Menu - Opinions Needed

I like that idea, especially if they can be stuffed. You can create some great flavors. The game hens are a little fancier than chicken breasts--so go for it! Any other options you're considering?

Why doesn't your venue allow you more than one dinner option?

Poultry is always going to be your safest bet!

Can you do a split plate with 2 proteins? Weddings that I've been to that didn't have an entree choice have usually offered both chicken and beef.

Do they offer duet plates? Our venue encourages only one choice, but the have a lot of duet plate options.

I vote for a duet of chicken and beef, which seems to have become very common, in weddings we attend. If not, please go boneless, with the poultry.

We offered 2 duets plus a vegetarian entrée.

My venue is a Bed and Breakfast and they specialize in small events (I have 30 people). It's just the way they do it there and while it's disappointing, it's a compromise I am ok with. I posted several months ago that the amazing chef who worked there for 15 years had left, but last week the coordinator told me she is back! She had some personal issue so I am not concerned, and in fact an overjoyed, because she is amazing! I know anything she makes is going to be awesome, but chicken breast for 30 people just seems so...uninspired.

Also, I have confirmed that there is zero option for a duet...believe me I tried my ass off!! This will go in my review of the place, because I didn't know about this until three months after putting my deposit down.

Go with a duet if you can. Pass on cornish game hens....too much work for too little reward....and personally, it just feels a little dated.

I'd probably do a stuffed boneless chicken breast; our most popular one was a spinach/asiago/marscapone with a light lemon bechamel...

Although i personally dont know a single person who doesnt eat chicken, id recommend adding at least one other meat.

@Sara I lived abroad for several years so I have the good fortune of expanding my horizons on different foods (probably wouldn't have happened if I stayed in Michigan lol) but it's really not a "gamey" tasting bird. More like a tiny chicken. I wouldn't say it's something popular, but I just think there is less likelihood of it drying out and taste-wise will be more appealing (in my opinion).

@Celia, I did consider a stuffed option, however I just think there is a greater chance that people won't care for the chosen dish. Cornish hens, while maybe a tad boring, should be an all-around crowd pleaser in terms of flavor. What I am most concerned about is the "messy" factor and people feeling uncomfortable eating it in a formal/public setting, rather than at home where you can go to town and not worry about anything.

I wouldn't think they would be too messy. You could definitely eat it with a fork and knife. I personally LOVE Cornish game hens.

I was trying to figure out how to say this, but Celia did it for me. They seem very dated to me -- not to mention the way those small birds looks sitting on a plate (the optics never appealed to me). This may an UO, but if I had the responsibility of selecting a solitary dinner option for every wedding guest, it would not be a game hen (honestly, the single menu item clause is a compromise I wouldn't be willing to make, but that's water under the bridge at this point). Plus, cutting them up takes some finesse, and honestly, there's not a lot of meat on them.

You say there is an "amazing" chef who's been overseeing this kitchen for 15 years -- and after a brief hiatus -- she'll be back for your wedding. I'm sure sees chicken as uninspired -- BEFORE it is prepared (check out any of the cooking shows and see how inspired chicken can be when prepared by the right pair of artistic, experienced hands). If you're really considering the hens because you're worried about "rubbery, bland wedding food", then you chose the wrong venue. I hear that a lot on these forums (bland wedding food), but with the exception of two potlucks I attended 30 years ago, I have never found the food to be bland/overcooked/undercooked/rubbery/poorly conceived. Never.

What options do you have as far as chicken dishes are concerned? Can you taste them before the wedding? The only other thing I can think of is asking if you can bring in an outside caterer, but I don't think a B & B will allow that. Anyway, I say go for the chicken.

As others have said, no to the Cornish game hens. It really was your responsibility to check out the meal options prior to leaving a deposit, but since it's too late to do anything about it now, it's now your responsibility to make the best of it and insure you satisfy the most people with this meal. I vote for chicken.

Well, I certainly wasn't going to lose my 2k deposit once I found out about it, and realistically, who would even imagine that a place that has a restaurant would only offer a set menu? The venue wouldn't even discuss the menu with me until this month, and i posted about it on these forums as well, and was told, by the some of the same people posting here, that I shouldn't worry about it because who wants to design a fall menu in March? Either way, it's water under the bridge and it is what it is. I can't change it and can only make the best of a crappy situation. If I may ask, how exactly is a dish dated? Not asking in a rude way, but because I have never heard of that lol. Like...it was done often 5 years ago? 10? 20?

Like others have said, this is a know-your-guests situation. If I had to pick just one entree, I would definitely not pick the cornish game hen. Out of curiosity, what is the vegetarian option?

A dish can be dated. You probably don't even remember when fondue was all the rage (it went hand in hand with harvest gold and avocado green kitchen appliances back in the 1970's). I cannot look at a fondue pot and not think, "dated". As far as the hens, I remember them being "unique" decades ago (my MIL thought they were impressive back in the day, and I also remember my mom, more than 25 years ago -- thinking it would be a great idea for a holiday meal -- everyone got their own little bird, lol. She got a completely lackluster response).

I understand that you want to make the best of a bad situation, but I'm wondering how you could part with $2K without having a clear understanding of the menu offerings (my son and FDIL, who are getting married a few weeks before you, took three weeks to select their five item menu, but they had the choice of two items, three items, or four items -- plus dietary restrictive meals -- very clearly spelled out with accompanying prices and food descriptions). So much of the reception experience is related to the food, and the fact that they "wouldn't even discuss the menu" with you until this month (I'm wondering if that's based on their chef leaving and recently returning) would have been a deal breaker for me. That's outrageous. Did you sign a written contract before you gave them that much money? I'm not trying to shame you, but I'd be really interested to know what the language in the contract is when it comes to food. Is there anything that says you can't bring in an outside caterer?

What do they offer for vegetarians? My venue (a restaurant) let whoever wanted to order the vegan appetizers/entree. You didn't have to be vegetarian to order it.

This is a destination wedding, and the reason why we chose this place, besides the beautiful location and the inn itself, was the food lol. The chef has 5 star reviews across the board on multiple sites, and we had friends who have gone there and raved about it. We did sign the contract while simultaneously making the down payment. Out of all things, I really didn't expect the food to be our biggest headache. The language just states that we are required to use them for food and alcohol, so bringing an outside caterer is out of the question. I didn't go into it completely blind...they post their menu on their website and all of the food looks amazing. It just comes down to the fact I can't offer two choices that is frustrating, which again I will be posting in my review of the venue once the wedding is over. I will have two vegetarians and a guest that has Celiac disease, and they will have their own meals. I spoke with the chef last week and she has not sent me the final menu, so I don't know what they are offering for the special diets. The ongoing theme with this place has been an extremely laissez-faire attitude and leaving things to the very last minute.

@sara, I don't think you understand what Cornish games hens are. They aren't actually game like venison, they're just mini chickens. The name is a misnomer, they taste like regular chicken. Also OP, Cornish game hens can be overcooked like any other meat. They are not a way to avoid dry/rubber food.

Wow, I am surprised by those against Game Hens. I love them! Every so often, I make them on top of a cornbread stuffing. The birds are split in half and cooked on top of the stuffing. Mmm, mmm.

Hmm, now I may have to go get a Game Hen. ;-)