Chicago's Chuck’s Manufacturing takes a clever old-school approach to marketing: At the end of a meal, diners get a branded postcard. Guests can leave filled-out postcards at the table or drop them off at the hostess’s stand to be mailed out.
Photo: Jeff Schear
LM Cocktail Catering in Austin can create high-end Jell-O shots. Flavors like blackberry bramble and Pimm’s cup are served in elegant hors d’oeuvre spoons and paired with fresh fruit.
Photo: Courtesy of LM Cocktail Catering
Sheraton's Toast Around the World
Sheraton Social Hour is a premium wine service developed in conjunction with Wine Spectator magazine. To launch the new program at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, a penthouse event on May 15 served vino from a custom bar constructed out of wine bottles. Designed by Level Productions and built by Abunch LLC, the bar was flanked by signage that explained the taste profile of the wines, along with snacks that paired with them.
Photo: Donald Bowers/Getty Images
A New Take on S'Mores
For an upscale camp-themed affair, KG Fare Catering & Events offers a mess-free take on s'mores, displayed on clothespins.
Photo: Courtesy of KG Fare Catering & Events
Health-conscious guests will be happy to pop a few of New York-based Elegant Affairs’ gluten-free lemon-scented hummus and zucchini roulades into their mouths while lounging poolside.
Photo: Courtesy of Elegant Affairs Catering & Event Design
This summer, the Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles is serving cocktails made with freshly picked herbs and fruits from its rooftop garden. The drinks include the Kalamansi Lemonade, made with vodka, lemon puree honey-lemongrass syrup, Sprite, and lemon juice; the Rhubarb Shiso Fizz, made with Ketel Oranje, rhubarb simple syrup, and shiso leaves; and the Pinarita, made with pineapple tequila, Luxardo Triplum, lime juice, simple syrup, and Thai basil.
Photo: Mi & Mo Photography
Canned cocktails are trending in the world of mixology right now. At the Manhattan Cocktail Classic gala in May, Campari served up canned Negronis, made with gin, sweet vermouth, and the Italian aperitif. Red-and-white-striped straws added a summery touch.
Photo: Virginia Rollison
A warm-weather take on the food-and-drink pairings trend: one-bite paella skewers served with red and white sangria, by KG Fare Catering & Events in New York.
Photo: Courtesy of KG Fare Catering & Events
Like strawberry shortcake in a glass: the Red Velvet Shortcake cocktail includes 1½ ounces of the new Zing Red Velvet vodka, two ounces of cream soda, two muddled strawberries, and a splash of lemon juice.
Photo: Courtesy of Zing Vodka
Nothing beats an ice pop when temperatures rise. At the 2013 mtvU Woodie Awards and Festival, held in March in Austin, Texas, guests beat the heat with more than 7,000 custom-flavored all-natural frozen pops from Mom & Pops.
Photo: Courtesy of MTV
Chicago’s Truffleberry Market reports recently receiving requests to create finger-friendly versions of classic desserts. The catering company's banana split cones feature strawberry mousse in a mini waffle cone dipped in dark chocolate and topped with fresh strawberries, banana chips, and shaved hazelnuts.
Photo: Courtesy of Truffleberry Market
From Elegant Affairs’ clean eating menu, cilantro lime-infused crab salad cucumber cups make for a light, refreshing hors d’oeuvre.
Photo: Courtesy of Elegant Affairs Catering & Event Design
This summer, Ainsworth Park in New York will offer its take on sweet tea, made with Belvedere Lemon Tea vodka, Aperol, lemon juice, simple syrup, and iced tea, served in a summer-appropriate Mason jar.
Photo: Courtesy of Ainsworth Park
To preview its new summer menu of regional American barbecue flavors, Burger King tapped Peter Callahan to style bite-size versions of the new burgers for a tasting party at the Glasshouses in New York on May 16. The mini sandwich options included barbecue chicken salad, pulled pork, and a Carolina BBQ Whopper.
Photo: Aydin Arjomand Photography
Nothing says summer quite like fresh fish. At the Carlu’s recent 10th anniversary gala in Toronto, L-Eat Catering was in charge of the fish station. Among the offerings were individual portions of liquid-nitrogen-chilled, fennel-crusted tuna with green apples and pomegranates.
Photo: Courtesy of L-Eat Catering
L-Eat Catering also served smoked trout caviar and pickled red onion relish canapés at the Carlu anniversary gala.
Photo: Courtesy of L-Eat Catering
The Skybar at the Mondrian Los Angeles is offering a few new takes on the classic mojito, including a spicy mango mojito muddled with serrano peppers.
Photo: Courtesy of the Mondrian Los Angeles
For an upscale camp-themed affair, try KG Fare Catering & Events' mess-free take on s'mores, displayed on clothespins.
Photo: KG Fare Catering & Events
This summer, Fourty Four at Royalton in New York is featuring a garden-to-glass cocktail menu of fruit-, herb-, grain-, and veggie-based drinks. The Jackrabbit Margarita includes Tequila Avión, carrot juice, agave nectar, grapefruit, and lemon, with a garnish of parsley and lime.
Photo: Courtesy of the Royalton Hotel New York
If you’re looking for easy, classic summer barbecue fare, Weber Grill Restaurant just launched Weber on Wheels, a mobile grill party offering available in Chicago and Indianapolis. Staffers grill up the company's signature meats on giant Weber Kettles, and the extensive menu options include a build-your-own burger bar.  Set up and clean up are included, and a minimum order of $500 is required. Delivery and pick-up packages are also available.
Photo: Courtesy of Weber Grill Restaurant
The Floozy, a cheekily named cocktail served at Hill & Dale, a new gastro-lounge in New York, is made with vodka, fresh lime, simple syrup, and muddled strawberries, then topped with a fresh daisy.
Photo: Courtesy of Hill & Dale
A perfect passed hors d’oeuvre for a beachside bash: Trufflebery Market’s Fish on Chips, with key lime zest and Sriracha aioli.
Photo: Courtesy of Truffleberry Market
SBE’s XIV Summer Sessions parties will serve the Corzo Watermelon Margarita featuring fresh watermelon juice and Corzo tequila strained over ice with a splash of soda.
Photo: Courtesy of SBE
Maria Zoitas of Maria’s Homemade recommends adding fruit-infused ice cubes to drinks at summer parties. Just add berries, grapes, or pomegranate seeds to the water in ice cube trays, then toss the final product into champagne mixed with hibiscus syrup.
Photo: Courtesy of Westside Market NYC
Served at this year’s Great GoogaMooga festival in Brooklyn was a sophisticated tropical tipple called the Uncle Buck that included Tequila Don Julio Blanco, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, ginger syrup, and green Chartreuse.
Photo: Courtesy of Don Julio
V.I.P. guests at GoogaMooga also sipped on Quiet Storms, a mix of Bulleit bourbon, lemon juice, extra-dry vermouth, simple syrup, and ginger beer.
Photo: Courtesy of Bulleit Bourbon
For an updated take on the classic margarita, mix Cointreau orange liqueur, Tequila Avión, blood orange juice, and fresh sour mix.
Photo: Courtesy of Tequila Avión
Chicago restaurant Allium served a swimsuit-friendly 500-calorie lunch at a recent beachwear fashion show at the Four Seasons Chicago. The three-course menu included beet salad with Greek yogurt, fennel, and mache lettuce; wild Alaskan halibut with smoked fingerlings, pickled ramp bulbs, asparagus, and English peas (pictured); and 99 percent pure chocolate sorbet.
Photo: Jenny Berg/BizBash
Created by Otis Florence of Pouring Ribbons in New York City, the From the Vine cocktail includes the new Skyy Infusions Moscato Grape, Cynar, lime juice, simple syrup, and Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, garnished with basil leaves and grapes.
Photo: Courtesy of Skyy
A lighter summery take on beef stroganoff from Truffleberry Market in Chicago includes seared Meyer lemon zest gnocchi.
Photo: Courtesy of Truffleberry Market
Keep guests alert at a late-night bash with this boozy take on iced coffee: mix one part Avión Espresso, one part espresso, and one part soda water, then garnish with espresso beans.
Photo: Courtesy of Avión
For a recent meeting, the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek put together stations themed around local fare from the various areas of Florida. The north Florida station included May Port shrimp and scallop ceviche marinated in Florida citrus.
Photo: Courtesy of the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
The south Florida station at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek meeting included spiny lobster-and-blue-crab cocktails.
Photo: Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
During the opening press presentation, guests were seated under a colorful installation of suspended umbrellas created by BMF Media.
Photo: Courtesy of La Roche-Posay
The eye-catching umbrellas, which were printed with the La Roche-Posay and SOS-Save Our Skin logos, were left in place over the course of the two-day promotion, helping to draw in passersby.
Photo: Courtesy of La Roche-Posay
The stationary breakfast spread at the press presentation included on-theme options, like organic French yogurt served in Anthelios-branded sunscreen tubes and tea sandwiches in the shape of umbrellas.
Photo: Courtesy of La Roche-Posay
Guests could also help themselves to French toast bites, served with pipettes of maple syrup.
Photo: Lauren Matthews/BizBash
Mini Poptarts with orange-flavored frosting were presented on a vintage toaster.
Photo: Lauren Matthews/BizBash
Visitors could opt to have their skin checked by a board-certified dermatologist inside a tented area or purchase Anthelios products at the on-site pop-up shop (pictured).
Photo: Courtesy of La Roche-Posay
Westin New York Grand Central One-Year Anniversary
The October bash celebrating the hotel's first anniversary offered rustic, farm-fresh fare. One station included cheese and charcuterie.
Photo: Jon Simon
Westin New York Grand Central One-Year Anniversary
A bar offered "farm-to-bar" cocktails that incorporated fare from the hotel's rooftop garden.
Photo: Jon Simon
The menu of dishes was similarly color-coded. For instance, the truffled quail egg on a miniature English muffin (pictured) was designed to represent yellow, while grilled lamb with a black sesame seed crust was meant to symbolize black.
Photo: Nilaya Sabnis
Serving Platter: Salt Slabs
Short rib tacos with shredded cabbage, tomato, and chipotle crema served on a slab of pink salt, from Michael Stuart (347.689.9822, mscnyc.com) in New York
Photo: Jika González for BizBash
Los Angeles Food & Wine
In one of the Lexus grand tasting's inspiring food presentations during L.A. Food & Wine, Big Sur's Post Ranch Inn served mini shaved ice cones in a metal bucket set up like a beach scene, with sugar for sand. Ingredients for the dessert came from the venue's garden.
Photo: Courtesy of Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival & Tyrone D. Washington
Two waiters served hors d'oeuvres on a six-foot tray.
Photo: Elizabeth Renfrow for BizBash
Among the creative presentations of passed hors d'oeuvres in the Breakers Mediterranean Courtyard was one that included chalkboard signage.
Photo: Lila Photo
Servers from Core Event Staff passed hors d'oeuvres from Daniel et Daniel on trays with armrests shaped like tubes.
Photo: BizBash
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.
Photo: Jika González for BizBash
Customized Macaroni and Cheese
At Stella McCartney's Electricity-Free Carnival in New York in 2012, a mac 'n' cheese station was set up as a two-part offering: guests could either select a mini serving on a spinach cone from a Ferris-wheel-shaped stand, or opt for a full cup that could be customized with toppings such as veggie bacon bits, truffle oil, jalapeños, scallions, or sriracha sauce.
Photo: Jim Shi
Pulled pork sliders were placed atop an appropriately pig-shaped platter.
Photo: Lila Photo
MCM x at60inches Handbag Launch
At the MCM event, waitstaff passed olives in cans, which guests could pick up using the skewers provided.
Photo: BFA
Hors d'oeuvres from C2 Catering were served on granite trays. Items included (from the left) falafel ice cream cones with sweet potato hummus and a mashed potato rosette, miso-glazed black cod burger on a pink glitter brioche bun, candy apple lobster lollypop with a gooseberry plum injection sauce, hot pot chili, and winter melon soup topped with duck salsa and nitrogen-frozen blueberries.
Photo: Emma McIntyre for BizBash
Bento Boxes
Under its subdivision Jewell To Go, Chicago's Jewell Events Catering supplies an Asian-inspired alternative to more traditional box lunches. The company's sleek bento boxes hold items such as salmon over a seasonal grain salad, grilled asparagus spears, sesame noodle salad, and fresh fruit tartlets.
Photo: Courtesy of Jewell Events Catering
Cheese and Antipasto
Austin, Texas-based Royal Fig Catering has a Limited Service Menu tailored to office events. Options on the menu include a cheese and antipasto display with house-pickled vegetables, fruit spreads, rustic breads, and crackers.
Photo: Jenny DeMarco Photography
British Cheese and Beer
In Philadelphia, Brûlée Catering brings British cheese and beer pairing stations to offices. One pairing offers oatmeal stout with Huntsman cheese.
Photo: Pictures by Todd Photography
'Washington Business Journal's "Best Real Estate Deals"
Washington Business Journal hosted the lunch at Dock 5 Union Market in Washington on April 30. Ridgewells handled catering, and presented inventive menu items including a chilled cucumber soup that guests poured from milk bottles into chilled bowls that held edible flowers.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com
D.I.Y. versions of cocktails served in miniature liquor bottles can be an easy catering option, says Riviera Caterers co-founder Bobby Stern.
Photo: Blaise Joseph Photography
