Reception Magic

MARVELOUS DELIGHTS, TRADITIONAL AND UNEXPECTED

A Martha’s Vineyard wedding reception promises marvelous delights, traditional and unexpected, always delectable. We hope our menu samplings whet your apetite for extraordinary, yet very personalized, bridal menus.

Four star Cordon Bleu Chef James McDonough, at the sprawling up-island Beach Plum Inn and Restaurant, tells that both bride and groom join in planning their menu. A new twist to what used to be the bride’s bailiwick!

His most popular wedding dinner, chosen by 8 out of 10 couples, includes filet mignon tournedos Maison, i.e. twin filets with roasted artichoke, tomatoes, shitake ragout, accompanied by a sauce Charon over lobster tail meat. Pan-seared wild salmon with
lobster risotto, garnished with asparagus cream sauce, is delightful, as are culinary gems of fresh native Atlantic seafood, aged beef, free-range chicken and more.

The wedding cake of chocolate, whipped cream and raspberries, from Cakes by Liz, begins what Jim calls “a full dessert.” Soon after, the kitchen chef brigade presents an “accompaniment:”: strawberry rhubarb pie with cinnamon ice cream and a melange of raspberry, blackberry and mango berries. Then a “quadruple” chocolate cake with Belgian whipped cream mousse and dark chocolate mousse encased in ganache.

Executive chef, Joe DaSilva, at the Lambert’s Cove Country Inn, tells that popular hors d’oeuvres include: smoked fish and salmon with pickled English cucumbers and crostini; caper aioli crabcakes; cucumber cup of spicy tuna tartare or house-cured salmon; crostini with caramelized sweet onion, beef tenderloin and a horseradish sauce.

Entrées: mushroom-crusted beef tenderloin, with wild mushroom demi; apple Madeira pork loin; rack of lamb or lamb chop with port; spinach chicken breast, roasted red peppers, gruyere cheese; center cut veal chop with green peppercorn infused demi, or halibut with grilled lemon-basil oil relish. Vegetables: warm potato fingerling salad, baby vegetable ragout and tomato or mushroom risotto; baby spinach salad with fennel/ blood orange vinaigrette.

At Lola’s Southern Seafood, Kathy and Paul Domitrovich and their aim-to-please hospitality never miss, on site or off site. Lola’s New England Clam Bake is a very popular rehearsal dinner specialty: a 11/2 lb. whole lobster, clams, mussels, red skinned potatoes, sausage, corn on the cob, New England clam chowder, coleslaw, fried or BBQ chicken, watermelon and brownies.

Dinners: butlered appetizers, salad, breads, potato, rice, vegetable, dessert. Entrees: London broil with black peppercorn vermouth sauce; grilled baby lamb chops with tomato feta salsa;
Cajun chicken cutlets with pecan gravy. Other entrees: pasta, poultry, beef, pork, lamb, seafood, kabobs or vegetarian). Add to that exotic salads, desserts and wedding cake.

Lola’s s Cajun Jambalaya Feast includes blackened catfish, Creole Caesar salad, garlic maple mashed potatoes, seafood Jambalaya, Cajun chicken breasts and warm bread pudding with hard sauce, and more. Southern Bar-B-Que includes black-eyed pea salad, collard greens, red-skinned potatoes with country gravy, Southern fried chicken, ribs, peach cobbler with whipped cream, or watermelon.

After 24 years of catering everything from political partying to celebrity weddings, Jaime Hamlin, certainly is adept at handling whatever the happy couple might wish. “This year weddings are
very big, 250 to 300, often extravagant,” she reveals. Jaime and her four sons comprise V. Jaime Hamlin Catering and Party Design, creating dramatic and upscale wedding menus for receptions at private homes and historic sites. A 125 guest sit down menu: a classic overflowing cheese table with lemony Caesar salad croutes; baby sage biscuits with smoked chicken and hot pepper jelly; demitasse of lobster bisque; Green Lightning shrimp with Jack cheese. Entrees: classic surf and turf; or filet mignon with Barbaresco glaze and a jumbo shrimp Gremolata, summer vegetable sauté. The fabled wedding cake, plus berryfull peach heart shortcakes.

For 300, Jaime suggests her hot/cold hors d’oeuvres, plus baby lamb chop lollipops, ginger shrimp tempura and crabcakes followed by a classic caprese appetizer: tomato, mozzarella, pine nut cilantro pesto over arugula. Entrée: classic surf and turf plus mango curry butter lobster tail, both with fresh corn pudding, haricots verts, French rolls. Dessert brings strawberry heart shortcakes, plus Chocolate Excess with pomegranate syrup, raspberries, crème fraiche, and lemon tarte blackberry coulis. Mini cheesecakes will delight and then, a piece de resistance wedding cake from Cakes by Liz.

Three Liz standards include devil’s food, chocolate icing, white raspberries; yellow cake, whipped cream, strawberries; marble cake with chocolate mousse and butter cream frosting. “Choose what you love; it’s your wedding!”

At Cakes by Leslie, Leslie Hewson tells us that “new brides and grooms are very savvy, know what they want, and express more individualism.”

“Smaller weddings tend to be more tailored to the couples tastes, often with chocolate or metal monograms. A musician-horticulturist couple’s carrot cake had a frosting pot of spilling ivy with a guitar leaning against it.” For 350 guests, Leslie created eight vanilla cakes with lemon and fresh raspberries, on a tier of lovely pinks and orange sunset colors. “Popular cakes are mocha chocolate, raspberry, even a vanilla coconut frosted chocolate cake with multicolor orchids for a luau wedding.”

“Flavors are all over the place this year!” tells Valerie, of Wedding Cakes by Valerie Stoyer. “Chocolate with chocolate mint-flavored mousse cake; Harlequin pistachio cake, layered
with raspberry butter cream and white chocolate butter; Opera cake of chocolate with mocha mousse filling and chocolate ganache and espresso butter cream, (often soaked with Kahlua
for extra kick). On the lighter side, Valerie recalls a whiskey bottle groom’s cake surprise.

She loves the look of fresh flowers on cakes: colorful sugar roses, white and dark chocolate flowers, and fabulous florist formal looks, such as fresh hydrangea. She also frosts with colored sugar ribbons at cake bases.

Caterer Jan Buhrman, of The Kitchen Porch, will serve “seven or 400 guests, including children’s menu and a boxed dinner for the happy couple!” Her raw bar is “presented on sea beans with loads of irresistible sauces.”

Jan’s “Seaside” menu: passed smoked salmon leek pastries; Maryland crab cakes with Thai cucumber sauce, black sesame seeds; grilled saki mustard seaweed shrimp; filet of beef with
cress, horseradish, beets on crostini. The plated dinner menu includes poached lobster with leek, wasabi and tangerine sorbet; grilled sea bass, roasted vegetables, crispy potatoes, Belgian endive, watercress and beet salad with walnut dressing; dessert of chocolate sorbet with Vineyard Thimble Farm raspberries and cinnamon cream – plus fresh chocolate-dipped strawberries.

“Overlooking the Sound” includes passed hors d’oeuvres of grilled cashew chicken skewers; basil-wrapped honey-roasted red pepper scallops; oysters in bacon cognac butter jackets; mushrooms stuffed with wild mushrooms. Either thyme-scented scallops in shells; scallops with vegetables Pernod, or duck seared with figs and wild mushroom, are entrees. Add maple-glazed parsnips, Chilmark greens with heirloom tomatoes; grilled corn with avocado dressing. Unexpected individual layered wedding cakes with fresh raspberries are the surprise dessert!

Out at the 11 acre Winnetu Oceanside Resort, Executive Chef Ed Gannon heads up their award-winning restaurant, Lure. Your elegant reception might start with passed mini crabcakes Remoulade, Chicken-lemongrass-soy dumplings; Katama Bay Bloody Mary oysters; almond crusted chicken mango glaze; mini griddled lobster salad sandwiches. Dinner might include lobster bisque with smoked haddock and sweet corn; grilled filet mignon with mushroom Madeira jus; haricots verts, baby carrots, roasted garlic whipped potatoes; mango tarte Tatin with caramel ice cream, passion fruit coulis.

Or consider caramelized jumbo scallops with fingerling potato and smoked salmon salad, lemon butter; Dijon herb crusted rack of lamb rosemary jus; French beans with oven roasted tomato, celery root gratin in standing potato cup; with dessert of coconut cake with grilled pineapple, coconut ice cream, rum sauce. Finale: your favorite wedding cake.

At the entrance to Edgartown is the historic manson, now Atria Restaurant, exuding charm and delight, as does wedding director, Greer Boyle Thornton, with that guardian angel knack of
bringing ceremony and reception dreams together magically.

Your indoor/outdoor reception might include: passed hors d’oeuvres of Indonesian coconut crusted prawns, Ahi tuna tartare with miso vinaigrette, beef tenderloin carpaccio, duck confit
spring rolls with spicy plum sauce. Follow that with a fresh picked salad of Island field greens vinaigrette, with goat cheese and toasted walnuts, and three cheese lobster macaroni. Entrées: red wine braised beef short rib and truffle whipped potatoes, or grilled swordfish with dill whipped potatoes, preserved lemon capers, shaved red onion and watercress. Dessert: wedding cake, assorted sweets.

Or you might choose their more informal “Lazy Man Style” Summer Clambake Celebration: Martha’s Vineyard clam chowder with our own clams, Bliss potatoes and fresh thyme; Island field greens with balsamic vinaigrette; steamed Island lobster, littleneck clams, mussels; roasted chicken, Island bass, sausage; summer corn; grilled onions, lemon butter. Dessert: freshest summer berries and cream plus our highly-touted cookies.

Overlooking Nantucket Sound on the Oak Buffs Harbor, wedding guests love to celebrate at the Lookout Tavern. General Manager, Eric White, tells us that the sushi menu is a big hit, as are their complete raw bar and seafood offerings, such as oysters on the half shell, littleneck clams, a great shrimp cocktail, and varietal fried seafood. Add to that Portobello sandwiches, a carving station, full deli selections, salads and more. Chef Steve Loo will arrange a scrumptious wedding cake, reminding that mid September and October are wedding reception dates, not midsummer. Fall is such a great time to celebrate on their great railed porch overlooking the water.

Also rustic is Smoke’n Bones on Dukes County Avenue, Oak Bluffs. Proud owner Stewart Robinson tells “It’s the best darn barbecue east of the Mississippi and #1 on the Island because of volume!” They can handle up to 80 for a rehearsal dinner event, but suggest having the reception catered. Last year they catered the Shark Tournament on the Oak Bluffs waterfront, for 1250 people. You can pick up or they will deliver. Their most popular menu item is smoked prime rib, plus homemade onion rings, all under the steady hand of Master BBQ man, Jono Osburn. “And do not overlook the homemade Key Lime Pie,” commands proud Stewart!

We hope you thoroughly enjoy this most pleasant of wedding tasks – selecting your celebration menu. Bon appétit!

PHOTOS BY:
Betsy Corsiglia
Randi Baird
The Light House ~ Any Vanneman

ARTICLE BY:
Jani Gardner