Similar to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Esurance's SavorBand kiosks let guests tap N.F.C.-enabled bracelets to receive recipes and other information from vendors.
For the second year, the Travel Channel's Andrew Zimmern hosted an Oktoberfest-theme affair at Long Island City beer hall the Garden at Studio Square. Thanks to Samuel Adams, attendees sported traditional Bavarian hats in honor of the German festival.
Yoplait Greek invited festival guests to vote for their favorite yogurt in a taste-off at the Esurance Rooftop at Pier 92. The rooftop space was used for a number of events during the festival's run, including the Blue Moon Burger Bash, Ronzoni's La Sagra Slices, Tacos & Tequila: A Late Night Fiesta, and Meatopia X: The Carnivore’s Ball.
For Jets & Chefs: The Ultimate Tailgate, the cruise line served football-friendly Kobe beef hot dogs with pickled vegetables and push pops filled with chocolate mousse and crushed Oreos. Celebrity was also promoting its four-night NY Jets Cruise featuring current and former players onboard, which takes place March 26 to 30, 2015.
For the kid-friendly Jets & Chefs event, Ronzoni set up a station for younger football fans to create works of pasta art.
Thrillist's fifth annual Barbecue & the Blues was hosted by the cast of Food Network's The Kitchen (Katie Lee, Marcela Valladolid, Sunny Anderson, Geoffrey Zakarian, and Jeff Mauro). Guests were issued "passports" with perforated tickets, each adorned with tiny animal icons, that were used to redeem one dish from each station. The black token coin was used to vote for their favorite dishes, as part of the event's annual competition.
The media group offered branded stain-remover pens for the barbecue-sauce-loving crowd, along with mint and toothpick packs. Sweet Chick was voted "Best in BBQ" by The Kitchen cast and guests.
At the Grand Tasting presented by ShopRite, the pasta brand showed off its brand-new trailer—a renovated shipping container with a high-tech kitchen. Barilla hopes to build more of these mobile units in order to do demonstrations across the country, as well as to offer help to charities like Meals on Wheels.
Throughout the two-day Grand Tasting event, Barilla chefs prepared 20- to 30-minute recipes to promote the brand's pasta, as well as a new pesto product, which will be available next year.
To support the premiere of Cutthroat Kitchen: Superstar Sabotage, Food Network created an interactive activation for the special series. Prior to the Grand Tasting event, a glass-paneled truck, which resembled a briefcase, drove around New York with Cutthroat Kitchen dollar bills blowing around inside. At the Grand Tasting, participants had a chance to go inside the truck for 30 seconds to grab the bills.
In the spirit of the show, each participant also had to spin the "sabotage" wheel, which would determine their sabotage for the 30 seconds (e.g. you can only use oven mitts, you have to wear an eye patch, or you may have your hands cuffed together). The bills collected could be exchanged for real dollar bills.
This year at the Grand Tasting, Delta highlighted its farm-to-tray-table approach and its relationship with nutritious culinary partner Luvo. The space at Pier 92 featured onboard wines and mini wraps and snacks by Luvo. In addition, Delta flight attendants were on site to greet guests and hand out branded wine lanyards. Attendees could also enter for a chance to win a pair of economy round-trip tickets.
With football season in full swing, Beanitos staff, dressed as referees, handed out tailgate-friendly samples and posed for photo ops at the Grand Tasting.
At the Grand Tasting, culinary demonstrations took place on the stage outfitted by KitchenAid appliances. The brand also used the event as an opportunity to get valuable feedback from the chefs who used the equipment throughout the festival.
At the Grand Tasting, representatives from Mexico City were on hand to promote the city as a destination for conferences as well as a vacation spot. Guests could enter a chance to win a trip south of the border.
Well-known Mexico City chefs Azari Cuenca, Alejandro Ruiz, and Daniel Telle served authentic regional cuisine with a modern twist, such as a Mexican mincemeat wonton.
J.C. Penney showcased its new Possibilities furniture line, along with Halloween decor and a festive photo op, at Ronzoni’s La Sagra Slices, the Blue Moon Burger Bash, Jets & Chefs, and Meatopia X.
Artist Mr. Cheng demonstrated his paper-cutting skills by creating portraits of attendees as part of the store's activation at the festival.
At several of the festival's signature events, Groupon offered a fun interactive station where guests received silk-screened tote bags highlighting the discount site's offers for food, restaurants, spas, sport events, and more.
Mohegan Sun's Cigars & Spirits event featured cigar rolling experts, along with spirit brands, including Beam, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine, and Stolen Rum.
New York-based event designer David Stark says vintage- and billboard-style signage, like a glowing marquee, is still a popular trend that will carry over into the holidays.
At the Color Invasion event, presented by the International Interior Design Association’s New York chapter, held at Center548 last November, guests tried their hand at old-fashioned carnival games at the big-top-theme party.
At a holiday party produced by New York's Great Performances last December, costumed waitstaff served truffle mac ‘n’ cheese in mugs.
The City View Loft grand opening also featured mask-embellished cupcakes.
Add a touch of funky, festive sparkle to a party with the Marie Antoinette chandelier, $500, from Designer8 Event Furniture Rental.
The Poof Chair, from FormDecor in California, includes battery-operated LED lights to brighten up a holiday party scene in a rainbow of colors. Pricing is available upon request.
At the City View Loft party, guests got to pick and choose hangover cures to take home as practical favors.
Emerson College Los Angeles is a 10-story campus facility located in Hollywood. The mixed-used, creative space includes more than 200 dorm rooms, modern classrooms, an audio mixing suite, conference rooms, rehearsal spaces, an executive screening room, computer labs, and many areas for guests and groups. As of the fall, the academic facility is now promoting its creative space for groups as large as 300.
Image Locations recently acquired the south-facing section of the 30th floor at the AT&T Center, opening and operating the SkyStudio venue as of October. The new space has 27-foot windows and a variety of event uses, from photo studio to wedding venue—for which the bride could arrive by way of helipad. There are 4,424 square feet on the south side; the venue works in conjunction with LBA Realty, which manages the north side, still called the AT&T Center Penthouse. Both sides may be booked in combination. Events include 200 parking spaces in the lot across the street. Although the entire building uses Patina as exclusive caterer, it does not handle bookings for the floor.
Chef Vic Casanova, alongside business partner Seth Glassman, debuted the modern Italian steak house Pistola on bustling 3rd Street in September. The space is designed by interior designer Cliff Fong (who is also behind Michael Voltaggio’s Ink). The menu incorporates food imported from all over Italy combined with local, predominately organic ingredients. Pasta dishes include rigatoni alla vodka and squid ink agnolotti, plus steaks and chops from a wood oven. There’s also an extensive bar program. The space seats 120 guests or holds 200 for receptions.
At a year old, modern Cantonese restaurant Hakkasan Beverly Hills closed for two weeks and reopened with a new look in September. The interior, originally conceptualized by Parisian design firm Gilles & Boissier, has been reimagined to more closely reflect the experience of its flagship restaurant, Hakkasan Hanway Place in London. The enhanced space features a dramatic entrance constructed with clefted ostrich slate paneling, which incorporates intermittent bronze niches filled with delicate red resin candles. The blue backlit glass bar has been expanded to accommodate larger crowds. The restaurant seats 180, including in a lounge and private dining room, or holds 500 for receptions.
Hospitality vets John Terzian, Brian Toll, Markus Molinari, and Adam Koral of The H.wood Group opened the Nice Guy in August. Decorated to evoke the era of opulent mafia bars and restaurants, the space has a residential feel with intimate booths along the perimeter and larger booths flanking the room. The unique design includes a custom cedar wall and ceiling design, wide-board black American walnut flooring, custom inlaid carpets, and classic lighting fixtures. There’s a small live performance area and a private chef’s table in the kitchen alongside a take on a crime wall meant to catch crooks. Chef John-Carlos Kuramoto helms the kitchen and mixologist Brian Stewart the bar program. It seats 85 or holds 120 for receptions when the lounge seating is removed.
The Loews Hollywood Hotel completed a $31 million renovation in the spring. The 628 guest rooms now include minibars with high-end wines and snacks all made in California, plus a new in-room dining menu. The new lobby includes a dramatic outdoor curving staircase and modern materials like white marble floor and marbled-mirror columns, and there’s a new lobby lounge concept, H2 Kitchen & Bar. The property also redesigned its 77,000 square feet of meeting space.
Malibu Pier has undergone extensive renovations and reopened to the public this past summer. Malibu Pier Restaurant & Bar offers chef Jason Fullilove’s seafood-centric menu at the sophisticated dining venue on the pier. Designed by Erin Martin of Erin Martin Design, Mark Stevens of Architecture & Light, and visual consultant Joshua Klein, the 200-seat space is meant to reflect the ethos of its location and surrounding community. Nautically inspired white and blue decor and pieces of petrified whale bone evoke the feel of a Malibu beach house.
Boulevard Nightlife Group and Project Club London's newest nightclub, Project Los Angeles, opened in June with interiors by Gensler. The space has 17 booths spread over 8,000 square feet and holds 400. Its signature lighted cross is detachable for events. Projection screens and lighting panels wrap the space, and chandeliers drop from the high ceiling. A laser light show comes from from V Squared.
Barton G. Weiss opened an outpost of his restaurant Barton G. the Restaurant on La Cienega Boulevard in June. The 3,200-square-foot concept offers over-the-top culinary theatrics and features flowing drapes, floor-to-ceiling fresh orchid wall displays, and an exhibition-style pastry kitchen. There’s also a patio that holds 30.
Chefs Brooke Williamson and Nick Roberts opened Playa Provisions, their new 7,000-square-foot, four-in-one concept next to the beach in Playa del Rey, in June. Designed by DEX Design Studio, the airy and modern space includes Dockside, a seasonal seafood dining room; King Beach, a sandwich and fresh salad marketplace; Small Batch, a homemade ice cream counter; and Grain, a whiskey bar. Leather seating and fire pits dot the outdoor Dockside.
Neuman’s Kitchen
Julian Alonzo’s first foray into the food world was working under chef David Bouley at three-star New York restaurant Montrachet at the age of 16. He then earned his degree from the French Culinary Institute and took jobs in Parisian restaurants such as Maxim’s and Guy Savoy. Now executive chef at the New York-based catering firm Neuman’s Kitchen, Alonzo has prepared innovative menus for events such as the Lowline Anti-Gala and the International Interior Design Association’s Color Invasion benefit. He also has an artful, fresh way of presenting seafood dishes.
Hawaiian kampachi crudo, nasturtium, shiso vinaigrette, and trout roe
"This was a play on a checkerboard game I was playing with my son one afternoon. He was totally beating me because I was thinking about how it would look so pretty if I did this design with a tartare dish I was working on."
Shiraz Events
Born in Venezuela, Myriam Cordova studied at Casa de Campo University in Madrid before working alongside top chefs, including Douglas Rodriguez, Alex Garcia, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Zarela Sanchez. Cordova, who honed her skills as the executive chef at the Betsy Ross Hotel prior to heading up the culinary and catering division of Shiraz Events in Miami, also teaches at the New York Food and Hotel Management School.
A deconstructed piña colada made of coconut custard flan and baked into a dried coconut with homemade pineapple sorbet and a dark rum glaze
"We are always looking for new ways to serve classic flavors."
Pinch Food Design
Known for his innovative approach to plating, Bob Spiegal is in constant demand to cater prestigious New York events, such as the Whitney Museum’s fall gala, New York Philharmonic’s opening in the park, and the Cooper Union gala. He embraces the idea of one-bite food served without traditional silverware and plates, making Pinch a go-to caterer for unconventional presentations.
Formaggi, prosciutto, salumi foccacia, and Italian pickles served on a clipboard
"We wanted guests to have the same experience [of a traditional trattoria], but at an event. The clipboard was logical because it held the butcher’s paper, which had the menu printed on it."
Eatertainment
With former experience as a restaurant owner and a caterer for airlines and cruise ships, Christopher Matthews has been the executive chef at the Toronto catering company Eatertainment for five years. When he cooks, Matthews focuses on achieving balance between flavors, textures, and colors; specialties include colorblocked dishes that incorporate seasonal ingredients. Recognized for his striking presentation styles that don’t overwhelm a small plate, the chef is known to sketch his dishes before he prepares them.
Pasta with gold leaf, porcini powder, shaved truffle, and squid ink
"The dish was a balance of simplicity and elegance using two unique flavors that represented the land and the ocean. This is an example of my philosophy of keeping a dish simple, using just a few select ingredients, and then highlighting and balancing each one within the dish."
Boutique Bites
After getting her degree from New York’s Culinary Institute of America, Elaina Vazquez worked at luxury restaurants such as Avenues at the Peninsula hotel in Chicago and Joël Robuchon at the Mansion in Las Vegas. In 2008, at age 26, she opened her own catering firm in Chicago, which now serves a client base that includes fashion designers and film directors. Vazquez is known for what she refers to as “stylish minis”—everything from quarter-size cheeseburgers to tiny tacos.
Filet mignon sandwich
"The menu consisted of typical food you would take to a picnic—but presented in a fun, fashionable, and more interesting way. Filet mignon sandwiches were wrapped with parchment and tied with red-and-white twine; homemade potato chips were served in mini fry baskets."
Riviera Caterers
Coming from a long line of chefs, Andrew Cavitolo learned his culinary secrets early, starting at the age of 10 in his father’s kitchen catering weddings. After receiving his master’s degree in hospitality, Cavitolo continued his culinary studies in Switzerland before launching Riviera Caterers two years ago in New York. He now turns time-honored Italian family recipes into modern creations, while still maintaining a sense of Old World authenticity, for big-name clients like Nike and Bentley Motors.
Arancini “marble run” food station with tomato, basil, and olive oil powders
"We took something simple and made it extremely fun and interactive."
Entertaining Company
Entertaining Company owner Wendy Pashman describes Shawn Doolin as her “engineer of global cuisine.” The Chicago-based executive chef prepares ethnically diverse menus, including modern Indian fare and feasts for Jewish celebrations. The firm provides full-service catering for more than 1,000 events each year, and clients have included Burberry and the Society for Contemporary Art.
Papadums with tandoori chicken, pickled cipollini onions, and jalapeño crisps
"We wanted to incorporate tandoori chicken and moong dal ka salad—the bride’s two favorite dishes—into an hors d’oeuvre. The cocktail hour was held in the elegantly transformed loading dock, so we wanted the vessel, which became the plantain chip, to be something crispy that would hold up in humidity as well as the distance from the kitchen to the dock. And to make it easier for guests to pick up, we elevated it with silver bowls that were turned upside to create pedestals."
Wolfgang Puck Catering
Having worked his way up from a cook at a bar and grill, Los Angeles-based Matt Bencivenga is a 20-year veteran of the hospitality industry. As partner and chef of Wolfgang Puck Catering, Bencivenga oversees the company’s culinary development and operations in 15 markets across the country, serving innovative, high-end cuisine at noteworthy events. But he still considers his Jersey-style meatballs his most beloved dish.
White chocolate mousse in golden egg shells
"The egg shell is a great way to showcase different types of dishes. We fill it with chocolate mousse, crab Louie, and other options. Using an egg shell as a vessel during the spring is just so symbolic of the season that it’s become very popular."
Great Performances
Growing up in Westchester, New York, Matthew Riznyk developed an early passion for cooking with local ingredients. He earned a degree from the Institute of Culinary Education and went on to work for Marriott Hotels and the Myriad Restaurant Group before joining Great Performances in 2007. At the New York-based firm, he uses local, sustainable ingredients to develop dishes for the 100 Mile Menu, which incorporates items from farms within a 100-mile radius.
Seared sea scallops with apple purée, quick-pickled apple and mustard blossoms, and cider gastrique
"We have amazing sea scallops in New England waters, and fall is a great time of year [to serve] them. It is also the perfect season to showcase the diversity of New York State apples. We did this in three ways: in a savory purée, pickled, and in a gastrique."
Limelight Catering
Chef Molly Johnson got her big break working as a personal chef for actor Hugh Jackman. These days, she stays busy with full-service catering at Limelight Catering for some 1,000 events each year, and clients have ranged from Steppenwolf Theater Company to Google. Though she boasts a versatile repertoire, the Chicago-based chef specializes in Middle Eastern, and specifically Lebanese, cuisine.
Papadum crisp with braised French lentils, sweet pepper, carrot confit, toasted cumin, and fresh herb vinaigrette
"We ‘paint’ stripes on the plate with honey—or agave nectar if the dish is vegan—using small paintbrushes. Then, we gently dust over each line with an array of ground spices. This plate has turmeric, sweet paprika, cumin, and ground fennel—the same spices used in the preparation of the hors d’oeuvre."
Creative Edge Parties
Raised in New York’s Hudson Valley in a family of avid gardeners, Robb Garceau has always appreciated raw foods and fine ingredients. After college, he worked under chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at New York restaurants including Jean-Georges. At Creative Edge in New York, he services some 1,200 events a year for clients such as H&M, Twitter, and Keep a Child Alive—and still makes frequent trips to the local farmers’ markets.
“Shake ‘n’ Snack” (crispy, dehydrated seasonal vegetables and seasoning dusts); guests grab bags from the tray, then season the chips themselves
"The inspiration behind this dish really came from two places. The first was bringing back Shake ‘n Bake in a fun, current way. The second really stemmed from taking everyday ingredients and transforming them with a flavor twist."
SBE Events and Catering
Classically trained in Paris and with more than two decades of experience, Hugo Veltman brings expert execution and creativity to SBE Events and Catering. Prior to joining the Los Angeles-based company, Veltman worked at Patina Restaurant Group and Charlie Trotter in Chicago. Now in Hollywood, Veltman’s clients and events include major motion picture studios and premieres, like A Million Ways to Die in the West, as well as award celebrations, such as 2014’s Golden Globes after-party for the Weinstein Company.
Custom chili station with various fixings, such as cheddar cheese, green onions, jalapeños, sour cream, and Fritos, served in mini faux cast-iron skillets
"Most chefs try to show off what they can do; I aim to understand the client’s needs and fulfill them to perfection. I do this in a fresh, new, and innovative way, whether it means creating a custom menu or taking a classic and making it my own. It’s the details and execution that make my team different."
Scoozi Events NYC
A classically trained ballerina, Stella Ballarini originally attended culinary school in Italy as a hobby. She eventually turned her pastime into a business, founding New York's Scoozi Events in 1996, and became known for her playful food and creative presentation.
Edible menus printed with edible ink on edible rice paper
"The edible menus came from an idea to make everything edible on a table setting. We had hosted dinner parties in the past where 95 percent of the table was actually edible for guests to eat."
Truffleberry Market
The married catering duo of Vaidotas Karsokas and Brittany Ferrin, who met as prep cooks at a Chicago restaurant, started their business out of their parents’ kitchens with zero experience. Now, with a team of 10, they service high-end clients like Louis Vuitton and Chanel.
Chicken lettuce wraps attached to a wall of lemons using fabricated hatpins
"We always try to think outside the platter in order to give guests something extra to buzz about aside from the flavors themselves, so we knew something vertical and interactive would be the way to bring some drama into this fabulous food setting."
Design Cuisine
Formerly the executive chef for the Kennedy Center and its Roof Terrace, Shannon Shaffer has managed and developed catering for a slew of major Washington, D.C.-area events. While at Design Cuisine in 2013, he catered the inaugural luncheon at the Capitol for President Obama; he’s also handled catering for the National Trust on the Mall luncheon and the Wolf Trap gala. Innovative menu items have ranged from a D.I.Y. B.L.T. station to a 15-step beet salad.
Smoked mozzarella pearls with tomato and basil
"The inspiration behind the dish was to show the guests how we make mozzarella pearls. The use of molecular gastronomy has been more prevalent in the past few years, and we try to incorporate it where possible, but still serve more traditional food that people are familiar with."
Olivier Cheng Catering & Events
Jenny Glasgow, who worked as a senior advertising executive for more than a decade before becoming a chef, is the creative culinary force at New York’s Olivier Cheng Catering & Events, where she specializes in restaurant-caliber cuisine. Glasgow trained at the French Culinary Institute in New York and served as the director of culinary development at California-based Matthew Kenney Group before joining Olivier Cheng. With a diverse client base, including leading fashion houses, Glasgow and her team have created menus for events as far away as Doha, Qatar.
Ricotta späetzle with duck confit, served with a golden Gruyère broth, which is poured into the bowl, turning the liquid bright pink when it hits the beet gelée hidden underneath
"We had a client who was asking for a presentation with ‘wow’ factor. We didn’t want something that was just a gimmick. It had to be something that tasted good—that we would want to eat."
At last year's Boston gala, tables had woodsy decorations and names inspired by fairy tales. Some guests, for example, ate dinner at the Thumbelina table.
For the Toronto company's 2009 holiday party, chef Domenic Chiaromonte of Match Restaurant created a fairy tale-inspired menu. The chef, known for his scientific flair, used unexpected ingredients like edible paper adorned with the Capital C logo to create themed crackers (to accompany mini servings of butternut squash soup) and edible silver sparkle to top mini lobster burgers with double brie. For dessert, Chiaromonte served pink chocolate Cinderella shoes, jelly belly popcorn, flower pot mousse, and chocolate cheesecake orbs.
At the Aladdin-themed fund-raiser, held in Boston in 2010, servers wore fezzes as they passed hors d'oeuvres.
As a nod to the poisoned apple in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, escort cards at the fairy tale-themed gala were calligraphy-printed cards attached to red apples. The event was held in Washington in November.
In 2011, the Paris event included a fashion show with models sporting looks inspired by classic fairy-tale dresses. Flanked by the stage and bar, a 246-foot-long reflective runway ran the entire length of the tent and served as the site for the show.
The 2009 event in Toronto had a "Once Upon a Time" theme. The cocktail reception included a teacup ride.
Projections of moving bubbles lit up the opening-night party for the Broadway production of The Little Mermaid in 2008.
To play up the Cinderella theme at the opera's 2010 gala in Toronto, organizers placed a white carriage outside the entrance to the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
In 2010, Chicago's ballet company hosted a Cinderella-themed luncheon. Dessert was a dark-chocolate pumpkin filled with mousse and garnished with raspberries, hot-pink sugar, and a chocolate "XO."
The 2008 event also had a Cinderella theme. Guests entered on a pink carpet, flanked by trumpeters and two 8-year-old boys dressed as footmen.
