Catering

June 12, 2012

At the Campfire Ball benefit for Children’s Oncology Services in May at Venue One in Chicago, Cork Catering set up a make-your-own s’mores station.

Photo: Gerber + Scarpelli Photography

For a promotional party in New York, Thomas Preti Caterers served individual fondue cups filled with warm chocolate sauces, with items like marshmallows, kiwi slices, and strawberries to dip.

Photo: Lyn Hughes Photography

Trend: Open Kitchens

Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Orlando purchased an interactive mobile kitchen with a camera and two flat-panel monitors to show its chefs’ preparations.

Photo: Courtesy of Disney

Pinch Food Design in New York offers an interactive dessert station that changes the vantage point of the food, so guests look up to reach for hanging sweet galettes and then top them with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Photo: Kerri Brewer

Pinch Food Design in New York created a taco station, where guests could decorate homemade tortillas with an array of toppings served in custom-made resin pedestal pieces inspired by handcrafted Mexican pottery.

Photo: Kerri Brewer

At a March event at Gotham Hall, Elegant Affairs Caterers created “salad-tinis” made by “chef-tenders,” who mixed ingredients with oversize drink shakers and served them in martini glasses.

Photo: Jan Van Pak

Thomas Preti Caterers in New York recently created a Bloody Mary bar with ingredients including pickled vegetables, scallions, beef jerky, and rosemary stirrers, plus spicy elements like banana peppers and jalapeños.

Photo: Carol Haunton

Trend: Food and Beverage Carts

Inspired by the food truck craze, Abigail Kirsch in New York created roving carts to bring guests desserts and beverages, like gelato with dipped miniature cones and toppings, or sangria and punch.

Photo: Andre Maier

Trend: New Serving Styles

To give guests a variety of flavors, L-Eat Catering in Toronto now uses a four-compartment dish for multiple entrées, including roasted petit beef tenderloin fillet, miso-glazed black cod, mushroom risotto, and a green bean bundle.

Photo: Courtesy of L-Eat Caterig

Trend: New Serving Styles

Jewell Events Catering in Chicago served vegetarian bento boxes to guests at Saks Fifth Avenue’s Stella McCartney boutique press luncheon in April.

Photo: BizBash

Trend: New Serving Styles

Creative Tastes Catering & Event Production in Miami serves meals from mason jars with spoons attached, including a created breakfast-on-the-go with yogurt trifle.

Photo: Elizabeth Renfrow for BizBash

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

Photo: Tyllie Barbosa for BizBash

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

Photo: Food Photography by Visual Cuisines for BizBash

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

Photo: Emma McIntyre for BizBash

Thomas Preti Events to Savor will be serving their s'mores cheesecake as part of their dessert lineup this fall.

Photo: Courtesy of Thomas Preti Events to Savor

Caterers report that pies filled with seasonal fruit are becoming a popular dessert item at events. These latticed fruit pies are by Tip of the Tongue Caterers.

Photo: Courtesy of Tip of the Tongue Catering

Crudite, dip, and shrimp display, on an antique cart, by L-Eat Catering in Toronto

Photo: Courtesy of L-Eat Catering

Dessert and artisanal tea buffet, by chef Tomas Rivera for Poko Event Productions in Los Angeles

Photo: Sean Twomey/2me Studios

Tapas bar, by Good Gracious Events! in Los Angeles, displayed on sustainable bamboo risers from Cal-Mil (800.321.9069, calmil.com)

Photo: Courtesy of Good Gracious Events!

Spring hors d’oeuvres table with lobster tacos, parmesan truffle popcorn, beef short rib sliders with mini shots of Guinness, shrimp tempura lollipops, and mac ’n’ cheese canapés, by Boutique Bites in Chicago

Photo: Scott Thompson

At a holiday party hosted by Style Boston and Boston Magazine, the Catered Affair served tuna tartare with wasabi aioli on a tray accented with wheatgrass and peppers—traditional Christmas colors on unexpected objects.

Photo: Jerome Eno for BizBash

Breakfast Bites

Esprit Events Kosher Catering's modern take on breakfast includes bite-size chocolate chip pancakes with maple syrup and fruit.

Photo: Jika González/BizBash

Goodies to Go

Guests at the Stella McCartney resort 2013 presentation could take home prepackaged jars of fruit cobbler.

Photo: Jim Shi

Grassy Display

At this summer's Luminescence gala in Chicago, cured salmon lollipops sat atop trays of wheatgrass.

Photo: Courtesy of John G. Shedd Aquarium

Edible Spoons

Puff 'n Stuff Catering's leek cheesecake with arugula pesto comes on an edible pesto cracker spoon.

Photo: Food Photography by Visual Cuisines for BizBash

S'more, Please!

Cork Catering set up a make-your-own s'mores station at the Campfire Ball benefit.

Photo: Gerber and Scarelli Photography

Brulée cinnamon French toast with seared fois gras, ice cider gelée glazed with choice of cape gooseberry, bing cherry, blackberry, or apple coupled with Antolino Brongo Cryomalus ice cider from Kindred Spirits Catering in Toronto

Photo: Ryan Szulc Photography for BizBash

Schaffer’s Genuine Foods created an edible garden for a YouTube event at the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica. The “earth” was made from chopped black olives, breadcrumbs, and puffed wild rice.

Photo: Karina Pires Photography

Photo: Courtesy of Loliware

Wedge salad bites served on forks, by Occasions Caterers in Washington

Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash

Seared sweet potato cakes topped with braised short ribs and horseradish liquid nitrogen pearls, by Chris Brugler Catering in Los Angeles

Photo: Bridget Kenny for BizBash

Frozen Bananas Foster

Chicago-based catering firm Truffleberry Market serves frozen cinnamon-rum-bananas-Foster mousse.

Photo: Courtesy of Truffleberry Market

Mint Juleps

For a different spin on the classic derby drink, Design Cuisine served mint julep snow cones at the 2011 Gilt City Washington launch party.

Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash

Bucket of Bonbons

The Dec at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago offers a bucket of bonbons. Mini scoops of ice cream are covered in chocolate and served in a smoking bucket of dry ice.

Photo: Galdones Photography

Passed Sundaes

In June, GE and Quirky hosted an event in New York to celebrate "Cool Story," a pop-up shop in Chelsea that features Quirky's air-conditioning units. In keeping with the cool theme, snacks included passed miniature hot-fudge sundaes from Brooklyn ice cream maker Hay Rosie. Peter Callahan Catering catered the event.

Photo: Quirky.com

Frozen Tiramisu Bar

Toronto's L-Eat Catering prepared a plate of mini desserts for a function last month. The center of the plate had a frozen tiramisu pop served on a stick.

Photo: Courtesy of L-Eat Catering

Watermelon Pops

Chicago-based catering firm Catering by Michael's offers "frozen push-ups" including the "Frozen Watermelon Surprise Push Pops."

Photo: Courtesy of Catering by Michael’s

Sorbet and Champagne Float

At Enolo Wine Bar in Chicago, sorbet-and-champagne floats are on the menu. The treat is served in a coupe glass.

Photo: Courtesy of Enolo Wine Bar

"Shades of Red" Dessert

Moto restaurant in Chicago is known for experimental cuisine. The "Shades of Red" dessert course is infused with liquid nitrogen and was created by executive pastry chef Claire Crenshaw.

Photo: Amy Stallard

Spiked Snow Cones

City View Loft, a Chicago event space, hosted its opening bash in February. Adding to the evening's carnival-like vibe—which can be applied to Mardi Gras parties—Jo Snow had a "boozy snow cone" station. Guests ordered the treats in flavors such as grapefruit-rosemary with vodka.

Photo: Carasco Photography

Interactive Sorbet Station

At C2MTL, a Montreal conference that took place in May, Montreal-based caterer Agnus Dei created a popular interactive sorbet station. Rings of raspberry, mango, and coconut sorbet spun around a wheel, while guests simply had to hold up a scoop to the device to build their own cone.

Photo: Beth Kormanik/BizBash