What sets a chic party apart? We asked three top-tier Dallas caterers – George Catering, Food Company and The Catering Company – to share their modern takes on serving food.

1. Skewers grow up. Food Company presents skewered bites which guests pluck like flowers from beds of wheatgrass. Line trays with squares of wheatgrass, which you can order, roots and all, from the produce department of Whole Foods Market. For a simple presentation on trays, Food Company uses skewers in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles from pickonus.com. The company sells a variety of skewers, from tiny bamboo skewers with knotted ends to double-pronged picks and oar-shaped mini-paddle picks.

2. Micro-plates. George Catering reports a wave of "minis," from downsized entrees as appetizers, to bite-size Kobe beef hamburgers and deviled quail eggs. Chef-owner George Brown says spoons are still popular vehicles for bites that would otherwise make a mess. That includes Asian mini-dumplings doused with dipping sauce, and composed-salad bites, such as a chiffonade of spinach with blue cheese dressed in bacon vinaigrette.

3. Personalized presentation. Greg Rankin, owner of The Catering Company, says clients are bypassing the catered look of white linen and rented silver in favor of "a more natural look, not one that's sterile or hotel-ish." Gone are the $250 centerpieces; instead, you'll find a single spray of orchids, or a mass of one type of flower, candle, fruit or vegetable. He says hostesses are using a mishmash of their own china and serving trays, rather than renting a matched set. That doesn't mean they're cutting back, though: "They're spending more on nicer linens ... which is something guests touch."