catering in san diego from big front door

​be honest. how many times have you thought about inviting friends or family over for a get-together but decided against it because you just didn’t feel like shopping, cooking, or planning for it? 

​too many to count, right? 

we get it. the preparation required for properly hosting even a small gathering can sometimes feel like more trouble than it’s worth.  at big front door in san diego, we can help take some of the pressure off. our catering menu offers everything from sandwiches to full meals, sides to salads to desserts.  

sure, sometimes the word “catering” brings up images of fancy hors d'oeuvres served on silver platters. other times, it calls to mind boring corporate meetings in stuffy conference rooms.  but at big front door in san diego, we think of catering as just another way to feed people good food in everyday situations. 

you don’t need to gather a million people to justify catering. try these menu ideas for your next smallish get-together. 

girls night doesn’t always have to be a screaming-from-the-limousine-sunroof kind of affair. some of your friends might be a little more comfortable getting cray cray in the comfort of home. so, why not put together a velvet grab bag of risqué conversation starters, pour some fancy mixed drinks, and let us cater your next girls night. 

girls night in menu ideas:

• artisan cheese platter – house smoked gouda, maytag bleu, humboldt fog, fresh mozzarella, noord hollander, big john’s cajun, olive tapenade, honey-dijon mustard, and deglet date (small feeds 8-10 people; add house smoked salmon and meat assortment for an additional cost)
• sesame chicken salad – roast chicken, scallion, carrot, pea sprout, pepper, mandarin, crispy noodle, sesame vinaigrette (pan serves 8-10 people)
• seasonal fruit  (small platter serves 8-10 people)
• dessert platter – cookies, chocolate bombs, and bread pudding (12 pieces)

football sunday

nothing beats a sunday spent sitting around at your own house with your own dog and watching football the entire day. the problem is, if your friends feel the same way about their homes and their dogs, it’s harder to get everyone to come over and watch football with you. we don’t know about your friends, but with ours, food always does the trick. our catering menu is affordable enough that you won’t mind picking up the tab. orders over $100 are available for delivery, so you won’t even need to leave the house. or, get one of your guys to pick up the food on the way.  be sure to tell him to grab a few bottles of craft beer while he’s at it. 

football sunday menu ideas: 
    

• sandwich assortment (3 selections for 8-10 people) sample selection:
  • club – turkey, bacon, lettuce, Roma tomato, mayo, house mustard, sourdough
  • house roast beef – provolone, broccoli rabe, black peppered roma tomato, oil and vinegar, french slice
  • loins of fire – chili roast pork loin, roast poblano, pickled onion, cilantro, lettuce, garlic, aioli, torpedo
• macaroni salad (quarts serve 4-6 people, pans serve 16-24)
• chocolate bombs (a dozen per order)
• local craft beer 

visit from your future mother-in-law

for some reason, even people who don’t cook and never plan to learn to cook feel the need to impress their future mothers-in-law with food. we understand. well-prepared food sends the message, “look, your son/daughter is in good hands with me.”  the next time you host your future mother-in-law, skip the fancy restaurant and let us cater. score extra points by inviting weird cousin arnold and scary aunt frieda, too. go ahead. serve the food on “real” plates. we promise not to tell who did the cooking. 

menu ideas:

• lemon and fennel roasted salmon dinner – french green bean with almond, orzo pilaf (minimum of 6)
• loaf brioche bread pudding – house made with pistachio, almond, cranberry, served with butterscotch sauce (12 pieces)
• bottle of local wine from our wine shop 

play dates

ok, yes. it’s wrong (so wrong) to deliberately show up the other moms in your kid’s playgroup. but remember that time so-and-so handed out party favor bags that included magic wands, light sabers, metallic tattoos, and shopkins?  and remember when what’s-her-name baked a three-tier birthday cake and decorated it to look like jurassic park? well, this time, when it’s your turn to organize the play date picnic, you can nonchalantly tell them, “i just wanted to do something different than the usual pizza.” wrong, we know. but so so satisfying. 

menu idea:  

• sandwich box lunch (for the kids) – sandwich, chip, and chocolate chip cookie (minimum of 6)
• duck cranberry salad (for the adults) – shredded duck, cranberry, roasted walnut, crumbled maytag, orange vinaigrette (pan serves 8-10 people)
• seasonal fruit (for all – small platter serves 8-10 people)
• cookies (for all) – chocolate chip, oatmeal, rum raisin, coconut macaroon, double chocolate pistachio with sea salt (one dozen)
• artisan bottled sodas

oh, and by the way…

​we’re happy to cater your large events and parties, too. we’ll provide as much or as little assistance with set-up, service, and clean-up as you require. but keep in mind, while we can deliver the wine and craft beer right to your doorstep, we cannot serve it for you. gotta keep it legal, y’know?

yes. it’s really as easy as that.

don’t let your fear of food preparation stand between you and your next social gathering. we can provide whole meals, sandwiches, salads, sides, beverages, desserts, and whatever else will satisfy your appetite. with big front door catering, the hardest part is choosing from among your favorites on our menu. give us a call or stop by and let us know what you need and when you need it. we’ll take it from there.