Food

August 16, 2018

Wolfgang Puck Catering's Chef Shadowboxes

For a recent event at the Perot Museum of Science and Nature in Dallas, Wolfgang Puck Catering employed a "chef shadowbox." Meant to provide a strong visual behind a more standard food station, a chef in a shadowbox prepared appetizers as guests looked on.

Photo: Courtesy of Wolfgang Puck Catering

Wolfgang Puck's Frozen Sushi Station

Other new stations at Wolfgang Puck Catering include a frozen sushi station. The activation displays fresh fish and sushi rolls atop illuminated ice blocks with frozen orchids and other flowers inside.

Photo: Courtesy of Wolfgang Puck Catering

Blue Plate's Caramel Apple Station

In Chicago, Blue Plate Catering brings candy apple stations to holiday parties. Treats include apples dipped in caramel and assorted toppings and sliced up into snack-size portions.

Photo: Courtesy of Blue Plate Catering

Limelight's Fruit Wallpaper

In Chicago, catering firm Limelight has an innovative format for serving fruit skewers. The fruits are inserted into a custom wall with thematic wallpaper design (which varies for different events). Guests approach the wall and pull of a skewer and can dip the fruit in sauces that are arrayed on a nearby table.

Photo: Courtesy of Limelight

Limelight's "One Potato, Two Potato" Station

Instead of serving French fries at a stationary table, Limelight has used a wheelbarrow to deliver Belgian frites at events. The fries are served in cones, and assorted sauces are displayed on the side.

Photo: Artisan Events

The menu of dishes was similarly color-coded. For instance, the truffled quail egg on a miniature English muffin (pictured) was designed to represent yellow, while grilled lamb with a black sesame seed crust was meant to symbolize black.

Photo: Nilaya Sabnis

Catering trays used by Creative Edge were also made with old boxes and shredded pieces of West Elm's old catalogs.

Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash

Los Angeles Food & Wine

In one of the Lexus grand tasting's inspiring food presentations during L.A. Food & Wine, Big Sur's Post Ranch Inn served mini shaved ice cones in a metal bucket set up like a beach scene, with sugar for sand. Ingredients for the dessert came from the venue's garden.

Photo: Courtesy of Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival & Tyrone D. Washington

Two waiters served hors d'oeuvres on a six-foot tray.

Photo: Elizabeth Renfrow for BizBash

The caterers used tree slabs as trays for passed hors d'oeuvres.

Photo: A. Jesse Jiryu Davis

Among the creative presentations of passed hors d'oeuvres in the Breakers Mediterranean Courtyard was one that included chalkboard signage.

Photo: Lila Photo

Passed on trays covered with a bed of pea shoots, hors d'oeuvres from Creative Edge included chicken summer rolls, Tuscan grilled lemon shrimp with a white bean mousseline, and vegan banh mi.

Photo: Jika González for BizBash

Customized Macaroni and Cheese

At Stella McCartney's Electricity-Free Carnival in New York in 2012, a mac 'n' cheese station was set up as a two-part offering: guests could either select a mini serving on a spinach cone from a Ferris-wheel-shaped stand, or opt for a full cup that could be customized with toppings such as veggie bacon bits, truffle oil, jalapeños, scallions, or sriracha sauce.

Photo: Jim Shi

Wolfgang Puck Catering has set up its playful Easter Egg display at events including bridal shows and the 2012 Governors Ball in Los Angeles. Displayed on a springlike bed of grass, the dish tucked vanilla-and-wild-strawberry cake into gilded eggshells; tiny lavender macarons topped each treat. The company can also use the eggs to hold savory snacks.

Photo: Courtesy of Wolfgang Puck Catering

In June, Patina Catering catered the opening of Skyspace Los Angeles, the observation deck that also includes a glass slide 1,000 feet above the city. As part of an elaborate catering offering, Patina served late-night hors d'oeuvres that were passed as the party came to a close. The grab-and-go boxes featured cheddar beef sliders on mini sesame buns, crispy tater tots, and mini milkshakes.

Photo: Christopher Todd Studios

Secret Summer

The fourth annual Secret Summer, a farm-to-bar cocktail festival, took place August 12 at the Foundry in Long Island City in New York. Hangar 1 Vodka featured a hanging herb wall, inviting guests to garnish their lavender lemonade cocktails. The festival was produced by Tyler Hollinger of HighLife Productions, Andrew Maturana of hospitality company Rapt NY, and Alison DuVal of the Foundry.

Photo: Travis W Keyes

In one area, a robot bartender creates and serves drinks. (Don't worry, a human bartender is on hand to interact with the robot and make sure nothing goes wrong.)

Photo: Claire Hoffman/BizBash

Wolfgang Puck Catering also offered 3-D food printing throughout the evening. Blinis were topped with the catering company's logo, along with smoked salmon and dill crème fraîche. “It was a fun play on science and engineering,” explained chef Drew Swanson.

Photo: Antonio Diaz

In a blind tasting sponsored by Texas-based Revolver Brewery, guests with given face masks embroidered with the word “Intrigue.” They then tasted everything from puffed Korean spiced shrimp chicharrones to espresso-dusted crickets, trying to guess what they were eating.

Photo: Antonio Diaz