À la Carte Catering, Haymarket

À la Carte Catering and Event Design shoulders the entire burden of event planning, from the food and wait staff to flowers and decorations to entertainment and lighting. Hosts just meet with an event specialist to describe the basics behind their dream party, and À la Carte hammers out the kinks to make it a reality. The company's executive chef draws on his training in France, New Orleans, and the Caribbean to craft elegant and casual menus, and partner vendors manage other accoutrements, such as coat checks, valet parking, or live musicians. Civilians get a glimpse inside the trade at cooking classes with À la Carte’s chefs during interactive demonstrations that cover professional techniques for butchering meat, cooking pasta, or licking brownie batter off of a spatula.