Lexington, KY - Local food professionals know local tastes. All of our sources agreed that party guests expect dessert - more specifically, chocolate, according to Donna Potter, owner of Catering By Donna. The most popular selection is a variety of bite-sized treats.
One of Potter's recent creations that elicits oohs and aahs is "chocolate truffle lollipops in a display of greenery, so they look like they are growing out of the greenery," Potter said.
"The trend is to pretty, bite-sized delectables, so guests can mix and match - not one big, fancy dessert such as a Yule Log or cheesecake," explained Kellie Stoddart, co-owner of Seasons Catering.
The bite-sized concept carries over to other party foods as well.
"They're easier for guests to manage than spooning a serving out of a big pan," said Carol Tudor, co-owner of Orlando's Party and Pantry store.
Potter agreed. "More and more finger foods are what people are preferring instead of a dinner buffet, even for more formal parties like office parties," she said.
Presentation is important to all of the food professionals, who are happy to suggest ideas to hostesses. Potter likes to use tiny ceramic Chinese soup spoons. "They're really popular," she said. "You can serve something that won't go on a toothpick - something with an oyster, for example."
New items at Orlando's include the Royal Danish line of frozen pastries, Caribbean Jerk Chicken Soup ("Really excellent," according to Tudor), and seasoned pulled pork barbecue from Austin City Blues.
Holiday foods that always sell well include meatballs with a House of Tsang sweet and sour sauce, the one-pound homemade cheese ball, carrot cake and clothespin-shaped cookies with a buttercream filling.
Liquor Barn's trendy and new items include American craft beers, artisan cheeses, wines from Chile and Argentina, fine chocolates, growlers (fresh, tap beer sold in 64-ounce "growler" jugs) and VIP Bourbons with personalized labels.
Holiday top sellers over the years at both stores include Kentucky Bourbons, liqueurs such as Bailey's and Kahlua, champagne and sparkling wines, cigars, custom-made gift baskets and Kentucky Proud products.
Stoddart said that, for holiday entertaining, "we still do a lot of tenderloin entrees and shrimp entrees."
As for the trend of using Bourbon, Stoddart added, "We do a lot of Bourbon sauces or glazes, especially in desserts. Customers expect it."
Two of Seasons Catering's new offerings are a Chicken Cilantro Lollipop - baked chicken on six-inch skewers with a red pepper aioli sauce for dipping - and mushrooms, four to five different types, in a tiny puff pastry.
Potter has found that customers "always want a seafood and a good meat, usually beef tenderloin for parties. Country ham is popular," she said.
One of her signature offerings is Baby Hot Browns, which she said she invented about 16 or 17 years ago. She's learned that Christmas and New Year's is "the most highly requested time for shrimp, except for Derby Week," she said.
Shrimp prices have not declined in the slowed economy, so Potter has taken to offering her customers a surprising substitute.
"Lobster is the best priced seafood right now," she said. "We've been using it more now than ever because we can offer it at lower prices than we've ever been able to."
All of the food professionals are cautiously optimistic about the economy.
"We were down 40 percent last year, but we had the busiest late summer we've ever had [in 25 years of business], so it will be interesting to see how this December is," Potter said.
Last year every caterer or party business person she spoke to told her that their sales were down as well. One sign of recovery she sees is that "the rental companies have been really busy this fall," she said. "Now I try to book rental items more in advance."
"This year will be better than last year," Tudor predicted. "I already see the signs." The slowed economy has brought in "people that would have had caterers for their parties [in past years]."
Sheila Farrell, Liquor Barn's director of public relations and special events, said, "Customers are enjoying finding we have many good wines in the under $10 and under $15 categories."
Customers who want to spend less than in past years are encouraged to sample wines and spirits, to buy in quantity for discounts, and to try wines from Australia, Chile and Argentina.
"Parties are smaller than in past years and people are planning them much later," Stoddart said.
Her husband, Chef Michael Stoddart, is a skilled ice sculptor. Despite the slowed economy, requests for his carvings have not decreased. Along with reindeer, snowflakes and other seasonal designs, he's often asked to sculpt company logos.
Kelly Stoddart acknowledged that "a lot of people are talking budgeting, [but] people still want to entertain. They still want to have client parties; they still want to gather with family and friends."