Needed: Caterer (delivering, not serving) food in Toronto.
May 17, 2017 9:29 AM Subscribe
I have a venue I can self-cater, now I need a caterer (or more than one) for a party for 60ish people in Toronto. I'd like to have food delivered and setup a buffet when it arrives. Looking for recommendations. Food that goes will with suckling pig, or a suckling pig caterer that will also bring other food, especially welcome.
I was thinking of ordering a couple of suckling pigs, and will likely do that, but presumably people want sides and another option and there may be vegetarians, so I'd like to have something go with that. Maybe Italian? Maybe portuguese chicken? Other ideas welcome. Nothing that would be perceived as strange or exotic to people who are inclined to see some foods that way (i.e. if it were just up to me, it would be dim sum and sushi, but lots of people in attendance wouldn't go for that).
Prefer yummy over fancy, though not opposed to fancy as long as it's not crazy expensive. I'd like to keep it to under $20 per person if possible, but if you know a suitable caterer and don't know the cost (cause why would you?) feel free to suggest and I'll check it out.
Oh, and while getting things like plates and cutlery and decent serving dishes would be nice, I'm not necessarily expecting that. I can buy plates and cutlery and I was expecting foil roasting pans full of food, which I might or might not transfer into something nicer.
What I absolutely do not want is "wedding food." You know what I'm talking about, right? That stuff they serve at every wedding: chicken in cream sauce, beef with mushrooms etc. etc. Avoiding that style of food and that style of party is exactly why I'm self-catering when I could get a served meal for the same price.
Also welcome if you don't know a specific caterer is "why not get food X" (like Portuguese chicken if I hadn't already mentioned that) in case there's some food option I haven't thought of.
I was thinking of ordering a couple of suckling pigs, and will likely do that, but presumably people want sides and another option and there may be vegetarians, so I'd like to have something go with that. Maybe Italian? Maybe portuguese chicken? Other ideas welcome. Nothing that would be perceived as strange or exotic to people who are inclined to see some foods that way (i.e. if it were just up to me, it would be dim sum and sushi, but lots of people in attendance wouldn't go for that).
Prefer yummy over fancy, though not opposed to fancy as long as it's not crazy expensive. I'd like to keep it to under $20 per person if possible, but if you know a suitable caterer and don't know the cost (cause why would you?) feel free to suggest and I'll check it out.
Oh, and while getting things like plates and cutlery and decent serving dishes would be nice, I'm not necessarily expecting that. I can buy plates and cutlery and I was expecting foil roasting pans full of food, which I might or might not transfer into something nicer.
What I absolutely do not want is "wedding food." You know what I'm talking about, right? That stuff they serve at every wedding: chicken in cream sauce, beef with mushrooms etc. etc. Avoiding that style of food and that style of party is exactly why I'm self-catering when I could get a served meal for the same price.
Also welcome if you don't know a specific caterer is "why not get food X" (like Portuguese chicken if I hadn't already mentioned that) in case there's some food option I haven't thought of.
Dirty Food did a great party for about 30 people for me recently for about $500 -- and that was with me wildly over-ordering on the food. They came in, set up to buffet of chaffing dishes, left, and came back the next day to pick up the dirty pans and such (so I had to do a little takedown at the end of the night just to get the pans out of the venue). Their food is semi-southern with more of an eye to veggie-friendliness than you might expect.
As I recall they asked if I needed to rent dishes, but I did not, because it was strictly a plastic plates from Dollarama kind of affair.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:24 PM on May 17, 2017
As I recall they asked if I needed to rent dishes, but I did not, because it was strictly a plastic plates from Dollarama kind of affair.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:24 PM on May 17, 2017
I can't speak to cost but my brother sometimes works for Parts and Labour Catering and they do a pretty wide range of foods - from more rustic to fancy. From what I have had it is all tasty too.
posted by machine at 12:58 PM on May 17, 2017
posted by machine at 12:58 PM on May 17, 2017
Okay, so I know nothing about them except from salivating over the cafe menu and staring at the cute shopfront on my commute, but NishDish sounds really good. They do Anishinaabe food, which means it's both interesting and new to people who like interesting and new foods, but it also seems like things my meat-and-potatoes side of the family would happily eat.
posted by AmandaA at 7:13 AM on May 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by AmandaA at 7:13 AM on May 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Bairrada Churrasqueira on College (and apparently other locations) has non-fancy but delicious Portugese food. It's finally warming up, so you can test-drive a meal there on their enormous backyard patio.
They offer catering, including all kinds of stuff that would go well with their suckling pig (see pig at the bottom of this gallery page).
I can't vouch for the quality of the pig specifically, or their catering services, but the food at the restaurant has always been good, and pretty good value.
posted by Kabanos at 12:03 PM on May 18, 2017
They offer catering, including all kinds of stuff that would go well with their suckling pig (see pig at the bottom of this gallery page).
I can't vouch for the quality of the pig specifically, or their catering services, but the food at the restaurant has always been good, and pretty good value.
posted by Kabanos at 12:03 PM on May 18, 2017
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posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:03 AM on May 17, 2017 [1 favorite]