All food served to stars at the 2023 Oscars

Now that this year’s Oscars are behind us, it’s likely that many of the winners and nominees are recuperating, sleeping off the joy or disappointment of the night, dresses and tuxedos in garment bags waiting to be steamed. We know that on the champagne carpet several of the well-dressed glitterati”at‘, as the children say, but what did they actually like to eat?

On March 12, thanks to the chefs, caterers, waiters, and even the host of the Oscars himself, we know that attendees didn’t go hungry on Hollywood’s biggest night.

Just like in recent years where Jimmy Kimmel was tapped to perform the event, the ceremony attendees were treated to a goodie box under their seats, provided by the primetime talk show host himself.

“We don’t like it when people are hungry, so Jimmy provided snacks for everyone at the #Oscars and a donation to the @LAFoodBank for everyone!” tweeted the official account of Jimmy Kimmel Live.

In the box, attendees were treated to a bottle of water, candy such as Good n’ Plenty, Milk Duds or Hot tamales, and a note from Jimmy Kimmel saying “Isn’t this a nice surprise?” adding that a donation was made to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Also included in the snack boxes was a Philly-style soft pretzel from Shappy Pretzel Co. by actor Adam Shapiro.

“I think we’ve served six of the 10 nominees, so there’s going to be a lot of people sitting in those seats in the Dolby on Sunday who will say, ‘Oh wow, Shappy Pretzels!'” Shapiro told The Hollywood Reporter.

Following the event, Wolfgang Puck once again prepared delectable appetizers for the post-Oscars Governors Ball, marking his 29th year as the event’s caterer.

The chef, who devised this year’s menu with Wolfgang Puck Catering’s vice president of culinary, Eric Klein, made the smorgasbord possible with a team of 115 chefs from Puck’s global restaurant empire.

Ten of those culinary talents were designated to handle any additional dietary requests and the menu also included several vegan and vegetarian options.

These include a taro root taco with charred pineapple “al pastor”, shallot and cilantro, puri (an Indian fried bread) with sumac hummus, a house-made “ranch dusted” taco with jackfruit carnitas and salsa verde and many more.

“We have five kinds of pasta, from agnolotti to pasta with truffles, vegan pizzas, the Chinese-spiced, Hunan eggplant over rice, and a vegetarian version of the crunchy rice crab salad from West Hollywood’s Merois restaurant,” Puck told Variety ahead of the ball .

Puck added that tofu was used instead of crab in the “crab salad”, and topped with lime and honey vinaigrette.

Puck and his catering company divided the offer into different categories. The first, “Tray Passed,” refers to the dishes spinning around the room, passing through the host of stars like tiny food comets.

These dishes include a Puck staple: Oscar-shaped matzo topped with smoked salmon and also include such delights as a miniature Wagyu burger with sharp cheddar and remoulade, spicy tuna tartare, mushroom soup dumplings, miso sesame cones, and an assortment of Puck’s signature pizzas.

In addition to a grazing table with cheeses made from cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk, almonds, jam and charcuterie, there were cold dishes on small plates such as a poached pear with burrata, pear butter and arugula and beet Napoleon salad with goat’s cheese, soft herbs and a citrus shallot vinaigrette.

Hot dishes included mini fish and chips, cacio e pepe macaroni and cheese, sliders with fries, and another popular item according to Puck: chicken potpie. A brave choice if you can make eye contact with Cate Blanchett at any moment.

Also new this year was a food station featuring Beef Wellington (a firm tenderloin surrounded by a mushroom mixture and baked in puff pastry) created by Elliott Grover, Executive Chef of CUT restaurant at the 45 Park Lane Hotel.

Although he was not nominated this year, Brad Pitt was still on display, at least at the bar: he is one of the partners behind Fleur de Miraval Rosé Champagne, served at the prom.

Other drinks included a white Bordeaux blend from the Clarendelle family of French wines, a Le Dragon de Quintus Saint-Emilion Grand-Cru, and the much more down-to-earth option of Don Julio tequila.

For dessert, Puck and his team didn’t skimp on dark chocolate bark with inclusions of fruits and flowers such as lavender, rose or jasmine. Chocolate cigars were also offered, served in a replica cigar box.

Other sweets included s’mores cookies, whoopie pies, raspberry brownies, a made-to-order ice cream station with scoops in waffle cones, and, finally, Puck’s signature dessert for the Academy Awards: the chocolate Oscar.

The edible image contained vegan, “fair and sustainable chocolate” with edible gold paint sprayed on during the ceremony. Well, at least each nominee could leave with a trophy if they wanted to.