Caterers
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August 2004
I live in the Berkeley area and am looking for a high-end
catering service. Ideally, they would prepare and serve savory
appetizers at my home for about 40-50 people over the course of
3 to 4 hours as well as provide bar service. Any
recommendations?
amj
Hi! I am an event manager at UC Berkeley. For the last 9 years, I've used Grace Street
catering for all of our high end events and they are fabulous. You will be extremely
pleased with their service and food. Call Erin at 510/523-1600.
Helena
April 2004
I am looking for a caterer for a dinner for about 7 adults. I'd
like someone to come to my house to cook, serve and clean up
after dinner. We'd like some tasty hors d'oeuvres, the main meal
with maybe a course or two, and then dessert. Nothing too
elaborate. I have looked at the archives but didn't see
anything that seemed right.
Thanks for your help.
Want to spend time with my guests
Lois Moore is expanding her catering business -- she might also
be open to doing some personal chef work. Her number is 482-
9212.
A Woman Called Sam does catering for small and large parties.
Her e-mail is awomancalledsam AT hotmail.com
She is a FABULOUS cook, absolutely conscientious, will totally
take control and get the job done so you don't have to worry
about a thing. Tell her June sent you.
Have fun.
June
Hi.
Ida Shen might be ideal for your dinner party! Her food is
wonderful as is her style...
Contact her at ida AT onthemenu.com and tell her Wanda sent
you...and have a great time with your guests!
Wanda
A new catering company which I've been using for work (for
small gatherings) is Pass The Peas. It's a group of young guys
who all bring a little of their own cultural take to their
menu. Their prices are competitive and they are really trying
to make a go of it. You can call Micheal 510-532-7030. Another
guy I use is Gabrielle at Two or More catering 415-922-3755. I
have never been dissappointed with the service or quality of
either one. Have a fun party!
Juliette
Mary Lou Allen lives in No. Berkeley and is a chef, and a cooking
teacher (and I think she also trains cooking teachers). We hired
her to teach a short series of cooking classes in our home for
our anniversary present to each other, and it was great. More
importantly, I've eaten a dinner that she cooked for a dinner
party, and it was fantastic - not overly fussy, just simple,
elegant and delicious.
While she does not make a business out of catering per se, I know
she does it occasionally and would be interested in talking to
you.
You can reach her at 510 558-8710.
Bon Appetit!
food lover
March 2004
We are thinking of using Culinary Excellence Caterers for a big
family event. Has anyone ever used them, and would you use them
again? THANKS!
Berkeley Girl
Culinary Excellence catered a friend's wedding in 1995 and when
I got married in 2001, we used them as well. We received MANY
compliments on the food and would highly recommend them. I
also recommended them to a friend who hired them for her
wedding and she was also very pleased. Klaus, the owner, was
very helpful and professional.
Maya
We used Culinary Excellence Catering for our Sunday Brunch
wedding in 2000 and they were fantastic!! Not only would Klaus
make anything we wanted, he also suggested many great ideas.
Everyone loved the food and the presentation. I would highly
recommend them for any catered event as they do a great job, are
so easy to work with, and are very reasonable. I did a lot of
research to find a caterer for our wedding and was really
impressed as they make you feel like family.
Suzanna
March 2004
Do you know of a service that can deliver coffee for 400 people to the
UC Berkeley campus? My husband is on the organizing committee for a
conference that will be held on the UC Berkeley campus in September
2005. They cannot find a business willing to be responsible for coffee
service during the conference. They require coffee, hot water, juice, etc,
2 times a day for around 400 people. (Peet's will sell them the coffee,
but they will not deliver.) Can you recommend a coffee service that
could do this?
Kirsten
I hope this works out for you -- there is a place called
Associated Services in Concord that may be able to help.
Their # is (925)932-2739. The owner there has ALWAYS
been very kind toward our school (Christ the King) when it
comes time to do our festival every year. We get all of the
necessities for coffee service from them and they are
FABULOUS. I hope that this is the sort of thing they can help
you with as they are very nice people. Bob is the owner and
if you call them, please tell them that Trish from Christ the
King sent you -- I'd like them to know that we appreciate
them and are spreading the word about how great they are!
Good luck!
Trish
Caffe Roma often does this for campus functions. Probably nearly
any of the local cafes would (Strada, Roma, etc)
You can also try Housing and Dining...They have a website here:
http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/dining/catering/frames.html
For coffee service, try Espresso Subito 527-7330, espressosubito.com.
They provide a fabulous very professional coffee service.
Deborah
June 2003
I am doing a project. Are there any caterers who offer parents
a convenient and healthy alternative to packing a bag lunch for
their kids? I am looking for a caterer that would deliver
healthy lunches daily to the kids' schools.
I know Bentley School uses a service called Lunch N Munch. I haven't
eaten the lunches myself but they look good. I think you get a menu and
can choose what you want on different days etc and then they deliver.
Leah
Redwood Day School (Oakland) uses Lunch n' Munch. The selections
seem pretty healthy to me, although we haven't yet made use of
the service. You can call RDS at (510) 534-0800, and someone
there might be able to give you more info.
LA
Lunch n'munch delivers ''bag'' lunches to our school daily. You
sign up for them a month at a time, and each day you have 3 or
4 different options to choose from. It is catered by, I am
pretty sure, Kensington Bistro. You can call them at: 510) 232-
4013
Shahana
St. Paul's Episcopal School in Oakland gives parents the option
of buying lunches from ''Lunch 'N Munch.'' They deliver healthy
bag lunches and give kids at least three options of entrees
everyday. Call the school to get the contact information.
Diane
May 2003
I'm having a party at my house Saturday night, June 28 and am
looking for 2 -3 hostess helpers. I have a chef preparing the
food, need help with maintaining buffet, serving beer and wine
and clean up. We're expecting about 100pp.
Also, can someone recommend a good party rental store for
glasses, tables, chairs,etc? Thanks
Jeanne
You might want to try Classic Party Rentals in the South Bay.
We used them for Thanksgiving this past year (about 20 people)
and they had very nice equipment and a good selection. I don't
know if they are inexpensive but their prices were comparable to
other companies and they seemed to have a broader selection. You
can have a look at wwww.classicpartyrentals.com
-RK
June 2003
I am looking for someone who would like to earn some extra
$$ helping serve appetizers and clean-up after a party for
approx. 80 people. Party should last about 4 hours and
will be held Friday, July 11. Does anyone have any
recommendations?? Thanks.
Judy
I used this outfit about seven years ago for my Berkeley wedding
and was very pleased:
Hostess Helpers 2070 10th Ave San Francisco, CA (415) 665-9313
We had them do everything (and more) caterers would do, except
the food was supplied by someone else.
- Charis
One of the best ways to find servers/clean-up persons is to
advertise at the California Culinary Academy (CCA) on Polk
street in San Francisco. They will list your ''job'' or ''jobs'' on
a bulletin board for students who would like to make extra
money. It's a great way to get experienced people/those who need
more experience at a good $$ rate.
You can also advertise for a chef/cook to do private dinners at
your home.
Maya
Jan. 2003
I am looking for a caterer for my small vegetarian wedding
reception (only 25 people). My son (two years old) and his
cousins (two under 8 years old) will be there. I need an
affordable caterer who can also provide or coordinate the rental
of tables, chairs, place settings, and linens. The wedding in
late April, 2003. Every place I have called is either WAY too
expensive or won't cater such a small event. I need help!
Drennen
Blue Heron in Oakland catered my wedding and, though I don't know
if they are exclusively vegetarian, the food was fantastic, much
of it was vegan (at my request), they provided linens (etc) and
even a wedding coordinator. They did such a great job my sister
hired them to do her wedding. For hers they set up an outdoor
(yes, vegetarian) grill. It was, again, fantastic.
I have no idea if they'll do an event for such a small number of
people nor on such short notice.
Good luck.
Molly G
I highly recommend Doris Bowen. She has catered small dinners
and a larger party for us. The food is always delicious. She
worked with us to come up with a menu within our dietary
restrictions (she even catered a beautiful Passover dinner --
her first venture into Jewish cooking!). Although she works
alone, she has access to party rentals and can hire assistants.
Doris' number is (925) 648-3329.
A while back, we had a catered lunch at my office, with about
fifteen people served. The vegetarian (with vegan options)
caterer was called ''Mrs. Dish,'' based, I think, in Emeryville.
I couldn't find her on line just now, but I remember that the
food was really good, and also reasonably priced. The other
vegetarian-friendly caterer with whom I've had experience is
Shai's in Kensington (http://www.shais.com/). I don't know if
they do really small parties, but you could call and find out.
The food is delicious and the presentation is really
spectacular -- their hoummus platter is a beautiful work of art!
Alexa
Jan 2003
I am looking for caterer reccomendations for a large party of
200 in Pleasanton in September 2003. Anybody have any
suggestions that won't break the bank? Thanks!
Juliette
My husband is a chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley and also has
his own catering business. He caters private parties from small
dinner parties to larger parties like the one that you mentioned
for 200 people. He specializes in seasonal organic cooking from
simple to fancy. His name is Arnon Oren: arnon_oren AT yahoo.com,
ph: 510-237-1230
Tammy
You might try Classic Catering in Pleasant Hill. I have used
them a few times and they are always very willing to work
within my budget. I will tell them what we are looking for,
they give a price, then if it above the budget , I'll say, ''My
budget is $XX.XX per person; can you work with me?'' Jackie
is the woman you need to speak with. They are
professional, courteous, and very amenable to whatever
your needs are. They are not a huge outfit, but the food has
always been very good and the staff, excellent! Good luck,
and feel free to contact me with any questions!
Trish
Try calling La Bocca Fina in Hayward. I've used them quite a
few times for large (350 people) to smaller affairs(50-60).
Teri, the owner is wonderful! She is a true professional,
handling all my parties efficiently. She knows the true meaning
of customer service! Which allows me to relax during the
parties and have a good time as well. Her food is always
creative and extremely tasty. She'll help you come up with a
menu for your budget.
Generally with catering the bulk of the money goes toward hiring
the staff to set up, cook, serve, keep things running smoothly,
etc. and just run the party. If you want to keep your costs
down and do more of this yourself, you may want to consider
going to Whole Foods or Picante or someplace like that where
they will just make the food. Then you pick up and do the rest.
However, if you want a full service caterer I highly recommend
La Bocca Fina. Their number is 510-264-0276.
allison
I would like to recommend La Bonne Cuisine, a French
Catering company located in Berkeley. I am working for
them and have seen many large parties they have organized
and they are unbelievable ! The food is great (they only use
organic vegetables and meat without hormones), the
service is really friendly (you feel like dealing with a family)
and they are really creative in terms of presentation and
decoration: their flower arrangements are really unique.
They can help with a lot of ideas regarding the place you are
looking for, the invitations, the theme...They have many
references and can really be a great added value.
Christophe, the Chef really knows what is talking about.
They also organize the French summer camp in Tilden Park
and some cooking lessons for kids (in French !). Last but
not least the prices are not going to break your bank ! If you
want a free quote or some more info call me at (510)
549-3760. Bon appitit !
Laura
We used a caterer for a wedding celebration in Kensington last
summer and were very pleased with the results. We were on a tight
budget and couldn't afford a high-end ''gourmet'' caterer but did
want good food that would appeal to both adults and kids.
The owner was extremely helpful, the price was right, the
staff was friendly, and everyone commented on the delicious food.
Stephen Nicol
Red Robin Caterers
489 Magnolia Ave.
Larkspur
415-924-0956
--Sharon
I would highly recommend Culinary Excellence located in Concord.
Claus (the owner) catered our Sunday Brunch wedding in 2000 and
was so friendly and helpful. He has tastings every month and if
there is something special you would like that is not listed on
his menus, he will gladly make it special for you (even family
recipes). He has been in business for many years and he makes you
feel like part of the family. AND his prices are totally
reasonable!!!
His website is: http://www.culinaryexcellence.com/
Bon Appetite!
Suzanna
I know of a really great caterer based out of Berkeley. His name
is Hugh Groman, his business is Hugh Groman Catering. His number
is 415-250-1361. I actually have been to 2 parties that he did
because after the first one at my friend's house, one of our
friends liked the food so much that they hired him for another
party I was invited to. The 2 parties were very different. One
was a casual more picnic style and one was a sit down very
extravagant dinner, so I think he can probably work with you on
a menu that suits your needs and budget. Per my friend, he was
easy to work with and very personable. His food was some of the
best I've had.
Good luck with your party!
Nina
Owner/Chef Terry Paulding does a wonderful job of catering for
30 and over. She will come up with innovative and eclectic
menus that don't break the bank. She and her staff are
extremely professional but down to earth. She put on a
sophisticated Spanish dinner for us that was elegant yet
simple. The evenings conversation continued to revert back to
the food and presentation.
Terry can be reached at 510-594-1104.
Trish
I recommend Tina Ernano at Beans Catering. Beans Catering uses
fresh, seasonal, and organic (when possible) produce. They
provide menus ranging from Asian influenced cuisine to regional
Italian specialties. They can do small or large parties and also
provide home delivered meals.Contact Tina at tinaernano@aol.com.
Danielle
June 2002
I would like to get a recommendation for a local
caterer. I'm having a baby shower for a friend in
about a month and would appreciate a name of a
person who could cater that. After looking over the
postings on the recommendations page and speaking with
some of the caterers listed, it seems like the
caterers I liked are already booked for that date. So
any others that could be recommended would be
appreciated.
Thank you
Katie in Rockridge
If you are just looking for someone just to prepare the food I recently used
Rick and Ann's in Berkeley and thought they were excellent. My party was for 20
people and a friend also used them for a party of 80+ and was also very happy
with them. They have an excellent menu, everything can be served at room temp,
they will deliver, are very helpful in menu planning and I found them to be very
reasonably priced (I don't think our bill even came to $150 and we had tons of
leftovers). Nearly everyone at our party commented on how good the food was.
Try Fete catering at 510-655-9390. Duncan McCreight is the owner and is
really good. He's done a number of events for me including baby
showers.
Good luck.
Kristi
I've had very good success here on Campus using Bubi's Catering. They are
located at 2530 Tenth Street in Berkeley. Their telephone number is
510-549-1759. They have a nice menu, from sandwiches through quiches, egg
rolls and lasagne, with many meat and vegetarian options. And they make
their own cookies, which are WONDERFUL. They are one of the few caterers I
have found in this area who will still cater breakfast. I have dealt in
the past with Jim Kehl, who is just a wonderful guy. Last year he drove my
husband's car keys to our home in San Leandro when I accidentally took them
with me to Berkeley at 7am! Great folks.
Dawn
I would like to recommend my neighbour, Joel Goldfarb.
You can contact him at:
Joel at chezbaygourmet.com
Tel 925-943-2378
- Richa
To the person who is looking for a caterer, I strongly
recommend a friend of mine who has a catering business
in Oakland. Her name is Namie Shin and can be reached
at 510-332-1839. She's a great cook and has been a
caterer for several years. She caters lunches, weddings,
baby showers - and all at very reasonable prices. Give
her a call, I'm sure you'll be very happy with her work.
Robyn
I highly recommend the team at Lalime's/Jimmy Bean's;
they catered our wedding rehearsal dinner. It was
fantastic. You can visit their website at
http://www.jimmybeans.com/JB_catering.html
or call Haig Krikorian at 510-559-7023.
Christine
I would recommend Terry Paulding as a caterer that will
come to your home for a party. She also teaches
wonderful cooking classes in Emeryville through the
Piedmont adult school. Her number is 510 594-1104
Dawn
I highly recommend Skip and his crew at Innovative
Restaurant Ventures. Skip catered my wedding and
friends loved it so much, he catered 3 of theirs as
well. I think he would do a baby shower too. His
pricing was far below any other caterer I had found
and his food was outstanding. You can reach him
through one of his restaurants; Girasole in Danville
(925) 484-1001 or The Big Horn Grill in San Ramon.
Nicole
I used Rick & Ann's catering at the last minute (2 days before) for my
sister's shower. They were great, the food was great and reasonably priced
(comparatively). They were nice and helped me pick how much and what food
would be good. Everyone loved it and thought the food was delicious.
Hileslie1
I can recommend a caterer Chez Ellen. She's cooked for
a few of our parties, including a baby shower. The
food is fantastic. Ellen offers a personal chef
service as well cooking in your kitchen or having
fresh dinners delivered. Her number is 428 CHEF
(2433).
you can write me with more questions.
paula
We were really pleased with Shai's which is located on
the Arlington in Kensington. He was very reliable, and
you can go into his restaurant and taste the food in
advance. I thought his prices were reasonable, and he
really worked with us to bring the prices down.
Daphne
I used Sunrise Catering in Walnut Creek - very reasonable and good food.
Plus with a certain minimum order you get a server/cleaner person. You
also might want to check out Rick & Ann's catering.
Lisa
May 2002
I'm looking for a barbecue caterer who will come and do
the barbecue at my place. I went to a party back east
where a caterer brought a trailer that was a huge
barbecue grill and rotisserie pulled behind a pickup
truck, plus all the ''fixins'', and I'l love to have
that at a housewarming party that I'm planning. Does
anyone out there have any recommendations? Thanks!
new home owner
I went to a Neighborhood Picnic which was catered by
Everett and Jones. They brought *everything* and it was
really, really popular. E&J has in many people's opinion,
the best BBQ in the bay area (some people think Carmen's
in Hayward is better, but they are just wrong!). Flints
may also do a similar deal, though they have some
consistency problems
BBQ Lover
Pearlie's restaurant could probably do this. They now
own a restaurant but they used to be a catering company
with the most amazing (and affordable!) food.
Pearlie's
5885 Bancroft Ave at Seminary;
Oakland
510-569-1394
Try Backforty BBQ in Pleasant Hill. I had used them
last June for my husband's surprise 40th and everyone
loved it! My girlfriend used them for her wedding last
summer also. They have a range of catering plans. They
will come on site with big grill and serve up buffet
style, deliver your just of the grill hot items and
sides in trays, or you can pick it up. They charge by
the person, and I found for the amount of grub we
received, was a very reasonable price price. Includes
plates, tablecloths, utensils and wet-napkins for those
oh so good BBQ ribs. A complete package for throwing a
down home party. We loved them and will definately use
them again and again. They have a web site , I think
it is BackfortyBBQ.com-check it out.
Note from Myriam:
Website is:
http://www.backfortytexasbbq.com/
Kerri
To the person who inquired about Barbecue Catering,
the Great American Bar-b-Q Company in Alameda on High
Street has a huge portable grill that they take to
catering jobs.
Katie
Nov 2002
I am looking for a caterer who does Japanese food WELL. Looking
for sushi / terriyaki / tempura.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Nina
You can try a little Japanese store/caterer on Dwight Way just
above Shattuck. They've catered a few work parties in my office
and done a fine job (and this according to native Japanese co-
workers). Their name escapes me right now, but they're pretty
easy to find (in person, obviously).
Nina (too!)
The Dwight Way shop referred to by the previous response
is Musashi. Manpuku on Telegraph is comparable (both in
Berkeley). There is also a very nice deli on San Pablo in El
Cerrito in the same mini mall as Katanaya restaurant.
The above are affordable bento (i.e., lunch box) type shops.
For higher end catering try Genki on San Pablo in Berkeley.
GF
You should definitely contact Cubby Nakamura at Tokyo Fish Market
on San Pablo Ave. His food is great. I don't know about the
tempura, but his sushi, sashimi, etc. are wonderful. And, he is
an extremely nice guy.
Teresa
The name of the great Japanese caterer is Musashi, on
Dwight Way in Berkeley. They're fantastic.
Susan
I have a different perspective on Musashi - for which a number
have sent high recommendations. For 5 years I've work within a
block of the store so it's convenient to pop by for quick bite.
But I rarely do unless I'm really rushed for time. Musashi sushi
is bland and almost all tastes the same (was that eel or tuna I
just ate?).
The sushi at Joshuya (corner of Dwight and Telegraph) is a little
longer walk but ooooh so much better! The fish is fresh and
flavorful and the staff wants to help (though they generally do
make a mistake). Joshuya where we get our sushi company-wide
lunches.
My experience with the Musashi staff is poor (with the exception
of a few gems who don't stay employed there long). The fellow,
whom I believe to be the owner, is very abrupt.he's rarely there,
though.
Since my day-to-day enjoyment of the quality of staff and food at
Musashi is rather low, I've never gotten them to cater - though
their prices do look tempting. Since there are good
recommendations, maybe they use their better fish for the custom
catering jobs and the day-to-day orders get leftovers!
-a musashi neighbor
Nov 2002
Can anyone suggest an excellent kosher caterer?
Expensive is okay.
Thank you
''A Woman Called Sam'' (that's the name she uses) does kosher
catering. Her e-mail address is awomancalledSam at hotmail.com.
June
I would recommend Oded Hilu for kosher catering. He's a
graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA-the original
one in Hyde Park NY), and can make great kosher food for 2
people or two hundred people. I found him very easy to work
with and flexible with last minute changes. You can contact him
by email: Odedly at attbi.com or call (510)845-4378. Have a great
celebration!
Lois Moore 482-9212. She usually cooks out of the synagogue or
client's home and can make traditional Ashkenazie food (great
gefilte fish, latkes, etc...) as well as California food (baked
salmon, roasted veggies, aram sandwiches) and Israeli dishes.
Carol
Alan Finkelstein (510-845-8275) is a great kosher caterer. His
food is fabulous and he's easy to work with.
Claudia
Feb 2005
I am looking for a reliable, reasonably-priced caterer for a
corporate Cinco de Mayo celebration. I'd prefer someone close to
Hayward, where the event will take place. (San Leandro - Castro
Valley - Fremont) As this is a large corporate event I need to
know that their service will be completely reliable. Any
recommendations?
Karolyn
I just noticed that Cactus Taqueria (with locations on both
Solano and College) has a catering menu.
cactus fan
May 2002
I am planning a party (for about 50 adults) and I'd like to have it
catered. Can anyone recommend a caterer who can provide Mexican food
(enchiladas, rice & beans, etc.)? The website has several recommendations
for caterers, but I'm looking for Mexican food in particular. Thanks in
advance!
Jennifer
We were just at Baja Fresh last night and noticed they do catering. It seemed at a glance their catering
menu was more extensive than their regular menu. They're on Shattuck in downtown Berkeley. you might also
want to try Picante on 6th street.
teresa
Try Cancun in Berkeley on Allston Way.
Portamex in San Pablo/Richmond is yummy. They catered a wedding of a friend once.
Angela
Have you called Picante, on 6th Street in Berkeley? I think they might cater, and
their food is marvelous. Yum yum.
Wendy
You can try Pepito's Deli in Berkeley on San Pablo Ave, and Dwight. They have great enchiladas
and rice and beans. I know that they do catering. You can also try La Borinquena Mexican Deli in
Oakland. It is right across from the police department on Jefferson and 7th. They have the best
food homemade tamales, rice, beans the works. Good Luck!
Alex
Cancun Restaurant off Addison Street here in Berkeley is excellent. I coordinate monthly meetings for
a non-profit and they have done all our events this year. they do tradtional faire but in a tapas style
(appetizers) with an assortment of items (tacos, meat and veggie quesadillas, ceviche, tostadas, and
chimichagas). The price is reasonable usually about $5-$7 person and that includes sodas, chips, three
kinds of salsa and all the utensils and paper goods. The contact person there is Andrea and her direct
line is 510-549-0838. You will not be disappionted.
Oscar
My husband works for an organization on campus and he is always using catering services for his meetings.
The best Mexican food that cater's that he has found is Cancun's Restaurant They have a great salsa bar
and their food is really good (we think). You should go and taste for your self. Their restaurant is on
Kittridge (I think), almost at the corner of Oxford. It is next door to the new apartment complex called Guia
apartments. Good luck!
Sandra
Cancun Taqueria in Berkeley caters.
Toby
Cancun Taqueria in Berkeley or Mecca from Pittsburg both do excellent jobs in catering Mexican Food.
Try Juan's Place in berkeley. I once went to an affair
they catered--all the standard Mexican-American food, and
pretty tasty.
M.S.
You should give Cactus Taqueria a call, especially if you're looking for enchiladas. Their mole verde with
ground pumpkin seeds is wonderful, as are their red mole and adobe sauce (the latter two are specials and
not always available). Plus, their prices are very reasonable considering the quality of the food (Niman-Schell
beef, no lard, etc.). I've never used them for catering, but know that they handle big orders.
Cactus is near the top of Solano, just west of the Alameda; their number is 528-1881. (There's a second
location on College, but I'm not familiar with it.)
Lynn K.
November 2002
I am looking for a caterer for an event that will take place at
Haas over two days in mid-November. We will be meeting in the
Wells Fargo room at Haas.
I was warned that Haas is really picky about letting caterers
into their facilities. I was told that Paul Jenkins at White
Hat Catering has done some Haas events. Has anyone used him? I
read the Caterer recommendations in the archive but he isn't
mentioned.
Most of the UC event caterer recommendations seem to be a few
years old. We will be about 25 people for two breakfasts and two
lunches. Any ideas? This is my first time organizing food for
a campus event--anything else I should be aware of?
Thanks in advance -- Sojeila
Try Travelin' Joe Espresso Catering, which specializes in on-
site espresso bars (regular and decaf coffee, espresso,
cappuccinos, lattes, etc. to order) for meetings and other
events, but can also do breakfast and lunch catering (anything
from bagels and cookies to a to-order hot waffle bar) along with
the coffee. They've done a few events at Haas in the past, and
also provide catering for other UCB departments. Ask for Bill
at 510-843-8730 or check out their website at
www.travelinjoeespresso.com.
CC
Our department orders and picks up food, etc. from Andronicos.
The food is very good and I think it's less expensive than other
places (although money may be no object at Haas :). But you have
to do a bit more work yourself (set up tables, do flowers if you
like, remember to get decorative items, etc.). But we enjoy our
receptions.
Best of luck
Linda
I am an events manager in the University Events and Ceremonies
department on campus and have done many events at Haas. I don't
know what your budget is, but if you have a budget for full service, I
highly recommend Grace Street Catering (510/523-1600, tell Erin
Helena sent you). High quality food and unbeatable service. If you just
want drop off service, I recommend Rick & Ann's (yummy bakery goods)
or Stella Nonna (awesome boxed lunches). Jimmy Bean's is also good
and they run the cafe located in Haas. Jimmy Bean's can work within
your budget and service needs. (I don't have any experience with White
Hat.)
Helena
July 2004
I would like to recommend very enthusiastically a gifted
caterer--Susan, ''The Jewish Martha.'' Susan did an
aesthetically-pleasing and delicious-tasting brunch for
me--frittata, scones, homemade jam, coffee cake, fruit skewers
with marscarpone dip. As well, she was timely and courteous and
very conscientious. On another occasion, I ate at a friend's 10
guest dinner party, for which Susan had catered. Again,
everything was delicious and beautiful--lemon garlic chicken,
roasted garlic potatoes, a mixed green salad with the most
amazing citrus vinagrette, and a luscious apricot cobbler with
homemade vanilla ice cream--and, get this, the apricots were
organic and from Susan's tree.
Susan is emboldened enough to accept new clients. She is
reachable at 510-420-8471.
A Foodie
Feb 2004
My cousin recently started a new catering service which I'd like
to recommend. Ideally suited towards baby showers, baby namings,
wedding showers and adult birthday parties, TheCrepeChef will
deliver crepes warm and fresh to your event. His recipes are not
your standard jam, cheese or apple generic variety. Instead, he
suggests Crepe Cafe Au Lait - Mocha with a splash of liqueur and
Hawaiian brown sugar to lightly sweeten, or Crepe Luau - A south-
sea island specialty - coconut, pineapple and rum, or Cheese
Enchantment - Variety of European cheeses for a zesty fulfilling
crepe, or Tomato Temptation - Roma Italian tomatoes, onion,
olive oil and black pepper among others. For that extra flair
he will flambe selected crepes at the party. For your next
party, contact TheCrepeChef : (650) 303-1092 or
crepechef AT pacbell.net
Tali
Nov 2002
In looking for a caterer on this site I noticed there aren't any
recent recommendations. I would like to highly recommend Hugh
Groman Catering in Berkeley. He catered my birthday party and
I've been to 2 other parties that he catered. He does an
EXCELLENT job and works closely with you to personalize the menu
with food you love. He also cares very much about the freshness
and quality of the food he serves. Lastly, he is just a lot of
fun and makes planning the party stress free! His number is 415-
250-1361.
Nina
2001
I have a reccomendation for a caterer. Her name is Corinne Kinczel. Her
company is called CEK productions. She does personalized catering and
festive occasions (aka: parties) :) She will travel all over the bay
area,she is reasonably priced, and the food is wonderful! Her # is
510.326.4084
I'd like to recommend Art's Cafe as a fantastic caterer. I think many
portions of their catering excelled my wedding caterer which we paid
five times higher for in Santa Barbara, including presentation. We've
used them twice, each time very impressively presented, and the food was
delicious. People were raving about it and asked who this caterer was.
Several guests told me they went back for third and fourth plates!
Also, other friends have used them and were delighted by their quality
and incredibly low rate. For example, their rates may have gone up,
but I hosted my son's birthday party of about 40 people for $500 for
food only.... and they prepared several delicious entrees, a gorgeous
fruit salad, sushi platter, a whole salmon, japanese noodle salad, and
more! We also had enough food left to give a way and eat for an entire
week. Please don't tell them I thought they were inexpensive b/c I
don't want to see higher prices next time we call them. It's o.k. to
say that Susan JunFish recommended them, however. Their food is not
super fancy like for example what you see from the chefs coming out of a
Culinary Academy, but it's better than most foods I've had in
restaurants in Berkely and surrounding areas. They run a simple looking
hole in the wall cafe in El Cerrito, which does not represent how their
catered food look like or taste like. They are also very nice people so
I hired them to serve our guests as well. Enjoy! Susan
2000
Ellie
Looking for a caterer:
I am looking for a caterer for my son's bar mitzvah this spring in Oakland.
I am looking for someone who will do a mixture of providing some of the
food and "presenting" some of the food that we (and our friends) will be
making - and who is not too expensive and would also be open to using the
help of some young adults who we will hire to help the caterer!
Does anyone have someone to recommend?
Lee
I've been very pleased with Tricia O'Brien Catering. She's in Oakland and
can be reached at 420-0958 or tobcaters at aol.com. She catered a party for us
and I also hired her to teach a cooking class to a group of friends (it was
really fun!). Friends who attended my events that Tricia catered have also
used her since they enjoyed her food so much. Her presentation is great and
she is very flexible to help plan
Trish
I heartily recommend Terry Paulding to anyone who is planning a party or
dinner. She
has a wonderful range of diverse ethnic menus to which she adds her own
innovative twists.
She also teaches several cooking classes at Piedmont Adult School. Call
Terry at
510-594-1104
1999
From: Janeen
For the caterer recommendation, I'd like to recommend Trumpetvine Catering.
They are here in Berkeley and in the book. We used them for our wedding
nine years ago and I still get compliments on the food that we had. We did
have lots of hors d'ouvres too. Good luck.
I would highly recommend Carter Brown Catering. The chefs have great
experience (backgrounds include Bay Wolf and Chez Panisse) and are very
creative. They'll provide expert catering and coordinate any size event for
you. They can be reached at 925- 600-8827 or on-line at
carter_brown_catering at Yahoo.com. Their food is fantastic!
Lisa
I've used Poulet for a brunch, 2 lunches and a buffet style dinner. I
discovered them through a wedding I attended several years ago. The owner
Marilyn is a very pleasant, creative and responsive person to work with.
She's willing to discuss different menus and ideas, brainstorm about ways to
save money on the bill and has a great staff of people that work for her.
The food is excellent. You can have them deliver and serve the food or you
can pick it up. The dinner I had them do was for a birthday. She said they
could do the cake but it would be somewhat expensive and suggested I might
want to order it from Virginia Bakery which is located across the street
from Poulet. They actually picked the cake up for me and delivered it to
the party at no extra charge. Just one example of how flexible they are.
Their phone number is 510-845-5932 and they're located at 1685 Shattuck
Avenue.
Kathy
A catering referral-- I used Bread and Butter Catering phone
741-1680 fax 741-1681 for my In-laws 50th wedding Anniversary (150 people)
and they were great. They also handle small events as described in the
request.
--------
Santa Fe Bar and Grill caters beautifully.
---------
Try Chestnut Tree Catering, 1012 B Grayson St., Berkeley, 849-0681. I
have used this company several times for our Dept. events and their
service is tops, food is great, and prices are within reason,
i.e. what others around are charging, but with better quality of food.
Lucy Montanez, SIMS
---------
I've used Blue Heron Catering. 836-0303 Absolutely fantastic hors
d'oeurves, great service and attention. we had them for our house
warming party for 80+ people. They set up, refilled trays, cleaned
throughout the party and after. We even had great leftovers. By all
means give them a try.
---------
I can highly recommend Julia Wildwood. She has catered several events
for us, is quite reasonable, and is a pleasure to deal with. She lives
in Berkeley and her number is 845-2515.
---------------------
Market Hall Catering in Rockridge is excellent! You can cut expenses by
picking up your order or, they deliver. I have never had anything bad and
she has lots of substantial finger foods for a stand-up dinner. All the
produce comes fresh and beautiful from Market Hall produce.
Also, the portions are so generous that I have taken to cutting down the
number of people I report are coming by about 10% - 20% and we have never
run out of food.
Market Hall catering: 547-4066
---------------------
Yes, try Market Hall Caterers, ask for Susan Lieber, 547-4066. her
company is part of the Rockridge Market Hall and they are extremely
popular and yummy. Good luck.
---------------------
WARNING!!!
I would like to respond to the person recommending Market Hall
Catering. I will never use their services again. I had to arrange a
very important catered function for a Hitchcock lecture last spring.
I had used Market Hall Caterers previously and found them quite good.
I made the arrangements well in advance, had been in contact with them
and everything was set--except they didn't show up!! We called--they
didn't return the phone calls. Their courier service called us to say
they had car problems. They still didn't show up. They kept saying
they would be here in 15 minutes and didn't.they were 2 hrs. late. It
was an absolute nightmare. I had 75 people who had attended a very
important lecture by Lord Colin Renfrew and there was no food, drinks,
utensils NOTHING!! After continually calling them and the courier
service the food arrived -- when the reception was over! We never
received an explanation, an apology or anything. It was the most
unprofessional group of people I have ever seen--who took no
responsibility for ruining an important function. Beware. It was
very embarrassing.
---------------------
I know a great caterer, Janet Lash, who has done several jobs for the
School of Public Health, and also did a Boalt fundraiser, was hosted
by an Oracle employee, who is also a Boalt alum.
Although Janet is located in Palo Alto, she provides services to the
entire Bay Area.
She can be reached at:
Phone: 415-856-6320
Pgr: 415 568-8340
or
E-Mail: AVSO at AOL dot com
Good Luck with your party.
---------------------
In response to your inquiry about a caterer, I'd like to suggest my
former babysitter, who now works at Andronicos and cooks for a group
of priests in Berkeley. Her name is Deborah Carson of Just Cater It.
Her phone number in El Cerrito is 528-8489, and pager number is
309-6831.
She's catered many private functions for UC folks (parties, weddings,
dinners, etc.) and have also catered for UCOP meetings.
I have told her that I would be referring her to you. If you would
like to give me a call, I can be reached at 527-3427.
Hope it works out or that you find someone good.
-----------
If anyone is looking for a personal caterer, my husband John Finley
caters dinners/parties for a very reasonable rate. He has many
references from around the states. Local references can be obtained
from the University Art Museum. Or you can call him for any inquiries
at home 510.525.2661 or work 415.291.0808.
From: Aleta (3/98)
Glass Onion, 2824 7th St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510-848-3548, Fax
848-0724. Ask for Gloria or Tom. Cost $10.00 - $16.00 per plate.
SAMPLE: Grilled breast of chicken with red wine & mushroom sauce,
rosemary new potatoes with garlic & pearl onions, baby mixed green
salad with raspberry vinaigrette, green beans almondine with cracked
pepper, new york style cheese cake. mmm mmm good all for $10.00 per
plate. Price includes utensils, drinks, and they deliver! I
recommend them for your next staff/department/family gathering!
Editor Note As of Feb 2006, the address for Glass Onion is:
Glass Onion Catering
510-848-3542
1-800-My-Lunch
2832 10th Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
Owners: Tom & Gloria Atherstone
per email from Brandy Turner 2/21/2006
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