Page 7 - Winter 2012 magazine-1

by Julia A Burke

Chilled greens, macaroni and potato salads, and a roll wrapped in red checkered paper were served in a personal
wooden picnic box, made especially for the evening event, were real crowd pleasers. The utensils, enveloped in blue
napkins, were positioned at each place setting.

This beach picnic was not a typical day at the beach menu. Beef brochette skewered with bell peppers and onions
with chateaubriand sauce, pan flashed salmon with sun-dried tomato cream, boiled seasoned red skin potatoes,
grilled asparagus and yellow squash, herb grilled chicken skewered with vegetables and jumbo peel-and-eat shrimp
were offered as a buffet all available for second helpings.

Dessert was self-served from an old fashioned ice cream cart filled with frozen favorites like Drumsticks and ice
cream sandwiches. Plates of six-inch-round cookies and brownie squares were placed around the fire pit. Bags of
cotton candy were a help-yourself item from a beach friendly cart.

Following the awards, the wine bottle that was the icon for the event was uncorked. Inside the bottle was a treasure
map printed on parchment paper explaining who at the table won a set of beach towels.

Every year we are surprised and delighted at the beautiful and unique events the Hospitality Committee and the staff
at the Hilton have provided, and this year was no exception. Although the Friends at the Beach banquet was a casual
event, no one got sand in their shoes. The beach theme was a welcome change from our more formal events and
everyone seemed to enjoy the evening.

Photos by S. Kolar & J. Burke

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