Kookoo for Coconuts

For the morning-after-the-wedding Hangover Brunch this past weekend, we offered our very groggy guests some instant relief at their very own Coconut Station! When I heard that coconut water was one of nature's greatest electrolytes, I thought this would be the perfect thing for wedding guests needing a little pick-me-up after a night of partying. Amazed onlookers watched as Chef Neal Noble from Noble Culinary wielded his cleaver with frightening precision, then delicately inserted a eco-friendly straw and -the perfect finishing touch- a paper umbrella! It was hilarious to listen to guests' comments while sipping from their individual coconuts -- most people were surprised to learn how mild the water tastes; so many thought it would be more like coconut milk or that dessicated, dried stuff on cakes and pies. For the really adventurous though, when the water was finished, Chef Noble would crack the whole shell open and offer a bio-degradable spoon to scoop out the coconut meat. Our Coconut Station proved to be the biggest hit of the day with some guests coming back for seconds and thirds!
A big thank you needs to go out to Tina from Noble Culinary for telling me about this amazing idea and then getting such a luverly-bunch-of-coconuts!

Veni, Vidi, VINO!

We had a great time planning this surprise 50th birthday party for a serious wine lover... and, darn it, having to taste all the wines we would serve that night was such a difficult part of the job! The invitation (above) was die cut in the shape of a bottle and we joked that the honoree had now reached "Vintage Status" and that he was "full-bodied, well-balanced, silky and smooth with a great finish." Wine expert Tony Aspler was on hand to conduct intimate wine tastings and North 44 catered with food that almost (almost) surpassed the wines that evening. The theme carried through to the cake (made by North 44 pastry chef Julie Montgomery) -- the entire thing was edible -- even the 'wood' shavings as well as the outer crate.
Thank you to Leigh Tynan of Tynan Studio for the photos.