Special Events. Inspired by Trust.

Neuman’s Kitchen and Central Park Zoo Summer Partnership

Neuman’s Kitchen is proud to announce our partnership with the Central Park Zoo for summer 2017!

We had the honor to host an event at the Central Park Zoo, a beautiful and iconic New York City Landmark. Close to 200 guests joined us on a spring day to be deliciously inspired while taking in the sights of the exotic wildlife and breathtaking city skyline views.

While feasting on tasty Hors d’oeuvres, our Poke, Summer and Doughnut Stations, attendees had the opportunity to take pictures with April the Sea Lion, designed by MWD Lifestyles, and enjoy live musical entertainment.

April the Sea Lion

Poke Station

Poke Station Sauces

Doughnut Station

Click here to see the full gallery.

For more information on hosting an event with Neman’s Kitchen at the Central Park Zoo,
contact Kevin Ramsawack 212.228.2444 or k.ramsawack@neumanskitchen.com.

Introducing Neuman’s Kitchen to Philadelphia

Neuman’s Kitchen made its grand catering debut to Philadelphia this past March with its first event. We partnered up with Evantine Design, a renowned Philadelphia event design firm to create four magical settings. While Neuman’s Kitchen’s Executive Chef Robb Garceau, designed four unique and seasonal menu handling the freshest, most beautiful ingredients and transforming them into deliciously inspired cuisine designed to make an emotional connection.  

Click here to see the full gallery.

We had over 100 of Philadelphia’s top event planners, vendors and high profile guest attend. Our recent expansion into Philly can be attributed to Jan DeMarzo, our new Vice President of Development Jan brings decades of experience in catering and café sales and operations as well as client management to the Neuman’s Kitchen team. Jan is responsible for the expansion of Neuman’s Kitchen into the Philadelphia market and will be guiding Neuman’s relationships with cultural centers in Philadelphia and New York.  Jan supervised accounts ranging from the Please Touch Museum, Independence Visitor’s Center, Free Library of Philadelphia, National Constitution Center, The HUB properties and Center City District. Prior to Brûlée Jan’s spent twelve years with Compass Group where her roles included East Coast Vice President for Wolfgang Puck Catering and Regional Director for Restaurant Associates. Jan was responsible for many high-profile accounts including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Kimmel Center, Princeton University, Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Longwood Garden, Georgia Aquarium, Newseum in Washington D.C. and Museum of Science in Boston.

To book a catered event in Philadelphia or New York City please contact us at eventinfo@neumanskitchen.com

Holiday Parties With Neuman’s Kitchen

We’ve been keeping pretty busy this holiday season creating lasting memories for our clients and their guest.  Here we are at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts serving over 1000 guests.  All guest enjoyed our luxurious raw bar along with our Southern Comfort, Kosher and Pan-Asian stations.  Take a peek into the fun with this latest photo gallery…

Neuman’s Kitchen pops up with Salon Art + Design

Salon Design + Art

Neuman’s Cafe

Neuman’s Kitchen pops up with Salon Art + Design

The Salon Art + Design welcomes the world’s finest galleries exhibiting historical, modern and contemporary furniture, groundbreaking decorative arts, and late 19th and 20th-century fine art. Visitors were able to enjoy designs by the great 20th century masters, as well as creative works by today’s most innovative young artists. Guest enjoyed Neuman’s very own Pop-up! Cafe, serving approximately 10,000 visitors over 5 days in the Armory’s historic Board of Officers Room. We were also thrilled to partake in curating the Salon’s Art + Designs VIP and members only parties. Neuman’s doesn’t just aim to feed you, we strive to deliciously inspire you.

The success of The Salon lies in the quality of the exhibiting galleries, the extremely international flavor of the material, and this eclecticism that is highly sought by today’s collectors and influencers. The Salon is a vetted fair and the only international fair of this caliber to combine styles, genres, and periods cutting a universal and timeless swath. Other fairs allow art, but no design or conversely design without art. The organizers’ willingness to consider all material—historic to contemporary—is predicated on the belief that today’s designers and collectors insist on a vibrant mix—as long as the quality is impeccable.

 The Salon Art + Design event in New York City – five days of breathtaking and thought-provoking showcases that feature the most prominent minds currently working in the field today. Hosted at the Park Avenue Armory in New York’s Upper East Side, a national historic landmark, the festival is the first of its kind to combine both art and design under one inclusive umbrella. From Brussels to Milan and everywhere in between, all eyes are on the 55 galleries whose booths, a testament to each’s distinct visual eye, provide a grand view of global art. – Essential Homme

Neuman’s Kitchen X James Beard Foundation

Neuman’s Kitchen X James Beard Foundation
Step into a Neuman’s Kitchen – Events & Catering Special Event!

This year Neuman’s Kitchen had the pleasure of exclusively hosting the VIP Chefs & Champagne®  afterparty and launching our business out in the Hamptons!

Chefs & Champagne is the James Beard Foundation’s annual summer tasting party, featuring flowing Champagne and culinary offerings from a select group of  40 celebrated chefs. The event raises funds for the philanthropic work of the James Beard Foundation and hosted at the Wolffer Estate Vineyard. This year they honored multiple James Beard Award–winning chef, author, philanthropist, and restaurateur Chef John Besh.

Take a look at the video for a behind the scenes look at all the fun we had!

  Our executive Chef Robb Garceau curated the perfect summertime menu serving up Poke Bowls, BBQ Sliders and Summer Shortcakes for over 500 VIP guest. We kept our guest cool with Watermelon Champagne Ice Pops! At the end of the night, all our guest went home with a bag of our house-made Quinoa Granola

Neuman’s Kitchen X James Beard Foundation Menu

Poke Bowls
Tuna Sphere with Rice, Mangos, Cucumbers, Avocado & Shiso Leaves

Salmon Sphere with Rice, Asian Pear, Cucumber, Scallion and Daikon Sprout

Watermelon Sphere with Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Pickled Watermelon, Jalapeño, Zucchini & Smoked Sea Salt

Organic Tofu Sphere with Sweet Potatoes, Kale, Crispy Quinoa & Blood Orange

BBQ Sliders
Texas Style Smoked Brisket Sliders with Caramelized Onions on Housemade Brioche Bun

Kansas City Style Pulled Pork Sliders with Bread & Butter Pickles on Housemade Potato Bun

Apple Smoked Chicken Slider with Jalapeño BBQ Aioli, Cabbage Slaw on Housemade Brioche Bun
All BBQ Meats Provided by our friends at Fossil Farms

Sides
Cornbread Bites Heirloom Tomato Salad with Ricotta Salata

Grilled Sweet Corn & Jicama Salad with Jalapeno Vinaigrette

Farro & Honey Roasted Peaches with Watercress & Pecorino

Market Vegetables with Citrus Basil Salt, Nasturtium Vinaigrette

Summer Shortcakes
Vanilla Shortcake & Chocolate Shortcake

Toppings
Watermelon-Lime Sorbet, Malted Milk Gelato,  Smoked Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream, Tri-Star Strawberries , Summer Berry Compote, Maple Grilled Peaches,  Brandied Cherries, Dark & White Chocolate Croquette, Roasted White Chocolate, Ancho Chili Cornbread

Watermelon and Champagne Ice Pops served by Neuman’s Kitchen

Neuman’s Kitchen X Ovando Studio Book Launch

Summer is here and the flowers have arrived!

When we heard our friends at Ovando Studio (just about our favorite event florist in NYC) was holding a book launch for the luxury book publisher Assouline Publishing, Neuman’s Kitchen couldn’t be happier to be a part of the celebration! Afterall, a sign of great event design lays in the details- the beautiful flower arrangement, a perfect glass of wine and of course deliciously inspired food.

The New York launch of Flowers: Art and Bouquets at Ovando studio Flowers: Art & Bouquets published by Assouline Publishing showcases a glorious profusion of floral images and interpretations across a spectrum of artistic media and time periods; The range of floral design features stunning work by more than forty contemporary floral artists in London, Paris, and New York, from minimalist to elaborate.

We served a range of items from our signature summer catering menu such as, mini Montauk lobster roll, tuna tartare, mini BLT, truffle grilled cheese, passion fruit snobinettes, s’mores tart; Plus each guest left one with our newest “business cards” from Neuman’s Kitchen.- A sweet macaron disguised as a mini burger from Neuman’s Kitchen

Find out what Ovando Studio and our other clients have to say about us in this video.

Community Outreach in Long Island City

One of the many benefits of moving Neuman’s Kitchen to Long Island City, besides the state of the art kitchen, is the opportunity to get deeply involved with local high schools and career training programs in our neighborhood.

This May, Neuman’s Kitchen hosted its first outreach class with some of the students from the Long Island City High School Culinary Program- a joint effort between the YMCA of Long Island City and local schools. Paul Neuman, our founder greeting the children with a welcome speech and the history of Neuman’s Kitchen. We spoke about the exciting day-to-day roles of an event planner and pastry chef, provided interview tips and talked about benefits of doing creative satisfying work.

Next we toured our brand new 10,000 sq foot kitchen pointing out some highlights such as our chill bath for cooling liquids, the massive walk-ins fridges and our custom in-house design and prop room.

Finally it was time for the “hands on” project of the day, a cookie and cupcake decorating class with participation of the students. Pastry chef’s Alycia and Charmelle supplied a great assortment decorations, different flavored buttercreams, and mini cupcakes and sugar cookies for the students to decorate. And decorate they did!

While working the students had time to talk to us about their future goals and ambitions and many expressed an interest in interning at Neuman’s. Finding young ambitious well trained staff is so important to our success and this is exactly why we feel being part of our community is so important. We can change lives by showing the students their options, and we look forward to future collaborations.

5 Must-Knows When Choosing a Caterer for Your Event

Creating a memorable guest experience doesn’t have to equate to losing sleep over details and logistics. Whether you’re hosting a corporate happy hour or private product launch, we invite you to take advantage of our secrets to an easy planning process. Sit back, grab a vanilla latte and get one step closer to becoming an event coordinating aficionado:

1. Set an event budget. Before you begin contacting caterers and venues, set a budget that aligns with your vision. Remember to consider staffing, rentals and décor when you’re outlining anticipated costs.

2. Educate yourself about the venue. The majority of venues in Manhattan provide in-house catering and bending the rules isn’t an easy feat. If you’re hosting an event at a space outside of your company, you should weigh the options of in-house catering versus selecting an independent caterer. Choosing an in-house catering typically means you’re in the running for a set menu at a lower cost. While seeking out an external caterer will increase your budget, you’ll have the creative freedom to customize your menu and hone in on food design. In short, researching the venue guidelines upfront can save precious planning time and help guide your catering decisions.

Featured above: “Adult Candy Bar” DIY shot station

3. Define the guest experience. Take a moment to picture the experience you want to create for your guests. Your approach should be dependent upon who your guests are and the message you want to communicate. Do you want to bring your guests together over an interactive component, like our “Adult Candy Bar” shot station? Is the goal to excite potential clients about your brand? Incorporating your company logo in edible elements and design aesthetics is a great way to make an impact on your guests. And don’t forget, an amazing caterer will help you make an amazing impression.

Pictured above: Lobster Cannoli Re-Imagined

4. Think about food that represents your brand. Be prepared to talk about food inspirations what you want your guests to remember when they walk out of your event.  Food isn’t just an event accessory, it’s a talking point. If you’re hoping to create a media buzz from your gathering, impressive culinary presentation is an easy way to increase your brand visibility via social media.

5. Vision boards will streamline your process. By creating a mood board of images, your caterer will have an instantaneous understanding of the tone you want to set at your event. The less is more theory doesn’t apply here; the more images, the better. In the words of Julia Childs, “The more you know, the more you can create. There’s no end to imagination in the kitchen!”

5 Musts for Planning Your Holiday Party | ‘Deliciously Inspired’ Holidays

‘Tis the season for holiday parties, and if you’re the host, we’re here to help you plan a festive bash your guests will love. We look at every social gathering as an opportunity to create memories full of food, friends and fun. Here are five planning tips that will make your pre-party process just as enjoyable as purchasing an ugly sweater.

1. Send a save the date. If it isn’t too late in the game, we strongly recommend putting your get-together on your guest’s radar at least 5 weeks ahead of time. Everyone knows that the moment the pumpkin-shaped Reese Peanut Butter Cups disappear from your local bodega, the bustle of holiday season has officially commenced. A virtual Save the Date from Smilebox is one of our favorite ways to let friends, co-workers and family know that you can’t wait to see them.
2. Pick a theme. Ugly sweaters, “unbirthdays” and white elephant gift exchanges, oh my! The best part about planning a holiday party is unlimited theme options. If your creativity tank is on “e,” check out Biz Bash’s holiday suggestions.
3. Be Realistic. Weigh your budget vs. expectation. What do you want your guests to walk away remembering? Do you want them to be mystified by the amazing décor? Will the hot chocolate bar and the DIY cookie decorating station be the star of your holiday show? Are the festive games and billowing laughs of your guests going to leave an impression? Focus your budget around what you love to do – plan, cater, and entertain – and your guests will love it too.
4. Pick the right venue. Fear not, picking a venue is simple. If you’re hosting a corporate party, the ideal venue of choice is your office. Why?
   1. It automatically alleviates a venue fee, which means more money to spend on delicious offerings and décor that will transform your working environment into a winter wonderland.
   2. Higher attendance. Your co-workers aren’t going to get stuck in Midtown traffic if they’re commuting from their desk to the dance floor.
   3. It’s a great way to create a positive association with the workplace. Show your appreciation for another successful year of business, right where the magic happens.
5. Have an agenda. Make sure the party has a beginning, middle and end. Having a timeline at any celebration is a wonderful thing. It holds you accountable for any interactive activities you may have, like raffles, games and awards. Engagement is key to any gathering.

Accounting Firm Annual Summit Meeting

The David H. Koch Theater, New York State’s Theater at Lincoln Center and home of the New York City Ballet can be described in one word, regal! With its 7,875 square foot PROMENADE area featuring inlaid Travertine marble floors, forty-foot gold leaf ceilings, dramatic spiral staircases and balconies overlooking the fountain in the Plaza of Lincoln Center, this venue is the perfect place to host an annual multinational accounting service firm summit meeting followed by a lavish cocktail reception.

With an army of waiters, chefs, bartenders, event managers and designers behind them, Neuman’s Kitchen turned the David H. Koch Promenade into a sophisticated affair to remember. From the 2,586 seat auditorium, guests were greeted at the top of the spiral stairwells with champagne cocktails and Neuman’s Kitchen’s signature passed hors d’oeuvres such as Mini Sirloin Sliders, Short Rib Philly Cheese Steaks, Truffled Grilled Cheese with Smoked Tomato Jam, Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wontons with Broccoli Florets, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and Mini Lobster Rolls in our trademark Parker House Buns. An incredible feast was laid out for guests to enjoy, including a farm-to-table Tuscan display of artisanal cheeses, cured meats, bountiful grilled and pickled vegetables and a Pacific Rim table adorned in bamboo and wheat grass with an assortment of sushi, chili-lime shrimp on sugarcane skewers, and yuzu and sea salt dressed edamame. Other food highlights included a Raw Bar featuring a 10-pound Lobster Centerpiece and two Old Hollywood Glamour designed dessert station tables that featured all yellow, silver and white candies corresponding to the client’s notorious colors. As company CEOs, partners, and outside guests from across the country mingled, it was noted many times what an incredible night it was for all involved and how they couldn’t wait for the next summit meeting.

“The service staff was seamless. The attention to detail was apparent throughout the entire night. There are so many people in your staff to thank from the runners to the servers to the captains. People were raving about the food especially the cheesecake lollipops, lobster rolls and candy stations. All the hard work and planning paid off as the candy station was a great show piece. Neuman’s Kitchen did a wonderful job on Tuesday night.” – Accounting Service Firm Representative

Vintage Circus Annual Fundrasier

The Color Invasion party is the IIDA (International Interior Design Association) annual get-together, fundraiser/ fun-raiser and is the hottest ticket in town, benefiting the IIDA NY student activities and Design Awards Programs. This year’s theme: VINTAGE CIRCUS. The planning process for this event was an event itself, consisting of menu tastings, design and costume meetings, and of course numerous hours spent on finding the perfect staff to work who would enhance the guest experience from the start to finish of the event. The IIDA NY planning committee and our very own in-house design/prop team took Center 548, an empty, 4-floor, raw space and turned it into an old school Big Top Circus; using each floor of the space as a different circus vantage point. Twelve hundred plus guests were greeted with a “dress-up” station at registration, allowing them to dress the part using animal masks, clown make-up, wigs and don’t forget the stilted actors, who were by far the best photo ops of the night.

Once guests made their way to the 3^rd floor they were greeted to a full blown Midway eating area consisting of circus games, picnic tables, hay bales, popcorn machines and wonderfully playful food stations manned by Neuman’s Kitchen most daring wait staff dressed the part as strong men, bearded ladies and tutu showgirls. From giant pretzels, chili hot dogs with every kind of hot sauce imaginable, Juggler’s Balls- a trio of bite-sized meatballs and “adult” tater-tots there was no shortage of fun foods to satisfy the most demanding guest wishes.

On the fourth floor of the wicked Big Top, seven bars greeted the guests, under the mask of the red and white velvet canopy.  Red hot vixen Cigarette girls passed hors d’oeuvres to guests on custom made circus designed passing trays and served up “Adult” Sno Cones. Of course, no Big Top Circus would be complete without its Ring Master, a fabulously dressed MC in head-to-toe glitz, whose voice enchanted the crowd over the roar of fist-pumping dance music.

For more on IIDA’s 2013 Circus Themed event, check out the link for the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgPFqQlUTFw&feature=player_embedded

TBWA Holiday Party 2013

It was a cold and snowy night for a holiday party but TBWAChiat warmed there guests up by throwing a Christmas Luau. What started out as en empty loft space was, with hard work by all, transformed into a Hawaiian dream. Live palm trees, tropical flowers, tiki huts, surf boards and pink flamingos were just some of the decorations to bring out the theme for this year’s holiday party. Guests were given leis as they stepped off of the elevator in order to get them in the spirit. Staff, wearing Hawaiian t-shirts and straw hats, served Polynesian-style passed hors d’ouevres including fried pork wontons and chorizo & crab fritters to guests as they sipped on homemade frozen tropical drinks served up by Maui Wowi.

Before the dinner buffet was presented, guests enjoyed a true Polynesian dance troupe. This included a thrilling fire dancer keeping guests on their toes while he gracefully danced with the fire only a few feet away. To keep the crowd in awe we opened up the dinner buffet by dramatically bringing out a whole roasted pig for our chef to carve at the station. Guests lined up immediately to not only get their portion of the juicy pork but to also enjoy the other buffet items, which included ‘Poke’ Style Mahi Mahi and grilled Hawaiian chicken kebobs.

After working off the hearty buffet with some dancing guests were greeted with a dessert tables filled with macadamia nut truffles, mini upside down pineapple cakes and cake shots (including banana coconut cream pies and Kahula soaked cake with chocolate pastry cream). By midnight guests were starting to wind down with what seemed like permanent smiles on their faces. We never let a guest leave empty handed and this holiday party was not any different. Homemade sea shell and flip-flop decorated sugar cookies were a great parting gift, letting guests remember their night in Hawaii on a cold, snowy New York City night.

Catering manager
“Working with Neuman’s has been a great pleasure. My event planner Amanda was on point with details and making sure that my company’s event was to my expectations. Teamwork led to a wonderful, memorable evening and event. Thanks to all the Neuman’s Kitchen staff for their long hours of work. We did appreciate the outcome.”

Fountain House Gala: Mad About Art

Fountain House is dedicated to the recovery of men and women with mental illness by providing opportunities for our members to live, work, and learn, while contributing their talents through a community of mutual support. The annual gala raises awareness and funds for Fountain Gallery through an art auction featuring Fountain House artists and contributing local artists that gladly support the cause. This year the gala took place at Skylight West. Through the décor and menu, Skylight West was transformed into Uptown and Downtown NYC allowing guests to explore the Big Apple without even having to catch a cab. The menu consisted of dinner stations representing iconic NYC neighborhoods. Mini fried oyster po’boys and mini chili cheese dogs brought guests to Coney Island while kimchi pancakes and kabayaki glazed chicken wings let them walk down the streets of Chinatown. Upstairs (or Uptown) guests enjoyed a “stroll through central park” by grabbing warm soft pretzel bites and paper cones of honey roasted almonds from our stationed street carts. With a live swing band in the background guests were able to walk around and enjoy the art while placing bids through iBid and watching the live auction on flat screen TV’s positioned all throughout the venue. Goodie bags of black & white cookies with given to guests on their way out in order to remember their evening in the Big Apple. The “therapy” of Fountain House is their working community and this truly shows at their gala through all the hard work put in by everyone to make this such a successful event year after year.

Client Testimonial
Great event last night! You and your staff were amazing as usual. People were RAVING about the food…..and when those subway cupcakes came out, I almost died….sooo cute and so on the theme!!!! I love working with you (as you know)…can’t wait for the next one.”

Color Invasion 2012

No one can take a theme and run with it quite like the people who plan the annual Color Invasion party.

The Color Invasion party is the IIDA (International Interior Design Association) annual get-together, fundraiser/ fun-raiser. It is also a chance for the highly creative members of the association to flex their creative muscles.

The tenth year anniversary theme was neon. The IIDANY planning committee took Center 548, an empty, 4 floor, raw space and turned it into a neon wonderland. Using colorful floor to ceiling ribbons, black lights, futuristic lounge furniture and waiters, bartenders and guests that love to dress the part the event was a roaring success.

Eight hundred guests were greeted with a station at registration that allowed them to dress the part – temporary tattoos, slap bracelets and neon hairspray. The day-glow was on.

A pommes frites station, small plates with a trio of mini pizzas, garlic knots and Caesar salad rolls and Chinese take-out containers filled with buckwheat noodles and cucumber threads were just some items on the menu to satisfy the most demanding guests

Body painted waitstaff played up the theme, offering passed hors d’oeuvres on custom painted neon graffiti glass passing trays. Glow-in-the-dark specialty shots were offered at the twenty-four foot illuminated bar as neon accented, creatively costumed bartenders served 800 guests throughout the evening.

After a fun-filled night of dancing, guests got a bolt of energy for their ride home by a homemade sweet treat baked up by Neuman’s Kitchen pastry chef and a free cup of caffeinated joe from the Mud Truck parked outside the venue.

Partygoers were happy to support the pajama program with guests donating pj’s to those in need. Color Invasion is known as the hottest party to attend in the design world and this past year’s party only attested this fact.

Account Executive
“Working with Paul and his team is always a great experience. The level of service you receive and their attention to detail is amazing. Not only does Neuman’s work with your event team to bring your ideas and theme to life, they offer creative solutions, bring fresh thinking to the table, and really partner with you to make your event a success. I’ve used Neuman’s Kitchen for 1000 + person, multi-level events and for small 10 person meetings – the exceptional level of service is the same, no matter the size or scope.”

Bridal Shower

The success behind any well-executed event is to make the host/hostess look and feel like a hero.

The soon to be bride had requested a tea party themed luncheon for her bridal shower with a sense of style and sophistication. The party, which was held at a lovely private apartment residence boasted floor to ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan’s upper west side skyline and despite it being a chilly day in early April, the pop of light yellow and lace linens around the room, hinted at spring just around the corner.

The menu, an array of ‘high-tea’ snacks included fanciful tea sandwiches, scones, assorted petit fours and of course a lovely homemade cake dressed in white chiffon icing and lace trim.

As an added bonus to the theme, the host provided her grandmother’s delicate antique tea set for flower centerpieces on each table and the buffet.

Amongst the giggling girls in champagne delight, the bride-to be, her friends and family shared a memorable afternoon together in celebration.

Testimonial
“The bridal shower catered by Neuman’s Kitchen was a great success, the food and presentation was terrific. You made it look so effortless and elegant. The bride, her family and all of my friends made me feel like a genius and perfect hostess.”