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Preferred Sonoma Caterers
Categories: Event Planning & Services Party & Event Planning Event Planning & Services Caterers Party & Event Planning, Caterers
416 East D StPetaluma, CA 94952
Serving Petaluma and surrounding area
(707) 769-7208
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
27 reviews for Preferred Sonoma Caterers
27 reviews in English
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Review from Courtney D.
Petaluma, CA
9/8/2011
I would click 10 stars if it was possible! We decided on Preferred Sonoma Caterers for our Sept. 3rd wedding and it was beyond fantastic. The food, the service...it was all amazing. I knew we were working with a great company from our first meeting with Amber. She knew exactly what kind of event we wanted to create and she nailed the menu. As others have mentioned, she was so easy to work with. After our first meeting, she sent us a clear and easy to reach estimate and there were no hidden costs. We had a few things that we thought would be challenging for the caterer but she assured us it was all fine and that she had it handled.
On the day of the event, someone from her staff was checking in with me every 5-10 minutes. I felt waited on hand and food. And, everyone loved the food. I heard guests talking about it all night. They are still raving about the cheese display. At the end of the night, we found that they had packed "to go" boxes for us with all our favorite items, including mints! They also packed up the top layer of our cake and had it all waiting for us the next morning. I cannot reccomend Amber and all the staff at PSC enough! -
Review from Rebecca M.
San Francisco, CA
6/21/2011
Exceptional in every way for our June 4th wedding, booking Preferred Sonoma Caterers was the best decision we made in the entire wedding planning process. It felt like we were working with good friends who had started a five star catering service. The menu Amber proposed was so on point that it was hilarious, it was like she had been watching us cook for years and knew exactly what sort of things we love. The food turned out phenomenol day of, tons of our guests came up to us and said it was some of the best food they had ever had, easily the best wedding food they had ever had. Amber and team clearly go to great lengths to source the freshest local ingredients possible in crafting their fine but not fussy feeling cuisine.
A few things that won major points with us and was unique to this catering service as opposed to the many others in the area we approached: Amber was very flexible about how we wanted to serve the food, had no problem with us roasting a pig through a separate service, buying our own oysters to save money, making our own tablecloths out of burlap, and bringing in our own alcohol. I also appreciated her standing her ground on things that my fiance tried to be his cheap self about, that would have made the day run much less smoothly and saved us little money.
On the day of the table setups and various food stations wowed us, they were elegant while still fitting in perfectly with our ranch site. The catering staff were like exceptionally handy members of the family, every interaction I had or witnessed impressed me with its professionalism, competency, and warmth.
I could not recommend more highly! -
Review from Erin O.
San Francisco, CA
7/19/2011
Amber and her team are great! She is sooo enthusiastic about her food and her job and it truly shows in her work. Her staff was also great, very nice, cordial and not stuffy! I got great compliments on the cheese and fruit display from the cocktail hour and the deserts (they were amazing!) I'm so glad we went with PSC!
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Review from Runn V.
Oakland, CA
9/4/2010
We had a DIY wedding up in Mendocino a couple of months ago and after looking around at different caterers around the bay, we decided to go with PSC for two main reason - the food we sampled was GREAT, and the prices were the best prices around...
We met up with Amber (after telling her on the phone we are throwing a "family gathering" - trying to avoid the inflated wedding prices...) and after about 10 minutes of talking and sampling the food, she straight up asked us if this was for our wedding - we said yes... ;) the prices, i'm happy to say, didn't change...
The food was to die for. the Moussaka is THE BEST I'VE EVER HAD (and i'm from Israel...), the salads were great... everything (besides the pita bread, which, by the time we ate it was more like pita chips) was great. We had a vegetarian, Gluten Free menu - not an easy thing to do...
They worked with us on having the food ready for pickup in these special oven-like boxes which only lose about 5 degrees an hour - which meant the food stayed piping hot until it was ready to be served. we got the serving dishes from them as well for no extra cost!
We couldn't be happier with our choice of catering. we highly recommend Sonoma Preferred Caterers! -
Review from Walt K.
Petaluma, CA
6/20/2011
I've been to a few of their catered events. The food was excellent.
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Review from T H.
Sebastopol, CA
9/30/2010
PSC did my wedding in October of 2008. I wanted several stations, based on my background (Southern) my husbands (Italian) and where we now live (Wine Country). Amber jumped right in with menu ideas and the stations and the wedding were a hit - all within my budget. Some of my guests told me that it was the best food they have ever had.
For that reason, and the joy of working with Amber and Edie, I went back to get a ham for the holidays, to have them cater my mother's 60th birthday party in August of 09, and will again be using them for my husband's 35th birthday ( a 5 course wine paired meal!). I never thought I'd be the type of person to have a "go to caterer" - but you can't go wrong with PSC! -
Review from Geri L.
San Francisco, CA
7/20/2011
From the moment I first emailed her for a quote, Amber was the perfect wedding caterer. If you're searching, you'll realize that one of the most frustrating parts of finding a caterer is that you actually have to contact everyone out there to find out their price range - not PSC; Amber is incredibly transparent and honest in all her business dealings. She is totally willing to work with any idea you have, but is experienced enough to know what might not work or what might add more cost than happiness. Edie, who answers most emails, is incredibly efficient, makes changes or answers questions within hours, and is wonderfully patient.
When it came time for the wedding, all the rental equipment was delivered exactly at the time promised and in exactly the right numbers. Amber's staff arrived and within no time the place was transformed into an organized, truly magical wedding setting. Her staff were so sweet to our guests and to us; one of her caterers walked through five rows of vineyards to find us while we were taking pictures to bring us an appetizer plate! I'm still getting emails from people raving about the food. Amber actually created a wedding "cheesecake" for us out of wheels of brie and Humbolt fog (like all her ingredients, fresh and local)!
The last thing that sets Amber apart as a caterer is the vibe one gets from her and her staff. She made not one, but two site visits to make sure everything would run smoothly on the day of the wedding (and that was only for a 70 person wedding!). The second site visit was a gorgeous day in Sonoma, and after business was taken care of, we just sat outside in the breeze and chatted - her and all of her staff were like that, just friendly, good people who could charge a million more dollars for all they do. Luckily for all of us, they don't - next to saying yes to getting engaged, going with PSC will be the best decision you make in planning your wedding! -
Review from Marshall W.
Petaluma, CA
Updated - 5/13/2011
Today was my "trifecta of culinary bliss" (well, it was two Preferred Sonoma events in the same day) Lunch was a fancy catered affair for 97 senior people, with the entree choices of tri-tip or chicken. Both choices were quite gourmet and amazingly excellent. This evening, now that was a fundraiser for a non profit at the very building where PSC is located. Food stations included tomato bisque, pulled pork sandwiches, mac and cheese, dipped shrimp, plus a lot of other dishes, and wine and beer and cotton candy and popcorn. Once again a five star performance all around. Keep em' coming! And two in a single day! Amazing.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/22/2010
The one Yelper giving the "one star" rating missed the gem of Petaluma; too bad she quibbled about… Read more »
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Review from Douglas R.
Vallejo, CA
5/9/2011
Went to a wedding they catered in Stern Grove. The beef dish was amazing, and I could not resist it, even after trying to. The potatoes also magic.
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Review from Stef I.
Atlanta, GA
7/3/2011
Look no further-- This is the place you want to cater your next event! Edie was a doll and worked with my budget and promptly answered my countless questions. And the food....amazing!! Preferred Sonoma catered my Spanish-themed wedding last year at Cline Cellars and fam/friends are STILL raving about the scrumptious cheese spread and elegant dinner buffet. The cherry on top of the whole experience were the darling and attentive wait staff that so lovingly attended to all of my and my family's needs...even packing us a to-go box of leftovers to bring to the hotel afterwards:)
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Review from Noelle H.
San Francisco, CA
10/9/2009
Amber and her wonderful crew catered our wedding this weekend, and the event simply couldn't have come together without their hard work, great attitude and energy! I could not be more pleased with my experience with Amber and her staff, they made the event a wonderful experience for a nervous bride--- nervous about everything but the food.
My new husband and I are not really fancy party people... we prefer a low key gathering rather than a big white dress wedding. Amber seemed to understand that intuitively (perhaps it was that we arrived for every appointment in jeans and dusty chucks) and really crafted a sweet, small atmosphere for us.
Being that this is the largest party we've ever held and the first wedding for both of us, we were pretty clueless about how to put it altogether... Amber spent a ton of time with us, asking questions and steering us (gently) toward a party that we would enjoy, within our budget. Honestly, we met her and saw her work at a wedding the year previous, and I thought to myself, "this has got to be a ten thousand dollar set up, at least!" Far from it. Amber worked with us to get what we wanted, but it was the single wedding experience I had where I didn't think we were being gouged.
And the food was Amazing. It is all people could talk about. (Well, that, and how devastatingly gorgeous I was.) Good veggie options for our vegetarian friends, they all said they had a good full meal. I think nearly everyone went for seconds. And they made sure I had plenty of champagne, which was a godsend.
I wish there were more than five stars to give! Thank you, thank you, thank you! -
Review from Wenny K.
South Pasadena, CA
12/20/2009
PSC catered our August 2009 wedding at Kunde Winery. My husband and I count ourselves extremely lucky to have been referred to Amber and PSC by Kunde- she over delivered in all aspects for our rehearsal dinner and also our reception, not to mention acting as our day-of coordinator. We are huge fans of food in general, and our request for East Carolina BBQ (pulled pork, hush puppies, slaw and cornbread) was much harder to fulfill in Sonoma than we had hoped. Fortunately, Amber was great to work with, including taking on the challenge of matching East Carolina BBQ sauce to recipes we cribbed from friends in North Carolina. Amber also kept the costs super reasonable, and hooked us up with a great florist as well.
The biggest compliment by far, however, has to be the numerous compliments we've received from Guests months after the event!!!Listed in: Things I Love
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Review from Alice H.
San Francisco, CA
5/28/2009
I got a bid from PSC for a BBQ on the 4th of July. When I started looking at the numbers I was shocked to find that they were charging $43 an hour for service staff and $55 an hour for someone to run the grill. This is a simple party of 50 people, no one is walking around with trays passing things out, no drink service. Just burgers and sides.
When I wrote them back and questioned the high staff fee and asked them if they could bring their quote down $200 or so, I got back a RUDE email from the owner saying that they care about their employees on holidays and "best wishes." That was it.
Maybe I am out of line, but this is a company we used before. We are also in the middle of a major recession and asking someone to bring their bid down 10% is not out of line in my book. I don't hire programmers for $45-$50 an hour - I was not questioning their love for their people - I am glad they love their employees, but they are passing on an unreasonable cost to their customers.
Anyway, this is a company that cooked good food, but I would be wary of someone doing business like this during a major recession.Comment from Jim B. of Preferred Sonoma Caterers 6/5/2009
I'm sorry to hear that Alice is upset by the quote we… More » -
Review from carey e.
Alameda, CA
6/27/2009
PSC catered and acted as an onsite planner for my wedding. From the moment Amber first spoke with my wife, I could see her stress level go down. She handled like no other, and pricing was more than worth it. I would have easily paid more for crappy food and service but Amber and staff have set the bar as far as service is concerned.
During the wedding all I could hear from my guests was about how awesome the catering crew was. Not one glass went empty the whole time - wedding had approx. 130 people. She even went as far as to decorate the church, full set up and tear down and worked with every other vendor to ensure that our wedding went smoothly.
Her staff are respectful and hard working. They even were able to trick the "drunk one" at the wedding to not drinking anymore alcohol (thank you Amber!!!!!).
Now to the good stuff - the food. The hor'dourves were of excellent quality and plenty to go around - everyone raved about the stuffed potatos - yum! The avacado/mango mix on a small pancake was to die for and the meatballs were a force to be reckoned with! The main course was just as good. I had a steak that literally could be cut with a butter knife - the chicken received great reviews and our vegetarain/vegan crowd was pleased as well.
I work in events and have never seen such a great set of staff.
Amber, you and your staff deserve every 5 star rating that comes your way! Thank you for everything, you went far and above what anyone in your industry calls service. -
Review from Kacie H.
San Francisco, CA
7/10/2009
After dealing with several snooty, condescending, overpriced catering companies, we ultimately chose PSC to cater our wedding and rehearsal dinner at my parents' Sonoma County home. Every staff member was friendly, professional and competent, the food was delicious, and Amber worked closely with my husband and me to make every detail perfect.
We planned the whole wedding with the help of family and friends (stressful!!), but PSC really went above and beyond to take care of us. When we couldn't decide on desserts, Amber made us a sampling of all the PSC desserts and even boxed some up to take back to my family. PSC was also thoughtful enough to send a glass of champagne and a beautiful little plate of fruit and cheese to my dressing room before the wedding ceremony because they knew I would forget to eat!
PSC is attentive and responsive. Phone calls and emails were returned immediately, and Amber patiently listened to and addressed all of my neurotic little worries during the planning process. When a miscommunication left us without any catering staff to help during the rehearsal dinner, (our misunderstanding), PSC promptly sent out the most helpful, charming man (unfortunately I can't remember his name--Vinny?) who was everywhere at once, filling glasses, pulling out chairs, clearing away plates, and making the guests laugh. PSC also worked with the florist and rental company to coordinate the wedding setup, and when the rental company delivered old, banged up ugly chairs, PSC had brand new chairs delivered within the hour. They helped feed our wedding band, cleaned the kitchen and neatly boxed up all of the leftovers.
I highly recommend PSC--they are warm, thoughtful, dependable, and deliver high quality food and service for a reasonable price. Our wedding was the best day of our lives, and PSC helped to make it so special. -
Review from Aurora W.
San Francisco, CA
4/26/2011
When I told my mom I was having the same caterer that I had for my first wedding she said "eww, isn't that bad luck or something?" I replied, "they were amazing the first time, I'm sure they'll be amazing again, and besides, I trust them completely. How could I be sure I'd find another affordable caterer with such delicious food and four star service?" Exactly. PSC is so good that it almost motivates a stronger work ethic in me- if I make more money I can justify hosting catered events and parties. Like a baby shower, or my 40th birthday or... Honestly, my mouth is watering thinking about the beef short ribs, the pasta...mmmm. We had a bunch of no-shows after I gave the final guest count but we had almost no leftovers-- people who aren't big eaters were going back for 2nd and 3rd helpings. It's that good.
Our guests raved about the service, too. All I know is that I felt like royalty the entire evening. Couldn't recommend them more highly. Best San Francisco caterer not in San Francisco. -
Review from Reef W.
San Francisco, CA
6/19/2009
PSC did the catering for both my wedding (which was organized by my bride and me) and the rehearsal dinner (which was organized by my mother.) We heard only raves from our guests about the food and service for both events.
For the wedding we researched at least 5 different caterers in the area, getting quotes and sampling food from each one. PSC was on the lower end of the cost spectrum and on the higher end of the taste spectrum.
The thing that really tipped the scales in the end was Amber's enthusiasm, attentiveness and creativity in coming up with a menu that really reflected the kind of food we wanted to have out our wedding. We did not want to have the standard and boring fillet and salmon wedding food. We wanted to feature local ingredients, some of our personal favorites(flank steak and grilled veggies!) and a few exotic flavors since we love to travel so much. PSC was by far the best at listening to us and then making tweaks afterward. We truly ended up with the special meal that we wanted.
In the run up to the event the PSC staff was always friendly, flexible and responsive right up to the last minute. And on the day of the event, they did a fantastic job and everything went off without a hitch. They did a great job of setting everything up and working with the venue and other vendors and I know they are a big reason we had so many people telling us it was the best wedding they had ever been to! Amber also did a great job of personally making sure that my bride and I were taken care of with food and drinks. We were so busy running around taking pictures and trying to talk to everyone that without someone looking after us it would have been easy for us to forget to eat!
As for the costs, it is inevitable for an event like this that costs will creep up from the original estimate, but there really wasn't much of this and most of it was probably the result of requests we made. In the end I am confident we ended up paying 20% less than if we had gone with a couple of other caterers we talked to.
As for the rehearsal dinner, I was not too involved with the planning, but I know my Mom was very pleased with everything. The theme for that meal was a Mexican fiesta and as a complete Mexican food junkie/snob I must admit that I wasn't expecting great things from the fajita buffet, but I was very, very pleasantly surprised and so were others who were real Mexican food lovers. As the groom, I was so busy gabbing with everyone I wasn't able to go for the second helping that I normally would have, so later that night as I lay in bed with a grumbling stomach, I was very bummed to have missed out on that. -
Review from Bryce L.
Petaluma, CA
8/11/2009
Preferred Sonoma catered my wedding reception BBQ recently, and we were absolutely thrilled. Amber was a true delight to work with, and the staff who prepared the food on site were fantastic. The pricing was very reasonable, and we couldn't have been happier with the job they did.
It's truly a shame to see a negative review like the one listed below. That one-star review appears to be solely based on the business owner's unwillingness to cut their labor costs by $200 on a holiday weekend for an assertive/pushy client. For that, I say kudos to Jim and Amber! As a fellow small business owner, I can't tell you how many times I've been asked to reduce my prices due to our current economic situation. If I caved in to every pushy client, the end result would be cutting the hours and wages of my employees. If the review was at least partially based on the quality of food, the service received during the reception, or any other number of legitimate reasons, it may warrant the attention of people who are seriously considering hiring this catering company. Because it does not, I think that it should be disregarded entirely. -
Review from Carla R.
Santa Cruz, CA
9/21/2010
What can I say about PSC? We hired them for our wedding last month in Sonoma. We were doing the wedding ourselves - without a coordinator and with a lot of DIY. The wedding was a success with many guests saying it was the best wedding they had been to.
And we attribute a large portion of this to PSC.
Not only was the food phenomenal (all fresh, all local, all in season!), but Amber gave us advice ranging from flowers, to decorations, to the way the ceremony should go. And not in a pushy know-it-all fashion, but in a helpful, knowledgeable, and respectful manner. She told us when we should go for things and when some things probably couldn't happen.
Edie (she handled all the admin) was professional, timely, and extremely helpful. Obviously we had 1,000 questions and she took the time to answer all of them in a timely manner. The caterers the day of the wedding were amazing too. They really made sure that my husband and I were comfortable, having fun, and always had a drink in our hands if we wanted it.
I could go on and on about PSC, but I really want to stress how amazing they were. If you are looking for no-nonsense catering, with reasonable prices, with people who are great to work with, and with top shelf food and service, check out PSC. I can't imagine them every giving anything less than 150%. -
Review from Dale S.
Green Brae, CA
8/30/2010
We wish there were more than five stars to describe our experience with Preferred Sonoma Caterers. From the moment of first contact with them right up to the last guest piling out the wedding they were superb in every way. Amber, Edie and the entire team gave fantastic advice, planning, and service throughout the process and were absolutely essential in making our daughters wedding a great success. The compliments from our guests keep pouring in about the excellence of the food, the smooth organization and professional and gracious service. Amber, next time you are the first call we make!
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Review from Mike D.
San Francisco, CA
7/2/2010
We can't compliment Preferred Sonoma Caterers enough. Everything from our first inquiry to them (back in November 2009) up through when the last dessert was served on our wedding day on June 6, 2010 was nothing short of 5 stars.
We met with several caterers in Sonoma and Napa counties but Amber (owner) and her staff could not be beat. We continue to get rave reviews about the food (chicken with an olive tapenade, grilled vegetables, pasta). High quality ingredients, locally sourced, professional staff and a hand-crafted menu designed just for us.
On top of that, Amber and Edie were always available to respond to questions and we had a lot of them!
I also highly recommend Preferred Sonoma Caterers. -
Review from Shannon M.
Santa Rosa, CA
6/22/2009
PSC catered my backyard wedding in Kenwood at the end of May 2009.
I (the bride) did all of the wedding planning which can be quite stressfull! After meeting with Amber and tasting a bit of their menu (which they were able to throw together in short notice), I was SOLD. Amber's professional, friendly, sensitive and down-to-earth manner was refreshing!
I can almost completely copy the words/sentiments from the review Reef W. wrote! Amber tailored our menu to our needs...right down to the personal order of shrimp cocktail JUST for my father! She was there for all my questions, gave insightful recommendations and handled the rentals!
On the day of the wedding, Amber and her right hand woman and staff swiftly set up all the tables, placed the centerpieces and arranged the favors and escort cards. I didn't have to worry about a thing! She also personally made sure that the wedding party had something to eat and drink...it was such a relief to see she was there to set it off!
We had so many compliments on the food and the service and like the other review, many of the guests we talked to said it was the best wedding they had ever been to! Even though we didn't get to try it, ALL of our guests raved about the Bounty fruit and cheese table (a selection of local cheeses paired with fruit and a variety of different breads). Oh, and my mom cried when she tasted the Chicken Marsala, it's THAT GOOD!
Amber said herself that PSC provides "GOLD standard food and service at the sterling silver price." We think we got the PLATINUM service...thank you AMBER and the staff at Preferred Sonoma Caterers! -
Review from courtney I.
Sonoma, CA
9/21/2009
We used PSC for our wedding in August and couldn't have been happeier! My husband and I are the first of our friends to get married so our knowledge of the whole planning process was limited to say the least. Amber was extremely helpful - not only with food ideas, but wedding ideas in general! She was very familiar with the venue that we had chosen, which made things run even more smoothly.
The staff were so friendly and considerate. They actually added to the occasion. And, we got loads of compliments from our guests on the food! -
Review from libby s.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/26/2010
We contracted this company for my daughter's wedding in August of 2009. From the very beginning they were helpful, kind, professional and pleasant. They worked with my daughter's budget, providing a wonderful meal plan. When we had a minor financial complicatio
n they were helpful, patient and pleasant. When we added last-minute dishes to the meal, they were accommodating and got the job done quickly with no fuss. The presentation was great and the staff was wonderful. -
Review from Nicole B.
San Luis Obispo, CA
7/23/2011
We had Preferred Sonoma Caterers cater our wedding last weekend and were extremely impressed by everything from setting up the menus to the final day of presentation and food quality. Amber was such a great resource in our whole planning process because of all her experience with weddings and large events. Everyone was raving about how amazing the food was and how professional the staff was. We did sonoma style food (cheese platter, flank steak, spinach ravioli, tomato salad, butternut couscous, potato gratin)...all local and delicious. The food tasted even better on our wedding day than in our tasting trials, which is a lot to say considering they were cooking for 200 in an outdoor makeshift kitchen! Her team not only put out an amazing meal, but they also did a great job setting the tables and making sure everything was all cleaned up and ready to go back to the rental company at the end of the night. I would love to have them cater another event!
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Review from Sue G.
Santa Rosa, CA
6/21/2010
Amazing company!! Edie was extremely professional during telephone calls and emails. Why she even responded via email in 24 hours! Unlike other caterers who did not. Amber was present at all the face to face meetings and guided us like a champ when we had no clue what we wanted. She was extremely patient and threw out ideas. This woman is phenomenal in her take charge manner. The day of the wedding arrived and everything flowed smoothly. Our guests raved about the food. We had a beet/goat cheese first course in a martini glass. Entree was rack of lamb, duck, gnocchi and asparagus. The lamb was tender and melted in your mouth. The duck was moist and delicious and that gnocchi with mushrooms was heaven sent. Just give me the bowl of that and I would have been happy! The asparagus was mixed with vegetables and quite tasty. The wait staff were dressed very professionally, very friendly and present when needed. I was worried we wouldn't have enough food. ( I am Jewish and we always cook for an army or two). Not a problem here. The food kept coming....and coming...and coming. And we ate and ate!! The servers were present when needed with more wine or water. A very top notch crew. We had a dessert table instead of a wedding cake. Beautiful presentation at dinner as well as the dessert table.
I highly recommend Amber and her professional staff. -
Review from B L.
San Francisco, CA
9/25/2007
PSC recently catered our wedding and they were amazing! The staff was really professional and, most importantly, the food was great! People are still raving about the food! I highly highly recommend this catering company.
