catering to every taste

You could, with a little help from your Aunt Sally and 15 or 20 other family members, easily prepare enough food for your 125 wedding guests. If they all like spaghetti.

You could also lie down on a bed of nails for five hours. But why would you?

Somewhere along the continuum of human evolution someone figured out that, at least for a wedding, it’s better to let someone else deal with the food. So welcome to the world of catering, which is extremely well represented in the Sonoma Valley.

Choosing a caterer is as easy as letting your fingers walk through the phone book, or as complicated as online and word-of-mouth research. We’ll save you a little time.

By size and reputation, two of the best in the Valley are Elaine Bell Catering and Olive & Vine. Elaine is a Sonoma native with a regional reputation and impeccable credentials. She does elaborate weddings both big and small. You can’t imagine a need she can’t fulfill.

Olive & Vine is owned by super chef Catherine Diggers whose cooking credentials include sous-chef at the Grill at Sonoma Mission Inn, House Chef for Mondavi’s Arrowood Winery and owner/chef of her own acclaimed restaurant on St. Croix. Catherine is big on showcasing local foods like artisan cheeses, field greens and vegetables from the farmers market.

Other worthy local options include Broadway Catering and Rocket.

Once you’ve established faith in the food, it comes down to price and service, which is where references and word-of mouth come into play. We don’t think you’ll go wrong with these four.