9 Creative Catering Ideas for Virtual Events and Small Gatherings

Featuring Wolfgang Puck’s signature appetizers, this package includes a spicy tuna taco kit; smoked salmon lollipops with dill crème fraiche and caviar; a mini burger kit; margherita flatbread; an Asian salad kit; and mini white chocolate cherry cookies, brownie bites, and mini berry hand pies. It’s available for parties of four to 24 for $35 per person (plus a $10 fee for delivery), and is only available in the Los Angeles market.

You don’t need to don a gown to indulge in some of Wolfgang’s most popular award season dishes, including his legendary chicken pot pie (pictured); cavatappi truffle mac ’n cheese; miso-glazed salmon with carrot ginger puree; and stone fruit and burrata salad, plus roasted nuts and jalapeño popcorn to share, as well as his signature bon-bons. Cocktails, wine, and beverages and extra dishes can be added on for an additional charge. The package is available for parties of four to 24 people for $45 per person (plus a $10 fee for delivery), and is only available in the Los Angeles market.

Philadelphia-based 12th Street Catering is now offering Celebration Boxes, individually packaged boxes featuring different styles of meals such as the Brunch Box and the Sweets Box (pictured). The boxes can be personalized based on the occasion with add-ons and customizable elements. The Sweets Box costs $28 per person and comes with cake jars (four-ounce mason jars) filled with strawberry shortcake, funfetti cake batter, and salted caramel brownie; honey-baked pop tarts; a campfire s’mores kit; French macarons; and an assortment of homemade cookies that can be customized with a logo, brand colors, or a design. Free delivery is available within Center City and University City; delivery fees apply outside of that region. There is a 10-box minimum per order.

Denver-based Footers Catering makes it easy to cook out this summer with its ready-to-grill package that features two shareable starters (grilled crudites and grilled bruschetta); your choice of two entrees (flank steak, whole trout, shawarma cauliflower, chermoula chicken breasts, sausages, and eggplant aubergine); four sides (Mexican street corn salad, jumbo grilled asparagus, candy-striped beet salad, and caramelized veggie medley); and zucchini brown sugar cake and s'mores for dessert. Plus, it includes plantable no-waste herb garnishes, as well as your choice of a cocktail mixer. Add-ons include a clever wood board sign craft for decor, florals, and a grill box. The experience costs $235 for four guests and $450 for eight guests.

The Party Line in Nashville, run by chef Julia Sullivan of Henrietta Red restaurant, is offering Build-a-Bash packages, which are designed for six guests. Choose from four tailored menus (Upscale Dinner, Backyard BBQ, Seafood Roast, and Cocktail Party), starting at $225, and then add on beverage pairings, themed decorations like streamers or a birthday banner, and custom florals from Violetta. You can order balloon arrangements from Vroom Broom Balloon and tack on additional platters such as a charcuterie board. Setup is also available for an extra charge. Pictured: Raw oysters, along with grilled oysters, seafood cocktail, summer vegetable panzanella, BBQ shrimp, corn, new potatoes, and peach cobbler, are included in the Seafood Roast option; $275 for six people.

Created by Josh Sugarman, head of experiential entertainment company Ravel, this new immersive delivery experience, which is available in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Philadelphia, and recently launched in New York, features a virtual game that’s centered around the fictional world of an ancient vampire family, allowing customers to recreate a pop-up restaurant experience in their home. Vampire.Pizza has partnered with popular pizzerias in all of New York City’s boroughs including Sauce Pizzeria in lower Manhattan, Williamsburg Pizza on the Upper East Side, Roberta’s in Brooklyn, Rizzo’s Fine Pizza in Queens, and Euro Pizza on Staten Island to deliver pizza along with the game box. It’s available for two players for $32.99 per person and for four players for $27.99 per person.

New York-based caterer Tastings NYC recently debuted Tastings 2.0, a meal delivery service available in New York City, the Hamptons, and Miami. Designed for virtual events such as conferences and dinners, the meal can be served on event-worthy plateware as well as with a selection of wines from Vranken Pommery America. Pricing starts at $55 per person. The spring/summer menu currently includes items like an heirloom tomato salad, garbanzo bean risotto, grilled octopus, fish entrees such as halibut with spinach puree and butter-poached lobster tail, meat entrees such as lamb tenderloin with purple asparagus and duck breast with black radish puree, and desserts such as coconut panna cotta.

This BBQ package from Elegant Affairs includes burgers, hot dogs, marinated chicken skewers, corn on the cob with herb butter, baked beans, red Carolina slaw, and smashed red potato salad, plus hamburger and hot dog buns, along with all the fixings (lettuce, tomato, onion, and sliced American cheese). Or you can choose to create your own barbecue box from a variety of meats, fish, and poultry, as well as sides and salads. You can even add on a bag of charcoal. The box feeds eight to 10 people and costs $300. Delivery is available in New York City, the Hamptons, and Long Island.

Host a party for two with this “Date Night” package from Toronto-based 10tation Event Catering. The five-course meal includes ahi tuna tartare and Caesar salad bites; burrata; ricotta gnocchi with asparagus, English peas, wild leeks, and mushrooms; main options (heirloom chicken, braised beef short rib, and roasted salmon served with seasonal vegetables); and cheesecake with passion fruit puree and cookie crumble for dessert. Drinks including Negroni, chardonnay, Prosecco, and more are available for an additional fee. The menu starts at $125.