Summertime and the entertaining is easy

June 14, 11:23 AMSeattle Women and Business ExaminerKaren Rosenzweig

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This is the way to entertain - on the deck of the MV Katherine Jane

Entrepreneurs and successful business people are not all about work but no play, right!? So what do you have planned for your down time this summer, taking advantage of our beautiful weather, entertaining out of town guests, or just plain relaxing?

Well, I have a few creative ideas for you to keep the excitement going all summer.  Here we go:

Your first wave of summer guests is arriving and they’ve “seen everything” in Seattle (sure they have…), so what’s new and exciting to keep them occupied this time around?  Look no further than Savor Seattle Food Tours!

Recently written up in USA Today, Bon Appetit, Sunset magazine and Frommers Travel Guide, this is the real deal to impress your guests!  Energetic owner Angela Shen’s newest tour is all about Seattle’s two favorite beans: the Coffee & Chocolate Indulgence Tour .  You’ll visit Pike Place Market, the monorail, the Space Needle AND sample lots of chocolate, coffee and other treats along the way.  If you’re guests on are on a decaf diet, you might try another of their new tours, the Pike Place Market Off the Beaten Path tour, which takes you where most tourists never venture and provides samples of lots of the market’s great eats.

 And what if your guests – or maybe your team at work! – is looking for a new way to see the city?  Get off the dry land and take a trip on our beautiful waters with a 3-hour tour (do not think Gilligans Island!) on the MV Katherine Jane,  a beautiful  58’ vintage trawler sailing from South Lake Union.  Your crew, Captain Brock and Jamie, will take you on a fabulous scenic tour of Lake Union, Montlake Cut and Lake Washington.  It’s an incredible (and affordable!) way to bond with your work team, or enjoy your friends and family – and there’s a full kitchen on board to help you eat, drink and be merry along the way.  I’ve taken this tour with several different groups of people and all of them say it was the best 3-hour getaway they’ve had in a long time!

For those of you more inclined to entertain at home, how do you feel about wine tasting, gourmet treats or personal chefs?  Most people I know are in favor of all three!  For the wine lovers amongst you, a fun way to spend an evening is to host a Wine Shop at Home tasting party, where Alison Schlegel will arrive with exclusive limited-production wines not available in stores, and set up a sampling and/or food pairing session for you.  I’d say turning your living room into a private winery would create a pretty exciting event!

And to help you augment the liquid refreshments, there are lots of great ideas to keep your guests satisfied – how about some artisan-made Italian gourmet snack crackers from La Panzanella, a Tukwila-based company. They’ve just launched their new Fieri line of spicy crackers (Serrano Lime, Red Chili Basil, Chipotle) that pair beautifully with fresh cheese you might have picked up at Beechers or The Resident Cheesemonger. And don’t forget everyone loves a little sweet treat, so stock up on decadent chocolate truffles from Buchanan Chocolate. They are the best chocolates I’ve ever eaten, and believe me, I’ve had my share of chocolate!

And last but not least, if you are really exhausted, out of ideas and just want someone else to take over so you can relax and enjoy your company, you might consider a personal chef. And I’m not just saying that because I own and operate the Incredible Chef personal chef service (!) but it truly is an affordable luxury to have someone else worry about the planning, shopping and cooking – and let you put out a wonderful display of food for your guests to indulge in.  And I don’t even mind if you tell them YOU made it – it will be our little secret!

For more info: Is it expensive to do all these things?  Of course not!  Costs for the four various Savor Seattle Tours range from $41-$69 per person.  The 3-hour tour for 12 people on the MV Katherine Jane is about $60 per person.  Wines from Wine Shop at Home are typically $15-$20 per bottle.  And the cost of a personal chef - besides 'priceless'! - can be as low as $10 per person per meal for a month of meals.