Let’s face it, in six months, your guests aren’t likely to remember what they ate at your wedding. Be that as it may, the cuisine at your big day—from cocktail hour to the main course—serves to delight your guests while feeding into the party atmosphere.
A lot of planning goes into choosing a truly inspired menu, as there are so many variables to consider. Ideally, the venue you’ve picked to host your wedding offers on-site catering. This relieves so much of the stress and mental anguish that you just do not have time to handle. And if you’ve chosen The Watermill as your setting, you have chosen wisely.
The key to a crowd-pleasing food spread at any wedding is, of course, variety. Weddings are often full of indulgences for guests and newlywed couples, so presenting a vast array of savory options not only ensures that everyone finds a bite they like, but also encourages displays of eating so extravagant your event will resemble that of a royal wedding.
A quick scroll through The Watermill’s menus, and it’s clear the talented on-site catering team can achieve a memorable food event. This isn’t bland chicken and nondescript steak—this is award-winning cuisine prepared by gourmet-trained chefs.
To get a clear picture of what they offer, let’s drill down into The Watermill’s Deluxe and Hampton menus.
Also, click here to read all about the Watermill's menu enhancements!
Deluxe Menu
With a long list of food and beverage options and plenty of room for personalization, the Deluxe is the quintessential wedding menu. Crafting this menu to suit a range of tastes is easy, while the scope of cuisine in the various sections of this menu is downright incredible.
The hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, individually plated and passed by The Watermill’s white-gloved staff, lists classics like Maryland Crab Cakes, Braised Short Ribs, and Franks En Croute (pigs in a blanket).
During Cocktail Hour, the Deluxe menu takes you through a Farmers’ Market, with imported and domestic cheeses, fresh fruit, and international salads. Then, there are five succulent stations to choose from. There’s Taste of Italy, with Calamari, Sausage and Peppers, and a Pasta bar; the Butcher Block, where meat is king thanks to Leg of Lamb, luscious Pernil, New York Sirloin, and even smoked beef brisket; an American Slider station, with hand-formed Angus Burgers cooked to order and Southern-Style Slow Roasted Pulled Pork; a Mashed Potato Martini Bar, with Roasted Garlic Idaho, Creamy Golden Yukon, and traditional Sweet Potatoes served with all the trimmings; and finally, a Dim Sum station that features a medley of Pork Gyoza and Shrimp Shumai, along with Vegetable Fried Rice, and Kimchi.
As the reception kicks into high gear and your guests welcome you into the ballroom with a champagne toast, it’s time to dive into the Dinner Menu. There’s a choice of salad, ranging from Poached Pear to Goat Cheese & Roasted Baby Beets to an Octopus Salad elevated with heirloom tomatoes and chorizo sausage.
Entrées on The Watermill's Deluxe Menu are far more exciting than the standard menu of chicken and steak, with a nameless white fish and the ubiquitous vegetable medley. And that spirit of culinary grandeur begins with the Braised Short Rib with parsnip mashed potatoes and seasoned vegetables. There's also a Free Range Chicken Roulade, Homemade Manicotti, Pan Seared Sea Bas, and Roasted Acorn Squash.
The Watermill beautifully decorates your choice of cake and filling for dessert...
As for sweet treats, The Watermill beautifully decorates your choice of cake and filling for dessert, with yellow sponge and devil’s food available, along with tantalizing options that include fruit, cannoli, custard, maple walnut buttercream, chocolate mousse, and much more.
Rounding out the Deluxe menu are the beverage options that include Premium Top Shelf Liquor Service with cocktails, mixed drinks, California wines, imported and domestic beer, cordials, soft drinks and exotic frozen specialties, along with fresh brewed regular and decaffeinated imported coffee and herbal teas.
Hampton Menu
The Hampton offers a menu similar to the Deluxe, with a few tempting touches here and there that aim to heighten the overall experience.
Hampton’s Hot & Cold Hors D’oeuvres adds a few enticing options to the starter repertoire, with the likes of Baby Lamb Chops, Chicken Quesadilla, Baked Clams, Brie and Pear Beggars Purse, and Tuna Tartare helping to whet everyone’s appetite.
The Cocktail Hour sees an added Warm Mozzarella Bar, an interactive station with fresh mozzarella prepared and sliced to order, accompanied by vine-ripened beefsteak tomatoes, toasted crostini, and an aged balsamic glaze.
Hampton also presents a display of imported and domestic dry-aged meats with the Arthur Avenue station, named for that mecca of meats in the Bronx. Here, the spread represents Italy with Prosciutto di Parma, Soppressata, Capicollo, and more. The Farmers’ Market sees the addition of salads like Shaved Brussel Sprouts and Rainbow Kale, while the Taste of Italy, Butcher Block, Mashed Potato Martini Bar, and American Slider stations remain unchanged.
Along with those Cocktail Hour creations, the Hampton Menu boasts five more Cocktail Hour stations on top of the Deluxe stations. First and foremost, there’s The Watermill’s famous Bacon Bar. Here, the salty and smoky breakfast side dish takes center stage, as three types of bacon—Applewood Smoked, New Hampshire Cob Smoked, and Pepper Crusted—are cooked crisp and served standing in mason jars. The porcine strips include accoutrements like Bacon Cheddar Biscuits, Maple Glazed Bacon Skewers, Pretzel Rolls Stuffed with Bacon and Sharp Cheddar, Chocolate Bacon Bark, and more of the chef’s savory bacon-infused delights.
Next, served in traditional woks, The Watermill presents Taste of the Orient. This Far East station brings the classic flavors of Chinese takeout to your wedding, with General Tso’s Chicken, Spare Ribs, House Fried Rice, and more. Meanwhile, the Montauk Point Market takes your guests Out East with Fish Tacos, a Steampot loaded with Alaskan snow crab legs, bay scallops, Gulf shrimp, and fresh Long Island clams with Old Bay seasoning. This station also serves Prince Edward Island Mussels prepared in your choice of Saffron & Leek, Marinara, Thai Coconut Curry, and Cataplana-Style, a Portuguese take with bacon, chorizo, and tomatoes.
...the true showstopper is The Watermill’s expertly sliced and presented Sushi & Sashimi.
The Southern Charm station comes north with food from below the Mason-Dixon Line. St. Louis-Style Smoked Pork Ribs are flavored with applewood and glazed with a molasses barbecue sauce. Spicy BBQ Wings are lightly smoked with cherrywood, then tossed in a homemade chipotle barbecue sauce for a zesty kick. Finally, the American soul food tradition Chicken & Waffles' salty-sweet combination gets its much-deserved northern exposure. This is all served with such traditional Southern sides as baked beans, cornbread, broccoli slaw, and more.
Finally, the true showstopper is The Watermill’s expertly sliced and presented Sushi & Sashimi. This vast treasure trove from the ocean are handmade by The Watermill’s own sushi chef, and include Spicy Maguro (tuna), Sake (salmon), Philadelphia Rolls, and Eel Spring Rolls, just to name a few, all served with spicy mayo, eel sauce, ginger, wasabi, soy sauce, and seaweed salad.
The Hampton’s dinner menu takes the enticing offerings from the Deluxe menu and adds a touch of grandeur to it, namely with Pork Osso Bucco served with creamy polenta, and Roasted Lamb Shank with celery root mashed potatoes.
The Watermill’s dessert efforts expand greatly with Hampton, adding Ice Cream to the menu, along with individual sweets like S’mores, Rice Pudding Shooters, Pecan Bourbon Bread Pudding, Double Fudge Brownies, and more. There’s also an Espresso, Cappuccino, and Cordial Table featuring authentic copper and brass machines for a truly striking display.
Amenities
Whether you choose the Deluxe or Hampton, The Watermill guarantees your guests top-flight services, elegant floor-length linens, fine china, silverware, glassware, and sparkling votive candles. The black-tie, white-glove, attentive staff ensures you and your guests will enjoy an unmatched culinary experience.
Full Hearts & Full Bellies
Just as your wedding is a commemoration of your union as a couple, food celebrates life through taste, and is perhaps the best way to bring different people together over a common love—and can only serve to enhance the tender emotion of that truly special day.
