Mid-March, winners of the ACE awards took the stage at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. To enter, each contender was asked to identify the two events the company completed that it felt best represented the company, as well as challenges and favorite aspects.
Throughout the year, Catersource.com will profile the winners and nominees of the 2017 ACE awards. In the next installation of our series, we will place a keen eye on 24 carrots catering and events, who took the ACE award for Operations over $2 million in the West region.
Catering • West region • Operations over $2 million • 24 carrots catering and events
New Venue Opening: Upscale Flair, Downtown Charm: The 1912
In March 2016, 24 carrots catering and events opened a new venue in downtown Santa Ana, The 1912. With an aristocratic vibe and sophisticated allure, the space features an exposed high ceiling with skylights, beautiful oversized windows with unobstructed downtown views, a private bar and cocktail area, and connected bridal suite.
Staying true to the exclusive nature of the historic building, the 24 carrots catering team invited a small group of industry leaders for an inaugural sneak peek into the new space. The evening was lavishly designed and the guests were fed luxuriously, with a stellar vendor team supporting the reveal of Orange County’s newest best kept secret.
Says Vice President Laura Fabian of 24 carrots, “This event fulfills the main qualities that our company is known for. For example, a luxurious tasting menu was created for the purpose of giving the guests a full fine-dining experience. Creating an accessible menu, we also pushed culinary boundaries as we invited guests to try cuisine that they perhaps had not previously encountered. This fulfills our goal to provide ‘Unbelievably Delicious Food.’
“Next: ‘Unsurpassed Personalized Service.’ That is, service should always be present but unobtrusive, and our high staffing ratio allows each diner wanting for nothing. As with any guest count, we also accommodated dietary restrictions by name.
“Finally, ‘Genuine Passion for Helping People Make Unforgettable Memories.’ From the conception of this event, the guest experience was our highest priority. From a welcome drink to menu modifications to a take-away gift, a luxury experience comes as part of our standard service.”
Challenges
Because this event took place in a newly renovated historic space, the kitchen equipment was brand new and had not been calibrated yet. However, the team caught it early enough to adjust the execution.
On the same note, the new space brought new challenges. For example, the extensive amount of china and glassware required the company to have a larger-than-expected scullery space. The original plans would not accommodate the specialty pieces, so the team had to be creative and use a storage unit for the scullery area. This involved creating an on-the-fly pipe-and-drape so as to block off view from the guests, as well as call in last minute lighting to ensure safety of the team.
Lastly, even though this was an exclusive, invitation-only event, says Fabian, “we still had an unexpected, uninvited guest show up. With assigned seating and elaborate décor based upon guest seating, this was not an ideal change in plans. Even though it was confirmed that she had not RSVP’d, we always set aside one full place-setting, including the chair, napkin, charger, glassware and flatware, which we utilized to quickly and seamlessly create a new spot for her.”
“We embraced the luxury of space that we had and set elaborate place settings, oversized comfortable chairs, and dared to take up as much centerpiece room as we wanted.”
Favorite
Though this event was a highlight in everyone’s book, says Fabian, the two favorite parts of the evening involved, of course, food and aesthetics. As an amuse bouche, the team served an oyster with pickled cucumber, grilled pineapple, and pop rocks. While most guests have had oysters, the pop rocks added a playful tone, and as always, preconceived notions were challenged with this bite.
Seasonal Pacific oyster on the half shell with pickled cucumber, grilled pineapple, and pop rocks
Beet carpaccio salad: candy striped beets, burrata, olio nuovo, fleur de sel, crispy capers, petite basil
Plated dessert trio: Meyer lemon pistachio torte, praline pavé, roasted pear-berry tart
The ambiance would not have been complete without the stunning décor. Because we were entertaining just 70 guests in an expansive space, says Fabian, we did not want the tables to be dwarfed by the high ceilings and large windows. “Instead, we embraced the luxury of space that we had and set elaborate place settings, oversized comfortable chairs, and dared to take up as much centerpiece room as we wanted. Because we wanted to draw the eye upward, light branches were used dramatically to add height without distraction. This was truly an event executed for and by the best of our industry.
Next week on Catersource.com: 24 Carrots’ Airline Hangar Wedding
