FAQS

Q: Does San Diego Paella cook all Paellas on-site?

 

A: Yes, all Paellas are made fresh, outdoors and on-site at your location! We will also gladly deliver our award winning Paella to your home or office.

 

Q: How long does it take to cook your Paella?

 

A: It’s a fun process! The actual cooking production is about 1.5 hours, so plan on us arriving about 2.5 hours ahead of your anticipated serving time to begin set up.

 

Q: Is it “Spicy”?

 

A: Not at all. Its delicious Spanish flavors are aromatic, appetizing and neutral for ALL to enjoy, with hints of Mediterranean savor. Hey, but being in Southern California, if you want to put a bottle of hot sauce on your own table, we won’t tell anyone.

 

Q: How are the Paellas served?

 

A: They are served buffet style by a smiling chef! Each guest is served right out of the Paella pan the chef cooked in, so it’s nice and hot. After the last plate is served, all Paella leftovers are put in a serving dish for guests to help themselves or for your yummy leftovers to enjoy the following day.

 

Q: Does San Diego Paella bring all the cooking equipment?

 

A: Our clients LOVE that we are self-contained. We provide our cooking and serving equipment. We bring tables for the cooking station, they are draped with black linen. We do not need electricity access and really only need a kitchen to wash our hands, how about that?!

 

Q: Does your price include plates and utensils?

 

A: Formal or casual, stilettos to flip flops,  we let you pick your own plates and utensils. A 9”-11” plate serves well for the Paella, Mediterranean salad and French bread. Whether it’s a paper, plastic or ceramic or china, please make sure it’s on the thicker side, because our Paella serves HOT!

 

Q: Is gratuity added to the bill?

 

A: Our chefs love educating your guests and having fun with them.  They’ll talk Paella, its origins, our process, heck even take pictures with them all while enjoying their company, working diligently to  ensure your dish comes out PERFECT! Gratuity for him or her is left at your desire.

 

Q: How much time notice do I need to give San Diego Paella to reserve an available date?

 

A: The sooner, the better, we get BUSY. We appreciate at least a 4-6 week notice, but you never know, we’ve serviced parties with last minute inquiries as well.

 

Q: Is a deposit required to reserve a date?

 

A: To ensure proper and detailed scheduling, a 20% non-refundable deposit with a secured credit card process is required and applied to the final bill to reserve your date.

 

Q: What other services do you provide?

 

A: We have staff members that smile, service and satisfy and can assist with set up, tray passing, drink pouring, bussing and clean up. They’re dressed in all black with a tie optional and ready for action. Event planning is on the rise, if your function is more detailed or formal, we have a few event coordinators we can refer or if you just need to pick our brain for some DIY planning, we’re here for you.

 

Q: What other areas do you service?

 

A: Besides the best city in the world, SAN DIEGO?!, we will gladly travel. We service our awesome neighbors to the north with Orange County Paella services and Los Angeles Paella catering services too.

 

Q: Is there a minimum number of people needed for a reservation?

 

A: It usually depends on our availability and time of year. Different factors come into play, such as the day of the week and our demand. Just like any other hospitality business, we will do our best to always have it make economic sense.

 

Q: Are there any other fees included?

 

A: Some clients may have guests with severe allergy or religious restrictions, thus needing to accommodate their dietary or religious requirements. Not a problem! We are able to accommodate this request with separate cooking stations. It’s additional labor and clean up and we’d be happy to service second or third cooking stations for a flat fee of $100.00.

 

Q: How are the appetizers brought?

 

A: They are server friendly and self-contained. Appetizers are placed inside aluminum chaffing pans. They are able to be reheated in an oven at around 200* or you may opt for chaffing racks and candles that we may provide at cost. **If you choose to have staff assist you, they can be tray passed and maintained by them.

 

Q: Is Paella gluten free?

 

A: We get this question frequently. YES, OURS IS GLUTEN FREE! Tasty, aromatic and no need to worry about gluten. We do not use butter or nuts in our Paella recipe either and our Vegetarian Paella is considered Vegan as we use tomato bouillon for its seasoning.

 

Q: Is all the cooking done outdoors?

 

A: The fun and interactive cooking production takes place outdoors. We are fueled off our propane tanks (not needing electricity access) that require us to be outside.

 

Q: How much outdoor space do you need?

 

A: Not a whole lot! For parties with one cooking station and up to 100 people, usually an 8’ by 8’ area will suffice. For parties that require second and third cooking stations, 12’ by 12’ is the standard and may need more or less space depending on the layout.

 

Paella is becoming more and more popular as a festive, gourmet and colorful dish. It originated in a coastal town of Southern Spain over 200 years ago. It is traditionally known as a rice dish with shellfish cooked in olive oil, saffron, tomatoes, onions and other great seasonings. Now throughout Spain it is becoming progressive to also put in a variety of ingredients to the host's or chef's liking. As long as the saffron, olive oil, rice and artistry is felt, Paella is left to the imagination.