Linda Taylor knows how to entertain large crowds. The Basking Ridge resident enjoys entertaining her daughter, Jennifer, along with her siblings and their families during the holidays. “Everyone is so busy but we make it a point to get together for Christmas,” she says.
As the owner of BOMA 520 in Somerville, the restauranteur certainly knows how to please a crowd. When Taylor hosts her family, a sample meal would include hors d’oeuvres, like a charcuterie tray, scallops wrapped in bacon, spinach and asiago stuffed mushrooms and shrimp cocktail. The next course could include items like a big antipasto salad, prime rib of beef, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and honey glazed carrots. “This is complimented by a nice bottle of wine and lots of desserts,” she says. “My family loves my homemade bread pudding. It’s OK to indulge: It’s the holidays, after all!”
When planning a large gathering with restaurant patrons, Taylor suggests they incorporate vegetarian or vegan and gluten-free items into their order. “Charcuterie trays are always a huge hit and are great for variety as you can customize them in an artistic way, with items like fruit and cheese in addition to meats,” she says. “I recommend that people mix and match items.”
Popular large orders at BOMA 520 include gourmet hot and cold sandwich platters, salads and hot dishes like Chicken Parmesan and Fettuccine Alfredo. Popular corporate catering options include party platters and boxed lunches (sandwiches, side salads and desserts).
To cap off the meal, she offers dessert platters filled with treats like cheesecake bars, lemon blueberry cookies and blondies.
Taylor recommends when hosting a large party that you give your caterer as much information as possible, including the event type, time of day, budget, number of people, preferences and any dietary restrictions.
Sandwiches and flatbreads are a good choice for large groups since they can be sliced for the number of people. “People don’t want to eat a large sandwich at a party, so the pieces can be sliced smaller, which allows guests to have one or more,” she says. “The same is true for flatbread. We can slice, say, our quinoa flatbread with pesto, fresh tomatoes and fresh mozzarella into eight squares for smaller portions.”
View the menu and plan your personal or corporate holiday catering at boma520.com.