catering ideas

March 8, 2015

Tribute Dinner

Tribute Dinner

For the second course of the Tribute Dinner, guests poured potion bottles of red fruit soup over lobster in a dish by Spanish chef Quique Dacosta, whose eponymous restaurant boasts three Michelin stars. The February 21 event at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel honored Basque cuisine pioneer Juan Mari Arzak as well as Ted Baseler, president and C.E.O. of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.

Photo: Sergi Alexander/Getty Images

Harlem Shake Dinner

Harlem Shake Dinner

Served during the reception at the Harlem Shake Dinner, compressed watermelon with feta cheese “snow” had a striking color contrast. Chef Marcus Samuelsson hosted the event with Charles Gabriel, JJ Johnson, and Christopher Lee on February 20 at the Forge restaurant.

Photo: Zoltan LeClerc/Getty Images

At a fundraiser for Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, caterer Blue Plate created a five-course dinner inspired by how a child with autism experiences the world. One course was called 'Things Aren’t Always As They Seem.' It was meant to surprise the guests, with cheese molded to resemble summer fruits, pumpernickel “dirt,” chocolate-covered “grasshoppers,” edible “pebbles,” and grilled bread.

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Event Profs Share the Catering Moments They’ll Never Forget

Get inspired by these standout food and beverage ideas that show how food can surprise, delight, and even steal the show.

At a fundraiser for Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, caterer Blue Plate created a five-course dinner inspired by how a child with autism experiences the world. One course was called 'Things Aren’t Always As They Seem.' It was meant to surprise the guests, with cheese molded to resemble summer fruits, pumpernickel “dirt,” chocolate-covered “grasshoppers,” edible “pebbles,” and grilled bread.

Brands & Event Pros

Industry Innovators 2025: 10 F&B Professionals Who Are Rewriting the Rules of Event Catering

These catering and F&B professionals are changing the game through forward-thinking sustainability efforts, stunning presentations, clever business practices, and much more.

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10 Food and Beverage Trends to Keep Top of Mind at Events in 2025

Event planners expect elevated mocktails, embedded sustainability, and family-style catering to take off this year.

Out: meat carving stations. In: vegetable carving stations.

15 Tasty Event Ideas From the 2024 New York City Wine & Food Festival

The four-day event featured 80 experiences across the city with presentations from more than 500 chefs and culinary influencers.

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See the F&B Trends on Display at the 2024 Summer Fancy Food Show

The Specialty Food Association’s 68th annual Fancy Food Show boasted thousands of exhibitors from food and beverage brands big and small, near and far, plus a buzzed-about keynote from Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel.

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Check out some of our favorite ways events have incorporated flowers, foliage, and greenery into their dishes and F&B displays.

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Lona by Chef Richard Sandoval, a modern Mexican eatery in Tampa, is serving the Caramelized Pumpkin Crema this season. The eye-catching dish is made with pumpkin custard, caramelized pepitas, edible marigolds, and cinnamon ice cream.

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