Here’s a copy of the press release!

Executive Chef Elizabeth Goel of Los Angeles based Bite Catering Couture wins silver medal in closest contest in Food Network Challenge history. Bite Catering Couture specializes in catering Signature Bite-sized tasting menus for weddings, parties, and special events in Los Angeles. Chef Elizabeth’s team finished a mere 0.6 points (of 100) from the first prize and $10,000.

Santa Monica, CA (PRWEB) August 30, 2008 — Executive Chef Elizabeth Todd Goel of Bite Catering Couture led one of four teams on Food Network Challenge: Big Bash Caterers, which premiered Sunday, August 24th on Food Network, competing for a $10,000 prize.

Executive Chef Elizabeth Goel, Bite Catering Couture

The (caprese salad skewer) is a little work of art. It’s delicate, like a ballerina. So its really appealing

Executive Chef Elizabeth Goel placed 2nd in a tight competition with veteran chefs of the catering industry. The margin of victory was a razor-thin 0.6 points of 100. The competition featured 4 teams of caterers feeding 75 guests in a party for the Colorado Ballet.

Chef Elizabeth brought a menu appropriate to a ballet, featuring a number of Bite Catering Couture’s signature miniature catered foods: creole crab cakes, caprese salad skewers, Nutcracker cones, and Nutcracker “Sweet” (espresso chocolate bonbons and caramel nut pie). Guests referred to the combination as “Food on point.”

“The (caprese salad skewer) is a little work of art. It’s delicate, like a ballerina. So its really appealing,” commented judge Lisa Snider, Executive Director of the Colorado Ballet.

Judge Chris Siversen, Executive Chef of Bridgewaters summarized, “Seeing the presentation, tasting it, everything is really dead on. Great flavors!”

Bite Catering Couture was honored to have our Executive Chef and signature bites in competition against some of the best caterers in the country. As a new Los Angeles catering company, we look forward to introducing our unique, stylish approach to high-quality catered foods for weddings, special events, and parties in Los Angeles.

Food Network Challenge airs Sundays at 8pm ET/PT. For more information, additional air times and contest recipes, please visit FoodNetwork.com

Please visit Bite Catering Couture of Los Angeles at www.bitecatering.net for pictures, sample menus, client reviews, recipes, and more. Bite Catering Couture is a premier caterer in Los Angeles with a signature line of bite-sized miniature foods in addition to full-service catering. Our approach to parties, weddings, and special events is to bring a tasting menu of Bites, allowing guests a greater variety of flavors and the opportunity to participate in more conversations than a sit-down only event.

For more information, press only, please contact:
Vijay Goel, 310-492-5601

For more information on Bite Catering Couture: www.bitecatering.net

We had a Monday afternoon jonesing for burger, so Elizabeth and I went in search of burger reviews. Hearing all the buzz about the “Office Burger” from Father’s Office in Santa Monica, There is also a location well reviewed in Culver City.

We walked in a little after 5 and the place was active, but there were still a few seats available by the bar. This was actually great, as you have to order at the bar (which can be a bit challenging if all the seats are full)–make sure you arrive with a friend, grab a menu, grab your seats, and send one person up to order.

My first impression was that there were a lot more women around than I would expect in a beer and burger joint– perhaps the food was as good as advertised.

We took a look at the burgers that other folks were eating, and dispensed with all the other items and went straight to the office burger and fries…especially when we saw the chef didn’t allow substitutions. This was a place that took their burgers seriously!

It was juicy in a way that most burgers can’t match. Real steak amazing cheese, touch of bacon, caramelized onions…it just melted in my mouth. Writing about it is making me hungry. Its like taking the best part of a steak and a burger, putting them together, throwing in a bit of cheese and bacon…yummm!

Finicky describes it below and I agree completely:

Juicy ground beef– and I mean juicy, with glistening meat juice droplets visible with each bite– on a chewy roll, smothered with a bacon-onion compote, caramelized to the point where it looks like thick dark fudge, and topped with a surprisingly mild and delicate yet rich combination of melted gruyere and Maytag blue cheese, accented by vibrantly green fresh baby arugula. This burger is absolutely to die for and completely deserving of the title of “Best Burger.”

Fries were awesome too. Garlic aioli sauce, crisp shoestring fries, yumm.

It was perfect for an afternoon jonesing for a burger. We’ll definitely be back once we give our arteries a bit of time to clear

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I took my weary wife out for a date tonight. Sadly enough, in the life of a caterer, Sunday night tends to be date night.

We had a two wedding weekend in addition to a few other parties, so our dear Chef was in need of an evening of someone else’s cooking and a nice glass of wine.

We went to Fraiche, where we’ve been once before. Its relatively new in Culver City, but they do simple foods extremely well– fresh ingredients, proper preparation, well trained service…its a terrific experience where all the little things just go right (only drawback is that it can get noisy inside). The open kitchen is also cool– Elizabeth was excited to see that there was a woman working on the line in addition to the pastry folks.

Tonight we each had an appetizer and an entree. For appetizers we ordered the beet salad and the beef tartare. The beets were sliced over a base of goat cheese with a sprinkling of hazelnuts and olive oil. The sweetness of the beets combined with the creaminess of the goat cheese made for a terrific dish. The beef tartare appeared on bruschetta-style toast, with arugula to the side. The arugula was a bit salty alone, but when combined with the tartare and the hint of garlic with the bread, it all went together marvelously.

For entrees, Elizabeth ordered the lamb (which came as a stew with ricotta and gnochi) and I had steak frites. The lamb was perfect comfort food– the lamb was slow cooked and the meat fell apart as soon as it hit our mouths. The steak was deconstructed, but a perfect juicy medium-rare…perfect to fill a craving after a week spent eating a lot of salads.

Overall, a great experience. Service was terrific, food was simple with great ingredients and very well executed. This place is becoming one of our favorites.

Bite Catering Couture Featured on Food Network Catering Challenge

Executive Chef Elizabeth Goel of Los Angeles-based Bite Catering Couture competes on Food Network’s “Big Bash Catering” Challenge. Bite Catering Couture specializes in catering Signature bite-sized tasting menus for weddings, parties, and special events. The Food Network contest has 4 teams competing for $10,000 and airs August 24th at 8pm EST/PST.

Santa Monica, CA (PRWEB) August 13, 2008 — Executive Chef Elizabeth Goel of Bite Catering Couture will lead one of 4 teams on Food Network Challenge: Big Bash Caterers airing August 24th, 2008 at 8pm on the Food Network, competing for a $10,000 prize.

Known for her elegant presentation and signature bite-sized foods, Chef Elizabeth is quickly gaining a Southern California following as a unique caterer. A newcomer in Los Angeles, Bite Catering Couture was founded in late 2007 as Chef Elizabeth brought her small foods philosophy from New York. The approach of the signature Bites line differs from traditional catering in providing more of a tasting menu format. This allows guests to try many more types of foods while having more freedom to mingle and enjoy a variety of conversations as well. Early recognition by C Magazine and the Food Network attests to the buzz building around this talented young chef.

“Starting out in pastry shaped a lot of my expectations of food. The pastry chef has one chance at the end of the meal to make the impression that the guest carries with them,” states Chef Elizabeth about her approach. “We bring that approach to each of our Bites…we eat with our eyes first and then the taste leaves the lasting impression. Each of our Bites may be small but we expect each to wow a guest with both its look and its flavors.”

Client Pat Gibson describes the Bite Catering experience for her son’s wedding rehearsal dinner, “Everyone loved the idea of nibbling tasty morsels all evening long and not having to break up their conversations to sit down to a formal dinner. It made for a very congenial and friendly evening for 75 people who were just getting to know one another. Each lovely item was delicious, inventive and strikingly crafted. The milkshakes that ended the evening were a triumph.”

Bite Catering Couture is excited that our Executive Chef Elizabeth Goel has been recognized by the Food Network to compete against an experienced and talented group of chefs. We look forward to bringing innovative cuisine into homes and events across Los Angeles, serving weddings, parties, and other special events. Please visit our website at http://www.bitecatering.net for pictures, sample menus, client reviews, recipes, and more.

We published this to Google previously but thought this might be helpful for people looking for catering.
The choice of a caterer is an important step to setting the tone of your event. Food is so intimately tied into our experiences– it impacts us through sight, smells, taste, and touch. Its important to have a caterer who can understand the feel of your event and help you put together a catering menu and sequence that fits its tone and tempo.
Thinking through your requirementsBefore you start looking for a caterer, lay out the basics for the event:

• Occasion: What is the occasion? What elements need to be included? (toasts, themes, bar, etc)
• People: How many people will be present? How long will they stay?
• Location: Where is it being held? What are the constraints of the space? Does it have a kitchen?
• Service: Are you looking for waiters to pass food? Service stations? Buffet?
• Food: What types of food are of interest? (Healthy, comfort food, elegant, etc). Are there special requirements for your guests? (kosher, allergies, religious requirements, vegetarian)
• Budget: What is your overall budget for the event? Costs will need to include food, staff, space, rentals, and bar.

Finding the right catererUnderstand who the options are in your community. You’ll want to start with the right type of caterer for your event, based on type of food, number of people, budget, and level of service desired.

• Types of caterers:
  • Catering specialists: These catering companies bring chefs, food, specialty equipment, and/or wait staff to your location. This allows for more customization, better food presentation, higher service levels, and better integration into your event. These are the best choice when looking for specific foods, high level of presentation, passed items, and a certain level of elegance. For an example, take a look at Bite Catering Couture’s sample menus.
  • Restaurants: Catering is often a side business for restaurants and this allows them to bring their service to your space. In most cases, this is a buffet style service or delivery of transportable food items. They allow favorite entrees to be available at your location.
  • Grocers: Many specialty grocers offer cost-effective food trays suitable for simple events or small numbers of people. Costco and Trader Joe’s are chains that can offer some interesting selections.

Once you’ve selected the right type(s) of caterer, you can look to find the right caterer to fit your needs.

• Reputation: Look for a caterer with a reputation of being reliable, easy to work with, and professional. Some things you can look for include:
  • Client testimonials/reviews: Look on the company’s website and search for them by name on the internet. Ask to speak with a previous customer — a caterer with happy customers should be able to quickly put you in touch with one or two who can speak to their experience
  • Chef credentials/reputation: Has the chef been featured by the industry? An appearance on the Food Network, a popular cookbook, etc may indicate a higher degree of creativity and skill
  • Press: Local media coverage may be indicative of local buzz in the community
• Menu options: You’ll need food that makes sense with your event. Find someone with experience in catering the types of food you’re interested in, whether that be miniatures, kosher, buffet, seafood, etc.
• Services: Ensure that your caterer will provide (or coordinate with another company) the services that you want to help pull your event together. If the caterer works with the vendor often, you may find better coordination and sometimes even discounts that can be passed on.
  • Coordination/Planning: Some caterers will just show up with the food. Do you want help laying out the space, coordinating rentals, coordinating staff, putting together an event timeline, arranging displays, and ensuring plates/glassware/utensils are all where they need to be? Ask how the caterer can either help put it together or work with you to ensure a smooth event.
  • Kitchen/ Wait Staff: Wait staff, chefs, bus people to do on-site preparation, get the food out to guests, and keep the surroundings clean
  • Bar: From providing a bartender only (if you want to provide the alcohol yourself) vs. bringing in full bar packages including alcohol
  • Rentals: Glassware, dishes, kitchen equipment, food warmers, display pieces, tables, chairs, trash cans, etc.
• Presentation: Look at the caterer’s website or photo albums showing what they do. These are likely to be the best examples of the company’s work.
• Budget: Overall budget can vary significantly between caterers based on the typical price per guest and size of event that they focus on. Find someone who’s interested in the type of event that you do…some caterers like small, intimate parties and others focus on events feeding many hundreds of people.

New scientific research confirms that comfort food is actually comforting in times of pain.

Per Dr. Hamid Hekmat, professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point

“We found that food fantasies such as imagining eating your favorite ice cream, chocolate cake or meal had a strong pain-attenuating effect. It enhanced mood, reduced anxiety, and helped coping with ice water pain.”

Its interesting that even thinking of these favorite foods serves a helpful purpose (via Neuroscience Marketing).  So if dreams of comfort food can help you get through a rough day, we’re happy to help!

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As you’ve seen with our website redesign and addition of new components (sample menus, recipes, tips from our chef, tips on party planning, and favorite drinks) we’re trying to do a bit more at Bite Catering Couture. Please let us know if you like the changes (you can see the original website at archives.org) and let us know what you’d like to see. We plan on highlighting some of our favorites places as we come across them in Los Angeles (and we’re rooted in the Westside in Santa Monica) so your suggestions to two foodies would also be greatly appreciated!

We wish you the best in your lives and celebrations. Let us know if we can be of help.

All the best,

Vijay