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Messy Food, Made Easy

February 11, 2017
S'mores
S'mores

S’mores got their start as sticky, gooey, handheld campfire treats, but events have reinvented them in many ways friendlier to guests, such as this example of a lollipop version at the Engage!14 Wedding Summit dessert party.

Photo: Tammy Swales/Engage!
Fried chicken
Fried chicken

At the Watermill Center’s benefit in 2015, Great Performances created dishes that would allow guests to easily roam—all self-serve options designed to be hand-held and didn't even necessarily require plates. Among them was fried chicken served in waffle cones.

Photo: Keith Sirchio for BizBash
Tiramisu
Tiramisu

At a September event, Preston Bailey transformed the new Four Seasons New York Downtown in celebration of his relationship with the property. As part of the event’s catering options, the hotel supplied tiramisu served as grab-and-go offerings.

Photo: Beth Kormanik/BizBash
Spaghetti and meatballs
Spaghetti and meatballs

Rather than the traditional bowl of splash-prone red sauce, New York’s Elegant Affairs offered a neater take on spaghetti and meatballs, using mess-free form topped with a micro meatball and marinara and sprinkled with parmesan.

Photo: Jan Van Pak Photography
Paella
Paella

Mary Giuliani Catering and Events in New York created a catering option of one-bite paella with shrimp and chorizo with sips of sangria, a take on the hearty rice dish.

Photo: Emily Gilbert for BizBash
Salad
Salad

Salad can be messy, with the risk of oily dressing ending up on clothes and hands. Occasions Caterers in Washington created a wedge salad bite hors d’oeuvre, served on a fork, that tidies up salad service.

Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Hummus and Pita
Hummus and Pita

Always a crowd favorite, hummus can get messy when served as a dip. At the 2014 Washington Humane Society's annual Fashion for Paws runway show, hors d'oeuvres during the reception included beets and hummus on pita points as a tidy alternative to service at a station.

Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Soup
Soup

A popular alternative to soup in a bowl, with all of its messy slurp potential, many caterers offer inventive soup shooters. One example: Chicago’s Boutique Bites' artful soup shooters with popcorn and truffle oil. 

Photo: Courtesy of Elaina Vazquez
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