By Mark Abromaitis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

The holidays are right around the corner, and there’s nothing better than spending time with family, friends, and loved ones. But who wants to deal with cooking a grand meal or having to clean up after a day of shopping or putting up Christmas decorations?

To avoid those hassles, some residents at Maris Grove have started taking advantage of the Maris Grove restaurants and their full-service catering department.

From menu-planning to decorations, the department is quickly making a name for itself.

Big, small, or in between
“We see parties from 12 to almost 200 people,” says Sally Christy of Maris Grove’s dining services. “But no matter the size, we try to make sure that the menu and every detail are perfect.”

Christy says that to use the service, residents contact the dining services department, and they can start working with Maris Grove chefs to develop a personalized menu for any occasion. “Then they can leave the rest up to us,” she says.

“We’ve had surprise birthday parties, christenings for grandchildren, New Year’s Eve parties, family reunions, and we’ve even done a wedding. Your imagination is the only limitation,” she says.

Most events are held in the community’s Millstone Restaurant, but in 2008, upon the opening of the new  Cardinal Clubhouse, dining services will have its very own space for special catering events.

Details make the day
Dick Smyth and his wife Barbara got married this past summer and used Maris Grove’s catering services to plan their celebration.

“It was absolutely fabulous,” Barbara Smyth says of their reception. “We didn’t have the time to deal with details so we left it up to the catering staff, and we couldn’t have been happier with the results.”

“It is a class operation,” Dick says. “The food was excellent, and the employees who worked were so helpful and friendly.”