Author: Anthony Ambrose

The Real Deal

Imagine going to a Blake Shelton concert you’ve looked forward to for months. When the lights dim, and the artist walks on stage, it’s not Blake. It’s another country singer who says he’ll do his best to cover Blake’s hits. Sorry, no refunds.

Choosing a celebrity chef for a big event is similar. You make your selection based on reputation and expertise, but on the day of your important event, the chef is nowhere in sight, just a crew of well-intentioned trainees. Not what you had in mind.

No Substitutions

Celebrity Chef, Tony Ambrose, owner of Ambrosia Catering, understands that. People want the artist they paid for, not a substitute. That’s why Tony is on site at every event, preparing food right in front of your guests. His is an art worthy of display. Each dish on his menu is a creative collaboration of color, texture and flavor that comes together in sizzling sauté pans as guests watch the magic happen. He calls his events “Dinner and a Show” for good reason. Food preparation at this level is entertaining and frankly, rather amazing.

Hands-On

What each dish has in common is Tony – his skill and his unique, hands-on approach to ingredients. Only the best will make the cut. Sourcing from local farms and fish markets, he builds his menus around the current season. He chooses what’s being picked from the vine or pulled from the sea at that time of year. Tomatoes, for example, aren’t just round, red vegetables to Tony. This choosy chef will look at 30 varieties before he makes his choice. He’ll try some from Texas, some from Florida. He’ll rule out the ones that have obviously been stored in warehouses too long and lost their flavor. He’ll cut and taste them to find the perfect sweetness, and only heirloom tomatoes will do – no hot house tomatoes that to Tony’s expert pallet, don’t taste like tomatoes at all. Imagine going through this process for every ingredient that goes into your dish!

A Fresh Approach

Choosing the freshest ingredients is only half of Tony’s recipe for success. Delivering them at their freshest to clients and guests is the other half. To do this, Tony buys and cooks the same day. He books no more than one event per day. And by preparing food right where it will be eaten, he creates the shortest distance between sizzling pans and watering mouths. Think tuna or lamb sautéed right in front of you! (Forget the chaffing dishes of typical buffets. Prepared in advance, the chaffing dish can sit so long that what’s inside becomes an unrecognizable mystery meat smothered in gravy. No thanks.)

Enjoy the Show

If you’re looking for something truly special to serve your guests, look no further. Tony’s expertise is diverse and exciting, and his menu selections reflect that. While he was trained in French and Italian kitchens with Asian and Mediterranean influences, he is accomplished in creating all styles of food. Think of it this way. The plate is his pallet. Food is his art. Your venue becomes his gallery.

For more information talk to Tony at 617-922-2400 or email him at tony@ambrosiaeventsandcatering.com

The Right Menu for Your Event
Everyone has their own unique palate and preferences. (Remember how much your brother loved Brussel sprouts…while you viewed the ugly little cabbages with sheer disgust and hoped the dog under the table would finish the job for you!?)
Sometimes you just have to eat what’s in front of you. Other times, there’s no room for compromise. Like when you’re hosting an event, i.e. you want everything on your menu to be pink for a Breast Cancer Awareness Fund Raiser. You need a vegan menu. A gluten-free menu. You want “a bit of this, with a touch of that.” Then you’ll need a caterer who is creative enough to customize.

The Right Chef
While some chefs stick to their specialty, (i.e. they do Italian really well, but Asian dishes aren’t their forte. They specialize in Greek Cuisine, so Western barbeque isn’t in their wheelhouse), Chef Tony Ambrose, owner of Ambrosia, is one of those exceptional chefs happy to customize his menu based on your vision. His specialties range from French Asian to Pacific Rim and Mediterranean. Ambrosia was named in the top 25 new restaurants in the country by Esquire, with awards from Boston Magazine, Bon Appetit, and more. Tony has appeared as a guest chef on top culinary showcases like the Food Network and the Anthony Spinazzola Gala Festival.

A key ingredient in Tony’s success…is Tony himself. In fact, you can’t be more “hands-on” than Tony. You’ll find him down on the docks picking out the freshest vegetables, hand selecting the day’s catch of scallops and monkfish…he knows exactly what he wants, because he’s the one who’ll be preparing it for you. If you’d like to see his preparation up close and personal, Tony is happy to create his extraordinary dishes right in front of you and your guests – hot, fresh and visually exciting.

The Right Questions
So, get your checklist ready when you talk to potential caterers. Can they customize? What’s their specialty? Experience? Will they give your small party of 10 as much TLC as a gathering of 100-150? (Tony says the engineering and design of any size event are the same!) Can they work within your budget? Create dishes that reflect your theme? You and your caterer will be working closely together as you make choices for your big event, so be sure to pick someone you’ll enjoy collaborating with. Then put everything in their experienced hands and do what too many hosts forget to do…have a great time!