On Thursday night, four local caterers showed off their latest appetizers at the BizBash Hors d'Oeuvres House, part of the New York City Wine & Food Festival. The two-hour cocktail party, held at Skylight West, drew about 400 people.
On the venue's sixth floor, Diane Gordon Catering (formerly Entertaining Ideas), Taste Caterers, Thomas Preti Caterers, and Sonnier & Castle served two hors d'oeuvres each at sleek white tasting stations. Attendees moved from station to station (and back again), devouring tray after tray of bite-sized food. Hors d'oeuvres included Taste's braised short rib soft tacos with Manchego and tomato relish and Sonnier & Castle's seared beef sirloin with Danish blue cheese, walnut, watercress, and apple. Other bites were influenced by the change of seasons, including Diane Gordon's autumn vegetable risotto canapes and Thomas Preti's chicken-apple sausage corn dogs with apple cider mustard.
The decor also had a fall feel. Lounge furniture and throw pillows from Party Rental were in soft jewel tones, and lighting by Bentley Meeker Lighting & Staging cast an autumnal glow throughout the room. The lighting company also added a whimsical touch with projections of forks and knives on the walls behind the catering stations, and projected the BizBash logo on the billboards on the venue's rooftop. DJ Tabu played an upbeat mix of lounge music.
Behind the bar, staffers from Eye-5 Mktg & Talent served specialty drinks created for the event with spirits from sponsor Southern Wine and Spirits. Diane Gordon offered a pear-elderflower cocktail with Tito's vodka; Thomas Preti made a spiced apple daiquiri with Flor De Cana Gold rum; Damon Boelte of Prime Meats created the Daylight Line, a mix of Partida Blanco tequila, sage, and ginger beer; and Paolo Votano of beverage consultancy firm On the Rocks NYC created the Pama Zen, with Pama pomegranate-flavored liqueur, red wine and cranberry juice.
