Elaine Bell Catering

My husband and I were so impressed with both the quality of food & high level of professionalism that EBC has - they made our wedding day extra special. The food was delicious & beautifully presented. We had nothing but 20/10 experiences with the staff from start-to-finish on wedding day. It is clear that they take great pride in hospitality. We could not recommend them more for your wedding or event.

I had the pleasure of experiencing Elaine Bell Catering at my friend's wedding, and I must say they left a lasting impression. The food provided by Elaine Bell Catering was simply outstanding. Every dish was a culinary masterpiece, bursting with flavor and beautifully presented. From the appetizers to the main course and desserts, every bite was a delight for the taste buds. However, it wasn't just the food that impressed me; the staff of Elaine Bell Catering was exceptional. They were professional, attentive, and went above and beyond to ensure that every guest had a memorable dining experience. Their attention to detail and impeccable service added an extra touch of elegance to the wedding celebration. Elaine Bell Catering truly understands the importance of creating a culinary journey that not only satisfies the palate but also creates lasting memories. Their commitment to excellence and their passion for creating exceptional dining experiences shines through in every aspect of their service. If you are looking for a catering company that serves the best food with an exceptional staff, I highly recommend Elaine Bell Catering. Their culinary expertise and attentive staff will undoubtedly elevate any event, making it an unforgettable experience for all.

Elaine Bell Catering is the best caterer in the SF Bay Area for food, service, decor & employment.

Jennifer at Elaine Bell was so great to work with. Finding a caterer for our wedding was tough as some other caterers felt too pushy, or wouldn't customize the menu as much as we wanted. Jennifer was always accommodating, creative, and also transparent with us. Our wedding was postponed one year due to Covid and she allowed us to have a second tasting as our ideas had changed for what we wanted. What we loved most about working with EB besides the amazing quality of food for our guests, was their experience really helping keep the wedding organized and flowing on-time. The EB service and bartender team were so fun and personable, several of our guests commented on how nice, great and speedy they were. And everything ran according to schedule. They even packed up some food or us to go after the wedding - which was beyond thoughtful. Thank you EB for making our wedding food and beverage dreams come to life

EBC catered our wedding this spring and did a great job! They were flexible with us to find a menu that met our needs. Our guests continue to comment on not just the quality of the food, but the quality of the service! Thank you!!

When looking for caterers, we were relieved to find Elaine Bell. Their food looked phenomenal (and trust me, it is!), but they also offered full services to meet all our needs and simplify our wedding planning considerably. Instead of finding a baker, wait-staff, flatware, bartenders, etc. - Elaine Bell had us covered. Their service and professionalism was phenomenal- they were consistently attentive to our guests and the ever shifting goings-on between ceremony and reception. We had a full charcuterie table, hand selected dinner buffet and 2-tier cake with assorted baked treats and every bite was beautifully displayed and tantalizingly delectable. I would go with Elaine Bell 100 times over.

Can’t say enough good things. We worked with Jen and team for a 90 person private venue wedding in Sonoma. The food was INSANELY DELICIOUS truly my guests are still raving about it from apps to entres to the dessert bar! We were blown away from the tasting and they truly delivered the same quality day of. Wine country freshness farm to table at its finest. They even got fresh passion fruit for our signature cocktail… our guests were losing their minds lol! Elaine Bell built out a kitchen in our garage which was an impressive feat. Everything was so professional from install to service to clean up. And the staff, I can’t even begin to describe how lovely and gracious they were… they made my husband and I feel so special and loved, they were attentive and kind and charming. It is so worth the extra cost to hire a caterer who has their own non-seasonal staff… the service was impeccable. 10/10 recommend and would use them again. Thank you Jen and Elaine Bell team for making our wedding so special, we deeply appreciate you!

Elaine Bell Catering did an excellent job catering our wedding. They were flexible in adjusting to our scaled-down wedding and delivered excellent quality across the board. We had an enjoyable time choosing our menu in their tasting room pre-covid and highly recommend the experience to anyone looking for a caterer for their wedding. We had a high expectation for the quality of the food and drink after our tasting, but were especially impressed with the serving staff the day of. They were professional and did a great job responding to requests from our guests. Overall, I’d happily use Elaine Bell catering again and would recommend them to any of our friends or family.

We had our wedding in Sonoma and had an absolutely amazing time catered by Elaine Bell! They were super accommodating with all our requests and were helpful in bringing together a customized experience for us. It started with the initial tasting and we were blown away by the presentation and quality of food. During the wedding, our guests loved the passed appetizers and the refreshing welcome drinks as well. They did a good job of bringing back and forth as much apps as possible to our guests. They also set aside some drinks and a plate of apps for the bride & groom so we had time to eat a little bit before we got to mingling with our guests. We also did the bartending package add on and these ladies worked hard to meet the demands of our guests who can really drink! They did a great job pouring the vast assortment of alcohol we had on hand and moved quickly through the line Dinner was great as well and I thought they did a great steak / bistro filet! It was super tasty and loved the accompanying veggies. We also did a dessert table with macarons, cheesecake, tiramisu and creme brulee which was all gone within the first few minutes! Lastly we added on a pizza oven and they passed around pizza for our late night bite On a last note, they surprised us with a gift picnic basket bag with wine from our venue and some snacks!

We were so impressed with the food and drinks at our wedding! We received so many compliments from all of our guests. Loved working with Elaine Bell catering! [Photo credit: Manali Anne Photography]

Elaine Bell is, and always has been, spectacular. The customer service provided by the team for our Napa Pain Conference 30th anniversary vineyard dinner was so very appreciated. And the cabernet sorbet? In a vineyard at night? What a wonderful touch. Thank you!!

A premier Wine Country caterer! Exceptional food and service paired with a woman-owner who has inclusive ethics and values. I've enjoyed Elaine Bell Catering at their special pop-up with SIGH on the Sonoma Plaza, special events and parties. Always great. While I have not hired them myself, I've always had great experiences with their staff and with the owner, Elaine, who is extremely engaged and involved in the operations of the business. She was even in the kitchen at the last event I attended, checking each plate and ensuring the event was a success. You can't go wrong with Elaine Bell Catering!

We chose Elaine Bell for our wedding on 10/10 (supposed to have happened in 2020 but we pushed it to 2021). Our account manager was Dustin and unlike some of our other vendors who switched people (some up to 7 people), we had Dustin consistently through covid and our postponement which was wonderful. I have honestly nothing bad to say about Elaine Bell, they had a smaller staff when COVID first started and I got a response back from Elaine Bell herself when I reached out to postpone my wedding celebration. Small but mighty Onto the wedding itself, Maureen was the event manager and she was just absolutely amazing. I planned the wedding myself so I didn't have a coordinator but she set everything up and put me at ease since I trusted that everything was handled (and it was). So many of my guests commented on the passed appetizers that we got saying they were so delicious. I was sitting exhausted from taking photos and got a little bridal plate that had all the appetizers on there. The entrees were also just top notch (highly recommend their short rib because it was a crowd pleaser). My friends also commented on how great Evan was as the bartender. They totally nailed our signature drinks and it was most of what our guests talked about all night. Truly amazing experience with Elaine Bell, I would recommend them to anyone for any event because they are absolutely spot on with every little detail.

We had a great experience with Elaine Bell! Jennifer was super thorough and helpful. They did a really great job seeing through the vision of food for our wedding, we opted for food stations rather than plated meals, but wanted them to be cute rather than buffet-like. We also requested churros which they delivered with ease and amazing taste!!! Everyone loved their food, and generally I'd absolutely recommend them for anyone looking for a wedding caterer!

We had a great experience using EBC on our wedding day in October 2023. Krystina was fantastic to work with, helping us to accommodate requests, feedback, and dietary restrictions. All of our guests commented on how excellent the food was, including our oyster bar, passed apps, and charcuterie station. They did a great job on the custom drinks too. Thank you to Krystina and the whole EBC team for making our wedding day so special and delicious.

We loved working with Elaine Bell Catering and couldn't have asked for a better catering experience for our wedding! We worked with Krystina, and from the first call she listened to our vision of creating a hybrid Indian and American wedding and she worked closely with us to design a menu that perfectly captured this vision. Her responsiveness and willingness to address all our questions and concerns throughout the planning process made us feel at ease. We opted for family-style dining, and the food was DELICIOUS, we had guests tell us it was by far the best wedding food they've had. We also designed 3 signature cocktails and despite our somewhat unique recipes and ingredients, the bartenders managed to make incredible tasting cocktails, they were a big hit. We can't thank EBC and Krystina enough for being an integral part of making our wedding day truly memorable!

LOOK NO FURTHER. Elaine Bell's staff is great from beginning to end. They're flexible, easy to work with, reasonably priced and execute flawlessly.  Dustin Barbane was our Account Manager and provided incredible service, prompt communication and positive attitude. There was nothing Dustin couldn't do. He treated us with kindness and respect and we had a flawless experience with him. He knew the details of our event at all times, understood the vision and executed beyond what we could have expected. The menu choices were endless, the tasting was very well done, the day-of staff was prompt, respectful and friendly and the food has been raved about by our guests for weeks. We're so glad we chose Elaine Bell.

I just cannot say enough about the fabulously delicious food and service experience we just received from Elaine Bell Catering. With a special shout-out to Jennifer Thompson! We hosted a party with almost 100 people and not only was the food spectacular, but...the service, Jennifer, and all the staff were just incredible too! Jennifer, is exceptional and when she tells you she's got it, believe her, because she does! The staff was professional, friendly, efficient, and just lovely to work with. Did I tell you how good the food was? Amazing!! I don't know how Elaine Bell/Jennifer do what they do under the different circumstances of the conditions where they set up to cater. We had our event at a winery that would not share their kitchen. Jennifer had to set up a remote-kitchen outside in January! Yikes! We were so worried I think we drove Jennifer nuts with our fears. Jennifer just kept assuring us, and she delivered an incredible dining experience. Not only was the food amazing, it was hot when it was served and the staff remained attentive throughout the entire evening. No need to look elsewhere, just hire Elaine Bell Catering, they've got you covered and they will take so much stress off the planning of your event. Thank you again, Jennifer, we will see you on the next one!

Elaine Bell catered a recent wine tasting event of mine and they totally hit it out of the park. How do I know? Because my guests kept "ooh-ing" and "ahh-ing" after each bite. The event I hosted was at Delectus Winery, a charming tasting room in St. Helena. In fact, the winery was the one who recommended Elaine Bell to cater the event. So glad I listened to them. We had 40 guests and a somewhat tight budget. The idea was for everyone to taste 4 Delectus wines with each wine paired with a different gourmet bite. Elaine Bell took the ball and ran with it... all the way for a touchdown! Our afternoon consisted of Shrimp Ceviche with Avocado; Duck Confit in Pastry; Rosemary Skewered Lamb Noisettes; and Wild Mushroom & Goat Cheese Truffles. Wow - what a magnificent spread! Each bite paired beautifully with the featured wines. If you're planning to host an event in wine country or beyond, put Elaine Bell Catering on top of your list. They'll help turn your event into a 5-star affair!

While I unfortunately didn't get the chance to eat a whole lot of the food at my wedding, I can say I sure heard a lot about how good it was from our guests, which is what matters at the end of the day. We had a few special asks, which Elaine Bell handled with gusto (for instance a pastry bar with a variety of desserts), and the food I did get to try was all fantastic. What I would add beyond the food is that they were extremely conscientious throughout the night, ensuring that we had bites here and there, and drinks on hand if we needed them. They loaded in and out without issue and left the venue spotless on their departure. It is clear that this is not their first rodeo, or their 200th for that matter. These folks are pros, and the quality of their food and service displayed that.

If you are having a wedding, you NEED to hire Elaine bell! We had our wedding last night in sonoma and our guests raved about how delicious the food was. The food is not only delicious, but the service Elaine bell provides is excellent! Working with Elaine bell catering was easy, they were very responsive and their employees are all very professional and go out of their way to ensure your special day is perfect! Jennifer was our main point of contact and she was wonderful to work with! I'm so glad we hired Elaine bell catering! If you're looking for delicious food and excellent service Elaine bell provides that and more!

I had a wonderful experience using Elaine Bell to cater a birthday party for my wife. From the beginning, Elaine Bell's rep Jennifer handled things like an absolute pro. Unlike other caterers whom I'd contacted, she didn't just send over a menu list. Instead, she contacted (and visited!) the venue I'd booked, discovered some limitations in the space and facilities, and carefully constructed a proposal that would work. From there, she worked with me to refine the plan--and she was always prompt and thoughtful responding to questions. The on-site manager the night of the event (a different Jennifer) was excellent as well. The event went off perfectly--and the guests raved about the excellent food and beautiful presentation. This was not a huge event (about 40 guests), but Elaine Bell treated made sure that everything should be terrific. Highly highly recommended!!

WOW! Elaine Bell truly impressed with both their food AND their staff at a wedding we attended at B.R. Cohn Winery in Glen Ellen, CA. Wonderful passed hors d'oeuvres of Mac & Cheese balls, lamb bites on rosemary picks, peach/mozzarella/ and basil skewers, tuna tartare in tiny 'tortilla chip' (?) cones. And the fresh oyster bar was wonderful! Dinner was a choice of Sea Bass, hanger steak, or vegetarian ravioli. I didn't get to taste the hanger steak; however, the sea bass and ravioli were wonderful and beautifully plated. The staff was great! Extremely attentive, yet not intrusive. Friendly, yet professional. One young woman who was clearing tables offered to get three of us each another glass of wine at the bar, saving us a trip. It all went so smoothly. This staff worked hard on a very hot afternoon (temperatures in the mid-90's). Their attentiveness and intuitiveness helped make this wedding an elegant affair. I wish I had photos of the hors d'oeuvres and entrées. You will have to take my word for it that they were divine! Amazing food and staff!

Elaine Bell is the best catered food I have ever had! We worked with them for our wedding and everything was incredible. They were really great to work with through the process of postponing our wedding due to Covid last year. We did have some communication lapses with our contact but worked everything out in the end! When we exited our ceremony Elaine Bell was waiting there with our signature cocktails offering them to us, a member of their team had a plate of our passed hors d'oeuvres reserved just for us and she stayed close by during our cocktail hour getting us fresh drinks, offering us bites of food & ensure we had water in between lol can't say how much I appreciated that! And every hors d'oeuvres that was served was delicious, people are still talking to us about the truffle mac & cheese balls! The bartenders never had much of a line, they kept everyone happy. And the dinner - when I say the dinner was the best wedding meal I have ever had I mean it. The fish was cooked perfectly and not dried out one bit which is what I have seen always happens when catering a wedding. At the end of the night they gifted us a picnic cooler with a bunch of snacks from the food we served that day plus other picnicy foods & a bottle of champagne. Just the BEST group!

Jennifer at Elaine Bell was so great to work with. Finding a caterer for our wedding was tough as some other caterers felt too pushy, or wouldn't customize the menu as much as we wanted. Jennifer was always accommodating, creative, and also transparent with us. Our wedding was postponed one year due to Covid and she allowed us to have a second tasting as our ideas had changed for what we wanted. What we loved most about working with EB besides the amazing quality of food for our guests, was their experience really helping keep the wedding organized and flowing on-time. The EB service and bartender team were so fun and personable, several of our guests commented on how nice, great and speedy they were. And everything ran according to schedule. They even packed up some food or us to go after the wedding - which was beyond thoughtful. Thank you EB for making our wedding food and beverage dreams come to life

Elaine Bell Catering was on the list of recommended caterers from our wedding venue, and we're so happy we went with them. We went with passed appetizers at cocktail hour and a family style dinner. There were so many great options that it was hard to choose, and we really appreciated that they were helpful in working within our budget. From the shallot soup to the lemon herb chicken, everything was delicious, and our guests loved the food too! The timing was well-executed and everything came out hot. Elaine Bell Catering and Dustin in particular were excellent to work with and we would recommend them to anyone.

My husband and I got married in CA on 8/7/2021 and could not have been more thankful that we had chosen Elaine Bell as our caterer! Cara was so incredibly helpful during the planning process and the day of team went above and beyond our expectations! Our biggest concerns were the taste of the food, wait time for both food and drinks, and kindness of the staff. They were incredible in all categories. I had so many guests talk about how delicious the apps were during cocktail hour as well as the dinner entrees! Also, there was never a time where glasses were empty. The staff's kindness was unmatched! We had last minute mask mandates be put in place before our wedding. The entire staff was courteous and followed these rules and made our guests feel extremely safe! Overall we had the best experience with Elaine Bell and we would highly highly recommend them for any catering event!

The food was excellent, great staff! Elaine Bell catered our outdoor wedding for 100 guest in August 2019 in Healdsburg. They set up a kitchen in the backyard and everything went perfect and smooth. I worked with Dana, who was really amazing! She actually was onsite on the day of the wedding. Most of our guests mentioned how good the food was! I tried multiple catering companies in the Napa area and by far EB was the best.

We are so glad we hired Elaine Bell Catering for our wedding in June!!! As farmer's market enthusiasts and devout home cooks, we had our hearts set on serving a locally-sourced, colorful, seasonal, and produce-forward menu that celebrated this region's magnificent bounty. We were intent on serving our guests the most fresh, delicious, beautiful, and perfectly prepared food possible, and Elaine Bell absolutely delivered!!! We received many many compliments from our guests who were completely blown away by the quality of the food, the masterful preparation, and the gorgeous presentation. There was widespread consensus that this was by far the best meal our guests had ever had at a wedding! We appreciated working with Krystina, who was always organized, detailed, and responsive to our questions and requests. She understood and supported our needs intuitively and was flexible and accommodating throughout the entire planning process. It was so helpful that Elaine Bell supplied our glassware, dinnerware, and bartending services as well -- it relieved us the trouble and cost of additional rentals and vendors. The service on the day of the wedding was lovely, attentive, and completely professional. We cannot recommend Elaine Bell highly enough! THANK YOU!!!

We had Elaine Bell cater our outdoor wedding for ~130 guests in over 100 degree weather. Their team did absolutely amazing, and despite the heat, delivered impeccable service and food. They made sure everything was run extremely smoothly, and our guests could not get over how delicious everything was. Dustin was extremely helpful from the beginning of our planning to the end, and I am so happy we chose to work with him and his team. He let us do multiple changes until we were happy with the menu. He even worked the event day of to make sure everything went accordingly. I could not recommend them more!

We hired Elaine Bell Catering for our July wedding at Allied Arts Guild, after remembering how good their food was at our friends' wedding several years ago. They were a pleasure to work with throughout the process. Stephanie was our account executive, and we had a great experience at the tasting. She worked with us to create the perfect menu, making some modifications to allow for more guests to enjoy the food, and even shared some ideas that were not on the standard wedding menu. We were married in an outdoor garden setting on a hot summer day, so wanted a menu that would complement our vibe. We loved our "edible garden" concept! Stephanie was also great at working with our other vendors, including recommending an oyster shucking company. Guests raved about the food! Additionally, we had great bartending staff provided by their team. We would definitely recommend Elaine Bell and team to cater your next very special event, if you're looking for top notch service, and excellent, fresh tasting food.

Elaine Bell did and INCREDIBLE job at our wedding. Our guests raved about to food and we were so thankful to have found them :) I highly recommend using Elaine Bell for your event!

EBC catered our all vegan wedding. Family style. And it was friggin' fantastic! Case in point - Uncle Wayne. He doesn't eat vegetables. The polenta and quinoa main courses came out. He refused to even put any on his plate. When he wasn't looking, Aunt Diane spooned some on, hiding it just to the left of his focaccia bread. He had a bite. Didn't hate it....LOOOOOOVED it. And served himself up some more. And some more. And a bit more. Three helpings. The food was delicious. The wait staff was composed. We also hired their bar staff. We came up with 3 signature cocktails. And gave them fun silly names. And put up a sign listing the drinks. And people ordered them. Except we never told the bartenders what the names of the drinks were. And they rolled with it. Unphased. With only minor confusion. Ha. Whoops. But the BEST thing I can say about EBC (beyond the fact that they catered an ALL VEGAN wedding and even converted a few meat eaters) is that they packed up the food at our bridal table and sent it home with us at the end of the night!!!!! If you've ever gotten married - you know how important this was. We didn't get to eat all night. We had to talk and dance and kiss and stuff. But when we got to our hotel room we devoured that food. And it was still delicious. Last side note - we got married at The Barlow - which doesn't have a kitchen. EBC was the only catering team we contacted that had all of its own kitchen supplies available. And while it is possible to use any other caterer and just rent out the kitchen, it made us so comfortable to know that EBC would be using familiar equipment. Everything was perfect. A bazillion thumbs up. And you should totally add the vegan polenta with trumpet mushrooms to your menu - even if you're a meat eater - because it is the best thing I've ever eaten. Ever. Seriously.

Phenomenal food preparation -- and to be able to make hundreds of dishes to the tiniest detail in record time is even more amazing. We had the honor of experiencing our fine dining wedding feast from this originally Sonoma-based team. They are also the team of choice to head my favorite non-wimpy winery's special events outside of staff chefs. The staff is made up of some of the most respected and talented folks in the industry. They also handled all of the tableware, site chairs, reception chairs. Look at the pics I've posted! EBC brings in its full roving kitchen -- the tear down process aftermath always leaves us in disbelief that a full operation was in swing just hours before. Some of the best food I have had even against very high fine dining. No wonder...their head chef beat out some very well-known culinary stars in more recent chef competitions...If the staff can prepare fabulously executed dishes for large numbers, imagine the detail with just one dish. If you seek more casual fare, ask them about their "picnic" division.

Elaine Bell Catering is amazingly innovative, fresh, and palate pleasing! We visited their studio space for a tasting and were pleasantly greeted with a fantastic fresh doughnuts - their machine blew us away!! The tart passion fruit sauce on top of a fresh doughnut brought us to our knees. We enjoyed fresh out-of-the-oven popovers (sweet w/ strawberry butter and savory with parmesan cheese) - they were to die for! In addition, we enjoyed a delicious salad - created with all local farm-to-table vegetables and a perfectly cooked salmon to top it all off. To end the meal, we were treated to mini ice cream cones and cheesecake pops covered with colorful sprinkles. On a separate occasion they catered a luncheon we held at the Julia Morgan Ballroom and did a fabulous job. The food was hot, served in a timely manner, and aesthetically pleasing to all our senses. Elaine Bell and her team are amazing at executing all of your catering needs. We cannot WAIT to work with them again on our next catered event!

I am SO glad we chose Elaine Bell Catering for our wedding! We had done a lot of research and had gone to a few other tastings before we tasted at Elaine Bell. As foodies, we had high expectations and we were really impressed with the tasting, so the choice to go with them was easy. All of the dishes we tasted were cooked and seasoned to perfection, the plating was beautiful, and the portion sizes were generous. Our account lead, Dustin, was so professional, organized, detail-oriented, easy to work with, and went above and beyond to make sure we were happy with everything. He promptly responded to all of our questions (we had a lot!), came up with suggestions to accommodate our guests with food allergies, worked around our crazy schedule, and helped us to maximize our budget. Our guests raved about the food and how great the catering staff was. At the end of the night, they even sent us off with a little picnic basket filled with snacks, a bottle of wine, and two slices of cake, so we would be sure not to go hungry after such a crazy long day. I would highly recommend Elaine Bell Catering for your event!

I have struggled with this review for a long time. There are so many amazing reviews for Elaine Bell and I feel bad telling you that my experience in October 2016 was not very good. Elaine Bell was the clear choice during the tastings/research phase. We had a great experience and loved our representative, Stephanie. On the day of our wedding, I felt like maybe we had EB's B-team or C-team. Our appetizers were not even close to what we had at the tasting. For example we had had a smoked duck on a crispy sweet potato pancake with candied mango. On the day of our wedding, it was just a plain potato pancake (not sweet potato) and it was not crispy. There was no candied mango on top. If it was just this, it would obviously be no big deal. However, every single menu item was different in a worse way the entire night. It was so disappointing. You can argue that a tasting for 2 people is always going to be better than a wedding for 70. What you cannot argue over is the lack of service. When I went to the bar around 9:00, there was no one there. I poured myself a glass of water and left and drank it. When I returned, the bar was still empty and I had to pour myself another glass. I don't know if anyone was working at the bar at all between 9 and 10. The venue coordinator (not a member of the catering staff) started pouring people drinks and she accidentally poured someone a drink in a used glass because she did not know any better! Can you imagine someone not staffing the bar for over an hour of your wedding? This is the experience I had. There were numerous other small problems with the catering, too many to list. For example no one refilled my water glass during dinner and 2 weeks after our wedding a friend complained that no one refilled their wine at all during dinner -- that was what they remembered from our wedding! They also served the wrong wine (we had purchased a couple of bottles extra of a cheap wine from bevmo in case we would run out, and they served it first, even though I had labeled them and told our rep in advance about it). I would not say I am a picky person, but these things really bothered me on my wedding day. We paid $15,000 for a meal for 70 people and they didn't staff the bar for over an hour, they didn't provide any level of table service (refilling water, wine or clearing dishes) and they didn't serve us the food we agreed upon. My mother-in-law is a pickier person and she did complain and received a partial refund, but you only get one wedding and one chance to get it right. A refund does not make me feel any better.

Elaine Bell Catering is absolute perfection. My husband and I are passionate about good food and one of the things we wanted above all else was great food on our wedding day. From the moment we tasted with Elaine Bell to the day of our wedding, everything was executed flawlessly. The food was perfection. Our friends are still talking about how good it was. Not only was the food fantastic but everyone who worked for Elaine Bell Catering was fantastic. We worked with Cara who was always pleasant to talk to. She was incredibly organized and skilled in her work. At the wedding I only saw the best servers, bartenders, cooks and all of the other staff that were working hard that day. I truly appreciate the hard work and dedication. Everyone was amazing. As a cherry on top of the experience, we especially loved that someone was there making sure we ate and if that wasn't enough they packed a picnic bag filled with wedding goodies. If you are thinking about having Elaine Bell Catering cater your next event, do it! You will not be disappointed. They went above and beyond our expectations.

I've been waiting to write the most glowing review possible for the job Elaine Bell did for my wedding. All brides - listen up. My wedding was 160 guests, outdoors, at a winery in Sonoma. We had interviewed a few different caterers but knew we wanted to move forward with EB for a few reasons. Our catering manager Liz was an absolute dream - she was with us from the very first tasting to giving me a hug on my wedding day. My husband and I come from different cultural backgrounds and parts of the country, and what we loved so much about EB was that they offered a diverse range of playful, familiar and international dishes to choose from all composed and served with the most attention to detail and sophisticated presentation and taste. We've had numerous guests comment that its the best wedding food they've ever tasted. We had a range of fun appetizers to represent California where we live, Seattle where I'm from, and Atlanta where my husband is from, as well as a nod to his Persian culture. From beautiful tuna tartar on a rice cake to cones of mini burgers and fries, to chicken and waffle bites, to a Persian eggplant dip. The more we wanted to be creative the more they got excited with us. Dinner made us nervous because we were hosting an all outdoor wedding and wanted to serve filet mignon and a sea bass dish they offered. My concern was food getting cold, or steak being over done or under done. Everyone raved about their dishes being perfect. It honestly was restaurant quality that magically accommodated a large event. Liz worked with us on every detail -- from arranging the presentation of the dessert table, to refining the budgets, to handing us a super thoughtful to-go cooler at the end of the night with snacks and champagne in case we didn't get to eat enough. BUT, we'd actually had plenty because she was on patrol the whole night to make sure we had tastes of our appetizers and got a moment to actually enjoy our meals amidst the chaos. I wish I could give a more glowing review - it was seriously one the highlights of our day. We're so grateful for the attention to detail, from taste to presentation, an the willingness to work with us to make sure we got just what we wanted. Thank you Elaine Bell, your staff, and especially Liz.

I cannot say enough good things about Elaine Bell as our wedding caterer at the Secret Garden in Bodega Bay. Our contact at EBC was Jennifer and she was professional, responsive, and super knowledgable. She helped customized an Asian Fusion menu for our wedding that was Taiwanese food inspired, which is actually quite particular and niche, but somehow, EBC completely pulled it off. Not only was the food amazing, they also worked hard to get everything within our budget. Every time we had a special request (such as to change out the black bean sauce for peanut sauce for our Dan Dan Noodles... 2 weeks before the wedding), or a last minute dessert addition, or a request to do a re-tasting, EBC always happily accommodated. On the day of our wedding, everything went without a hitch, and the food was phenomenal... our guests could not stop raving about how delicious the food is. During the wedding, the EBC staff paid special attention to me and the hubby, and would make sure that our wine glasses were full and that we had a bite of the appetizers in between photos. EBC also helped us packed up the food at the end of the night so that me and the hubby were able to enjoy the wedding food after the weekend to "relive" our wedding day. I would recommend Elaine Bell to any bride and groom, especially to those who are looking for a caterer who can take their vision and truly execute.

My stomach is growling as I write this. Elaine Bell catered our wedding on 6/14/19 and we simply could not have been more pleased with their service and FOOD. I mean, just check out this menu: - Salad of Baby Organic Greens with Balsamic Roasted Black Grapes, St. George White Cheddar, Spiced Black Walnuts, Fuji Apples, Balsamic Apple Cider Vinaigrette & Basil Oil - Greek Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Garlic & Oregano - Seared Salmon with Leek Pea Puree, Sweet Corn Fennel Ragout, Pickled Mustard Seed & Popcorn Shoots - Tagliarini Salad with Pine Nuts, Lemon & Zucchini with Fresh Herbs & Lemon Herb Dressing - Whole Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Honey Thyme Glaze - Rustic Artisan Breads with Sweet Butter Guest after guest told us it was one of the best meals - and not just wedding meals - they've ever had. We also got RAVE reviews on the cheese display we had out during cocktail hour. The one minor complaint my husband had was that it took a little longer than expected to get the main courses out after the salad (we did plated salads and family style for everything else), but it didn't seem to bother anyone else. We worked with Cara and she was organized, kind, and so responsive to our needs - no tomato for me, no meat for him, vegetarian for the cousin, add passed apps, take away passed apps, etc. Thank you, Elaine Bell staff, for everything! Highly recommend!

We had an AMAZING experience using Elaine Bell catering for a post-wedding Champagne Brunch at Domaine Chandon on Labor Day 2016. Elaine Bell worked with us to create a menu of food that would go well with Champagne (Sushi station, Oysters, etc..) and then used other fun touches for our brunch (a Donut making machine, Meat Carving stations, Crepe making station and even liquid nitrogen coffee!) to make it a really unique experience for our guests! We originally bid out this brunch to 3 other vendors. Elaine Bell responded the fastest, had the best ideas (keeping on our theme) and pricing that was the best value! They worked with us to tweak the menu to accommodate a few dietary restrictions and always responded back to us swiftly and dealt with all of our suggested changes. The tasting meal at their offices was wonderful. The food was delicious and they made changes on the spot, when we saw that slight alterations were needed. They couldn't have been easier to deal with! Our 135 guests at the brunch could not have been more excited or complimentary of the food and service. Everything was fresh, beautifully displayed and servers could not have been more friendly! It was a perfect event and perfectly run by Elaine Bell Catering! I could not recommend them more!!!

I had used Elaine for tons of work catering functions and they were always amazing food and wonderful service. They can be a bit pricey but quite honestly with the consistency & peace of my mind I would not hesitate to go with them again!

We absolutely loved working with Jennifer and the Elaine Bell Team! We had some big ideas for our wedding and wanted to create stations themed with food from our two home cities -- SF and Brooklyn -- and they worked with us to pull together a delicious, custom menu for a "taste of california" and a "taste of brooklyn". We also wanted to go out of the box for our dinner menu, and they helped us bring our vision of wood fired pizza to life, while accommodating any and all dietary restrictions. The food was delicious and incredible unique, and our guests couldn't stop talking about it. But perhaps the biggest hit of the night was the donut machine - they were incredible! We would absolutely recommend EB to anyone looking for delicious, tasteful, and unique menu offerings.

Food = Delicious Service = Delightful Highly Recommended! Your wedding caterer is one of the most important vendors you will hire because they handle logistics for the whole event. We got married at Triple S Ranch, a private estate in Napa, so our caterer had to act as the staff for the whole property (manage the rentals, set up the venue, etc). Elaine Bell Catering knocked it out of the park! We hired them for: - Wedding day bridesmaid lunch - Wedding day welcome drinks, cocktail hour, dinner reception, late night snacks - Morning after brunch Debbe was an absolute pleasure to work with. She understood exactly what we wanted, was very knowledgeable about what would work well for our group and our venue, came up with fun creative ideas, and was super responsive. From the tasting to the planning to the actual event execution--The whole experience was perfect. And the food was delicious! Our guests are still talking about it.

This is a long overdue review of the best wedding caterer we could have imagined. We worked with Jennifer Thompson and she was incredible. She worked tirelessly with us tweaking the menu, and continued to make changes after our tasting (which was amazing...so much good food...). From the first phone conversation we had with her, Jennifer was intent on making our vision and themes come to life. We wanted Mexican food with a twist for the main course and a selection of hors d'oeuvres that matched our favorite foods. The various iterations of the menu that Jennifer put together were all fantastic. The most challenging thing about working with EB was trying to decide which of the most amazing dishes to include on our menu...(including drinks. who knew lemonade could be so delicious? We chose the maple cayenne but the jalapeno peach was a close second). Now, on to the wedding day. As far as I, the controlling bride, could tell, everything went perfectly. The guests loved the food (my co-workers stationed themselves by where the apps were coming out :)) and the staff made sure that my husband and I ate plenty during the cocktail hour. Dinner was somehow even BETTER than the food we tasted in our intiial tasting. We had our own doughnuts and doughnut wall, and the EB staff set it up beautifully. As if EB couldn't get any better....the day after the wedding, my husband and I noticed a beautiful EB cooler in the pack of items that came back from the venue. It included a full picnic set with silverware, wine glasses and plates. They packaged doughnuts for my husband and me and also gave us snacks like cheese and pate. We use that cooler regularly. All in all, I would hire EB again and again. One year anniversary party?? :)

Elaine Bell Catering is an amazing full-service catering company that goes above and beyond for all of their clients to ensure an flawless event! Elaine herself is one of the sweetest, most humble, and creative chefs I know. She delivers high quality food for small parties and weddings to large scale corporate holiday parties alike and her food, delivery and presentation is always fresh, innovative, and super creative! I've worked with Elaine on multiple events and every time have been nothing but impressed with her team's service. They go above and beyond with customer service and their wait staff is trained impeccably. I'd recommend her team - and food - for any event!

Elaine Bells catering exceeded our expectations in so many ways for our wedding. If I could give them 6 stars, I would. My Wife and I found Elaine's through a recommendation by our wedding coordinator. Similar to a few other catering companies, we received a quote ahead of time and then set up a tasting. I think Elaine's pricing is competitive with others for food, but a bit higher premium for service which we say is completely worth it. At our tasting, the chefs put so much care into the food and ingredients. Our account executive helped us through the entire process, whether we wanted to adjust the consistency of a soup, or the substitute items on a plate, the team was extremely flexible and knowledgable. On our wedding day, Elaine's was even willing to assist with the room changeover since we were unsure of rain. Our guests raved about the food and service and we were extremely pleased.

Been to quite a few events in the past years catered by Elaine Bell and never reviewed the service and food, so figured why not review it now. Elaine Bell does a spectacular job preparing small and semi large plates for both small and large events. I have had the pleasure of tasting many of their wonderful seasonal dishes and have never been disappointed! I really wish I could go into depth about my favorites, but honestly as mentioned above, I've never had a bad meal by Elaine Bell. I have recommended them for various events and weddings and the feedback I get is always positive, so if you are considering hosting a small or large party, I would highly suggest looking into Elaine Bell for catering needs.

The best decision I made during the wedding planning process was using Elaine Bell Catering HANDS DOWN. I could not be any happier with working with the Elaine Bell team and our wedding guests are STILL talking about how amazing the food was. I sincerely credit Richard and the rest of the EBC team with making my wedding day truly perfect. My fiancé and I worked with Richard Earl throughout the wedding planning process. The caterer was the first planning step we took (aside from setting the date), and when we first visited the Elaine Bell offices, we had barely started working through the details for the wedding day except that we knew we wanted to have the cocktail hour with passed hors d'oeuvres and a sit-down meal inside. We met with Richard and instead of just talking about menu, he walked with us through exactly what we envisioned for the event as a whole. We walked through time lines and nailed down details, and he brought up so many ideas and suggestions that I hadn't even thought of! He made my fiancé, mom, and me sooo comfortable, I knew we could trust him from the get-go. After the initial meeting, we did a site visit at the reception venue and then came back to the offices for a food tasting. The food tasting was a blast!! The food was delicious, the presentations of everything were STUNNING, and Elaine Bell was there herself telling us about the dish which was quite an honor. They tweaked certain things based on our taste and built a custom menu for us that was absolutely mouth-watering. We had no coordinator, and the reception was at our family's vineyard, so to be able to count on EBC for the full event put all of us at ease so we could enjoy the big day. On the wedding day, EBC coordinated the rentals and full set up. Every staff person was smiling and so helpful. Staff brought the wedding party (of 22 bridesmaids and groomsmen) champagne and our favorite hors d'oeuvres before being introduced so we had food in our bellies and plenty of alcohol :) During pictures, Richard gave us bottles of cold water to cool down. One of the servers was kind enough to put my dinner aside so I could have a few bites (I was walking around during the meal greeting guests and didn't stop to eat). The cook later made me a sandwich because I STILL hadn't eaten. Small things like this are why I am still glowing about working with EBC. I really cannot say enough about how wonderful my wedding day was BECAUSE of EBC. They are not just caterers. I think the best part about Richard and the team is that they are not there just to serve food and leave. EBC is the full package and coordinates EVERYTHING. Thank you to Richard, Elaine, and everyone at Elaine Bell Catering for making my wedding day an absolute dream!

I had guest upon guest tell me that we had the best food they'd ever had at a wedding. We wanted "wine country bbq" and they got it, immediately-and it wasn't because we were able to articulate what we wanted. Caspian was a joy to work with. They were patient and went the extra mile, even offering a second tasting when my mom was out from the west coast and working to get tiny cones of Bi-Rite salted caramel for dessert. We loved the picnic basked of goodies packed for our wedding night. Highest recommendation. Elaine Bell celebrated their 25th anniversary last year, and the food and experience speaks for itself.

Elaine Bell Catering was on our wedding venue's list of preferred caterers, along with 9 or so other catering companies. After narrowing down the list to about 5 caterers, we went and did tastings. 4 out of 5 had something missing.... either the food was uninspiring or the staff made us wary. Then we went to Elaine Bell. Initially what attracted me to them over the other caterers was that their food is mostly locally sourced and sustainably caught or harvested. This was really important to us, because we feel if you want to lower your environmental footprint, a great opportunity to make wise choices is when you're making choices for a large group of people, like at a wedding. Most importantly, their food was the most creative of the group and simply tasted the best. During the tasting, Emily, who was our contact at EBC, described the philosophy of Elaine Bell Catering and walked us through each of the meals. The 3 courses for the tasting were exquisitely prepared and presented. EBC was hands-down the best catering company for 3 reasons: 1) the food was creative and well executed, 2) the staff was always friendly, professional, communicative and clearly love what they do, and 3) their catering contract was clear and easy to understand, unlike a lot of other contracts we saw. No hidden costs buried in the depths. That said, they were about 10% more expensive than the other caterers we looked at, but we felt due to the reasons above, the extra money was well spent. WE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE. On the day of our wedding, EBC was taking charge of everything. Sandy was on staff just to attend to the bride and groom (bringing me champagne and St. Germain up to the bridal room beforehand, which was sooooo nice!). All the servers were friendly and looked like they were having fun. The food was just as it was at our tasting. Our guests raved about the presentation and taste (and they had high expectations of us, knowing that we love food and good SF restaurants). Our menu was: Hors D'oeuvres Fresh Vegetarian Rice Wrapper Spring Rolls Sonoma Figs, Vella White Cheddar, Crispy Arborio Risotto Cakes Oak Hill Farm Red and Yellow Cherry Tomatoes Dinner Menu First Course Salad of Baby Organic Greens Balsamic Roasted Black Grapes, St. George White Cheddar Spiced Black Walnuts, Shaved Fuji Apples and Balsamic Apple Cider Vinaigrette Choice of Main Course Black Angus Skirt Steak with Balsamic Black Fig Thyme Reduction Fresh Brentwood Corn, Young Leek and Yukon Gold Potato Ragout Poached Campari Tomatoes Micro Basil Salad ~OR~ Crispy Seared Salmon with Creamy Leek Fondutta Multi-Colored Roasted Marble Potatoes Sunburst Squash, Baby Carrots and Caramelized Pearl Onions ~OR~ Ten Vegetable Terrine of Potatoes and Summer Vegetables Served with Red and Yellow Bell Pepper Coulis and Fresh Garden Vegetables The only suggestions for improvement I'd have are: - Initially EBC was a little hard to get a hold of. They had a system malfunction around the time that we were deciding to go with them and were hard to get in contact with, either by phone or email. Their calendaring/scheduling software and email had apparently gone down, so maybe it's time to switch to web-based email (and maybe that's what they did!). However, this vastly improved as the wedding date neared.

I based my decision to have Elaine Bell cater my wedding on vendor reviews and yelp reviews. WOW!!! They were fantastic. A bit pricier than other caterers in the area but definitely worth every penny. Cara was our account manager and she was very attentive and helpful with all my changes and choices. The tasting was done at their site and what a great experience. I can honestly say I loved all their food at the tasting so it was hard to decide. But for hors d'Oeuvres we chose, Applewood Smoked Duck Breast, Truffled Mac 'N Cheese Arancini, Indonesian Crab Cakes With Mango Salsa, Tiger Shrimp With " Dynamite " Sauce, Barbecued Pork Bao Buns and for Entrees the Petite Fillet Mignon With Caramelized Shallot Red Seared Mahi Mahi With Romesco Sauce Fresh Pea Ravioli With Mint Butter Sauce All the guests said that the food was not your "typical" wedding food. So much flavor and very different. Also the service was impeccable. I loved how they had servers paying special attention to us (the bride and groom) to make sure that we were eating. 5 star service all around!

I just went to a wedding and was blown away enough by the food and professionalism of the staff to remember the name on their shirts to write a quick review. I am always surprised when food made in mass comes out well--both in flavor and temperature, and delivered with a smile, a sincere "you're welcome", and a classy walk back to the kitchen area. But again, the food! The hors d'oeuvres were great both in flavor and presentation. The starter dinner plate (a single but fully flavorful and wonderfully fancy mushroom ravioli) was to die for. The salad was perfection with the most wonderful nuts. And, the vegetarian entree, although less amazing, was edible, which is often not the case in mass. So, if you have the money to splurge (as sometimes you do get what you pay for, and I presume they don't come cheap!), this is a great caterer to use. Plus, they are green certified, which is a nice version of the slow food movement and encouraging sustainable eating. My only warning would be to prepare for smaller portions than the average person might eat; every plate around me was finished, even among the skinny girls, gulping Napa wine to make up the volume gap.

Absolutely perfect. 6 stars if I could. Food was like fine dining, service was incredible. Debbe was an awesome account manager, and was very helpful in selecting my menu, making sure we had a strong set of dishes that worked well together. I'm a foodie, but planning for a ton of hors d'oeuvres and courses was difficult, and Debbe did a great job helping me through (and dealing with my waffling). Our tasting was really nice, they have a great location and great service, and really made us feel like we'd be taken care of. We had notes on some of the dishes (add more cheese to this, a little more soy here) and they delivered. The Food - Amazing. Everyone at our wedding raved about the food. "Wedding food usually sucks, this was like fine dining!" they said. The crown royale braised short rib entree was just out of this world. It was one of my favorite things I've eaten since living in the Bay Area, and I was just so proud (as a food snob) to have had it at my wedding. We had 5 hors d'oeuvres and all were awesome. The Service - Perfect. During cocktail hour, they sent servers to bring us appetizers to make sure we were well fed (they knew we'd barely have any time). Service was excellent during dinner - our guests said they could tell who were the pros vs. the venue staff. And finally, after the wedding they provided us with a beautiful picnic bag full of snacks, cheese, desserts, and a whole tray of pate that was used in my wife's favorite hors d'oeuvre of the night. Elaine Bell did a fantastic job.

We worked with Dustin and Debbe at Elaine Bell and it was just an amazing experience from start to finish! The tasting was very professional, and they even accommodated a change, as well as experimented with a new dessert recipe just for us, even though it isn't in their regular menu. Then came wedding day - no one ever expects the food to taste as good on wedding day as it does at the tasting because its hard to execute 100+ dishes perfectly - BUTthey totally made it happen! The food on wedding day was so delicious and beautiful - just as we had it at the tasting!! All the guests complimented the food (and we have some picky foodies in our group). On top of that, they sent us home with a cute backpack cooler filled with goodies for the next day, and desserts from the wedding! I'm really glad we went with Elaine Bell - they lived up to their reputation and exceeded our expectations!

Elaine Bell was the caterer for our wedding a couple of weeks ago. We found Elaine Bell through herecomestheguide.com. We ended up meeting with them as well as with two other caterers. One of the other caterers was disqualified pretty much immediately based on the blandness of the food and the fact that he thinks a samosa is made with puff pastry (and that he thinks that puff pastry is the same as phyllo pastry! I know I sound like a total food snob right now, but really? The fact that we left their tasting hungry didn't help). The other caterer was excellent as well (Ann Walker Catering, check them out!), but Elaine Bell won us over with the immaculate presentation of the dishes, the deliciousness of the food and the fact that they had Indian food at the trial. We first went to a trial at their office in Napa. They served us an incredible raspberry/lemon/pomegranate drink. We had, I think, 3 appetizers and 3 main dishes at the tasting. The appetizers were served on beautifully arranged and decorated plates. The Indian food (my husband is Indian so we had half Indian food and half Western food) was delicious and actually tasted like real Indian food. The western food was excellent as well. Their service at the wedding was almost immaculate (the only bad thing I saw is that they took a bit of a long time to bring drinks to my cousins who don't drink alcohol). After my husband and I got to the cocktail hour I went into the changing room to get my dress bustled, and one of the ladies with the caterer showed up with a tray full of appetizers because she thought I might be hungry! The best part? The food at the wedding was even BETTER than at the trial. The malai koftas were absolutely to die for, like little clouds of cheese or whatever it was they were made with (I would kill for the recipe by the way). The samosas went so fast that my husband and I didn't even get to try one. And I got a ton of compliments on the food, which I am glad to pass on in the form of this review. All in all, definitely one of the best vendor choices we made for the wedding. At the end of the night they give you a picnic bag with 2 pieces of cake, some pate, some grapes, a bottle of champagne, and some other stuff. It was very nice (although I was too tired and stuffed to eat anything at that point!) All this in addition to being quite reasonably priced. Considering the prices I was quoted by some other caterers, I was amazed at what I got here. Definitely check them out for whatever event you need catered. You won't be disappointed.