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.