Best Caterers In The South Bay

When preparing for that big event, the food is the last thing you want to worry about. Even if you are a good cook and enjoy cooking, most home kitchens just are not set up to prepare food for more than a few people. Just the logistics of keeping the food safe, given the limited refrigeration space in most home kitchens, can be a significant problem, let alone the planning, shopping and agonizing labor. It's best to let a professional take over. They have the experience and the infrastructure to serve your guests efficiently and safely, allowing you the peace of mind to give personal attention to all the other details. Below are a few suggested caterers that range from the traditional to trendy and just plain fun.

The Hired Chef
1600 Dell Ave., Suite B
Campbell, CA 95008
(408) 307-9444
www.thehiredchef.com

The Hired Chef is a full-service, upscale catering company that also offers personal chef services. Is your event an afternoon or evening wedding or a morning breakfast meeting? Whatever the event, The Hired Chef can provide what you need. Check out its build your own BBQ menu. This company delivers the taste needed to make a successful event. Give The Hired Chef a call the next time you're looking for some culinary help.

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Calafia Café
855 El Camino Real, Suite 130
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 322-9200
www.calafiapaloalto.com

When you use Calafia's catering service, you enjoy the same commitment to excellence that it employ in its café and market. In Calafia's commitment to use local, seasonal, organic products, it has developed relationships with farmers and producers from Watsonville to Healdsburg. It also follows the Monterey Bay Aquarium guidelines when procuring its seafood. Calafia uses only free-range poultry and grass-fed beef, lamb and pork. All of the major food suppliers it works with reject the use of growth hormones, antibiotics and artificial additives.  It's important to support businesses with this sort of commitment to our well being.

Related: Best Places In San Francisco For Chocolate Chip Desserts

Uncle Tommy's
2150 Almaden Road, Suite 96
San Jose, CA 95125
(408) 979-9679
www.theicecreamguy.com

If you're looking for a different and fun idea for your next event, be it casual or elegant, large or small, then you couldn't do better than to call Uncle Tommy. Consider what fun your guests will have with an old fashioned ice cream parlor at your event. Adults will enjoy it just as much as the kids. Be it bars, sandwiches, cones, banana splits, Sundays, sodas or floats, having Uncle Tommy cater your next event will make it special, memorable and set you apart as a host or hostess.

Black Tie Desserts and Catering
1025 The Dalles Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 730-8200
www.blacktiedesserts.com

Back Tie's name says it all. Elegance is the name of the game here. And here's the best part, it specializes in desserts. Wouldn't a wedding reception that was all champagne and desserts be something memorable? Visit the website to see a list of specialized menus appropriate for all kinds of occasions. Pick the one that works for you and enjoy your great party.

Raw Daddy Cones
Palo Alto Farmers Market
California Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94306
(818) 571-5730
www.rawdaddyfoods.com

If you're looking for a caterer that's just plain fun, healthy and off-the-wall different, you can't go wrong with Raw Daddy Cones. There's no need to mess with dining tables, place cards, service, waters and all the usual details. If Raw Daddy Cones caters your event, you will have no problem getting your guests off their duffs and mingling. Raw Daddy Cones will provide a buffet of meals in cones, both sweet and savory.  This could be the perfect solution to an event that is meant to be casual, unique and just plain fun.

Geraldine Duncann is a freelance writer covering all things San Francisco. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.