ooooh a google gadget, snort snort

Food tasting!

While we were in St. Louis for Christmas break, we made an appointment with Catering St. Louis to try out a few dishes to decide on for our wedding reception. Doug and I aren't crazy on buffet style food so we both wanted a nice sit down meal. We brought along Doug's family and had no idea what to expect. They had a lovely table all set up and the chef came out with our selected dishes to talk about them. WOW, it was so much food! We basically got a presentation plate to see how it would look, but then each of us got a half portion of the food for each dish we tried! It ended up being like having a couple dinners in one sitting.

We tried the pesto rubbed oven roasted halibut with a roasted tomato cream sause and wild rice sauté, with asparagus. It was very delicious and right then I knew we had our work cut out for us. Then we tried the grilled jumbo shrimp and grilled medallions of beef tenderloin with mustard demi glace accomanied with wild mushroom risotta cake. WOW, this was amazing. I am a vegetarian and don't eat beef so I just ate the shrimp and the risotto cake. The risotta cake alone was so awesome and the shrimp were huge and well seasoned and super delicious. We then tried the Grilled medallions of beef tenderloin layered with mushroom duxelle and camembert cheese with a balsamic infused demi glace. I didn't eat this dish and tried the marinated portobello/vegetarian option instead. It was just ok for the price and I hope no one orders it. HA. So the winner was definitely the shrimp and beef tenderloin with the risotto cake. Of course we pick the most expensive dish. EEK! But what is great is that you can get it as is or get double beef or double shrimp if you don't eat one or the other. I will be having double shrimp which makes me super happy since I thought I was going to get stuck eating a mushroom cap at my wedding.

We then tried the first courses served in this order so that we could choose something that would best compliment our main dish. We tried a delicious puff pastry tart but decided on the Tomato, Artichoke, and Boursin Beggars Purse on a Bed of Field Greens tossed with a Pesto Vinaigrette and topped with Marinated Shaved Carrots because of how much food you're getting with the dinner. We then tried appetizers which we realized was way too much food! Between first course, the meal and the cake, people are going to be well fed at our wedding for sure!

Bridesmaid dresses

I was all hung up on these white Priscilla of Boston dresses with a beautiful black flower pattern on them. I love the idea of a patterned dress at a wedding. Solid colors are nice but can be kinda boring. And my bridesmaid didn't want to wear yellow, which is kind of a bummer and is our primary wedding accent color. I love yellow and it would look lovely on all of them I am sure... but I didn't want to force the issue. However, these dresses were impossible to find! I finally found them in Birmingham by my house at Kate's but am worried it is much too late to place the order. I would get them May 1st! A bit too close for comfort probably. I am going to take a look at them in person with Marie (my MOH) tomorrow and will decide then.
When we were in St. Louis, Jill, Sara and I drove around from department store to department store and a even hit up a couple bridal salons and had no luck. We did find a dress we liked a lot and fit everyone wonderfully at White House Black Market on sale for 68 I believe instead of 170 something. Sweet! They have a great pattern on them and Sara loves it so much she wore it to a New Years eve party already. Now I just have to find some yellow shoes to compliment their yellow bouquets! I can't post the link to the dresses here - it would ruin the surprise. I don't think anyone reads this though besides me, but whatever.