Catering People

As "Blondie," the comic strip, turns 61 today, there's big news on her job search: Dagwood's better half is becoming a caterer."Dagwood is such a food fan. We thought it would jibe nicely," explains Amanda Hass, spokeswoman for King Features Syndicate Group.And who better to ask about pleasing the palate than Gail Kaplan and Ansela Dopkin of the Classic Catering People in Owings Mills. The duo are expected to turn up on "ABC World News This Morning" and possibly even "Good Morning America" next week giving advice to the former full-time homemaker.

Wine for the barbecue crowd While we often think of beer, soda, iced tea or lemonade to quench the thirst of an outdoor barbecue, don't forget wine can be a perfect partner to grilled foods. For a burger topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and ketchup, try an Australian shiraz or California syrah. If you prefer pickled relish and yellow mustard on your bur-ger, go for a white zinfandel. And if your tastes are more toward toppings of sauteed mushrooms and Swiss cheese, try an Italian chianti or California sangiovese.

Two well-known local caterers said they will merge today to address the need for a large off-premises caterer in Baltimore, capture a portion of the Washington market and offer some of the popular features catering companies in larger cities do.Together, The Catering People, founded 10 years ago by Michael and Ansela Dopkin, and Classic Catering, started in 1987 by Gail and Lenny Kaplan, will have annual sales of more than $5 million and more than 200...

For the first time, Diane Newalt will be enlisting the help of a caterer to prepare a Seder, the traditional hours-long meal that begins the eight-day Jewish holiday Passover. Newalt, a Columbia resident, is apprehensive. Mind you, she's preparing the family Seder for tonight, the first night, herself. But for the second night, Newalt's family and five other families - all of which will be cooking their own first-night Seders - decided to abandon their decade-old potluck format and have the Knish Shop in Pikesville cater the 30-person meal.

Ansela Dopkin, whose culinary skills as a Mount Washington homemaker turned into a career as a founder and principal of one of Baltimore's largest catering firms, died of cancer Friday at Union Memorial Hospital. She was 68 and was a Pikesville resident.Mrs. Dopkin was vice president of sales and principal in The Classic Catering People. One of the largest off-premises caterers in the area, it employs 350 and caters 2,400 events annually in Maryland, Virginia, Washington and southern Pennsylvania.

The wonders of watermelonWhat item of produce originated in the Kalahari Desert, was grown by Thomas Jefferson and was said by Mark Twain to be "king over all fruits?" If you guessed watermelon, you're probably one of the people the USDA estimates will eat 16 pounds of it this year. For a free brochure with tips on buying watermelons, and recipes such as Mediterranean watermelon (above), call (800) 55-MELON.Charitable chefsDon't feel like cooking tonight? How about sampling dishes by chefs from the Classic Catering People, plus local chefs Jennifer Price, Nancy Longo and Billy Himmelrich?

Fries in minutesMaybe you could call it "Act III." Golden Valley Microwave Foods Inc. of Minneapolis, the developer of the popular "Act II" microwaveable popcorn, has turned its technological skills to french fries. The fries come in one-serving packages of 24 fries, ,, ready to pop into the microwave and specially formulated to be brown and crispy when they come out.The secret to Act II Microwave French Fries is the package, says Sara J. Risch, a Ph.D food scientist, who is responsible for product development, process engineering, package design and quality assurance for Golden Valley.

Deli to try its luck near convention centerThe bad luck of other eateries at the small indoor mall across from the Baltimore Convention Center shouldn't rub off on a new bakery/deli venture, according to Edward L. Dopkin, president of the Classic Catering People Inc."If it doesn't work, it's my fault," Mr. Dopkin said.Classic To Go Cafe -- which will specialize in baked goods, sandwiches, espresso, cappuccino and assorted other goodies -- will be launched Monday in the complex at 100 S. Charles St., which houses administrative offices of NationsBank.

As you may have heard, an all-star lineup of entertainers performed for President Clinton and his guests at the Lincoln Memorial last Sunday. What you may not know is that a Baltimore caterer fed most of the performers.HBO, which had exclusive rights to broadcast the show, had contacted the Classic Catering People to provide food for a hospitality tent. Unfortunately, HBO learned that the inaugural committee had committed to another caterer, so the Classic Catering People were out -- temporarily.

Bunny Dwin, one of Baltimore's best-known caterers, is giving up the chore of running her own business and is joining forces with one of the largest catering businesses in the Baltimore area.Ms. Dwin, whose Bunny Dwin Caterers feeds partygoers at about 1,000 private and corporate functions each year, will begin work today at Classic Catering People, said Eddie Dopkin, president of Classic.Mr. Dopkin said that recruiting Ms. Dwin was "a very positive move" for Classic Catering, which has about 200 employees at its commissary in Owings Mills.

Well, it's that time of year again, time for the holiday office party. You know what that means. A chance to enjoy a few drinks on the company, show your colleagues that you are something more than the person two cubicles away from the water cooler. A time to unveil the real you. Unfortunately, given the litigious world we live in, being the real you could lead to a post-party lawsuit. Talk about a bad hangover. While everyone involved may be looking for a good time, there are risks for both companies and their employees.

I never understood why Stella's (1009 W. 36th St.) in Hampden didn't do better. Denise Whiting, who also owns Cafe Hon across the street, opened the cute little Italian restaurant in fTC 1996, then closed it the next summer when business slacked off, then reopened it last winter. Now she's sold it to Suzie Hong, owner of Suzie's Soba in the Belvedere.Hong fell in love with the location because of the porch in back. She's hired a landscape architect to fill it with plants and flowers and create a decor for the restaurant that's "very natural but trendy."

Ansela Dopkin, whose culinary skills as a Mount Washington homemaker turned into a career as a founder and principal of one of Baltimore's largest catering firms, died of cancer Friday at Union Memorial Hospital. She was 68 and was a Pikesville resident.Mrs. Dopkin was vice president of sales and principal in The Classic Catering People. One of the largest off-premises caterers in the area, it employs 350 and caters 2,400 events annually in Maryland, Virginia, Washington and southern Pennsylvania.

By 9: 30 p.m. the Baltimore Ravens are aching all over, bone tired and ready to crash. But most of the guys can't pass up the tasty snack waiting for them in the training camp dining hall -- 100 pounds of buffalo wings, potato chips, pretzels and watermelon slices.Running back Tony Vinson fills a plastic container with chicken wings before heading back to his room to enjoy his late-night repast."I'm on the weight gain program," says the 233-pound player, who's trying to put on 10 to 15 pounds.

The wonders of watermelonWhat item of produce originated in the Kalahari Desert, was grown by Thomas Jefferson and was said by Mark Twain to be "king over all fruits?" If you guessed watermelon, you're probably one of the people the USDA estimates will eat 16 pounds of it this year. For a free brochure with tips on buying watermelons, and recipes such as Mediterranean watermelon (above), call (800) 55-MELON.Charitable chefsDon't feel like cooking tonight? How about sampling dishes by chefs from the Classic Catering People, plus local chefs Jennifer Price, Nancy Longo and Billy Himmelrich?

BLIZZARD '96 TIDBITS:Classic Cafe Express and Coffee by Classic, a restaurant and coffee bar operated by the Classic Catering People at Penn Station, had a busy weekend with stranded travelers. Eddie Dopkin, president of the Classic Catering People, told us his employees went out of their way to help others, especially a New Jersey couple. The Classic folks even helped them find accommodations when they couldn't make it to their Inner Harbor hotel.Despite the snowy conditions, former Gov. William Donald Schaefer, his former chief of staff, Lainy LeBow-Sachs, and First Mariner Bank's Ed Hale were seen at Weber's on Boston in historic Canton.

Wine for the barbecue crowd While we often think of beer, soda, iced tea or lemonade to quench the thirst of an outdoor barbecue, don't forget wine can be a perfect partner to grilled foods. For a burger topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and ketchup, try an Australian shiraz or California syrah. If you prefer pickled relish and yellow mustard on your bur-ger, go for a white zinfandel. And if your tastes are more toward toppings of sauteed mushrooms and Swiss cheese, try an Italian chianti or California sangiovese.

BLIZZARD '96 TIDBITS:Classic Cafe Express and Coffee by Classic, a restaurant and coffee bar operated by the Classic Catering People at Penn Station, had a busy weekend with stranded travelers. Eddie Dopkin, president of the Classic Catering People, told us his employees went out of their way to help others, especially a New Jersey couple. The Classic folks even helped them find accommodations when they couldn't make it to their Inner Harbor hotel.Despite the snowy conditions, former Gov. William Donald Schaefer, his former chief of staff, Lainy LeBow-Sachs, and First Mariner Bank's Ed Hale were seen at Weber's on Boston in historic Canton.

Back to OutbackGet your steak knives out, boys and girls. The newest Outback Steakhouse opened last week in Bel Air at 615 Bel Air Road. Probably the most successful beef chain in the history of the world, Outbacks -- in case you're one of the few people who haven't eaten at one -- have an Australian theme, with specialties (other than steak, of course) like the "Bloomin' Onion" and "Chocolate Thunder from Down Under."Good credentialsTimothy's lineage is impeccable. Timothy Euler graduated from Baltimore's Culinary Institute in 1989 and has worked as a chef in five states since then.

Deli to try its luck near convention centerThe bad luck of other eateries at the small indoor mall across from the Baltimore Convention Center shouldn't rub off on a new bakery/deli venture, according to Edward L. Dopkin, president of the Classic Catering People Inc."If it doesn't work, it's my fault," Mr. Dopkin said.Classic To Go Cafe -- which will specialize in baked goods, sandwiches, espresso, cappuccino and assorted other goodies -- will be launched Monday in the complex at 100 S. Charles St., which houses administrative offices of NationsBank.