We LOVED working with Eli for our women's retreat. He took incredible care of all of us and every meal was more delicious than the next. There were lots of options for people with different dietary restrictions and many were going back for seconds and even thirds! read more

Eli recently catered a weekend event for us in Mill Valley. There were a little over 20 of us and we could not be happier with the food, the service and eli's responsiveness and good cheer during all of our meals. The food tasted truly homemade, and we will be sure to have the alligator our event next year. Keep up the good work eli and best wishes for continued success here in the San Francisco Bay area. read more

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Once again Eli treated us to his delicious meals. We had a weekend retreat and he spoiled us with his excellent cuisine. We look forward to having him cook for us again. read more

Eli catered the lunch for my son's Bar Mitzvah. He could not have been more professional, collaborative, and communicative. People loved the food, and we appreciated the beautiful flowers as centerpieces. We would use Eli again in a heartbeat. read more

We are repeat customers and had wonderful experiences working with Eli each time. His food is fresh, tasty and nicely displayed. He is conscientious about ensuring all guests dietary needs are accommodated without compromising taste or quality. He is easy to communicate with and enjoyable to work with. We got so many compliments on the delicious food at our events. Highly recommend! read more

Eli is incredible! When we couldn't work with our original caterer for our wedding, Eli stepped in and was able to make it work for a holiday weekend! His food is so fresh and tasty and we've gotten so many compliments already from people who were pleasantly surprised to see how much food there was and how delicious it was. Big points to Eli for also making it work for our budget. Our wedding was a mostly DIY affair to save money, but we feel like we got such value from Eli's catering - he was easy to work with, adaptable, and his staff were helpful and friendly. He also worked with our venue to make sure that everything was kosher to the needed standards, which we appreciated. And he made sure we were set on the allergen front! read more

Eli is a gem to work with. He showed a lot of care abt our event, provided delicious food to order (we modified a few things and he adapted to our requests perfectly). and served it all with a loving heart and grounded presence. I can't recommend him more highly! read more

Eli catered our 70ish guest wedding last month and we were so delighted by his service. The appetizers and meal were delicious and beautifully presented and Eli's service was flawlessly organized. He also had a kind, joyful presence that we really appreciated. Eli's communication throughout the planning process was also excellent - timely, thorough, and supportive. I highly recommend Eli for any event! read more

Eli did a backyard event for me feeding 14 people. Honestly, five stars is not enough to rate Eli's amazing food! Everything was fresh, delicious, and well-prepared. His hummus is off-the-hook. The cheesecake was seriously the best I have had in my life. His prices are more than fair. And, he's simply a great guy! I heartily recommend him! read more

It's so rare to have food taste so good and be healthy, especially for larger events. Eli catered for our 100 person event where we received so many compliments on the food. You can tell that a lot of love went into the food preparation and he thought of the details so we didn't have to. He was also easy to work with from planning to clean up. read more

I just spent the week at an event that Eli catered every meal, every day. We were spoiled. The care and thought he puts into preparing food for a group with several considerations was top notch. He even made us a sack lunch one day for an outing that was delicious. There was always a type of salad and soup for dinner along with 3-4 other dishes, not including the special dishes and desserts. There was not one dish I didn't rave about; they were all delicious. Some of my favorites: edamame salad, tzatziki, sweet potato salad, guacamole, corn salad... the list goes on. Then there was the chocolate cake and fruit platters. I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention that Eli is such a beautiful human being. He's funny, kind, easy to talk to, and you can tell he not only loves what he makes, but he loves nourishing people. I'm not only going to miss his cooking, but also his becoming part of our group. read more

Eli's Gourmet Cooking - Slaw and pesto pasta - Caterers Near Me

Eli prepared a truly excellent meal for my wife's birthday. Everyone including grandchildren enjoyed it. We plan to use him again. Ed K. read more

Eli is just a dream come true of a caterer/chef. His food is taaaasty and unique, well-received by a variety of palettes. He's straightforward and easy to work with. His prices are reasonable. He's a totally pleasant addition to any event team. read more

Eli was wonderful catering our men's retreat. The food was wonderful, he is cheery and eager to please

Eli was so easy to work with! He recently catered my daughter's Bat Mitzvah and the entire process from menu-planning to the big event was seamless. The food was delicious and a definite crowd-pleaser. read more

I work as an admin at a local synagogue and we just used Eli's catering at a recent event. In addition to being very cooperative with us and all our particular needs, Eli arrived with the food right on time (even a few minutes early) and the food was absolutely delicious! We got a completely vegan menu with yummy roasted veggies, fresh hummus, and crispy burekas. Everyone was very satisfied with the food, and we even had some leftovers for people to take home. Eli was helpful in working with our budget but still making sure the food was plentiful and satisfying. We will using Eli's catering services again for sure! read more

Eli's Gourmet Cooking - Burekas, pita, roasted veggies, hummus. All vegan! - Caterers Near Me

Eli's food is utterly delicious, creative, and a real crowd-pleaser. We're still nursing the leftovers and hoping they will last as long as possible. I even got a few ideas for some dishes to try in my own kitchen. We will definitely hire him for future events! read more

There's a reason that Eli has numerous 5 star reviews! The food is amazing...our guests raved about it. Eli is beyond easy to work with. He made our life, and our family event, more smooth and delicious. Thank you, Eli, we'll definitely call you again! :-) read more

We just used Eli for our work retreat over three days and he was fabulous! The food was Mediterranean/Middle Eastern with great flavors and plentiful portions. The buffet presentation was also wonderful! Definitely recommend this business! Thank you Eli! read more

Eli executes flawlessly. This is the third time we have used him since he started his catering business 10 years ago and he always pleases. He is on time, brings his own supplies and prepares the meals in our kitchen. For a small fee of $35, he also washes all (and I mean all) of the dishes and table settings after the meal, making cleanup a breeze. (We never use disposables.) The kitchen was sparkling when he left. Our event was a surprise birthday party and the 31 guests arrived on time, but the guest of honor was delayed by nearly 1 hour. Eli was able to serve hors d'oeuvres and keep them coming during the delay, and remarkably enough, he was also able to delay the meal, at the last minute, by one hour, since he only cooks it close to service. ] Eli's food is really tasty. He offers a lot of really good Mediterranean choices. We always go with his salmon. I don't describe food as well as Soleil Ho (SF Chronicle) but his food is worthy of a review by her if she reviewed caterers. We don't have him plate the meals. Instead, we ask him to serve them family style. Our event was for 32 people at three tables throughout our home. He served everyone at once with hot food. What more can I say? Several of our guests took his card because they want to use him for their events. That is high praise indeed. You can't go wrong using Eli's Gourmet for your event either a meal for two or three couples or a larger event. read more

Eli helped us for our extended family gathering- the food he put together for us was amazing, particularly the salmon and Mediterranean appetizers. Eli was a pleasure to work with and we'll definitely reach out again. Highly recommended. read more

Eli was really easy to work with. He had great communication and provided excellent service. He was responsive to all of my special requests. The food was delicious, especially the chili and the fresh salad ingredients. read more

Eli just catered my wedding for approx 100 guests in Mill Valley. He was wonderful to work with and a great choice for our reception - he had a varied menu and was willing to work with our specific requests and accommodated our guests with dietary restrictions. From planning to execution, he was easy to reach and communicative, answered all our questions, and was a great presence on the day of. Our guests couldn't stop complimenting the food and left happy. He worked excellently with our venue (visiting ahead of time). We recommend him highly! read more

I had the good fortune of eating Eli's food for all three meals a day, for a whole week. It was always delicious, varied, and nourishing. I can't really explain how a bowl of greens could keep me going back for seconds, but it did. Eli is a whiz with vegetables and manages to also make them feel luxurious. He also managed to accommodate different dietary needs, without making anyone feel like they were being accommodated, and also helped us celebrate a few birthdays together with cakes (yes, plural - including a vegan one and a gluten-free one). It is obvious that he cares about the people he creates for and we noticed that he always came to see if we were enjoying the food and if we needed anything. He has a kind and gentle spirit and it comes through in his craft. I'd be happy to eat his food anytime. read more

Eli catered a dinner party for six. The food was delicious and all the guests were very pleased. He cooked and prepared very quietly. He left the kitchen clean and tidy. I was able to enjoy my guests and wasn't exhausted at the end of the evening. His menu has extensive options. Several of the guests had dietary restrictions all of which were accommodated. The pickiest eater praised the selections and went back for seconds! I highly recommend working with Eli. read more

Most importantly, Eli's food is delicious! Our guests really raved and so many of them asked me who catered the lunch. Also, Eli is really easy to work with. He made everything so convenient and was extremely flexible. The menu is really accommodating to different dietary needs, too. Lastly, having a socially distanced box lunch during COVID was not what we had pictured for our daughter's bat-mitzvah, but Eli made it possible ... and super easy. He took individual orders and boxed and labelled everyone's lunch so each family could easily take their own. I highly recommend Eli! read more

We have used Eli twice for a 16 person retreat that included many folks with food sensitivities/allergies (gluten, dairy, nuts). His food is the most delicious, amazing food I've ever had from a caterer. Mostly vegan, totally veggie-forward, clean, tasty and plentiful food. I wish I could have him as my personal chef! read more

We have used Eli twice now for private event catering. The Best!!! Highly recommend!

Eli provided kosher meals with vegan options for a six day retreat I participated in. The food was excellent, both the vegan and the fish options. It was plentiful with an emphasis on healthful choices. I wanted to get his card for future reference. But, since it was a silent retreat, I could not ask. So pleased to have found him here! Hope to enjoy his food in future at other kosher events. read more

We had Eli cater desserts for 200 for our son's Bar Mitzvah. He baked delicious brownies, blondies, and babka. Everything was fresh and tasy. His babka is Seinfeld-worthy! Eli was very helpful and accommodating. We had a couple of babkas left over and we sent them home with family as a special treat. I would highly recommend working with Eli if you are looking for delicious desserts for your event! read more

Absolutely delicious and made by a kind and gentle chef. He catered a multi-day workshop and it was the first time I didn't either leave hungry or feeling bogged down. Thank you! read more

Eli catered our bat mitzvah lunch for 175. Also I've eaten his buffets at least 10 other times. While not the most economical catering choice, I splurged because his food is the best. He really dominates in quality/healthy, tastiness, creativity, beauty of the presentation. He covers all your bases, preparing gluten-free options, providing items separated and mixed, so kids can identify the items they like. He also takes care of the space without any fuss or stress. He consulted with me by phone many times to accommodate my needs, and also by email. It was such a pleasure to work with him and I was so proud of the meal. read more

Eli's Gourmet Cooking and specifically Eli himself, came through last week when I asked him, with less that a weeks notice, to prepare 50 yummy lunches for congregants following services which included a pre-wedding blessing for my daughter and her fiancee. We were just beginning to open up for in-person services, yet were not certain food could be provided. Once I realized bag lunches were allowed, I called Eli who did not hesitate to come to our aide making fifty lovely bag lunches with delicious Caprese sandwiches, portable homemade hummus and vegis, with yummy brownies for the 50 congregants who attended (everyone else was on Zoom). My daughter, her fiancee, and I, truly appreciated the extra effort it took to fit us into his schedule. He also made five gluten free lunches! AND they were delicious, fresh, healthy, and satisfying! Thank you Eli!! read more

Eli catered my son's Bar Mitzvah Kiddush lunch. Eli was so easy to work with. He suggested great options for the menu and was flexible when I requested to swap out some choices for others. His food was tasty, well presented, and perfect for the occasion. Eli provided several gluten free options which was appreciated by many guests. Eli also took care of the set up/clean up and laundered the linens. It really made the event seamless for a nervous mommy. I would absolutely use Eli again for other events in the future. read more

We had our daughter's socially distant bat mitzvah brunch catered by Eli. The food was wonderful, he was completely flexible in menu choices, and he's easy to work with. He boxed each guest's food separately with their name on it, as each person had pre-ordered their choices. In this way we were assured of conforming to Covid protocols and able to keep some sense of normality. Eli was able to carry off this somewhat complicated arrangement without a hitch. Highly recommended! read more

My husband and I were lucky enough to have Eli cater our wedding this summer and what a treat it truly was! Before I get started, let me just say that finding wedding venders is never the "fun" part of planning your wedding. The wedding tax is all too real in the Bay Area and if you don't want the cookie cutter wedding packages that most venders offer you can really expect to see the prices go up and up. Not the case with Eli! My husband and I are vegan and we wanted to have a completely vegan wedding. We also have several family member and close friends who have food allergies and it was important to us that they have as many food options as possible at our wedding. Before meeting Eli we talked with just about every vegan caterer in the area. Either their options were really limited and not appealing or they had out of this world prices. Neither sounded good to us. Luckily, we came upon Eli. Not only was he accommodating and pleasant to work with, but Eli really knows food! We were able to quickly come up with a great menu that offered all of our guests ample options. No one went hungry at our wedding! On top of having great food, Eli was straight forward about his pricing, which was such a breath of fresh air after talking to caterers who seemed to up their prices with every conversation. From the first quote to the final bill, nothing changed in Eli's pricing. On top of that, Eli was happy to work with our budget. When we told Eli our budget he simply responded with an amazing menu (with several options for each course) that he could do while staying in our budget. He also made suggestions that would help keep his costs low so that he could pass on the savings to us. No one else that I talked to did this! While Eli offered to handle rentals and staff, he was also fine with us providing our own, which some other caters refused to agree to. On the day of our wedding Eli was an absolute pro. He chatted with our guests, but never missed a beat in the kitchen or in the service. The food was presented beautifully in his own serving dishes. Eli even made a sign for the menu and signs indicating allergens in certain dishes, without me ever asking him to do so. He simply thought of everything! Last, but not least, the food! We ended up going with a mediterranean style buffet which included lots of fruit throughout the day, several kinds of bruschetta (made with gluten free as well as gluten bread), falafel, and date rolls for appetizers and an apple spring salad, pasta with eggplant, spiced basmati rice with mixed veggies, roasted veggies, and more for dinner! All vegan and all to die for! Our guests raved about the food and many brought home doggie bags because they just couldn't get enough. Everything was really delicious. I couldn't have higher praise for Eli and his cooking. If you're looking for a personable caterer who will accommodate all your needs with a smile, Eli is your guy! Thanks Eli! read more

Eli's Gourmet Cooking - Wedding buffet provided by Eli. - Caterers Near Me

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Eli was fantastic to work with. So easy going, on top of the details, flexible with his menu and friendly. We were coming from Boston and hosting a Friday night dinner at synagogue in Berkeley, CA for 100 people or so. It was so easy and reassuring to work with Eli. And the food was excellent. Everything was delicious and well presented. Again, he was incredibly sweet, easy going and detail oriented in preparing and presenting the food. Hire Eli - you will be happy. read more

I highly recommend Eli's catering services! Eli recently catered our kid's B'Nai Mitzvah kiddush lunch. He is an amazing chef and is professional, easy-going and flexible. Eli offered us a variety of menu options and helped us choose a delicious buffet that everyone could eat, including adults with dietary restrictions and kids who want something more basic. Everything was clearly marked to show what was vegan, gluten free, etc. And his desserts are FABULOUS. Eli is not the least expensive option, but his prices are reasonable for his great cooking and he will make your guests very happy! read more

If you are looking for a chef that can accommodate all of your dietary needs and restrictions, while still making the most delicious and delectable gourmet meals, look no further than Eli. Here's our story: My wife and I were looking for the perfect chef for our wedding. We are both vegan and a lot of our family and friends have gluten-free diets (one person in particular has Celiacs and gluten can be incredibly disruptive to her health). With that said, finding a culinary professional that would take on the task of creating a memorable vegan dinner was, needless to say, a challenge. Some chefs could only do a limited amount of things, leaving us only a few choices to choose from. Other chefs said that they could try to accommodate, but the food options would be very basic, bland, and forgettable. And some chefs saw the unique needs of our dietary restrictions as an opportunity to charge a hefty fee as if we had Elon Musk's budget. Eli was none of these, but instead a much more sensible and ethical chef. Finding Eli was absolute serendipity. My wife had mentioned to a co-worker about the pains that we had been experiencing while looking for a wedding caterer. The co-worker then mentioned that he had a family friend that caters and specializes in all kinds of foods, including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free. We knew then that we had to contact Eli, and we are so grateful that we did. From the get-go, Eli was both very personable and professional. It was easy to communicate with him over email and phone, and his pricing was extremely clear, with no hidden fees/surprises like other chefs had. In addition, the menu that he offered was incredible. There was so much food that we could all eat without sacrificing quality or flavor! A lot of his food offered was Mediterranean style, which was perfect for our summer wedding. We seriously wanted to order everything, but alas, we had to side with reason over our overeager taste buds. Meeting Eli prior to our wedding was a treat as well. He was very friendly and approachable, and after a few minutes chatting, he felt like an old friend that we had known for years. Seriously, just take a look at his photo on this site and you can get a sense of how genuine and happy he is. No one wants a pretentious and mean chef to cook food at their memorable event, and neither should you either! Eli was a class act. He wanted to know what our vision of the wedding was, and did not put his ideas onto us, but merely made helpful suggestions as to how we can make the flow of food serving at our wedding even better and more memorable. He even asked if he could visit the venue with us so that he could envision the event and its layout. Wow. No other caterer we spoke to seemed to have 1/10th of the care that Eli had. What a professional! Fast forward to the wedding... (we did visit the venue with Eli prior, just in case you were wondering. He was even warm and grateful to the venue's owner as well! I told you, he's just like an old friend!). Eli came to the wedding, greeted us with that great big warm smile, told us how amazing the place looked, and got right down to business in the kitchen. Like a masterful pianist placed in front of a piano, Eli looked like he was in his element, multitasking between the oven, stove, and counters. Although I was getting ready for my wedding, I couldn't help but steal glimpses of his artistry in progress. I caught some of my guests doing the same too! And now for the final product: the food! For appetizers, we had falafel (some of the best falafel we had ever had) with fresh tahini, date rolls that filled your mouth with glorious pastry goodness, and bruschetta that tasty every bit savory as it did refreshing. We overheard our guests complimenting the food, the chef, and going back for more. My Israeli friend (who is my fellow falafel connoisseur) personally went up to Eli and told him how great the falafel was! It really was epic. For dinner we had mixed rice with vegetables, roasted vegetables, and one of the best pasta dishes that we'd ever had. People were raving afterwards about all of these! Eli even made a special version of the pasta without all of the spices and dressings that the kids devoured. I kid you not, literally everyone's taste buds were satisfied that night. What an amazing compliment to an emotional event. Just like an old friend at our wedding, he humbly said his goodbyes and told us to hold onto his serving dishes for the rest of the evening, and that it'd be fine to return them to him after the wedding. Wow. I think of all the times any other chef could've made the day slightly more difficult for us, and all Eli wanted to do was make this event easier, seamless, and less stressful for us. He is simply a class act. I hope this review conveys the sincere gratitude that I have for Eli and his services. I am running out of space to type and Yelp is telling me to wrap it up. So, simply put, do yourself a favor and go with Eli. read more

Eli catered a brunch for 23 at my mothers, and it was wonderful. He prepared delicious quiches and bourekas, as as well as a vegetable platter. The portions were generous. He arrived on time and was a pleasure to work with. He's soft spoken, and gets right to work. He also brings along a printed menu for the guests who may have questions re Gluten etc. I would definitely recommend him for your next event! read more