Interactive Stations - Bar

Creative Edge Parties in New York offers a cut-your-own pasta station with hanging sheets of handmade pasta in different flavors and bowls of sauces so guests can choose their own custom combinations.

At the Campfire Ball benefit for Children’s Oncology Services in May at Venue One in Chicago, Cork Catering set up a make-your-own s’mores station.

Great Performances has stocked bars with infusions like blackberry maple whiskey, honeydew cucumber gin, and pineapple vodka.

Daniel et Daniel in Toronto offers an adult soda bar with spiked floats featuring rhubarb, chili, cherry, and root beer flavors.

Mary Giuliani Catering & Events in New York created a devil-your-own-egg bar with hard-boiled eggs set on ceramic cartons and mini pails filled with toppings like paprika, caper powder, chives, and bacon.

At an event at the Chicago History Museum in April, Jewell Events Catering used a Japanese ice-shaving machine to make treats guests could customize with flavors including cran-raspberry and mango.

Staffers from Spencer’s for Steaks and Chops at the Hilton Orlando serve cherry and Coca-Cola floats topped with frozen brandy drops, dark chocolate cake soaked with Coca-Cola, and sour cherry mousse at a dessert station that used nitrogen to freeze ingredients.

For a promotional party in New York, Thomas Preti Caterers served individual fondue cups filled with warm chocolate sauces, with items like marshmallows, kiwi slices, and strawberries to dip.

At Nespresso’s Pixie Launch in March at Williams-Sonoma at the Shops at Columbus Circle in New York, guests interacted with chef John DeLucie of the Lion, who served gravlax cured with “rosabaya de Columbia” espresso, crème fraîche, shaved baby vegetables, and pumpernickel croutons; and with Bouchon Bakery pastry chef Sébastien Rouxel, who offered his version of a cup of coffee with a fromage blanc parfait. 

Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Orlando purchased an interactive mobile kitchen with a camera and two flat-panel monitors to show its chefs’ preparations.

To match the futuristic look of a Lexus Event in April at Center548 in New York, Creative Edge Parties made desserts and cocktails like passion plume meringue dipped in a bowl of nitrogen, and the “Vanilla Infusion,” with Absolut Vanilia and tangerine and vanilla kumquat marmalade. 

Pinch Food Design in New York offers an interactive dessert station that changes the vantage point of the food, so guests look up to reach for hanging sweet galettes and then top them with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resort in Orlando has a new backpack contraption called the “Rocketman” that straps to the back of a staffer, who can serve beverages among mingling guests.

At an Aaron’s Catering promotional event for clients at Haven Lounge in Miami in July, a server passed fruit bars to guests, and then a second server approached with a tray of misters filled with alcohol to spray on the popsicle.

Mena Catering in Miami created a hash bar with soft poached eggs served in a martini glass with an assortment of freshly made ingredients and hollandaise sauces.

Pinch Food Design in New York created a taco station, where guests could decorate homemade tortillas with an array of toppings served in custom-made resin pedestal pieces inspired by handcrafted Mexican pottery.

At a March event at Gotham Hall, Elegant Affairs Caterers created “salad-tinis” made by “chef-tenders,” who mixed ingredients with oversize drink shakers and served them in martini glasses.

At a promotional event at Skylight West in New York in June, Great Performances showcased its house-made sodas, ice cream floats, and handspun milk shakes at a soda jerk station.

Blue Plate in Chicago is one of the caterers now using a device called an “anti-griddle”to freeze snacks as guests watch.

For outdoor events, the W Boston builds an iced-tea bar featuring infusions such as matcha green tea and herbal variations.

Thomas Preti Caterers in New York recently created a Bloody Mary bar with ingredients including pickled vegetables, scallions, beef jerky, and rosemary stirrers, plus spicy elements like banana peppers and jalapeños.

At a Queens Botanical Garden gala in New York in June, Tip of the Tongue served pink cherry lemonade, lemon mint iced tea, Corona coolers (with ginger, cucumber, lime, and gin), and strawberry watermelon agua fresca from garden carts decorated with miniature potted roses. 

At a recent private event, Choura Events in Long Beach, California, served Louis Roederer Cristal and Dom Perignon from Champagne carts.

Inspired by the food truck craze, Abigail Kirsch in New York created roving carts to bring guests desserts and beverages, like gelato with dipped miniature cones and toppings, or sangria and punch.

At a private event in Miami in December, A Joy Wallace Catering Production & Design Team served meats from a rolling carving station.

FoodInk Catering and Bling Bling Dumpling in Los Angeles recently collaborated on a new dim sum cart. 

To give guests a variety of flavors, L-Eat Catering in Toronto now uses a four-compartment dish for multiple entrées, including roasted petit beef tenderloin fillet, miso-glazed black cod, mushroom risotto, and a green bean bundle. 

Abigail Kirsch in New York is now offering family-style service at events, which allows each table to sample more dishes and enables guests to select what they want. Menu options include a mixed grill of free-range chicken, shrimp brochettes, and short rib of beef, with side dishes like corn pudding soufflé, glazed sweet potato steak fries, yellow and green bean vinaigrette, and watermelon tomato salad.

Jewell Events Catering in Chicago served vegetarian bento boxes to guests at Saks Fifth Avenue’s Stella McCartney boutique press luncheon in April.

Creative Tastes Catering & Event Production in Miami serves meals from mason jars with spoons attached, including a created breakfast-on-the-go with yogurt trifle. 

At April’s Michael Jordan Celebrity Golf Invitational at Aria Resort in Las Vegas, MGM Resorts Events served dessert shooters, cupcakes, and mini pastries on a custom-built LED video chandelier.

The chandelier lowered to become a 24-foot round dessert buffet.

Thomas Preti Caterers prepared hors d’oeuvres set on large Lucite tables suspended from the ceiling, at a launch party for lighting designer Bentley Meeker’s book, at Gotham Hall in New York in April.

Hors d'oeuvres from L-Eat Catering included tuna tartare in a wonton cone with tomato, avocado, sambel mayo, and red tobik.

Contemporary Catering put together a menu of passed hors d'oeuvres that included ahi tuna tartar in wonton crisp taco shells.

Marigolds & Onions served a selection of hors d'oeuvres including a blini club with a duo of mesquite smoked chicken and bacon, fig preserve, rocket, and chipotle mayo.

Hors d'oeuvres included meatballs topped with smoked mozzarella served in spoons.

At the South Beach Wine & Food Festival earlier this year, the Sweet 15 Dessert reception included a take on birthday cake and ice cream from Jean Georges Vongerichten's Matador and Market restaurants at the Miami Beach Edition hotel. Crème fraîche cake, vanilla bean crémeux, confetti nitro ice cream, raspberry gel, a white chocolate candle, and 23-carat edible gold flake comprised the dish.

Strawberry milkshakes from Elegant Affairs Off-Premise Catering & Event Design in New York accompany sirloin sliders as a late-night snack for guests—a sophisticated twist on kid-friendly diner fare.

At the Engage! wedding summit held in Colorado in 2014, the event's dessert party offered an easy-to-eat lollipop version of campfire s'mores. (The event's rustic location inspired other various camp-inspired details.)

Last year, Abigail Kirsch Catering in New York began offering colorful mini ice cream sandwiches for events. Flavors include pistachio coconut pineapple and carrot butter pecan caramel, served in matching foil for easy, neat eating.

For the Recording Academy's official Grammy Awards after-party in Los Angeles, known as the Grammy Celebration, new caterer Patina this year set up dessert buffets where cotton candy hung from tree branches.

At the so-called "Anti-Gala" for the Lowline in New York in 2012, ice cream sandwiches and gelato provided by Lower East Side food vendors Melt and Il Laboratorio del Gelato served as kid-style dessert that appealed to adults.

At the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscars benefit bash earlier this year, the after-party included espresso milkshakes topped with mini doughnuts on straws.

Abigail Kirsch in New York created smoked cheddar-glazed mini doughnuts dusted with peanut brittle for a surprising sweet-and-savory twist on a classic glazed doughnut. To serve them, the caterer repurposed a plate display rack by turning it on its side and threading the doughnuts through.

Sterling Engagements hosted a party in Los Angeles last year to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The array of catering options there included a sophisticated milk-and-cookies dessert bar including various flavors of milk.

New York’s Elegant Affairs Caterers created a dish of Pop Tart lollipops available in flavors like apple cinnamon, strawberry, and s'mores.

For its Fall Ball in 2014, the New York-based art nonprofit Creative Time created a sleepover followed by a late-night dance party. For the sleepover portion, a bar served milk and cookies. But instead of milk, the offering was white Russians served in milk bottles.

At Allison&Partners’ Late Night Saloon at South by Southwest in 2014, pastry chef Dominique Ansel debuted what was then his newest creation: the chocolate chip cookie milk shot. (His famous Cronuts made cameos too.)

This year, Patina will partner with Santa Maria, California-based Babé Farms for fresh, local ingredients.

In the kitchen, 750 chefs will prepare Patina's three-course meal.

Patina's first course is a colorful array of baby beets.

This year's dessert will be a flourless chocolate cake garnished with a colorful flower.

LA Premier's 700 arrangements will make use of 50,000 hydrangeas, 80,000 roses, and 20,000 succulents.

It's the first year that organic materials such as herbs will be used in the flower arrangements.

The tallest floral arrangement at the balls will tower from a 40-inch custom trumpet vase.

Cellar Door chocolates returns as this year's official chocolate sponsor.

The Emmys signature cocktails will include such garnishes as herbs like rosemary, which will also be present in floral arrangements this year, all reflective of the Nature's Elegance theme. There will be 4,000 hand-picked fresh lavender flowers, 4,000 hand-picked mint blooms, and 3,000 manicured orange twists for cocktail garnish.

Sponsor L'Oreal will set up a makeup touch-up bar for guests.