Hanks
On the Fringe
It'll be BYOB then Mary....Bring Your Own Bib
I loved last year's menu, especially that fish dish and that Opera cake ( btw, that is what that fantastic layer cake is called in pastry school. They take about two days to make). I'd be happy with last year's menu repeated.
That said, I think a regional variety would be nice: a little seafood, a little Cuban, a little mid-Florida pit BBQ (yes, they makes some pretty tasty mustard/vinegar pulled pork/beef in the backyards between Jax & Gainesville), and some down home Southern cooking would be fantastic.
My only concern with the BBQ is, if you remember last year, we used the night of the banquet as a night to show off our nice clothes and dress up. For some of us, especially some of us ladies, it was the night to wear our jangly jewelry, tease our hair, and put on heels. I also remeber a few of the guys GQing their way between the banquet room & the iBar. So, I'm not sure how clothes friendly a full blown BBQ fest would be. I know I can't properly attack a mess-o-ribs without an entire package of napkins, a bib, and a shower aftwards.