Who could not love a Central Coast wedding like Jen & Mike’s at Santa Margarita Ranch?

It was filled with charm, adorable details, personal touches, delicious food, & a sumptuous spread of pies!

If you’re lucky enough to visit the ranch or even be a bride there, we hope your event will have some of the character, love, details, & charm of this lovely couple!
Many wedding planners will tell you that details make the wedding & this is a perfect example.

We were lucky to work with some amazing vendors (including Cameron Ingalls, who shot these beautiful shots)

For the cocktail hour, appetizers were served on the grass under the majestic oak tree where many couple choose to exchange their vows. A few favorites? Bacon-wrapped scallop skewers & grilled crostinis with local goat cheese, fig & candied pecans. The dinner was served family-style in the historic barn.

For their menu, Jen & Mike wanted approachable comfort food that reflected the fresh flavors on the Central Coast. Some of their favorite items include grilled seasonal vegetables, aged cheddar mac & cheese & grilled salmon with fresh herbs, local olive tapenade & lemon.

The dessert bar was a combination of mini cupcakes by Clementine Cupcakes and the beautiful blooms were by the always-awesome April Flowers.

Congrats Jen & Mike! May your 2012 be filled with love & joy.

Pacific Harvest Catering has a new addition to the family! Owners Seth & Dawn White welcomed baby Ava Mara in August!
Their little bundle of joy is such a blessing but her arrival during the heart of wedding season has slowed us from keeping up this blog! Look for pictures from some of our recent weddings very soon!

Pacific Harvest Events is now WeddingWire Rated for 2011

San Luis Obispo, CA – July 8, 2011 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is pleased to announce that Pacific Harvest Catering is WeddingWire Rated 2011 for catering. WeddingWire Rated is an annual award program that distinguishes wedding vendors across the country for their excellence.v Based on hundreds of thousands of recent wedding reviews, WeddingWire Rated is the most recognized and trusted brand among engaged couples looking to find the best local businesses for their wedding.

Pacific Harvest Catering has 23 reviews on WeddingWire (as seeon the right side of our blog). Reviews by our newlywed clients include detailed ratings and insightful descriptions about their experiences working with our business and staff. Our reviews provide transparency for potential clients, assisting them in making the most informed decisions for their big day.

“We are delighted to unveil the 5th annual WeddingWire Rated program,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire, Inc. “Pacific Harvest Catering has made a commitment to capturing their clients experiences on the nation’s leading wedding review site.”

As the largest site for wedding reviews, WeddingWire empowers engaged couples with the most comprehensive and trusted review system available. The WeddingWire Rated program provides Pacific Harvest Catering with a simple platform to capture customer feedback from their wedding planning experience. We would like to thank our newlyweds for our WeddingWire Rated 2011 recognition!

For more information on WeddingWire Rated 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

Spring on the Central Coast can be the most amazing time of year. The weather warms up, the hills are green, the wildflowers are abundant, and the fresh produce is delicious!
We recently catered a wedding at beautiful Calcareous Winery in Paso Robles for a lovely couple who had a vision of non-conventional seasonal cuisine. They wanted to incorporate what was at it’s seasonal best while also having some fun with their cuisine & colors. They chose California rack of lamb encrusted with lavender as one their entree choices, as well as local sea bass. Both were served with grilled baby artichokes & Farmers Market vegetables.

Before dinner, guests enjoyed local cheeses, Korean beef sliders & ahi tar tar cones with wasabi potato mash. The ahi appetizer was served in black faux painter’s palletes. The cones are shaped by hand then filled with the wasabi mash & topped with sushi-grade ahi. Now, what isn’t fun (and tasty) about that?

This cake below was brought all the way from a bakery near Yosemite. It was the most amazing lemon cake ever!

So, what should you take away from this blog post? Have fun with your menu & have fun with your colors. Find inspiration from your venue as this couple did. There are no limits!

It’s about the beauty & bounty of the spread.

Many brides shy away from buffets over the fear of lines & and a long row of stainless steel chafing dishes. This lovely wedding at Edna Valley Vineyards shows how buffets can be exactly the opposite!
(Above: Cedar-planked grilled wild salmon with citrus & olive tapenade)

Buffets can be a way to add color & a bit of fun to a reception. It’s also a way to showcase the amazing Central Coast grown produce & specialties.

This menu for Erin & Brad’s wedding was served in the autumn when some local produce is at it’s peak including heirloom tomatoes from Peacock Farms and mushrooms & squash picked up that day from the Templeton Farmers Market. Other menu items included oak-grilled tri tip with chili & orange salsa and grilled corn cakes with roasted tomato & rosemary chutney.


Thanks to the amazing wedding photographer Amy Wellenkamp for taking a moment to capture our cuisine!
Below are a few of the yummy appetizers. Can you see the heart?

And congrats to Erin & Brad–Thanks for letting the crew of Pacific Harvest Catering be a part of your special day!

We are delighted each fall that Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery has us out to cater their Annual Harvest Brunch.
The Templeton winery is family-owned, has charming grounds & gardens, & has awesome wine! Great wine is an ideal compliment to our food which is one of the many reasons we love working there.

And it’s one of the reasons we love being in the culinary field, as we are minutes from artisan farms & vineyards.

This year, the lucky guests were treated to a warm tropical storm (thus the white tents) but the occasional thunder & lightening really made it an amazing experience to remember.

Here’s most of the delicious menu. Simple, rustic & all tasty…

A Selection of Pastries, Breakfast Loaves and Muffins
Seasonal Fresh Fruit Display and Cheese Board
Omelet Station with Assorted Farmers Market Vegetables
Yukon Potato Herb Hash
Herb-Encrusted Carved Prime Rib with Creamed Horseradish & Au Jus
Apple-wood Smoked Bacon & Maple Sausage Links
Apple & Golden Raisin Pan Purdue with Citron Crème Anglaise
Chocolate Dipped Fruit and Assorted Truffles

Yum, spiced pumpkin bread, anyone?
Those were delicious but the hands down, crowd favorite was the Apple & Golden Raisin Pan Purdue with Citron Crème Anglaise. Pictures can’t do it justice but we can tell you it was in the chafer on the right side so you can imagine…

Have we mentioned that we love working at the Gardens at Peacock Farms?
Well, we do.
No, they don’t have a great setup for easy catering or even a kitchen for us to use (we build our own). But this Arroyo Grande event venue is amazing! And the proprietors Logan & Jessica keep the grounds impeccable.
They create a perfct ambience for weddings with their thriving gardens, winding pathways & overhanging canopy of fruit trees.
Here’sa few pics from a wedding we catered there recently. Lucky for us, Jayson Mellom snuck back to our kitchen area to get some shots of the plated dinner service.

Guests started with a plated salad course of organix mixed greens with zinfandel-poached pear, gorgonzola, candied pecans & pomegranate vinaigrette.

Then guests had a choice of aged top sirloin or pan-seared salmon.

And finally, below are some shots of the awesome Pacific Harvest Catering crew at work! Among the praises we get from past clients, our staff is mentioned almost as much as the food. We are very proud of that!

Leah & Linus are just one of the couples. So nice, so fun & just awesome together.
From the moment we met them, we knew we couldn’t wait to be a part of their big day.

Their vision was to combine elegance & fun which we worked to depict in their menu below. The demi cups below are filled with butternut squash bisque “shooters” with crispy sage & the other platter had assorted local sausages. Thanks to David Pascolla Photography for these beautiful photos.
Appetizers
Domestic and Imported Cheese Platters
Housemade Sausages with Assorted Dipping Sauces
Butternut Squash Bisque “Shooters” Served with Crispy Sage
Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta & Garlic Crostinis

Assortment of Artisan Breads and Chive Butter
Edna Valley Vineyards is such a beautiful winery venue & one that we highly recommend as their staff is top notch. Kramer DJs rocked, as usual, creating an awesome dance party under the stars. In between dancing, guests enjoyed another delicious cake by The Cakery.

The Pavilion on the Lake is one of the most beautiful wedding venues on the Central Coast. Floor to ceiling windows frame the lakefront setting of a deck that drapes over the Atascadero Lake. The lovely couple, Jessica & Michael, knew they wanted the comforts of an indoor wedding reception while incorporating the beauty of the outdoors.

While outdoor weddings are popular & charming, indoor weddings eliminate the can-be issues of outdoor receptions…bad weather, bugs, unpleasant bathrooms, etc. The Pavilion is one of the best places on the Central Coast to have an outdoor wedding & an indoor reception. And it’s smack inbetween Los Angeleas and San Francisco and minutes from the wine country!

For their menu, Jessica & Michael knew they wanted a local rustic menu but with some elements that they love. For example, the couple included figs stuffed with gorgonzola & pancetta in their hor’deourves hour along with empanadas stuffed with pulled pork & topped while chipotle aioli.

For dinner, they wanted their out-of-town guests to get a taste of San Luis Obispo County so they chose mesquite-grilled tri tip & herb-grilled chicken. They also offered a dessert bar of chocolate decadence & cheesecake rather than a traditional wedding cake.

Best wishes to Jessica & Michael as they start their new life together!

Our favorite weddings to cater are for the couples that welcome us into their lives to become their friends, and then as their caterers.

Tommy & Rosanna were one such couple. They shared their vision and we listened. Then they let the chefs go crazy and create an amazing menu for them. Check out the Korean-style short ribs. This picture was shot as the plate went out to one of the guests. Isn’t it beautiful?

After the lovely ceremony at Venteux Vineyards, guests dined on fresh oysters, ahi tar tar & beef wellington bites paired with champagne. They then proceeded to taste wine & then enjoy the beautiful ambience created by Kramer Entertainment & Allure Events.
Thanks to Viera Photography for the beautiful photos & congrats to Tommy & Rosanna!