Tag chef’s table

Parties That Cook’s 2011 Corporate Holiday Events Wrap-Up: Part I

2011 is OVER. Time to close that great chapter, and begin the next. There’s just a little something we have to take care of first… This post is Part I of the final round-up of our corporate team building events and private cooking parties for 2011!

In mid-November, McGraw-Hill Higher Education hosted the first of a series of Parties That Cook events for a mix of staff and customers in Chicago. After finding us through an internet search, host Megan G. thought we had offered the most flexibility, the best venues… and “awesome recipes!” On working with our Chicago event planner, Megan said, “Christina Turner is top notch! She is a real asset to your organization. Right away, everything went smoothly and she made me feel completely at ease with the process. She was professional, friendly, and accommodating.” What kind (yet accurate) words!

The bar was set high with Christina’s customer service, but we did not disappoint! After the event, the raves continued. “The event was a great kick-off and a great way to achieve camaraderie right off the bat. It provided us with a way to make our customers comfortable and to break the ice before our event officially started.” Megan added, “Molly, Brandy and the team were amazing. We were so lucky to have had them running our event, they really went above and beyond!”

A few days later, Genentech hosted an intimate Chef’s Table, 4-course meal for 13, at the gorgeous Mumm Napa. Host Lisa D. is no stranger to Parties That Cook, and opted to stick with us after a successful first experience. On working with veteran event planner, Rosie, she commented, “Rosie made the event seem super easy and everything was organized and complete in a timely manner. The party was wonderful! The best part was the teambuilding and fun!!!!” *No exclamation marks were added to this statement.

To round out November, VelocX hosted a fun event for 16 in Portland!! It’s always so exciting to see events come in for our newer cities. After checking out a few of our different corporate event ideas, host Holly F. thought Sumptuous Small Plates was the “best event for the type of meeting [she] was planning.” No buyer’s remorse here! Despite some fears of skeptics in her group, post-event, Holly reported, “All of the guests were engaged and enjoyed the evening. The event was successful due to Chef Carolyn and her work in supporting our objectives.

Carolyn, our wonderful Operations Manager and event chef, agreed! “It was lots of fun! They were a great group, we made delicious food, and the venue worked out well (Great to hear of our first Bargreen Ellingson experience). Everyone loved it, even the skeptical ones that Holly forewarned us about. Lots of thank you’s from the guests, and interest in what else we do. Holly loved it and said she could see using our services again for her clients.”

Closing out a 15-event week for Parties That Cook was an especially fun Clearwater Group dinner in Seattle. This wasn’t just any corporate dinner. Host Paulette L. opted for the beautifully decorated destination venue: Efeste Winery. She also spiced things up a bit by adding a competition twist to their evening of Sumptuous Small Plates. “It sounded like it would be a fun way to have a party,” Paulette explained. And she was right! Lead Chef Pam noted that this was a fun, enthusiastic group, and that it was a great menu for them. Afterwards, Paulette reported that the best part of the event was “the interactive nature of cooking together as a team, and yes, event was very successful!”

Parties That Cook’s Friday Event Blog: Intuit and Coupons, Inc.

This week, our Friday event blog is featuring two very different events. Both events were held at wineries. Both events had between 20 and 25 guests. Both events were for corporate groups that left feeling full and happy. How can two events that are so similar be so different, you say?

Intuit hosted the first event at the beautiful Thomas Fogarty Winery. Host Fay H. selected a traditional Chef’s Table after being referred to Parties That Cook by other departments within Intuit. “It was all great,” she later reported. We knew it was a hit when she said she couldn’t think of a thing that would have made their event better. Fay continued, stating that she “loved having everything there waiting for us…” and “loved the teamwork of cooking together.” Sounds like happy customers at Intuit!

Coupons, Inc. hosted the second event at Byington Winery. They decided to go with an exciting Cupcake Wars event with an added wine tasting portion. Jed was the Lead Chef on this event, and they loved him! Derrick D., the Coupons.com host, explained that the best part of the event was “Having Jed and Amy. They were both brilliant in their presentation and fun to work with. What great representatives for your company — very helpful. Jed kept the party light and fun. The event was a complete success.” We could not have hoped for better!

Derrick was also stumped when asked if we could have done anything to improve the event. He stated, “No. I think the format and timing was perfect. Byington Winery is an absolutely beautiful place for this event. We have some great memories to share.” And so do we! We loved the photos from their Cupcake Wars so much that we have added them to our Facebook page! Check them all out here.

All in all, host Derrick thought that “Cupcake wars hit us as a great, fun idea. Pairing it with the tour and tasting after was a huge plus for us. We’d definitely do this again and use Parties That Cook as our planner.” It’s like music to our ears!! We are looking forward to working with Coupons.com (and Intuit!) again soon!

Want to see your event featured in a Friday Event Blog? Let us know!

Hope to see you in the kitchen soon!