Food

A not-uncommon site at the expo: tables filled with bowl upon bowl of sweets arranged by color. The candies from Yum Junkie had fun names such as "Sassy Spheres," "Squiggly Pops," and "Tesla's Tiny Twist Pops." 

Something to smile about: New York’s newly renovated Affinia Manhattan hotel has partnered with Operation Smile to deliver a meeting break that lets attendees build their own classic banana splits; 15 percent of proceeds are donated to the nonprofit.

Inside HBO's luxury lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, Motorola gifted its new Motorola Moto X smartphone. To promote the colorful gadgets, the brand set up a candy-bar buffet in colors that matched the handsets.

A new way to serve cocktails, sorbet, and more: Molten Ice glasses are available in Toronto through the Idea Hunter. The special ice fits into a rentable glass or disposable container and won’t dilute drinks.

Bantam Bagels whips up bite-size bagel balls injected with flavored cream cheeses and topped with fresh ingredients, such as pepperoni and tomato. The company caters events anywhere in Manhattan, with a minimum order of $50 and a $15 delivery charge.

Here's a new idea for breakfast catering: the Mexican breakfast buffet, or Cocina del Barrio, with Mexican hot chocolate, mango-passion-fruit and grapefruit-carrot juices, fruit empanadas, tropical fruit in a bag, pastel pan dulce, egg scrambles with squash blossoms and queso fresco, and tortillas, by Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe in New Mexico.

New York City caterer Carla Ruben of Creative Edge Parties is offering a new dessert buffet in time for the holiday season. On November 12, Ruben hosted an intimate pre-holiday luncheon to introduce her latest creations, including the company's “Bar Bar,” a selection of bite-size brownies, blondies, and dessert bars in flavors such as peanut pretzel, Oreo cheesecake, and apple crumb displayed in repurposed desktop file sorters.

At Allison&Partners’ Late Night Saloon at South by Southwest, Dominique Ansel debuted his latest creation: the chocolate chip cookie milk shot. The New York-based pastry chef brought along his famed Cronuts, too.

At a flavored popcorn station, custom-built stands had a false fill at the top so they never appeared empty. Serving staff refilled the popcorn at the base as needed.

On March 24, HBO hosted a premiere party for the third season of Veep at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. In the new season, Julia Louis-Dreyfus's character, Selina Meyer, has written a book. To highlight the plot, a bookshelf with faux copies of her book stood behind a colorful candy bar. Guests could fill the hollow books with red, white, and blue candies. Dylan's Candy Bar provided the sweets. Billy Butchkavitz designed the event.

Passed snacks at the Canteen event included mini burgers with truffle aioli, cheddar, and onion straws. The retro-style bites were garnished with sandwich picks and cornichons.

At the futuristic Toronto event, snacks from the Food Dudes included freshly made chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches. The treats were hand-churned using dry ice. Candice & Alison produced the function, which took place on March 27.

Lacoste also put its stamp on coconuts, which were freshly opened on the spot and served with straws.

Even cocktails at the 2012 Pencer Brain Trust Gala were infused with the color.

Dessert, served on the outdoor plaza, included a liquid nitrogen ice cream station with flavors such as Oreo cookie, butter pecan, vanilla, and pineapple-lime sorbet.
 

Occasions debuted a new concept at the event, a pour-over coffee station with beans from Intelligentsia. Guests could choose from four flavors, and staff would then make individual cups.

Here's an idea for a summery treat: New York-based catering company Elegant Affairs mixes blueberries into a mint julep recipe to make blueberry mint julep ice pops.

Over the summer, Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa in California launched the Lemon Break. The catering package includes a lemonade display replete with lemon tarts, lemon sorbet, lemon candies, lemon confit, lemon drops, lemon shooters, lemon chiffon cakes, lemon crème brûlées, and more thematic treats.

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.

At Washingtonian magazine's AT&T's Best of Washington party in 2012, Amaryllis designed the space to evoke the ambiance of a vintage ice cream parlor. Ted's Bulletin offered samples of its homemade Pop-Tarts—cinnamon and brown sugar, strawberry, and chocolate—that the company displayed in tall glasses filled with each flavor's ingredients.

At the Washingtonian event, Patrón served boozy desserts like whoopie pies and cake pops at its customized bar.

Though technically drinkable and not edible, Patron's 2011 bash in Orlando had interactive decor that guests could get a taste of. Just inside the front door, staff offered samples of five cocktails made with Patrón XO Cafe. They poured the drinks from fixtures placed on the wall in a gallery-like configuration.

Montreal-based caterer Agnus Dei created a popular interactive sorbet station. Rings of raspberry, mango, and coconut sorbet spun around a wheel, while guests simply had to hold up a scoop to the device to build their own cone.

The Washington National Opera's Opera Ball on June 7 had a Japanese theme. Susan Gage Caterers created the dessert buffet, which included cookies shaped like fans. They were displayed on a tray filled with white rice.

Chicago-based catering firm Truffleberry Market serves frozen cinnamon-rum-bananas-Foster mousse. 

For a different spin on the classic derby drink, Design Cuisine served mint julep snow cones at the 2011 Gilt City Washington launch party.