Hard-surfaced fruit makes for a healthy snack—and an unexpected place for a brand logo. Fun to Eat Fruit creates the logos using safe-to-eat, custom images without bruising or puncturing the skin.
At the reception for the Tuscan Trio Dinner February 20 at Siena Tavern, chef Fabio Viviani served mini coccoli—crispy dough, stracchino cheese, prosciutto di parma, and truffle honey.
Servings of Oreo cheesecake came with a folded napkin and spoon, making for smoother service in the dine-around format. The dessert, from Tru Tru Cakes and More, was served at the Farm to Table Brunch February 22 at the Palms Hotel & Spa.
Clothespins provided an unexpected serving presentation idea for a dish at the Flavors of India dinner.
Josh Gripper from the Dutch at W South Beach served a white chocolate and dark rum creation served in an angled glass that made it easier to reach the contents with a spoon.
Jenny Keller, the Seattle-based founder of Jenny Cookies, is the author of Eat More Desserts. In her book, Keller provides a recipe for "brownie nests" (pictured) that are made with brownies, coconut shreds, buttercream frosting, and colored jelly beans.
Another whimsical dessert from Truffleberry Market is a flight of miniature pancakes, served with sweet toppings such as chocolate hazelnut, Meyer lemon curd with berries, and maple bacon.
Limelight's "Smash It" station offers assorted homemade chocolate bark in flavors such as dark chocolate with dried cherries. Mallets next to the sweets let guests "smash" off a snack-size piece of the bark.
Celebrity chef Brian Malarkey’s newest concept, Farmer and the Seahorse, opened in June at the Alexandria at Torrey Pines. At 3,500 square feet with room for 172 guests in the dining area, the seasonal American restaurant is available for private events and has a separate banquet menu that includes boxed lunches.
The Hawaiian-inspired restaurant Duke’s touches down in La Jolla with the new addition to the T S Restaurants portfolio, Duke's La Jolla. Opened in November, the bilevel restaurant includes balconies on each level for a combined 13,000 square feet and features views of the shoreline. It holds 430 for receptions. For smaller gatherings, the restaurant has a private dining space that seats 12. Partial buyouts are also available.
Encore Catering
Toronto-based chef Roshan Wanasingha attended culinary school in Sri Lanka, then made his way through the kitchens of luxury hotels such as the five-star Hilton Colombo and the seven-star Burj Al Arab in Dubai. At Encore Catering, Wanasingha has spent the past year catering to clients such as Nike and BMW; he also serviced a million-dollar wedding.
Green tea, Chivas Regal whiskey, and white chocolate gelato served in a smoking teapot
"A couple of years ago, I went to a Chinese dim sum restaurant and they served a green tea. I was looking at it and said to myself it would be a great idea to do a green tea sorbet on a smoking teapot. It’s a very unique concept because it looks like it’s hot, but its cold. It’s almost like you’re serving sorbet on smoking water."
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."
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."
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."
Occasions Caterers
Heather Weaver decided that she wanted to be a chef at a young age, and after culinary school, she began to work in some of Washington, D.C.’s most distinguished restaurants. Her respect for ingredients and tradition combined with creative curiosity led her to her current role as the lead chef of research and development at Occasions Caterers in the Nation’s Capital. With the help of co-founder Eric Michael and creative director Amy Lewerenz, Weaver develops, tests, and explores new dishes, ingredients, and presentations in an effort to stand out from fellow caterers.
Scallop hors d’oeuvres with shells magnetically affixed to metal pins attached to driftwood trays
"When interpreting or reinterpreting dishes, you should always begin with understanding its origin and the culture that created it. The tray design was truly about form and function. … Eric conceived the idea of producing something that related to the ingredients, was striking, and functionally effective."
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."
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."
Evoke recently hosted a showcase in Washington that displayed cocktail ideas for each of the four seasons. The winter cocktail, created by Stir Bartending Company and Evoke, was champagne served with St. Germain liqueur, Angostura bitters, a lemon peel, and a sugar cube. The drink was also served with gold-dusted marshmallows from Fluffy Thoughts.
Southern food and culture magazine Garden & Gun celebrated its 10th anniversary with a party at the Beekman in New York. Inspired by Southern hospitality, the event offered Cheerwine and mini boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts as party favors.
Thierry Cafe in Vancouver recently celebrated with limited-edition Canada-theme desserts, including hazelnut macarons with maple buttercream, and a birthday cake made with chewy hazelnut dacquoise, a maple ganache with toasted hazelnuts, light maple cream, and a layered dark chocolate mousse.
Chicago-based Fig Catering serves a winter-inspired twist on the caprese salad, which is typically served during warmer months. The bite-size salad consists of beets, apples, mint, and mozzarella.
Hot chocolate is a standard winter beverage, and Met Back Bay in Boston serves flight of four mini glasses: the classic hot chocolate with vanilla chocolate, whipped cream, and mini toasted marshmallows; the espresso, served with an almond biscotti garnish; the caramel sea salt, served with whipped cream and caramel drizzle; and the white chocolate peppermint made with white chocolate, vanilla cream, and crushed peppermint stick. Each flavor also is available as a larger, single version as well as in an alcoholic version.
The event brought in ESPN and Big 10 Network commentator Robbie Hummel to offer guests advice on filling out brackets, and had on-theme catering treats such as basketball cake pops.
Another creation was rosé sorbet. The team shared the recipe: Bring sugar and water to a boil and allowing it to simmer until the sugar dissolves. Cool and mix in Kim Crawford Rosé, then freeze in a loaf pan. Process in a food processor until its smooth, and then freeze again until it’s firm and ready to serve.
New York bar and lounge the Skylark is offering a customizable menu dubbed Rosé Your Way. Available on Wednesdays throughout the summer, the menu offers twists on traditional rosé beverages, created by head mixologist Johnny Swet. In the Frosé Your Way option, guests can order rosé mixed with St. Germain, cranberry juice, simple syrup, and lemon wheel, then choose between toppings including rosé gummies, seasonal fruit, or edible flowers.
The Midtown venue is also offering popsicles made with coconut sangria and Whispering Angel rosé.
