Karen Binkhorst, left, Jim Wheeler, center, and Boccata owner Darin Harris pose for a portrait at Boccata in downtown Centralia in front of the three kinds of hors d'oeuvres they served at Wednesday night's Governor's Ball and Reception in Olympia. The trio dished up three separate hors d'oeuvres: a pork and local oyster "dog" on a puff pastry bun with curry aioli and sweet chili chutney, beef rillettes with spruce infused pickled forest mushrooms on a handmade rye cracker and endive boats with garlic tahini hummus, kalamata olive and roasted red pepper with phyllo straw.
While Jay Inslee celebrated becoming Washington’s 23rd governor Wednesday evening at the Governor's Inaugural Ball in Olympia, Boccata Deli owner Darin Harris, of Centralia, catered the reception with 18 other restaurants, catering services and culinary schools around the state.
Harris, along with help from Centralia resident Jim Wheeler and Karen Binkhorst, of Seattle, made three different small appetizers for the event, which had about 3,000 people in attendance.
The appetizers included a pork and local oyster “dog” on a puff pastry bun with curry aioli and sweet chili chutney; beef rillettes with spruce-infused, pickled forest mushrooms on a handmade rye cracker; and endive boats with garlic tahini hummus, kalamata olive and roasted red pepper with phyllo straw.
Harris said he brought about 700 of each bit-sized appetizer to the reception.
Harris was invited to cater the reception by an organizer of the inaugural ball, who met Harris last year when they both judged Oysterfest in Shelton.
It took about 24 hours to prepare the nearly 2,100 appetizers, Harris said, which was all donated time since he did not make any money from catering the event.
Boccata Deli has made dishes for the Taste of Lewis County and Chefs’ Night Out, but Harris said he has never catered an event like the inaugural ball.
“This is the first one that is with this much pomp and circumstance,” Harris said. “Not to take away from the other events.”
