FUN WITH FOOD
B’nai mitzvah parties move toward a more casual – yet still delicious – eating experience
By Ed Carroll
A
b’nai mitzvah is a special moment in a young person’s life, as they mark their entrance into adulthood. It’s understandable to want to make sure every aspect of the party to celebrate is perfect, from the venue to the entertainment to the music. But one way to make a party truly memorable, at least for the guests, is through unforgettable food.
Guests may not remember – or want to admit – what song got them on the dance floor, or just how beautiful all the arrangements were at the venue, but they’ll remember that fantastic chicken they had and rave about it later. Bar•Bat Mitzvah spoke with catering experts to learn about the latest trends and popular dishes they’re seeing at b’nai mitzvahs in the Cleveland area. Heather Sesnowitz, catering and events manager at 56 Kitchen & Catering, which serves Northeast Ohio with its catering branch and has restaurants in Mayfield Heights and Solon, says their menus will always vary based on what the clients want. “Sometimes we have specific kids’ stations and sometimes we have specific adult stations, but a lot of times the kids actually
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like to eat from the adult stations,” she says. “Believe it or not, our Brussels sprouts are popular with kids. Sometimes we have kidspecific buffets and they sneak over to the adult section for Brussels sprouts.” She says when it comes to desserts, while they do offer them at 56 Kitchen, kosher bakery items are often ordered in, particularly if the party is at a synagogue. She says many clients also will bring in their own desserts – she sees a lot of chocolate-covered fruits and pretzels and homemade chocolate truffles. Those organizing a b’nai mitzvah in the Cleveland area have a lot of options for places to host a party, but if they’re looking for a venue that has options for entertainment and excellent catering, one good potential choice is Pinstripes
Cleveland in Orange Village. Pinstripes is known for two main activities, bowling and bocce, but also offers other activities and a full catering menu with a from-scratch Italian kitchen. Jamie Housley, director of sales, and Leah Skerl, event sales manager, say almost all of Pinstripes’ b’nai mitzvah parties feature separate menus for children and adults. That also lets them separate the kids and the adults, giving the adults some time to chat with one another – and a chance to enjoy a few beverages without worrying about the children. The kids will often enjoy beverages and appetizers while bowling. “Maybe they pick more of easily handleable, bite-sized options for those, so they can bowl and have a bite to eat in between different rounds,” Skerl says. “And the parents are usually upstairs,” Housley adds. “I think a lot of our parents like that because they get a little bit of a breather. They have their own space, and the DJ and the team will get the kids back upstairs and join the adults for dinner and the rest of the event.” One thing the caterers are noticing for b’nai mitzvahs is a move away from formality