Catering Ideas for Small 1St Birthday Party

Portillo's is super-yummy and a great no-frills idea for a first party. As for how to order in large amounts, just ask the salesperson for help. He/she will be able to let you know how many people different serving sizes will accomodate, and if not ask for the supervisor. They should definately be able to help you out.

I always use Mr beef on Harlem... it's so good and everybody comments :) Also, they will suggest how much is needed for the amount of people you are expecting.

I'll third Pompei, which we had for one of my son's birthday parties. We ordered the Chicken Vesuvio, Eggplant Parmigian, and salad. They also supplied bread and butter. The food was delicious.
Another place we got catering from was Famous Dave's on Harlem in North Riverside. I don't think they delivered, but we got good ribs & chicken with corn on the cob and potatoes from there. It was also a big hit with our family.

As for a catering restaurant for adults, what about REZA'S on clark street. I don't even know if they do catering, but I'm having my baby shower for my 2nd child and I'm hoping they do. But tips I do have. Fresh fruit has always been a huge hit at my party's. It goes fast. And one year olds can eat it too. Costco has really good fruit; ripe and flavorful. All kids like pasta; a pasta salad. I know of a great/easy recipe from my best friend if you want i'll get it to you. My advice cater to your most important guests the one year old's appetite. What does your daughter like? Good Luck!

We have used Portillo's for catering for the past couple of Mother's Day celebrations at our house. It has worked out very well. I highly recomend them. We usually ended up over ordering a bit, however, when you place your order the people there can give you an idea on how many people each item will serve.

I second Pompeii. I've Used them several times and have been very happy. Ask about they're special stuffed pizza's. They make great party food because they are amazing and easy to eat with your hands. As for how much to order, this is what I would recommend for 20-30 people.
2 large tray's of the stuffed pizza(I recommend 1heart healthy and 1 'works') They can be cut in half and this alone will serve about 36 people.

1/4 tray of pasta salad

1/4 tray of the mela verde salad

you can also get forks/napkins included for a low cost. The menu and pricing is available online. Also, they are really good at helping you select the food and quantities!

Good luck!

We have always used Browns Chicken for catering. It is nice because you can get other items besides chicken like mac and cheese or spaghetti. They will help you out deciding how much to order.
Cheryl

Hi M.,

I just had my daughter's first birthday party catered this weekend by Father & Son/Marcello's. I thought the food was great and I got a lot of compliments from my guests. Btw, our party was 60+ people.

C.

I do a lot of catering for work - I am always extremely happy w/ Pompei. They will deliver or you can pick up at their location (Wellington/Sheffield) or on Taylor St. The pack everything up in sturdy boxes - include lots of bread, butter, etc. You can order 1/2 or full trays from their catering menu. The chicken ravoli w/ a creamy sauce is always a hit. They also have large salads or their "pizza's"..I forget what they call them. All meals come w/ bread and butter. Portillo's is okay but tends to me a little greasy for some people... Good Luck!

I have used Connie's pizza for catering and they provided a great service with reasonable price and delivery.

:-)

Maggiano's will bring giant salads and giant vats of pasta etc. They have GREAT cartering food and its perfect for a party of 25-30 people.

George Jewell has a new To Go catering www.georgejewellcatering.com they will do as much set up as you want and you can rent any supplies you might need from them too. Chicago Party Rentals is also a good place to get supplies.

Don't worry about juding the # of people when it comes to ordering pans of food--the place you order from can tell you how much to get for the number of people that will be eating. Be sure to tell them how many are adults and how many are kids! ALSO--I often plan to make a few of my own appetizers...this way people will eat something before the main meal...you will be sure not to run out of food---an extra few easy desserts along with the cake (brownies, chocolate chip cookies) has the same effect.

B & B Has wonderful choices of food to cater and they have many price ranges to choose from. Check out their website www.bbcater.com They give you sample menus and you can add more items to it. Check it out.

Portillo's has GREAT cake....and there food is wonderful. If you tell them how many people are coming they can recommend how much you need. Good Luck!