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Special Event Catering for Life’s Most Meaningful Moments

At Personal Touch Dining, we specialize in creating unforgettable catering experiences for your most important occasions. Whether you’re planning a milestone birthday, a backyard anniversary dinner, or an intimate memorial gathering, our team is here to help bring your vision to life with ease, elegance, and expertise.

See What Clients Say About Us

Here’s what some of our recent customers have to say about their experiences with our boxed lunch catering service:

Nicole L.
Can't recommend PTD enough! We chose them to be our wedding caterer for our June wedding in La Jolla after getting quotes (and doing tastings) with multiple other caterers. We were blown away by their delicious food; the menu options were great and the team worked with us to make customizations throughout the process. Pricing was reasonable, especially given the quality. We really appreciated their flexibility with the bar package (other caterers were not willing to let us mix/match alcohols, and we were also able to supplement our own beer/wine with a few specifics that we knew our guests loved!) The staff were all super friendly and lovely to work with day-of. I really enjoyed working with Annalisa and Ashley during the planning as well-their patience and kindness throughout the process was much appreciated! Highly recommend PTD for any couple looking to elevate their wedding experience!
Aisling W.
Annalisa and the PTD team were AMAZING for our wedding back in March 2024! Our guests couldn't stop talking about the short rib, the mashed potatoes, and our churro station for months after. Annalisa was highly communicative throughout the planning process, and even offered support in finding other rentals vendors that they commonly work with. When we went to do our tasting, they put on a little date night for us with candles, soft music, and a fully plated meal, which was so sweet and such a nice surprise in the midst of a busy work week. PTD's entire staff at the wedding, from the servers to the bartenders, ensured our guests had everything they needed and were timely with all of the courses and drink requests. Choosing a caterer is one of the most important parts of a wedding, so I was SO relieved to find a company like Personal Touch that truly took what can often be an underwhelming part of a wedding to the next level!! Thank you again, Personal Touch!!!
Andrea B.
We found PTD to be very easy to work with, our guests continue to say that our wedding food was the best wedding food they'd had. I am vegan and shopped around a lot for an all vegan caterer but honestly PTD had just as many options as any other vegan restaurant and offered them at a very reasonable price. In the end we decided to do a buffet, our guests loved the Brussel sprouts, eggplant towers, and the tri tip (our non-vegan option). Working with Annalisa was a breeze, she was always available and very easy to communicate with. She also had great recommendations for other vendors (she sent me to the most amazing coordinator). All in all, couldn't have really asked for more!
Mandy S.
I am so happy that we went with Personal Touch Dining as our wedding caterer! They took care of the table/chair rentals, linens, lawn market lighting, draping, cocktail hour food, buffet, dessert and late night snacks for us. For tray passed bites, we chose, chicken & waffles, watermelon skewers and mediterranean herb shrimp. Our guests asked if they were going to bring more out because it was all so good! We chose the churro station for dessert and that was a really big hit with our guests. Thank you Annalisa for all of your help in making sure it was the perfect day for us!
Don O.
Personal touch was the most helpful experience we had. Our venue was very difficult and their team handled it with professionalism and grace. Annalisa settled our venue out and was great in a clutch. The food was phenomenal. Absolutely 5 stars. We had a buffet menu and everyone was absolutely amazed. The mushrooms were the best. I had a plate full by myself. Speaking of which, their staff handled us individually and made us feel special. It allowed us to speak with our guest's and not go hungry. Drinks too! Couldn't of asked for a better staff.
Bre F.
Annalisa and Ashley were absolutely amazing to work with at Personal Touch Dining. I highly recommend their services for any event! They were incredibly responsive to all of my questions leading up to the wedding, which made the process stress-free knowing they were there to support me. On the wedding day, everything was executed perfectly, from the linens and rentals to the food. We received countless compliments on how delicious everything was! Kudos to the chefs and the entire staff for making our day so much more special.
Alisa M.
Personal Touch Dining (PTD) was an absolute dream to work with. From start to finish, they were responsive, professional, well-organized, and genuinely thoughtful in their approach. We were looking for a catering and bar vendor that felt elevated and polished-and PTD exceeded our expectations in every way. On the big day, every detail was executed flawlessly-from linens and flatware to custom bar signs and table numbers. The food was delicious, the carne asada fries late-night snack was a huge hit, and we received endless compliments from our guests. The staff was friendly, attentive, and professional, and the bartenders brought just the right energy. A special moment we won't forget: one of the catering staff joined in on the dancefloor (cheered on by guests!), adding to the fun, celebratory vibe of the evening. PTD was a standout vendor that delivered both exceptional service and unforgettable moments. We'd recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone planning a big event.  
Marie S.
This company gets five stars for a reason. Tasty food, great service and on time. We hired them for a corporate women's lunch yesterday. They followed the instructions and used our loading dock to bring up the food, and beautifully set it up in our kitchen, ahead of schedule. The food was delicious, salads, a sandwich bar, bagels, spreads, chips and salsa, potato chips, drinks all laid out perfectly. My only complaint, and it's small, was there could have been a bit more dessert. Desserts were bite sized and wonderful! We are so happy that we can count on this business!
Kelsea L.
Too good not to book! Personal Touch Dining made wedding planning a breeze! The venue was beautiful, the catering was delicious and they handled all the rentals. All we had to do is tell them what we liked/ wanted and they brought it all to life! The staff is also AMAZING! They were always on top of things, kind, patient and so helpful! Thank you Annalisa, Darcie, Danielle and the entire Personal Touch Dining Team!
Nora R.
Personal Touch was a wonderful caterer for our wedding! They were responsive in the planning stage, and everything was delicious the day of the event.
J.T
If you want a top notch caterer, professional service and some of the yummiest food then Personal Touch Dining is for you! From start to finish they were on top of every detail, answered all our questions and concerns and coordinated with the vendors, etc. They made us and our reception feel like we mattered to them. People are still raving about the food and the overall reception!
Ashley M.
Lauren, Annalise, and Brittany were a pleasure to work with throughout the months and days leading up to the event. The staff during our wedding was super attentive, no empty glasses! The food was absolutely delicious and just as good as the tasting. Our guests RAVED about how good the food was. They are super flexible to work with and pricing was super fair. Would definitely recommend them to anyone planning an event and especially for weddings.
Abby J.
Personal Touch Dining did a wonderful job with our wedding catering from start to finish. We requested proposals from 3-5 companies during our initial search and Personal Touch first impressed us with their affordability which was very important to us. Sometimes affordability can translate into lower quality for service/taste/etc. but such is NOT the case with PTD. From my initial email their sales representative was extremely responsive, courteous, and helpful. Everything tasted and looked great on the day of our wedding. Highly recommend this company.
Nicole L.
Can't recommend PTD enough! We chose them to be our wedding caterer for our June wedding in La Jolla after getting quotes (and doing tastings) with multiple other caterers. We were blown away by their delicious food; the menu options were great and the team worked with us to make customizations throughout the process. Pricing was reasonable, especially given the quality. We really appreciated their flexibility with the bar package (other caterers were not willing to let us mix/match alcohols, and we were also able to supplement our own beer/wine with a few specifics that we knew our guests loved!) The staff were all super friendly and lovely to work with day-of. I really enjoyed working with Annalisa and Ashley during the planning as well-their patience and kindness throughout the process was much appreciated! Highly recommend PTD for any couple looking to elevate their wedding experience!
Aisling W.
Annalisa and the PTD team were AMAZING for our wedding back in March 2024! Our guests couldn't stop talking about the short rib, the mashed potatoes, and our churro station for months after. Annalisa was highly communicative throughout the planning process, and even offered support in finding other rentals vendors that they commonly work with. When we went to do our tasting, they put on a little date night for us with candles, soft music, and a fully plated meal, which was so sweet and such a nice surprise in the midst of a busy work week. PTD's entire staff at the wedding, from the servers to the bartenders, ensured our guests had everything they needed and were timely with all of the courses and drink requests. Choosing a caterer is one of the most important parts of a wedding, so I was SO relieved to find a company like Personal Touch that truly took what can often be an underwhelming part of a wedding to the next level!! Thank you again, Personal Touch!!!
Andrea B.
We found PTD to be very easy to work with, our guests continue to say that our wedding food was the best wedding food they'd had. I am vegan and shopped around a lot for an all vegan caterer but honestly PTD had just as many options as any other vegan restaurant and offered them at a very reasonable price. In the end we decided to do a buffet, our guests loved the Brussel sprouts, eggplant towers, and the tri tip (our non-vegan option). Working with Annalisa was a breeze, she was always available and very easy to communicate with. She also had great recommendations for other vendors (she sent me to the most amazing coordinator). All in all, couldn't have really asked for more!
Mandy S.
I am so happy that we went with Personal Touch Dining as our wedding caterer! They took care of the table/chair rentals, linens, lawn market lighting, draping, cocktail hour food, buffet, dessert and late night snacks for us. For tray passed bites, we chose, chicken & waffles, watermelon skewers and mediterranean herb shrimp. Our guests asked if they were going to bring more out because it was all so good! We chose the churro station for dessert and that was a really big hit with our guests. Thank you Annalisa for all of your help in making sure it was the perfect day for us!
Don O.
Personal touch was the most helpful experience we had. Our venue was very difficult and their team handled it with professionalism and grace. Annalisa settled our venue out and was great in a clutch. The food was phenomenal. Absolutely 5 stars. We had a buffet menu and everyone was absolutely amazed. The mushrooms were the best. I had a plate full by myself. Speaking of which, their staff handled us individually and made us feel special. It allowed us to speak with our guest's and not go hungry. Drinks too! Couldn't of asked for a better staff.
Bre F.
Annalisa and Ashley were absolutely amazing to work with at Personal Touch Dining. I highly recommend their services for any event! They were incredibly responsive to all of my questions leading up to the wedding, which made the process stress-free knowing they were there to support me. On the wedding day, everything was executed perfectly, from the linens and rentals to the food. We received countless compliments on how delicious everything was! Kudos to the chefs and the entire staff for making our day so much more special.
Alisa M.
Personal Touch Dining (PTD) was an absolute dream to work with. From start to finish, they were responsive, professional, well-organized, and genuinely thoughtful in their approach. We were looking for a catering and bar vendor that felt elevated and polished-and PTD exceeded our expectations in every way. On the big day, every detail was executed flawlessly-from linens and flatware to custom bar signs and table numbers. The food was delicious, the carne asada fries late-night snack was a huge hit, and we received endless compliments from our guests. The staff was friendly, attentive, and professional, and the bartenders brought just the right energy. A special moment we won't forget: one of the catering staff joined in on the dancefloor (cheered on by guests!), adding to the fun, celebratory vibe of the evening. PTD was a standout vendor that delivered both exceptional service and unforgettable moments. We'd recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone planning a big event.  
Marie S.
This company gets five stars for a reason. Tasty food, great service and on time. We hired them for a corporate women's lunch yesterday. They followed the instructions and used our loading dock to bring up the food, and beautifully set it up in our kitchen, ahead of schedule. The food was delicious, salads, a sandwich bar, bagels, spreads, chips and salsa, potato chips, drinks all laid out perfectly. My only complaint, and it's small, was there could have been a bit more dessert. Desserts were bite sized and wonderful! We are so happy that we can count on this business!
Kelsea L.
Too good not to book! Personal Touch Dining made wedding planning a breeze! The venue was beautiful, the catering was delicious and they handled all the rentals. All we had to do is tell them what we liked/ wanted and they brought it all to life! The staff is also AMAZING! They were always on top of things, kind, patient and so helpful! Thank you Annalisa, Darcie, Danielle and the entire Personal Touch Dining Team!
Nora R.
Personal Touch was a wonderful caterer for our wedding! They were responsive in the planning stage, and everything was delicious the day of the event.
J.T
If you want a top notch caterer, professional service and some of the yummiest food then Personal Touch Dining is for you! From start to finish they were on top of every detail, answered all our questions and concerns and coordinated with the vendors, etc. They made us and our reception feel like we mattered to them. People are still raving about the food and the overall reception!
Ashley M.
Lauren, Annalise, and Brittany were a pleasure to work with throughout the months and days leading up to the event. The staff during our wedding was super attentive, no empty glasses! The food was absolutely delicious and just as good as the tasting. Our guests RAVED about how good the food was. They are super flexible to work with and pricing was super fair. Would definitely recommend them to anyone planning an event and especially for weddings.
Abby J.
Personal Touch Dining did a wonderful job with our wedding catering from start to finish. We requested proposals from 3-5 companies during our initial search and Personal Touch first impressed us with their affordability which was very important to us. Sometimes affordability can translate into lower quality for service/taste/etc. but such is NOT the case with PTD. From my initial email their sales representative was extremely responsive, courteous, and helpful. Everything tasted and looked great on the day of our wedding. Highly recommend this company.

Talk With A Professional Event Catering Expert

Gourmet dish featuring herb-crusted patties drizzled with a creamy sauce, garnished with fresh greens and a vibrant red edible flower on a white plate

Your Event. Our Expertise.

With years of experience across a wide variety of private events, we understand that every celebration is unique. That’s why we offer custom event catering designed to match your style, taste, and guest count, no cookie-cutter menus here.

We proudly cater events of all sizes and types, including:

Anniversaries

Mark your special milestone with a memorable meal and impeccable service. Whether it’s a romantic dinner for two or a full-scale celebration with loved ones, our anniversary catering sets the tone with warmth, elegance, and flavor.

Bar and Bat Mitzvahs

Honor this important milestone with a celebration that reflects tradition, personality, and joy. We offer flexible catering options for bar and bat mitzvahs, including kid-friendly favorites, elegant entrees, and full-service support for a truly unforgettable day.

Birthday Parties (Adults and Kids)

From elegant milestone celebrations to colorful, kid-friendly themes, we bring your birthday party vision to life with delicious food and seamless service. Our team handles everything so you can relax and enjoy the moment with friends and family, whether it’s your child’s first birthday or your own fabulous 50th.

Bridal & Baby Showers

Celebrate love and new beginnings with a catered shower that’s as thoughtful as it is beautiful. We’ll help you create a welcoming atmosphere with a curated menu, stylish presentation, and attentive service, perfect for gathering close friends and family.

Church Parties

Whether it’s a church anniversary, volunteer appreciation, or holiday gathering, we provide warm, welcoming catering that brings your faith community together. Our team will work with your space and schedule to serve meals that nourish both body and spirit.

Dinner Parties

Elevate your next dinner party with chef-crafted cuisine and professional service, right in your home or rental space. We’ll help you create an intimate and impressive evening without the stress of cooking, hosting, or cleaning.

Housewarming Gatherings

Welcome guests to your new home with the perfect mix of comfort and class. From casual bites to passed hors d’oeuvres, we’ll help you celebrate this exciting new chapter with food and service that feels just right for your space and style.

Memorials and Celebration of Life Events

In difficult times, thoughtful service matters. Our team brings compassion and professionalism to every memorial event, handling the details with care so you and your guests can focus on honoring your loved one’s life and legacy.

Other Social Gatherings

From engagement parties to retirement celebrations and everything in between, we bring people together through great food and worry-free service. No matter the occasion, we make it easy to host with confidence and style.

Poker Nights & Game Nights

Turn your next poker night or game night into a standout evening with catering that keeps everyone fueled and focused. We’ll provide tasty, easy-to-enjoy options that match the vibe, whether it’s casual finger foods or a themed buffet.

Reunions (Family, Class, and High School)

Reuniting with familiar faces calls for good food and easy planning. We offer catering options that please crowds and simplify logistics, whether it’s a casual picnic-style setup or a more formal plated dinner for your high school or family reunion.

Holiday Events

Make the season stress-free and festive with catering that captures the spirit of the holidays. From intimate Thanksgiving dinners to lively New Year’s parties, our team provides seasonal menus and full-service support that let you celebrate without lifting a finger.

Whether you’re hosting at home, in a park, or one of San Diego’s premier event venues, we’ll handle the food, the setup, and everything in between, so you can enjoy the moment.​

Full-Service Catering That Goes Beyond the Menu

Great food is just the beginning. At Personal Touch Dining, we provide full-service event catering that includes:

Custom Menu Planning

From casual bites to multi-course plated meals, tailored to your preferences.

Professional Staffing

Attentive servers, bartenders, chefs, and coordinators to ensure seamless service.

Bar Service Options

Choose from hosted bars, signature cocktails, and non-alcoholic pairings.

Rental Coordination

Tables, chairs, linens, dinnerware, we’ll take care of it all.

Entertainment Support

Need help sourcing entertainment or audio/visual services? We’ve got trusted partners.

Why Choose Personal Touch Dining?

  • Award-Winning Catering Services
  • Trusted by San Diego Families for Over a Decade
  • Known for Our Attention to Detail and Personal Service
  • One Point of Contact from Planning to Cleanup
  • Flexible Menus and Budget-Friendly Packages

We bring the same care and professionalism to every special event,big or small. Let us help you create an experience that your guests will be talking about long after the plates are cleared.

Let’s Start Planning

Looking to cater your next special event in San Diego or the surrounding area? Our team is ready to help. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation and let’s start planning something memorable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely. Every event is unique, and our culinary team will work with you to design a custom menu that fits your theme, guest preferences, and dietary needs.

We recommend booking at least 2–4 weeks in advance to ensure availability and allow time for planning. For larger events or during peak seasons, more notice is always better.

Yes, we offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-conscious options. Just let us know your guests’ needs during the planning process, and we’ll make sure everyone is taken care of.

There is no strict minimum, but our services are most cost-effective for events with 20 guests or more. Let us know your guest count and we’ll tailor a plan that fits your needs.

Yes! We’re happy to share sample menus and past event options during your consultation to help you get inspired and visualize your perfect menu.

Yes, we offer full bar service including licensed bartenders, signature cocktails, hosted or no-host options, and all necessary permits and supplies.

Our Family

Event Venues and Companies by the Personal Touch Dining Team