free dinners

So on Wednesday night I attended a dinner with my sister, who works in retail, selling alcohol.  She was invited by her suppliers to attend an appreciation dinner thrown by a well known champagne house.
The champagne house was showcasing and pairing their ware with fabulous food.  I did feel a little out of place as I was not the intended recipient of the invite (her boss couldn't make it) but my sister charmed her suppliers into extending the invite to me.
I have attended many such dinners when I was working in the event industry and its usually a great way to learn more about a venue and the food....
Now I know that I only got to go as a free loader attending on behalf of someone else but with my event background its so damn fucking hard to ignore the regretfully unsound choices that were made by the organisers.

Let's start with the venue,
It's an old chapel that was converted to a restaurant a few years ago, a successful restaurant I think but seriously it's not an event venue.  The master of ceremonies could not be heard due to bad acoustics.  It's an old chapel, it's not carpeted, it's got high domed ceilings, a disaster for any sound system! Never ever do an event with speeches in such a place.

The food

the menu

The menu promised so much.......
Aperitif - it was one prawn.....seriously, they gave us one prawn.
first course - my eyes lit up, ooh oysters, how extravagant.......  it was one, yes one bloody oyster and that's it.
Scallop Carpaccio - now I like carpaccio's but was it wise to do a carpaccio for a sit down dinner for approximately 100 diners?  No.  My stomach is still reeling with the after effects of cramps.  I probably got that one raw scallop that was a little off....
Main course - one small portion of fish  and a couple of tiny mushrooms.  and the woman sitting opposite me had a very fishy fish....
By this time I was so hungry I ate the bread (don't forget I am supposed to be eating gluten free)
Dessert -a few slices of tart peaches and sorbet and a spoonful of glutinous rice which I shovelled down my pie hole very quickly.....

I understand that the night was a night to showcase the alcohol, I understand that the main focus was the champagne, but for fucks sake, feed us decent portions of food that is suitable for a sit down 4 course 100 diners meal!  Dont invite people to taste your ware but let it all down with too little food.
So for me, while the food tasted good, the portions and menu choices (obviously they invited people without seafood allergies)  left me quite cold...
I was starving when I got home and went to bed hungry......