Select the Perfect Party Center in Geauga

Wednesday, May 20, 2015
CHESTERLAND NEWS
Page 11
Select the Perfect Party Center in Geauga
By Ann Wishart
Veterans Welcome Partiers
When it comes to hosting your significant events, size matters.
Booking a banquet room for an intimate gathering can leave participants
wandering aimlessly around like marbles
in a wine keg.
Just as undesirable, and unsafe, is a
venue too small for the number of people you want to feed and entertain.
Fortunately, there are plenty of party
centers, banquet rooms and wineries in
Geauga County to meet nearly any
space requi-rements with individual
attrac-tions and sufficient amenities.
Some include outdoor patios or
arbors that increase the capacity in
Mother Nature’s unpredictable environment.
St. Denis Golf Club and Party Center
can accommodate up to 200 diners, with
a buffet set-up or “plated and served”
meals.
The patio, with a view of the golf
course, is an attraction spring through
fall as is the arbor with a pergola
designed for outdoor weddings.
The large room can be divided into
two smaller areas and there are plans to
design a more modern look for the dining area including a new LED lighting
system to alter the ambiance.
VFW Post #6519 at 752 Water Street
in Chardon is convenient and easy to
use.
There is a six-burner stove, a large
griddle, a refrigerator, a small freezer,
three table-top food warmers and an
abundance of cooking utensils.
The hall also has a wireless microphone, good acoustics and industrialstrength carpeting.
Gene Chapman has been hall manager for two years. The post built the hall
about seven years ago.
It has a capacity of 120 diners or 100
if a band and dance floor are included in
the plan. There is a covered patio with
picnic benches for outside events or
smokers and horse shoe pits. The landscaped patio area is fenced in for safety.
The separated canteen includes a
full-service bar and rental of that facility
includes a bartender from the post. The
canteen includes seating at tables and
the bar as well as a pool table.
The VFW has a state liquor license.
They serve wine and hard liquor.
The majority of events are catered.
Monday through Thursday evenings, the
post uses the facility to serve dinners
open to the public, including kielbasi,
wings and hamburgers for $4 to $6 per
plate.
The post ladies’ auxiliary handles
memorial lunches for a contribution.
Seminars and commercial events are
held at the hall as well as Boy Scout
meetings, birthdays, reunions, Zumba
classes, etc.
“The majority of them are catered
events,” Chapman said.
There is a post list of five or six caterers, but they don’t restrict caterer choice
or event type. VFW members get a price
break.
Members will volunteer if needed to
help with the set up. Parking expands to
Sage’s parking lot across the road.
Family Project
The history of St. Denis gives the
family-owned-and-operated facility a
generational aspect.
Scotty and Mary Ann Foecking
bought the undeveloped acreage in
Chardon Township in 1965. They were
driving home from visiting the grave of
their son, Denis, when they saw the for
sale sign, according to the St. Denis website.
The couple, working with H.S.
Burkhardt, designed St. Denis Golf
Course and started construction of the
first nine holes in 1966 with help from
their 10 children and Mary Ann’s parents, Leo and Esther Clark.
Eleven family members are still
involved in the operation of the facility
with Brendan Griesmer serving as president of the company.
A large, less formal room in the basement of the party center has been converted into a picnic-type setting available
for large golf outings. It seats up to 120.
The party center’s executive chef is
Tom Micco.
A Taste of History
History buffs will enjoy Bass Lake
Taverne, which was built in Chardon 150
years ago.
With fireplaces upstairs and downstairs, Bass Lake serves as a restaurant
with two party rooms on the second
floor. Each room can seat 60 and there
are dividers available if a more intimate
setting is desired.
A protected outdoor patio with
umbrella-covered tables is a popular
party site when the weather permits.
For partiers who want to retire within
walking distance after an evening of celebrating, the adjoining inn has 12 guestrooms with fireplaces, jet tubs and
mini-kitchens.
The room prices start at $115 per
night and include an in-room continental
breakfast.
Special packages are available,
See Centers = Page 14
Page 12
CHESTERLAND NEWS
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
The Red Maple Inn
Raises Bar in Hospitality
Submitted
SUBMITTED
The Wicked Woods Banquet Center is available for rental.
Wicked Woods Banquet
Room Recently Reopened
Submitted
Recently purchased, along with
Wicked Woods Golf Course, by Connie
and Ed Babcock, the beautiful banquet
center will soon be available for weddings, reunions, golf outings and whatever your special event may be.
Located at 14085 Ravenna Road in
Newbury Township, the facility has a
full commercial kitchen and can seat up
to 200 celebrants and guests.
The spacious room is paneled with
native cherry wood, which came right
from the property and was installed by
master carpenter Dan Hess.
The room opens onto a full length
deck with beautiful views looking over
the golf course and Upper Cuyahoga
River Valley. It is fully air-conditioned,
with sound system, dance floor, and wet
bar. Caterer, event planner and valet
parking are all available.
There is a gazebo by the lake for
small ceremony and/or pictures. Plan
your next event at Wicked Woods
Banquet Center for an outstanding
experience and the best view in central
Geauga County.
To view the room, reach out to Connie
or Becky at 440-564-7960 or email them at
wickedwoodsclub@gmail.com.
The Red Maple Inn, 14707 S
Cheshire St., Burton, is a unique and
peaceful destination for rest and relaxation that you will never forget.
Overlooking the rolling farmlands
and forests of Geauga County, you can
enjoy a complimentary hearty Amish
Style breakfast and stroll through the
past at the historic Century Village
Museum next door.
A country inn described as a “small
hotel,” The Red Maple Inn’s 17 rooms
and one suite — all on the second floor,
accessible by elevator — are individually
decorated and have their own private
entrances and personal baths.
Featuring Ohio Amish handcrafted
wood furniture, DVD players, Jacuzzi
tubs and educational Amish heritage literature and videos, you will feel a world
away from the stresses of everyday life.
The inn provides the opportunity for
in-room massages to relax your body
and mind. Many guest rooms have balconies with a view of the farmlands and
forests as far as the eye can see. It’s a
perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee, sip
on a glass of wine or converse the night
away with loved ones.
The Red Maple Inn has a small fitness center with a variety of workout
equipment from free lifting weights to an
Elliptical machine. It is just what you
need to relieve that tension and keep in
shape. The game room offers an opportunity share quality time, letting you
decide to battle ping pong or decipher
your next move in a game of pool. There
are board games, puzzles, books and
movies should you decide to stay on site
and escape the world.
The inn provides complementary
wine and cheese to start you off before
you head to one of many restaurants in
the area from mom and pop places for
comfort food to a taste of elegance with
fine dining.
After dinner, snuggle up and warm
your heart by one of the fireplaces, or
daydream the day away in one of the
hand-built Amish rocking chairs. The in
offers Wi-Fi access throughout the entire
property and has an event room that can
accommodate your group for business
meetings, banquets, retreats, small weddings and group gatherings.
The Red Maple Inn is the perfect
memorable location for your guests. A
place they will be talking about for years.
With its friendly staff and variety of
amenities to please all, the Red Maple
Inn is set far apart from any hotel. Stay
or book your event today and make
some memories to last a lifetime.
Music Mistakes to Avoid at Weddings
MetroCreative
(440) 285-3100
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Wedding guests are usually anxious
to head to the reception, where they can
let loose and party. Music is an essential
component of a lively and fun wedding
reception, and there are some musical
miscues couples should look to avoid to
ensure the music is not memorable for
all the wrong reasons.
• Blocks of silence: Nothing makes
time seem interminable more than
silence. Always have a constant flow of
music to avoid awkward silences. This
includes the time guests are waiting prior
to the ceremony as well as when they’re
entering the cocktail hour. Music will help
everyone feel comfortable, and it creates
a pleasing atmosphere, so make sure
music plays throughout the festivities.
• Second-guessing a professional: In
an effort to curb costs, some couples provide their own playlists via an mp3 player or a streaming service for the music.
This is often a mistake. Hiring a professional means you will not have to worry
about managing music on top of your
FILE PHOTO
Steering clear of wedding music mistakes
means couples have a greater likelihood of
throwing spectacular parties.
many other wedding day responsibilities.
A band or deejay usually also serves as
the emcee for the event, announcing key
moments of the reception as well as getting guests up on the dance floor.
See Music = Page 15
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
CHESTERLAND NEWS
From Schnitzel to Subgum,
Local Party Centers Offer
Variety of Diverse Delights
By Diane Ryder
As families and groups moved from
the Cleveland area out to the rural countryside of Geauga County in the early
days of the 20th century, they brought
with them cherished traditions of their
ancestors, their work ethic and more
importantly, grandma’s recipe book.
As a result, Geauga has become a virtual melting pot of ethnic food, from
Amish noodles to Austrian schnitzel,
from Italian cannelloni to Hungarian
cabbage rolls, from Lebanese falafel to
Chinese crab rangoon.
Local party centers are catering to
our appetites for food diversity by offering menus that appeal to every taste and
dietary need, with recipes that challenge
grandma’s status as the greatest cook
who ever lifted a spatula.
Local caterers also serve American
standards such as steaks, seafood, barbecue and picnic food, and many party centers will custom design a menu to accommodate special requests, such as for
gluten free, nut free and vegetarian dishes.
When it comes to ethnic cooking,
DTJ Taborville in Auburn Township
stands out, located in an historic Czech
summer colony dating back to the 1920s.
Although the neighborhood is no
longer exclusively Czech, the traditions
continue in the clubhouse, which serves
European favorites for a variety of functions and festivals.
Specialties include goulash, pork,
duck, tripe soup, bread dumplings and
other offerings. DTJ’s website includes a
dumpling recipe, but is quick to say it’s
not for their best known bread
dumplings because that recipe is secret.
For those whose tastes run more to
American food, Wiegand’s Lake Park,
Russell Township, specializes in oven
baked chicken, homemade potato salad
from a 1950s recipe, ribs, burgers and a
variety of salads.
“Everything is made fresh,” said
manager Wendy Wiegand Pliml, who
said their staff can develop custom
menus for every event. She once served
an all-vegetarian menu for 200 people.
“We can do anything except kosher,”
she said, adding her kitchen is not
equipped for kosher cooking, but if
someone wants to bring in the right
cooking utensils, she will accommodate
them.
For events, Wiegand’s Lake serves
food all day, all you can eat, for people to
“graze” as they socialize and take part in
outdoor fun.
“We want everyone to be comfortable
here and feel well taken care of,” Pliml
said.
Entering into the heart of Geauga
County, Bass Lake Taverne, Chardon,
has a menu that changes with the seasons, but offers favorites year-round for
events held in their upstairs party rooms.
Most party goers are offered their
See Delights = Page 15
Page 13
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Rent our hall facility, plus large kitchen for
all your occasions from Surprise Parties, to
Family Reunions to Fund Raisers.
Call Katie for Rates or visit our website
Open Sundays Noon-6pm
440-285-3699 • 440-321-0164 mobile • www.chardonvfw.com
Chardon VFW Post 6519 – 752 Water Street – Chardon, Ohio 44024
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Page 14
CHESTERLAND NEWS
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WHEN YOU’RE HAVING • Cookie & Mini Pastry Trays
A PARTY THINK
• Cakes for All Occasions
DIBLASI’S BAKERY!! • Full Sheet Pizzas
• Handcrafted Soft Pretzel Buns
• Pepperoni Bread
• Hot Dog & Hamburger Buns
Come See Us
Every Saturday at the
Geauga Farmer’s Market
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8190 Mayfield Road, Chesterland OH 44026 • 440-729-1817
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Wednesday, May 20, 2015
St. Anselm Holds Annual Festival
Submitted
The 43rd annual Saint Anselm
Church Festival in Chester Township is
Memorial Day weekend, May 21
through May 24. The weekend will be
filled with award-winning entertainment,
rides and games as well as great festival
food!
The 2015 festival will kickoff May 21
evening with an Inaugural Car Cruise
Night (rain or shine). Peoples’s Choice
and Father’s Choice Awards will be
awarded.
Friday night The Benjaminz will perform on the main stage. Family day is
Saturday with all day entertainment
including The Boys Are Back, Flower
Clown, Jungle Terry and – for the first
time ever – Chance Live. New this year,
a Diaper Dash and Toddler Trot will be
held for the youngest family members.
Sunday will kick off with polkas,
polkas and more polkas starting with an
11:30 a.m. Polka Mass, with music by
Joey Tomsick and the JTO Band.
Following the mass the band will play
during Senior Day. And The Great
Geauga Fair Band will perform a
Memorial Day Tribute. Sunday evening
the Pop Tarts will take you back to the
60s and Disco Inferno will close out the
2015 festival.
No festival is complete without carnival rides and games of chance. And, if
you are feeling lucky, there is a $10,000
cash raffle (tickets available all weekend
long), a prize and super prize raffle with
items to suit all ages, Instant Bingo, and
Monte Carlo nightly from 7 p.m. to midnight.
This year should be another four
days of great entertainment and fellowship for the community.
St. Anselm Catholic Church is located at 130 13 Chillicothe Road in
Chesterland, Ohio. Look for updates at
www.stanselm.org, Facebook at St.
Anselm Church Festival, and Twitter
@StAnselmFest.
Centers
Blvd. in Auburn Township is not handicapped accessible, he said.
from page 11
including golf at the next-door Chardon
Lakes Golf Course and dinner. A public
biking trail is conveniently located as
well.
Convenient and Restful
Businesses and organizations find the
Red Maple Inn Bed and Breakfast in
Burton Village conveniently located for
early morning meetings with a breakfast
buffet visitors find very attractive.
The inn’s Burton Room has a seating
capacity of 66 but, if the tables are removed,
100 chairs can line up for seminars.
Manager Gina Holk said the patio off
the Burton Room provides a little more
space and a full bar can be set up outside
in good weather.
The patio has a long-distance view of
Burton’s famous maple tree woods.
Visitors looking for a place to stay
the night can rent one of the inn’s 18
rooms and enjoy breakfast in the regular
dining room.
DTJ Taborville hall manager Bruce
Marek said his main room seats 200 and
an additional room another 100.
Picnics can be accommodated in the
pavilion and there is a playground and
ball field, but the facility at 9850 North
Chef’s Special Treatment
More amenities are available at St.
Mary’s Catholic Church Banquet Room
in Chardon, including the services of The
Reserve House executive chef, Chris
Sotkovsky.
The facility was opened eight years
ago as a way to improve the church’s revenue stream, but it also serves well for
church functions, said facilities manager
Mike Boehnlein.
If the church has flowers or electronics, the party may be able to use them at
no additional charge.
There are a number of rooms available for different party sizes.
The banquet room can seat 225. The
adjacent cafeteria has room for 200 and
a small party room is good for crowds of
60 or fewer, Sotkovsky said.
The wall between the banquet room
and cafeteria may be eliminated some
day, giving the resulting room a seating
capacity of 350 with a buffet table and
dance floor, he said
The facility has two full kitchens, so
the on-call staff of up to 10 members has
handled up to three events per day.
The wide variety of venues and
amentities available in the community
make it easy and fun to party in Geauga.
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Cards Available
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Music
from page 12
• Playing only one type of music:
Playing too many songs from one genre of
music will alienate some of the guests who
simply are not interested in that type of
music. Professional deejays or performers
know how to offer a great mix that will
appeal to the masses, and they are often
well worth the cost. Try to span different
decades and genres to keep as many of
your guests on the dance floor as possible.
• Failure to make a song list: Some
songs you may feel are essential to the
wedding and others may be on a do-notplay list and are associated with negative
memories. Band leaders and deejays are
not mind readers. Give your band leader or
deejay ample time to review your requests
so that he or she has time to find a song
Delights
from page 13
choices of chicken marsala, penne pasta,
salmon or salads, and everything, including soups, dressings and desserts are
made from scratch, said manager
Michele Niehus.
Because everything is custom made,
the tavern can accommodate special
needs, she added.
Prices range from $9 to $36 per person and the party room rents for $100,
which covers the cost of setups, linens
and water goblets.
Red Maple Inn Bed and Breakfast in
Burton is well known for its Amish wedding dinners, served family style on the
first and third Fridays of the month.
The public is welcome, but reservations are required.
While many party centers in the area
CHESTERLAND NEWS
that may not be in his or her collection.
• Dancing to long songs: Pay attention to a song’s length, and choose spotlight dance songs wisely. Remember that
guests will be watching you dance with
parents or each other, and a five-minute
song can seem neverending while others
are waiting around. Avoid very long
songs, as the mix of music should be
upbeat. The wedding isn’t the time to
play “American Pie” by Don McClean,
Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” or
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird.”
• Inappropriate lyrics and volume:
Keep the music at an acceptable volume,
and avoid songs with suggestive language or curse words that are inappropriate in a family setting.
Music is a key element of any good
party, including a wedding reception, and
it’s essential that couples take steps to
avoid any musical miscues.
provide catering, some require they provide all the food, while others allow food
to be brought in and still others do not
offer food preparation.
Most will allow a celebration cake to
be brought in and will charge a fee for
cutting and serving.
Some provide non-alcoholic beverages, others will serve beer and wine,
while some have full service bars. In the
case of food and drink, it’s best to check
with the party center early on about
their policies.
Other places to check out for great food
options include Bistro 608, Middlefield;
Quintealia’s Tea Parlor, Burton Village;
Chesterland Tavern, Chester Township;
DiBlasi’ Bakery, Chester Township; Cater 4
U, Middlefield; St. Denis Golf Club and
Party Center, Chardon.
Virtually all party centers and caterers in the county have websites and most
post their menus online.
Page 15