Big Delicious Planet Catering

A friend recommended Big Delicious Planet after having had lunch at their canteen, and from the moment we arrived for our tasting we knew they were going to be the caterer for our wedding. Here are the reasons we loved them:
1. They grow things in their garden. I can’t understate how awesome it is that they grow fruits and veggies that they use in their dishes! We found it resourceful, and delicious, and refreshing compared with other caterers we considered. I’m pretty sure that using things from their own garden led to…
2. The dishes they prepared were definitely different than some of the other caterers, in an exciting way. So of course we sampled things that were very similar to what we sampled at other places (bacon-​wrapped dates comes to mind), but the sides that they offered us were so delightfully different! We had a cauliflower au gratin and brussels sprouts salad that were amazing, and a butternut squash soup+grilled brie appetizer that was on point. The best part is that they automatically had a nice mixture of meat and vegetarian-​friendly dishes, so we didn’t have to worry about picking out something specific for our non-​meat-​eating guests. We had so many compliments on the food from the guests at our wedding (which was last month, I should mention). Unfortunately, aside from the things that Christen brought us during the 20 minutes we had to remove ourselves from the fray, I didn’t eat hardly anything during the event. But…
3. The leftovers were delicious! And they let us take them home, which was different from other caterers. We didn’t know how much would be leftover but we didn’t want to let it go to waste. Actually, there wasn’t much leftover, but we definitely enjoyed noshing on the leftover pulled pork sandwiches (they were amazing)!
4. Christen, the event planner. She’s warm and friendly, genuine, and responsive, and was a joy to work with. At some of the other caterers we tried, I felt like we were being buttered up so they could sell us their service, which is something that immediately turns me off. I never felt like Christen was trying to pander to us or sell us anything; the vibe I got from her from start to finish was that she genuinely believed in and supported the BDP experience and she let the food speak for itself. She was also really patient because we weren’t 100% sure what we wanted at first and changed our menu a few times, and she just rolled with it and gave us suggestions to help out. We also didn’t know how to (nor did we really want to) make decisions about things like linens and décor, and she was super awesome about this too. She made suggestions and knew what she was talking about, so we just trusted her and it worked out perfectly. Overall, I felt that she was willing to invest the time and energy, and she treated us like people she cared about instead of customers, and that’s the biggest reason we chose BDP over another caterer we were considering.
5. I should mention, because it is also important, that they were among the most reasonably-​priced caterers we considered. So that’s a win-​win.
The only issue we had (which, in the scheme of things, is pretty small) was that, due to the cocktail station-​style event we had, plates were cleared very quickly. I had a few of our guests tell me that they didn’t get to eat their dinner because they set their plate down for a minute to get a drink or take a photo, and that when they came back it was gone. The up side to this was that things were very clean… but I did feel bad to hear that some of our guests didn’t get to enjoy the food.

This is a rating on the overall booking experience. Having done the tasting, we felt that the food was pretty average but the cost is reasonable. However, the booking process was absolutely terrible. It took the planner almost 2 months to provide us an updated proposal, and we did not receive the contract until another month after. When we finally was about to pay the deposit, we received an email from the owner telling me they have given our dates away and can no longer work with us. It was 2 months before my wedding and it almost made me have a heart attack. Luckily I was able to find another caterer which is better than BDP on so many different levels — food quality, service, etc, so it ended up working well for us.

My daughter chose BDP for her September wedding at Floating World Gallery. She tasted at other caterers and loved their food and commitment to being green and sustainable.
Christen was wonderful to work with and she had a baby in the middle of our planning! She was always available and quick to respond to emailed questions.
The staff did a beautiful job every step of the way. They were on top of everything that came up. They flipped the room flawlessly and were professional and friendly. The food was over the top delicious. They offered to have our beer and wine delivered to them to save us money on a Sunday delivery.
I would use them again in a heartbeat.

BDP recently catered my wedding and we were overall blown away on our big day.
First impressions and initial tastings: BDP was on the preferred list for our venue. Out of the seven or so places we sent initial budget and head count information to, BDP was one of three that responded. Over the course of a few emails we were able to hammer out an initial proposal that made us feel confident to move forward with the tasting. At the tasting, which took place at their restaurant, we loved everything they had us try, and I mean EVERYTHING. We were so impressed by the quality of food and choices within our modest budget that we could hardly believe this would be the food at our wedding. BDP was the first caterer we tried and they set the bar so high that no other caterer could come close within our budget. It was clear this would be the one we chose.
Wedding Director/​management: We initially started our process with Christen. She was responsive, lovely to communicate with, and worked with us to give us the wedding we wanted within our budget. Every detail was covered and she was prompt in responding to our questions and concerns. About 5 months out BDP moved our account to a different person (Grace) and although it was a bit rocky getting everything up to speed, Grace’s professionalism was top notch and she made sure our wedding was perfect. The owner of BDP even stopped by to congratulate us and make sure we were satisfied with the service.
Food: Their food is the food that food lovers love. Fresh, local, sustainable, and balanced, our spread was better than most weddings we’d been too. We had chicken, fish, and different salads for the main along with cheeses and meats for the cocktail hour.
The Wedding Day: Flawless. They had everything under control. We never had to wait for food or drinks and the wait staff were always asking if we needed anything. I created our signature drink and their bartender made it true to the recipe. The tables, candy table, and decorations were simply lovely. Everything was on point and despite looking for flaws, I couldn’t find any.
Final Thought: If we ever need to have something catered again, BDP will definitely get the first call. The quality of the food and service was the best we’d experienced. They worked with us every step of the way and helped make our day truly memorable.

BDP catered our August wedding and We could not be happier with BDP and the way that our whole wedding turned out with them running the show. They helped us at every single turn and were always easy to get ahold of and responded promptly to any questions and concerns that inevitably arise in the midst of wedding planning. The food was AMAZING. Our guests were totally blown away by it and we got so many compliments about how fresh and beautiful it was. They did an amazing job paying attention to detail and working with our vision. I would highly suggest them for your wedding or any other event. I would HIGHLY recommend.

I had a vision for what I wanted to feed people on our wedding day — simple, delicious, filling food that would keep them coming back for more. We had a partial seating reception with an open buffet of hot and cold items. Everyone raved about BDP’s sliders, skewers, empanadas, samosas, and awesome sides. I loved the staff, too, who had so much fun while they worked. Smiles go such a long way, and Heidi and her team delivered. Thanks for keeping us happy, for making our day go so smoothly, and satisfying all our cravings. Highly recommend!

BDP was recommended to my husband and I by our wedding venue, Greenhouse Loft, and we could not have chosen a better catering service! Christen, the wedding coordinator, listened to our requests (tacos and smoked salmon were musts!) and was flexible with swapping out ingredients as well. She arranged for us to use my husband’s dad’s «secret tomato sauce» for both the pasta dish and our late-​night deep dish pizzas as well. The food truly reflected our taste and style — the taco bar was such a fun addition and a huge hit (especially the tilapia!) and our specialty cocktail, a vodka lavender lemonade, tied into our lavender floral theme. Christen checked in on my husband after our ceremony and delivered us drinks and endless appetizers! The best decision we made that night was to sit down and actually eat dinner before talking to our guests. We were so pleased with every aspect of BDP’s services and will recommend to anyone else we know getting married in the Chicago area!

My husband and I used Big Delicious Planet as our wedding caterer at Salvage One earlier this year. All I can say is, besides choosing Salvage One as our wedding venue, Big Delicious Planet was the BEST wedding decision we made. Christen is absolutely incredible to work with. I feel like she could truly be a good friend because she’s so friendly, helpful, and responsive throughout the process — from initial email asking about their catering services down to the day of the wedding. Christen was there every step of the way and always got back to us immediately on any questions always with a positive «can do» attitude (and I asked A LOT of questions). She even offered to pick up special BBQ sauce for our sliders and wrote up all the chalk board signs at our wedding out of the kindness of her heart (and for free) which looked professionally done!
On top of that, the food was EXCELLENT. Numerous wedding guests told us the food was delicious and some even said it was the best food they’d had at a wedding. On top of that, we had a strict budget and Christen helped us find options within our budget that were on the lower end of their options, and it was all still delicious. You can’t go wrong with whatever choices you make as their chef and team will prepare amazing food (and if you’re lucky they’ll even be able to use herbs or vegetables from their garden!) And of course they provide all leftovers the next day so you truly get all that you pay for.
Don’t waste time with anyone else. Big Delicious Planet is the perfect caterer for anyone — amazing food, amazing service from A to Z, and very competitive pricing.
Look no further, Big Delicious Planet is the perfect caterer!

I recently attended an Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago meeting catered by BDP and the food was outstanding. Not just your usual tired catered stuff — a lot of care and good taste was put into the preparation and presentation for this event.

BDP recently catered for my wedding and everything was fantastic! When we first reached out, Heidi and Leah were quick to respond to our questions and help us set up a tasting. Once we completed the tasting, there was no doubt that BDP was the caterer for us. They have a wide variety of menu choices, competitive pricing and the food is simply incredible.
Throughout the planning process, they were easy to get in touch with and always on top of what needed to be done. On the day of, things were executed perfectly and all of our guests came away from the wedding talking about how excellent all of the food was. We couldn’t have been happier with our choice to use Big Delicious Planet for our wedding day.

BDP catered for us for the 4^th time. Their creativity is amazing. It was a Moroccan dinner for 20 with stuffed dates, lamb tangine, gluten-​free pound cake with lemon mousse and figs!!! It was truly amazing, very reasonably priced and so delicious. Everyone, including our Moroccan son-​in-​law just loved it. Their prices are half that of other caterers. We love them.

I have not ordered from here but we had it for a meeting I attended. The meeting was in our offices so I was there to receive the food. The guy showed up and set everything up. He even brought a table cloth so that the table the food was on would not get damaged. LOVE THAT.
The menu for the meeting was:
Salad
Brisket
Mashed potatoes
Veggie pot pie
Green beans
Bread
Brownies
and Banana Pudding.
The best things were the brisket, potatoes and the banana pudding.
The brisket fell apart when you picked it up with the tongs. It was so tender and juicy, we couldn’t stop talking about it. The mashed potatoes went perfectly with that delicious brisket.
This was the first time I’ve tried banana pudding and I am so lucky it was with Big Delish. It was so amazing, all the layers… makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
Also, they came and cleaned everything up! LOVE THAT TOO!

I have been working with BDP for YEARS, they do amazing corporate catering, and honestly, they make my life SO EASY!
They have wonderful seasonal menus, and they are so nice and friendly. Their presentation is fantastic, and I will continue to use them for as long as I’m in this business!