What We Do

Catering Lingo

42 common words and phrases you should know:

1.  A la Carte: A phrase meaning “according to the menu,” which refers to a variety of differently priced dishes
2. A la mode: A phrase indicating that a dessert will come topped with ice cream
3. Amuse-bouche: The literal translation is “mouth amuser” – it’s a bite-sized hors d’oeuvre that is prepared according to the chef’s selection
4. Apéritif: A before dinner, light alcoholic beverage that is used to stimulate appetite
5. Back of House: The equivalent of “backstage.” Everything your guests do not (and should not) see
6. BEO: A Banquet Event Order is a document that outlines the details of your event. It serves as a guideline for the hotel to execute and communicate logistics to all necessary hotel departments
7. Bowl Food: Small bowls of food passed amongst your guests during a standing, casual reception
8. Canapé: Bite sized appetizers
9. Charger: Also known as the under plate, they’re larger decorative plates used to dress up the table and food is not served on them
10. Corkage: A fee charged per bottle for opening and serving wine brought in by the client
11. Crudité: Raw vegetable appetizers, sliced or whole, that are dipped
12. Dry Hire: Hiring a venue, without any labor, assistance, furniture, or delivery included. Always check what “dry hire” includes
13. Deposit: The amount required to pay in advance of your booking
14. Digestif: An after dinner, stronger alcoholic beverage enjoyed as an aid to digestion
15. Dueling Menus: Are split Entrees and often used to introduce more exotic menu items. For example, instead of having an eight-ounce steak, you can have a four-ounce steak and a four-ounce piece of fish (surf and turf).
16. F&B: Short for “food and beverage”
17. Family Style: A style of serving food in which diners help themselves from plates of food that have been put in the middle of the table 
18. Food Stations: A fun way of serving a variety of foods at a reception. For example, you might have a mashed potato station, a roast beef carving station, an oyster shucking station, or an ice cream sundae station
19. French service: A method used when partially cooked food is brought from the kitchen on a cart, which is used to complete the cooking process.  It’s completed in front of the guests and served by a server
20. Front of House: Like the stage of a theatre; everything you and your guests do see
21. In-House: Everything that the caterer or venue already has. For example “we have an in-house audiovisual team”
22. Intermezzo: an intermission in meal service just before the main course. Sorbet is usually served to cleanse the palate
23. Linens (aka Napery): The table covers and napkins
24. Market Price or AQ (As Quoted): used in place of a set price on a menu item where the price shifts seasonally or where prices fluctuate greatly
25. Mise en place: Literally means “putting in place” and refers to organizing and setting up all aspects of the event
26. Paté: Pâté is a mixture of cooked ground meat minced into a spreadable paste
27. Petit Fours: Small, bite-sized decorative cakes
28. Plated service: A method of presentation where food is arranged by the chef before being presented to guests
29. Out mess: Small meals provided to your event team and suppliers that are eaten behind the scenes or back of house
30. Pre-con Meeting (aka Ops meeting): A meeting that is held with event vendors and suppliers where the event is scheduled to take place. It is typically one or two days prior to the event
31. Placement: The correct way of displaying cutlery, glassware and stationery on the table
32. Platters: Used to display and serve canapés to your guests. Can be extravagant or elegant, and should always allow for beautiful presentation
33. Props: The term for everything that exists purely for aesthetics, with no purpose other than to make things look beautiful or convey a theme. For example, balloons and flowers
34. Service: A term for the delivery of food and drinks to all of the guests
35. Set Up: (aka “the in”) the time it takes to get all the equipment into a venue and set up for the event
36. Shuck: The delicate process of opening an oyster shell
37. Silencer: Padding used under the tablecloth to prevent noise from dishes, cups or and flatware from clattering. Its’ especially important when speakers are on stage during a meal
38. Site Visit: A venue walk-through before booking the venue and before the event. It helps you determine the best space for your event, and the advantages and limitations of the venue. With a thorough site inspection, planning and production teams can avoid unexpected costs, last-minute changes to layouts, and mishaps during the event
39. Snake Service: (aka ballet service) synchronized meal service, when several tables are served at the same time. A line of servers, typically one per guest) enters with plated food and circles each table, placing the plates in front of each guest at the same time
40. Sommelier: A trained professional who specializes in wine and food matching
41. Tasting: A pre-event meeting where the event planner and client tastes menu options before finalizing the meal plan with the catering manager or chef  
42. Whisper Call: An alternative to announcing, “Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats” over a microphone. Instead, the Maître De walks amongst the guests, asking them to move to their table/seats.