Critique My Holiday Open House Menu
 

My wife and I are hosting a "Holiday Open House" at our home next Saturday. Expecting around 20-25 people in total. Adults only. Mostly friends we've met through our son's school, with a few neighbors and work colleagues thrown in the mix. Not a formal event. Starts around 6 pm.

Intent is to be finger foods, mostly with a New York City theme (we're East Coast transplants in the Midwest). What I cannot get local is ordered through Goldbelly.

Menu:

• Cheese Board (TBD, but thinking 5 cheeses with at least one washed rind cows milk, one aged cows milk (cheddar or gruyere type), one blue, and one goat's milk, with a spot for something local if I can find a good one); served w/ a variety of crackers, fresh fruit, and some type of preserve (TBD)
• Chateaubriand Crostini Topped w/ Horseradish Sauce (it's the Midwest, not offering something with beef is a hanging offense ;) )
• Scottish Smoked Salmon (Sourced from Sables in NYC) on Mini Potato Latkes w/ Crème Fraiche and Minced Shallot or Chives (may do some w/ caviar as an option if I can find it)
• Sables Smoked Whitefish Salad on H&H Bagel Chip w/ Pickled Jalapeno
• Mini Country Ham Biscuits from Callie's Hot Little Biscuit in Charleston, SC

Desserts:

• Italian Christmas Cookie Tray from Veniero's in NYC
• Mini Black & White Cookies from William Greenburg in NYC

Drinks:

• Cave Dweller Red (Blend, Mostly Cab and Syrah) & Chardonnay from Porter Family Vineyards in Napa
• Schramsburg Blanc-de-Blanc Sparkling Wine from Napa
• Tattinger Champagne (the Business Class one)
• JW Black
• Woodford Bourbon
• St. George Gin
• Avion Tequila
• Tito's Vodka
• Mixers (Fever Tree, Ginger Ale, Sparkling Water, Ginger Beer)
• Soft Drinks
• Water

With a mix of pre-made items that just need heated and cook more complicated than roasting meat, I think the food prep is largely assembly. Idea is not to have to do much work once the guests arrive, other than general hosting duties. We wanted to hire a waiter, but there is no service for this in our city. At least none that we could find.

Any thoughts? Menu too simple? Too much?

Thanks!

I would add at least 2 good beers. Many people ONLY drink beer. Unless you know that's not the case with this group.

My 2 thoughts:
- Wish I was invited!
- Do you think you need some kind of vegetarian/vegan/non-meat/fish option beyond the fruit and cheese? These days folks are pretty picky....

This is why I asked! I knew I was forgetting something. We have some decent regional craft beers, mostly out of MI and OH that I can get. Thanks!!!

Yum!

I would add a lighter red.

Good point. I don't know that anyone is a vegetarian, but I don't know that they aren't either. Any good ideas? Mini quiches are easy, but completely unoriginal (and no good for vegans).

This was my thought. Some kind of vegetable option to offset all the meat and cheese. Vegetable tray. Bruschetta. Caprese skewers. Falafel balls with tahini dip.

I order a few bottles of Calera Central Coast Pinot. Thanks for the tip!

I'm thinking something served in endive.

Gorgeous. Bon app!

It all sounds wonderful!! Lucky guests. If you want something vegetarian how about either some kind of pasta (pumpkin ravioli?) or a artichoke heart tart in filo?
I think I would add another dessert....something decadent like a flourless chocolate cake. I think people tend to indulge in sweets over the holidays.Or keeping with the NYC theme....cheesecake.
Great menu and I love your choice of bubbles...2 of my faves. I hope you are going to have lots of kitchen/serving help to keep trays of food replenished and clear dirty dishes/glasses etc.
Eggnog? Coffee?

How about hummus in endive? Or just hummus dip anywhere. And I wouldn't put horseradish on top of every beef - some people don't like it. Maybe a pimiento or similar on top of half. Or serve the horseradish sauce in a bowl on the side.

And speaking of preserves for your cheese board....I've recently been educated that a good choice is a cutting preserve, or membrillo, which is thicker than jam-type preserves. A local choice here in the PNW, but I'm not sure you'll find it in Indiana, is Girl Meets Dirt. Other brands will probably be in Whole Foods or that type of store. And if you're embracing your "NYC to the Midwest" story, Girl Meets Dirt was a girl who was from Washington State (orcas island I believe), went to NYC to work on Wall Street, missed the PNW, and came back to be a farmer.

Lots of good ideas above. As a fellow Midwesterner, who's also familiar with South Bend (according to your profile, correct?), I think you have a good menu that would be considered more upscale/fancy vs. casual. Looks like you're balancing that by serving buffet style. We did something similar about 2 years ago. The two big differences were shrimp cocktail (a big hit) and a veggie tray (nearly untouched).

We knew, however, that we had no vegetarians. I don't think people expect you to know and cater to their vegetarianism. Often they'll eat a bit before going to a party. But a veggie tray is a safe and affordable option to give them something to munch on with a drink.

Also a note on the bar. It looks pretty good. We had an event with about 75 people this summer, and bought two bottles of gin. Literally one gin drink was poured all night...and it was mine. So if you're not a gin drinker, keep that in mind. Consider if you want a digestif of some sort. Or maybe don't put it on the bar, but bring it out later in the evening. If nothing else it's a good sign you're wrapping up and want people to go home :D.

BTW, your salmon and whitefish dishes made me really hungry. We just ordered 6 lbs of smoked salmon/whitefish/trout from Charlie's in Door County and I'm hoping it arrives soon!

I second the ideas for beer and veggies. I usually just include a crudités tray since you can buy them at the grocery store. Whatever is not used after the party I put in salads for a few days after. A vegetarian cooked dish beyond veggies would be welcome too. Maybe just mac and cheese, what with it being Indiana and all :D

If you want easy ideas, Trader Joes has lots of good frozen finger food.

IME no one eats a crudite tray at a party no matter how beautifully arranged or how fancy it looks. There should be a non-meat/non seafood option but I think this party could use something nicer than a veggie platter.