Outdoor Cooking Archives

Feeding the Fans

From major golf tournaments to air shows to motorsports races, Proof of the Pudding knows how to keep sports fans well fed.

The Atlanta-based catering company is expanding its reach into major outdoor sporting events. A longtime partner of the PGA Tour, Proof recently added NASCAR races at Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina and the Quad City Air Show in Davenport, Iowa, to its roster. That’s in addition to Proof’s many other large foodservice clients, including convention centers, sports and entertainment arenas, yachting shows and college stadiums.

Expanding the Borders of BBQ

Across the country, more and more barbecue aficionados are seeking out globally influenced flavors and grilling traditions like Brazilian churrasco. In its 2024 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast, the National Restaurant Association ranked “International BBQ” number three on its top 10 overall trends list. Catching fire are styles ranging from Chilean and Argentinean asado to Japanese yakitori to Korean barbecue, says Helen Jane Hearn, the association’s senior director for enterprise programs.

“We’re also seeing flavor mashups from different cultures, like bulgogi tacos or curry-infused barbecue sauces,” says Hearn.

Scoring a Pre-Game Success

Nearly 12,000 guests enjoyed the Official NFL Tailgate Experience before the Super Bowl, served up by Constellation Culinary Group.

Lanterns, candles and string lights illuminate a Marcia Selden Catering event. Photo by Hechler Photographers

Take It Outside

The days of getting wrapped up in faux fur to drink vodka and party at a “cool” ice bar in an igloo are so pre-COVID! Now we party in the great outdoors no matter how cold (or hot) it is—and have found creative and fun ways to do it, thanks to a pandemic. While COVID may be lurking in the background, we’ve moved on and are embracing the opportunity to party outdoors any chance we get!

Being mobile helped many food trucks survive the pandemic.

On The Road Again

Have food, will travel. When it came to weathering the pandemic, being on wheels helped some food trucks stay in business. “Mobility is a huge advantage for food trucks,” says Ross Resnick, co-founder and CEO of Roaming Hunger, a booking marketplace for more than 18,000 food trucks in the U.S. and Canada. “They will go where the opportunities are.”

THE STAYING POWER OF BBQ

There’s no doubt about it—Americans love to grill. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults own a grill or smoker, according to a 2020 survey by the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association. And the lockdowns of last summer gave them plenty of time to practice their craft during backyard cookouts.

Outdoor Cooking Equipment

When it comes to grilling and smoking outdoors, it’s important to have equipment you can trust. Grills and smokers must be hardy, portable and efficient. Most of all, they must produce the mouthwatering meats that keep your clients hungry for more. CFE has rounded up a selection of caterers’ favorites for you to consider for your next outdoor feast.

Dawnelle Dutcher opened Pompeii Wood Fired Pizza over a decade ago.

Mad for Mediterranean (Part 2)

The outdoors is “in” these days, as open-air spaces allow for social distancing, not to mention a healthy dose of sunshine and fresh air.
While not all cuisines mesh well with this more casual, often on-the-go type of dining, there’s one broad category that does—Mediterranean. In fact, the foods and flavors from countries on the Mediterranean Rim—including Greece, Spain, southern France and Italy, the Middle East and North Africa—are growing in popularity for more reasons than one.

C’est Magnifique!

Last July, Marcia Selden Catering & Events, based in Stamford, Conn., helped bring Paris to the Hamptons for an extravagant 50th anniversary party. The 200-guest event at a private home in East Hampton, N.Y., celebrated the hosts’ love for each other and for the City of Light.

Success Stories – Ready for Their Close-Ups

How two off-premise catering companies found success specializing in an entertainment niche—photo shoots and film productions

By Sara Perez Webber

Better Being
betterbeingnyc.com
When you see celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga on magazine covers in the supermarket check-out line, you may be looking at the end result of a process that included Better Being, a New York-based catering company. Better Being has become the go-to caterer for many high-end photographers in the city, who call on them to keep everyone on a photo shoot happy and well-fed.