A catered dinner party allows the host to focus on other preparatory tasks, such as decorating the dining room and hand-writing every outgoing e-vite. Feast on the luxury of time with today's Groupon: for $45, you get gourmet Italian cuisine catered for 8–12 people from The Italian Gourmet in Hopkins (up to a $90 value).
Chef Antonio Cecconi was born in Sardinia and learned to lovingly craft traditional Italian fare from his mother. Dive teeth first into a three-course vegetarian feast, which begins with a garden salad, then takes forks for a spin around bow tie pasta laden with crisp vegetables and a choice of marinara, rosa, or mushroom alfredo sauce. Freshly baked Italian rolls accompanies eating escapades, and the meal comes to a dazzling finish with a choice of chocolate-covered strawberries or cream-filled profiteroles drizzled with chocolate sauce. Carnivores can request meat for an additional charge, while all diners can peruse The Italian Gourmet's gallery for a sneak peak of the sumptuous feast and a rare rendition of the Mona Lisa painted in marinara sauce.