Plan: 2008 Heartland Gathering in Chicago Aug 8-10

[tammylc]

Time to talk logistics. But first, a little bit of history, from the only eGulleteer who has attended all the Gatherings!

At the first Heartland Gathering, way back in 2003 in Grand Rapids, people made what they wanted, we put a bunch of food out on a long table that we all sat at, and we passed platters and bowls around. There were about 25 of us for dinner.

In 2005 and 2006, I hosted the Gathering at my cohousing community in Ann Arbor. We had a kitchen set up and dishes that were able to accommodate a more formal dining style, and we served dinner over several courses, sometimes serving family style and frequently individually plating. People took charge of courses, recruited sous chefs as necessary, and were responsible for making enough for each person at the meal. We had between 30 and 35 diners.

In 2007, it was assumed that we'd need to find a place that would let us do the same thing, and NancyH and her crew in Cleveland found a church with a great setup for us, and we did the same combination of plated and family style dining by courses, for about 30 people.

Enter Chicago in 2008, and we've got 90 people coming to dinner on Saturday. This calls for a necessary change in the logistics of the event. So before I start finding out who's interested in cooking what, I wanted to get some ideas from people on how we'd like to structure the meal.

Some initial ideas:

Option 1 - we put everything out on a buffet table at once, and load up our plates wedding style, table by table. Anybody who wants to make anything can, in whatever quantity they desire, so we have small amounts of lots of things, like a potluck.

Option 2 - same as option 1, but we have a smaller number of people taking charge of a dish and making enough for 30-40 people.

Option 3 - we serve courses, but all family style, nothing individually plated. Each course has several options, and we have a smaller number of people making enough for 30-40 people.

Option 4 - we try to do it as close to 2005-2007 as possible, and serve courses family style with each course sized to serve 90 people. Each course has one person "in charge" and sous chefs to help pull it off at quantity.

Option 5 - some hybrid of any or all of the above.

Those are my thoughts. What do you all think?

Note: There will be several of us in attendance who have experience serving meals for 50 or more - me, Calipoutine, and at least one other person whose name I am forgetting. So we would be available to help cooks figure out quantities and process for making larger quantities than they're used to.

[karen m]

Option 2, 3.,and 4 - seems the most interactive and most fun.

Yes this is my first gathering, I look forward to it and appreciate the past production procedures of Option 4 .

It may depend on the dish too. For instance , ( and I hope I'm not jumping too far ahead ). I was thinking of making Keller's Confit Byaldi

( Ratatoulle ). This can work easily with all options. But, it would be more enjoyable to do this with others.

Likewise I love, love , love to do prep work. So working with a team on their dish would be just as satisfying.

[tammylc]

It may depend on the dish too.  For instance , ( and I hope I'm not jumping too far ahead ).  I was thinking of making Keller's Confit Byaldi

( Ratatoulle ).  This can work easily with all options.  But, it would be more enjoyable to do this with others.

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No worries, Karen - regardless of which option we take, you'll probably be working with others. Even cooking a dish for 30 or 40 is big enough to be a team job.

[prasantrin]

I'm not sure I understand 3. Does it mean, for example, that all the appetizers are put out at once, and everyone eats. Then people go back and make the mains, then everyone eats. Then desserts, then everyone eats? So each course is interrupted by eating? Or are some people working while other people are eating?

[CaliPoutine]

Note: There will be several of us in attendance who have experience serving meals for 50 or more - me, Calipoutine, and at least one other person whose name I am forgetting. So we would be available to help cooks figure out quantities and process for making larger quantities than they're used to.

I laugh at this only because I still dont think I have it figured out. I ALWAYS end up making too much food. I really need to get a handle on this because I probably could have made about $100-200 more at the last catering job. I also seem to recall making way too much pasta primavera at the gathering in 2006.

My first thought was to vote for #1. This was the easiest option last Thanksgiving at my Senior Dining meal. Of course, there were only 6 dishes and we did it buffet style.

Is there room in the kitchen for everyone to be cooking at once? Or, is it feasible to have mini buffets( first apps, then salads, then mains) taking breaks between the courses? I know for me, I love having the breaks since I'm usually so full by the time dessert rolls around.

PS: I wanna make a salad and a dessert.

[Jean Blanchard]

Tom,

I'd be interested in the bread workshop and I have a KitchenAid mixer that I can loan you. I also have a kitchen with two ovens but I live in Naperville and I think that's too far for people to travel.

Jean

[tammylc]

I'm not sure I understand 3.  Does it mean, for example, that all the appetizers are put out at once, and everyone eats.  Then people go back and make the mains, then everyone eats.  Then desserts, then everyone eats?  So each course is interrupted by eating?  Or are some people working while other people are eating?

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In our typical flow, people worked throughout the afternoon prepping their food. When meal time came around, a bunch of people would jump in to help plate a course (either family style or individual), it would go out to the diners, everyone would eat, and another course would be started. Depending on the food item and the cooks, some people chose not to eat the course before theirs if they needed to do a lot of last minute preparation. The pacing is considerably more relaxed than a typical restaurant meal.

[tammylc]

Is there room in the kitchen for everyone to be cooking at once?  Or, is it feasible to have mini buffets( first apps, then salads, then mains) taking breaks between the courses?  I know for me, I love having the breaks since I'm usually so full by the time dessert rolls around.

PS:  I wanna make a salad and a dessert.

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I like the mini-buffet idea if we opt for a buffet over family style. And I agree with you about the breaks being nice.

[tino27]

Heartland Gathering Bread Workshop

Friday, August 8th

So far, I have:

edsel

karen m

Amy Viny

CaliPoutine (*)

Jean Blanchard

(*) = probable

[tino27]

Tom,

I'd be interested in the bread workshop and I have a KitchenAid mixer that I can loan you.  I also have a kitchen with two ovens but I live in Naperville and I think that's too far for people to travel. 

Jean

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Jean --

Being unfamiliar with the Chicago and surrounding areas, I'll take your word on the distance. However, thank you very much for generously donating the use of your KitchenAid mixer though. I'll be bringing mine up as well. I figure it we can get between 3-4 mixers, we should be able to rock and roll during the workshop.

Thanks,

Tom

[NancyH]

Have people from out of town decided where they are staying yet? I have a reservation at the Evanston Best Western, but I'm considering moving - I don't know the geography really well (what is the loop?).

[Alex]

Have people from out of town decided where they are staying yet?  I have a reservation at the Evanston Best Western, but I'm considering moving - I don't know the geography really well (what is the loop?).

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The Best Western would be a good choice for someone arriving on Saturday or maybe Friday. I see you're in on Thursday, though, so I think that staying in or near central Chicago is a better option. You'll be centrally located for all the non-Saturday events, there's more to do and see during your non-eG time, plus it's an easy train or cab ride to Evanston.

At least four of us, and possibly more, are staying at the Hyatt Regency Chicago because of a terrific deal via Priceline.com ($59/night for most of us). It's close to Michigan Ave and about a half-mile walk to the CTA trains (aka the "L"). If you want to try the Priceline route, select "Name your own price," then when you get to the Chicago page select "Millennium Park, Loop & Grant Park Area" and "4-star Deluxe." Enter 59.00 as the bid and see what happens. Even 79/night would be a good price. It's a big hotel, so I suspect there'll still be rooms on Priceline. However, if that doesn't work out, you can try the "North Michigan Ave - River North Area" and see if there are any 4-star places there. That area is just north of The Loop, on the other side of the Chicago River.

The Loop is generally thought of as the central section of downtown Chicago. The term "Loop" refers to the elevated train tracks and the earlier streetcar circuit. The Wikipedia entry has a more complete explanation. I've found the CTA maps ((like this one) to be very useful.

[santo_grace]

Heartland Gathering Bread Workshop

Friday, August 8th

So far, I have:

edsel

karen m

Amy Viny

CaliPoutine (*)

Jean Blanchard

(*) = probable

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Tom

Please count me in. Though I can only do an afternoon session.

I have a Kitchen Aid that you can use. If the location is in Chicago or very near north suburb (Evanston), I could get it to you for the morning session even if I'm not attending that session.

However, my kitchen has only one oven and is pretty small.

[tino27]

Tom

Please count me in.  Though I can only do an afternoon session. 

I have a Kitchen Aid that you can use.  If the location is in Chicago or very near north suburb (Evanston), I could get it to you for the morning session even if I'm not attending that session. 

However, my kitchen has only one oven and is pretty small.

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You got it. I also appreciate the use of your mixer.

Heartland Gathering Bread Workshop

Friday, August 8th

So far, I have:

edsel

karen m

Amy Viny

CaliPoutine (*)

Jean Blanchard

santo_grace

(*) = probable

[Sam Iam]

We are looking for a place to stay Thursday night only near Blackbird and The Violet Hour, to eliminate driving back to our son's home late, after drinking. Any suggestions? We'll be moving over to stay with them on Friday for the rest of the weekend.

[Sam Iam]

Would it be possible to pin the week's schedule to perhaps the top of this post? I'm going crazy searching and trying to put together a list of what and where everything is going to be, and the cost, timing, etc. Can anyone help this Luddite?

Thanks!!

[prasantrin]

In our typical flow, people worked throughout the afternoon prepping their food. When meal time came around, a bunch of people would jump in to help plate a course (either family style or individual), it would go out to the diners, everyone would eat, and another course would be started. Depending on the food item and the cooks, some people chose not to eat the course before theirs if they needed to do a lot of last minute preparation. The pacing is considerably more relaxed than a typical restaurant meal.

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OK, I get it.

I like the mini-buffet idea, too, which I guess is pretty close to Number 3. But I can't decide about amounts. For some things, like salads, I think servings for 30-40 would be OK, but if someone has pulled pork or spareribs or some homemade sausages or some homemade potato chips, then servings for 90 would be more appropriate, since I could probably eat enough for 5.

Just kidding, I really can't eat that much.

I think cooking for 40-ish is more reasonable in terms of time and volume. I'm thinking there will be a lot of leftovers if everyone is cooking for 90. But perhaps if people desire, they can make more of certain dishes they think will be more popular (like said homemade potato chips and sausages...).

[tammylc]

In our typical flow, people worked throughout the afternoon prepping their food. When meal time came around, a bunch of people would jump in to help plate a course (either family style or individual), it would go out to the diners, everyone would eat, and another course would be started. Depending on the food item and the cooks, some people chose not to eat the course before theirs if they needed to do a lot of last minute preparation. The pacing is considerably more relaxed than a typical restaurant meal.

←

OK, I get it.

I like the mini-buffet idea, too, which I guess is pretty close to Number 3. But I can't decide about amounts. For some things, like salads, I think servings for 30-40 would be OK, but if someone has pulled pork or spareribs or some homemade sausages or some homemade potato chips, then servings for 90 would be more appropriate, since I could probably eat enough for 5.

Just kidding, I really can't eat that much.

I think cooking for 40-ish is more reasonable in terms of time and volume. I'm thinking there will be a lot of leftovers if everyone is cooking for 90. But perhaps if people desire, they can make more of certain dishes they think will be more popular (like said homemade potato chips and sausages...).

←

If we were trying to cook the same thing for everyone (ie. portions for 90), then we'd limit the number of head cooks and courses so we didn't have the ton of leftovers problem.

i'm a strong proponent of family style over buffet (except for dessert, we've always done a buffet for dessert and it's been fine) because if you aren't doing individually plated family style helps with portioning. It's easy to see how a platter of food divides evenly between 8 or 10 people at a table, compared with trying to figure out what 1/90th of a portion is from a big hotel pan. So people at the back of the buffet line don't miss out.

[Kerry Beal]

I'm going to let others decide the style - then I'm going to do what I'm told 'sou-ing' my ass off.

Anyone want something in the way of a chocolate workshop?

[Jean Blanchard]

Since I have never done a party for this size group, I too will go along with what the "experts" believe is best and help out wherever I can. Are we going to be looking for people (especially those of us who live in the area) to bring some things already made? If so, I'll volunteer for whatever we think is needed.

Yes, I'm interested in a chocolate workshop. I'm a complete novice in the that area and would love to learn a new skill.

[tino27]

I know that cooking a multi-course meal for 90 people seems like a daunting task, but remember ... probably at least 50% of those attending will either be taking charge of a course or helping out with a course. That's a lot of people-power.

And don't forget that all the teams will have several hours to prep/par-cook their dishes before dinner even starts. Whatever the style of service (buffet, family, plated), when your dish comes up, you and your team push through plating and service and then enjoy the rest of the dinner.

Having cooked for 90 people before, I can tell you that good catering is about 50% organization, 30% preparation and 20% skill.

[Alex]

We are looking for a place to stay Thursday night only near Blackbird and The Violet Hour, to eliminate driving back to our son's home late, after drinking. Any suggestions? We'll be moving over to stay with them on Friday for the rest of the weekend.

←

Blackbird and TVH aren't close to each other (3 miles), so I assume you'd like to stay near TVH. There are a couple of B&Bs not far from there, but they usually require at least a two-night stay during the summer. The closest one, which is within walking (or staggering) distance, is Wicker Park Inn. You can try calling them to see if they'd make an exception. Rooms are $129 and up, with free parking.

If that doesn't work out, several of us are staying at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. It's not at all close to TVH (~4¼ miles) and about 1¼ miles from Blackbird, but I'm sure there'll be folks to share a cab with. Parking is $36 per 24 hrs. w/o in-and-out privileges, $48 with. If you can catch a good rate on Priceline (see my post about this), it would be worth it.

[Alex]

I'm going to let others decide the style - then I'm going to do what I'm told 'sou-ing' my ass off.

Anyone want something in the way of a chocolate workshop?

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CHOCOLATE!!

[tammylc]

Okay, let's approach this logistical question for a different angle.

Who wants to be in charge of making something for the Feast on Saturday? If you want to, what are you thinking about, and how many people do you feel comfortable cooking for?

In the past we've had people stake out various courses, and then as the menu starts to emerge fully on the day of the event, we figure out what order to serve things in and where some pairing up make sense. So for example, you could opt to prepare a meat dish, and we'd find someone who was doing a side dish that could be served with it. So it's more like staking out a dish, rather than a course where you're mandated to have all the components in hand (although you're certainly welcome to). Also, if you have a signature dish, you can declare it in advance, but in previous years some people have enjoyed figuring it out on the fly based on what looks best at the market.

Jean, you asked about bringing things prepared in advance - that's certainly welcome, just speak up answering the questions above about what you're thinking of bringing.

[NancyH]

I think I am in agreement with Tammy. I think family style is preferable to a buffet for the reasons she expressed.

In our typical flow, people worked throughout the afternoon prepping their food. When meal time came around, a bunch of people would jump in to help plate a course (either family style or individual), it would go out to the diners, everyone would eat, and another course would be started. Depending on the food item and the cooks, some people chose not to eat the course before theirs if they needed to do a lot of last minute preparation. The pacing is considerably more relaxed than a typical restaurant meal.

←

OK, I get it.

I like the mini-buffet idea, too, which I guess is pretty close to Number 3. But I can't decide about amounts. For some things, like salads, I think servings for 30-40 would be OK, but if someone has pulled pork or spareribs or some homemade sausages or some homemade potato chips, then servings for 90 would be more appropriate, since I could probably eat enough for 5.

Just kidding, I really can't eat that much.

I think cooking for 40-ish is more reasonable in terms of time and volume. I'm thinking there will be a lot of leftovers if everyone is cooking for 90. But perhaps if people desire, they can make more of certain dishes they think will be more popular (like said homemade potato chips and sausages...).

←

If we were trying to cook the same thing for everyone (ie. portions for 90), then we'd limit the number of head cooks and courses so we didn't have the ton of leftovers problem.

i'm a strong proponent of family style over buffet (except for dessert, we've always done a buffet for dessert and it's been fine) because if you aren't doing individually plated family style helps with portioning. It's easy to see how a platter of food divides evenly between 8 or 10 people at a table, compared with trying to figure out what 1/90th of a portion is from a big hotel pan. So people at the back of the buffet line don't miss out.

←