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  1. Catering & Design
  2. Food Trends

Catering Ideas

June 21, 2015
Limelight Catering serviced the event. Menu items included a first course of hanging flatbreads in two flavors: herb and olive oil and three cheese. The dish incorporated onions from an Illinois farm and cheeses from Wisconsin.
Limelight Catering serviced the event. Menu items included a first course of hanging flatbreads in two flavors: herb and olive oil and three cheese. The dish incorporated onions from an Illinois farm and cheeses from Wisconsin.
Photo: Erika Dufour For the Revel Group
The book party for Ben Mezrich’s Seven Wonders, held at the W Boston in September, featured food station signage inspired by vintage postcards and stamps from the locations mentioned in the adventure novel. The food labels were accented with world atlases to complete the look.
The book party for Ben Mezrich’s Seven Wonders, held at the W Boston in September, featured food station signage inspired by vintage postcards and stamps from the locations mentioned in the adventure novel. The food labels were accented with world atlases to complete the look.
Photo: Courtesy of W Boston Hotel
Passed hors d'oeuvres, like deviled eggs, were served on slate boards with item names written in chalk for an event at the Breakers Mediterranean Courtyard during the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival in December 2013.
Passed hors d'oeuvres, like deviled eggs, were served on slate boards with item names written in chalk for an event at the Breakers Mediterranean Courtyard during the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival in December 2013.
Photo: Lila Photo
At Thinkery's Imaginarium gala, held in Austin in September, vintage games and throwback toys popped up throughout the “Playing It Forward”-theme event, including classic Slinkies as part of the hors d'oeuvres presentation.
At Thinkery's Imaginarium gala, held in Austin in September, vintage games and throwback toys popped up throughout the “Playing It Forward”-theme event, including classic Slinkies as part of the hors d'oeuvres presentation.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
A vintage TV display advertised series-inspired cocktails at the ATX Television Festival in June.
A vintage TV display advertised series-inspired cocktails at the ATX Television Festival in June.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Great Performances decorated the dessert table to look like a boudoir for the opening night after-party for New York City Opera's Anna Nicole production, held at Skylight One Hanson in September 2013. The menu was written in red lipstick on vanity mirrors, and presented alongside jewelry boxes and glass jars filled with chocolate truffles, pink meringues, and candy lips, plus cones of pink cotton candy.
Great Performances decorated the dessert table to look like a boudoir for the opening night after-party for New York City Opera's Anna Nicole production, held at Skylight One Hanson in September 2013. The menu was written in red lipstick on vanity mirrors, and presented alongside jewelry boxes and glass jars filled with chocolate truffles, pink meringues, and candy lips, plus cones of pink cotton candy.
Photo: Elena Olivo
Taking inspiration from comic books, the dessert table at the Shiraz Events-designed Unicef Masquerade Ball in 2012, held at New York's Angel Orensanz Foundation, included bright, action-packed signs to play off the superhero theme.
Taking inspiration from comic books, the dessert table at the Shiraz Events-designed Unicef Masquerade Ball in 2012, held at New York's Angel Orensanz Foundation, included bright, action-packed signs to play off the superhero theme.
Photo: Sean T. Smith
At the annual Rammy awards gala, held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in June, food pavilions made from pallet wood were covered in chalkboards that featured the each station's sponsor and the menu items in decorative writing.
At the annual Rammy awards gala, held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in June, food pavilions made from pallet wood were covered in chalkboards that featured the each station's sponsor and the menu items in decorative writing.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
At The Knot's “Knot-so-Typical Industry Event” at Miami's Studio 743 in January 2013, servers from Hugh's Catering wore apple-shaped food signage on their foreheads and were encouraged not to speak during the surrealist-theme party.
At The Knot's “Knot-so-Typical Industry Event” at Miami's Studio 743 in January 2013, servers from Hugh's Catering wore apple-shaped food signage on their foreheads and were encouraged not to speak during the surrealist-theme party.
Photo: The LXA
At the Chefs’ Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels, held in June at the ice rink in Rockefeller Center, lampposts with the names of the chefs and dishes helped guests navigate the food and drink stations.
At the Chefs’ Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels, held in June at the ice rink in Rockefeller Center, lampposts with the names of the chefs and dishes helped guests navigate the food and drink stations.
Photo: Shelbie Pletz/BizBash
For Unicef's Adventures in Wonderland Masquerade Ball, held at Marquee in New York in October, apothecary jars filled with sweets tempted guests with 'Open Me' tags and the name of the candy inside.
For Unicef's Adventures in Wonderland Masquerade Ball, held at Marquee in New York in October, apothecary jars filled with sweets tempted guests with "Open Me" tags and the name of the candy inside.
Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Unicef
At the Museum of Science & Industry’s Black Creativity gala in Chicago in January 2013, Sodexo presented hanging terrariums of flavored salts—including red chili, pink Hawaiian, smoke, and rosemary—that were designated with labeled stones.
At the Museum of Science & Industry’s Black Creativity gala in Chicago in January 2013, Sodexo presented hanging terrariums of flavored salts—including red chili, pink Hawaiian, smoke, and rosemary—that were designated with labeled stones.
Photo: JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
Servers from the Catered Affair wore appetizer badges with food allergy information, in case guests couldn't hear over the band performances, at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay's “Big Night” event at House of Blues Boston in February 2013.
Servers from the Catered Affair wore appetizer badges with food allergy information, in case guests couldn't hear over the band performances, at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay's “Big Night” event at House of Blues Boston in February 2013.
Photo: David Fox Photography
Power Ball
Power Ball

The Power Ball, held at the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery in Toronto on June 4, did not have a typical bar setup. Instead, bartenders sat in theater chairs, wearing tuxedos and holding bottles that were ready to be poured. There were also staffers throwing potato chips from the rafters, and guests threw back pieces of bread, cheese, and meat. Partygoers could also snip pieces of octopus from a chandelier hanging overhead.

Photo: Henry Chan
Power Ball
Power Ball

Instead of a traditional plated dinner, V.I.P. guests got an entirely different experience: an interactive experience from food artist Jennifer Rubell. Hands appeared through holes in the table, serving guests one morsel at a time.

Photo: Henry Chan
2015 Wall Ball
2015 Wall Ball

The 2015 Wall Ball, a fund-raiser supporting the City of Mural Arts Program that was held on May 21 at Philadelphia's Electric Factory, gave guests an opportunity to make their own salad by ordering from a salad mural. Catering by Design created a mural wall of salad greens using an existing railed platform. Men dressed as painters used garden shears to cut down baby heads of lettuce, which were transferred to clear paint cans that guests could take to a salad bar to add toppings.

Photo: Paul Loftland
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