Diversity is important if you’re going to please a majority of the people who show up at your wedding, corporate luncheon, or social event. That’s why we offer BBQ catering Portland Oregon style in addition to our fine Italian dishes and sandwiches. Everyone loves good barbecue and we encourage our clients to always offer it as an option even when they choose other items from our menu. Most folks go in the other direction and request vegetarian dishes mixed in; why not include a few BBQ meals too? There’s always someone who just doesn’t like gourmet food, but they’ll devour grilled meat with barbecue sauce cooked in for flavor.

Is your mouth watering yet? If it is, you too could be a carnivore at your next function. We have a lot of fun serving ribs and beer, sometimes more fun than when we do sit down dinners. Barbecue is casual, it’s messy, and people feel normal and relaxed when they’re indulging in it. There are certain functions where it’s a better choice than others, such as any event being held in an outdoor venue. If your guests are showing up in jeans and t-shirts, BBQ is a great idea. In a formal setting it might be a little messy.

Of course, barbecued meat doesn’t have to be eaten off the bone, held between two hands like a turkey drumstick. Ribs and chicken wings are fun, but they are not the only choice for a barbecue catering request. We do roasts of all types and can serve them in a formal dinner setting without staining a single white or yellow chiffon dress or Armani suit. In addition to those, we also offer a beef brisket to die for and the old standby – hamburgers and hot dogs, and not just for the kids either. Admit it; you enjoy a nice juicy burger just as much as they do. It’s okay. You can tell us and we’ll serve it to you.

Perhaps the most important key to our success has been the ability to grow and adapt as time has gone by. To Dine For started out as an Italian food Portland catering company. We have grown into a full service provider of fine foods from around the world. We’ve also added in a few hometown favorites, so don’t hesitate to call us if you’re in the mood for ribs and chicken at your business lunch today. Don’t be afraid to ask for extra sauce when you order either. We’ll bring napkins and handy wipes.

We don’t want to mislead you into thinking that all we serve here at To Dine For is Italian food, but it is definitely one of our specialties. Our sauces are all homemade from recipes passed down to us from generations of fine Italian cooks. If you’ve ever had our ziti and meatballs or lasagna you know that we are passionate about the food that we make. You could travel the length of Italy, from Venice to Sicily, and never taste Italian food as exquisite as what you can find right here in Portland. Our Portland Oregon Caterers can really cook. Come on in and take a taste for yourself if you don’t believe us.

To be successful in our industry it’s important to offer variety, but it also helps to specialize in something if you can. We were known as an Italian food caterer long before we became the diverse cuisine provider that we are today. We didn’t want to become one dimensional, so we worked on building our public image. We also became really good at making Italian food. The skills we learned as children coupled with a high demand for pasta, sauce, and specialty recipes helped us build our reputation and establish a name for ourselves.

Today, our Portland Oregon catering company offers the best Italian cuisine on the West Coast, and then some. Those who hire us to do weddings or luncheons know that we have our specialty, but they also understand that we offer much more than that. We do barbecue, food off the grill, sandwiches, salads, alcohol, DJ service, and floral arrangements. Our company has evolved quite a bit since we made our first lasagna or bruschetta. We still make those, but now we can give our customers so much more in addition to select Italian entrees and appetizers.

It’s all about the food. A good caterer can make someone’s mouth water by simply describing what’s on the menu for the day. The smells coming from the kitchen or buffet table should demand the attention of everyone in the room, making dinner the primary topic of conversation. Once seated, your guests should be treated to a presentation like no other they have seen before, waited on by professional, well-dressed servers, and treated to a meal they will talk about for years to come.

Everyone gets started somewhere. For me, it was easy to see where I was going in life from the time I was very young. Raised by an Italian mother, I was making meatballs and rolling out pasta when I was barely old enough to go to school. Some of my fondest memories are of the time I spent in that kitchen. It’s no wonder that when I grew up I opened a Portland catering company. What else would I do? I love to cook, understand the value of using fresh ingredients, and it’s my nature to want people to be happy. There’s no better way to do that than to feed folks good food.

From those humble beginnings, I and the men and women who work for me have created a catering company that, in our minds, is second to none. Many of the families and business owners here in Portland agree. Their weddings, special events, birthday parties, and corporate lunches wouldn’t be the same without us. The greatest compliment we can receive at the end of the day is a sigh of contentment and a request for a second helping. That always made Mom happy.

Talk to anyone who has done business with us and they’ll give us a good reference. We’re reasonably priced and pay attention to detail in everything we do. In the eyes of those who work here, there’s no other way to do it other than the right way. Proper preparation and planning help us make every event exactly what our customers want and deserve. If you’re paying someone to bring in top quality food and service, that is what you should get. We make sure that you do, every time. That’s how we became the event and wedding caterers Portland residents call most often.

Are you hungry? How about some beef tenderloin medallions with Dijon mustard/tarragon sauce? Not for you? Try our succulent grilled chicken seasoned with rosemary, garlic, and lemon or maybe keep it simple and go with baked ziti and meatballs. We have them all and we can serve them at your event.

What does it take to be the best? As a Portland Caterer, we measure our success by the satisfaction level of our clients. When we do a good job, the event goes off smoothly and those who hired us are able to relax and enjoy themselves. They generally get all the compliments, but we end up with repeat business and referrals. When the caterer doesn’t do a good job, forgets essential items or serves poor quality food, the cooks will hear it and the event organizer will never hear the end of it. That has never happened to us, but we’ve heard it can be an absolute nightmare.

In our minds, we’re the best. In the minds of our customers, we’re not too shabby either. Our client list includes names like Nike and Blue Cross, companies that don’t hire just anyone to cater their events. To get those accounts, we had to convince them we could do the job and then follow through on our promises. Our staff has done that consistently now for quite some time so we get a lot of repeat business out of those companies and many others. They think we’re the best or they wouldn’t hire us.

Of course, being a Portland catering company involves much more than just bringing in corporate lunches for business meetings. Companies in our industry are measured on one type of event more than others, the most important as far as our industry is concerned – weddings. The brides and grooms that have asked us to make their day extra special with fine food and top quality service will line up to tell you about the job we did for them. We’re happy to say that we’ve catered dozens of weddings and always leave the guests and participants with a smile on their face and a full stomach.