Preferred Vendors for Events
Most of these vendors would be happy to support an event at either the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach or the ENC Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary in Modjeska Canyon. There may be some that are more local to Newport Beach who may not be able to provide services in Modjeska Canyon. Please be VERY CLEAR about your rental location when communicating with our preferred vendors.
Traditional Caterers
Jay’s Catering
714/528-4677Jay’s is a full service catering company serving corporate and social events throughout Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties. Menu versatility is their specialty, providing a wide range of menus including American, International and Ethnic options. Everything they serve is freshly prepared from scratch in their kitchen. They even bake their own breads and gourmet desserts!
White House Catering
714/528-6888Master Chef Maurice Brazier, a Commandeur de l’Ordre National (the French equivalent of knighthood) has proven, through accumulated experience, his ability to deliver amazing cuisine for any event, be it an intimate family gathering or an elaborate State Dinner. He has served kings and presidents. Now he can serve you. Their service staff, trained in the art of fine-dining and led by a group of experienced event managers, have not only received numerous awards from organizations such as the Southern California Restaurant Writers Association and Wedding Wire, but, more importantly, they have received the continuing praise from the brides, grooms, hosts and guests they have served.
Produce Catering + Creative
(949) 629-7195
Produce Catering + Creative is a full-service caterer specializing in private dinners, weddings, and corporate events. Owner, Chef Kiel, has a strong passion for food, and sees it as a way to bring family and friends together. His eclectic list of gourmet meals are made with fresh, high-quality ingredients providing mouthwatering flavors. Chef Kiel and his catering team can accommodate various reception styles, including plated dinner, buffet stations, and family style displays. Produce Catering also offers assistance with planning, design and rentals.
Soho Taco
(714) 793-9392Soho Taco was founded in 2009 with a single mission: to provide cherished memories to the community. When you organize an event or throw a party, it makes memories that can last a lifetime. Soho makes tacos to be part of that experience, assuring that your gathering is the stuff of legend. With high-quality ingredients, clean-yet-sophisticated recipes, and the cutting edge of culinary training, they want to be your taco of choice anytime you have something worth celebrating.
Plums Cafe & Catering
949 . 722 . 7586Plums started as a catering company and continue to innovate their catering services in addition to their cafe. Plums Catering’s services, menu, cocktails and wine pairings are always high quality, consistent and beautifully executed. Their full-service team brings reliability and 25-plus years of catering service and dining experience to your table.
Sundried Tomato Catering
(949) 661-1299Full Service, Corporate, Delivery & Pick Up Catering in Southern California. With over 20 years of catering experience, they can cater just about anything, anywhere. Choose from pre-designed Signature Menus or they’ll work with you to create a customized menu. Action stations, buffets, plated, tray-passed appetizers… if you can dream it we they create it.
Saltwater Catering
(949) 651-5000Featuring the creative cuisine of veteran Executive Chef Louis Manginelli, Saltwater Catering Inc. offers a dynamic and innovative force in the highly competitive catering arena. Each member of the organization understands how to achieve success by delicately blending all components of cuisine, ambience, service and décor to create truly memorable experiences. Saltwater Catering engineers all facets of your event, from the design and production of innovative cuisine to the arrangement of specialty entertainment, event décor, floral arrangements, unique invitation design, event photography, location scouting and more. We have the resources to provide services anywhere you choose to entertain throughout Southern California and the United States.
24 Carrots Catering
800/717-154524 Carrots offers unbelievably delicious food, personalized service, and a genuine passion for helping people make unforgettable memories together. They’re not a big conglomerate that churns out cookie-cutter parties. And they’re not a small mom-and-pop shop that lacks the resources to ensure your event runs smoothly. 24 Carrots is right in the middle – the sweet spot that provides you with the utmost personal attention and unlimited possibilities for your one-of-a-kind occasion.
Richard Jones BBQ
Christy Maynar 714-662-6868Richard Jones Pit BBQ Catering has been serving some of the best Texas BBQ in California for over 31 years! They slow smoke all our delicious meats with low heat and traditional hard wood for that one of a kind BBQ taste!
Restaurants & Specialty Foods
Penelope’s Perfections Bakery
(949) 402-8328
Penelope’s Perfections specializes in Custom Gourmet Buttercream Cakes and Cupcakes along with Mini Desserts, Iced Sugar and Gourmet Cookies, Cake Pops, Pies and more. Penelope’s Perfections Butter Cakes are made with the finest all natural ingredients from scratch without preservatives including Dutch Cocoa and Belgian Chocolates. Whether you need a Wedding, Engagement, Anniversary, Birthday, or Custom Event Cake plus Desserts, Penelope’s Perfections will make your day special!
Indarra
INDARRA is on a mission to make the sumptuous flavors and intrinsic healthfulness of Indian cuisine available to all. They strive to surpass each guest’s expectation with exceptional food and impeccable service in a clean, modern and attractive atmosphere. Indarra crafts ‘Modern’ Indian cuisine that marries the ancient art of Indian cooking with modern sensibility of sustainable, clean, healthy and wholesome eating.
Bluewater Grill
949-675-3474Voted best seafood in Orange County! Located on Lido Peninsula, on the bay in Newport Beach, at the historic former site of The Sea Shanty & Delaney’s. The iconic original location is outfitted in classic nautical style and sits right over the water. The perfect location to enjoy pristine quality seafood, sustainably caught, prepared classically or with a modern twist. If you’re lucky, you may even see the Bluewater kitchen staff hauling in a harpooned Swordfish from our very own harpoon boat, Pilikia.
Kean Coffee
949-642-5326The perfect coffee solution for your event. Kean Coffee is craft roasting the finest coffees from around the globe on-site, many organic and fair-trade. This enables them to serve their coffee so fresh, most days it has been roasted within hours of the moment it reaches your cup.
Sensitive Sweets
714-968-9169Sensitive Sweets is a dedicated gluten-free and nut-free bakery and facility. All of their freshly baked bread, cookies, cupcakes, and custom cakes are allergy-friendly (FREE of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy and nuts) and delicious!
Mi Casa
949-645-7626
MI Casa’s OC Cal-Mex Mexican food includes simple classics like crispy tacos overflowing with lettuce and cheese, cheese enchiladas, and burritos with re-fried beans and Spanish rice. They also offer scrumptious healthy options like our fresh romaine Fiesta Salad and grilled Mahi Tacos that are covered in tropical salsa and served with delicious sautéed vegetables that are sure to impress your taste buds!
Sgt. Pepperoni’s Pizza Store
Trevor Kotchek (949) 852-9500Since 1976 SGT. PEPPERONI‘S has been delivering love one pie at a time. Their sauce and dough are made on site, everyday, using the finest local ingredients. They also have delicious appetizers, salads, sandwiches, calzones and desserts – and a fantastic catering menu.
Al’s New York Cafe
(949) 722-1212Flavorful thin-crust New York style pizzas prepared with the finest homemade dough and top quality ingredients are the stars on the menu at Al’s New York Cafe. Al’s menu also features calzones, salads, specialty Italian entrees and pasta dishes, deli sandwiches, hot sandwiches and sub sandwiches. Al’s New York Cafe is located on Irvine Ave. between East 17th St. and Ogle St. in Costa Mesa. Order online for take out or delivery in the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach areas.
Shirley’s Bagels
949-645-1401Shirley’s has been the leader in Orange County making only the freshest bagels in the original boil and bake method. They use all natural ingredients with no oils, fats, preservatives or colorants. Our bakers have over 25 years of combined experience. Shirley’s Bagels is dedicated to provide the freshest highest quality bagels available in the market. They strive to bring the absolute highest quality product and service to their customers for a fair price.
The Pizza Bakery
949/631-1166A stone’s throw from the ENC and a favorite of the local high school crowd. Great pizza and salad. The slices are huge so have them double cut for birthday parties.
Food Trucks
The Lime Truck
Based in the OC, the Lime Truck offers customized menus and one-of-a-kind food to make your event a standout success. Don’t settle for boring – excite your guests with unique flavors from around the world.
Falasophy #FalafelChariot
Falasophy is a gourmet falafel shop and hummus bar, starting its journey as a food truck that is better known by it’s disciples as the #FalafelChariot. We created Falasophy to provide our interpretation of exciting, cravable street food, using the highest quality and freshest ingredients possible. Our menu is focused on falafel and hummus, along with accompanying sides and salads. It is all vegetarian and mostly vegan. Everything we serve is made from scratch and all natural. We are dedicated to providing the best tasting falafel sandwich and hummus period.
TK Burgers Truck
714/374-0700A local and ENC favorite, and not just because of their totally cool truck. The owners are locals and put a lot of pride into their food and service. We love the burgers, but also the grilled chicken, Ahi tuna and veggie sandwiches. They also have a sound system you can hook your iPod up to.
In-N-Out Burger Cookout Trailer
626/813-8295Because sometimes you just gotta have a double-double. Quick service and the consistent quality you expect from In-N-Out – a California favorite since 1948!
Other Services
Sustainable Parties (party supply rental)
rent@sustainableparties.comMonge Amore Events
Mikala@MongeAmoreEvents.comYour first day as a newlywed is one of the most important days of your life. Monge Amore Events (M.A.E.) is there to make sure your first kiss, your first dance, your first meal, and your first experiences as husband and wife are as beautiful as your love for one another.
Dolce Picnics
info@dolcepicnics.comFrom Newport Beach and beyond, Dolce provides pop-up luxury experiences at beaches, parks, offices, homes, and venues (like the Environmental Nature Center!) across Southern California. From the wildly popular boho picnic experience to dinner parties, they have created an assortment of experiences to take your event to another level. With a variety of locations and secret spots, their goal is to create the perfect vibe and atmosphere with carefully crafted themes and design expertise.
OC Gazebos
714-658-9233Highlight your wedding ceremony with OCgazebos! Select from 35 arches, arbors, “altars”, chuppahs, canopies, mandates, gazebos, and columns. Draping, fresh or silk floral decor, is also available. OC Gazebos will deliver, set up, and remove your structure, and several arches are available for pick-up in your SUV.
About Town Bartenders
714/969-4769This is the most professional, friendly and knowledgeable bartending service we’ve used. You can pick from a variety of packages for your event from “Beer, Wine & Soda”, “Well”, “Premium”, “Top Shelf” and “Non-Hosted”. For an instant online quote, go to their website and click on the “Quick & Easy Online Proposal” option.
Sweetwater Creek Band
contact themThe Sweetwater Creek Band is a group of local Orange County musicians who play fiddle, Irish bouzouki, mandolin, accordion, guitar, banjo and baroque recorders. Each member also sings, alternating between lead and harmony vocals. From diverse backgrounds and training, this unique group enjoys interweaving various nationalities of folk music such as Irish, Scottish, Cajun, and Swedish, with traditional Bluegrass and gospel tunes. They have played at coffee houses, farmers markets, street fairs, contra-dances, libraries, and art festivals throughout Orange, San Diego and Los Angeles counties, and have had audiences of all ages singing, clapping, and dancing to this timeless, family-friendly music!
Velvet Bow String Duo
contact themFrom diverse backgrounds and training, multi-instrumentalists Dan Elliott (cello) and Susan Lachner (violin) blend classical and folk music in a delightful and elegant way. Their musical sound adds a special touch to any wedding, garden party, or cultural event, and has engaged listeners of all ages.
Susan Lacher & SideNote Keys/Bass
contact themSusan is originally a pianist, receiving her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance Degree from Biola University in La Mirada. She taught piano lessons, played in piano bars, and for the Costal Community Colleges, before branching out into other instruments. She can be seen and heard at www.reverbnation.com/susanlachner, www.reverbnation.com/sidenotekeys, and on Instagram @sidenotekeys.
Hi-Time Wine Cellars
949.650.8463Hi-Time Wine Cellars is a family-owned retail store founded in 1957. Their 24,000 square feet of retail space showcases a huge selection of rare wines, hard to find spirits, beers, cigars and much more. They have the largest temperature controlled underground wine cellar west of the Mississippi River.
SoundWave Productions
714/742-6884SoundWave Productions is a full-service DJ entertainment company. They’re versatile, adaptable and do much more than show up and play music. They walk you through every reception detail and create a timeline of events, suggest helpful tips, and choose fun songs and creative ideas to make your event stand apart from the rest.