Food and Drink

The Optimist, a seafood restaurant and oyster bar in Atlanta, serves a rum punch with black tea. Created by mixologist Eduardo Guzman, the summer-friendly "Fish House Punch" also includes cognac, peach brandy, and lemon juice.

Park Hyatt Washington recently launched several interactive culinary breaks in its meeting space, the Gallery, including a tutorial on fine tea from tea sommelier Robert Rex-Waller. Event planners choose three varieties for guests to sample while they also learn about the art and principles of each tea and why they were chosen. The hotel's tea cellar includes more than 50 rare and vintage teas.

Tea house Teaism paired with Sticky Fingers Bakery chef Doron Petersan to host a five-course vegan meal in April at its Alexandria, Virginia, location with tea and sake pairings. The menu by Petersan and Teaism executive chef Alison Swope included a Matcha, or green tea, cake with cherry port and almond.

Cafe Serai, the restaurant operated by Stephen Starr Events in the Rubin Museum of Art, serves a tea cocktail during its Friday night K2 parties. The Rejuvenation includes herbal tea, vodka, mint, and lemon.

Josh Berner, the bar manager at Zentan restaurant at Washington's Donovan House hotel, created three “Tea Lights” cocktails using freshly brewed teas. Served in glass jars, the Tea Lights come in creative combinations. The Livin' Is Easy cocktail comprises Beefeater gin infused with citrus-chamomile tea; others mix Basil Hayden bourbon, house-made lemon bitters, and black tea syrup; and strawberry-infused Tequila Real combined with lemon juice and verbena-mint tea.

Baked, a bakery in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, makes a tea bark confection using a mixture of chocolates—dark, milk, and sometimes white—along with dried fruit. The tea, sourced from SerendipiTea, changes, but two favorites are Burroughs Brew (black tea with coconut) and Ruby Sipper (blood orange and pear).

King & Duke, a newly opened restaurant in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood, serves a cocktail made from a rhubarb tea liquor. The Yearling, mixologist Lara Creasy's tribute to the book of the same name by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, mixes an ounce of Art in the Age Rhubarb Tea with one ounce Bulleit Bourbon, a half ounce of lemon juice, three-quarters of an ounce of simple syrup, and one muddled Florida strawberry.

At the James Beard Awards this month, Grant Achatz and his team from the Aviary in Chicago used infusion vessels to serve a cocktail flavored with oolong tea, lemon peel, three kinds of seaweed, and lychees. The drink was inspired by the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Also at the James Beard Awards, David Myers of Hinoki & the Bird in Los Angeles served his "Candy Bar With Magic"—a green-tea-filled chunk of candy inspired by the Harry Potter films.

Blue Plate Catering in Chicago tops its turkey sliders with unexpected, summery toppings including peach marmalade, basil salad, pickled watermelon, and banana ketchup.

From Serena Bass for Special Attention Caterers in New York, the updated take on sliders contains grilled sirloin meatball skewered with romaine hearts, tomato, cheddar cheese, bacon crisp, brioche crouton, and chipotle mayo.

In Chicago, LeaderBar adds major spice to its El Diablo burger by topping it with spicy pepper jack cheese, habanero relish, jalapenos, grilled onions, and Sriracha mayo.

From Esprit Events Kosher Caterers in New York, sliders contain chicken burgers infused with ginger and shitake mushrooms, served on challah buns.

With locations in California, Chicago, and Bangkok, 25 Degrees stuffs its buns with more than just beef patties. One of its specials is the BBQ Brisket Burger, stuffed with slow cooked brisket, a sirloin patty, Cardona cheese, crispy fried onions, pickles, arugula, and a pineapple-barbecue sauce. Need a pairing idea? The menu also offer spiked milkshakes.

Served at Jake Melnick's Corner Tap in Chicago, this is called the Monster Burger for a reason. The gargantuan sandwich packs eight pounds of burger meat, and is meant to feed eight people. Guests would have to divide into teams to conquer one of these burgers, which could make for a fun—if filling—teambuilding activity.

In Chicago, Rockit Bar & Grill is known for burgers with high-end toppings from apricot-raisin chutney to smoked Nordic cheese. As a fun play on a classic steak-house dinner, the venue slings a surf and turf burger with a black Angus beef patty, crispy soft-shell crab, and a citrus aioli sauce; fries on the side are seasoned with Old Bay.

Burgers can also serve as desserts. The Entertaining Company, a Chicago catering firm, makes a brownie burger with sweet items such as strawberry sauce (instead of ketchup) and shortbread fries.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with a classic bacon cheeseburger, but it never hurts to make sure the ingredients are top-notch. Based in Chicago, M Burger is a mini-chain from Lettuce Entertain You that offers catering and high-quality burgers. The signature M Burger serves a quarter-pound of beef on a buttered, toasted bun; it's topped with sauce, lettuce, pickles, raw onions, chopped bacon, and a slice of sharp American cheese.

Though guests sit to eat at Chicago's Bridge Bar, the venue channels a drive-through with creative food presentation. This burger—aptly called the Drive-Through—is served in a small paper bag. It contains four ounces of U.S.D.A. prime beef, pickles, and a special sauce.

Health-conscious guests will be happy to pop a few of New York-based Elegant Affairs’ gluten-free lemon-scented hummus and zucchini roulades into their mouths while lounging poolside.

This summer, the Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles is serving cocktails made with freshly picked herbs and fruits from its rooftop garden. The drinks include the Kalamansi Lemonade, made with vodka, lemon puree honey-lemongrass syrup, Sprite, and lemon juice; the Rhubarb Shiso Fizz, made with Ketel Oranje, rhubarb simple syrup, and shiso leaves; and the Pinarita, made with pineapple tequila, Luxardo Triplum, lime juice, simple syrup, and Thai basil.

Canned cocktails are trending in the world of mixology right now. At the Manhattan Cocktail Classic gala in May, Campari served up canned Negronis, made with gin, sweet vermouth, and the Italian aperitif. Red-and-white-striped straws added a summery touch.

A warm-weather take on the food-and-drink pairings trend: one-bite paella skewers served with red and white sangria, by KG Fare Catering & Events in New York.

Like strawberry shortcake in a glass: the Red Velvet Shortcake cocktail includes 1½ ounces of the new Zing Red Velvet vodka, two ounces of cream soda, two muddled strawberries, and a splash of lemon juice.

Nothing beats an ice pop when temperatures rise. At the 2013 mtvU Woodie Awards and Festival, held in March in Austin, Texas, guests beat the heat with more than 7,000 custom-flavored all-natural frozen pops from Mom & Pops.

Chicago’s Truffleberry Market reports recently receiving requests to create finger-friendly versions of classic desserts. The catering company's banana split cones feature strawberry mousse in a mini waffle cone dipped in dark chocolate and topped with fresh strawberries, banana chips, and shaved hazelnuts.

From Elegant Affairs’ clean eating menu, cilantro lime-infused crab salad cucumber cups make for a light, refreshing hors d’oeuvre.

This summer, Ainsworth Park in New York will offer its take on sweet tea, made with Belvedere Lemon Tea vodka, Aperol, lemon juice, simple syrup, and iced tea, served in a summer-appropriate Mason jar.

To preview its new summer menu of regional American barbecue flavors, Burger King tapped Peter Callahan to style bite-size versions of the new burgers for a tasting party at the Glasshouses in New York on May 16. The mini sandwich options included barbecue chicken salad, pulled pork, and a Carolina BBQ Whopper.

Nothing says summer quite like fresh fish. At the Carlu’s recent 10th anniversary gala in Toronto, L-Eat Catering was in charge of the fish station. Among the offerings were individual portions of liquid-nitrogen-chilled, fennel-crusted tuna with green apples and pomegranates.

L-Eat Catering also served smoked trout caviar and pickled red onion relish canapés at the Carlu anniversary gala.

The Skybar at the Mondrian Los Angeles is offering a few new takes on the classic mojito, including a spicy mango mojito muddled with serrano peppers.

For an upscale camp-themed affair, try KG Fare Catering & Events' mess-free take on s'mores, displayed on clothespins.

This summer, Fourty Four at Royalton in New York is featuring a garden-to-glass cocktail menu of fruit-, herb-, grain-, and veggie-based drinks. The Jackrabbit Margarita includes Tequila Avión, carrot juice, agave nectar, grapefruit, and lemon, with a garnish of parsley and lime.

If you’re looking for easy, classic summer barbecue fare, Weber Grill Restaurant just launched Weber on Wheels, a mobile grill party offering available in Chicago and Indianapolis. Staffers grill up the company's signature meats on giant Weber Kettles, and the extensive menu options include a build-your-own burger bar.  Set up and clean up are included, and a minimum order of $500 is required. Delivery and pick-up packages are also available.

The Floozy, a cheekily named cocktail served at Hill & Dale, a new gastro-lounge in New York, is made with vodka, fresh lime, simple syrup, and muddled strawberries, then topped with a fresh daisy.

A perfect passed hors d’oeuvre for a beachside bash: Trufflebery Market’s Fish on Chips, with key lime zest and Sriracha aioli.

SBE’s XIV Summer Sessions parties will serve the Corzo Watermelon Margarita featuring fresh watermelon juice and Corzo tequila strained over ice with a splash of soda.

Maria Zoitas of Maria’s Homemade recommends adding fruit-infused ice cubes to drinks at summer parties. Just add berries, grapes, or pomegranate seeds to the water in ice cube trays, then toss the final product into champagne mixed with hibiscus syrup.

Served at this year’s Great GoogaMooga festival in Brooklyn was a sophisticated tropical tipple called the Uncle Buck that included Tequila Don Julio Blanco, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, ginger syrup, and green Chartreuse.

V.I.P. guests at GoogaMooga also sipped on Quiet Storms, a mix of Bulleit bourbon, lemon juice, extra-dry vermouth, simple syrup, and ginger beer.

For an updated take on the classic margarita, mix Cointreau orange liqueur, Tequila Avión, blood orange juice, and fresh sour mix.

Chicago restaurant Allium served a swimsuit-friendly 500-calorie lunch at a recent beachwear fashion show at the Four Seasons Chicago. The three-course menu included beet salad with Greek yogurt, fennel, and mache lettuce; wild Alaskan halibut with smoked fingerlings, pickled ramp bulbs, asparagus, and English peas (pictured); and 99 percent pure chocolate sorbet.

Created by Otis Florence of Pouring Ribbons in New York City, the From the Vine cocktail includes the new Skyy Infusions Moscato Grape, Cynar, lime juice, simple syrup, and Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, garnished with basil leaves and grapes.

A lighter summery take on beef stroganoff from Truffleberry Market in Chicago includes seared Meyer lemon zest gnocchi.

Keep guests alert at a late-night bash with this boozy take on iced coffee: mix one part Avión Espresso, one part espresso, and one part soda water, then garnish with espresso beans.

For a recent meeting, the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek put together stations themed around local fare from the various areas of Florida. The north Florida station included May Port shrimp and scallop ceviche marinated in Florida citrus.

The south Florida station at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek meeting included spiny lobster-and-blue-crab cocktails.

With an invitation designed to look like a poster for a boxing match (albeit a stylish one), the theme for Citymeals-on-Wheels’ “Rumble at the Rock” fund-raiser was clear from the start.

A large banner decorated with imagery that matched the invite acted as a backdrop for photos.

Flanking the photo backdrop were crates of apples, oranges, and tiny gold trophies.

As with years past, signposts styled to look like lampposts helped guests navigate the food and drink stations placed around the rink and inside the restaurant and concourse. The signage, bearing images of either orange groves or a city skyline, also indicated whether the chef hailed from New York or California.

Fruit artist Hugh McMahon crafted two working lamps using watermelons, oranges, and apples.

Boxing gloves dangled from the sides of Rock Center's Rink Bar, which was dubbed the "Boxing Bar" for the event.

Guests could cast a ballot for the coast they thought delivered the best overall grub at the event by placing a sticker on a large map flanked by two cardboard cutouts resembling Rock’em Sock’em Robots holding kitchen tools.

As the ultimate winner, the New York chefs claimed a trophy made from kitchen utensils.

Many of the chefs’ dishes spotlighted ingredients or cuisines related to the place they call home. Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski of State Bird Provisions in San Francisco offered up a sweet corn pancake topped with melted cheese sourced from California's Cowgirl Creamery.

Craig Kokestu of New York's soon-to-open Quality Italian served the "Quality Italian Dog," miniature sandwiches stuffed with griddled mortadella, eggplant relish, and pistachio mayo.

Served alongside Kokestu's mini sandwiches were chilled espresso shots topped with dollops of tiramisu, presented in tiny red Solo cups.

Celestino Drago of Drago Centro in Los Angeles whipped up chicken parmigiana bites featuring eggplant, tomato crema, and a Parmesan crust.

Yuhi Fujinaga and Michael Gabriel of the Sea Grill offered "Naked Cowboy" oysters from Long Island's Blue Island Oyster Company with various toppings. The Naked Cowboy, a well-known Times Square street performer, even showed up to hand out the oysters and take photos with guests.

Guests enjoyed Pizza Fritta Dolce—a fried sweet pizza with rhubarb compote, mascarpone, and basil syrup—from Jarett Appell of Stella 34 Trattoria in New York.

As an updated take on a classic New York deli favorite, Marc Forgione served bites of lamb pastriami wrapped in rye bread crumbs.

As a tribute to the egg cream, an iconic beverage served at New York City bodegas, the pastry chefs from New York's Lincoln Ristorante made three variations on the drink: cioccolato, fragola, and fior di latte with crema frizzante.

Italian sandwiches, made with cold cuts, mozzarella, and hot peppers, were also offered at the Lincoln Ristorante station.

As a nod to the Big Apple, the Pegu Club's Audrey Saunders concocted the "Cucumber Apple Fizz," a cocktail made with gin, bitters, lemon juice, and muddled cucumbers and apples.

Savory s’mores with short rib and feta, by Limelight in Chicago

Leek cheesecake with arugula pesto, caramelized onions, and a sweet grape tomato served in a pesto cracker spoon, by Puff ’n Stuff Catering in Orlando

Gorgonzola panna cotta with yellow beet gelée and prosciutto crisps, by Love Catering Inc. (323.936.7400, lovecateringinc.com) in Los Angeles

Chicken liver mousse skewer with Chinese five-spice cotton candy, by Eat & Smile Foods in Washington

Sesame-and-hummus and truffled foie gras macarons, by Canard Inc. in New York

Savory cones, featuring carrot-parsnip-and-turmeric mash, purple potato mash, and maple bourbon sweet potato mash, by Marigolds & Onions in Toronto

Freestanding chalkboard signs set up outside the Tobacco Warehouse in Brooklyn Bridge Park helped guests find their way to the open-air venue.

In keeping with the event's modern farmhouse theme, a custom structure made from wood pallets—branded with an illuminated Target logo and statistics from Feed—was erected at the entrance to the outdoor bash.

Chalkboard menus placed near the bar areas displayed the cocktail hour offerings, which included locally brewed beer from Brooklyn Brewery and wine on tap from Manhattan's City Winery.

Waitstaff dressed in Feed-branded aprons and T-shirts served hors d'oeuvres like beet tartare (pictured), deviled eggs topped with bacon, pickled oysters, and tiny cannolis stuffed with wild mushroom puree.

Guests could also help themselves to boxes filled with crudités and jars of ranch dressing, which were placed atop wooden barrels.

Jazz band Baby Soda entertained the crowd during cocktail hour, playing from a custom wooden stage strung with circus lights.

A lounge area included chairs and a coffee table crafted from wood pallets. Pillows and blankets from the Feed U.S.A. collection completed the look.

Guests could shop the collection of stationery, apparel, home accessories, and more at a Feed U.S.A. for Target pop-up store housed inside a structure composed of wood pallets.

Behind the cash registers in the pop-up store was a branded wall that displayed a crafty version of the Target logo rendered in red string.

Inside the dinner space, the Americana aesthetic of the collection translated to the event decor and the low-key, relaxed vibe. As a party favor, each guest received a burlap tote bag from the line.

On the wooden farm tables, Hatch Creative Studio punctuated wheatgrass flats with wheat stocks and red Mason jars holding candles. Custom red bandannas printed with event details served as napkins, and family-style bowls of pickled beet, wheat berry, and kale salads sat atop platforms made from tree trunks.

The backs of the letterpress-printed Kraft paper menus encouraged guests to take photos of their tablemates and share them on social media with the hashtag #FeedUSA.

Guests were also encouraged to tweet their support for the cause. Directions for accessing a dedicated Wi-Fi account were displayed on printed cards interspersed throughout the centerpieces.

The lighting fixtures above the bar in the dinner tent were crafted from Feed U.S.A. for Target plates and cups.

A family-style feast of grilled tile fish, vegan lasagna, and leg of lamb emphasized the event's casual atmosphere. Locally sourced dinner ingredients came from Katchkie Farm, a 60-acre organic farm owned by catering company Great Performances. For dessert, guests enjoyed treats from Brooklyn bakeries including One Girl Cookies and CakeBites NYC.

American Idol winner Phillip Phillips headlined the evening, performing in front of a video wall displaying live, animated social media impressions. During the event, the tracker noted that more than 16 million people were reached.

Denise Bestman, the young girl from Staten Island who sang Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” in a memorable Target commercial from 2012, gave a surprise performance of Alicia Keys’s “Empire State of Mind” during dinner.

Paper bag luminarias—stamped with the event's hashtag—lined the pathways as guests exited the event at the end of the night.

Vegetable-filled tamales served with green mole sauce and cilantro, by Naturally Delicious Caterers & Events in Brooklyn

Sweet potato souffle with roasted Brussels sprouts, maple syrup, and wild rice latkes, by FIG Catering in Chicago

Red and yellow tomato tartare with avocado, white gazpacho, and cucumber geleé by Occasions Caterers in Washington

Rustic potato pancakes with homemade apple chutney and pickled red cabbage fennel slaw, by Naturally Delicious Caterers & Events in Brooklyn

Roasted corn, poblano, and garlic sopes served with salsa verde, by FIG Catering in Chicago

Mini lentil-and-bulgur burgers served on sesame-seed buns with curry ketchup and McClure’s pickles, by Naturally Delicious Caterers & Events in Brooklyn

Buffalo mozzarella, watercress, grapes, pistachios and lavender honey-lime vinaigrette by Occasions Caterers in Washington

Golden citrus beets served with lemon verbena, mascarpone and honey powder by Occasions Caterers in Washington

Rosemary-infused waffles served with buttermilk-battered smoked cauliflower, horseradish, pickled cabbage, and wild arugula salsa verde by Daniel et Daniel in Toronto

Mediterranean salad with roasted-pepper hummus, by Abigail Kirsch in New York