How Convene Chefs Create Our Seasonal Meeting and Events Menu

Twice per year, Convene chefs gather to test and taste the dishes they’ve developed over months of experimentation, collaboration, and adaptation. Chef Ryan Gallagher, senior director of food and beverage for the global portfolio, leads the extensive semiannual premium menu creation for all Convene properties. If you’ve ever wondered what culinary genius would concoct caramelized BBQ salmon “burnt ends” or dill pickle and banana pepper cream cheese, then you’re in the right place.

Chef Gallagher brought together Michael Franey, a Convene taskforce chef, and Bill Birks, the executive chef at Convene 100 Stockton in San Francisco, to develop recipes for an event planning menu that speak to the tangy, bright, and bold flavors of the annual Spring-Summer Menu. If you have yet to taste what the culinary team has thoughtfully prepared over the years, this season’s menu exemplifies what Convene calls “Perfect Plates.”

We’re giving you a behind-the-scenes look into the extensive research and preparation required of the culinary team before even a garnish reaches a guest’s plate.

Planning an event menu that is adaptable and delicious

Every April, Chef Gallagher and his culinary team debut a menu for Convene venues based on upwards of five months of research and development. Taskforce Chef Franey, who is based in New York like Gallagher, acted as one of the main recipe designers. The two were joined by Executive Chef Birks at a Convene R&D kitchen in Midtown Manhattan. The task? Create, over one week, a cohesive vision for the dishes they tested and tweaked over the last several months.

“Each chef can bring in whatever they want, and it’s very collaborative,” said chef Gallagher. He explained that each chef will write down moments of inspiration and then see how those techniques and ingredients evolve in real time. “A lot of the collaboration is saying, ‘Here’s an idea; let’s go this way. I want a cacio de pepe salad, but what do we put in it?’”

The culinary partnership is evident with the sumac and black pepper salmon crostini sandwich. Chef Franey relayed the idea, and chefs at Convene 530 Fifth Avenue, led by Executive Chef Kristine Mana-Ay, then developed and adapted the recipe. Chef Mana-Ay elevated the salmon by pairing lemon with cucumbers, dill, and chive crème fraiche on top of a pumpernickel crostini.

The Convene menu is designed to accommodate a range of dietary preferences and enrich a guest’s overall experience at a meeting or event. Selections include vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, Kosher, Halal, and sugar-free dishes.

Revealing the Convene Spring-Summer Menu for 2025

Before the menu roll out, the New York-based culinary leaders and Convene chefs from across the East Coast gathered in the spacious kitchen at Convene Brookfield Place, 225 Liberty, to learn how to make the new dishes before sharing with guests. The gathering is as much of a celebration as a creative training and culinary workshop. Excitement about the new dishes reaching thousands of guests over the coming months was palpable. Here are some of the menu highlights.

Regional ingredients and global inspiration

Some of the complexities when high-end menu planning for special events at Convene include allowing for regional and seasonal variations in sourcing. Gallagher explained the dishes involve quite a bit of technique, but the goal is to make dishes accessible and, of course, delicious.

“We take moments and cues from lots of food cultures, making them approachable and adaptable to modern diets,” said Chef Gallagher, when asked how they found inspiration for the rotating menu. A trip to Mexico City inspired him to introduce elements of a pozole stew by poaching fish in a sweet, smoky, and spicy sauce with hominy, which is a dried field corn treated to unlock nutrients and be more easily digested.

The roasted fish entrée with tomato and hominy stew and citrus-cabbage slaw will change according to regional availability. Guests can expect golden snapper for the East Coast and Chicago, and then local rock cod from the Pacific for Convene properties on the West Coast.

Another standout includes the chilled ramen salad. The team employed yuzu, a small citrus fruit popular in Japan, Korea, and China, in a vinaigrette. The bitter yet bright citrus is balanced with soy-braised La Belle Farm chicken, napa cabbage, chili-roasted eggplant, carrots, edamame, and scallion.

Adapting ingredients for a modern palate

One goal of the “Perfect Plates” philosophy is to make interesting dishes that give energy rather than send meeting and event attendees into a lethargic post-lunch state. Although many proteins are available, they aren’t necessarily missed in dishes like the salads. “Guests say they enjoy our vegan and plant-based options just as much as the protein options,” said Chef Gallagher.

The spring-vegetable Caesar salad started in the test kitchen as a decadent yet simple homage to a cacio e pepe pasta. The turning point was when Chef Franey asked, ‘What if the richness of Caesar or cacio e pepe was vegan?’ The result turned into a hybrid Caesar salad by including vegan black pepper dressing and nutritional yeast, a vitamin-rich cheese substitute that might be considered a culinary miracle for its ability to add an umami punch for dairy-free and milk lovers alike.

When asked about his favorite dish on the Spring-Summer Menu, Chef Franey said the spring-vegetable Caesar salad, a vegan plant-based recipe he developed: “I nailed it on the first try, and that’s why I like it so much.” The staff agreed it was a hit during the tasting at Convene Brookfield Place.

Another crowd favorite is the Calabrian chili roasted heirloom squash made with vegan cream corn to offer the mouthfeel of dairy without the heaviness. Jackfruit carnitas somehow capture the texture of crispy pulled pork.

Produce shifts to stay fresh throughout the season

Recipes adapt to seasonal availability not only twice per year but throughout the growing season. The secret to an ideal “Perfect Plates” recipe is one that can withstand the demands of commercial kitchens spanning two continents. Menu items at Convene have been designed to hold up to changes in fruits and vegetables to ensure only the freshest produce is used.

The stone fruits and burrata salad is one such dish paired with heirloom tomatoes, arugula, and a standout house-made olive granola. All of the vegetables in the spring vegetable Caesar salad will shift over the coming months, for example, but the flavor profile will remain the same.

“It's a delightful way to enjoy the bounty of the season while adding a vibrant crunch and color to the menu,” said Orquiria Martinez Reyes, executive chef at Convene 101 Park Avenue. Martinez Reyes called the vegan salad a “refreshing twist on a classic.”

Clients select a menu to fit the needs of their team

Menu development varies across the Convene portfolio of brands, but each brand’s menu is designed to accommodate a range of dietary needs, the style of the meeting or event, and program budgets. For example, value-driven etc.venues properties employ “chef’s choice” menus tailored by the executive chefs at each location. Meetings and events at etc.venues are complemented by a communal dining experience, with buffet service designed to deliver efficiency, flexibility, and a seamless flow during breaks.

Convene properties offers menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for each day of the week with various serving styles, including buffet style for meetings and conferences, seated plated dinners or lunch events, and passed hors d'oeuvres during a reception. A service of small bites during morning and afternoon breaks is also available to keep guests alert and active.

Event planners also have the option to customize a menu based on our offerings, as well as the ability to enhance the menu with additional dishes as needed. In effect, Convene clients can approach their food and beverage selections with little to absolute customization, depending on the goals of their event.

Want help planning the menu for your next event? Speak with our event specialists about your meeting or event to receive a five-star culinary experience.