Baby showers usually happen in the late morning or early afternoon, and the food needs to match that timing. A daytime menu should be lighter than a dinner, easy to eat while guests mingle and open gifts, and considerate of the guest of honor’s needs.
Italian catering fits this format well because so much of it is made to share. Salads, starters, pastas and pizzas can be portioned to the size of the group and served from platters and pans. This guide covers how to plan an Italian menu for a daytime shower in Phoenix.
What Makes a Daytime Menu Different?
A midday party has a shorter window and a different rhythm than an evening event. Guests are often coming from other plans, and many will eat lightly.
That changes the menu in three ways:
- Smaller, lighter portions. Salads and starters carry more of the meal.
- Food that’s easy to hold. Guests stand, talk and move around during games and gift opening.
- Fewer heavy sauces. Cream-heavy dishes can feel like too much at noon, especially in warm weather.
Which Italian Dishes Work for a Baby Shower?
A balanced spread usually mixes something fresh, something warm and something easy to grab. Using the menu at Red Devil Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, a family-owned Phoenix restaurant, as an example, a daytime shower menu might include:
- Salads: a Strawberry Spinach salad with grilled chicken, a Chicken Apple Walnut salad or a classic Caesar. Fruit-forward salads suit a daytime crowd.
- Starters: bruschetta, cheesy garlic toast or spinach artichoke dip. These are easy to serve on small plates.
- Pasta: a pan of Baked Penne or Pollo Basil, which is tossed with fresh Roma tomatoes, basil and garlic and stays relatively light.
- Pizza: a few sliced pies, such as a Red Devil Veggie or a Mediterranean with spinach and ricotta, for guests who want something familiar.
Choosing two or three items from each category is usually enough variety for a mid-sized group.
How Do You Plan Around the Guest of Honor?
The expecting parent’s needs come first. It’s worth asking them directly about any foods they’re avoiding before finalizing the menu.
One common consideration is cold deli meat. The CDC advises people who are pregnant to avoid cold deli meats unless they’re heated until steaming hot, because of the risk of listeria. That makes hot sandwiches, such as a meatball sub or chicken parmigiana sub, a safer choice than a cold Italian sub for the guest of honor.
Other good options include grilled chicken salads, baked pastas and vegetable pizzas. When working with any of the Italian restaurants that cater in Phoenix, share these needs at the time of ordering so the menu can be adjusted.
What About Other Guests’ Dietary Needs?
A baby shower often brings together family, friends and coworkers, so dietary needs vary. Planning for a few common requests helps:
- Meatless guests: Baked Manicotti, Baked Penne, bruschetta and veggie pizzas.
- Gluten-sensitive guests: Ask the caterer whether a gluten-sensitive menu is available. Red Devil offers one at their Bell Road and McDowell Road locations.
- Lower-carb guests: Salads and grilled chicken dishes, or pasta swapped for zucchini noodles where offered.
Should the Food Be Served Buffet-Style or Plated?
For most showers, a buffet or self-serve table works best. It lets guests eat on their own schedule and keeps the focus on the party rather than on table service.
Plated service fits a more formal shower, such as one held in a private room. Some restaurants offer both. Red Devil, for example, provides catering with delivery and setup, a drop-off catering menu for self-serve events, and banquet rooms for groups that want to celebrate at the restaurant.
How Much Food Should You Order?
Quantities depend on the time of day and how long the party runs. A shower held over lunch calls for a fuller meal than one held mid-morning or mid-afternoon.
The simplest approach is to give the caterer the guest count, the start and end time, and the service style, then let them recommend portions. Italian food catering teams handle this question regularly.
What Should Phoenix Hosts Keep in Mind?
Phoenix weather affects daytime events for much of the year. A few precautions help:
- Keep the food indoors or in shade if the party is outside.
- Set out cold salads last and return them to the refrigerator between servings.
- Avoid leaving perishable food out for long stretches in the heat.
- Schedule delivery close to the start time so hot dishes arrive warm.
For hosts comparing Italian catering restaurants in the Phoenix area, reviewing menus, service styles and dietary options ahead of time makes the planning much easier.
