the door opened into a treasure chest of history and an amazing family homestead
that has housed 10 generations of americans since the original land grant
in the mid 1800's.
Frithland is EVERYTHING northerners like myself imagine
when dreaming of southern hospitality and antique furnishings.
And those who have been to chez Teiger know of our family's
love of antique furniture, collectible glassware
and international antique china.
This historic home (not usually open to the public)
is a collectors wet dream!
Dateline: Bunkie CENLA (Central Louisiana)
Event: Rotary Club of Bunkie Annual Christmas Banquet and Citzens of the Year Awards
Venue: Frithland Plantation,
Date: Thursday December 18, 2008
If you were privileged enough to be invited to the Rotary Club of Bunkie’s
Christmas and Citizen of the Year Awards Event, this past Thursday a
nd had previously attended this annual event held at Frithland Plantation,
Central Louisiana you would not have been surprised to find yourself
in the elegant setting that the Frithland Plantation’s main house is.
But what would have knocked your socks off is the abundant,
delicious Louisiana food and elegant presentation offered up by
Cenla’s newest caterer Best Catered Events right on Highway One in Marksville, La
Rick and Dianne Evans, who the owners, are new to the area,
but certainly NOT new to catering. They have over 18 years of
catering experience (almost 40 combined years) and boy did
their sumptuous spread and over the top holiday décor
delight Bunkie’s Elite Thursday night.
As if this was not enough, as an extra added touch,
Best Catering collaborated with guest chef Andrew Alexander-Crossan
and event designer Lisa Teiger of CuisinEtc Catering and Special Events
out of New York City. Another Dynamic Duo with over 25 years of
catering experience from coast to coast and around the globe,
coming to you from New York City, but always going beyond!
Cenla may not know what has hit them,
The buffet fork friendly supper served on real china and flatware
Cenla may not know what has hit them,
but Dianne and Rick who opened their doors in Marksville
just last month in November with a state of the art mobile kitchen,
ready to cater any event from restoration catering
to your daughters wedding, have gone from zero to sixty
in just a few short months.
After selling their catering facility
and relocating from Baton Rouge
this energetic can do couple have taken the area
by a storm booking party after party
for the 2008 holiday season and
weddings and corporate events well
into August and December of 2009.
Rick and Dianne are peoples people
-comfortable in any setting from the bayou to the boardroom!
Thursday nights team,
Chef Andrew Alexander- Crossan,
Waitress Sara Richardson,
Best Catered Events Owners Dianne & Rick Evans
Lisa Teiger, Event Designer (see below) was busy taking pictures!
Catering Collaborators
Lisa Teiger, cuisinEtc catering and decor NYC and beyond....
with Dianne Evans, Best Catered Events, CENLA, Marksville, Louisiana
One taste of Dianne’s made from scratch Louisiana cooking
pared with cutting edge presentations
such as triple chocolate threat brownie squares
served skewered with mini forks
has folks from across CENLA stopping by the Best Catering Kitchens
on Highway One in Marksville
to order pick ups, takeouts and full service events.
Having booked over 100 events for this month,
Dianne rarely turns anyone away, offering them
a taste of her warm southern hospitality, no matter the size of the order.
The only exception being Christmas eve which Dianne
says is reserved for their daughters, son in laws and grandbabies.
“after all these years of working ourselves to the bone in
Baton Rouge we promised each other that this year
we would enjoy Christmas and by darn, we are working hard here too
but what a pleasure the local people have been to deal with”
Dianne, who is an active member of several national catering
Dianne, who is an active member of several national catering
organizations (which is how the collaboration with CuisinEtc came about)
and who is constantly attending and upgrading her skills via educational
seminars with top chefs around the country can cook them all
under the table with her sunny smile and her incredible work ethic.
Chef Andrew Alexander-Crossan, visiting NYC guest chef
commented that Dianne Evans is one of the few that has the stamina
he is known for to run multiple events, cook, prep, manage
and do it all with a smile!!!
That takes a special kind of chef with an absolute love of food and people!
Chef Dianne and Chef Andrew between them have slept
a TOTAL of perhaps 10 hours in the past week
prepping and serving food for the citizens of Cenla’s holiday celebrations!
The menu for the Rotary Club of Bunkies Citizen of the Year Event
The menu for the Rotary Club of Bunkies Citizen of the Year Event
included several passed hors d’oeuvres including
Crawfish Filo Tartlets
Dates Stuffed with Cream Cheese Wrapped in Bacon,
and Pinwheels of Asparagus and Ham with Buttermilk Ranch Cheese Pate
crawfish filo cups
The buffet fork friendly supper served on real china and flatware
was highlighted with Rick Evan’s hand rubbed, 4 day cured
& low n slow smoked brisket and pork tenderloins,
smoked on premise with pecan wood, in their state of the art
Southern Pride Smoker.
Fork tender and melt in your mouth meats,
horseradish dressing, honey mustard & mayo
served with mini baked on premise soft yeast rolls that I just couldn't stop eating
(carbs be damned this season),
warm and gooey crabmeat au gratin with fancy european crackers,
Best Caterings signature chicken cordon bleu pasta Alfredo,
Diannes warm crawfish baguettes,
old fashioned country devilled eggs with a touch of mustard and cayenne,
sumptious cut fruit such as juicy watermelon, luciuous pineapple,
fresh huge driscoll strawberries and bountiful grapes
with a beautiful cheese display and fancy crackers,
mini muffalettas on authentic New Orleans Cartozza Bakery Muffaletta Bread!
Without even knowing we brought several monkeys for part of the display,
turns out that Bunkie was named after a pet Monkey!
Catering is often serindipitous like that!
mini muffalettas displayed on bird adorned shelves
country devilled eggs
Dianne tweaking the buffet
Did I mention the desserts yet?
Which were available from the minute folks walked in the door
and in the tradition of our Indian clients, our southern guests also
like to nibble on something sweet before they dug into the savory food.
Dianne's housemade dessert buffet included traditional southern favorites
such as homemade Divinities topped with Pecans, which when
Chef Andrew Alexander-Crossan inquired as to why they are called divinity
a simultaneous shout out came back from everyone
"BECAUSE THEY ARE DIVINE !!!!!"
other goodies we all enjoyed were
Crème De Pirouline Rolled Wafers with
Chocolate Hazelnut and Pumpkin Spice,
Triple Chocolate Threat Brownie Squares
skewered with mini cocktail forks,
and old fashioned soda cracker Pecan Praline Candy,
Holiday Candies, Mudpie Shooters and more….
All this food highlighted the gracious southern hospitality
All this food highlighted the gracious southern hospitality
of Hope and Bill
Along with interesting conversation and
Along with interesting conversation and
a history lesson of Frithland Plantation and the TEN generations
that have continuously lived on the property since the original
land grant in 1839 after the Louisinana purchase.
Bunkies citizens graciously filled me in the history of the area
Bunkies citizens graciously filled me in the history of the area
from the Jewish families that Jim Levy told me were always well accepted
and integrated into the community “of lovely people”
to Miss Mary who grew up in Columbia South America
is one of the best home cooks in the Parish
and in her 70's has started a baking business.
We are hoping that Miss Mary will find the time after Christmas
to show us a few of her down home recipes
that we can take back to our clients in NYC
It would be such an honor for us!
Way to go Miss Mary, you are my role model and hero -
Hoping to have your energy and grace when Andrew and I get to your age!
gorgeous fireplaces and oversized mirrors abound!
beautiful family heirlooms
