean for you as a bride? It means you can feel totally secure and confident knowing that your caterer has been around the aisle a few times, if you will. ESPECIALLY if you've made the smart choice to go with a full-service caterer like Christiani's Catering. Christiani's has been around long enough to know what works and what doesn't, without stifling or smothering your dream. We've been an independent family owned business in Des Moines for over 32 years with over 6,000 successfully catered events under our belt, and we're proud of it. We strive in every way imaginable to take you from overwhelmed frazzled bride, to super-confident wedding planner of the decade. We want to make you feel the way a bride should; large and in charge of the one day she's been dreaming about her whole life. We've spent the last quarter century planning your day to superb perfection, so what are you waiting for? Let's team up to make your shining vision a glowing memory.

Join Christiani's on Sunday, March 28, 2010 at the Iowa State Alumni Center Wedding Salon Bridal Show. Christiani's will be the premier vendor and sponsor, featuring various foods and decorations.

The event will be Noon- 3:00pm at the Iowa State Alumni Center:
420 Beach Avenue Ames, Iowa, 50011.

(The Alumni Center is in the Iowa State Center Complex between C.Y. Stephens Auditorium and Jack Trice Stadium).
www.isualumnicenter.org