Seeking: Holiday Catering Platters That Don't Suck

VIA NINEDAVES

I tend to be the kind of person who puts waaay too much thought into just about everything I do. The holidays are the worst for me. I stress out about giving the perfect gifts, decorating my place just right and having the best food at my holiday party. It basically ruins all the fun. So this year, I've decided to change my ways and give myself the gift of not giving a shit. Congratulations, you're all getting gift certificates. I hope you like these half-ass holiday decorations too, 'cause I'm too lazy to get the good shit from my storage unit. And were you looking for a nice homemade food spread at my holiday party this year? Yeah, well you're not getting it. 'Cause I bought these catering platters and they were worth every penny. 

Well, at least that's what I'll tell my guests when I actually buy the damn platters. Right now I'm still in the research stage. 

My first thought was to go with Zito's Sandwich Shoppe. Not only am I totally obsessed with their sandwiches, but their sides are pretty much the best I've had around (Dear Lentils & Carmelized Onions and Farro Salad: I love you. Love, NineDaves). Their catering menu has plenty of options:

• For 10-15 people, $125 (+ tax) gets you 10 assorted sandwiches, two 1lb sides (green beans/potato and tortellini/zucchini salad), and 1lb of mixed italian olives.
• For another $50, you can serve 20-25 people with 15 assorted sandiwches, two 2lb sides, and 1lb of mixed italian olives.
• $375 (+ tax) serves you 30-40 people (25 sandwiches, two 3lb sides, 2lbs of mixed olives), but they'll also throw in a mini rice ball tray and a 7-layer cookie dessert tray.
• For $100 more, you get 45-50 people served (30 sandwiches, two 4lb sides, 3lbs of olives, race ball tray, 7-layer cookie dessert tray, and a mini potato crocche tray). 

Of course, I don't know 50 people that I like enough to have at my holiday party, and even if I did, I couldn't fit them all in my small-ass apartment. So I may stick with the simple platters of cheeses ($50) and cured meats ($45). 

For dessert, I was planning on grabbing a few cookie trays from La Bagel Delight (pictured above). But when I was there, I saw that they have holiday catering too. Here's the spread they're offering:

• Frosty's Big Wheel ($159.99 + tax) gets you a 6lb "Big Wheel" sandwich (italian or american), a small cheese platter, potato salad, macaroni salad, cold slaw, and a pickle tray. Plus three 2-liter sodas and a small cookie tray. 
• Santa's X-Mas Spectacular ($499.99 + tax) gets you two speciality wrap platters, two 3-foot heros (one chicken parm and one eggplant parm), one small cheese platter, one small vegetable platter, potato salad, macaroni salad, cold slaw, pickle tray, one large salad, two holiday cookies platters and five 2-liter sodas.
• There's even a New Year's Special ($199.99 + tax), which gets you a 6-foot hero, a small cheese or veggie plater, potato salad, macaroni salad, cold slaw, and a pickle tray, a small three 2-liter sodas and a smal cookie tray.

Lots of good options -- but I think I'm going to pick up a catering platter for breakfast on Christmas morning. That way my mom doesn't have to do all that work cooking and I feel like I can contribute. La Bagel offers Rudolph's Breakfast, which gets you 1-dozen muffins, 1-dozen danishes & croissants, 2-dozen bagels (with cream cheese and butter), a small fresh fruit platter, homemade apple pie, and orange juice. Total comes to $139.99 + tax -- a little higher than I would have probably spent if I just went to Costco and got all that stuff individually, but at least this way I don't have to deal with all those annoying people. 

But that's just me thinking out loud right now. What do you think? Are there any other local holiday catering platters I should consider?