Well here we are in 2012, wow! Glad 2011 is over and am very excited about what 2012 has in store for Pipers, as well myself and our family. We have some exciting new additions to our staff in the catering arena. Chef T.J.Ranft formerly with the Ritz Charles, just joined the team last week. TJ brings close to 20 years catering and restaurant experience to our already deverse culinary crew. TJ will primarily be attending to one of our downtown facilities, but will lend a hand as we continue to develope new menus and cater off premise around town. Also, Carla Fletcher is on board as sales and event coordinator for our new West side facility, which comes on line in March. Carla comes from the Community Life Center on the East side where she did just a termendous job in taking a very under utilized facility to stardome in less than two years. It will be a pleasure to have her aboard. You can check out Pipers West on Facebook, along with Pipers at the Marott. Amanda at the Marott does a great job keeping our Marott facebook fresh and exciting. We are busy creating new items both in catering and for the Restaurant. We have several Super Bowl parties next week, that have given us license to create some fun and a little crazy items.

Last Blog entry I mentioned fun new items, well.....How about for an appetizer:
Sauteed Polenta cakes with tomato jam and Goats cheese.
Or, for an entree:
Lettuce wrapped poached Chilaen Sea Bass brushed with Miso and Slived toasted ginger, served on a bed of sauteed shitaki mushrooms and sprinkled with smoked sesame seeds. Yummy! Both available Tuedsay night at our thrid "Wine Dinner".

We are busy, busy, busy in the catering business. Here we are....moving into the Christmas season and we are rockin, over 75 parties between now and Christmas. I have some great young culinarians along with me to run the race, so we are pumped and ready for the challenges that lie ahead.
Have created some fun new appetizers and entrees for both the restaurant and catering side of the business. Some really great "Asian fushion" recipes and also having fun with flavored "waffle" cones as a base for some cool new 'passed' appetizers. A very dramatic presentation and some really inovative and flavorful selections.
Also excited about running weekly "Chef Spotlights" coming first of the year. Great unusual specials utilizing our entire culinary team to come up with one of a kind items that will be absolutely awesome. I am blessed to have a diverse team with unique ethnic back grounds. I have personally been salivating over fried chicken bites on jalapeno sweat potato pancakes with garlic infused maple syrup drizzle. Sounds crazy, but it will explode in your face....in a good way.
It's exciting being one of Indy's top 10 caterers and having the opportunity to do so many parties and so many DIFFERENT parties! Pipers at the Marott downtown, is a differnet client than Pipers Grand Manor, so it offers opportunity to do a lot of different things.
For an old guy, I'm running pretty hard, but having the time of my life....culinarily....
Everyone have a great Christmas and take the time to remember what it is REALLY all about!!!

So, I never thought I would be a "blogger", isn't it odd where life takes you. BUT, being a big Indianapolis Caterer and Chef (you know being a chef is cool these days) you have to keep up with the times...at least for now. I'm looking forward to getting the "Around the World" menu solidified and put to bed, probably starting next week. And then we have German Night right around the corner (Nov. 2nd). It's a busy, busy time with lots going on. Our catering business is also very busy with many great weddings and Holiday parties coming up. Always busy at the Mavris and Marott Catering is getting busier all the time. This Chef is rocking non-stop! In other news, I can't believe it's so chilly...did I ever tell you how much I dislike winter anymore? Love Christmas and don't mind a pretty snow, but I just really am over all the cold and grey snow. It's gloomy once the holidays pass. Alright then, in upcoming entries I will talk about great food and how how to make it, what it's like being a chef, fun upcoming events, and whatever else pops into my crazy noggin!