Paella del Reyes

Fantastic addition to our winery’s grand opening party. Easily the best paella I’ve ever had — Tom made a special squid ink ‘black’ paella for the event and it was mindblowing.

We used Paella del Reyes to cater food for the day after our wedding brunch by the beach in Bodega Bay. Everyone was blown away by how cool their setup was, cooking the paella live in front of our guests. And the quality of the meal was top-​notch, some of the best paella I’ve ever had (and I’ve had it a bunch in Spain). Even provided a bunch of guests with to-​go containers of leftover paella (our fault, our count was off a bit and some of our guests partied a bit too hard the night before). Super happy with them and it created a really unique and special experience for everyone to top off a great weekend.

We hired Tom to cater our wedding rehearsal dinner. We ordered one 60 person mixed seafood and one 20 person vegetarian. Both pans were excellent.
I was most impressed with their professionalism and skill for cooking and serving such a large dish. Our dinner was in a difficult to find area with no cell or GPS reception (no physical address for that matter) and Tom and his crew were prompt and ready to serve right on time. Our guests really enjoyed the meal and the presentation was wonderful. I would highly recommend them for any event.

Tom was awesome. Not only was the food amazing but he was very helpful in our set up and everyone enjoyed the smell and flavors through the cocktail hour. He was extremely professional and self sufficient and what a great way to serve 60 people without a bomb going off in our kitchen. Accessed our yard from the side entrance and left the same way… like magic. Highly recommended.

A wonderful option for an outdoor party! Delicious food and entertainment all at the same time! Everyone loved watching the paella being cooked, and loved eating it even more! Tom is on time, professional and a great cook! Who could ask for more? Matt and Jan, Mill Valley

I had Tom’s Paella at a friend’s party and vowed to hire him again at the first chance I got. He does not disappoint! He makes amazing food and the drama of the process is both entertaining and appetizing. I will be looking forward to the next occasion. PK Inverness, Ca

As a caterer, I have tried paella from so many different companies! And when it was time to choose a caterer for my own wedding the choice was easy because Paella Del Reyes truly makes the best, best Paella in the Bay Area! Tom’s Paella is rich with flavor and the ingredients are TOP quality. Tom and his staff were on time, adaptable, talented in the art of cooking paella and friendly to our guests. Paella brings people together, the dish alone brings about celebration as everyone gathers around to watch it cook, discuss how it is done and then enjoy how it tastes. If you are considering paella for a gathering … I would choose no other!

Tom and his daughter, Izzy, arrived to help us kick off our weekend family reunion in Inverness. All the relatives were flying in from all over the country and having the aroma of paella underway as they arrived and unpacked was the perfect beginning. While Tom assembled the BBQ structure and prepared the fire, many of us began to gather around with wine in hand to watch the «theatre» of the event unfold.
Each layer of the freshly chopped provisions were added in a sequential order according to some ancient Spanish recipe! All of the gathering group had question after question about the evolution of Tom’s company and life and were delighted with stories of Izzy’s plans for the future as we all shared ours with them.
Once the paella was sizzling to perfection, Tom and Izzy set up a serving area complete with bamboo plates, forks, napkins and a large crisp green salad.
Plates were filled with truly the best paella any of us had ever had — fresh and warm off the fire. It was a delicious time for everyone and we warmed the leftovers for lunch the next day… maybe even better (is that possible?) the next day!
Tom was flexible to our continuous changes in numbers, times and days prior to the event, and was always prompt with reply and Always accessible to reach.
THANK YOU Paella del Reyes! 5 stars from our Family!

The very best Paella I have ever had, and I am picky! Tom and his daughter were fabulous as was the paella! We knew he may have weddings or larger events on Memorial Day Weekend so we reserved communicated via email and set everything up several months in advance, about 10 days before the party he checked back with us in with us to confirm the time and number of people attending we told him or favorite items seafood items and he was wonderful in allowing us to substitute in shrimp, which were large, firm and cooked perfectly as were all the ingredients in the paella. When we arrived at the party location the Friday before the party we were quite concerned that Tom would be unable to get his giant outdoor stove up to the location of our party because of the difficult a very steep narrow driveway and multiple sets of stairs to the dining area, but much to our delight and surprise he had already been to this location knew exactly where to set up his stove. We figured we would walk down to be served, but he was a pro and we were able to either watch him form the top on the porch or walk down to get a fabulous demonstration and informational presentation on his cooking technique and mixtures. Then he and his daughter carried the giant pan of goodness up the many stairs to the serving table where he had special boards to support the giant pan and keep the surface from getting warm. He and his daughter served he served all 35 – 40 of us taking special requests from guests allowing them to have more of the items they liked best or refrain from the ones which were not their favorite. Then whole Tom packed in his stove, his daughter continued to served seconds and thirds to almost all of us… sooo good we all ate too much. Lastly, he packed up our left overs, which we really enjoyed for the next 2 days! If you can find a way to afford it, you should certainly go with Pallea del Reys… simply perfect!

We hired Paella del Reyes to cook dinner for a 150 person wedding rehearsal dinner. They showed up on time, served everything on time, and everyone (vegetarians and meat eaters alike) couldn’t stop telling us how great the food was. Tom was easy to work with from the beginning. We were able to coordinate schedules, pricing, and even got some samples. They were able able to work even while the sun was setting and it got dark. I would definitely reach out to him again for future events (fundraisers, birthdays, etc.).

This was one of the most memorable celebrations that I have ever had! Tom and his assistant /​daughter made breathtakingly beautiful Paella. It was literally like a work of art!!! It tasted amazing and was such a fun way to bring our friends and family together!!! What a way to jump into 50!!! 50 is the new 30, right?

Tom’s paella is magic. We just used him for our son’s graduation party and everyone is still talking about he paella. It is festive, fun and absolutely delicious. Tom was a pleasure to work with and left the cooking area as clean as it was when he arrived. We can’t wait to use him again.

I had some of their paella at the Hewitt release party at Provenance Vineyards. It was amazing food, as good or better than any I’ve had in Spain.
I keep hoping some event will come up where I can hire them to cater.

This was the most amazing paella I’ve ever had in my life. It came recommended through some of the staff at Hog Island Oyster Company and without have even trying it I booked them to be one of the food vendors for my wedding.
The process of making the paella was a show in itself. The team prepared the paella on-​site in a massive pan working in the dark with head lights wrapped on their heads. They looked almost like Paella Miners — if that actually existed.
All of our guests loved watching the process and loved the actual paella itself even more. The rice was perfect and not too soft. The ingredients were all delicious — local, seasonal and super fresh. The paella was not greasy at all and had that nice crunch at the bottom.
There were leftovers after the service and they boxed it all up for guests to take home. It was such a nice treat!
I would recommend these guys for anyone who loves amazing paella and is looking for a fun wedding/​party food option.

WOW! These guys catered our son’s wedding reception at Tomales Town Hall, and it was all so wonderful I don’t know where to begin! Tom and his sidekick Kate, plus their helpers, were super easy to deal with: friendly, efficient, professional, sensitive to our needs, all totally non-​stressful (150+ people no problem), and fun. The preparation and presentation of the very authentic paella was a performance in itself, and the side dishes were perfectly matched, even adding a vegan paella which was absolutely delicious. They didn’t skimp on quantity or quality of ingredients, the seasonings were perfect, and the result was a superb meal. Our guests enjoyed every last bit of it, and there was more than enough of everything. A number of them said it was the best wedding meal they had ever had. Raves! Oh, yum!!!

We recently had Paella Del Reyes as the caterer at our wedding reception in Tomales. Our 125 guests were delighted by the entire elaborate preparation — the wood fire, the sizzling 40″ paella pans, and the veritable cornucopia of fresh locally sourced ingredients. Everyone was buzzing about the amazing show and asking for seconds, thirds, and more once the food was served… The final product was an epicurean delight. Tom was also a true professional throughout the planning and organization, responding to our needs promptly and thoroughly while working hard to make sure the overall dining experience fit in perfectly with the rest of our event.

Paella del Reyes is a unique way to set your event apart from the rest. Tom and his staff did an incredible job at our wedding. I was so lucky when I found his website. The food was out of this world, and the execution was a show in itself. Our guests were so impressed that rumors began to circulate that Tom Meckfessel beat Bobby Flay in a cook-​off, and after having seen the preparation, and having tasted the paella, I wouldn’t doubt it. We will definitely be having paella del reyes at a party in the future! It is the best, and you can’t beat the price for both the quality of the food, and the entertainment factor.

Can you say «Crowd Pleaser»? That is the essence of what Tom’s — Paella del Reyes– paella is, and what it delivers to an event. I’ve had the good fortune to enjoy the incredibly tasty paella, hands down the best paella I’ve ever had, on 3 different occasions, and each time I witnessed the joy from the crowd he was serving. The manner in which he cooks the paella, outdoor over an open fire, is very interactive and fun to watch. The greatest thing that paella has going for it is its versatility. The dish and can be tailored to most everyone’s liking, which is perfect for a big group/​party, and Tom has different themed paellas to make even the most finicky eater happy. I’m a HUGE fan of Paella del Reyes and its delicious paella… BRAVO!

What a treat it was, both visually and gastronomically speaking, to have Tom Meckfessel and his Paella del Reyes roadshow cater my brother’s rehearsal dinner for 100 peeps in Sonoma County two weeks ago. This isn’t your run of the mill grill-​some-​chicken-​and-​salmon outdoor catering gig. It is a one of a kind culinary show/​event that enthralled and inspired whole different subjects of conversation for the guests. Most people have never seen the entire process of making paella over a wood fire and it really is fun to watch. Tom even recruited some of the more interested guests to help with the final steps.
And the taste??? As good as it gets. People couldn’t get enough. For those who are looking to impress their guests with something fun and different, Paella del Reyes is for you. From the equipment to the prep, to the final plate it’s a sight and taste to behold. At the wedding the next day, people were still talking about the paella!

I was invited to a party in Point Reyes where Tom Meckfessel of Paella del Reyes and his mobile one man paella extravaganza were set up and cooking away. Now I’ve had yummy paella all over the globe, but as far as I’m concerned, it just does not get any better. Tom is all about wood fired paella and he’s got a 36″ pan for his mobile wood fired paella grill. Anyway, it was pretty cool to be able to hang out at the grill with the chef drinking malbec from the porrón, while my girlfriend was chatting away inside. I helped Tom drop the pan down a couple levels so he could get the sacarat on the bottom of the rice just perfect (and it was).
I was one of about thirty people at the party and each and everyone of had nothing but great things to say about our dinner. The clams, shrimp, chicken and spanish chorizo we’re all perfect. He didn’t skimp on the saffron. There was plenty of paella and even after I had thirds, I snagged a zip lock bag from the kitchen and stole away with some more at the end of the night.
This was the best dinner party dinner I’ve ever had. My girlfriend and I have already hired Tom for the rehearsal dinner for our wedding in Glen Ellen.