SC - Philip's Bad feasts

[Decker, Terry D.]

>>  Too many people fail to realize that the organization of the feast hall
>> and the instruction of the servers are integral to making a feast a
>> pleasing experience. 
>
>I was at an event recently where I was at High Table. The service was
>a little off, when they came out they were wonderful but I wound up 
>refilling people's drinks and even scraping everybody's dishes so they
>could be used for the next course. This is bad when the people at High
>Table have to do their own service. On the occassions the servers did
>come out they were very courteous and helpful.
>
>That's why at my last Coronation feast and at 12th Night the servers will
>be assigned tables with the orders "make your table happy".

When I lay out a feast site, I try to arrange the tables so that they
can be reached easily and so the service can flow from the kitchen to
the tables and back to the kitchen along an easy to follow one way path.
 I have the entire service overseen by a head server (usually one who
has worked with me before).  The head server does not serve, but handles
problems.  One server (assigned)  for each two tables works for me, with
two to four floaters (depending on the size of the feast) handling
drinks. 

The High Table is supposed to have two servers stationed at it, to run
the necessary errands, but the food is often brought by "hats" not
seated there.  Drinks are provided by the floaters.

The worst experience I have had with a feast was the First Calontir
Crown Tourney, where no one in the hosting group understood the dynamics
of a feast and the people by the kitchen ate while the people opposite
the kitchen starved.  

>> > I've found
>> >that people here actually know what good food is and work hard at
>>preparing
>> >it, but you couldn't prove it by the first few feasts I was exposed to.
>>The
>> >only reason I kept trying to eat that crap was convenience and being
>> >sociable.
>> >
>> >phlip at morganco.net
>
>Well, Philip, now that you know better get out there and volunteer. Serve up
>a real feast using all the wisdom you gain from this list.  :-{)}

Run a test feast first.  Invite about twelve people.  Do a bang up job.
They'll want you to do the feast, and they'll be standing in line for an
invitation to the next test feast.

>Sounds good. Something we do when we do the roast chicken bit is to boil the
>chicken for awhile in a good spiced broth. Then we roast it to get the flavor
>in and brown it. This makes a nice chicken broth to use, gets flavor and
>moistness
>deep into the meat, and is fully cooked. It also saves baking time.
>
>Gunthar

Interesting, I'll give it a try.

Bear
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