Alongside the charcuterie cart, Aperitivo offers customizable cups for on-the-go snacking. Photos: Janine Leigh, @byjanineleigh
Mobile charcuterie cart offers customized delectables.
For Ashley Daniel, it’s been a long love affair with charcuterie. “My family lives in Europe, and when my husband and I have gone to visit, we have loved popping over to Italy,” she says. “Whenever we are there, I’ve always loved the aperitifs: the little presnack charcuterie spreads they serve before dinner.”
Last April, Daniel decided to share her love of charcuterie with the world by launching Aperitivo, a mobile charcuterie bar. The business brings together two of the Maple Grove resident’s favorite things—charcuterie and special events. “I love hosting and being in the event world,” she says.
Daniel rents the charcuterie cart out for everything from bridal showers and weddings to corporate lunches and birthday parties. But this is much more than just a cart with meats and cheeses. “We’re not just about food,” she says. “We’re about creating moments.”
Clients can design their ideal charcuterie combinations with up to 12 selections.
“In Italy, aperitivo is a time to unwind with friends and family before dinner, savoring simple, delicious bites,” Daniel says. Her mission is to celebrate “the warmth, culture and joy of the Italian tradition” with her cart. It holds up to 12 bins, and clients can choose exactly what they’d like to offer their guests from an extensive menu of options, including cheeses, chocolates, crackers, dips, fruits, meats, nuts, pickles and olives. Some of Aperitivo’s standout offerings include garlic- or jalapeño-stuffed green olives, hot honey and spicy salami. “I have not had anyone say they can’t find something,” Daniel says.
As part of her premium service, Daniel serves charcuterie cups or boards to guests who select what they’d like to sample. “It’s completely individualized,” she says. Daniel notes that with the cups, hosts can further personalize the look with colors, florals or stickers. “If someone has a vision or a theme, I can customize,” she says.
Ashley Daniel, owner
of Maple Grove’s Aperitivo.
Daniel thinks offering charcuterie at an event is an ideal way to provide crowd pleasing nibbles. “It’s convenient, and it’s perfect for mingling,” she says. Her favorite menu items include baby pickles, Brie, grapes, green olives, habanero cheddar, kalamata olives, salami, sharp cheddar, strawberries, prosciutto wrapped mozzarella balls with balsamic glaze and a variety of crackers—especially the fig and olive varieties—along with a dip of honey and hummus. “I love mixing it up a bit, balancing the plate so it doesn’t end up being bland,” she says.
A recent bridal shower in the nearby Lake Minnetonka area was anything but bland, Daniel says. “The bride loved spicy foods, so we did spicy salami and habanero cheddar, but paired it with fruits and nuts for balance,” she says. The Aperitivo cart was one of several stations set up at the shower, including a flower bar and a permanent jewelry bar. “It was on a lake, and it was all so beautiful,” she says. “I love being a part of people’s happiest moments.”
Aperitivo is an Italian dinner tradition featuring light snacks and socializing before the main course.
For those looking for a more informal charcuterie experience, Daniel also offers several catered and self-serve options, including premade charcuterie cups that she can drop off ahead of an event. Daniel also rents the Aperitivo cart without a server or food, so the host can stock the bins for guests with their own selections. “It’s budget friendly but still has that wow factor,” she says.
Although Daniel is still in the early stages of Aperitivo, she is optimistic about the future. “I would love to expand and scale it,” she says. “We’re looking at building more carts and adding staff.”
Aperitivo
Instagram: @aperitivo.by.ashley
