I was extremely pleased with Dawn and Chef Marty of Aurora Catering. The food was delicious and the services was outstanding. They were able to work within our budget and went the extra mile to ensure that all of our needs were met. read more

Marty and Dawn did an awesome job of catering our wedding this past June. All of our guests said the food was amazing. they invited us to their home for the tasting and we were blown away by the variety and top notch quality of what they prepared for us. and the two of them are so kind and down to earth that they make you almost feel like family. at the tasting Marty came up with the brilliant idea to have pork-belly sliders to-go for our guests and they were a huge hit. Marty is truly a chef that has a passion for his craft and you can taste in every bite of everything he makes. read more

Aurora Catering did an amazing job for the 45th Wedding Anniversary Party I planned for my employer's parents! They are extremely professional, experienced, timely and organized. Dawn helped coordinate every aspect of the party from the delicious passed appetizers, beautiful cheese board, displayed desserts, coffee & tea service, bartender, servers, party rentals etc. The food was wonderful and their team is incredibly friendly and accommodating. They went above and beyond with ease. I appreciated the help with set up, take down and clean up. Everything was a hit and we will definitely hire them again in the future. Dawn is a joy to work with - I trusted her suggestions and opinions and appreciated her attention to detail and approach to making sure the party was a great success. Service, quality, pricing, efficiency & details all 5 stars! :) I highly recommend Aurora Catering. read more

By far the best caterers I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Dawn and Marty have such passion and it shows from the very first minute you meet with them. We discovered them at a friends wedding, and knew instantly that we had to have them cater our wedding. Professional, friendly, and attentive to the smallest details. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a caterer read more

My company services worldwide events. I hired Marty & Dawn for an international Vogue Magazine event and they were unbelievable! The food and presentation were world class. Their service and personalities were even better. No matter what your event they will deliver with style, panache and make you and your company look like super-heroes. I give them 5 stars - if I could give them 100 I would. I also hired Marty for a personal in-home cooking class for clients and friends, he was brilliant, warm, friendly and a huge hit. Look no further, Aurora Catering will deliver more than you'll ever need. I am forever grateful and a lifetime client! Bravo, Marty and Dawn! I look forward to our next encounter. read more

We used Aurora Catering for a retirement party for 60 guests. Everything worked out perfectly. We started with a tasting event at their Oakland site. From there Marty helped s pick just the right food items from appetizers through main course. Dawn walked with us through the event site, asking questions we would have never thought to ask. The day of the event, the staff arrived right on time, did their job with real professionalism and made sure that the buffet went smoothly. We would definitely recommend Aurora Catering. read more

"Marty and Dawn - their warmth and passion for what they do is contagious. You and your guests will enjoy a relaxing and comfortable occasion, as they mingle and spend time with each other, while enjoying the special treats Marty and Dawn serve up. You don't have to worry about a thing! They take the time to understand what you hope for from your event, they blend right in, and deliver more than you expect. And did we mention the food?! It's truly amazing and memorable. We can't wait to arrange another event with them. Cheers, Anne Marie & Rodney read more

I learned about Aurora Catering from the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, where I held my husband's celebration of life. This was the first time I'd ever organized a big catered event like that, so I was a bit nervous about ensuring all the details were being taken care of, but Dawn did a fantastic job helping me to stay calm and organized along the way. I loved how she ended every email to me with, "May we answer any questions?" because I always had about a dozen questions for her :-). The menu she provided me had many Asian-inspired options in particular that I know my husband would have enjoyed. Everything about the event turned out great, and I think all my guests had a wonderful evening remembering and celebrating my husband. Thank you to Chef Marty for making two of my husband's favorite childhood desserts that both evoked warm and special memories for me. I would definitely call Aurora Catering again for future catering needs. read more

We hired Aurora Catering to provide an appetizer buffet for our Student of the Year Event, and they could not have done a better job. The Event was held outdoors at a school campus. From the pre-planning to the clean-up, Aurora was professional and thorough. And then there's the quality of the food: Aurora provided a beautiful combination of 6 items that were attractive to view as well as absolutely delicious. Aurora was mindful of potential dietary considerations. We received nothing but positive reviews from our guests. read more

"I love Aurora Catering! I've used them for my 40th birthday picnic, a BBQ, a dinner party and I received a personal cooking lesson with Chef Marty as a Christmas gift Everything has been perfect, down to the last detail. The set up for my birthday was elegant and really lovely, the BBQ was outdoorsy, cowboy style, just as we requested, & as always, the food was perfect. My personal cooking class was all about seafood. I learned to prepare seafood many different ways & the true test was even my kids loved it when I prepared a dish for them the next day. Marty & Dawn are such a great team - he prepares the fabulous food and she is the master mind in event coordination, style, and décor. I have recommended Aurora Catering to my family and friends who have used their services for corporate team building, a "Gourmet Club" dinner and a big anniversary party. Love them! read more

This review is *long* overdue, but Dawn and Marty catered our wedding about a year and a half ago and we couldn't have been happier - great food, lovely people. From the start Marty and Dawn were both very professional and low-key at the same time, and made us very comfortable throughout the whole process. They hosted us in their home for a really fun tasting, during which Marty stuffed us with all sorts of delicious things and Dawn took careful and detailed notes about everything we liked and didn't like as much. After the tasting, they worked with us to come up with a menu that was inspired by our family/cultural backgrounds and was fresh and seasonal. Dawn helped us with linen and flatware selection, chair rentals, hiring bartending staff, advice about wine... I felt very comfortable trusting her with a lot of details. She did a walk-through of our venue with me and helped me figure out a timetable for ceremony and reception and how to make the best use of our space. Dawn also helped with "day of" coordination - our wedding was relatively small and simple, but we couldn't handle all the set-up ourselves, and it was fantastic to be able to just show up 30 minutes before our ceremony and have everything be perfect! Most importantly, the food was fantastic, and beautifully presented. Marty loves what he does, and it really shows. We received lots of compliments after the wedding. Their rates are really reasonable - honestly, a bargain considering the quality of the food. I would absolutely use them again! read more

We used Aurora Catering for our wedding, and it was the best decision! Not only is the food delicious, but Dawn is extremely organized and easy to work with. Chef Marty gave us helpful insight when deciding on the perfect menu - and we were so happy with the final product! Whenever I emailed Dawn with a question, I was always confident that I would hear back from her promptly. I would definitely recommend them for any event! read more

So impressed with the quality and amount of food. Marty and Dawn catered for my wedding last 10/8 and despite last minute changes they were able to provide an excellent meal. I highly recommend them for your next event. I know I'll be using them once again. read more

Dawn and Marty did a great job at our wedding. They were organized and coordinated many aspects we didn't even think of. Marty has a great sense of food and cheese...and they worked with out budget to make our wedding spectacular. read more

Marty and Dawn Deardorf have catered several events for me, including an informal housewarming party and an elegant engagement party. They are a fabulous team - Dawn being the fabulous event planner, providing outstanding decorative ideas and touches, and Marty providing an extraordinary menu and food. They are as involved as you want them to be, welcoming your personal advices and wishes, but rest assured you can confidently let them loose and they will not disappoint. read more

I wanted to throw a last minute holiday party in between Christmas and New Year's Eve. I contacted several caterers, letting them know my budget and what I wanted. From the start Dawn worked with me to make my party a success. She didn't try to upsale me like many caterers did and she was the first one to respond, even though she was on her way out to a party. Aurora Catering's pricing beat all others and the appetizers were not only delicious but beautiful! Dawn and her husband Chef Marty worked very hard to make my party quite the event to remember. Chef Marty came to our home and finished off several of the appetizers. Dawn remained and handled everything from setting up the table with outstanding appetizers to serving drinks and doing everything she could to allow me to enjoy my party and guests, worry free! I won't go to anyone else in the Bay Area for any of my catering needs. Thank you so much Dawn and Marty! read more

It has been a joy to work with Aurora Catering! I coordinate events for a department at UC Berkeley, and from a list of preferred caterers, I quickly selected Dawn & Marty to cater two dinners for about 100 people each. I was working with a limited budget and a variety of dietary restrictions, and they were happy to make accommodations to meet all of our needs. The pre-event communication with Dawn was efficient and effective. On the day of the dinners, the staff was extremely helpful and friendly. To top it all off, the food was outstanding! I work with a lot of vendors, and by far, Dawn & Marty have been the easiest to work with in the East Bay. I wish that I had another event that required catering for which I could hire Aurora Catering in the immediate future. I could not have asked for a better experience. They made my job easy, and I hope I can eat their food and work with them soon! read more

Aurora Catering is simply amazing! Marty and Dawn are true experts at what they do and make a perfect team together. They catered my wedding for 150 people and did such a wonderful job. I felt like I got a package deal with a caterer and a wedding coordinator all in one. Marty is extremely creative in the kitchen and pairs food in ways that taste amazing! He will definitely not give you anything bland! Many people at my wedding said it was the best wedding food they had ever tasted! Plus, his personality is so fun and anyone who is around him immediately will want to be his friend. His wife Dawn deals with all of the details and logistics and is one of the most organized people I know. She could be a wedding coordinating herself. She made sure we had everything we needed for our wedding - from tables and linens to dinnerware and candles. She helped to coordinate all of our other vendors so everyone was on the same page. Their staff worked so hard at my wedding and everything went off without a glitch. (They even had one of their servers come and bring us appetizers and water while we were taking pictures outside of the main location). I simply could not have asked for a better experience. I would recommend Aurora Catering to anyone and hope to use them again myself! read more

Aurora catering made a last minute Halloween party a dream for me! I decided to hold a party but really didn't know what I wanted beyond a casual but classy feeling, food that was unique enough to stand out but not be to frilly. In getting a few bids from companies, Dawn's proposal stood out for quality, creativity and competitiveness. She did am amazing job of providing so many good ideas (even with the Halloween theme and names!) that I struggled to narrow down the menu. I was lucky enough to have both Dawn and her chef husband Marty at my actual event. They were so personable and made everyone feel so comfortable that one might have even thought they were just friends helping out. We didnt finalize th emenu until days before the party and they were cool to work with me when I wasnt sure if we would have 25 or 35 or 65 people! They never seemed ruffled with the short notice, was under the budget I had in mind and exceeded my expectations. They were there to set up, through a good portion of the event and then slipped out with everything cleaned up...almost without me knowing it. I need a new occasion so I can use them again. I highly recommend Dawn and Marty! read more

Dawn and Marty are fabulous caterers. I contacted Aurora Catering to plan my work holiday party and they bent over backwards to accommodate our needs. Marty is a great chef and Dawn was quick to respond so we were able to streamline regular and efficient communication - which makes party planning so much easier. I found that they were full of ideas but more than willing to adopt my ideas if that's what I wanted. Marty creatively worked to incorporate special dietary needs so there was something for everyone! In addition to efficiency and responsiveness leading up to the event, their execution was seamless. If they had any issues during the event, I never knew about it. I whole-heartedly recommend these caterers. read more

I was the 'remote Mother of the Bride' and had to trust my daughter's and son in law's decision on selecting a caterer for their wedding April 30, 2016 in the Log Cabin in the Presidio in SF. They certainly picked the right one - everything was wonderful. Dawn and Marty worked with the bride and groom to select a wonderful menu, not too fussy, not too over the top - it was food that people wanted to eat. Marty was only too happy to make sure some of the guests got the cut of meat they preferred. I have no idea how they managed this wonderful meal from a tent - but they did it perfectly. Staff was great and very accommodating to everyone. Would definitely recommend Aurora Catering. read more

Can't recommend Aurora Catering enough! Aurora catered our wedding in May and it was perfect! Dawn was SO helpful, she helped with all the day of set up and was super helpful all along the way. She asked things we hadn't thought to even think of, things we needed to plan for or decide on pre-event. Literally would have been a mess without her. She was way more helpful then our venue coordinator even, I'm so grateful we went with Aurora even beyond the food. The food - was amazing! Our guests were mentioning it to us even months after the wedding. And people never remember wedding food! Marty did a really unique, fresh and seasonal menu with amazing artisan quality and flavor. People were blown away. Aurora also provided the event staff and bartenders. The staff were SOOOO friendly. Like over the top friendly and nice and welcoming, I've never experienced event staff like that. The bartenders were super nice and fun and really added to the festivity of the day. Aurora also went above and beyond with our linen company. We rented linens through Stuart Party Rental (do not recommend at all). After the fact Stuart tried to charge us for items they never delivered or were broken, and then charged use for all the linens, requiring us to buy brand new ones, saying the linens were stained. Dawn went out of her way to advocate for us as her client and even gave us our deposit back in order to help mitigate the cost Stuart charged us over what we agreed to. Aurora is a great, family busy that really goes over and beyond to make an amazing day. read more

I called Dawn and Marty less than a week before my husband's 80th birthday. I explained what we had planned and asked if they could help us with food and serving. Marty immediately suggested a great menu and Dawn followed up very quickly to assure me they could meet our needs. they arrived on time fully prepared. The food was wonderful; they served it efficiently and pleasantly. Many of our guests complimented their food and service. This was a family party and Dawn and Marty seemed to enjoy all of our silliness while still being very professional. I wish I could have a party every week just so they could cater it! read more

Aurora made a surprise birthday party for 35 a very special event. Working with Dawn, Marty and those who staffed our party--Kenny and Bronwyn--was a delight. I recommend the short ribs, grits with cheese, beet and green salads and beautiful and tasty appetizers. read more

We are so fortunate to have found Aurora Catering! We first worked with Dawn and Marty over a year ago for a snow sledding party for 40 people - catering to both children and adults. They were so fun to work with and completely embraced our whimsical event with tasty food, creative drinks and fun decor. Everyone we interacted with on their staff was professional and thoughtful. The event went off brilliantly. Dawn is so friendly and was a delight to work with throughout the planning process and the day of details. Would highly recommend! read more

Dawn & her team are wonderful and thorough! They provide great food and can accommodate special menus! We loved working with these fellow professionals in the wedding industry. read more

My non-profit has worked with Aurora three times in the past year, and couldn't be happier! Chef Marty always prepares delicious and bountiful platters for our fundraising events, which our guests have loved. Dawn is a fantastic- professional, accommodating, and totally dependable. I recommend Aurora to all of our clients and supporters, as well as to my friends and family! read more

Dawn and Marty catered our wedding last year at Tank 18 in the city and were amazing! They were the first caterers we did a tasting with and after a few hours in their home, we were sold! Dawn was so sweet, she actually picked us up from the bart station. We had such a good time sampling the food and talking about menu ideas. My now-husband is also a chef and had high standards for our wedding and Dawn and Marty exceeded our expectations! We did a cocktail style reception with stationary and passed appetizers and everything was delicious! There was plenty of food to satisfy our guests and their prices were very reasonable. Dawn also kept bringing me food to make sure I got to enjoy the food too in the midst of all the excitement. They really took the stress off of us both leading up to our wedding and on the day of! I would definitely hire them for another event and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for great caterer. Thanks again Dawn and Marty!! read more

Aurora Catering is absolutely fantastic! They catered our wedding last August at Marin Art and Garden Center, and we were exceptionally pleased with how everything turned out. Marty and Dawn are creative, professional, flexible, friendly, and on top of all that make delicious food! Working with them was a pleasure from start to finish, and we really felt like they went the extra mile to execute our wedding vision. Marty worked with us to personalize the menu to reflect our taste and personalities, and our guests raved about the food. We were on a limited budget, so we really appreciated how they worked with us to create an elegant high-quality buffet menu at our teacher/social worker price point! Dawn was wonderful to coordinate with. She was very organized with an impressive attention to detail that really helped to put us at ease during the planning process. She was extremely attentive to email and even met with us at the venue for a walk-through to discuss everything in person. She made lots of helpful suggestions to have the big day run smoothly, and with Aurora's help it did! Our wedding day was stress free and we are so grateful we chose Aurora for our special day. Amazing food, great staff, and quality service. We can't thank them enough and highly recommend Aurora Catering. read more

Dawn, Marty, and the Aurora Catering team made our post-wedding brunch at our home for 70 people a true joy. Knowing that we would not get home from the wedding until nearly midnight, we stressed out about how to be ready for guests' arrival at 9AM the next morning. Dawn walked the bride and groom through a lot of options and a few emails later all of the plans were set. Throughout she was prompt and thorough with her responses. She got on our wavelength of wanting to host a gracious morning event but without it being ostentatious. She suggested some fun additions for our brunch buffet, such as yogurt parfaits. All of the baked goods, fruit platters, egg dish, and other dishes were delicious and beautifully presented. Our family appreciated Dawn's advice on quantities of supplies to rent or purchase. Her goal was to ensure our enjoyable morning with our many guests. Her goal was achieved and we all had a relaxed time with Marty and Aurora team looking after every detail of setting up, serving, replenishing, and cleaning up. We heartily recommend Aurora Catering Bay Area as your go-to for any kind of event!! read more