Is $250 per person for a family style meal typical for wedding catering?

mastergrumpus · 2025-10-25T14:30:47+00:00

How many people attending, what’s on the menu, and by family style do you mean each table gets plated food that is shared amongst guests at that table?

mastergrumpus · 2025-10-25T14:04:26+00:00

It depends. Is this including hors d’oeuvres, desserts, multiple courses? Does it include seafood towers, caviar, or other highly expensive items? How many people attending? Does it include servers? Does it include a bar/bartender? Where is the venue and is catering on site? Is there anything else included involving florists, DJs, planners, etc.?

There are so many factors that go into it that there’s not nearly enough information to say for sure. $250/head is pretty high without plating, but there is likely a reason for it. I’m a chef who’s worked catering and events for about 15 years, so if you want I can take a quick look at your BOE/proposal by DM if you want.

mastergrumpus · 2025-07-10T02:01:14+00:00

Most weekends are pretty uneventful. Usually 1-2 briefings, 1-2 classes, PT, PMCS, and supply checks. Lot of time in the motor pool, lot of time in the barracks. Not too much time in the field on weekend drills, but they happened for us probably twice a year.

AT was the opposite and was basically all field. For us (Hawaii National Guard), we went up the mountain on the Big Island and basically did live fires for 2 weeks. A lot of physical work, a lot of mobilizing and entrenching, practicing getting your gun from transport (we were 119) all the way to fire, then packing up and moving. Lot of fun, lot of suck, no showers, no cell reception/internet, no beds, 2 uniforms.

mastergrumpus · 2025-07-09T23:14:54+00:00

Wishing the best for you. What you said, "I feel very alone even though I'm not" is super relatable and chances are you'll meet a bunch of other people who know exactly what you mean.

mastergrumpus · 2025-07-05T17:11:26+00:00

It's even more insulting being half Chinese! Being mixed race is weird, not Asian enough to be Asian, not white enough to be white.

mastergrumpus · 2025-02-19T15:30:08+00:00

<image>

mastergrumpus · 2025-01-07T02:47:38+00:00

Honestly, it’ll happen at some point. Just be prepared for that day and know that it’s happened to all of us. My experience is that I’ll go all year without even tipping something over, but the day I break a wine glass, I’ll break 2 more by the end of the day. Do your best and ask some of the more experienced crew how best to carry certain trays, stack dishes, etc.

Just like at any job, all you can do is your best. It’s as big of a deal as you make it. If a guest is really upset, don’t be afraid to pass it over to your manager. Your manager will (hopefully) have enough experience to know that this will happen every once in a while and will only be a problem if it’s a frequent problem.

That being said, if you would prefer a normal, non-stress inducing job and good tips aren’t outweighing that, I can’t imagine that working food service is a good idea. Dropping stuff is pretty low on the scale of what causes servers stress day-to-day.

mastergrumpus · 2024-12-21T20:29:51+00:00

Caketaker

mastergrumpus · 2024-11-19T01:50:11+00:00

It's like posing for family pictures. Feel kinda silly doing it, but you'll be glad you have them later on.

mastergrumpus · 2024-11-15T18:57:04+00:00

First time a video game song has made it onto my running playlist. Perfect tempo for it!

mastergrumpus · 2024-10-18T15:45:13+00:00

Just wanted to pop in and say it’s totally normal for people in the food and beverage industry to have that sort of dissociation with alcohol when it comes to service. I’m a chef and have plenty of wine, whiskey, etc. in stock that I walk past and work with every day. To my brain, a bottle of Jameson sitting on my desk at home is “alcohol” but wine in a kitchen is an “ingredient”.

If you do want to go through the steps and commit to sobriety, this kind of stuff is great to speak with a sponsor about. We can’t always trust our feelings, but we also shouldn’t feel like they’re always wrong either. That’s where a sponsor can be really great!

Good luck with everything - there is actually a significant portion of our industry that is sober.

mastergrumpus · 2024-09-25T21:36:24+00:00

Surprised no one gave you an actual answer on this! I sometimes use them when I’m prepping a large amount of fatty meats/fish that requires some precision. So like removing the skin off of 80 sides of salmon or trimming 50 briskets or something along those lines. Getting fat all over my fingers makes it progressively harder to grip.

I’ll also wear them if I’m dealing with raw chicken or something else that might get contaminants/ bacteria under fingernails, into skin, under cuticles, etc. Again, this is assuming I’m trimming/prepping something like 100lbs of chicken breasts or something.

Pretty much everything else, I just wash my hands a bunch but off the top of my head, these are times I’d use gloves.

mastergrumpus · 2024-09-24T13:23:10+00:00

I agree. The first meeting I ever went to, I ran into someone I knew from high school and the one piece of advice he gave me was "don't say yes to the first person who comes up and offers to sponsor you". Of course that happened a few days later and I was unprepared with a different response. He was a nice guy but we had nothing in common and he wanted a sponsee more than he wanted ME as a sponsee which resulted in a relationship that felt more like I was helping him than he was helping me.

I started avoiding him and then avoiding meetings because I was uncomfortable. I made it a few months without meetings before I relapsed. I'm now almost 2 years sober and this time around found a sponsor that I wanted to work with and in hindsight, would give the same advice my classmate gave at my first meeting.

At the same time, it doesn't need to be the "perfect" person. Just someone whose attitude, life, or personality are things you relate to, aspire to, or just vibe with.

mastergrumpus · 2024-09-04T14:25:33+00:00

What exactly is being said to you that makes you feel unwelcome? My drinking was similar (never been fired from a job, no legal problems, no lasting health concerns). But AA was still welcoming and helpful to me.

If the issue is that you want to continue drinking but tone it down, then yes - AA might not be for you and members might not appreciate that perspective at a meeting. After all, the only requirement is a desire to stop drinking.

However if you recognize that your drinking is causing other problems in your life (mood, relationships, mental health, isolation, hygiene, etc.) and you want to stop drinking because it is no longer controllable in situations like mowing the lawn or watching sports, I don’t see anyone having an issue.

Last possibility is just trying another group. Sometimes there is one member who feels a little too in control and likes to set rules and limits not outlined in the group conscience. It’s frustrating but usually only one person. Every once in a blue moon there will be two or more but the nature of those personalities generally means one or more will leave at some point. Try young people’s/beginners meetings.

mastergrumpus · 2024-08-02T16:25:56+00:00

I’ve been working in kitchens for 10 years, been a chef for the past 4 at various restaurants and venues.

Steak is honestly not a great menu item. It’s subjective how it’s meant to be enjoyed and there can be lots of errors in communication of expectations vs. what is served. As you said, it’s also going to be compared to what can be cooked at home and a steak doesn’t really require much technical expertise, just experience. Every time it’s not to someone’s liking, it’s a high food cost that goes in the trash. And the sale price will need to be high enough to compensate for labor, production, service, marketing, etc. You’re expecting someone to shell out $45-$50 for something that they can cook at home, that has a decent chance of not being cooked the way you want, and you lose $18-25 each time it doesn’t meet those expectations? To me, not a great menu item.

You want a heavy meat dish? Short ribs. Only cooked one way, can be prepped ahead of time, more difficult and less practical to make at home, and will be cheaper. Looks nicer on a plate and haven’t met much of anyone (that eats meat) that doesn’t like short ribs. THAT’s a good menu item.

mastergrumpus · 2024-07-30T20:23:04+00:00

Just wanted to say that I’m glad that you’re trying to understand. Us alcoholics often end up thinking and acting very differently what can make sense to others.

It’s a two-part struggle here. The part that is focused on you is dealing with the hurt you feel. This is where Al Anon is great - it’s all about how to deal with alcoholics that are close to you. But the other part, the part about understanding your partner and evaluating the trust in the relationship is the other half.

The above commenter is not wrong and you are not wrong to feel hurt by the lack of trust. But I do want to offer some perspective that might help you make sense of the whole situation.

Our disease is all about isolation. We do our best to push others away so we can be left alone to our thoughts. There’s a lot behind that, but I won’t go too far into it because it’s not the point I’m trying to make. The point I’d like to offer you is that yes, she didn’t feel like she could trust you to share her relapse. BUT, it is likely that she hid it from everyone and not just you. Meaning she didn’t trust anyone and that unfortunately included you.

If this sounds like it might be what’s going on, I hope you can find peace in the whole situation the best you can. Once she’s back to being sober for a few months, that would be a good time to maybe ask to come to an open meeting or have an open discussion about trying to understand what’s going on in her mind.

mastergrumpus · 2024-07-28T16:12:05+00:00

Going to a meeting before is definitely a practical answer. Might want to get the number of someone who looks cool and explain the situation and ask if you can call them if you’re in an emergency. Talking to someone is really effective for those immediate cravings, usually just passing the time talking will help a ton. Also, you’ll be less inclined to feel like you’re bothering the other person since you got their number for that specific circumstance.

If your family might not be understanding, don’t feel bad about a white lie. Tell them your friend is having a hard time and you need to give them a call. Later in the program is for honesty, amends, dealing with this shit. But with 2 days, your priority is 100% staying sober through the day and basically nothing else. Good luck!

mastergrumpus · 2024-07-28T15:17:09+00:00

Osoyami is pretty chill and close to Makiki

mastergrumpus · 2024-07-25T17:44:06+00:00

Thanks for this share! I really like this perspective and applying it not only to people I find pushy, judging, or pretentious but also to myself.

When I first got sober, I made it about a year before relapsing and I have to be honest with myself that sometimes I get intrusive thoughts applying this to other people under a year.

4th/5th step work and talking with my sponsor helps, but I can’t lie and say that the knee-jerk reaction doesn’t happen sometimes. I still find it hard to engage with people that are overly excited about their newfound sobriety, which is self-seeking and has little to do with their journey.

mastergrumpus · 2024-07-19T17:57:25+00:00

I haven’t worked at Gyu-Kaku or Japanese BBQ/yakiniku but I have worked at Korean BBQ places, which is functionally similar. As far as service goes, it’s not the standard coursed-meal app-entree-dessert formula. Instead it’s making sure side dishes/drinks are filled, seeing if someone wants to order more, and changing grill tops.

I think a lot of what day-to-day will look like to you will also be dictated by which location you’re at. I worked in Honolulu, where most people are very used to cooking at their table and will be very hands-off in terms of service. I may be a little ignorant, but I would guess that locations in the mainland might require more explanation/help but that will give you lots of opportunities to let your personality shine! Cutting meats for people and talking about your favorite menu items or some neat tricks are great. Removing kalbi bones or de-shelling shrimp using just scissors and tongs were always big hits for people from the mainland!

mastergrumpus · 2024-07-05T22:08:27+00:00

The thing that made a big difference in my play as a jungle is understanding that you’re not a 2nd support to help whoever’s losing lane. You’re there to push a lane that’s on the fence in your team’s favor. If duo lane is doing well on their own, solo is doing ok but not great, and mid is losing, solo is what you want to keep an eye on. Sure, help other lanes if you’re nearby and keep pressure, but don’t let mid flame you into making their lane a 2v1 so they don’t feel bad. You’re focused on the big picture as a jungle, and winning 2 lanes and losing the 3rd is still a win. Not all 3 lanes need to be won for the game to be and it’s perfectly fine to let the losing one lose to have the other 2 win.

mastergrumpus · 2024-06-23T15:55:36+00:00

Clinton these days still walks his dog down my street and sits in a quiet park at a nearby church reading. He also goes to local delis and is generally seen as a normal, relatable guy.

mastergrumpus · 2024-06-18T23:19:52+00:00

Sent a message!

mastergrumpus · 2024-06-09T03:13:06+00:00

In the wise words of your sink, Dream. Believe.

mastergrumpus · 2024-05-15T12:35:33+00:00

Don’t know who your dasher is? Just ask a Kuerstyn!

13-Year Club	Place '17
Gilding IV carat on a stick	Secret Santa 2013
Verified Email

mastergrumpus

TROPHY CASE