Summer at Montalvo: The Party Helpers Caters the 2026 Summer Luncheons
- Ken Dickens
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Historic architecture. Beautiful gardens. Live piano music. Creative menus inspired by flavors from around the country and the world.
Could there be a more delightful way to spend a summer afternoon?
The Party Helpers is proud to provide the catering for the 2026 Summer Luncheons at Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga. Hosted by the Montalvo Service Group, this popular summer tradition brings friends, families, and community members together for an elegant afternoon of delicious food in one of the most beautiful settings in Silicon Valley.
The six-week luncheon series takes place every Wednesday from July 8 through August 12, with seating times at noon, 12:30 p.m., and 1 p.m. Each week features a completely different themed menu, giving guests a new culinary experience every time they visit.
Lunch on the Veranda of the Historic Villa
The setting is a big part of what makes the Montalvo Summer Luncheons so special.
Guests dine al fresco on the veranda of the historic Villa, surrounded by the trees, gardens, artwork, and peaceful atmosphere of Montalvo’s Saratoga grounds. Live piano music by Susan Monahan helps create the perfect mood for relaxing, visiting with friends, and enjoying a leisurely summer meal.
This is not simply lunch.
It is a chance to slow down, enjoy the surroundings, and experience one of the Bay Area’s most treasured cultural landmarks in a wonderfully personal way.
A Different Culinary Adventure Every Wednesday
One of our favorite things about catering this series is the opportunity to create a completely different experience every week.
The menus travel through a wide range of regional and international flavors—from fresh California-inspired dishes to Texas comfort food, a classic summer picnic, New Orleans specialties, and Mediterranean favorites.
Each luncheon also includes a thoughtfully prepared vegetarian entrée.
Farm-to-Table Freshness
The Farm-to-Table luncheon celebrated the colors and flavors of summer.
Guests began with mushroom-stuffed sundried tomatoes with pine nuts, parsley, and garlic. The main course featured a Tuscan-grilled salmon Summer Cobb salad or a vegetarian Summer Cobb salad filled with greens, celery, edamame, sliced egg, fresh berries, cheddar cheese, and grilled apricots.
And dessert?
A lemon and triple-cream cake filled with lemon curd and drizzled with berry sauce. Bright, fresh, and perfect for summer.
A Taste of Texas
For Texas week, we gave the menu some big personality.
The meal started with a playful mac and cheese lollipop—fried, rolled in breadcrumbs, and served on a stick.
The entrée choices included smoked, slow-cooked beef brisket with caramelized onions, dried berries, and red wine, or a fire-roasted vegetable polenta cake. Both were accompanied by grilled corn salad with cherry tomatoes, peppers, scallions, and lemon dressing.
Warm fresh-fruit crisps with whipped cream completed the meal.
The Perfect Summer Picnic
The Picnic luncheon brought together some of the foods we love most about summer.
Guests enjoyed corn and zucchini fritters, watermelon and feta salad with arugula and fresh mint, and herb-crusted Parmesan chicken with whole-grain honey-mustard sauce.
The vegetarian entrée featured zucchini boats filled with vegetables, breadcrumbs, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan, pesto, and marinara.
Naturally, every good picnic needs a memorable dessert. This one ended with a s’more cookie sandwich filled with marshmallow and chocolate chips and finished with white-chocolate drizzle.
New Orleans: On the Bayou
New Orleans week brings a taste of the bayou to Saratoga.
The menu includes brûléed tomato with goat cheese crème on herbed crostini, followed by a Cajun-inspired jambalaya chicken salad or jambalaya vegetable salad.
Corn muffins with whipped honey butter accompany the meal, followed by a dessert trio of beignets, pralines, and key lime bars.
It is colorful, flavorful, festive, and just a little bit indulgent—exactly what a New Orleans-inspired luncheon should be.
A Mediterranean Finale
The series concludes with a menu inspired by the sunny Mediterranean.
Artichoke crostini with capers and shaved Parmesan and Spanish-style grilled prawns on butternut squash bites begin the meal.
For the entrée, guests may select oregano-marinated tri-tip skewers or stuffed butternut squash with ratatouille. Both are served with couscous and quinoa featuring roasted fennel, corn, peppers, basil, and summer squash.
A beautiful caramel flan served over marble cake provides a fitting finale for the series.
Good Food Supporting a Beautiful Place
The Summer Luncheons are about more than enjoying an exceptional afternoon.
Proceeds from the luncheons benefit the maintenance and preservation of Montalvo’s historic Villa and grounds. By attending, guests are helping protect this important community treasure while also enjoying its beauty.
We are honored to work with the Montalvo Service Group and to play a role in a tradition that brings people together while supporting the arts, history, and natural beauty of the property.
Creating an Experience—not Simply Serving Lunch
Catering an event like the Montalvo Summer Luncheons requires more than preparing delicious food.
Each week has a new theme, new recipes, new ingredients, and new presentation. Our team coordinates the cooking, transportation, setup, service, timing, and cleanup while maintaining the quality and appearance of every plate.
That is what first class full-service catering is all about.
The host gets to welcome the guests. The guests get to enjoy the experience. And our team takes care of the food and service behind the scenes.
Let The Party Helpers Create Your Summer Celebration
You do not need a historic Villa to create a memorable summer luncheon—although it certainly helps!
The Party Helpers can bring the same creativity, thoughtful menu planning, professional service, and attention to detail to your corporate luncheon, fundraising event, client celebration, anniversary, birthday party, backyard gathering, or community event.
Whether your vision is farm-to-table California, a Southern picnic, Mediterranean dining, New Orleans flavors, or a theme that is completely your own, we can help turn it into a delicious and memorable experience.
Ready to celebrate Summer?
408.497.2661 Info@thepartyhelpers.com
—The Party Helpers Team
