Caterers and "ethnic" food

We do multiple types of cuisine including Middle Eastern. It is really going to depend on the chef. If that venues chef can't do it, look at other caterers that can. Your caterer should be able to have all the equipment that you need inside their quote. Most (not all) venues are going to have tables and chairs. It would be china, linen, silver, glassware that you need. It's all stuff that we handle regularly.

Well the restaurant we would have cater doesn't really provide dinnerware (except plastic/paper). A few of the venues I've looked at actually don't provide tables and linens. And the venue that I really love says you must use their caterer.

Having middle eastern cuisine is extremely important to us. We want to serve great food and everyone loves middle eastern. I can't imagine serving anything else.

Where are you located?

Again, even if the venue doesn't keep tables, hiring a full service caterer will end that problem. We aren't a restaurant. We are used to bringing everything in, including kitchens if necessary. You can rent a venue and bring in a full service caterer that can do the food you want.

But are most full-service caterers able to cook good middle eastern food? All the sample menus I've looked at are of American/French/Italian food.

I used to be in catering sales and we always "outsourced" ethnic food like that (partnered with a restaurant/other vendor who specialized in it) because it can be tough to get it right. However, we would only do it for ethnic/religious reasons and not just because it was someone's preference. If you are of Middle Eastern descent, that's the only way I could see it working without you being charged extra. If you are still insisting on it, talk to your venue and see if they would set it up for you. Just keep in mind that you will probably have to pay extra.

We don't outsource anything. We do a good amount of middle eastern food. We also do Italian, French, Haitian, Indian and typical American dishes. We experiment with things until they are to our liking. We have people here form diverse backgrounds. And honestly, we like food. A lot.

Now, will an average caterer near you be good at middle eastern foods? Probably. You are going to have to do some legwork and start calling places. Ask if they do specific items that way you can get the feel of their comfort level.

Lauren - no I'm not of middle eastern descent. i would love it if the venue could outsource it, because i have a restaurant in mind that is really really good. the venue also does the cake for us, but we don't want a cake, we want middle eastern desserts.

Crystals - thanks for all the help. i don't live near your area so i don't think we could use your catering service. but i hope someone in my area can give us what we want. i really hope the venue that has their own restaurant can fit our needs...this is the main thing that's making me hesitate about the place. i'll have to ask.

So it sounds like the all-inclusive venue is pretty particular...meaning the restaurant would be making and serving the food and I wouldn't be able to outsource it. Reviews rave about how good the food is...I just hope they're also good at middle eastern food. Not my only venue option, but my top choice. I wish there were more catering companies that did ethnic food (at least there aren't a ton in my are)