Lately, I have been going to a lot of business luncheons at various hotels and catering halls in both New York City and Long Island. You know what they have in common? CHICKEN!
Every luncheon serves chicken as the main dish. Granted, the chicken is prepared in many different ways, but it’s still chicken!
The other day, I went to an event at the Garden City Hotel. The event was great but the chicken wasn’t. It was a crusted chicken (crusted with what, I don’t know) with some gravy. It needed the gravy because it was extremely dry. The vegetables and potatoes weren’t much better. I was surprised at how dry the potatoes were!
I also went to an event at the New Yorker Hotel and guess what we had for lunch? You guessed it. It was a grilled chicken served over a bed of lettuce. The chicken had a funky taste. I’m not sure what it was seasoned with but it wasn’t good at all. The lettuce was so dry, there was barely any dressing on it.
“What do you think of the meal?” A PR guy who sat next to me said.
I turned up my nose and said, “the bread is good.” He laughed and pushed his meal over to the side.
He picked up the dessert that was sitting on the table. It was chocolate mouse with a strawberry on the side. It looked yummy. He took a taste.
“Oh my God,” he said. “Don’t try that! It’s awful!”
He then proceeded to spit it out in his napkin. I was so glad he said something because I was eager to take a bite.
And finally, I went to the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury for a woman’s luncheon. And guess what we had? Yup. The chicken wasn’t horrible. It was edible. I was very surprised. And after the lunch was over, there was a plate filled with chocolate covered strawberries. (Yum, my favorite!)
Well at least one out of the three lunches was okay. But I guess you don’t really go to these things for the lunches. Or do you?
Years ago my employer at the time sprung for a table at a $1,000-a-plate fund raiser in New York City for a U.S. Senator. Being political novices at the time, we all made sure we had healthy appetites because we were sure that at $1,000 a plate, the meal would be fit for a king, or at least a U.S. Senator. Well, you had to see the looks on our collective faces when the rubber chicken came out. First political lesson learned: the money goes to the candidate, not the caterer. We stopped at a fast food place on the way home.
Great story! Thanks for sharing!