There are so many beautiful moments to share from our recent Farm-to-Table Dinner (or Farm-to-Fork), held at Andrew Maple Hill Farms in Janesville, Wisconsin! The Tall Guy Team served more than 60+ attendees, using locally-sourced products from 10+ Rock County and Milwaukee County vendors.
For our first try at this local source catering concept, I couldn’t be prouder. Everything tasted Farm-to-Fork fresh and looked delicious. People raved about the menu and scenery. All in all, it seemed like the perfect evening to come together in support of the Farm-to-Table initiative with friends, family, and newcomers underneath the country summer sky.
Tall Guy’s Farm-to-Table Menu
Snack Bar
Guests causally arrived around 5 p.m. They had the liberty to stroll the sunny grounds with a cocktail in hand and check out our table of Breads & Spreads, which included:
Compound Butters
Tall Guy‘s Pimento Cheese
Stump’s Olives
Ringhand’s Beer Mustard with Mini Pretzel Bites
Balsamic Grilled Veggies
Tall Guy‘s House-made Pickled Veggies
Nacho Bar
The Tall Guy team (photo, right), slowly seasoned and roasted a pig from Lake Geneva Country Meats. This juicy, tender meat was a staple for our Nacho Bar and toppings included:
Pickled Onions, Candied Jalapenos
Farm Greens
Heirloom Tomatoes with Lime Vinaigrette
GrayBrewingCompany Queso
Strawberry Salsa & Local Corn Salsa
Southwest Caesar with Tortilla Croutons
Blue Farm Organic Tortilla Chips
Carving Bar
While people seemed to love all the Farm-to-Table food stations, we heard so many compliments about the Prime Rib. In fact, I think we even converted a few people! The Carving Bar also included roasted vegetables, sweet corn, and more…
Arndt Farms, Inc Herb-Crusted Prime Rib
Gray Brewing Company “Honey Ale” Braised Carrots
Rustic Chimichurri
Fingerling Potato with Charred Green Beans
Balsamic Macerated Summer Fruit Salad
Pizza Bar
In addition to freshly-baked (and lightly-torched-atop) pizza, we also offered Herbed Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms (and the crowd went wild!). Our Pizza menu included:
Pharm Pheasant
MacFarlane Pheasants, braised with Fermenting Cellars Winery Wine, Caramelized Onions, Wild Mushrooms, Thyme, Parmesan, Lemon Zest, Microgreens
Yass Queen Margherita!
Heirloom Tomatoes, Charred Burrata, Oro di Oliva Tuscan Oil, Micro Basil
My Sausage Brings All the Boys to the Chard
Sorgs Quality Meats and Sausages, Sauteed Swiss Chard, Grilled Bell Peppers, Arrabiata Red Sauce, Mozzarella, Stump’s Giardiniera
S’mores Bar
Guests had the chance to create their own S’mores with marshmallows, chocolates, peanut butter cups, and graham crackers. They could then head outdoors to enjoy the golden sunset and fireflies over the soy fields.
If anyone wanted to fill up on an evening cocktail, we offered specialty liquors from:
Central Standard Craft Distillery
Gratitude
Throughout dinner, I was able to welcome guests and acknowledge those who had helped to make our first Farm-to-Table event a success. We couldn’t have pulled it off without these key players…
Our Hosts
We are so appreciative to Barbara & Gordon Andrew, owners of Andrew Maple Hill Farms. They are a tireless, thoughtful couple, who helped us find local vendors, promote the event in Rock County, and make it happen, rain or shine!
They also set the stage so beautifully. We continue to hear praise about their landscape and acerage.
(Barb & Gordy, photographed upper right of collage)
Photography, Flowers, and Music
As always, Michelle Kujawski Photography captured everything perfectly! She is so good at what she does and we couldn’t tell our story without her.
Our talented florist friends at Wood Violet – they brought the event to life with their floral design and love of everything local.
Milwaukee Underground Productions – they nailed the set list on the head! If you’re looking for a DJ to help create the ambiance for your event with great music and sound, reach out.
The team at Filament Communication for their hard work behind-the-scenes.
The Catering Team
The Tall Guy Team were utterly superb! Executive Chef, Dana Spandet, really took the lead. As a team, however, they not only conceptualized this idea, their all-star performance was noted by everyone. Here’s what a few guests had to say…
“Where do I begin! Thank you Dan and your remarkable culinary team. A truly memorable experience.”
– Nikki Marsicanno
“A shout out to Tall Guy and his fabulous team. This event that they put on with the food and beverages was spectacular. Keep up the great work and quality that you guys do!”
– Kristin Mattson
Join Us Next Year
Lastly, a big thank you to Mrs. Tall Guy, Amanda Nowak. She helped to put the polish on all of the final details. And, of course, our fans! It was awesome seeing so many people and it was an honor to serve you and share in the Farm-to-Table, Farm-to-Fork initiative. We love what we do, and we’d love to do this for you again next year!
Until then, we’re proud to be your choice caterer and please keep us in mind for weddings, corporate events, and private parties. #ThinkTallGuy #LocalLoveMKE
Learn more about the amazing benefits of Farm-to-Table / Farm-to-Fork
