Gentry's Catering Service, LLC

GENTRY’S CATERING SERVICE IS PROUD TO PRESENT
THE FINEST IN BARBECUE AND PICNIC FARE

In addition to the banquets, wedding receptions and hors d’oeuvres receptions we have catered since 1981, we are pleased to present the best in barbecue and picnic fare for our guests. Whether it is for 200 or 2,000 guests, you can be sure that the barbecue or picnic menu you choose will be expertly cooked, flavorful and the quantities plentiful.

Using the mobile commercial kitchen as well as different sizes of mobile smokers, grills and roasters, we can produce exactly the menu you desire. From roasting whole pigs for a Carolina-style barbecue to baby back ribs or St. Lewis style ribs to a full range of poultry, beef and seafood, we’re sure you will be pleased with the quality of the food. We’re also pleased to be able to present a comprehensive list of specialty meats for your additional selection.

Depending on your choice of entrees we use either a slow roasting method over low heat to ensure tenderness or direct flame grilling for selections such as steaks, fish filets, chicken breast, burgers, dogs, sausages, etc.

We are also proud to be able to offer a complete selection of traditional and unique side dishes to accompany any selection of entrees. You will find below a complete list of these entrees and side dish selections as well as dessert selections for your enjoyment.

ENTREES

PORK

• Whole hogs – we will provide and roast for your guests’ whole hogs for a traditional Carolina-style “pig-pickin”. This popular barbecue item can be provided with your choice of sauces (vinegar-based eastern North Carolina sauce; ketchup-based western North Carolina sauce or a Memphis style thicker, sweeter ketchup and molasses-based sauce).

PLEASE NOTE THIS ITEM IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR GROUPS OF 150 GUESTS OR MORE.

It is often difficult to find a pig small enough to cook for a group smaller than this. In addition, the cooking process can take from between 8 to 12 hours plus preparation and serving time and we have found that we can not provide this item for a group smaller than 150 guests at what we consider to be a reasonable price.

• Carolina style minced or pulled pork barbecue made from slow roaster pork shoulders and butts with your choice of sauce(s).



• Baby back ribs slow roasted and smoked with your choice of hickory, alder wood, mesquite or apple wood. These ribs are prepared Memphis style with Gentry’s Catering own special recipe dry rub. At your request, the ribs can be basted near the end of the cooking process with a variety of sauces including a Memphis style sweet and tangy ketchup/molasses/vinegar sauce or a bourbon barbecue sauce specially prepared by us.

• Memphis style pork ribs (This is a larger, meatier cut of pork ribs which can be served with the same selection of sauces).

• Country style pork ribs (These are a thicker, bone-in cut sometimes called country style ribs and can be cooked and served in the same fashion as the other selections above).

• Whole pork loins (These can be simply spiced and slow roasted to ensure tenderness and juiciness or can be more highly spiced and/or basted with a barbecue sauce for a different flavor).

• Roast pork tenderloin (These 1 ½ to 2 pound tenderloins are arguably the best and most tender cut off a pig and can be seasoned and slow roasted for an incredibly tender entrée. Also available encrusted with pecan pieces, roasted and served with a Grand Marnier marmalade sauce).


BEEF

• Whole beef tenderloin (your choice of select, choice or certified Black Angus). Over the last 25 years we have cooked literally tons of beef tenderloin for tens of thousands of guests. This most tender cut of beef lends itself well to slow roasting and carving at the end of a buffet. Whether it is a barbecue style wedding reception, company party or special celebration, you just can’t do any better than this when you choose tenderloin.

• Whole boneless prime rib – Again, since 1981, we have slow roasted and served tons of prime rib to many tens of thousands of guests. These 10 to 15 pound roasts are cooked slowly to preserve the natural juices and every effort is made to provide a selection of “cuts” from rare to well done for your guests. (Note, it is certainly helpful to get an idea from you about the different percentages of meat to have available from rare to well done.)

• Beef ribs seasoned with our own recipe of dry rub (different, of course, from the dry rub used for pork). As with the pork ribs, these can be roasted with or without smoking and, if smoked, we can use any type wood you prefer. These ribs are much larger than pork ribs and we use well trimmed, meaty ribs.


• Beef brisket – Marinated in a dry rub and slow roasted Texas style, this southern delicacy is what Texans define as barbecue. While not generally thought of a “barbecue” in Virginia, it is available.

• Your choice of steak entrée for your guests – we recommend d either the filet mignon, rib eye or New York strip and can set up different grills to produce rare and medium rare steaks at one grill, medium at another and medium well to well at a third. The buffets would be set up so that your guests would get their plate, choose their steak and then proceed on to the buffet(s) to complete their selections of salads, side dishes, other entrees, breads, etc.

POULTRY

• Carolina Style barbecue chicken – This entrée is generally prepared with a selection of bone in, skin-on breast, legs and thighs. We slow cook the chicken in our won special tangy, Carolina style ketchup and vinegar based Barbecue sauce until it literally is falling off the bone. One of our most popular and most traditional barbecue dishes.

• Whole, half or quarter roast chickens – These chickens can be oiled and seasoned in a number of different ways including but not limited to a simple marinade of olive oil, salt and pepper to a spicier rib-style rub to a mild or extra spicy Cajun seasoning. Another popular choice is our southwestern style roast chicken using a spicy pepper-olive oil and select blend of southwestern spices. (Please note that the barbecue chicken can be done with boneless, skinless breasts and/or other boneless/skinless pieces if you wish).

• Traditional Virginia country fried chicken

• Fried chicken livers (served with my favorite, sautéed onions or with a traditional brown or poultry gravy).

FISH AND SEAFOOD

• Grilled Atlantic salmon – This extremely popular entrée is most generally prepared with a light coating of extra virgin olive oil and spices and then gently grilled to perfection on one of our portable grills. At Gentry’s Catering we appreciate the value of not over cooking fish and so we do not put those entrees on the grill until the last possible moment so that they arrive on the buffet still hot and juicy from the grill.

NOTE: With respect to the fish and seafood entrees listed here, it is extremely important for you to communicate with us if you find that there is going to be any significant (more than 5 or 10 minutes) delay in the prearranged time to open the buffet. Grilled fish and seafood do not “hold” nearly as well as most beef and chicken dishes and any significant delay in serving these entrees after the agreed time can result in a significant loss of quality.

• Other grilled fish including but not limited to mahi-mahi (dolphin); rock fish (striped bass); sea bass; all varieties of wild salmon in season.

• Shrimp and scallop kabobs – These entrees can be “custom built” to include any fruit or vegetable you like with the shrimp or scallops. We also feature sauces as simple as lemon butter through sweet and sour sauces and Cajun sauces to enhance the flavor of these kabobs.

• Shrimp can be provided in many different ways including but not limited to cooked, peeled and ready to eat (spiced or plain); buffalo shrimp; barbecued shrimp and coconut shrimp.

• Crab cakes – if your barbecue menu includes a “surf-n-turf”, you wouldn’t want to overlook our hand made backfin crab cakes. As previously described, these are approximately 95% backfin crab meat with just enough spices and breading to hold them together.

• Lobster tails – as can be seen in the photograph below whole lobster tails do very well on the grill. The small gathering below was a group of seven friends and me in far northern Quebec in 2005 on a trophy pike fishing trip. The lobster tail dinner on the grill was a special treat toward the end of the week to celebrate the catching of more than 20 pike over 40 inches long each. This item is similarly available for your barbecue.

SPECIALTY MEATS

• We are proud to have available a wide variety of specialty meats (buffalo-bison, ostrich and game animals including venison, quail and rabbit). Please call to discuss these items as a part of your outdoor event.

PICNIC FARE

In addition to all of the events described above, Gentry’s Catering has always done a number of traditional picnics for different groups throughout northern Virginia.

From something as simple as hamburger, cheeseburger, hot dogs with rolls, condiments and all the “fixing’s”, we can provide even the most traditional menu for your group of 200 or more at a very reasonable price. The picnic menus can be as varied as you like and include any of the side dishes which you see listed below. We also have available a wide selection of sausages as well ad the best quality all beef ho dogs. We are proud to feature the Kuntzler grill brands which, in my opinion, are one of the worlds great ho dogs. This particular “dog” comes in different sizes up to as large as five to a pound. Truly a magnificent hot dog!

We are also proud to provide our own homemade chili for these selections when requested. There is nothing worse on a great got dog than canned chili!

SIDE DISHES

SALADS

• Traditional tossed salad with your choice of dressings

• Caesar salad

• Fruit salad

• Marinated three-bean salad

• Spinach salad with fried cranberries, toasted pine nuts and raspberry vinaigrette

• Homemade cole slaw

• Homemade potato salad

• Homemade German potato salad

• Broccoli, bacon and raison salad

• Cold marinated vegetable salad (usually would include broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and onions – blanched and then marinated in a vinegar and oil marinade and served chilled).

• Ambrosia

VEGETABLES

• Country style green beans

• Baked beans (homemade with bacon, onions, molasses, brown sugar and spices)

• Corn on the cob

• Corn pudding

• Country styled stewed tomatoes


BREADS

We have available a wide selection of hot rolls, breads and dinner rolls. These are traditionally cooked on-site and served “hot out of the oven”. We also provide and excellent corn read which can either be a very simple recipe or can be enhanced with spiced, peppers, cheese or any combination of these. Of course, hush puppies are available with the Barbecue entrees as well as white bread, hamburger rolls, hot dog rolls, etc., depending on the choice of en trees.

DESSERTS

We are pleased to be able to provide a wide selection of pies including but not limited to apple , cherry, blueberry, peach, strawberry, chocolate, lemon meringue, key lime and pecan. We are also pleased to continue to prepare and serve the finest in New York style cheesecakes this side of Manhattan. In fact, my cheesecakes are what started this catering business. The cheesecakes are available in any favor you choose. Assorted cakes, brownies, cookies, chocolate dipped strawberries, fruits in season, etc. are also available.

We are pleased to offer a wide variety of hot fruit cobblers (with or without your choice of ice creams). These include but are not limited to apple cobbler, peach cobbler, blueberry cobbler, strawberry cobbler and blackberry cobbler. These are all homemade and cooked “on-site” and served hot out of the oven.

BEVERAGES

As previously described, we are pleased to be able to provide coffee (decaf and regular on request); iced tea (sweet and/or unsweetened, on request); lemonade and your choice of soft drinks.

As indicated above, we do not have an ABC license and cannot purchase and resell alcohol to you. I do have a list of veteran, qualified bartenders who would be glad to help you with your party. I will be glad to provide those names and phone numbers on request.

As indicated above, we are not in the rental business. However, we frequently include in our price when requested the disposable goods for a picnic or barbecue. These often include plates utensils, napkins, cups, desserts, hors d’oeuvres plates, etc. We do not have available and can not supply tents, tables, chairs, linens, etc. but would be glad to refer you to rental companies in your area to make those arrangements. Generally, we do not charge for such referrals. However, for larger events where you would prefer that we handle all the details of the event we are glad to do so at a small surcharge for the time required.

DEPOSTS AND PAYMENT

As previously described, and event is not confirmed or booked until the deposit is paid. For most events, a 50% deposit based on the agreed price per person plus tax and gratuity is required to confirm the event and hold that date. For events booked more than a year in advance, the deposit structure can be modified to 1/3 deposit with an additional 1/3 payment the day before the event and the final 1/3 due on the day of the event. PLEASE NOTE that in all instances, the total balance due for any event is due on the day of the event.