Catering for the Art WorldFood worthy of the walls.
An opening is not a dinner. It's a room full of people looking at something, holding a glass, trying not to spill. We feed that room — passed bites that don't drip, grazing tables against the back wall, and a team that knows when to step back.
Looking for weddings, corporate, or private dinners? See our general catering.
Catering made for art spaces
An opening asks a lot of the food. It has to look like it belongs in the room — not catered, not dropped, not an afterthought. And it has to arrive without a fuss, because the night is already complicated enough.
We cook it in our own kitchen, load it cold, and set it up fast. One-bite canapés on slate. Grazing tables against the back wall. Passed trays that move through the crowd and vanish before the artist's talk.
The best bite at an opening is the one nobody remembers dropping.
For galleries and art events
Art galleries
Your opening is your biggest night. We keep the footprint small, set up fast, and clear out clean.
- Opening Reception: 50 to 200 guests, four to six passed or stationed bites, light staffing.
- Private Viewing: 10 to 30 collectors, elevated bites or an intimate seated dinner.
- Artist Talk or Open Studio: a grazing table or drop-off platters.
- Drop-off: styled platters delivered ready to set out, no staff needed.
Art events
Fairs, festivals, auctions and open-studio weekends need food that moves quickly and scales up.
- VIP lounges for collectors and sponsors.
- Artist and volunteer meals that carry crews through long days.
- Food stations for general attendees.
- Corporate art activations and showcase events.
The room comes first.
We plan around the work.
The food, the placement, the cleanup, the paperwork — all built around what's on the walls. Here's how we keep it that way.
Food
One-bite, no-drip bites. No staining sauces near the walls.
Placement
We honor your no-food zones and art-handling guidelines. Stations stay compact.
During service
Trash gets swept through the night. Our team steps back when the crowd is watching.
Venue paperwork
Certificate of insurance and permits on request. If we're not on your vendor list yet, we'll fill out the forms.
Menus and service levels
Pick a menu, then pick a service level. Any menu works with any service.
| Menu | What it includes | Great for |
|---|---|---|
| The Grazing Table | Grazing tables and simple passed bites | Openings, artist talks, open studios |
| The Passed Menu | A chef-driven passed menu with stations | Private viewings, member previews, VIP lounges |
| The Plated Dinner | Plated dinners and full-service galas | Galas, donor dinners, corporate rentals |
| Service | What it means |
|---|---|
| Drop-off | Styled platters delivered ready to set out. No staff on site. |
| Staffed | Servers for passed bites, stations and cleanup. |
| Full-service | Event captains, plated service and complete event management. |
Ask about bar service when you write to us — we'll tell you plainly what the venue and the event allow. Bringing your own wine? We can provide TABC-certified bartenders.
Tell us about your room.
A name, your gallery, the date, the guest count, and a line about the event. That's all we need to start. We reply with a menu, a service level, and a price.
Send us a letterQuestions, answered
Our drop-off platters work well for intimate artist talks and open studios. Staffed service has a minimum we'll confirm when we quote.
Yes. Most galleries don't have one. We prepare everything in our commercial kitchen and arrive ready to serve.
One-bite, no-drip food. Stations stay away from the work, and we follow your venue's rules and no-food zones.
Yes. Tell us about allergies and preferences when you inquire, and we'll build them into the menu.
Ask us. Bar service depends on the venue and the event, and we'll tell you plainly what we can do.
Ask us. If we're not yet approved, we're glad to complete your vendor paperwork.
For openings and receptions, a few weeks is comfortable. For galas and large events, the earlier the better.
Tell us about your room.
Every event here starts the way the rest of this house does: with a letter. Tell us the date, the headcount, and what the room is like. Chef Pat reads it at the pass.
Answered within one business dayheyyall@dearhou.com