LUNCH TASTING MENU NYC

Lunch Tasting Menu Catering

In New York City, lunch has shifted from a functional pause in the workday to a purposeful experience that can shape how guests feel about your brand, your gathering, and your hospitality. Midday events increasingly call for food that feels considered rather than rushed, elevated rather than ordinary, and personal rather than generic. A well-crafted lunch tasting menu answers that need by blending refinement, seasonality, and thoughtful presentation into a format that is engaging yet effortless for hosts.

At Green Apple Catering, lunch tasting menus are built around intention. Every detail—from ingredient sourcing to plating style—is designed to reflect an urban, sophisticated sensibility that feels unmistakably New York. Whether your event is a corporate meeting, a private celebration, or an intimate social gathering, a tasting-style approach transforms lunch into a curated culinary moment rather than a routine service.

The Rise of Lunch Tasting Menus in NYC Events

Modern hosts are moving away from standard trays and predictable buffets toward experiences that feel layered, dynamic, and memorable. Lunch tasting menus fit naturally into this shift because they allow guests to sample multiple dishes without the formality of a multi-course seated meal. The result is a service style that feels elevated while still being practical for busy daytime schedules.

Our approach to office lunch catering reflects this evolution. We combine reliable logistics with chef-driven creativity so that food arrives seamlessly while still feeling artisanal. The focus is always on fresh, seasonal ingredients, balanced flavors, and a presentation that complements the tone of your event rather than overwhelming it.

Our Tasting Menu

Gluten Free= GF | Nut Free = NF | Dairy Free = DF | Vegan =V | Vegetarian= VG

ASSORTED SANDWICHES & WRAPS

Selection of Sandwiches And Wraps, Vegetarian, Grilled Chicken, Fresh Turkey, Tuna Salad (DF- GF-NF-V)

SALAD

Field Greens, Caramelized Pears, Candied Walnuts, Grape Tomatoes, Feta Cheese And Dried Cranberries (GF-VG)

FUSILLI DI CAPRA

Arugula, Marinated Tomatoes, Grilled Zucchini, Roasted Eggplant, Goat Cheese & Citrus Vinaigrette (NF-VG)

HOT ENTRÉE & SIDES

• Lazone Chicken -W/ Sautéed Shallots, Mushrooms, Cream Wine Parmesan Sauce (DF- GF-NF-V)
• Blackened Salmon- Tangy Creole Tomato and Champagne Sauce (DF- GF-NF-V)
• Basmati Rice Pilaf - W Shitake Mushroom and Spinach (DF- GF-NF-V)
• Vegetable Tian - Mélange of Tomatoes, Onions, Zucchini and Eggplant (DF- GF-NF-V-VG)

HORS D’OEUVRES

• Coconut Crusted Shrimp- Served with Passion Fruit Chili (DF- GF-NF-V)
• Barbacoa Beef Arepa- Corn Arepa, Barbacoa Sauce, Pickled Red Onion (DF- GF-NF-V)
• Chicken Tikka Masala Satay- With Mango Chutney Dip (DF- GF-NF)
• Vegan Crab Cake- Artichoke Hearts, Hearts of Palm, Nori, Old Bay, Vegan Chipotle Aioli (V-DF- NF)

SLICED FRUIT & BERRIES

Seasonal Sliced Fruits & Berries (Lime Mascarpone Dip)

ASSORTED DIPS AND CRUNCHES

• Mutabbal – Eggplant and Tahini Dip (GF-NF-V)
• Zaalouk Dip- Morocco’s Favorite (DF- GF-NF-V)
• Hummus (DF- GF-NF-V)
• Green Goddess Hummus (DF- GF-NF-V)
• Parmesan & Thyme Crackers (DF- GF-NF-V)
• Crostini (DF- GF-NF-V)
• Pita chips Crostini (DF- GF-NF-V)
• Tortilla Chips (DF- GF-NF-V)

SUSAN’S TRAY DESSERT

Cookies, Brownies, Butter Cookies, Mousse Shooters, Panna Cotta And Cake Pops

Curating Your Bespoke Tasting Menu: How It Works

Every lunch tasting menu begins with understanding your event, your audience, and your goals. We consider guest preferences, timing, venue constraints, and the overall aesthetic you want to achieve. From there, our culinary team designs a menu rooted in locally sourced, seasonal ingredients that highlight texture, color, and harmony. Selections are drawn from our broader catering menus but refined into smaller, more elegant portions suited for tasting-style service. The goal is cohesion rather than excess—each bite should feel intentional, complementary, and aligned with your vision.

Buffet service can be both elevated and experiential when thoughtfully designed. Instead of crowded tables or generic displays, we create composed stations that guide guests through a progression of flavors. Thoughtful layout, clean presentation, and carefully chosen serving pieces ensure the experience feels polished rather than chaotic. Our Build Your Own Lunch Buffet concept allows hosts to curate a refined spread while still offering variety. Guests can explore different components at their own pace, making it ideal for networking events, gallery openings, or collaborative work lunches.

Flavor Meets Flexibility: Individual Entrees for Customization

Tasting-sized individual entrées provide structure without sacrificing personalization. This format works especially well for seated or semi-seated events where presentation matters but flexibility is still essential. It also allows for discreet accommodation of dietary needs without drawing attention away from the overall experience. Our range of individual entrees catering options showcases how refined portions can still feel satisfying. Each dish is crafted to balance flavor, nutrition, and visual appeal, ensuring that guests feel cared for rather than simply fed.

Soups and salads serve as natural building blocks within a lunch tasting menu. They offer brightness, contrast, and seasonality while keeping the overall experience light and digestible. In colder months, a carefully seasoned soup can add warmth and depth; in warmer seasons, crisp salads bring freshness and balance. Through our soup catering offerings, we highlight market-driven ingredients that reflect the rhythms of the city’s seasons. Paired with our custom salad options, these elements allow guests to experience variety without heaviness.

Add a Touch of Global Flair: Fajita Bars & Italian Pasta

Introducing globally inspired flavors adds dimension to a tasting menu while keeping portions approachable. Small-format versions of familiar dishes let guests explore bold tastes without overwhelming the palate. Our Mexican Fajita Bar brings vibrant color and texture to a lunch spread, while our Hot Italian Pasta selections offer comfort with a refined edge. Both can be adapted into tasting portions that align seamlessly with an upscale midday event.

Some venues require food that travels well and holds beautifully without active heating. This is where thoughtful room-temperature dishes shine. When designed with care, these items retain flavor, texture, and visual appeal throughout your event. Our Room Temperature Menus are crafted specifically for gallery spaces, studios, and offices where simplicity and reliability are essential. The emphasis remains on seasonal ingredients, clean flavors, and elegant presentation.

Sweet Endings: Mini Desserts & Luxe Bites

A refined conclusion is just as important as a strong opening. Petite desserts allow guests to enjoy a final moment of indulgence without feeling overly full. Their small scale also makes them ideal for creative plating and thoughtful pairings. Selections from our desserts catering menu are designed to feel sophisticated, seasonal, and memorable. These finishing touches reinforce the sense that your lunch was curated with care from start to finish.

True hospitality means making every guest feel considered. At Green Apple Catering, dietary accommodations are woven naturally into the menu rather than treated as afterthoughts. Plant-based, gluten-free, and kosher-style options are developed with the same attention to flavor and presentation as all other dishes. Our combinations of sandwiches and side salads demonstrate how inclusive offerings can still feel elevated and cohesive within a tasting-style experience.

Corporate Lunch Tastings: Impress Clients & Teams

In a city where impressions matter, the right food presentation can say as much as your agenda. Corporate lunch tastings offer a way to host with precision, while signaling attentiveness and a commitment to quality. For leadership meetings, investor briefings, or internal milestones, a refined midday meal becomes more than a necessity—it becomes a part of your message.

Our corporate catering solutions integrate seamlessly with your workplace culture and space. With full attention to punctuality, layout, and aesthetics, we ensure that the service feels effortless. The tasting format naturally supports conversation and collaboration, encouraging a dynamic yet relaxed environment. Guests are never overwhelmed, yet always engaged by the diversity of the offerings.

Lunch Boxes vs. Tastings: What’s Right for Your Event?

While tasting menus are ideal for events with flow and interaction, lunch boxes still have their place—especially when time or space are constrained. The key is knowing when each format best supports your goals. For larger teams or back-to-back scheduling, individual boxes can offer an efficient, contained solution. But when you want your food to be a central part of the experience, tasting menus create the kind of lasting impression that a boxed meal rarely can.

We offer both, and our lunch box catering services reflect the same commitment to quality and detail. However, for events where connection, discovery, and creativity are valued, a tasting approach offers more opportunity to express those ideals.

Interactive stations can add a playful but still refined element to your tasting experience. Grain bowls and sandwiches, when deconstructed into miniature portions, allow for customizable tasting without sacrificing visual appeal or balance. These stations are especially effective for daytime events where dietary preferences vary widely or where hosts want to encourage mingling and motion. Our grain bowl catering selections use hearty, seasonal ingredients layered for flavor and nutrition. Meanwhile, our sandwich catering reflects a range of flavor profiles and textures, served in elegant, portioned formats that invite discovery without excess.

Themed Tastings: From Garden Parties to Executive Meetings

Lunch tastings are highly adaptable and can reflect any aesthetic or atmosphere you envision. Whether you’re planning a garden-inspired luncheon or a sleek, monochrome corporate affair, the tasting format gives you room to express that theme through food. From color-coordinated ingredients to curated plating styles, the menu becomes part of the visual language of your event. Our themed lunch menus are built with this flexibility in mind. Each one is guided by seasonality and occasion, yet grounded in the fundamentals of taste, sourcing, and presentation that define our kitchen.

For more casual or fast-paced events, drop-off catering can still carry a sense of refinement when curated with care. Tasting platters, arranged by flavor or concept, allow guests to graze at their own pace while still enjoying a complete, composed experience. Our drop-off platters menu features a selection of composed items suitable for both informal tastings and more structured layouts. This approach is often ideal for gallery openings, press previews, or casual afternoon receptions, where the menu needs to support the experience without demanding attention.

Premium Add-ons: Heroes by the Foot & Specialty Buffets

Occasionally, a tasting menu benefits from the contrast of a single statement piece—a bold, shared item that offers both scale and nostalgia. Heroes by the foot and themed buffet add-ons bring that element of abundance without compromising refinement. Offered in smaller portions or accompanied by elevated sides, these items can round out a tasting menu or stand alone at the heart of a more informal setup. Our Heroes by the Foot are served with signature spreads and garnishes, while our specialty buffets offer seasonal, globally inspired selections suitable for both lunch and early dinner events. These options provide flexibility and scale without deviating from the tone of a curated experience.

Not every event fits neatly into a single mealtime, and in a city like New York, transitions matter. For hosts planning longer programs, a tasting menu can evolve throughout the event. What begins as a lunch tasting can seamlessly introduce warmer, richer flavors as the day unfolds—without the need for a full menu overhaul. Our themed dinner menus build upon the foundations laid earlier in the day, allowing for a smooth culinary progression that honors both the format and the occasion. This approach is particularly useful for brand activations, cultural events, or gallery openings where timing may shift naturally from day to evening.

A tasting menu is only as successful as its execution, and our service reflects both culinary artistry and operational reliability. Behind every tasting experience is a deep respect for timing, compliance, and logistics—especially in a city with tight schedules and high standards. Our catering policies outline the details that ensure each event proceeds smoothly, from staffing and delivery to service timelines and dietary disclosures. These standards support our mission: to deliver exceptional food and hospitality with no detail left to chance.