Questions to Ask Your Caterer

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

It’s been just under two years since Matt & I got engaged and began the wedding planning process. Though, to be honest, it feels like it’s been about a week. It’s true what they say about the engagement really flying by! Anyway, now that all of the details are finalized and the big day is a short three days away, I thought it would be a good time to revisit this post from last year!

Cooking for a crowd is fun and all but sometimes, hiring a caterer is really the best move. Let me think of an example … oh, I know! Bride to be over here says you’re definitely going to hire a caterer for your wedding, yes? Yes. But you shouldn’t take this task lightly because chances are your caterer is going to do much more than cook some food. In most cases, when it comes to a large event, like a wedding, the caterer is in charge of preparing the menu, helping with timeline coordination, providing table and glassware, stocking the bar, baking the wedding cake, and staffing the service. That’s a lot of responsibility! You’ll want to work with someone who knows their stuff. I know that planning a large event … let’s just call a spade a spade … planning a wedding is stressful and a ton of work, but it’s important that you take your time with the details and know what to expect on the big day. But don’t you worry; you’re in good hands. As the daughter of a chef/baker/restaurant owner who has catered weddings for years, an ex event planner, a previous cater waiter, AND a bride to be, I’ve got your back. Here are some important questions to ask your caterer.Continue Reading

3 Ways to Boost Your Meals

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

Ever wonder why certain dishes taste so much better when you order them from a restaurant versus when you make them yourself at home? Part of that is due to the fact that somebody else is doing the work … all of theDon't avoid the egg yolk work, from cooking to serving and cleaning up. That’ll boost any meal for sure. But there are also some hidden tips and tricks that professional chefs know that can take a meal from good to great and while it would take much more than a blog post to go over all of them (not that I know all of them anyway), I’m happy to share a few that you can try at home!Continue Reading

Questions to Ask Your Caterer

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

Cooking for a crowd is fun and all but sometimes, hiring a caterer is really the best move. Let me think of an example … oh, I know! Bride to be over here says you’re definitely going to hire a caterer for your wedding, yes? Yes. But you shouldn’t take this task lightly because chances are your caterer is going to do much more than cook some food. In most cases, when it comes to a large event, like a wedding, the caterer is in charge of preparing the menu, helping with timeline coordination, providing table and glassware, stocking the bar, baking the wedding cake, and staffing the service. That’s a lot of questions to ask your caterer responsibility! You’ll want to work with someone who knows their stuff. I know that planning a large event … let’s just call a spade a spade … planning a wedding is stressful and a ton of work, but it’s important that you take your time with the details and know what to expect on the big day. But don’t you worry; you’re in good hands. As the daughter of a chef/baker/restaurant owner who has catered weddings for years, an ex event planner, a previous cater waiter, AND a bride to be, I’ve got your back. Here are some important questions to ask your caterer.Continue Reading

A Busy Saturday Night: Chef’s Perspective

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

Busty Saturday Night Chef PerspectiveThis week will be the final post in our Busy Saturday Night Perspective series. We’ll be running series like this over time so I’d love to get your feedback and ideas. Share a restaurant or bar experience with me either in the comments below or through email (Rebecca@mckinneyanddoyle.com) and I’ll work to form a series around it. Your experience can be positive or negative, old or new. Whatever your story is, I want to hear it! Continue Reading