Everyone loves brunch! What can be better than sleeping in a bit, and then enjoying a creative and decadently fun meal over mimosas and bloody marys. But brunch doesn’t have to reserved for restaurants. (simonsezit) More and more brides and event planners are hosting brunch catering events! There are of course the practical reasons, like the fact that it can be less costly to rent a venue for brunch vs more popular evening slots. But others are doing it because of the fun they can have with the catering menu!
Donuts
Have you ever met anyone that doesn’t like donuts? Neither have we. Type donuts into Pinterest and you may break the internet. From gourmet donuts and donut walls, to donut hole skewers to donut fries…the possibilities are endless. At Messina’s, one of our most-requested breakfast and brunch stations is our donut wall. Or, give your event a New Orleans flair and offer classic beignets!
Mimosas and Bloody Marys, oh my!
Think outside the orange juice and champagne box when building your brunch bar. While the cult classics mimosas and bloody marys have their place and should be included, amp them up with some unique twists. Consider peach and lavender bellinis,, pomegranate mimosas or grapefruit mimosas. Or put your guests in the driver’s seat with a make your own bloody mary bar stocked with unique ingredients like shrimp, crab, bacon, ribs, picked vegetables and unique hot sauces.
Rose is also a great option to offer. Have on hand sparkling rose, dry and sweet to give guests something to try. It’s not only fun, but rose has a beautiful hue that can complement the venue theme!
Brunch Biscuits
Welcome to the south! What’s better than a biscuit bar stocked with sausage, bacon, country ham, fried chicken bites and country gravy. Your guests will be able to build their own favorite biscuit breakfast! (simonsezit) Consider offering options beyond the standard flaky biscuit. Try Messinas famous homemade sweet potato biscuits for something for guests to write home about.
Cereal Bar
Trix AREN’T just for kids! Sugary fun cereal can be a blast from the past, and fun for kids and adults alike! Create a DIY station featuring several cereals like Lucky Charms, Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes, Cheerios, Rice Crispies along with carafes of ice cold milk. This station will surely bring out the phones for Instagram photos, and get guests chatting. Use apothecary jars and vintage milk bottles to dress up the station, there’s no doubt your guests will love this!
Chicken and Waffles
Nothing says southern comfort like savory fried chicken over delicate sweet waffles. Though notoriously a bit messy, this dish can be made more “consumable” for standing/mingling events by creating bite size pieces, or sliders. Look for creative drizzles, such as Messina’s pecan sauce.
Bacon
To many, bacon is its own food group. Of course, bacon can stand on it’s own, but why not have some fun with it! Think chocolate covered bacon, bacon breakfast pizza, bacon topped donuts, candied bacon, bacon skewers, the list could go on! Let your imagination run wild here!
Other Ideas
The options are endless when it comes to hosting a catered brunch event. Think baby gourmet pancakes, MYO eggs benedict station as well as shrimp and grits. And don’t forget the coffee! You can have lots of fun with coffee-shop-style offerings and feel.
Simply think about some of your favorite brunch spots and build your menu around that. Checkout Messinas Runway Café. Also, be sure to find the best caterer for the job and brainstorm with them! They should have ideas and photos to share of similar events they have hosted and dishes they have served. Messina’s Catering and Events has been catering weddings in the New Orleans and Kenner areas for 58 years. Many of our event planners and brides request brunch dishes and we have an extensive library of ideas to share!
