Catered by Design

10/02/2026

✨ We had a spectacular time catering the Citadel Theatre Company 12th Annual Fundraising Gala, Dance 830 last weekend! The extravagant gala was held at a private estate designed by the famous architect David Adler where guests could view the gorgeous grounds while indulging in our delicious offerings. From our popular Chicken Poblano hors d’oeuvres to our elegant stations, we hope each guest enjoyed and had a splendid evening raising money for the arts! 🎼

09/30/2026

🍷 Welcome to our first ever installment of W**E WEDNESDAYS! We wanted to highlight our brand new w**e selections across our beverage menu from the brightest of Pinot Grigio’s to the lushest of Cabernets. Stay tuned each month to learn about our w**e offerings and find your new favorite for your next event!

💗 Our first selection is The Collection Prosecco Extra Dry Rosé Millesimato which is featured on our Platinum Bar Service package, Tier Two W**e & B**r Tier Package, and our Sparkling W**e Bar. This bright and balanced Rosé contains notes of red berries, peach, and rose petals making it an excellent choice to dazzle guests at a wedding, gala, or other high-end event.

🔗 Want to learn more about Catered by Design’s beverage catering services and signature crafted libations? Head to our website via the link in our bio!
**eoftheday **epairing

09/29/2026

🍁 Fall is finally here, and it’s time to mark your calendars!

🎃 On Saturday, November 7th, Sustainable Events Collective will be back to host another Pumpkin Smash Party! You’re invited along with your friends, family and neighbors to take your pumpkins from Halloween and smash ‘em up to compost them. Join us anytime from 11:30am-2:30pm at New Life Community Church in East Humboldt Park to partake in some smashing, hot beverages, and fun music!

📍 Event Location: New Life Community Church East Humboldt Park | New Life East Humboldt Park
♻️ Composting & Equipment: Urban Canopy | The Urban Canopy
☕️ Hot Beverages: Katherine Anne Confections | Katherine Anne Confections
🎵 Music & Entertainment: Total Harmony | Total Harmony Entertainment | Chicagoland Wedding DJ
📸 Day-of Photographer: Alaura Creative | Alaura - Chicago Wedding Photographer

📍 New Life Community Church, 1651 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
🗓️ November 7th, 2026

09/22/2026

🍁 Happy first day of fall, everyone! Sweater weather is here and so are all of the fall treats and autumnal events! We can’t wait to help bring events of all kinds to life this season from full-service soirées to delivered delights. Take a look through our seasonal menus for Oktoberfest, Halloween, and Thanksgiving! 🥂

📸 Image credits for the lovely photographers we are so thankful to get to work with:
🍂 Image 1: Ashley & Charlie’s Wedding by Ashlyn Henry | Ashlyn Henry ✨Boston & Chicago Photographer
🍁 Image 3: Jake & Edward’s Wedding by Sam Schultz | Sam Schultz - Wedding Photographer 🍉🏳️‍🌈
🍃 Image 5: Dylan & Mike’s Wedding at Firehouse Chicago by Megan Saul | Illinois & Florida Wedding Photographer
💐 Image 6: Jordan & John’s Wedding by Rachael Watson | Rachael Watson Photography- Chicagoland Wedding Photographer

09/21/2026

☀️ As an official goodbye to summer, we wanted to celebrate our herb garden and all of the dishes that were made even more delicious from our harvest! As always, our tomatoes were used in many dishes such as for our Bruschetta hors d’Oeuvres ~ our basil also used in our Bruschetta is used for delicious pesto ~ and our mint has been used for a lovely garnish and ingredient in our beverages such as the Wh***ey Smash! 🍅

🌿 Want to learn more about our sustainability practices? Visit our website via the link in our bio! 🔗

09/17/2026

📝 Customize your event stationary to reflect your personality and serve as a keepsake for your guests to remember the deliciousness from the day! ✨

As the last stop in our posts revolving around sprucing up your catered event - we wanted to highlight customized stationary! Consider creating an eye-catching menu card to greet guests upon their arrival at their designated table. It serves as a great preview to their meal be it a plated or buffet experience. 

Also consider personalized place cards for each guest that indicates where they will be sitting. We recommend keeping it simple with your guest’s name, table number, and their entrée indicator. You can get creative with the indicator! We have seen it all from color coordination, animal silhouettes, and beyond. Both your custom menus and place cards while serving a practical purpose will also serve as a sentimental one. 

Your guests can keep these items for years on end to remember the wonderful time they had at your event be it a wedding, gala, or shower. We’re happy to recommend some notable stationary experts we’ve had the privilege of working with such as gigi mager studio | custom stationery and paper goods , Pratto Paper Shop , Erin Manning | Wedding Invitations + Stationery , Smitten Boutique to name a few!

✨ Image & stationary credits for the lovely vendors we are so thankful to get to work with:
Image 3: 📸 Marianne Nicodem ~ Nicodem Creative | Modern Classic Photo + Video | 📝 Stationary by Client
Image 4: 📸 Kerri Carlquist ~ Kerri Carlquist | 📝 Stationary by Client
Image 5: 📸 Expedition Joy ~ Chicago & Tampa Wedding Photographer | 📝 Stationary by Client
Image 6: 📸 Madi Ellis ~ Madi | Chicago Wedding Photographer | 📝 Stationary by Client
Image 7: 📸 Corey Henry ~ Corey Henry | 📝 Gigi Mager ~ gigi mager studio | custom stationery and paper goods
Image 8: 📸 AJ Abelman ~ AJ the Photographer | 📝 Stationary by Client
Image 9: 📸 Corey Henry ~ Corey Henry | 📝 Smitten Boutique ~ Smitten Boutique

09/15/2026

🎃 Feel that chill in the air? Halloween will be here before you know it! Let us take care of the treat part of trick-or-treat with deliciously spooky options such as our BOO! Charcuterie Board, Jack-o-Lantern Stuffed Peppers, Mummy Jalapeño Poppers and more that are sure to be a hit at your upcoming Halloween party! 👻

🍽️ Curious about other options on our Halloween menu? View our menu here:

Planning a spooktacular celebration this October? Between planning costumes, getting the kids ready, and trick-or-treating, cooking will likely be last on

09/11/2026

🍋 The Irish Maid will turn non-wh***ey people into wh***ey lovers with its bright, fruit-forward flavor. This unexpected cocktail from Jack McGarry (Seac Mac Fhearraigh) from The Dead Rabbit - Irish Pub in New York is truly delightful as the perfect aperitif to our cauliflower-based dishes - perfect for Autumn! 🍁

For galas or special catered events with plated meals, we recommend pairing the Irish Maid with our Cauliflower Quinoa Flatbread hors d’Oeuvres, and for the main course, our vegan Cauliflower Steak entrée. 

🥃 We used Jameson in our rendition, but The Dead Rabbit has their own Irish wh***ey as well. Give the Irish Maid a try at your upcoming seated fall function!

🍸Ingredients:
🥃 2 oz Irish wh***ey
🍸 ½ oz elderflower liqueur
🍋 ¾ oz lemon juice
💧 ½ oz simple syrup
🥒 Desired number slices of cucumber, for garnish
🍋 1 lemon wheel, for garnish
🧊 1 large ice block or ball

🎬 Directions:
Combine Irish wh***ey, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup over ice in a shaker, and shake it up. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice block. Garnish with a slice of cucumber and lemon wheel.
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