Jim F.
Yelp
While we've visited the Ali center a few times, we recently attended a wedding at the Center, so we were interested in seeing weddings were handled. It was a Saturday evening event, so it took place after hours. This review is targeted toward the Special Events/Catering aspect of the Ali Center.
The Special Events area is located on the 6th floor and has a great view of the Ohio River (and, of course, I-64 in all is high-speed glory).. The wedding itself took place in a small sectioned-off are of what is a pretty sizable Special Events area. The area was nicely set up with rows of seats on either side of the central aisle (typical wedding setup). The chairs were surprisingly light and comfortable, as event chairs go.
After the wedding we were released from the wedding area to visit the museum while they set up for the reception. The Center is eerily quiet after hours, but at the same time it's cool because you're not battling crowds of people to see exhibits.
About 30 minutes later we were allowed back in to the now-expanded Special Events area with a dance floor, buffet line, and dozens of tables that were nicely decorated for the wedding. It was actually sort of breathtaking to view the room when you first walk in. The catering staff (I assume) did a fantastic job of converting from the wedding setup to the reception setup. There were A LOT of chairs that needed to be moved. The place settings (8 per table) were elegantly set up with chargers, plates, silverware and napkins all perfectly placed.
During some of the typical wedding formalities the catering staff brought around small appetizers, all of which were very tasty. I do recall a mini -- no, I'll call it a micro-Hot Brown that captured the essence of a Hot Brown in a small petit four cup. The staff, dressed in black and wearing black latex gloves, hustled around the seating area offering the appetizers and refilling water glasses, but not intrusively.
When it was time for the meal the DJ made announcements and would call up tables by number. A buffet line was set up for both sides of the table and it smelled fantastic. There was a salad, pork tenderloin, green beans, broccoli, chicken, potatoes, and rolls (as I recall) that all looked very appetizing. The presentation was great and you could tell the food was recently prepared, unlike some catered events where food has been sitting in a warmer for hours.
There were a couple bars that served some beers, a number of wines, and some mixed drinks. The bar tenders were nice and very busy, but didn't try to hurry anyone up when trying to decide what to drink.
As the evening went on the catering staff was constantly in motion. Whether it refilling water or taking care of dirty or unused dishes on tables, they were doing a great job of keeping things tidy.
The wedding we attended was great, but I have to give VERY high marks to the catering staff (cooks and bartenders included) at the Ali Center. OUTSTANDING in every way.