I'm hosting my first housewarming party in Zurich and am thinking of serving assorted chips, dips, cheese platters, etc. and debating between serving sandwiches and pizza. Problem is, I don't know where one can get good sandwiches or pizza pies in Zurich!
I live in Seefeld, so any suggestions on where I can pick up enough food for about 13-16 people will be greatly appreciated! Also, how much advance notice does one need to give, in order to place an order (or is there even such a thing?)
Thanks in advance!
i'd be tempted to get down to one of the supermarkets to buy what you need. sandwiches you can make yourself easily and you can buy some frozen pizzas which can be cooked at the right time instead of trying to manage delivery times, etc. p.s. what's the address/date/time?
Personally I'd avoid the pizza as it will just be a distraction keeping you in the kitchen when you should be walking around mingling with the guests. Best to serve (finger) food that can be prepared in advance and only requires you to set out as needed without any added preparation.
one hwp i went to had the pizza cold and we could zap them in the microwave. worked well.
Phil's right. make your own assortment on sandwiches beforehand like tuna, egg mayo, etc. Will save you money. Having said that, if you are still keen on the ready made route, why not give Subway a call? They are located near the Selnau HB and I know they cater for parties in other countries.
Dominos allows you to place an order for pizzas and pick them up personally. They are usually 10% cheaper if you do that. The nearest one to you will most likely be Universitàˆstrasse. Use the store locator here to check: http://www.dominos.ch/storelocator.php
I went to a Housewarming party yesterday evening. The food was great. My friend ordered it online from
http://www.migros-partyservice.ch/ about 24 hours in advance and she picked it up two hours before we arrived.
Everything was perfect.
Sorry, she had to order it 48 hours in advance.
I can also recommend the migros party service.
If you really don't want them to ever talk to you again, then go ahead and order the Domino's pizza. But I would avoid it.
Tuna and egg salad sandwiches are iffy, I would include ham and cheese also
You could also do a big pot of curry, or maybe a big pan of baked ziti, Both can be prepared ahead of time and kept warm.
Can you cook? I'd much rather serve something I made then to rely on a caterer.
Hi,
If you like Indian give Pretty a call www.bestcurry.ch she has great apero / biting stuff. You can see pics on the website.
Otherwise the migros catering service is also good. (but predictable and boring).
Other home made ideas that work for me:
1- Vege Spring rolls (available from oriental stores in Oerlikon)
2- Tacos (buy the shells in Migros, acompany with freshly grated cheese, chilli beans, chopped tomatoes / onions, coriander)
3- Shallow fried Chirozo sausage
4- Rosemary and Garlic potato wedges
5- Vege dip things, ready made in Migros or Coop
6- Olives
7- Stuffed peppers
8- Sliced bread (from Globus), the olive one is superb
9- Baklawa (from Turkish shop in Oerlikon)
10- Fruit platter (Indian Alphonso mangoes in season now, Strawberries, Water Melon etc etc).
Depending on when the apero is, I can also cater
Cheers,
P.
Wow this is great - thanks so much, this is very helpful advice! I'm a decent cook, but I've never cooked for more than 5-6 people, so am a little bit overwhelmed. I've decided to take everyone's advice and drop the pizza/sandwiches delivery idea and go with the following:
- 3 different kinds of dip with chips and veggie slices
- Assorted fruit and cheese platter
- Pinwheels
- Homemade bread (courtesy a friend)
- Rosemary and garlic potato wedges
I have nominated a friend to take care of one of the dips and also have requested another one to come earlier and help me make good Pimms based drinks. I really hope this is enough for 16 people! Will come back on Thursday and let you guys know how it went
P.S: Quick question - where can I find sour cream here, and what is it called in German, does anyone know? Thanks!
The Migros has everything you need, from cold meats and cheese platters to sandwiches to quite elaborate cocktails and hot meals.
http://www.migros.ch/FR/A_propos_de_...y-Service.aspx
There is also something quite cool called Pain Surprise, it's hollowed out bread made into little sandwiches of different flavors and stuffed back in, in no particular order... guests grab a mini sandwich and are surprised as to what flavor they get.
Then there are canapes and veg and dips, not to mention the all time hits: nuts and bolts (crisps )
Good luck!
Mrs. T
I have nightmares from Domino's in the U.S, so wouldn't even dream of serving it at a party, where the hope is to make new friends
I'm debating about baked ziti; I just don't want it to get too messy with people trying to hold their plates and drinks and trying to eat at the same time. That's why I was leaning toward pizza or sandwiches - they can be had with hand - no forks or knives required. And yes, I am overthinking this, but it's my first apero so my OCD is in full swing
I'm really hoping that the sun decides to make its presence finally known so I can host it in the backyard, but seeing as how this whole month has been, that seems unlikely I think between the potato wedges and pinwheels, people should have enough carbs to balance out the alcohol
Agreed, if it's more a nibble and drink kind of party then ziti can be messy.
When I did my housewarming party 2 years back, I cooked everything myself for around 12 people. It took me 3 days to get everything perfect but it was well worth it. My friends still talk about the food even after all this time. Of course the ambiance and good mood helped..
I know this may sound a little boring but I would also recommend some chips or pretzels. The swiss are super fond of Zweifel Paprika - but you could also serve the super yummy Zweifel salt-n-vinegar.
And be sure to let yourself do buy a few things to make your life easier-- pre-cut veggies (coop has bags of budget carrots and cauliflower etc...) and migro sells cute little potatoes that you can just rinse and use for your potato dish. You don't want to be so tired from the preparation to not enjoy yourself at the party. After one drink your friends won't know the difference and it will save you hours.
Enjoy!
Looking forward to hearing how yours goes. I was thinking of a little soiree in a 2-rooms flat once I get settled in......with 10 Swissies in attendance. Good idea? Bad idea?
Thanks for the invitation. I don`t mind what you serve, I`ll be quite content with a couple of bottles of wine. Will there be entertainment for the children?
Pinwheels, are they those fire crackers? Great I`ll bring some old rockets I`ve had down in the celler, that`ll keep the kids happy.