Clarks's Award Dinner
Clarks's annual award dinner took place at Boston's Royale Nightclub June 11. Max Ultimate Catering set the first course on wooden slabs that had the footwear company's logo burned into them. The course included a fire-roasted shrimp stake with heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, watermelon, radish, and asparagus, all drizzled with a wine vinaigrette.
Photo: Michael Blanchard Photography
The Snowball Lounge
“Cookies and trifles are gorgeous and delicious.” Catering by Alligator Pear Catering in Canoga Park, California
Photo: Courtesy of Alligator Pear Catering
Jewell Events Catering debuted its stuffed-pumpkin station at the event. Guests could get the gourd filled with chipotle mashed potatoes with braised short ribs, kale salad, or pumpkin-spice mousse. Fun fact: The firm's founder, George Jewell, brought 200 mini pumpkins back from his farm in Michigan to help create the station.
Photo: Jenny Berg/BizBash
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
L20's Mignardises
At L20, bite-size sweets are served in tiny, colorful boxes that all stack together; guests pull the boxes apart themselves.
Photo: Anjali Pinto
Gourmet flavors take a simple-sounding treat—chocolate-covered pretzel rods—to another level at Fatty Sundays: think pumpkin spice, peanut butter and jelly, banana cream, peppermint crunch, berry granola, and more. Bonus: The colorful, dipped pretzels would look especially eye-catching on display at a candy station. Custom labels, flavors, and color combos can be created for events and favors, with a minimum of 20 boxes of two or five pretzels. The treats can be shipped throughout the United States.
Photo: Courtesy of Fatty Sundays
Boston’s Wicked Good Cupcakes puts a new spin on the classic dessert with its Wicked Good to Go cupcake-in-a-jar treats. Each glass jar holds the equivalent of two cupcakes, and there are 15 flavor options, including vanilla birthday cake, sea-salted caramel, and red velvet. For corporate orders, the jars can include custom labels or colored sprinkles and fondant toppers. Custom Wicked Good to Gos start from $8.50 for an eight-ounce jar; shipping is available nationwide.
Photo: Courtesy of Wicked Good Cupcakes
In New York, Naturally Delicious catering prepared a five-course meal with beer pairings last week. The feast began with foie and fig potato chips with spiced walnuts, paired with Brewery Ommegang Rare Vos Amber Ale.
Photo: Amber Gress
In Chicago, Truffleberry Market puts a twist on mozzarella sticks with its molten Brie with balsamic fig jam appetizer. "We typically serve it with cherry ale, but we had a client who loves apple ale, so we've used apple ale as another version," said executive chef and owner Brittany Ferrin.
Photo: Logan Beck
Naturally Delicious Catering pairs bittersweet chocolate squares with Brooklyn Brewery's Brooklyn Local 2, a Belgian dark ale.
Photo: Amber Gress
For dessert, guests snacked on chocolate mousse served in white chocolate cases.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash
Catering trays used by Creative Edge were also made with old boxes and shredded pieces of West Elm's old catalogs.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
Among the creative presentations of passed hors d'oeuvres in the Breakers Mediterranean Courtyard was one that included chalkboard signage.
Photo: Lila Photo
Another cake created for the "Birthday" video included a six-layer treat covered in rainbow candies. Each inside layer was stacked in rainbow order, from red to purple.
Photo: Courtesy of Duff's Cakemix
Spring flowers in vibrant purple decked a cake from Chicago's Vanille Patisserie. The baked good got a slightly abstract touch thanks to a modern interpretation of the shape and dimension of petals, leaves, and stems.
Photo: Courtesy of Vanille Patisserie
Matcha Cake From Sticky Fingers Bakery and Teaism
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.
Photo: Courtesy Sticky Fingers Bakery
Tea Bark From Baked
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).
Photo: Renato Poliafito
Watermelon cups filled with kalamata olives, feta, and basil, by Word of Mouth Catering in Austin, Texas
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Lemon curd tartlets topped with candied confection flowers, by Sweet Hospitality Group in New York
Photo: Carolyn Curtis/BizBash & Andrew Martin for BizBash
Frozen berry and bourbon lemonades with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, topped with mint and served in Mason jars, by Tasty Catering in Chicago
Photo: James Atkins for BizBash
A cucumber and sage gin martini with diced cucumbers, garnished with sage leaves, by DNA Events in Los Angeles
Photo: Courtesy of DNA Events
Chef Tony Mantuano and his team at Bon Appetit Catering, the museum's in-house firm, created a playful menu that nodded to Magritte's Belgian roots. At one station, guests could top their own baked pretzels with honey, cheese, and whole-grain mustard.
Photo: Cheri Eisenberg
Pumpkin Creme Brulee
In a reference to Cinderella's pumpkin carriage, pumpkin creme brulee from Superb Cuisine was served after dinner.
Photo: Evelyn Alas
Brownie Nests
Jenny Keller, the Seattle-based founder of Jenny Cookies, is the author of Eat More Desserts. In her book, Keller provides a recipe for "brownie nests" (pictured) that are made with brownies, coconut shreds, buttercream frosting, and colored jelly beans.
Photo: KCB Photography
Kafir Lime and Ginger Truffles
Chicago catering firm Truffleberry Market creates kafir lime and ginger truffles and serves the dainty treat with an edible chocolate leaf.
Photo: Courtesy of Truffleberry Market
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.
Photo: Courtesy of Elegant Affairs Catering & Event Design
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.
Photo: Courtesy of KG Fare Catering & Events
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.
Photo: Courtesy of the Mondrian Los Angeles
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 AviĂłn, carrot juice, agave nectar, grapefruit, and lemon, with a garnish of parsley and lime.
Photo: Courtesy of the Royalton Hotel New York
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.
Photo: Courtesy of Hill & Dale
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.
Photo: Courtesy of SBE
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.
Photo: Courtesy of Westside Market NYC
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.
Photo: Courtesy of Don Julio
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.
Photo: Courtesy of Bulleit Bourbon
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.
Photo: Courtesy of Skyy
Colorful mini ice cream sandwiches in flavors such as pistachio coconut pineapple and carrot butter pecan caramel served in matching foil, by Abigail Kirsch Catering in New York
Photo: Andre Maier
Blanketed mini franks with cheddar ale and sauerkraut mustard sauces, by Abigail Kirsch Catering in New York
Photo: Courtesy of Abigail Kirsch
Cheers to This
Now available in Toronto through the Idea Hunter, Original Beverage Toppers are edible disks that can be branded with corporate logos, colors, and taglines. The discs float on top of hot, cold, iced, or frozen drinks and are easy to apply.
Photo: Courtesy of the Idea Hunter
Grilled vegetable pesto pizza topped with mushrooms, zucchini, and grape tomatoes, by Leslie Durso in Los Angeles
Photo: Courtesy of Leslie Durso
Pies With a Twist
For those looking for in-office Thanksgiving-theme catering ideas, Santa Monica-based Sweet Rose Creamery offers holiday pies with a twist. The seasonal ice cream pies come in flavors like Brown Sugar With Butter Pecan.
Photo: Emily Hart Roth
Royal Fig's Watermelon Cucumber Agua Fresca
In Austin, Texas, catering firm Royal Fig makes a summery nonalcoholic punch using fresh-pressed watermelon juice, pureed cucumber, agave, water, and mint.
Photo: Jenny DeMarco Photography
D.I.Y. Desserts
For another kid-friendly Easter activity, Biggs suggests letting guests plant marshmallow "carrots" into cupcakes. They can also top the desserts off with sprinkled Oreo crumbs, making the desserts look like miniature carrot patches.
Photo:Â Courtesy of Frog Prince Paperie
