The Wedding Food Tasters

After almost two months of carefully evaluating three top caterers based in the Napa & Sonoma regions, Oyen finally picked one. They are very open to her ideas and are always willing to accommodate what she wants.

The food-tasting schedule worked well with us. Although we all came from different parts of America, we managed to congregate as scheduled to make it to this much-anticipated event. Of course, eating time!

Oyen and Nyke flew from Las Vegas to Los Angeles on January 2, 2020. They flew with their cousins from Los Angeles to San Francisco on January 6, 2020. Kimberly is on break from New York.

My nephew, Dr. Ric Tan, III. also joined us. He heads the Tan Wedding and Events Company in the UC Davis, Sacramento, Napa area, with his wife Jennifer. He is a doctor of medicine but doesn’t want to practice medicine to the initial disappointment of my brother who is a doctor himself. But after years of feeling bad, Kuya Junior sees how happy his son is doing the things that he loves— teaching in elementary school, conducting special arts and crafts classes, holding holistic seminars to children, painting, officiating weddings, playing music, etc. Sometimes it’s also hard to have so many talents.

January 8, 2020

We were running late. The place where the food tasting would be held was farther than we had thought. It was in a place we’ve all never been to.

Edmund was on the wheel.
E—–“Naka daan na tayo dito, eto yung Petagonia.”

Hmmm, sounds familiar… I’ve heard that word before. As far as I know, there is no Petagonia in California or anywhere in the USA, but there is a Patagonia, a country in South America, bordered by Chile and Argentina. Medyo malayo yata sa California yun. Ang meron dito ay Petaluma.

Oyen messaged the caterer that we would be 15 minutes late. Malayo pa kami, nasa Argentina.

Our excitement was even heightened by the fact that we were all very hungry. No breakfast, and it was already 12:30 noon. We were ready to attack the table.

We finally arrived at the caterer’s headquarters. My nephew arrived ahead of us.

We were greeted by Anthony, the British guy who has embraced America as his own. He’s been living here for 20 plus years.

They don’t operate a restaurant, only catering. Last year, they catered to 350 weddings.
This cozy, simple but elegant room serves as the food tasting area.

An array of wine glasses and dinner plate choices were on two racks.

I say simple white is classic for weddings.

During the actual wedding reception, we are going for a plated service, not a dinner buffet. It would be a little difficult to move around the venue hall wearing gowns and high heels. We want guests to be more relax.
They can stand and move around after the main course.

My son was very quiet all throughout the food tasting because he was sick. He had a fever, frequent nosebleed, bad sore throat, muscle aches, and colds. I should get him a full coverage health insurance. The health insurance included in his tuition fee only provides basic medical services like headaches. It’s been four years that he has not seen a doctor. Kailangan ma check-up sya, routine chest x-ray, etc.

Edmund and I didn’t want him to attend the food tasting but he just couldn’t say no to his sister or to the lure of good food. Maybe to both.

Food tasters, #3

There’s an hour gap between the wedding ceremony and the dinner reception. This will be good for taking photos and mingling with other guests. Oyen is choosing 4 kinds of appetizers that would be passed around by the waiters.