After nearly a quarter-century in the catering business, Scott Shully has come up with a two-sentence philosophy that is both concise and effective.

"Don't screw up today's party," said Shully, the head chef and co-owner -- along with his wife, Beth -- of Shully's Cuisine and Events in Thiensville. "That's what I always tell my staff. Focus on what you have in front of you now. Focus on today.

"Don't screw up today's party. The second sentence of that is '... And the phone will ring tomorrow.' If we focus on today and do it extremely well, we will have met success."

Though many Milwaukeeans might not have heard of Shully, thousands of people eat his food every year at charity functions, weddings and private gatherings.

Shully said the key to a successful catering event lies in the planning; he'd rather play offense than defense.

"I can't help it if it rains," he said. "But, we have a plan. We might have to move under a tent. We might have to change some things. We have to do the thinking for the customer. I can't go to the mother of the bride and ask 'What do you want us to do?' We make the necessary adjustments. When the speech goes 20 minutes longer than you anticipated, you adjust. You do it without creating a scene. That just comes from experience and knowing how foods work in different situations. It's all about creating a flow."

In order to facilitate the flow, Shully brings his own portable ovens and refrigerators to events and does all his finish work on site. That cuts down on overcooked steak, dry chicken and other problems.

"It's a restaurant concept with a banquet experience," he said.

OnMilwaukee.com: What kind of experience and training led you to open Shully's?

Scott Shully: I started at MATC (Milwaukee Area Technical College) with the associate's program. I apprenticed through the Pfister Hotel, the English Room. Then, I spent two years working for a family that owned two hotels in Glarus, Switzerland. After my stint there, I came home and Grenadier's restaurant was just opening. I spent two years there as night sauté guy. After that, I was the opening chef for the Harold's restaurant at the Red Carpet Hotel, which is now the Four Points Sheraton. I wrote that menu and trained the staff for that. Then, I was chef for Northwestern Mutual Life, working in their officer's dining room. I did that a couple years and it was a Monday through Friday job. I had evenings and weekends free. That's when I started doing small dinner parties. That was the genesis of Shully Catering. I met Beth, who was the banquet manager at the Astor Hotel and Nantucket Shores. It's quite a match. Next year will be our 25th year in business and 25th year in marriage.

OMC: What is your signature dish?

SS: It really depends on the season. Right now, I'm getting into that hunker-down fall mode. I'm a huge fan of celery root, a great little vegetable that comes out in fall. I love braised dishes in fall and winter, beef Bourguignon, and braised pork belly. In spring, you're taking advantage of what that offers with mushrooms and lighter fare things that have less depth, but still bring the freshness of aromas and taste. In summer, I like things off the grill. I love sausage, not so much on the menu but personally. I love implementing cheeses on my menus and making courses out of them.

There isn't really a thing that we won't prepare. We change things seasonally, so I'm writing menus for November, December and January right now and we're also planning things for next year's wedding season.

OMC: What do you like most and least about your job?

SS: Every single day, catering brings new dynamics. Each party has a personality and a character. I'm not going to sit still for long periods of time. I'm forever thinking about things and planning. What am I going to do for this party, this day? I love that. If I was a kid nowadays, they'd probably say I'm AD/HD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). That keeps me going. I can focus on several things at once. In that way, it's a positive. Putting a corral on it, some days, can be a negative. People don't always understand that. Sometimes, that passion doesn't get expressed as well as you'd like it to be expressed. That can be tough. That's the good and the bad.

OMC: What are your favorite places to eat out in Milwaukee, the U.S. and the world?

SS: In Milwaukee, Three Brothers is always there. I love that. I love a Kopp's burger. Whenever the kids come into town, we'll grab a Kopp's burger. I love the Range Line Inn, which is right up the road from me. The food is great. Pat, the owner, is a great guy. I like Roots. I like Elliot's Bistro.

I went to a place in New York called Wallsee, which has an Austrian chef. The guy does outstanding stuff. I love the German, Swiss and Austrian influences with food.

I was visiting my kids in Minneapolis and we went to Nye's Polonaise Room that features Polish food.

OMC: I've heard about that place. It's like stepping back in time.

SS: The place is just a stitch. You are stepping back. It's like At Random, but with food. It's very cool. They've been in business since 1949, with three different owners, and they've kept it intact. We all just went there and had a great dinner.

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