The only time I attend media events is when I think I can blend into a crowd. Press dinner at a newly opened restaurant? No way. Four hundred drunk revelers running around a new science museum with drinks in hand? Sign me up.
Catered affairs are usually a disappointment, though. You're constantly fighting for food, when you're not waiting in line for your next drink. When you do get a morsel to juggle with a tiny cocktail napkin while balancing a martini glass in your other hand, the food is usually bad. Last night's party at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, however, impressed me on every front.
First, there was a lot of food, served by a lot of food runners. I'd neglected to eat dinner before hitting up the party and was afraid I'd go hungry, but an endless line of plates streamed from the kitchen with some really good bites.
My favorite was the small open-face sliders topped with a tiny pickle and tomato slice. The meat was warm and still pink, and the whole thing came together in a deliciously delicate burger bite, even if it was topped with ketchup. Pizzas in at least two varieties were more than passable, and a small tuna tartar served in impossibly small cornets was delicious. The crab cakes were disappointing, but they always are, and this was all before the desert plates featuring tiny pies made their way through the room.
Imagine my surprise when I found out Wolfgang Puck Catering was responsible for the food. The large catering outfit was also responsible for the terrible petite sandwiches I encountered at the Windspear Opera house last year. Hopefully last night's food is an indication of what to expect should you find yourself geeking out at the fracking exhibit when your stomach starts to growl. They've proven they are more than capable of turning out decent food for the masses.
