We chose Magpie to cater our wedding, and we could not have been happier. From the very start they were easy to work with and totally professional. One thing that made planning on our part tricky was that both my fiance and I had to do it long distance. Janel was our contact there, and we could tell right away that she knew what she was doing. She asked lots of questions that we hadn't thought of, and worked with us to create a custom menu that we wanted and would fit our budget. Working with her before the wedding was a breeze, and she was always available to answer questions.
Magpie does not supply the alcohol for their catered events, which was awesome for us, we went out to a local winery and bought a few cases of wine and their staff worked the bar. In addition to the wine we had beer and a couple of cocktails. Janel made suggestions on how much alcohol to buy based on the guests, and she was pretty good with the estimate (we went a little over, but better to have extra than not enough!).
The staff was awesome. Everybody was professionally dressed, helpful and willing to help wherever they could. The bartenders poured all night with the friendliness you would expect from your local pub bartender. We chose to have the food come out family style, and everything was delivered at the right pace and in sufficient proportions. In addition to taking care of the catering, we also rented our tables and chairs through Magpie, so they took care of the delivery, set up and take down of the tables. We had an outside wedding, and last minute there was wind issues, so we had to move the tables. They rolled with it and had them set up in a new location, no problem. Janel even helped with things that weren't part of her service package, like moving a mountain of cupcakes or tables that weren't out of her package.
Finally, what you hire a caterer for: The food. So good. We had Neiman Ranch Tri-tip and Petaluma chicken with roasted vegetables and black central valley rice pilaf. Our passed appetizers were Crab cakes and leek tarts, with a local cheese spread and crackers at a table. It was all delicious. Because we had the food plated and served family style, people felt happy to take as much or as little as they wanted. All of our guests loved the food, and there was plenty without being too much. For the vegetarians in the group the roasted vegetables and potatoes (which were delicious) were filling enough, and the fresh salad was awesome. They used local and organic ingredients for most of the meal, and it was well worth it. Magpie got the food on our tables for about $29 per person. That includes all the rentals, linens, flatware, drinks (non-alcoholic), appetizers, tables and chairs and the bar glasses
Working with this caterer was so easy, and their service and food was so good that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to any of my friends.