For an upscale camp-themed affair, KG Fare Catering & Events offers a mess-free take on s'mores, displayed on clothespins.
“Chicken Three Ways,” including chicken Niçoise on a coconut shell with potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and hard-boiled quail eggs; deconstructed chicken yakitori; and a chicken taco with papaya, red radish, cilantro sprouts, and tomato sofrito, by Encore Catering in Toronto
Herb-marinated chicken breast in a burnt ancho orange sauce and garnished with avocado salsa, served with corn cake and a cubed heirloom tomato salad, by the Spot Gourmet in Los Angeles
Roasted red pepper and miso risotto cakes, served with silken tofu, grilled marinated vegetable stack, and asparagus in romesco sauce, by Gourmet Caterers in Boston
Braised short ribs served with stone-ground grits, roasted corn, baby bell peppers, heirloom cherry tomatoes, leeks, wild mushrooms, and ginger gremolata, by Paramount Events in Chicago
Guests found candy and ice cream stations in the pool's cabanas.Â
In another example of elegant presentation, Bagatelle served its peanut butter cake topped with a concord grape macaron during opening night of the Taste.
Caterers are getting more and more creative with late-night snacks. Case in point: these French toast sticks with bourbon-infused maple syrup and blueberry thyme jam from L-Eat Catering in Toronto.
Sweets tables are also seeing more innovative offerings. For example, send a few favorite photos to Texas-based Manjar (Spanish for “delicacy”), and the bakery can turn them into edible Instagram posts for you, as well as create sugar cookies frosted to look like the popular social media company’s camera icon.
On October 14, the Knot Gala took over the New York Public Library. Abigail Kirsch provided the catering, and the menu included a new spin on a classic carnival snack. Holding wooden boards, servers circulated with artisan corn dogs that were sliced into pieces. Accompanying the skewered snack, little jars held condiments such as house-cured pickles, kraut-caraway mustard, and cheddar ale fondue.
Bantam Bagels whips up bite-size bagel balls injected with flavored cream cheeses and topped with fresh ingredients, such as pepperoni and tomato. The company caters events anywhere in Manhattan, with a minimum order of $50 and a $15 delivery charge.
At the opening party for the Canadian Special Event Show last March, Bucket & Whisk created a carving station with five-pound gummy bears instead of beef. In flavors such as “Rare Cherry” and “Well Done Cola,” the giant candies had cheeky signage that advertised features such as “organic-raised” and “hormone-free.” The event was produced by the Idea Hunter.
Over the summer, Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa in California launched the Lemon Break. The catering package includes a lemonade display replete with lemon tarts, lemon sorbet, lemon candies, lemon confit, lemon drops, lemon shooters, lemon chiffon cakes, lemon crème brûlées, and more thematic treats.
At the Chicago AIDS Foundation's World of Chocolate event in 2009, the Signature Room at the 95th served vanilla-and-cinnamon-spiced hot chocolate in pipettes.
At the James Beard Awards in New York in 2007, Allison Vines-Rushing served banana pudding brûlée with cat's tongue cookies in mini glass jelly jars.
To promote the final season of Dexter last year, Magnolia Bakery concocted a gory treat to honor the show's namesake sociopath. The Killer Cupcake topped red velvet cake with spattered caramel "blood" and "glass" shards made out of sugar.
At a Lollapalooza party in 2009, Limelight's passed desserts included mojito-flavored lollipops and an array of glittery confections dubbed "Bedazzled Bonbons."
Boston’s Roxy’s Grilled Cheese can park its truck outside meeting venues. Or, the staff can set up an in-office build-your-own grilled cheese bar with toppings that go beyond childhood basics like sliced tomatoes—think roasted chorizo, applewood bacon, and guacamole.
For a camp-theme event last year, KG Fare Catering & Events offered a mess-free take on s'mores by displaying the gooey treats on clothespins.
At Stella McCartney's Electricity-Free Carnival in New York in 2012, a mac 'n' cheese station was set up as a two-part offering: guests could either select a mini serving on a spinach cone from a Ferris-wheel-shaped stand, or opt for a full cup that could be customized with toppings such as veggie bacon bits, truffle oil, jalapeños, scallions, or sriracha sauce.
At Washingtonian magazine's AT&T's Best of Washington party in 2012, Amaryllis designed the space to evoke the ambiance of a vintage ice cream parlor. Ted's Bulletin offered samples of its homemade Pop-Tarts—cinnamon and brown sugar, strawberry, and chocolate—that the company displayed in tall glasses filled with each flavor's ingredients.
At the Washingtonian event, PatrĂłn served boozy desserts like whoopie pies and cake pops at its customized bar.
Spin-Spun (which was formerly called "Spun") is a Chicago catering firm that specializes in cotton candy. Using organic sugar and either organic or natural flavors, founder Seth Bankier spins the treat in nearly 20 flavors including bacon salt, salted caramel, lemon-coconut, and truffle oil.
