The Pantry

I cannot say enough wonderful things about the Pantry Catering! One of my duties at work was to plan the company holiday party and it is a formal event for 150 people — this year we decided on a masquerade ball theme. We have used the same caterer the last few years and wanted to change things up a little, so the first step was to find a new catering company. After searching through Unilocal and Wedding Wire, I found The Pantry and added them to my list of caterers to try. I used the contact page on their website and after a couple of exchanges through email and phone, we set up a time to meet in person and do a tasting. I had looked up several other caterers and narrowed the tastings down to three catering companies. A coworker and I went to all the tastings together and the Pantry was the last of the three. I guess we saved the best for last because they are the ones we ended up choosing and I am so glad we did.
When we first got to their office, there was a welcome sign outside the doors. It had our names on it and I really loved that personal touch! Paul greeted us like we had been friends for a long time. We walked in and met Dan and Keara and everyone was just so nice and personal. The tasting was done right in the middle of the kitchen. As we spoke to Paul and Keara about our event, Dan was cooking up a storm and served us food as he prepared them. Everything we tried was amazing and delicious.
We left the tasting very full and I knew that this was the company we wanted to go with. I compared notes, pricing and reviews from the other tastings we did with the other caterers and decided to go with The Pantry. Their pricing was in the middle of the three companies and the food was just amazing. But more than that, was the personality of the staff. I had researched them through other reviewers and knew that they would be able to get the job done — and get along with us in the process. Even though our event was a company holiday party and not a wedding, it was still a lot like planning a wedding! Paul and Keara helped us vision our masquerade ball and even made a specialty drink to match our theme colors. I met with them once more in their office for a final tasting — to narrow down our hors d’oeuvres and desserts, which is a lot harder than it sounds. How do I select only a few of their amazing dishes? In the end, the ones we chose were the right ones: buffalo chicken wontons (everyone else mentioned these in their reviews and so we had to!), petite lump crab cake (served on a mini pancake!), wok charred thai shrimp skewer, brie and spiced mango chutney, and five cheese macaroni served on a silver spoon. We chose to do an assortment of mini parfaits as our dessert.
For our event, we were having three different stations for dinner. Station 1: Slow roasted chicken breast and butternut squash risotto. Station 2: 24 hour beef brisket, sweet potato purée and potato rolls. Station 3: Farfalle pasta with alfredo and basil pesto and penne pasta with italian sausage and roasted plum tomato sauce with grilled garlic bread.
Paul did his research on his end for our event as well. He visited our site and took measurements so he knew what he was working with. Our event has been in the sanctuary of a church close to the office. The chairs are removed and it is just a big open space. Paul used a pipe and drape company to cover the church decorations on the wall and together we chose beautiful linens and white chairs for our tables (venue provided the tables). To save on centerpieces, I bought masquerade masks to use and Paul and Keara put them together with their vases and other decorations to make a beautiful table setting.
The night of the holiday party, I showed up a couple hours early to make sure everything was getting set up and to also meet with our site contact from the church and the DJ. When I showed up, Keara and the team had everything under control. It looked beautiful and they were putting the menus I made at each table setting. The stations were all decorated beautifully and when the party started at 6 pm, they were all ready to go!
We had a cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres and The Pantry also offered a welcome drink to guests as they arrived. After cocktail hour, we had a seated salad while the president of my company gave a speech and then the Pantry staff coordinated with all our tables to the different stations for dinner. From there, the staff filled water, bartended, took away dirty dishes and just provided the best service. I received so many compliments on the catering compnay choice and everyone asked who they were. I gladly told them it was The Pantry and I will continue to recommend them to anyone looking for an outstanding catering company! It’s been over a week since the party and people are still talking about the food! Many people said it was the best food they have ever had — and we have a lot of picky eaters!

My wife and I used Paul and his team for our wedding and Paul set the bar high. Aside from the delicious food, the service was outstanding. Everything ran flawlessly and we couldn’t be happier. Then my sister used Paul and his team for her wedding last weekend. Church members are saying they have never seen such a wedding at the church. Paul transformed the space, worked so well with the church staff, and his chef was able to bring an amazing menu, integrating our Korean cuisine into the food. Paul and his team at the Pantry will leave you impressed, for sure.

Paul and Dan were awesome! The food is excellent, and they were very open to exploring our catering requests. We would highly recommend the pantry for their customer service and fine food.

The Pantry did an amazing job catering our wedding. We can’t say enough. We got married 3 weeks ago and people are still talking about the food. Paul is prompt, creative, organized and delivers on every detail he promises. We requested a unique center stage setup for our ceremony, which truthfully was a challenge for the number of guests and our venue. Paul did the research to make sure that all of our guests would fit which included him visiting the venue, measuring and putting a floor plan together himself. He also developed a helpful timeline for the evening’s events and on the wedding day, his staff made sure that a beautiful cocktail hour, dinner and reception were set up and that the run of show took place seamlessly. They also worked very well and in collaboration with the rest of our vendors, some of which they took the initiative of getting in touch with prior to the event.
Oh, and the food! From the beginning, Chef Daniel was not only willing, but excited to help build a menu that captured my love of soul and comfort food and my husband’s Haitian roots. They allowed us to have two tastings, one with the two of us and another where our parents could even join. The jerk chicken and steak were both incredibly tender and the food was more than great wedding food, it was a great dinner, period.
Our guests confirmed that the bartenders were friendly and great as well. What attracted us to the Pantry was their dedication to providing quality food and drink with top notch service, but in a personal and non-​stuffy way. Paul and his team genuinely cared about us and our wedding and each meeting began and ended with a hug.
And as for budget, The Pantry was by far, the most affordable on the list provided by our venue. The Pantry also seemed to give us the best bang for our buck. Paul works well with you and your budget with your best interest (and wallet) in mind. With the Pantry, we came out winning — quality food, great people and genuine and personal service.

My fiancé and I fell in love with The Pantry Catering at our first meeting with them. When we arrived, there was a sign by the door welcoming us, and a table set in the kitchen for us. As we discussed the types of foods that we enjoy and the vibe we were envisioning for our wedding, Chef Daniel was busy around the kitchen making us little samples of a variety of tasty things, while dreaming up creative menu items for us to consider. We left with a strong sense that they shared our appreciation for hospitality and delicious food. From then up until the wedding, they were very flexible and responsive as we had additional questions and finalized all of our decisions. On our wedding day, I was blown away when I walked into the space and saw how everything was set up. It was more beautiful than I had imagined. Tracey was so helpful and on top of everything. She even made sure that our monogram sign got hung up on the entrance gate. The catering staff were literally the first people to congratulate us on our marriage, as we exited the ceremony and they were ready to go with cocktail hour hors d’oeuvres in hand. Dinner was marvelous as well. Our guests continue to tell us that the food was amazing. And we definitely agree — so glad we took the advice to actually be sure to eat all of our delicious food at our wedding. It was wonderful!

We hired The Pantry to cater our wedding and were simply delighted by the results. Not only was the food incredible, but they coordinated things beautifully and were a joy to work with, from our first (and second!) tasting to the clean-​up of the venue.
The menu selections that Chef Daniel offered were wonderful. He and the event coordinator, Jeannette, were really easy to work with – they never overwhelmed us with choices or made a hard sell, but made every effort to help us customize our selections to our taste and budget. And, like the reviewer Dan W., Jeanette served as our makeshift wedding planner, ensuring that everything looked beautiful, was timed perfectly, and went off without a hitch. Chef Daniel was wonderful about modifying the menu selections and when we had a guest with tricky dietary restrictions, they cooked up a plate just for him. Really nice touch. We did become a little anxious in the last few weeks leading up to the wedding when Jeannette became difficult to get ahold of, but we quickly learned to trust that she had everything under control. In the end, she was amazing, the food was delicious, and I can’t recommend the Pantry enough.

We used The Pantry for a work luncheon. Daniel was easy to get in touch with and was happy to develop a menu that perfectly met our needs.
The day of delivery, he was early and helped to bring everything in to the office and get us set up. The food was fresh, delicious, and exactly what we ordered.
Great experience! We will definitely be using them again.

Every year I get excited about the Christmas Eve gathering thrown by my fiancé’s sister in law. It’s 70 friends, relatives and children running around, psyched about what Santa is about to leave under the tree.
While my soon to be sister in law has flawless taste and spares no expense, she really outdid herself by hiring The Pantry to cater to gathering.
Among the delights that were offered were fresh made hummus paired with veggies that tasted like they had been harvested by the hand of a divine being, a spring salad with roasted apples, candied walnuts and light vinaigrette dressing that made me want to eat the whole bowl, and wide variety of luscious looking meats and crab dishes (since I’m a veggie, I obviously did not partake, but they still looked darn good).
Desserts, you ask? Ummm… wow. Between one of my other soon-​to-​be sister in-​laws, I think we ate our weight in these fabulous little caramel pecan squares — absolutely delightful.
The Pantry — please come to San Francisco!!!