Food Stations

The Warhol-inspired bites from the Villa by Barton G. included roasted Peking duck moo-shoo rolls with hoisin-marinated scallions served in mini take-out boxes adorned with Warhol's portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong. Other items included tomato gazpacho served in mini iconic Campbell's soup cans, kataifi-wrapped shrimp balls, Kobe beef sliders served on a tray of Coca-Cola bottles, tuna tartare with wakame and wasabi-ko.

Colorful sweets topped a table at the preview night. "The day before and the day of Sneak Preview Night hosts nearly 10,000 media and auto industry executives, so it’s a challenge to set up for one event during another," the auto show's Callari said. "In addition to the limited setup time and juggling of events, the venue itself is vast, with high ceilings and thousands of windows. Making that space feel intimate and festive requires creativity. And we have to be conscious of costs since this is a charity event, but we do not want to lose the world-class look of the L.A. Auto Show."

BMW returned as the automotive sponsor this year with an all-white lounge area for guests—with a touch of color from this edible logo.

Candies filled tabletops in a Food Network lounge-dining section. (Other tables had lazy Susans for easy dessert sharing.)

At the doughnut station, guests could top freshly baked plain doughnuts with white or milk chocolate sauce, powdered sugar, chopped nuts, or colored sprinkles.

Evoke designed a doughnut wall that Design Cuisine executed for a client in April and will continue to offer the concept this fall. The wall was constructed out of pegboard, with 1,200 wooden golf tees showcasing the chocolate-glazed chocolate doughnuts (forming a “J” for the guest of honor’s name) and the outlining cinnamon sugar and powdered white donuts. In coming months, a server with a step stool will be on hand to pull doughnuts off the wall for guests, who can carry the take-home treats away in brown paper bags with to-go cups of hot apple cider.

In Chicago, Blue Plate Catering handled the catering for a September wedding at Prairie Productions. The food-loving couple wanted to keep presentation clean and simple, and they served appetizers at several stations. One held charcuterie, including spicy salami, speck americano, and prosciutto piccante.

The event also featured an absinthe bar, sponsored by the McCain Three.

The Boston Children's Museum’s 2013 gala included a rather meta dessert table: The entire display took the form of a giant cake, decorated with paper flowers, and set with desserts such as cake pops, mini whoopie pies, mini Twinkies, and chocolate-dipped strawberries.

At an in-office preview for its clients' wares during the holidays in 2015, Los Angeles-based PR agency BWR offered a metallic dessert bar decorated with the word “Joy” in marquee-style letters.

Cups mimicking flower pots were stuffed with shrimp salad topped with sprouting greens.

Windows Catering Company provided a nature-themed hors d'oeuvres table with items placed on things from nature including tree trunks.

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Sterling Engagements hosted a party in Los Angeles in 2015, where vast catering options throughout the residential venue included a milk-and-cookies dessert bar.