Have you wanted to try Chipotle Catering? We’ve got a personal review for you. It’s my 9th year living in Los Angeles and this was the first Christmas that my entire family has come for the holidays. I wanted it to be special so I gathered up a group of friends last weekend and hosted a Tamalada – a tamale making party. As luck would have it, Chipotle contacted MomsLA and asked if we would review its catering service for 20.
Chipotle Catering
I ordered “The Big Spread” that included three meats to choose from (chicken, carnitas, steak, sofritas – spicy tofu, or barbacoa), two sides of rice, two sides of beans, and fajitas. It came with several sides of different salsas, cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce, and guacamole plus chips, crispy taco shells, and corn and flour tortillas. There was also a big bag of bowls, napkins, forks, knives, spoons, and serving utensils.
It also included stands, chafing dishes, and fuel.
None of us could believe how much food we had. Or how good it was. Some friends had never tried Chipotle before and I was happy to introduce them to one of our family favorites. I have to admit that we are big fans of Chipotle and eat there any time we’re on the road trip or need a quick lunch. My kids were so excited that they were able to have it at home (and possibly at one of their next birthday parties).
No one left the party hungry. Many of us had seconds and my family had Chipotle for dinner that night and the next night. I was also able to pack leftovers for some guests, and also for Sarah to take on her trip. “The Big Spread” costs $295 (I got it for free for this review), which seems pretty reasonable considering how much food we got (and bowls, utensils, napkins) and how easy it was to put the spread together.
My only complaint was that the order had to be placed 24 hours in advance – exactly 24 hours. I called the Chipotle Catering 800 number and ordered at 12:30, but wanted to pick up at 11:30. There was no way for me to call the store I was ordering from (or I couldn’t figure out how) so I waited on hold for about 10 minutes while Chipotle Catering called the store (there was no guarantee they could change it). It worked out fine and my husband was able to pick up the order at 11:30, but next time I’ll be sure to call at least 24 hours ahead. Other than that, everything was fantastic.
The Tamalada
After we had a bowl (or two) of Chipotle, we started making our tamales. I had soaked the corn husks overnight and bought the masa from Northgate Market. Each person brought either a filling, wine, or dessert. I cooked pork shoulder overnight in the crock pot, one friend made chile colorado, another made shredded cilantro chicken, and another brought roasted New Mexico green chile.
It took us a couple of hours to assemble the tamales and everyone went home with at least a dozen.
I served tamales for Christmas dinner (we had 18 people!) and my family seemed to really like them. To learn more about how to assemble tamales, check out this video I made last year.
The best part of the Tamalada was sitting at the table talking while we made the tamales and while we had lunch. It’s not often that we get together without kids and chat. Thank you, Friends, and thank you, Chipotle, for making the day so lovely.
