Grilled corn on the cob with assorted toppings; roasted potato salad on chive sticks; watermelon cubes with feta and spinach; spinach salad with chopped eggs and microgreens in bacon cups; “hot dog” and “hamburger” macarons; and apple pie parfaits, by Windows Catering Company in Washington
Photo: Erika Rydberg for BizBash
Tribute Dinner
For the second course of the Tribute Dinner, guests poured potion bottles of red fruit soup over lobster in a dish by Spanish chef Quique Dacosta, whose eponymous restaurant boasts three Michelin stars. The February 21 event at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel honored Basque cuisine pioneer Juan Mari Arzak as well as Ted Baseler, president and C.E.O. of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.
Photo: Sergi Alexander/Getty Images
Culinary Odyssey: An Israeli Dinner
Presenting dishes family-style? Colorful presentation helps, like the dishes served at the Culinary Odyssey: An Israeli Dinner event February 19 at the Ritz-Carlton Residences Miami Beach. Chef Michael Solomonov prepared the dinner with two visiting Israeli chefs, Meir Adoni and itan Vanunu. The dishes included twice-cooked eggplant, beets with tehina, Moroccan carrots, tabbouleh with quinoa and walnuts, and Bulgarian-style pepper salad.
Photo: Shelby Soblick/Getty Images
Chef After-Party
A particularly bountiful and colorful dessert buffet was decorated with whole and cut fruit at the Chef After-Party February 20 at Thompson Miami Beach hotel.
Photo: John Parra/Getty Images
Harlem Shake Dinner
Served during the reception at the Harlem Shake Dinner, compressed watermelon with feta cheese “snow” had a striking color contrast. Chef Marcus Samuelsson hosted the event with Charles Gabriel, JJ Johnson, and Christopher Lee on February 20 at the Forge restaurant.
Photo: Zoltan LeClerc/Getty Images
Hors d'oeuvres included meatballs topped with smoked mozzarella served in spoons.
Photo: Ryan Emberley
Hors d'oeuvres served at the cocktail reception included caviar blinis.
Photo: BizBash
Abigail Kirsch's menu of passed hors d'oeuvres included bites of peppercorn beef with caramelized onion jam and horseradish mousse on a rosemary croustade.
Photo: Alison Whittington for BizBash
Hors d'oeuvres from Daniel et Daniel Event Creation & Catering included a roasted tomato tartare in a mini wonton cone with Parmesan crème fraîche and micro basil.
Photo: BizBash
Among the passed hors d'oeuvres were cheeseburger sliders on poppy seed buns.
Photo: Tony Brown/Imijination Photography for BizBash
Antipasto
In Chicago, Blue Plate Catering handled the catering for a September wedding at Prairie Productions. The food-loving couple wanted to keep presentation clean and simple, and they served appetizers at several stations. One held charcuterie, including spicy salami, speck americano, and prosciutto piccante.
Photo: Sarah Loarp
Locally Produced Cheeses
Another station held local cheeses, including smoked butterkäse from Illinois and a blend of cheddar and Gruyere from Wisconsin.
Photo: Sarah Loarp
Artisan Donuts
The couple also had a station—under a "Treat Yo Self" sign—that served artisan donuts. Flavors included passion fruit and triple chocolate.
Photo: Sarah Loarp
Tuna Tartare Under Glass
The Four Seasons Hotel Chicago hosted a showcase of wedding trends in September. Menu items included three variations (and presentations) for tuna tartare.
Photo: KingenSmith
Champagne Punch
The hotel showcase served "Queen Anne's Punch" in crystal champagne coupes garnished with edible flowers.
Photo: KingenSmith
Petit Fours
At the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, takeaway gifts were petit fours shaped like miniature wedding cakes.
Photo: KingenSmith
Scallops and Risotto
In New York, Naturally Delicious recently catered a fine-dining wedding. Instead of a more typical seafood entrée, guests were presented with scallops atop wild mushroom risotto.
Photo: Karen Wise Photography
Poached Eggs
A vegetarian dish was poached eggs served with asparagus.
Photo: Karen Wise Photography
Honey-Blossom Mascarpone
Dishes also included small portions of honey-blossom mascarpone with clementine granita.
Photo: Karen Wise Photography
Tiramisu
Desserts included tiramisu with a shot of espresso on the side.
Photo: Karen Wise Photography
Branded Cocktails
In Toronto, Eatertainment serves custom bottled cocktails for weddings held at its venue, the One Eighty.
Photo: Courtesy of Eatertainment
Ramen Noodles
Eatertainment has served mini bowls of ramen noodle salad as appetizers at weddings.
Photo: Courtesy of Eatertainment
Jar Cakes
As an alternative to traditional wedding cake, Eatertainment offers layered cakes served in jars.
Photo: George Pimentel
Kobe Tartare
Sarah Banasiak, chief creative officer for the Revel Group, recently got married in Chicago. Limelight Catering, the company's catering arm, prepared the dinner. Passed appetizers included Kobe tartare on potato crisps with capers, Dijon mustard, and frisée lettuce.
Photo: Erika Dufour Photography
Oysters
Banasiak's dinner began with Kumamoto oysters on the half shell with crème fraîche and caviar.
Photo: Erika Dufour Photography
Grilled Kobe Beef
The couple served grilled Kobe beef with foie gras butter, hedgehog mushrooms, and sauteed spinach. Each course was paired with Cream wines from Sonoma and Sicily.
Photo: Erika Dufour Photography
Black-Truffle Pasta
The pasta course was handmade strignoli with torn Tuscan kale, shaved Parmesan, truffled chive butter, and Meyer lemon cream sauce. After dinner, guests headed to a whiskey and cigar bar replete with bacon swizzle sticks; there were also after-dinner snacks of boozy milkshakes, Patty Melt sliders, and cones of French fries.
Photo: Erika Dufour Photography
Susan Gage Caterers prepared a watermelon radish and citrus salad as the first course for the Atlantic Media Welcome Dinner on Friday night at the home of C.E.O. David Bradley. The menu also included seared sea bass with a bell pepper coulis, ginger basmati rice with pistachios, and julienne snow peas.
Photo: Max Taylor
Time and People set up an adult lemonade stand serving specialty versions of favorite springtime cocktails at their joint Friday-night party at the St. Regis hotel. The names of the cocktails had a political theme: the tequila-based "Primary Punch" and a vodka-based drink called the "Delegate."
Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Time and People
At The New Yorker's cocktail party, passed hors d'oeuvres from the W Washington D.C. included spicy ginger tuna with avocado, served on trays featuring former covers of the magazine.
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris
Design Cuisine Caterers served a mix of savory and sweet brunch foods at the annual Garden Brunch on Saturday afternoon hosted by Tammy Haddad, Sally and Mark Ein, BizBash's David Adler, and others. Breakfast items included chilaquiles breakfast mugs of tortilla, pulled chicken, refried beans, monterey jack cheese, salsa, and sliced jalapeño.
Photo: D. Channing Muller
Garden Brunch guests could choose from three types of tomato juice and a variety of vodkas and garnishes at a make-your-own Bloody Mary bar, sponsored by the Distilled Spirits Council.
Photo: D. Channing Muller for BizBash
A dessert buffet included treats such as white chocolate rocky road squares (pictured), peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich cookies, packaged brownies from Dog Tag Bakery, and banana tartlets.
Photo: D. Channing Muller for BizBash
Occasions Caterers served comfort foods at CNN's Political Hangover brunch. Mini chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy, and sliders lined Pop Art-inspired buffet stations from Design Foundry.
Photo: D. Channing Muller for BizBash
Occasions staffers dressed like hot dog vendors wandered throug the party at Long View Gallery with mini hot dogs and traditional toppings of relish, mustard, and ketchup.
Photo: D. Channing Muller for BizBash
Occasions also catered MSNBC's after-party at the United States Institute of Peace. There were multiple flights of food for the buffets as well as fixed and roaming specialty stations. One of the roaming stations featured traditional and sweet potato french fries with a variety of toppings including chili, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, truffle oil, onion, and cheese curds.
Photo: Tony Brown/Imigination Photo
There was also a fixed fries station serving guests to better accommodate the demand.
Photo: Tony Brown/Imijination Photo
A chef created caricature pancakes of presidential candidates, as well as President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, at a specialty station. An overhead camera gave guests a view of the action.
Photo: Tony Brown/Imijination Photo
The first wave of savory passed hors d'oeuvres included asparagus and gruyere beignets.
Photo: Tony Brown/Imijination Photo
Occasions also passed espresso-crusted smoked beef carpaccio served on individual forks with a spicy herb salad as part of the early menu.
Photo: Tony Brown/Imijination Photo
Around midnight, Occasions switched the menu from dinner to breakfast foods, serving mini huevos rancheros (pictured), french toast trios, and steak-and-egg burritos with havarti cheese.
Photo: Tony Brown/Imijination Photo
The final wave of the menu began around 1 a.m. with dessert options including a trio of floats: root beer, egg cream, and Boston cooler.
Photo: Tony Brown/Imijination Photo
