Hiring An Off-Site Caterer: Tips For the Tasting and Beyond From Eddie of Lola's Catering
Jeff and I stop by Lola's Café on a sunny February afternoon to interview Culinary Chef Eddie Kowalski, determined to uncover the secrets of the right wedding 
caterer.
Even at 2pm, Lola's is still hopping with the late lunch crowd: construction workers ribbing each other over bowls of steaming chili and grilled Panini sandwiches, business women who have set aside their briefcases to attack a Buffalo chicken salad, a solo gentleman munching the Asian chicken special.
Eddie emerges from the kitchen and exchanges greetings with the elderly woman sitting by the bay window before joining us at our table. "She was my junior high teacher." Eddie's grin lights up the cafe even more than the bright, cheery interior.
I grab my notepad as Jeff spoons up the dregs of the butternut squash bisque soup I couldn't resist ordering while we waited for Eddie.
"Ready, Eddie?" I laugh and Jeff rolls his eyes at me. "My first question: if I'm a bride hiring a caterer for my wedding, what questions should I ask?"
Eddie squints his bright blue eyes in thought. "I don't think a couple should have to come up with all the questions," he says. "A good caterer will ask the right questions to pull your likes out of you. I can come up with a customized menu for a couple based a one hour conversation."
A caterer should ask what you like and go from there. If you like fish, he should ask what type. Tilapia? Snapper? Salmon?
I smile, remembering how Eddie bailed me out when I was planning our Poughkeepsie wedding back in 2001. We needed food for about 50 people and I had no idea what I wanted. Eddie suggested a menu that could be served room temperature (we were pressed for space and serving buffet style in our home): poached salmon, Asian chicken and sesame noodle salad, passed shrimp appetizers. The result was delicious and exactly our style.
I ask Eddie how he helps a bride like I was who really has no idea what she wants.
"First, I ask about their ethnic backgrounds," Eddie says. "How many of your guests will be family? If it's an Italian group, I steer them towards bruschetta and antipasto, things that will work for their guests."
With over 200 hors d'oeuvres available on Lola's catering menu, I feel pretty certain that I would need more than a little guidance! 
"What was your biggest catering challenge ever?" Jeff asks.
Eddie raises his eyebrows. "It would have to be the time we catered a Greek Easter feast. We did a spit roast on a hillside in the wind, a 200 pound pig, lamb and goat that all had to be done and presented at the same time."
"That's a whole lotta hog!" Jeff exclaims.
"It came out delicious," Eddie says. "A lot of work."
I'm curious about how other couples have personalized their wedding menus, so I ask Eddie to share some ideas.
"Well, a couple getting married at the Bykenhulle in August requested German recipes prepared by the bride's grandmother." Eddie shakes his head and smiles. "I was thinking: cabbage with potatoes and stewed dumplings in the summer? But they ate EVERYTHING!"
I really like this idea of asking a caterer to prepare a family recipe for the wedding feast and then letting the guests know they are enjoying, for example, Grandma's famous macaroni and cheese.
"Do you take recipe requests a lot?" I ask.
Eddie nods. "Off-premise caterers specialize in intimacy and originality. They focus on using seasonal ingredients, buying from local farmers and making it from scratch. That makes all the difference."
My head is swirling with ideas, wondering what retro menu Eddie could whip up if I decide to host a 70's themed murder mystery party. Fondue and funnel cake washed down with Fresca and Tab?
The last customers wave to Eddie as they head out the door.
"What tips would you give to a couple who's hiring a caterer?" I ask.
Eddie's Suggestions...
Pay Attention At the Tasting. After an initial meeting, the caterer should come up with a menu for you. When Eddie hosts his tastings at his Crave restaurant next 
door, couples can order off the menu or have a dish specially prepared for them.
Focus on presentation and flavor at your tasting. "Multiple components on the plate add visual interest," Eddie says. "You want your guests saying, 'That was the best wedding food I ever had!'"
Go Seasonal. Everything tastes 100x better when it's prepared in season. If you're having a winter wedding and you serve summer fare like corn and edamame salsa, it's not going to be nearly as good. Choose a menu from your caterer's seasonal suggestions to maximize flavor.
If You Want Something Really Different, Go Bold With Appetizers. Make bold menu selections for your hors d'oeuvres so that guests can try small portions. Then focus on more simple but elegant flavors for your entrees. This is the best way to please 100-150 guests who may not share your taste.
"I get all the foodies!" Eddie laughs. "But sometimes their families expect meat and potatoes."
Ask For Your Caterer's Recommendations. It's vitally important that you have a team of professionals who work together on your wedding day.
Your caterer can recommend the best professionals to work with for your rentals, entertainment and flowers. They will know who is great to work with so that your wedding goes smoothly.
Jeff asks Eddie how long he's been in the business.
"Fourteen years as a catering professional—and four years in the business before that. If you can believe it!" Eddie sits back in his chair and flashes a youthful grin. "There is nothing you can throw at me that's going to throw me off. No matter what happens, we'll make it work."
I believe it!
Eddie Kowalski is the chef and owner of two restaurants on Washington Street in Poughkeepsie. Lola's Café is a trendy neighborhood eatery and Crave restaurant right 
next door offers an intimate, fine dining experience that brings a touch of Manhattan to downtown Poughkeepsie.