Cuisine from Butler’s Pantry was a shining star at the Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis’ Dada Ball & Bash
CATERER: Butler’s Pantry
• butlerspantry.com
EVENT PLANNER: Evntiv
• evntiv.net
VENUE: Palladium Saint Louis by Butler’s Pantry
EVENT DETAILS: On March 2, Butler’s Pantry—St. Louis’ largest caterer—catered the Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis’ Biennial Dada Ball & Bash. The 295-guest celebration, with an intergalactic theme, helped raise funds for artist education, outreach and new exhibitions in honor of the Dada movement. The Dada Ball & Bash, inspired by the avant-garde art movement of the early 20th century, mixed space odyssey with oddity—creating a dining experience that was out of this world.
HIGHLIGHTS: The Butler’s Pantry team of culinary experts was led by Vince Bommarito Jr., chief culinary officer. The menu took its inspiration from the night’s theme: “Everyone is a star at Dada.” Passed hors d’oeuvres, such as Martian Tacos filled with sole and slaw in a bite-sized green taco shell, teased the upcoming menu, while the Little Dipper came down from the stars in an edible spoon filled with scallop ceviche.
The plated first course—Black Hole Cannelloni, stuffed with spinach and mushroom and topped with tomato basil cream sauce—introduced the three-course meal while serving as a vegetarian option for the guests with dietary restrictions. Followed by a second course of Chilean Sea Bass with Herbed Beurre Blanc and a side of forbidden black rice, broccolini and sweet peppers, the night came to an interstellar conclusion with an Open Face Milky Way, alongside a decadent chocolate cake truffle.
THE BEST-LAID PLANS: While no major issues popped up, the Butler’s Pantry team couldn’t pre-sauce the first course as it would have sacrificed the flavor, freshness and presentation, so each of the 300 plates were “sauced” as they were being walked out the door for service.
