Central Coast Wedding Catering Blog

Best party ever?

Courtney & Travis’s wedding was pretty awesome. So awesome that we wish we were guests at it. We’ll take being hired as their caterer & working it as a close second. Beautiful venue, delicious menu, cocktail party vibe, great vendors (All About Events handled the rentals and Jonathan with Blue Photo, took these rad pics) and a very cool bride & groom. Did we mentioned we love Flying Caballos Ranch in San Luis Obispo?

First things first. Courtney & Travis wanted their guests to enjoy themselves as soon as they arrived. As in before the ceremony. Champagne and craft beer were available, as well as a beautiful spread of cheeses, tapenades, hummus, artisan breads & local fruits prepared by our creative chefs.

Following their lovely San Luis Obispo wedding, we catered appetizers that featured seasonal and local ingredients. Think figs, proscuitto & goat cheese, and some classic stuffed mushrooms with local sausage, gorgonzola & fresh herbs. And if you love olives, our tapenade with local kalamatas, fresh herbs, garlic, anchovies, lemon, chili flakes & olive oil is not to be missed.

Hungry yet?

Good, because now it’s time for dinner. They chose a stations-style service with cedar-plank salmon with olive tapenade & lemon zest and oak-grilled tri tip with fresh chimichurri sauce as their entrees. Then there was a salad station: baby arugula, pepparanada, toasted almonds, feta and roasted red pepper vinaigrette or one of our classics: organic field greens, apples, gorgonzola, candied pecans and pomegranate vinaigrette.

This menu was all about fresh flavors & beautiful presentation.

To finish it off, guests enjoyed sautéed brussel sprouts, local farmers market vegetables and mac & cheese with gruyere, pancetta & butternut squash. Delish!

Congrats & thanks for using Pacific Harvest Catering!

Adorable Country Garden Wedding

I don’t think we could adore last week’s wedding anymore than we already do. It was so lovely!
The cheerful yellow theme, the adorable rustic chairs, the amazing flowers, we could go on and on.
For Allegra & Todd’s guests, it felt like an intimate dinner gathering in an English garden but with some American flare. The couple was set on serving a delectable Southern Comfort-inspired family-style meal… Twelve-hour braised beef brisket, citrus-marinated grilled chicken, best-ever mac & cheese, roasted sweet potato mash, farmers market grilled vegetables, warm homemade corn bread with honey butter & jalapeño jam, yum…

Family & friends went home that evening with our a glass jar of our chef’s very own brisket spice rub.


After the backyard ceremony, guests started with our bruschetta bar: three seasonal bruschettas served with toasted sliced baguettes, grilled crostinis & fresh vegetables. Guests also enjoyed  heirloom tomato gazpacho shooters with grilled cheese bites and bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese.

Here’s the menu:

Tray-Passed & Stationary Appetizers:
Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese

Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Grilled Cheese Bites

Imported & Domestic Cheese Boards with Berries, Grapes, Dried Fruit & Baguettes

Grilled Crostinis & Crackers served with Local Olive Tapenade, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus & Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

Family-Style Dinner:
Baby Arugula, Fresh Stone Fruit, Crumbled Feta, Roasted Walnuts & Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette

Beef Brisket w/ Tennessee-style Bourbon Molasses Sauce

Herb-Marinated Grilled Barbecued Chicken

Sweet Potato Mash & Farmers Market Grilled Vegetables

Baked White Cheddar Mac & Cheese

Fresh Baked Corn Bread with Local Honey Butter & Jalapeno Jam



Allegra & Todd were awesome to work with & we are so stoked we were able to be a part of their big day.
Thanks to Hearts & Horseshoes for sharing the photos and for Adornments for having always amazing floral design and linens that make our stuff look good! Local rental company Got You Cover’d provided the rest.

Cheerful Spanish Oaks Ranch Nuptials

Sometimes simple is best.

We love Dana & Eric’s recent wedding at Spanish Oaks Ranch for this reason.

And because they were just so awesome to work with.

Their friends & family had an amazing time because this lovely couple focused on what truly matters — sharing their love in front of loved ones.

They celebrated their vows with a fun-filled party after that included one of our cost-effecitve yet delicious grilled menus. Deliciousness included heirloom tomato bruschetta, goat cheese & caramelized shallots on grilled crostinis & and a local cheese board.

The buffet focused on classic favorites: grilled tri tip, barbecued chicken, herb potato hash, local veggies & homemade rolls with our famous honey butter.

Can you say yum? Congrats to a beautiful couple!

Thanks Alex with Cameron Ingalls for the always awesome photos!

Cheerful & rustic San Luis Obispo wine country wedding

Let’s start with something sweet, shall we?
How lovely this is dessert spread for Eugene & Nicole’s wedding at Edna Valley Vineyards?
Hungry yet?

And is if Edna Valley wasn’t already stunning, it recently underwent a major remodel, bringing in an updated look that is modern, sleek & rustic. It’s definitely one of our faves among Central Coast wedding venues.

But, back to our lovely couple, Nicole & Eugene. We adore their yellow, cheerful theme filled with sweet details. The Spanish-inspired menu included appetizers such as pork & manchego empanadas, fig & goat cheese crostinis with candied walnuts & heirloom tomato gazpacho “shooters.” We love weddings that follow a theme & we highly recommend using a theme to create your perfect menu.

For dinner, entrees include our farmers market vegetarian paella, herb-grilled tri tip, roasted pork loin. Those were served with our grilled corn cakes with smoked tomato & rosemary and some good ol’ local grilled veggies. Our paella is served in an awesomely huge paella pan and we love how the paella matched their colors! 🙂

But before we end, we gotta thank the always amazing Cameron Ingalls, who shared these pics with us.

Congrats Nicole & Eugene!! Thanks for letting us be a part of your special day.

A Plated Dinner at Santa Margarita Ranch

The rustic elegance of the barn at Santa Margarita Ranch creates the perfect ambiance for any gathering.
For the wedding of Joe & Kat, it was the ideal place to treat their 100 closest friends & family to a fabulous plated dinner of local organic meats & produce.
After a sentimental ceremony under the oak tree, guests enjoyed signature cocktails (his — a manhattan, hers — a lemon drop), tray-passed appetizers and a stationary spread of artisan cheeses & breads. Below is the heirloom tomato bruschetta with fresh mozzarella, basil & balsamic reduction.


Once guests made their way into the barn, our most popular salad was served — mixed organic field greens, cave-aged bleu cheese, candied pecans & zinfandel-poached pear tossed with a pomegranate vinaigrette.
Entrees included Heart Ranch filet, local sea bass & a roasted vegetable torte.
One of the best aspects of this menu is that every entree is awesome & delicious. How could you be disappointed with this vegetarian torte if it was placed in front of you? Layers of farm fresh roasted vegetables (bell peppers, onions, porcini mushrooms, zuchinni, & squash) are stacked under smoked provolone cheese & then cooked to perfection.

But then, the seared sea bass was fresh off the boat & the Hearst Ranch filet mignon (in the background) was as good as it gets.

And, in case you had any questions about the menu…

Simple, fresh, organic, local, and perfect.

Craft & Comfort at Flying Caballos Ranch in San Luis Obispo

Andrea & Tim were one of those couples that we were dying to work with after our first meeting. They were just so fun, open & passionate about each other, as well as good food!
We are so glad they let us be a part of their special day.

When we first met, they told us how they wanted a backyard dinner party feel, with some good ol’ comfort food served family-style. They shared their vision with us & then let the chefs have fun creating their menu which we’d call
Southern flair with Central Coast fresh fare!

A quick word of advice: Some of our best weddings have been when a couple has a vision but also trusts our chefs to do their thing. Does that make sense? It’s like trusting an artist to create their best work. Speaking of artists, thank you to Samuel Potter for these beautiful photos!

Anyways, we LOVED this wedding & it’s menu. And for you budget-conscious brides, this menu is considered one of more affordable!
Here it is:
Tray-Passed & Stationary Appetizers:
Imported & Domestic Cheese Boards with Seasonal Berries, Almonds & Sliced Baguettes

Served with Lavender Lemonade & Slightly Sweet Iced Tea

A meal this good deserves some dessert… What a beautiful wedding in the wine country of San Luis Obispo!
Congrats you two!


A – MAZ – ING!

Rustic charm at Santa Margarita Ranch

Who could not love a Central Coast wedding like Jen & Mike’s at Santa Margarita Ranch?

It was filled with charm, adorable details, personal touches, delicious food, & a sumptuous spread of pies!

If you’re lucky enough to visit the ranch or even be a bride there, we hope your event will have some of the character, love, details, & charm of this lovely couple!
Many wedding planners will tell you that details make the wedding & this is a perfect example.

We were lucky to work with some amazing vendors (including Cameron Ingalls, who shot these beautiful shots)

For the cocktail hour, appetizers were served on the grass under the majestic oak tree where many couple choose to exchange their vows. A few favorites? Bacon-wrapped scallop skewers & grilled crostinis with local goat cheese, fig & candied pecans. The dinner was served family-style in the historic barn.

For their menu, Jen & Mike wanted approachable comfort food that reflected the fresh flavors on the Central Coast. Some of their favorite items include grilled seasonal vegetables, aged cheddar mac & cheese & grilled salmon with fresh herbs, local olive tapenade & lemon.

The dessert bar was a combination of mini cupcakes by Clementine Cupcakes and the beautiful blooms were by the always-awesome April Flowers.

Congrats Jen & Mike! May your 2012 be filled with love & joy.

What we’ve been up to…

Pacific Harvest Catering has a new addition to the family! Owners Seth & Dawn White welcomed baby Ava Mara in August!
Their little bundle of joy is such a blessing but her arrival during the heart of wedding season has slowed us from keeping up this blog! Look for pictures from some of our recent weddings very soon!

PHC picked by Wedding Wire AGAIN!

Pacific Harvest Events is now WeddingWire Rated for 2011

San Luis Obispo, CA – July 8, 2011 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is pleased to announce that Pacific Harvest Catering is WeddingWire Rated 2011 for catering. WeddingWire Rated is an annual award program that distinguishes wedding vendors across the country for their excellence.v Based on hundreds of thousands of recent wedding reviews, WeddingWire Rated is the most recognized and trusted brand among engaged couples looking to find the best local businesses for their wedding.

Pacific Harvest Catering has 23 reviews on WeddingWire (as seeon the right side of our blog). Reviews by our newlywed clients include detailed ratings and insightful descriptions about their experiences working with our business and staff. Our reviews provide transparency for potential clients, assisting them in making the most informed decisions for their big day.

“We are delighted to unveil the 5th annual WeddingWire Rated program,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire, Inc. “Pacific Harvest Catering has made a commitment to capturing their clients experiences on the nation’s leading wedding review site.”

As the largest site for wedding reviews, WeddingWire empowers engaged couples with the most comprehensive and trusted review system available. The WeddingWire Rated program provides Pacific Harvest Catering with a simple platform to capture customer feedback from their wedding planning experience. We would like to thank our newlyweds for our WeddingWire Rated 2011 recognition!

For more information on WeddingWire Rated 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

A Paso Robles hilltop wine country wedding

Spring on the Central Coast can be the most amazing time of year. The weather warms up, the hills are green, the wildflowers are abundant, and the fresh produce is delicious!
We recently catered a wedding at beautiful Calcareous Winery in Paso Robles for a lovely couple who had a vision of non-conventional seasonal cuisine. They wanted to incorporate what was at it’s seasonal best while also having some fun with their cuisine & colors. They chose California rack of lamb encrusted with lavender as one their entree choices, as well as local sea bass. Both were served with grilled baby artichokes & Farmers Market vegetables.

Before dinner, guests enjoyed local cheeses, Korean beef sliders & ahi tar tar cones with wasabi potato mash. The ahi appetizer was served in black faux painter’s palletes. The cones are shaped by hand then filled with the wasabi mash & topped with sushi-grade ahi. Now, what isn’t fun (and tasty) about that?

This cake below was brought all the way from a bakery near Yosemite. It was the most amazing lemon cake ever!

So, what should you take away from this blog post? Have fun with your menu & have fun with your colors. Find inspiration from your venue as this couple did. There are no limits!