In the 2016 edition of Southern Bride and Groom, we introduced you to the area’s best and most talented wedding caterers! Today, we’re sharing Raleigh’s Rocky Top Catering wedding menu inspiration.
After moving to the Triangle area in 2006 with several years of culinary experience under his belt, Chef Adam Reid trained as the sous chef at Glenwood Grill while working with Rocky Top Catering part time. He made the transition to Executive Chef at Rocky Top over three years ago.
Chef Reid’s favorite style of cooking is Creole, but Asian-Hispanic fusion is definitely a close second. Rocky Top covers all types of food for weddings and Reid says he relishes all styles. He noted that currently, Southern fare is one of the favorite requests.
“While regional demand for Rocky Top’s spin on Southern classics heavily influences menu creation, we don’t want to be known for one dish over another. I strive to make every dish equally amazing, by using the freshest, local, quality ingredients,” says Chef Reid.
Annual menu development includes tweaking their standard dishes, testing new recipes, and keeping an eye on the newest industry trends. The expert Rocky Top Catering Managers serve as the middlemen between the culinary staff and each wedding client in customizing the final menu.
“My process involves setting out the right quantity for the event, sourcing and ordering the best product, preparing the menu, scheduling the appropriate staff and executing the event,” Reid shares.
Chef Reid always gets excited when asked to talk to a guest about creating a specialty menu. His favorite wedding menu request was an “all things bacon” theme. They served hoisin-glazed pork belly tacos, pork bacon meatballs in an apple cider bourbon glaze, chicken bacon collard green egg rolls, and of course, candied bacon!
But, Rocky Top is also skilled when it comes to the opposite end of the spectrum: “Vegan and vegetarian meals have been a big focus of ours in the past few years,” Chef Reid shares.
A lot of time is spent on developing items that not only ‘wow’ the person eating it, but also intrigue the nearby seated guests. A great deal of that is in the visual presentation.
“Vegetarian guests deserve more than just the sides as their meal – using local, seasonal produce and fresh cheeses allows us a superior product,” says Reid.
Rocky Top is the exclusive caterer for their own venue, 1705 Prime, a modern Southern-styled venue in North Raleigh, as well as the caterer at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences downtown Raleigh and the Blue Zone at UNC’s Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. You’ll also see them on the preferred list of many wedding venues throughout the Triangle.
Food Prepared by Rocky Top Catering | Photography by Neil Boyd Photography
