Try one of these three ideas for feeding a group, whether the occasion calls for casual fare or a high-end experience.
1. Casual: Burger joint Smashburger opened its third Las Vegas location on July 21. The restaurant expects to have online ordering available soon for easy meeting-break fare. It offers regional menu items like the Sin City Smashburger, which is a one-third- or half-pound patty made from 100-percent certified Angus beef, a fried egg, applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, grilled onions, haystack onions, and special sauce on an artisan egg bun. All locations are open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
2. Mid-Range: For alfresco entertaining, Wolfgang Puck handles the catering at the Palazzo Las Vegas' Azure pool. The menu includes chilled lobster salad with gazpacho sauce and avocado; cured organic salmon with spring vegetables, citrus segments, and olive oil; and flatbread pizza with mozzarella di bufala, tomato, and basil. There is also wine and champagne by the glass, plus magnum bottle service for labels like Dom Perignon, Perrier-Jouët Fleur, and Veuve Clicquot. Poolside brunch is available on Sundays.
3. Formal: For a multi-day corporate event, the catering team at the Mandarin Oriental created a dessert amenity with a high-end look that didn't break the bank. On the last day of the program, guests found in their rooms confections in the form of Gucci bags (for the ladies) and golf bags (for the men). Executive pastry chef Gianni Santin created the amenities. "The client was all about innovation in hard times, and this is what we did to please the client without spending a lot of money. In the good old days, they'd have the Gucci bag [in their rooms], but now we have the Gucci cakes. It's still luxury, but it's not so expensive," said director of catering and conference services Melina Beckett.
