Promotion Party
Michele
02/03/12 		Thanks in advance for your help. I'm hosting a buffet-style dinner party in three weeks for my husband in honor of his Master's Degree and subsequent promotion, 50 adults beginning at 4:00 PM. My menu at this point is as follows:

Chilled roast beef, sliced, served with chilled green beans along the side, to give color but people will eat them as well (served it this way at a reception last year and it was a HUGE hit)
Stuffed shells (a few vegetarians will be there)
Roasted veggies
Onion roasted potatoes
Caesar salad
dinner rolls w/butter
punch
sodas
water bottles
coffee served with dessert
fancy cake-3 different flavors (I bake and decorate cakes)

I thought we should have a light appetizer offering mainly to give our guests something to do during that point after they've first arrived but before the dinner is ready. If we do that, I thought of having:

White pizza dip served with french bread and bagel chips
crudite platter with good dip

Your website made amounts easy to figure out (thank you!) so my question is this.....my friend who is helping thinks I don't have enough offerings for the buffet. For her parties, she has a zillion choices so I guess my menu seemed rather limited to her. Do you feel my menu needs more choices? Does my appetizer selection need another choice if the buffet will be ready by 5pm? Do we even need to have appetizers? BTW, we do have some big eaters coming. Thanks so much for your help.

ellen
02/03/12 		You have enough for the buffet. Be aware that lots of the beef eaters will also take a shell, they are much loved.

An appetizer table gives wiggle room for the set up of the buffet, early arrival of guests, etc. I suggest a fruit tray added to the appetizers, it will add color and you don't have other fruits. Other than that, you look good to go.

Michele
02/03/12 		Thanks for the speedy and helpful reply! You are awesome!