The Hirshhorn’s signature After Hours event returns Friday, October 19, with a special program featuring the premiere of a new live show, “The World,” written and performed by Peter Glantz.
Peter, a performer and director known for his whimsical videos and fantastical performances, takes you on a colorful journey through time and space as he inhabits three traveling characters whose destinations and stories change with the rhythm and energy of the crowd. The piece interweaves storytelling, experiments in telepathic communication, and an ever-changing selection of his recent videos, including cartoons for MTV’s “Liquid Television,” music videos for Wilco and Andrew W.K., and “We Can Do It!,” an interview show hosted by Lavender Diamond’s Becky Stark with guests like John C. Reilly and OK Go’s Damian Kulash. Click here for more information.
We’re honored to cater the event and are looking forward to one of our favorite nights of the year.
One of our on-site event chefs – Paul Maloney – is featured in an article in the The Culinary Institute of America’s magazine, CIA ProChef.
Paul is now a Certified ProChef and has won numerous military culinary competitions.
Two Upcoming Events on Our Calendars
- Eat Local First DC’s A Bigger Future for Local Food - Industry Panel and Reception, 7/18
- American Horticulture Society’s National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, 7/19-21
If you’re in Washington, DC, these two local food events can’t be missed.
Introducing our Aquaponic System
This week we unveiled our Aquaponic system at our Arlington, VA headquarters. Years in the making—both in concept and construction—we’re thrilled to be the first catering company in the DC metro area to use this technology, and further our commitment to sustainable business practices.
A cutting-edge form of urban farming, Aquaponics is a closed-loop ecological system combining aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (soilless plant culture). Both fish and plants are grown in one body of water, using one infrastructure wherein water circulates through the fish tanks, filters and plant beds and then flows back to the fish tanks, completing the loop. The nutrient-rich water that results from raising fish provides a natural source of fertilizer for the growing plants, which then helps to purify the water the fish live in. This natural microbial process helps sustain an environment in which both fish and plants can survive.
The rewards of the system are numerous, not only for the environment, but for our business, as well.
“Less water and fertilizer use, the ability to grow a large volume of crops in a small space, and the value of our clients knowing exactly where their food comes from are just a few of the benefits we’ve experienced.” - Joel Thevoz, CEO of Main Event Caterers.
Our commitment to sustainability runs deep, in addition to the use of aquaponics, we use the most up-to-date techniques including: wind and solar-powered electricity, 100% compostable materials, geothermal heat transfer, mainstay crop production, rain water reclamation and more.
Learn more about our commitment to sustainability, here.
Oh, and be sure to take a look at our feature in this week’s Washington Business Journal: Main Event Caterers invests thousands in a newfangled kind of vegetable garden
Our very own Nancy Goodman, President of Main Event Caterers, attended the A Billion + Change in Action: Connecting to the Future of Corporate Service forum yesterday morning at the White House.
The national campaign was launched by the Corporation for National and Community Service in 2008 and now continues as an initiative under the federal agency. A Billion + Change aims to mobilize billions of dollars of pro bono and skills-based service by 2013 to address core issues our communities face across the US, and around the world. We’re proud to participate and encourage you to tell your employer about this fantastic initiative. Learn more on their website and make the pledge!
Our first queen hatched last week, pictured above is the royal queen cell. This larvae was fed royal jelly exclusively in order to mature into an egg-laying bee.
Our Rooftop Apiary, An Update
The first generation of our Italian honeybees have hatched, and are now producing honey and pollen. After the female mates, she lays eggs which go through the same stages as caterpillars and butterflies. First they hatch into larvae, and then emerge from the cocoons as adults.
Our rooftop apiary serves as a real-life science lesson, plus we’re helping to pollinate local flowers and trees, and getting fresh honey out of it. Have you ever thought about urban beekeeping? There are some great resources out there to help you get started.
Pin your dream wedding, and win $5,000 towards your big day.
To be eligible to win:
- Event location must be within a 50-mile radius of Washington, DC.
- Join Pinterest (if you haven’t already) and follow Main Event Caterers.
- Create a “My Dream Wedding” board in the Wedding & Events category
- Pin photos and videos that reflect your ‘dream wedding,’ five of these pins must come from one of Main Event Caterers’ boards or Flickr
- Post a link to your board to our Facebook page no later than August 15, 2012
Main Event Caterers’ wedding and event design experts will have two weeks to review entries and select a winner, to be announced September 1, 2012. The winner will receive $5,000 towards their wedding with Main Event Caterers. Our judges include,
Rachel Glaws, RGI Events
Courtney Swierczek, A Sweet Soiree
Aimee Dominick, A Dominick Events
Julie Savage, Strawberry Milk Events
Our Facebook fans. That’s right, the board link with the most ‘likes’ and comments will receive the 5th vote.
Our Rooftop Apiary
Our Italian honeybees arrived a few weeks ago, and we’ve officially taken the leap into urban beekeeping - assembling hives in our warehouse and laying out the apiary on the roof. The benefits of urban beekeeping are numerous; they are an important component of vertical farming and their honey is likely to have significantly less chemical residue than commercial honey. Urban beekeeping benefits the planet as well, cutting transportation and manufacturing costs and side effects, with minimal processing and simple recyclable packaging.
This is one of the many steps we’re taking as a company towards our goal of sustainability. Stay tuned on more updates from our new friends.
{assembling the hives in our warehouse}
{placing Queen Bees}
GROWING CITIES is a feature-length documentary that examines the role of urban farming in America and asks how much power it has to revitalize our cities and change the way we eat. The film follows two friends on their journey across the country as they meet the men and women who are challenging the way this country grows and distributes its food, one vacant city lot, rooftop garden, and backyard chicken coop at a time.
We’re excited to pledge to GROWING CITIES. Watch the trailer above, make your pledge, and spread the message. The filmmakers need to raise at least $35,000 by May 12th to prepare for an early 2013 release. Get behind this great food movement.
Last Saturday night we catered an event to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Guests dressed in period attire, arrived in vintage automobiles and dined on the same menu that was served in first class on that fateful night, while images of the ocean were projected on the windows of the dining room.
Recreate this menu and transport yourself and your guests to the early 20th century.
Passed Hors D’Oeuvres
Oysters a la Russe - lemon splashed
Leek, Caramelized Onions + Chévre - puff pastry squares
Port Poached Pears + St Andre - pastry envelopes
First Course
Cream of Barley Soup - a French country favorite
Second Course
Poached Salmon - mousselin e sauce
Third Course
Beef Forestiere - bacon lardons + wild mushrooms
Fourth Course
Punch Romaine - mint + rose water sorbet
Fifth Course
Asparagus Salad - champagne-saffron vinaigrette
Sixth Course
Waldorf Pudding - creamy + vanilla scented, apples, raisins. walnuts
Nearly 800 guests and VIPs enjoyed savory options like sliders, chicken quesadillas, and three varieties of grilled cheese to balance out the cocktails.
Event Designer - Spencer McCormack
Photos: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com
Let this menu our head chef created for an exclusive event we recently catered serve as inspiration for this weekend’s big meal!
Combine beets, orange, candied hazelnuts and arugula + radicchio for a fresh burst of spring flavors.
Looking for some weekend dining inspiration? Chef Joel created this modern take on comfort food for a recent event we catered. The unlikely and delicious combination of tarragon, apricot and jasmine rice-stuffed quail paired with a walnut mint pesto is a great way to impress any guest or loved one.
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