Full Flavor
• Customized meal planning takes imagination.
• Incorporating local products into the menu.
Midwest Meetings: Tell us about your background and how you became involved in the food and beverage business?
Patty Lemke: I began my career in the hospitality industry as a front desk clerk in Texarkana, TX in 1977 and could never have imagined where it would take me. From front desk clerk to food and beverage director there was not a job in that little hotel that I did not do. It gave me a real appreciation for the term cross-training. Before coming to Madison and Monona Catering my career followed the path of director of catering and food and beverage director in various hotels from Knoxville and Pigeon Forge, TN to Fayetteville, NC. If you have never worked in a seasonal resort location like Pigeon Forge, you just haven’t lived. In season, there is too much to do and not enough hours in the day. Off season, there are staff layoffs and again not enough hours in the day. A true learning experience!
• Customized meal planning takes imagination.
• Incorporating local products into the menu.
Midwest Meetings: Tell us about your background and how you became involved in the food and beverage business?
Patty Lemke: I began my career in the hospitality industry as a front desk clerk in Texarkana, TX in 1977 and could never have imagined where it would take me. From front desk clerk to food and beverage director there was not a job in that little hotel that I did not do. It gave me a real appreciation for the term cross-training. Before coming to Madison and Monona Catering my career followed the path of director of catering and food and beverage director in various hotels from Knoxville and Pigeon Forge, TN to Fayetteville, NC. If you have never worked in a seasonal resort location like Pigeon Forge, you just haven’t lived. In season, there is too much to do and not enough hours in the day. Off season, there are staff layoffs and again not enough hours in the day. A true learning experience!
A subsequent relocation brought me to Minneapolis and Kelber Catering, the on-premise caterer for the Minneapolis Convention Center and parent company of Monona Catering. I began with Kelber in 1993 as a sales assistant, had a brief foray into restaurant ownership during the mid 90’s with my husband, but when I was offered the position of Director of Sales on Monona Catering’s Opening Team for Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison in 1996, it was a chance of a lifetime that I couldn’t turn down. The past 15 years with Monona Catering have been a fascinating journey, which has taken me from director of sales to my current position as general manager. My career has given me a lot over the years, so I feel it is important to give back to our industry and its future leaders. I do that by being involved with organizations like the Wisconsin Restaurant Association (WRA) and National Association of Catering Executives (NACE), where my involvement has included board positions on both the local and national level. I also serve on a program advisory committee for MATC (Madison Area Technical College) and volunteer with the Urban League in their workforce development program.
MM: What do you enjoy most about being in the industry?
PL: Great food and service is what we are all about, but I truly enjoy the relationship building; both with our customers, many of who return year after year and especially our staff. We have a great team and I feel privileged to lead them.
MM: There seems to always be new food and drink trends. What are some of today’s trends and what things are you expecting in 2011?
PL: Appetizers and bite-sized food is still very popular, but local, sustainable products are a must on any menu.
MM: With the increase in today’s special dietary needs, for example, dairy-free, vegan and/or gluten-free, how are you approaching these special requests and still offering unique and tasty options?
PL: We serve thousands of special meals a year and are fortunate to have a very talented culinary team lead by Executive Chef Matt Reichard, who never limits their imaginations. Just because someone asks for vegan does not mean it has to be bland. They look to cultures that have their roots in the Far and Middle East for the spices and techniques that will take something like tofu to a whole other level.
MM: It seems that more than ever there is an emphasis on whole foods and eating locally. Do you source any of your items from local resources? If not, is this something you are planning to do in the future or are there roadblocks in doing this?
PL: We do run into challenges due to the volume of product we need, but we make every effort to source as much locally and regionally as possible. During 2010 we made purchases of products and services from over 60 different Dane County vendors.
MM: As a venue in the Midwest, we have very pronounced seasons, do you have seasonal offerings to match the weather outside? What things do you plan on doing this summer?
PL: We do a great deal of menu customization for our clients, which allows us to not only address special dietary and ethnic needs, but also seasonal requests on a client by client basis. From May through September Monona Catering operates the Lake Vista Café located in the rooftop gardens at Monona Terrace, which offers specials that are prepared from products purchased at the Dane County Farmer’s Market. It’s great to be able to walk to the market, purchase the freshest possible ingredients and have those ingredients appear on that same day’s LVC menu.
MM: If you could offer advice to planners in terms of planning their food and beverage events, what would you tell them?
PL: Listen to guidance from the venue and/or catering company you are working with. They know their operation and what their strengths are and typically know how to get the best result from their operation. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t advocate strongly for your vision, but if they continue to advise you differently then there are probably logistic or experience (maybe lack of) factors that should be heeded. Most want to exceed your expectations, so by listening to their advice and being willing to compromise when necessary you can help ensure a successful event.
MM: For planners looking to do outdoor events, what would you recommend they do to plan an extra special event this summer? For example, any advice on food options and drinks?
PL: Outdoor events are great fun, but be sure to have a realistic back-up plan for inclement weather that involves all the key players. Establish a pre-determined time for making the decision to reschedule or move indoors that considers set-up, food production and staff. Live to that timeline and with just a bit of extra hustle on everyone’s part a little rain or extremely hot weather won’t ruin the party. As for food and drink, whatever is locally fresh and light on the palette. Lots of vegetables and fruit and don’t forget fish, a nice white fish or salmon are great choices that can be prepared a variety of ways. Make sure the fish you choose is a Good or Best Choice on a seafood watch program like the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. MM: What are some of the most unusual menus and/or themes you’ve done?PL: There have been many over the years, but some that come to mind are the Bolivian Birthday Party (including dancers), full Vegan Wedding (including the cake), Kosher Weddings, Down Under Breakfast Buffet for the new Australian ownership of a company, multiple Pakistani and East Indian Weddings and the annual 2,000 person Carbo-Load Dinner for Ironman Wisconsin.
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