Kate's Table Ideas

Passed on trays covered with a bed of pea shoots, hors d'oeuvres from Creative Edge included chicken summer rolls, Tuscan grilled lemon shrimp with a white bean mousseline, and vegan banh mi.

Wolfgang Puck Catering has set up its playful Easter Egg display at events including bridal shows and the 2012 Governors Ball in Los Angeles. Displayed on a springlike bed of grass, the dish tucked vanilla-and-wild-strawberry cake into gilded eggshells; tiny lavender macarons topped each treat. The company can also use the eggs to hold savory snacks.

At the MCM event, waitstaff passed olives in cans, which guests could pick up using the skewers provided.

In June, Patina Catering catered the opening of Skyspace Los Angeles, the observation deck that also includes a glass slide 1,000 feet above the city. As part of an elaborate catering offering, Patina served late-night hors d'oeuvres that were passed as the party came to a close. The grab-and-go boxes featured cheddar beef sliders on mini sesame buns, crispy tater tots, and mini milkshakes.

In June, the Museum of Modern Art in New York hosted its Party in the Garden, and caterers paid special attention to food presentation on the tray. Sweet pea and pesto crostini from Union Square Events took on artful forms of their own.

Single floral stems framed hors d’oeuvres like mango Thai basil summer rolls from Union Square Events at the Robin Hood Foundation gala in New York in May.

Heinz launched a new yellow mustard last year in May, and hosted a barbecue-style event in New York to celebrate. In a bit of a meta moment—or at least a detail that clearly underscored the host’s marketing message—Heinz served mustard-topped corn dogs on trays emblazoned with the new product’s label.