Sterling Hospitality Announces Full Service Off-Site Catering

Restaurateurs John C. Metz and Tom DiGiorgio the co-founders and owners of Sterling Hospitality and Aqua blue Restaurant & Bar, are pleased to announce a new extension of the company: Aqua blue Catered Events.  This on- and off-premise catering business has been created to fill a void among Atlanta area venues that don’t have their own kitchens and to bring the same delicious food and impeccable service for which Sterling Hospitality restaurants are known.

“Aqua blue is currently celebrating its tenth year in business, and we feel as though the company’s strong history and the vast experience among our staff members have given us the opportunity to satisfy a new segment of the Atlanta-area market,” says Metz.

With 14 years of experience in Atlanta and 10 restaurant locations, Sterling Hospitality is very involved in the local hospitality community.  At Aqua blue Catered Events, Executive Chef John Metz, Chief Operating Officer Robert Schmitz and Chef de Cuisine Kien Sam have more than 100 years of combined experience in the culinary field and have paired with a team of expert event coordinators to turn ideal events into realities.  The company's devoted event planners have gained access to dozens of spectacular locations around Atlanta from which guests can choose to host their events, such as Mason Murer Fine Art, Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, 200 Peachtree, The Biltmore Ballrooms, The Wimbish House and The Garden at Great Oaks in Roswell.   Aqua blue Restaurant & Bar serves as another event venue with banquet facilities that hold up to 300 guests.  The restaurant’s patio holds large parties and features new furniture, colorful landscaping and heaters for the colder months, while the restaurant’s newly redesigned wine room is perfect for intimate gatherings of up to 40 people. Sterling Spoon Culinary Management’s newly opened Market Street Café in Buckhead is also one of Aqua blue Catered Event’s premier sites for off-premise events.

“Our mission has always been to provide affordable luxury and world class hospitality to our guests, and this mission will of course extend to our catering clients,” says Metz.  “We want guests’ experiences with us as caterers to become a long lasting friendship for many events to come.”

Aqua blue Catered Events’ menu options include allof the fresh and seasonal foods served at Sterling Hospitality restaurants (Aqua blue and Marlow’s Tavern), as well as items that are part of the company’s Farm to Fork initiative to serve dishes that are reasonably priced yet still fresh and wholesome.  Sterling Hospitality has partnered with Royal Food Service to purchase food products from local Georgia farms in order to support the local economy and reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

Aqua blue specializes in the freshest seafood, blue ribbon sushi, a selection of prime-cut steaks and several Asian-inspired menu options, while Marlow’s Tavern offers gourmet American tavern fare.  With a longstanding culture of chef driven food, Aqua blue also has the ability to create and customize any new menu options or needs that guests may have. 

Examples of butlered hors d’oeuvres include firecracker spicy tempura shrimp with sweet chili sauce and spicy remoulade; duck and sweet potato fritter finished with a blueberry ketchup; and carved lobster tail with thyme lemonette served with a vanilla grapefruit butter in an Asian spoon. Stationary hors d’oeuvres include items like Mediterranean antipasto, lamb meatballs with tahini lemon sauce, assorted flatbreads, a raw bar and an artisan cheese display.  The broad range of options for chef-attended action stations gives clients the opportunity to achieve a themed meal, from Italian pasta to Asian stir fry to Southern home cooking.  Dinner selections can be served as a plated meal or buffet style and include a salad, entrée, two side dishes and a dessert.  Salad selections feature choices such as Georgia peaches and St. Andre cheese atop watercress with a fig vinaigrette and fresh ginger salad with crisp romaine, tomatoes, carrots and sweet ginger dressing.  Entrée options include dishes like roasted Peking duck with sweet sesame soy sauce; center cut veal chop with gorgonzola cream sauce; blackened halibut topped with lobster sauce; and shrimp and grits with roasted tomato beurre blanc.  Side selections such as spaghetti squash, sweet potato gratin, baby bok choy, soft polenta with shaved cheddar cheese and scallions, and sautéed button mushrooms round out the meal.  For a sweet finale, dessert favorites such as chocolate layer cake, apple crumb cake, red velvet cake, tres leches coconut cake, fudge pecan caramel cake, a mousse bar and a selection of petit fours are offered.

Sabrina Rosenberg serves as the director of sales and events and can be reached at 410-404-0322 or srosenberg@sterlingspoon.com to discuss making upcoming events memorable ones with Aqua blue Catered Events.  Rosenberg worked for several high-end hotels and restaurants before her arrival at Aqua blue in January of 2011, including the Grand Hyatt Philadelphia, the Hyatt Regency Baltimore, and Il Mulino in Atlanta, Georgia.

Aqua blue is located at 1564 Holcomb Bridge Road and opens daily for dinner at 4 p.m.  For more information, call 770-643-8886 or visit www.aquablueatl.com.  For more information on Aqua blue Catered Events, visit www.aquabluecatering.com.