Ride In update:
I sat down with the banquet manager yesterday and
we worked out a menu that I think will make everyone happy. This is for
the farewell banquet Friday evening, held at Hollywood Casino at Penn
National Race Course. I'll paste the menu here for your review, and if
we don't hear any major complaints in the next 48 hours, I'll sign the
contract and get it turned in. The important part is the cost, which is
what I was working around. It's a little more than I had hoped, but
being four months out I trust that gives everyone enough time to save
up. It isn't THAT expensive (you can go to Final Cut, our premier
steakhouse, and spend $50-$60 a person without trying), but it's a few
bucks more than my goal. $35 per person
gets you what's listed below, buffet style, and our own private room on
the top floor of the building overlooking the race track and paddock
(where they saddle the horses).
LEBANON VALLEY BUFFET DINNER BUFFET
Tossed Seasonal Greens with Assorted Dressings
Amish Macaroni Salad
Sweet and Sour Vegetable Salad
Warm Rolls and Butter
Chicken Noodle Soup
Oven Roasted Chicken
Homestyle Pot Roast (I'm told this is exceptional)
Potatoes Au Gratin
Seasonal Vegetable Medley
Regional Dessert Display
Freshly Brewed Iced Tea
Freshly Brewed Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee and Selection of Hot
Herbal Teas
Assorted bottled sodas and bottled water
Carol,
Abi and I eat here with some regularity (at other restaurants being
served from the same kitchen), and the food quality is typically very
good (you're going to have an off-night every once in a while in every
restaurant). As I get older I find myself getting more picky and also
'demanding' better service, so if I keep agreeing to come back to eat
here (especially after spending 8-10 hours working in the building),
understand that I don't think I'm steering the group wrong.
I've
also arranged for a cash bar, bottled beer being $4-$5 for most
varieties. I assume drinks and wine will be priced accordingly. House
wine (Debbie) is Yellowtail if that matters (I'm not a wine drinker, so I
don't know one way or the other). We'll also all get a free racing
program! Hey, save room for dessert too. Many are made in-house by Mario Stanzione, our pastry chef (he's REALLY good at making dessert).
The room fee has been waived for us, and they've also
allowed the minimum price to be undercut since she likes me (she's new,
doesn't know better yet, really - but she likes guns, I got that much
out of her, even used to have her own gun shop!).
The banquet food is raved about by everyone that has the opportunity to eat there, the food is better than the Mountainview Terrace Dining restaurant, and is hand-over-fist better than the Epic Buffet. Sure the menu is smaller, but the food is prepared by upper-level cooks, and is prepared for our event - not 300 people that are going to go through the line in the next two hours. The atmosphere in the banquet rooms is also exceptional with a view of the mountain range adjacent to the property as well as the race track - which has races scheduled for that evening as well. You can bet on the horses from the fourth floor, too.
So, please
speak up if you have any questions regarding this. Feel free to PM me if
you prefer, I have no issue with that either. | 
