Absolutely excellent experience -- couldn't recommend more! Gigi and her team were extremely…read moreresponsive from the get-go when I was planning my dad's 80th birthday in my parents' yard. Their team on site was also extremely professional and kind (offering multiple times to help out with other things we were carrying around etc). We'll definitely use them again!

Gigi and the De La Vina team are INCREDIBLE! They were able to create the most memorable high-end…read morebrunch (with limited noticed) and took care of every detail to make for a flawless event. I was thrilled with the outcome and received so many compliments from guests.I'm

It was genuinely such a pleasure to work with the Flavor Chef Catering team for our wedding earlier…read morethis year. Throughout the process, we communicated primarily with Madison, who was always kind, thoughtful, and professional during our interactions. Based on our research of catering teams in the northern San Diego County area, we were already leaning towards Flavor Chef based on their reasonable prices and menu. The team was able to fit us in at the last minute for a tasting, which is what truly sealed the deal. Everything we tasted was delectable, but more importantly, the team treated us with kindness and respect. Chef Derek explained every detail of the dishes and was incredibly accommodating if we wanted to tweak anything. For example, we had a few vegetarians and vegans attending the wedding, and the team was able to make about 10-15% of the appetizers (pork belly bao buns, bacon-wrapped dates, and poke crisps) suitable for these attendees. We also wanted the citrus flavor of the salmon to be stronger, so the team made a note to add more squeezed Valencia orange and to add more citrus-infused oil on top of the salmon. Our guests also raved about our food on the wedding day. Among the standouts were the bacon-wrapped dates, citrus risotto, and beef short-ribs. Several people went back for seconds. One of our guests wrote in our wedding album, "the food was actually good!" He later told us that he had been to plenty of weddings where the food fell short. He said what stood out about our buffet menu was that the ingredients were simple and locally sourced but expertly crafted and incredibly flavorful. We also had a goal of mango sticky rice as one of our desserts, which a family friend was helping us with. Even though the Flavor Chef team was not directly involved in this dessert, they were willing to cut all the mangoes fresh on site for no extra charge to make sure the mangoes didn't oxidize before dessert time, which we were incredibly grateful for. We also rented dishes and utensils from Flavor Chef at a more competitive rate than was being offered by the venue's recommended rental company. Flavor Chef also included vendor meals for a fraction of the price of the buffet meal, which really helped us with our budget. At every step of our interactions with Flavor Chef, we felt the team went above and beyond to make our day as special and memorable as possible. We would highly recommend Flavor Chef to anybody considering them for their special event. The quality of the food and the kindness of the staff speak for themselves!

Amazing experience with Chef Diego, who came early to set up and cater our small dinner party…read more Planning the menu was very easy and Flavor Chef folks were super responsive. We had not anticipated such an amazing experience given it was for a small dinner party (10 ppl) versus a big event like a wedding or retirement party. The appetizers were amazing and dinner was perfect. We will definitely be coming back for any future needs. Everyone in our dinner party loved the food and the experience. Basically, we are all super fans!

My sister and I first discovered these DELICIOUS cookies at the La Jolla farmers market. Every…read morecookie we tried was fantastic. But the most impressive aspect of Magnolia Kitchen & Bakery is how friendly, reliable, honest, and professional Max is/was when we decided to put in a catering order. He was very quick to respond, provided me with options to choose from, was honest about trends he's observed, AND safely delivered them to my door when my work schedule no longer supported a face to face delivery. The entire process was incredibly easy and the cookies were a HIT. People loved them, the Early Grey and Fig was the most poplar (also my favorite). We also appreciated that the cookies were individually wrapped making it easy for guests to pick what they wanted or take one to save for later. Highly recommend them for your gourmet cookie needs, whether it's a quick fix from the farmer's market or full on catering orders, you won't be disappointed!

My husband and I LOVE the cookies from Magnolia! They are typically at the La Jolla Open Aire…read moreFarmer's Market on Sundays and so we often splurge and get half a dozen cookies to eat throughout the week. They offer a variety of unique cookie flavors along with granola. You really can't go wrong with any of the options (pretty much had them all), but our favorites are the salted brown butter chocolate chip, espresso toffee chocolate & sea salt, peanut butter brown butter butterfinger, and the s'mores. They can package up your cookies in a nice box as well or they are wrapped individually. It's hard not to eat all of the cookies in one sitting, but they do last throughout the week if you have some self control! They do offer samples and even have a frequent buyer card. Buy 12 and get one free! I've gone through probably more cards than I should, but these cookies are just that amazing! Pricing is reasonable for the quality of cookie you get. The owner, Max, and the rest of the folks that work there are super friendly and you can tell that they have a passion for baking these delicious goods. I definitely recommend checking out Magnolia!

I hate to do this, as I understand what a bad review can do for a small business.. but after seeing…read morethe other reviewer who stated that JP backed out of their wedding (who, I'm not affiliated with in any way), I think my experienced needs to be shared, as I hope this will help other couples. I gave JP (owner) an incredible amount of grace throughout the process and yet, he still managed to screw us. It was not a single issue, but a failure on multiple levels. THE SHORT VERSION: 1) he was very unprofessional overall in his communication. 2) he backed out of bar service a few days before our wedding and ghosted us after the wedding without a refund, 3) without exaggeration, some of the food at the wedding was inedible THE LONGER VERSION: The tasting went amazing. Ashley (who no longer works there) was extremely communicative. They asked for 50% as a deposit (which is pretty high) but the food was really good so we accepted. However, the tasting was the only good thing about our experience... 1. He was unreachable for months leading up to our wedding. The company phone number was either not taking calls, or went straight to voicemail. No response to emails. He finally got back to me about one month before our wedding (we thought we got scammed at that point). I gave him the benefit of the doubt despite all of this 2. He backed out of providing bar services a week before the wedding. I knew something was off when he wouldn't provide us with an shopping lists for our cocktails, despite following up. A few days before our wedding, our coordinator told us that his bartenders did not have proper certification and without one, could not serve alcohol (note: this was merely an RBS certification... EVERY OTHER bar service that we spoke with met this requirement). I specifically asked at contract signing if they were certified. Also, JP did not inform us that he was dropping out. I had to text him myself for confirmation, as I was unsure if he was going to hire other bartenders, if they would obtain the certificate, or if he was dropping out. Only then did he tell me he would not provide bar service. Again, this was 7 days before the wedding. He also took 3 more days to clarify exactly what service he would no longer be providing, when we obviously needed to know asap as we were scrambling to secure another bar service Even though this certification is the minimum requirement for many venues, he tried to pass the blame onto the venue, stating that he never encountered this requirement before (how is this possible? As a wedding caterer, he should have been familiar with these requirement, whether or not he met them). Huge red flag. Despite this, I didn't make this an issue 3. He promised to refund us for the bar service but ghosted us after the wedding. I disputed the charge and he finally responded, threatening to sue. 4. He was unreachable on the morning of the wedding. Again, poor communication.. 5. The food failed to meet even our lowest standards. The 50% deposit really had our hands tied and we couldn't back out despite the red flags. As long as he showed up and served food that was remotely close to our tasting, we'd be happy. However, he totally skimped out on the quality and quantity. For example, our passed appetizers were smoked salmon bagels. I'm not sure if he used old bagels or what, but the bagels were stale and rock hard. My friend tried to bite down on one and immediately spit it out. My aunt had to warn guests not to eat them. He swapped out some of the items that we paid for with inferior options (ie: we paid for a fig and honey roll... he just added a basic dinner roll). Guests told us they were confused that our menu did not match the food. Some guests got half a dinner roll (meaning they didn't have enough) The main entrées did not match the quality or size of the original dish we were promised at the tasting. I understand that preparing a meal for 2 people is not the same as 100 people, and there is inherently a drop in quality on the wedding day. However, this was completely different. Many guests attested that the salmon entree was inedible as it was incredibly dry and overcooked. Look at the photo of the tri-tip I uploaded and the difference between what we were promised and what we received We asked for leftovers to be packed but never received them. All in all, I was super understanding and even allocated 15% as tip for his team despite his poor communication. Despite this, the fact that he never gave us a refund for the bar service is appalling.

We chose Culinary Kitchen for our recent wedding in Julian, CA this past June and my husband and I…read moreare incredibly thankful that we got to work with Ashley and JP for our big day! Food and catering service were some of our highest priorities to get right during our wedding and Culinary Kitchen was phenomenal every step of the way. Our communication with Ashley and and JP before, during, and after the wedding was exceptional. From the very beginning, Ashley was very responsive and regularly checked in with us, which helped me feel less overwhelmed by all the catering decisions we needed to make. I tend to err on being extremely detail oriented and I asked tons of questions early on. Ashley was so patient and thorough with each email I had sent over even before booking. Before choosing our caterer, we did 3 different wedding caterer tastings and Culinary Kitchen easily was the best of all three (we're still thinking about the gochujang meatballs and the cavatappi pasta with fennel sausage!!). On our wedding day, the food service ran seamlessly and our guests often commented on how good the food was (guests were actually trying to sneak chicken tenders off the kids plates because even the kids meals were so good). Their team also helped us serve our desserts, did our bartending, and rented/placed all of our table settings, all at very reasonable prices as part of the entire catering package. The team also went above and beyond to accommodate all of our guests' special dietary needs while still helping us stay within budget and recommending a cohesive menu. One last thing - we did A LOT of research on different San Diego caterers before our wedding (I think we sent out inquiries to at least 10 other caterers) and Culinary Kitchen's catering packages felt the most "upscale" and comprehensive without leaving us feeling nickel and dimed for every line item. I truly felt like their team was on our side the whole way. THANK YOU Culinary Kitchen for catering our wedding day!! We wish you guys the best of success!

Thank you Robert, Edgar and Cesar! For doing the food for our Celebration of Life! This was by…read morefar the best tacos I have had in a very long time. The Al Pastor was absolutely the best ever!! The beans amazing the rice had tons of flavor and all the condiments were all delicious especially the grilled onions and the variety of salsas from the mild to spicy were on point, the Pineapple water was so refreshing and nothing like I have ever had it was delicious! Everyone at the Celebration has been raving about the food. The chicken tacos and the carne asada were amazing as well and everyone I talked to had a different favorite taco so it shows that all the different proteins served were all amazing. Everything served was fresh, authentic and delicious, Hands down the best street tacos ever! I highly recommend this company... They were professional, on time and highly attentive to the needs of the guests! Thank you for the best experience in such a heartfelt time in our lives! Kelly

Taco bar was perfect! Joahan was punctual, friendly and did…read morea great job serving tacos, beans and rice. He arrived at 2 pm , set up, started cooking and served tacos for 3 hours, and then cleaned up. It was a little pricey but well worth it! We were able to enjoy the party with our family and friends. I would highly recommend this company!

We hired Wild Thyme Catering for our wedding and was truly a hallmark of our entire reception!…read more We had about 100 guests for our wedding with buffet style meal along with hors d'oeuvres and desserts. Throughout the entire selection/planning process, each member of Wild Thyme was professional and quick to respond, which made it that much easier for us. Guests continue to rave about the food that Wild Thyme provided, noting that it was some of the best food at a wedding they have ever had. Some thought it was a restaurant and wanted to make a reservation! For anyone considering Wild Thyme, would give my highest recommendation, experience was A+ all throughout.

I needed a caterer for a backyard couples baby shower for 50-60 people. I started with a small home…read morebased business in an attempt to save money and panicked, messages not returned. I asked a friend who is a chef and she said she used to work for Wild Thyme, I spoke to Sophie in the office and she quickly suggested a lunch menu of salads and sandwiches with cake and macarons for dessert. I asked to make changes and it was not a problem. She coordinated delivery of tables, chairs, and umbrellas on Friday. The catering team of Sasha and Sam arrived at 10:30 Sunday for 1 pm start. They used the garage as a staging area, Then they put out the tablecloths and paused so I could add the wreath centerpiece then put in the umbrellas. The buffet tables for, lunch, beverage station, and dessert were lined up and decorated along the side of the yard. They wrapped black tablecloths around our trash and recycling cans and bused the tables. We had coolers with beer and sodas but judging by the leftovers we could have gotten by with their tea and lemonade. This was like having a restaurant in the backyard. It is expensive but top quality and eliminates a lot of worry. I would do it again.

I highly recommend working with The French Gourmet and especially wish to thank Jennifer, Charlie,…read moreJeff and Ben, who all provided exceptional service, professionalism and accommodations. On December 12, 2024, we celebrated our third consecutive Annual Real Estate VIP Clients: Gratitude Gathering party, beautifully catered by The French Gourmet. Once again, we had the pleasure of working with Jennifer--who is simply fantastic! Additionally, Charlie and the on-site event team, including Jeff I and Ben L, provided exceptional professionalism and accommodation. I can also add that long ago, I was a Professional Wedding DJ and used to work many weeding receptions with The French Gourmet, so I'll add that I've known the staff's quality service and food for over 20 years! Each year, our guests ask, 'Who catered this?' and I'm proud to respond, 'Just like last year--the best! The French Gourmet!' As always, the menu, decor, and setup were outstanding! As a professional residential REALTOR® in San Diego, it's vital for me to express gratitude to my amazing team, vendors, and VIP clients while impressing them with a high standard of holiday magic at these gatherings. The French Gourmet helps me achieve that beautifully! Thomas J. Nelson, Big Block Realty - San Diego

Thank you Michel for a marvelous catering experience. From the moment we first spoke with you…read moreregarding the event for our daughter until the perfect execution of our plans this past weekend, our family feels like everything was handled with a high level of professionalism, great communication and was a good value as well. So many of our guests commented on what a beautiful, delicious spread we provided, and that's what it was! We couldn't be happier. You helped make a very special celebration all that more special, and Bonnie and I appreciate it very much. Thank you to you and your staff! Tonight we're having some delicious leftovers for dinner!

ASK FOR KEVIN!!! He was the most fun and interactive Chef I've ever had! So much fun! We had such a…read moreblast! Thank you Kevin!

We hired "Let's Habachi" to come to our Airbnb in Pointe Loma one night to have a special dinner…read moreevent as a family. Alex, our chef, Dodd an amazing job cooking, serving drinks and entertaining us throughout the evening. At the end of the night my kids said it was the best Habachi they had ever eaten. Alex was fabulous...we would highly recommend him!

We've used Taquizas José for three years in a row now for our daughter's birthday party in our…read morebackyard, and they always are wonderful to work with. Most recently, they came out last Saturday and served our 50 guests with ease. Everything from communication to set up and clean up is easy and smooth. Their email response time is always incredibly fast and they make booking so efficient and quick. They are also very transparent about pricing and very reasonable in their pricing. They also offer discounts and sales often and often give a cash discount when paying too. Our guests always rave about the food and they are the only taco company we know of that offers fish tacos as an option. We also love that they offer more unusual items such as grilled veggies and churros. We highly recommend Taquizas José for your next event.

I was very impressed with the service and food quality. Food was very yummy. Received plenty of…read morecompliments on the food. The 2 taqueros were very nice. Arrived early to set up and food was ready on time. They were able to work with our limited space. Everything looked great and our guest were very happy. Really I was impressed from first contact to how well they cleaned up. All the great reviews are for a reason. I can't wait till our next event so we can hire them again.