dawnleaf 1234, you are entitled to a seating at this reception! Please take a seat, and enjoy your dinner! Order a drink if you like.
Chapter six: The Breathtaking Banquet
The dinner guests, about two hundred of them, showed up at the Stone Bistro within the next hour altogether. Upon the wedding couple's request, there was a table set at the lobby desk for wedding reception, complete with a large paperboard and pens of many colours. Eight minutes before the dinner guests arrived, vast numbers of croquembouche – a Kalos specialty that involved choux pastry balls held together by caramel – created with small appetizing apples and served with peaches with cream, had been delivered from Vue sur la Lune to the restaurant, and put on display at the lobby. However, the staff who delivered the cake were reluctant to do so.
Upon James' orders, Martine Grenadine and the other servers were tasked with placing chocolates and mints to each table before the guests could actually arrive. This was no easy feat. Given the time constraint they had and the number of tables they had to serve, it seemed impossible. But being the professionals they were, they managed to get each table the right amount of sweets.
By the time the first of two hundred guests showed up at the doors of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro, it was getting close to twilight. The skies of Cyllage City started to fade into a deep blue-and-orange with clouds rapidly turning into pink.
Unsurprisingly, the guests were first welcomed by the sight of a plate of croquembouche displayed at the lobby, and even more unsurprisingly they took pictures of the dessert. The reaction from Steven about this was… negative.
At the same time, the guests were welcomed by the bride and groom, who of course the latter invited. Lively conversations were stirred up with some guests, while other guests went over to the receptionists' desk for signing in. Afterwards, Martine Grenadine and the other servers showed the guests to their tables.
Elsewhere, Steven Stone, James d'Arc, and the professional team of chefs had finally started to cook the meals at the request of the wedding couple. To begin, with the hors d'oeuvres, the wedding couple wanted them to serve a certain Kalos fondue to every guest in this reception, with a certain creamy soup that was a specialty of the Stone Bistro. That is, over two hundred dishes of the pâté-baguette combination had already been prepared to make. Now, all the cooking team was concerned with was creating the soups as efficiently and cleanly as possible.
It felt like they hadn't been this busy for months!
The specific fondue in question was a special kind of pâté using local Cyllage goods served with very thin slices of oven-baked baguette, with creamy Kalos cheese melted on a fondue pot, and served with clusters of baguette. In addition, it was best served with an aperitif (an alcohol mixture). But as for minors, Martine directed the serving staff to preparing non-alcoholic cocktails too. It was only a combination between an aperitif and hors d'oeuvres that would make the appetizer special.
In effect, Martine and the others were working around the clock serving drinks!
There was a wine cellar at the ground floor of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro where the entire restaurant's alcohol supply of Kalos and imported wine was kept – old wines, new wines, ancient wines, and fresh wines. That being said, it was managed and run by the bar and bistro, and whenever patrons wanted to stop by for a drink and perhaps some fried snacks, this was the place to go. However, as far as the restaurant above and around was concerned: the bar staff helped supply the restaurant and bistro staff with what they needed, and were masters at creating aperitifs and cocktails.
After all, it was their specialty!
"Orders! Loads and loads of orders!" Martine popped into the bar cheerfully, while slapping dozens and dozens of drink orders onto the bar counter (of course, the other servers had to keep Martine in check by forcing to lay out the drink requests in an orderly fashion).
The bartender and his associates picked up the orders and, without need for another word, they got to work. Some turned around to find the specific drinks that were ordered, while others searched underneath the counter for other alcohols. At the same time, more bar staff went to look for non-alcohol-based mixtures. Whereas the bar staff managed these drinks, others helped the bistro staff look for specific wines in the wine cellar.
Some bar staff took the easy route by creating the non-alcoholic cocktails first. One case was lime juice from an unopened glass bottle (she twisted the gold-coloured cap open), crushed Nomel Berry (using a bowl, she took two Nomel Berries, placed it in a bowl, and grinded it into powder with a crushing tool), and shattered ice cubes (she put many, many, many, ice cubes in a blender full to the brim, and grinded them all into bits and pieces, so as to use the ice for more cocktails to come). This bartender then poured the ice shards into a glass, added all of the Nomel Berry powder and poured lime juice into it until the glass was full, and then she stirred it well until the drink was cold.
To this bar staff member, it was a simple drink, and she placed the finished work on the counter, alongside at least a dozen more cocktails and drinks.
Meanwhile, another drink-making bar member pulled out a certain bottle of Pamtre Berry gin (a spirit with a particularly high alcohol content), and poured two measures of it into a cocktail shaker. An additional bistro staff member helped supply a bottle of Razz Berry vodka (spicy and sweet…), where the drink-maker poured one measure of it into the shaker. Last but not least, a second bistro staff provided half a measure of a local Kalos speciality: a fine spirit made from a blend of multiple regional wines. Afterwards, the shaker was filled with ice cubes and the bar member responsible for making this drink shut the container with a steel cap and shook the shaker violently, while hearing the sound of ice smashing against each other, and finally poured out the ice-cold alcoholic cocktail into a glass. As well, a very thin slice of lemon peel was placed in it by the bar member. A glass of tonic water, supplied by a bistro staff, was placed beside the cocktail.
"That's another fine work done," he muttered, as he placed the completed drink alongside the dozens of other finished drinks. Martine Grenadine picked up the glass and placed it on the tray she was holding (which already had many more drinks on it!).
Simply but cautiously, Martine brought the tray of drinks to the restaurant lobby so she could head to one of two elevators, transport the drinks to the third floor above, and then serve them to the table she was serving. That being said, there were many more tables and drinks to attend to. It was fortunate there were plenty of staff to cover the two hundred guests!
Meanwhile, the sound of a grand piano filled the air of the third floor, as other guests took pictures and mingled with each other, as well as the bride and groom, as the sun's rays shined through the glass exterior of the Stone Bistro to signify the start of twilight.
"There seems to be a party over there at the Stone," some dessert-maker from Vue sur la Lune told Cynthia. "Business seems so slow today…"
"Well, at least we had that croquembouche made ready," Cynthia pointed out. "That was something! And we only had a couple hours to complete it too! At least that kept us busy."
"True," the dessert-maker agreed.
The sun rays made the air inside Vue sur la Lune's café heated, and the atmosphere became… comforting. Only a few customers stopped by for coffee and some fluffy carrot cake or orange tarts, but that was all. Seeing there was little to do, Cynthia went to make chocolates.
Design was something Cynthia could appreciate at Vue sur la Lune. Often the market would regard her chocolates as, apart from tasting as sweet as they are, the most beautiful designed, back in her culinary training days. Critic reviews held her chocolates with high regard. With that thought in mind, Cynthia wondered if it was worth opening a restaurant and dessert shop in Lumiose City.
But she knew there was no chance of that happening. With property values of Lumiose City being the highest in all of Kalos, it would be horrifically expensive to purchase a property large enough to open a shop there. Even though Cynthia was a former Champion, she knew she didn't have enough funding. Loaning was possible, but it was a huge risk, and one that Cynthia wasn't willing to take.
The smell of chocolate wafted deliciously throughout the café. With her bare hands, Cynthia delicately molded chunks of fudge into cubes and pieces of chocolates into different shapes and sizes. Whether they looked like blocks with a garnish or miniature mugs with a creamy filling, they all appeared equally pleasant to the eye.
With the amount of spare time they had, the dessert staff of Vue sur la Lune helped themselves to leftover servings of the croquembouche they had created several hours ago. The idea of piles of choux pastry balls held together by mounds of caramel served with apples and peaches was enough to make anyone's mouth water. To keep things fair, the staff divided the croquembouche evenly so that everyone would have a relatively good share of the croquembouche.
Cynthia, however, had no appetite for the croquembouche, and helped herself to a serving of vanilla ice cream, decorated with dark chocolate bits, on a cone instead. If there was anything she enjoyed, it was ice cream. Was Kalosian ice cream any different than what she tasted in Sinnoh? Maybe not.
"Hey, Cynthia," one of her café staff, who was eating a portion of croquembouche on a plate, addressed her. "That supply of ingredients for Unovan cheesecake we ordered is finally coming in tonight. We expect to have them on display tomorrow."
"Oh? I see…" Cynthia carelessly said. She absentmindedly munched off parts of the ice cream.
This café staff member was a 23-year old who went by the name of Henri Matin. Having had five years of full-time experience in the café business earned him a modest reputation amongst Kalos locals – specifically in Lumiose City, where he worked at various Kalosian bistros and cafés and earning multitudes of experience with Kalos cooking. But this came at a price: he had to be aware of any chance he could get laid off!
When Vue sur la Lune opened up, and more job opportunities that came with it, Henri jumped at the chance. He had heard of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro, of course, and working there wasn't bad, but it simply wasn't his specialty, so he opted for Vue sur la Lune instead.
Needless to say he was rewarded by working under a no-nonsense boss and a vast number of openly-friendly staff!
"Is something troubling you, Ms. Cynthia?" he asked his boss, while spearing a choux pastry ball and putting it in his mouth, and tasting the caramel and apple that came with it. "Is it, perhaps, the Stone? We did make a croquembouche for them, yeah?"
"No, Henri, I'm just bored," Cynthia replied.
Henri looked unconvinced, but he shrugged. Before he went on his way, he asked, "If you're bored, then why don't you head over to the Stone and see what the wedding banquet is like? Business is slow tonight, so we can take it from here."
That seemed like a good idea.
"I suppose…" Cynthia got out of her chair. If she was going to a wedding banquet uninvited, then she could at least dress like she belonged there, but sadly she didn't know what to wear. A business suit, perhaps, or maybe her trademark clothes she wore as Champion?
Maybe it would be more appropriate to comb or curl her hair as well…
"Are you sure you don't want a little croquembouche?" Henri offered. "Everyone has had a little bit, so why not?"
Cynthia paused to think. Sure, the croquembouche did look appetizing to the eye, and sure it was created out from a last-minute effort from her staff, but she didn't have an appetite for it. Nevertheless, one of the dessert makers passed Cynthia a plate, anyway.
"I really don't have an appetite, though…" Cynthia quietly complained. In spite of her complaint, Cynthia went to try it, anyway. Even though it was a dessert that she hadn't tasted while it was being made!
Sweet caramel combined with choux pastry balls had never tasted this good, and it had been too long since Cynthia had eaten croquembouche. Did the pastry somehow taste better and sweeter than it was supposed to be? If so, then why was she enjoying it so much? The choux pastry tasted light, but the caramel and apples made up for the sweetness, if not the peaches!
After ten minutes, Cynthia walked out of Vue sur la Lune with her hair elegantly curled and her business suit neatly straightened.
The air of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro continued to fill with the sound of grand piano, which was appropriate as the guests gathered at one of the wall-sized windows on the floor (even though every window was wall-sized!) because it was time for the trademark photo shoots of the sunset.
Moreover, the evident sunset made this spot desirable, because everyone wanted to have their photo taken with the sunset. Time was short, so the photographer had to shoot the photos quick, but also had to ensure they were good photos.
Priority was given to the wedding couple and their immediate families, so almost everyone had to make way – but with lots of smiles – to let the couple take their pictures in front of the dazzling sunset. Family and extended family soon followed in the photo lineup, followed by friends.
Even for those waiting to have their photo taken, the view of the sunset was worthwhile!
At this point, the wedding guests had all been served their fondues, drinks, and soups. All the servers took the liberty of starting the fires beneath the fondue pots to melt the cheese, mixing a little wine in it for some improved flavour, and allowed the guests to dip in pieces of baguette into the molten cheese to enjoy. The accompanying servers would help deliver the soup serving – garnished with pepper and green onion – afterward.
Some guests took personal pictures of the food, while others ate it straight away. Some dipped pieces of baguette into the cheese fondue, others had spoonfuls of soup already in their mouths.
As far as Steven was concerned, his staff had most of the next course – consisting of fish and mushrooms – almost ready to go. As head chef, Steven was partly obligated to take photos with the guests as well despite how busy it was. The cooking couldn't wait, but neither would the sunset, and the guests were demanding his presence!
So, dressed in his black chef jacket, Steven went straight for the photo shoot where the guests were eagerly waiting for him. The handsome chef some of them knew about, who never thought about having a girlfriend, was going to be in their photo!
For the time being, Steven Stone was preoccupied with having photos taken with him and the guests. James d'Arc on the other hand took leadership role in preparing the fish course: a fillet of dorée served with a blended sauce of white wine and fresh Mago berry. An additional side sauce made of diced Pinap berry was to be prepared alongside the fish course – as its sour and spicy taste made it the perfect complement to the main dorée course.
James ensured that everyone was preparing the white wine and Mago berry sauce in the desired order. Stirred in pans, combining blended Mago berry and white wine, the combination was fiery. Flames arose from the addition of wine as the sauce was stirred in the heat! James took charge of creating this sauce, while other chefs were focused on chopping Pinap berries into bits and stirring it with a little hot water to loosen its intense taste.
Meanwhile, other chefs were grilling tens of fillets of dorée!
Steven was all smiles as he had photos taken. Not once did he ever regret buying the property here at Cyllage City. For once in a while, he could seriously enjoy himself. Here, in his restaurant, against the brilliant sunset that the resort was known for.
Lastly, as the sun continued to glimmer in such a way that sent shivers down everyone's spines, the wedding couple took one last picture together against the sunset, when the stars were beginning to twinkle in the twilight.
"Mr. Stone! Care to join us?" the groom offered.
"With pleasure," Steven answered. "But please, just call me Steven. Everyone calls my father Mr. Stone already, so…"
The groom and Steven stood to the side as the bride occupied the space between them. Behind them, the sun sank beneath the horizon to signify the beginning of dusk. The photographer waved for their attention to the camera.
After the photos, the lights that lined up the windows, black walls, and white walls of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro illuminated comforting lights everywhere. The ocean outside was still reflecting the last bits of sunlight, but now the reflection was replaced by stars.
Martine had just served her table glasses of water and, with her accompanying waitress, disassembled the fondue kit and put it away. From what she observed, the food was eaten cleanly. Not a bit of cheese or piece of baguette or drop of soup was left over.
Now, James d'Arc had confirmed the fish course was ready and had Martine and the servers begin rolling out the dishes. Steven had finished with the photos and had gone back into the kitchen to start cooking the main course: a Stone Accolade for every guest. (Whereas the photographer had gone back to his table to eat his serving of the fish course. He already finished his appetizer!). Steven and the other chefs were definitely going to have their work cut out! To make two hundred dishes of the Accolade wasn't going to be easy. To keep the work simple and less tedious on their part, Martine had every server record what sauce each customer wanted in their Accolade (either red wine or white wine) and had the orders divided into two respective groups once they arrived at the kitchen.
James worked with another cook preparing an enormous cut of beef to be roasted over an open fire, rotisserie-style – first by ensuring the beef was completely clean and fresh. Already the beef had been laced with herbs and spices, so James and the other cook placed the beef over an oven fire. After that was over with, James went to help make the onion au jus with other cooks. One of the largest saucepans and pots were designed for this task, so he got to work straight away.
At the same time, Steven worked with a pan full of ingredients necessary for the Stone Accolade: spices, fresh mushrooms, onions, and peppers with olive oil, garlic, and red wine added to it. The smell of cooked food was overwhelming, but not as overwhelming as the sautéed Asiago cheese beside him. Elsewhere, envelopes and envelopes of rice flour were being baked as onions were being caramelised, and blue cheese cores packed with flavour were being prepared too!
The wedding couple were pressured by the wedding guests to kiss before their eyes, and that was exactly what they did. While the guests waited for the entrée to arrive, the pianist switched to playing a dazzling tone that sent the message what was about to happen: the wedding couple were about to dance!
On the special dance floor set up in the area, the couple stood together on the space and – after getting a cue from the pianist – began dancing together (a formal dance, specifically).
At the same time, Martine and the servers received the order to deliver the dorée fillets. While the guests were entertained by the sight of the couple dancing together, they had the scent of delicious food served before their eyes as they watched!
Some tried out the fish with the Mago berry-white wine sauce alone, while others combined the taste with the Pinap berry sauce. Was there no end to the thrill of tastes here at the Stone Bistro?
At the lobby below, the receptionists were greeted by an unexpected visitor at an hour like this. Well, who else would it be? It was the rival! But the receptionists had no idea who she was, nonetheless.
"I'm here to see Mr. Stone," she said.
"He's busy right now," the female receptionist replied. "But if you'd like to make an appointment, I can handle that. Or, we can get you a table upstairs and see if we can get him to you, if he has the time."
The visitor nodded, and for a moment she glimpsed at the croquembouche standing proudly in the lobby, underneath the chandelier. "A table for one, please. By the way, what's going on up there?"
"There's a wedding banquet going on," the male receptionist answered. "Mr. Stone is currently overseeing the session, which is why he's busy. Invitation only, but if you're interested in checking it out… I'm sure he wouldn't mind a few minutes."
The dorée fish course, eaten with the delicious sauces of Mago berry and white wine, with Pinap berry, was finished without complaint from anyone. The servers had quickly cleared the dishes and refilled glasses of water, and some already offered their compliments to the cooking staff!
Metagross wasn't mentioned much, but was it sure helpful with the serving staff. With the use of Psychic, multiple tables could be cleared at once with minimal effort, and all Martine and the others had to do was send the dishes straight for cleaning.
"Well done, Metagross," Martine commented.
Certainly, this Pokémon of Steven's had to hover above the floor every second it worked, because no guest would want the sound of stomping feet shaking the restaurant! Even if Metagross couldn't smell, it could sense the impending presence of the Stone Accolade. Every flat stone, baked to perfection, had genuinely thin slices of roast beef with pieces of sautéed asiago on it, drizzled with caramelised onions and lightly garnished with herb and dill; with decent-sized envelopes of rice flour folded to pack the vegetables it held within – and the delicate core of blue cheese surrounded by vegetables cooked in the choice of red or white wine.
Knives and forks were the tools of choice for this course. The guests, and the wedding couple, cut pieces of the roast beef and dipped it in the au jus. Some preferred a blend of tastes and ate pieces of the asiago, caramelised onion, au jus, and beef altogether. Whereas others went to cutting open the envelopes of rice flour to explore the contents it held within.
It was now that Steven had to take a break from the cooking and went to greet the guests as well. Once again, James and the others were left to clearing the kitchen and prepared to make the next course.
By the time he arrived, he was just in time to see the wedding couple sharing toasts of champagne with the guests. Being the host he was, Steven gladly joined the wedding couple in the toast, and had a small glass of champagne with him the entire time. He wasn't going to drink much of it, of course, but it was good to be part of the celebration.
"Compliments to the chef!"
"This is what we call excellence, sir. Well done."
"The Stone Accolade has, without question, lived up to its name."
Steven modestly beamed at the feedback he was getting, and could only reply, "Don't thank me yet. There's more to come." After saying this, Steven went on toasting with the bride and groom and observing the satisfied guests enjoying the signature dish of the restaurant. To those who had no desire for roast beef, James had supplied more rice envelopes of vegetables with the blue cheese core, whilst retaining the asiago cheese and caramelised onions.
"I'm glad you could join us for toast, Steven. We can't thank you enough," the bride said happily.
Grinning, Steven reserved the right to not reply, but held up his glass once more to the couple.
Out of the corner of his eye, however, he could see a platinum blond-haired woman stride past tables and observing the food around her. She was well-dressed in a suit, but it was the extravagance of her hair that was so beautifully curled, and the fashionable heels, that made Steven freeze. He barely even breathed.
Wow… he thought.
"Hey, Steven! You okay there?" the groom waved a hand for his attention.
Steven's senses snapped awake.
"Wha… what?" he drearily asked.
"You were… I don't know – staring at that lady for some time, you know," the groom whispered in Steven's ear so that no one else could hear. "Wait, you're not telling me you don't have a girlfriend? Not that a lot of people noticed, since they're focused on me, but a couple of your servers have taken notice too…"
Steven's eyes darted toward the 19-year old auburn-haired waitress (Martine. Who else?), who, after witnessing the scene before her, had put one hand over her mouth and the other waving at her boss. Steven glared.
"I have to go," he quickly said to the groom, but the groom was hardly helpful.
"It's alright, Steven. If you need some space to develop your personal life, maybe to the point of marriage, then hey, I won't get in your way," the groom said. Then he gestured his newly-wed to toast with other tables, and left Steven behind.
Exactly three seconds after that, Steven hid his face and ran back to the kitchens!
"You alright there, Steven?" James asked him.
That question was not helpful, but James could detect Steven wasn't in the mood to talk. Knowing Steven, he would probably respond with something like, "I'm fine." Judging by Steven's appearance (he leaned against the wall, taking short breaths), denial was imminent.
"I'm fine," Steven replied, which caused James to roll his eyes. "Just… just get the salads ready."
It's not too late to miss out on this dinner! Review, and take a seat!