Creative Catering Themes in Los Angeles

There’s a bit of a debate in the event planning business. It is about “what makes the party – the food, the entertainment, the venue or the theme?” A solid argument can be made for each of these – and all of them. After all, parties and events are immersive experiences that leave attendees with an overall sense of whether they had a good time or not.

Make no mistake: you can’t scrimp on food and beverages. Menu choices and service factors matter, too. But regardless of whether you hire Los Angeles taco cart caterers, carnival-style hot dog and cotton candy vendors or a Five Star restaurant chef, the food and beverage choices and service should match the nature of the event, the nature of the attendees and ideally flow naturally with other event features.

For example, taco catering naturally fits a Cinco de Mayo party theme, but it might also blend well with an event that celebrates environmentalism. Ask your mobile taco caterer to source ingredients locally and use sustainable fish taco catering selections, for example (tacos in particular are very adaptable because there is such a broad spectrum of ingredients that can be used).

So it might make sense to identify your theme and then plan the food to go with it. A good caterer should be able to develop a menu that pulls it all together. Here are what event planning websites say are most popular themes in 2015:

• • TV and movie themes – From “Mad Men” to “Game of Thrones” to “Frozen” and “Jurassic Park,” there’s no lack of inspiration to be drawn from the small and silver screens. Enterprising bar set ups might include an “Orange is the New Black mimosa” or a “Walking Dead craft beer.” Particularly clever family parties might find a lot to work with from “Inside Out,” the Pixar flick for 2015.

  • No party concept is too abstract – BizBash.com, an event planning industry trade site, cites corporate and institutional events for using word art projections on walls and ceilings (e.g., “The Art of the Possible”) in venue spaces. It’s not much of a stretch to imagine artful presentations of food – mobile taco catering with tilapia tacos, anyone? – at a bash like that.

  • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs are a hotbed of creativity – MitzvahMarket.com maintains a running list of themes that range from Jamaican to lacrosse, cupcakes, small batch babka, candles, trivia contests and fashion shows. One writer encourages planners to visit Pinterest to find theme and menu ideas.

One component that seems to permeate all themes and all planning – from family parties to corporate events – is that there be joy in the outcome. The event should be memorable and inspiring. As for the food, it’s well understood that few good things happen on an empty stomach.