Planning the Perfect Holiday Party

With the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about planning your holiday party! Planning a holiday party might seem overwhelming but with the right preparation it can be easy and fun! If you follow these tips for planning your perfect holiday party from Biagio’s Ristorante, it will run smoothly and you and your guests are sure to have a great time.

Choosing the Theme:

The first thing to do in planning the perfect holiday party is to choose a theme. Are you looking to have a formal holiday party or something more casual? Deciding on your theme will help the rest of the planning fall into place.

Invitations:

Once you have a theme and pick a date, you’ll want to send out your invitations. You should send invitations out at least 3 weeks before your party so that you can make sure people can come!

Selecting the Food:

Next you’ll want to decide on food for the party. Biagio’s Ristorante has a great catering menu with a variety of foods, so you know you’ll be able to please everyone! Biagio’s private party facilities can hold up to 150 people and they have selection of menus from buffet style to sit down style as well as different packages for your meal.

Drinks:

When the food is together, drinks are the next thing to think about. Make sure you have something for everyone! A good holiday idea is to have elegant cocktails at your party, like champagne or a candy cane cocktail! If you want to really dress your drinks up, freeze mint leaves into your ice cubes as a festive holiday surprise.

Decorations:

The day of your holiday party will be really exciting! You’ll want to put some final touches on decorations to get everyone in a festive mood. You can make really creative centerpieces pretty easily by putting anything that reminds you of the holidays in a clear vase. Another idea for holiday decorating is to string mini lights around tables or over doorways. Don’t forget to put some music on! Music is great for holiday parties and really keeps people excited.

The holiday season is the best time to have a party because people are in such a festive mood. Make sure you prepare everything before your party so you can join your guests in enjoying the party! Leave the cooking to Biagio’s! ‘Like’ us on Facebook to see our catering menu and give us a call so you can start planning your holiday party now!

Duckhorn Wine Dinner at Biagio’s Ristorante

Biagio’s Ristorante hosted a delicious Duckhorn Wine Dinner Wednesday, October 26. The dinner brought together families and couples alike to enjoy a night of seasonal dishes and exquisite wines.

Five delicious courses including Pan Seared Diver Scallops, Roasted Butternut Squash and Shrimp Bisque, Cider Glazed Lamb Chops and Chocolate Lava were each paired with a wine from Duckhorn Vineyards of Napa Valley.

Duckhorn Vineyards was co-founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976 and has since established itself as one of North America’s premier producers of Bordeaux varietal wines. From its modest beginning with 800 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and 800 cases of Merlot in 1978, to the addition of Sauvignon Blanc in 1982, Duckhorn Vineyards has created a tradition of quality and excellence that continues today as the vineyard grows.

The evening began with a beautiful assortment of cheeses, breads, fresh vegetables and fruits paired with a Decoy Chardonnay to warm up the palate. Frank Barbagallo, of Duckhorn Vineyards introduced each selection describing the wine and the history behind it. “I don’t care if you have the best winemaker in the world if you don’t have good grapes, you’re not going to have good wine,” he explained. According to Frank, geological influences have provided a wide range of soils in the Napa Valley which lend themselves to unique growth in the vineyards.

All of the wines were paired beautifully with the seasonal dishes prepared by Chef Jimmy Perides. The next few courses included the Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc paired with the Pan Seared Diver Scallops and Golden Eye Pinot Noir with the Crispy Pork Belly. To demonstrate the balance of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the two were paired with the cider Glazed Lamb Chops. Each of these wines was balanced using a blend of the other to lighten the Cabernet and darken the Merlot.

To end the evening, several bottles of the Duckhorn wine were raffled off to lucky guests while the Chocolate Lava was served with a Paraduxx blend.

With a great staff, mouth watering dishes, delicious wines and excellent company, Biagio’s is looking forward to hosting a second Wine Dinner on Thursday, November 17 featuring Italian wines of Belguardo and Castello Fonterutoli.

“Like” Biagio’s on Facebook for more information on our next Wine Dinner, as well as tips for event planning and information about our restaurant and ballroom.

Make your Event Unforgettable with Biagio’s Ristorante

Whether you’re planning your Wedding, a Christening, Bat or Bar Mitzvah or Anniversary Party, Biagio’s Ristorante, in Bergen County, New Jersey is exquisite for private parties. Biagio’s offers banquet facilities that accommodate groups from 20 to 170 people and a wide variety of buffet packages  and sit down dinners to suit any appetite. When you’re planning any event, particularly a special one, you want to make sure you are giving your guests the best possible evening and getting a memorable night for you or the guests of honor without getting over stressed. That’s exactly what Biagio’s aims to do for you.

When it comes to your wedding, the facility is not that of your ordinary Bergen County Wedding Halls, it is a truly beautiful place featuring rich dark mahogany walls and granite dance floor.  This New Jersey banquet facility can accommodate intimate weddings and private parties of up to 170 guests. You can choose from several packages that can be customized to your specific needs. What makes Biagio’s truly unique is that they cater to only one wedding at a time making your wedding day a truly personalized experience.

With 5 different private rooms to choose from, a customizable menu and bar, complimentary valet parking and private entrances, Biagio’s is sure to fit any occasion. Paula and Tommy, the catering managers, can assist you with whatever your needs might be. Biagio’s wants to be sure your party experience is beyond memorable, and for that reason has compiled a few tips for planning your special occasion.

-        Select a budget for your special event. Even if your budget is high, it is better to have a budget because it will help steer you in the right direction on some choices. Defining a budget and sticking to it will ease a great deal of stress for the planning process.

-        Order your invitations early. You want to be sure that there are no mistakes and get them sent out at least six weeks before the event. You also want to provide an easy way to reply – on a wedding site, or with easily identifiable RSVP cards.

-        Select your menu and bar taking your guests and budget into consideration. Be sure you have a dish that any of your guests can enjoy and make sure you choose the bar option that best suits your budget and your guests. Choose from three different liquor packages at Biagio’s: Open Bar, Open Tab and select liquor such as wine and beer.

-        When choosing your favors, think about something memorable, but also something useful. Give something useful like wine glasses or even a small bottle of wine with a customized label. Consider an alternative to favors – print letters for each of your guests and include them in the place setting describing a time in which you will volunteer in the name of your guests.

Whether it is a Sweet 16, or a wedding, you want your special event to be just that – special. Biagio’s Ristorante can make your event truly memorable with a devoted staff, a beautiful setting and a menu sure to please.

Board Approves Biagio’s Banquet Hall

The Zoning Board of Adjustment voted to allow the owners of Biagio’s to build a banquet facility in place of Paramus Tire at their Thursday meeting.

The Board voted 6-1 to allow construction of a two-story hall with valet parking in a residential zone, despite the objections of a neighbor.

The Terrace at Biagio’s will host large parties like wedding receptions. Though it will be located in a residential zone, it will replace another non-residential use, Paramus Tire.

Deborah Szorentini, who lives just south of the proposed site, was concerned about the noise level that would emanate from the new banquet hall. She already has complaints about revelers leaving the banquet halls at the existing restaurant.

“Living next to a banquet facility, every day is a challenge,” she said.

As part of its approval, the Board stipulated that the restaurant’s owners install new fencing in between the proposed site and Szorentini’s property.

“I think we’ve done a more than adequate job, as a matter of fact a very decent job, of protecting the one resident that’s adjoining to us,” said Ken Ochab, a planner for Biagio’s.

The new banquet facility will be served by a valet parking plan. Ellis Dumont, who owns a valet parking company, testified that the 85 valet parking stalls, arranged into three stacks, would be sufficient for the facility’s needs.

“The number of spaces provided here are more than adequate for this location, considering all the activities,” he said.

Though the Board approved the banquet facility, the owners of Biagio’s still need approval for signs at the site. The Board will hear the signage application at a later date.

The Board also approved an application for Sarku Japan at Bergen Town Center to create an outdoor dining area at the restaurant.

Sea You for Dinner!

Looking for a delicious seafood dish to make for dinner tonight?  Try a light and flavorful Seafood Pescatore.  It is a quick and easy summertime dish that has plenty of tastes for any seafood lover to enjoy.  It only takes about ten minutes to sauté the fresh seafood to perfection and toss wit your favorite pasta.  Here is a great recipe from Biagio’s Ristorante in Paramus, NJ…

Pescatore, literally translates from Italian to “fisherman”.  This Pescatore is filled with a plethora of different kinds of seafood.  And remember, fresh ingredients are always the best to use.  All you will need is baby lobster tails, chopped garlic, jumbo shrimp, sliced calamari, green New Zealand mussels, little neck clams, jumbo scallops, fresh basil, whole cherry tomatoes in a heavy puree and linguine.  Also, have some red cooking wine, extra virgin olive oil and seasonings handy for the cooking process.

In a sauté pan, brown the garlic in extra virgin olive oil.  Add in the calamari, mussels and clams.  Once they are simmering and the water releases add in the scallops and shrimp.  Cook them all for about 4-5 minutes.  That will be just enough time for everything to brown without overcooking.  Add salt, pepper and oregano to taste.  While the seafood is cooking begin to boil the linguine.  To slow down the cooking process and avoid overcooking the seafood, add a splash of red cooking to the sauté pan.  Add the whole tomato puree and fresh basil to the pan and stir into the seafood.  Boil the lobster tails for 3-4 minutes. Once they are blanched add them to rest of seafood and simmer together so that the lobster tails gain the flavor of the sauce.  Add the al dente pasta to the sauce and let it simmer for a minute so that it catches the flavors of the sauce and seafood.  Be careful to not overcook any of the seafood, overcooking will cause it to be tough rather than tender.

Visit Biagio’s online to see Chef Jimmy Perides in action.  He makes this classic dish right before your eyes, in a step by step video.  Watch Jimmy make this dish in a matter of minutes while giving you a few helpful hints to cooking seafood along the way.

Don’t feel like doing all the work yourself?  Let Biagio’s Ristorante fix a fantastic meal for your friends and family.  Biagio’s offers a wide selection of seafood, pasta, beef, veal and chicken dishes.  The menu reveals why Biagios will become one of your favorite Bergen County Italian restaurants.  Check out their full dinner, lunch, dessert, wine and catering menus on their website.  Don’t forget to let Chef Jimmy and the staff at Biagio’s know how your dinner was by visiting them on Yelp and Facebook.