Originally Posted On: https://www.bonsoircaterers.com/2026/11/13/7-vegan-menu-ideas-an-nyc-caterer-can-pull-off-for-100-guests/
Top Picks at a Glance
Seven vegan menus, one quick scan. Each one is built for 100 guests and a real NYC kitchen.
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Passed small bites: keeps cocktail hour moving fast
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Plated vegan dinner: formal weddings, no compromises
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Italian family platters: big flavor, lower labor cost
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Vegan “Low & Slow” BBQ: smoky, farm-venue friendly
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Corporate lunch spread: easy, labeled, budget-smart
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Street-food stations: shorter lines, more mingling
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Dessert and late-night table: a strong last impression
Our top pick: Bon Soir Caterers, the Brooklyn-rooted NYC caterer that can run all seven formats.
Steamed vegetables and a scoop of brown rice. That’s what a vegan plate meant at most big events when I started cooking in Brooklyn, and I’ve apologized to more than a few hungry guests for it. Times changed. Any good NYC caterer now gets asked to feed 100 people plant-based food that nobody at the table feels sorry for.
Can it be done? Yes. But it isn’t a matter of swapping the chicken for tofu. At 100 covers, everything shifts: prep timing, oven space, how many hands you’ve got on the line, and whether the freight elevator actually works on the day. I’ve run off-premises events for over 25 years, from Brooklyn loading docks to Manhattan rooftops, and the vegan menus that succeed are planned like a military drop.
Here’s the part most couples miss. Vegan food isn’t the risky choice anymore. A sloppy plan is. Bon Soir Caterers, a Brooklyn-rooted boutique operation since 1977, has handled this math for decades — it’s the first call I’d make. The seven menus below are ones I’d put my name on.
Why Vegan Catering for 100 Guests Works in Brooklyn and NYC
Picture a loading dock on a Brooklyn side street, 4 p.m., a hundred vegan plates due at 7. That’s a Saturday for us. Twenty-five years of off-premises events in the borough I was born in taught me one thing: vegan for 100 used to mean steamed vegetables and brown rice. Sad trays. Guests ate bread and waited for cake.
Those days are done. Brooklyn couples now expect plant-based food with real texture, real heat, and real flavor, and they expect it to scale without falling apart in a rented kitchen.
So here are seven menus that hold up at 100 covers, on real loading docks, with real timelines. Every one has been tested in the field. And the top pick for pulling them off? Bon Soir Caterers, a Brooklyn-rooted company founded in 1977. Any NYC caterer can promise vegan. Few can deliver it for a hundred guests, hot, on time.
1. Passed Small Bites Cocktail Hour That Keeps 100 Guests Fed and Moving
Hungry guests get cranky fast.
A hundred of them at a Brooklyn wedding, standing around for 60 minutes with one tray circling? That’s a problem. Experienced New York City caterers plan for roughly 6-8 pieces per person in the first hour, so you’re looking at 600-800 bites total.
Keep the plant-based lineup to five or six items:
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Mushroom arancini with cashew aioli
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Chickpea panisse fries with lemon and sea salt
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Beet tartare on crostini
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Stuffed cremini with herbed breadcrumbs
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Mini polenta cakes with roasted tomato
Here’s the part most couples miss: nobody can tell it’s vegan by the second bite. Good seasoning does the work.
Pair the bites with Bon Soir’s Signature Cocktail package, or go with the Premium Open Bar or Beer & Wine options if you want simpler.
Passed vs. Stationed: How Many Servers You Need for 100
Rule of thumb for passed service: one server per 20-25 guests. That means four or five servers working the room, plus a runner restocking from the kitchen. Stationed displays need fewer hands, but lines form. For a 100-person party, a mix works best. Pass the hot items, and station one cold board near the bar.
2. A Plated Vegan Dinner Courses Menu for Formal Weddings
Can a plated vegan dinner really hold up for 100 guests? Yes, but only if the kitchen plans backward from the first fork. A good NYC caterer builds the timeline before the menu.
Think charred cauliflower steak with romesco, wild mushroom risotto, or stuffed delicata squash. Each one plates cleanly and holds heat. Plating 100 dishes takes a real line, a trained crew, and a captain calling courses. That’s why full service catering nyc couples hire matters more than the recipe.
Venue logistics decide everything. At the Prospect Park Boathouse or Midtown Loft & Terrace, the kitchen is off-premises, so food gets finished in a temporary setup. Elevators, load-in windows, and rentals all count. Bon Soir handles staffing, rentals, and four decades of formal dinners under one roof, which is why it’s the strongest pick for wedding catering NYC couples trust. Any NYC catering company you consider should answer those questions first.
Handling Mixed Tables: 80 Omnivores, 20 Vegan Guests
Seat vegan guests in clusters, not scattered. Serve them first, and match the look of the meat entree so nobody feels singled out. Better yet, make the vegan course the one everyone envies.
3. Italian-Style Vegan Family Platters for Relaxed Dinner Parties
Family-style service can cut plated-course labor by roughly 30% at a 100-guest dinner. That’s real money. Any experienced New York City catering company will tell you the same thing: big shared platters save staff hours and still look generous.
The Menu
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Eggplant rollatini with cashew ricotta and basil marinara
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Pasta primavera tossed in good olive oil, with seasonal vegetables
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Roasted broccoli rabe with garlic and chili flake
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Focaccia with rosemary and sea salt
Nobody misses the dairy. The cashew ricotta carries the dish, and the rabe adds a bitter edge that keeps the table interesting.
Portions and Cost Tips for a Table of 10
Plan on two large trays of rollatini (about 20 pieces), one full pasta bowl, two platters of rabe, and three loaves of focaccia per table. That’s roughly 10 tables for 100 guests.
Want affordable catering without a thin-looking spread? Lean on pasta and bread for volume, and keep the rollatini as the star. Eggplant is cheap in Brooklyn markets from late summer, so schedule accordingly. And is a relaxed dinner party catering setup really less formal? Only in feel, not in flavor.
4. The Vegan BBQ “Low & Slow” Spread for Backyard and Farm Venues
Vegan barbecue isn’t a sad side plate next to the real thing. It’s a full menu, and smoke does most of the work.
The Smokin Grill, Bon Soir’s barbecue division, runs its “Low & Slow” menu with plant-based stars:
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Smoked jackfruit sliders on soft potato rolls
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Grilled corn brushed with chili-lime butter alternative
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BBQ cauliflower steaks with a tangy glaze
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Smoked tofu skewers with peppers and onion
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Crunchy slaw in a vinegar dressing, no mayo
Picture a barbecue hoedown at the Queens County Farm Museum, a working farm dating to 1697. Tents, string lights, hay bales. This is event catering NYC couples rarely see, and it suits a relaxed celebration. Couples weighing options can look at a seasoned NYC wedding caterer who already knows the venue.
Two practical points matter for party catering NYC at 100 guests. First, keep separate grill surfaces for vegan food. Shared grates carry meat residue, and that ruins the promise. Second, plan the smoker timeline. Jackfruit needs roughly 4 hours, so it goes in early and holds warm while the tofu and corn finish on the grill.
5. Vegan Corporate Lunch and Office Catering Built for 100 Employees
A Midtown office books lunch for 100 people at 12:15. The truck hits traffic on the BQE, the freight elevator has a 20-minute reservation window, and half the staff is vegan or gluten-free. Sound familiar?
That’s the daily reality of office catering NYC, and the best corporate catering NYC teams plan around it.
Self-Service Menus That Work
Bon Soir’s self-service line is the smart pick here. Fewer servers means a lower bill, but the food stays restaurant-grade. Good options for 100 guests:
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Grain bowls with farro, roasted squash, and tahini
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Mediterranean mezze with hummus, falafel, and grilled eggplant
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Build-your-own wraps with marinated tofu and crisp slaw
Label every tray. Use tent cards that flag vegan, nut-free, and gluten-free items. People with allergies shouldn’t have to ask.
Delivery and Loading Dock Realities
Build in a 45-minute buffer for Manhattan and Brooklyn traffic. Ask your building about dock hours and elevator limits before booking. Any NYC caterer worth hiring will want those details up front.
Aim for setup 30 minutes before the first hungry employee shows up.
6. Global Street-Food Stations That Make Vegan Feel Like the Main Event
Stations beat plated service for 100 guests. Every time.
A good nyc caterer splits the crowd across four points instead of one buffet line, so nobody waits 25 minutes for a dumpling. Refills happen behind the counter, and guests wander, chat, and graze. That works for birthday party catering nyc and any event catering nyc crowd that hates sitting still.
The Four Stations
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Tacos: spiced walnut crumble, charred corn salsa, lime crema made from cashews.
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Falafel: crisp chickpea falafel, tahini, pickled turnip, warm pita.
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Dumplings: steamed mushroom and cabbage, with chili oil on the side.
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Slider bar: black bean or smoked beet patties on mini buns.
Floor Plan Tips for Brooklyn Venues
Brick rooms like 26 Bridge or The Beverly Rd. Social Club has character but tight corners. Space stations at least 10 feet apart, keep them off the walls where traffic bunches up, and put the bar away from the food. Aim for one station per 25 guests.
Done right, this is the kind of best party catering NYC setup people talk about for months.
7. A Vegan Dessert and Late-Night Bites Table
Want to know where guests actually judge the whole meal? Dessert. A great entrée gets forgotten by midnight, but a sloppy sweet course sticks around in the group chat.
For wedding catering in NYC, a good NYC caterer builds a dessert table that nobody reads as “the vegan option.” Bon Soir Caterers has run these for 100-guest crowds across Brooklyn — the formula is simple.
The Sweet Lineup
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Coconut panna cotta with passion fruit, set in small glasses.
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Dark chocolate pot de crème, rich enough to quiet a table.
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Seasonal fruit tarts using local berries, stone fruit, or apples.
Pair them with strong coffee and a signature cocktail, like an espresso martini made with oat cream. Done.
The Late-Night Bites
Around 10:30, the dance floor gets hungry. Pass vegan sliders and crisp fries in paper cones. It’s a luxury catering NYC move that costs little and gets photographed constantly.
Sourcing matters here too. Bon Soir sticks to fresh, locally sourced produce and sustainable ingredients, so the fruit tastes like fruit, not syrup. At Prospect Park Boathouse or a Midtown rooftop, that freshness shows.
How to Choose the Right Vegan Menu and NYC Caterer for Your 100 Guests
Roughly 1 in 4 guests at a modern Brooklyn wedding now skips meat, so a vegan menu for 100 people isn’t a side project anymore. Pick it with care.
Start by matching the menu to the venue, season, budget, and format. A rooftop in August calls for cold, bright plates. A brick-walled loft in February can handle roasted, braised, and hearty. Plated service suits a formal dinner. Family-style and stations work better for mixed crowds.
Questions to ask any NYC caterer
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What does kitchen access look like at the venue?
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What’s the staffing ratio per guest?
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How do you prevent cross-contact with meat and dairy?
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Can we book a tasting first?
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Which vendors do you refer?
Why Bon Soir Caterers is the pick
Bon Soir Caterers has run off-premises events since 1977. It offers boutique flexibility, in-house bar packages — referrals for florists, photographers, and rentals. Venue suggestions come too, including the Prospect Park Boathouse. Ready to taste? Call Jeff at 718.763.9420 to plan a tasting.
A hundred guests and a plant-based menu no longer call for apologies. The seven ideas above prove it, from passed bites at cocktail hour to a late-night dessert table. What separates a smooth night from a stressful one isn’t the recipe. It’s the kitchen behind it.
Format matters more than most couples expect. A plated dinner at the Prospect Park Boathouse asks for tight timing — trained hands, while family-style platters or street-food stations spread the work and the cost. Brooklyn couples who match the menu to the venue, the season, and the budget tend to land on the right answer quickly.
Vegan guests also shouldn’t feel like an afterthought. Separate grill surfaces, clear labels, and real flavor make the difference, and a seasoned NYC caterer handles those details without being asked.
Bon Soir Caterers has done this since 1977, with Brooklyn roots, an in-house bar program, and a vendor network that covers florists, photographers, and rentals. That’s the full picture under one roof.
Next step: call Jeff at 718.763.9420, share your venue and headcount, and book a tasting. Taste the menu before you commit to it.
Bon Soir Caterers
1421 E 63rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11234
(718) 763-9420
bonsoircaterers.com
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